NV242 and HPDana 30 into a ZJ

[rccolacc]

I joined this club earlier this year with a '91 Ford Explorer 4x4, but I have since sold it and purchased a '97 Grand Cherokee Laredo with the 5.2L V8. I bought it with a bad transfer case (the all wheel drive NV249) and bad carrier bearings in the front Dana 30. When I bought it the AWD acted more like part-time 4WD because the viscous coupler had gone bad, so it barked the front tires whenever I turned a corner. I am currently driving without the front driveshaft. I pulled the inner axle-shafts out also to keep the carrier from turning so the bearings don't make so much noise.
I went to the junkyard on 389 (thanks for the directions, Rob) and bought a NV242 for $150. I plan on installing it over the Christmas break.
I have an '88 XJ in my back yard with a HP Dana 30 in it. I used to drive it in high school, but it got unreliable and it's now parked killing grass. I plan on swapping it's front end with the one off the Grand to keep things simple. The HP30 is stronger and it's free, so I'm gonna try it. I'm going to keep the outers on the Grand to keep the ABS. I bought some late model Cherokee front axle shafts with u-joints and ABS tone rings to replace the crappy CV joint axle shafts on the Grand now. I'm going to try to use the front driveshaft off the XJ also to replace the CV style front shaft that came off the Grand.
I know I am going to probably have to change the input shaft on the 242 to accept the transmission (I think the spline count is different between the 242 I bought and the 249), but other than that, I think swapping the axles should be one for one between the XJ and the ZJ. As far as I know the suspension mounts are the same. Does anyone know if the knuckles are interchangeable? I'm assuming they are.
I'll let you know how the whole project goes. I have a digital camera and I will document the whole thing.
Here's a picture of the new Grand I bought:

Thanks for your help. I hope it works because I really would like to have 4WD. Hopefully after the Christmas break I should be four-wheeling with the rest of ya'll.
-RC

[Busted Knuckle Racing]

the front axle shafts out of the xj, what you gonna do with them? I will buy them from you if you aren't going to use them.

[rccolacc]

I plan to keep them as spares. I'll sell you the ones off of the Grand though. The CV joints are in good shape. I think the boots are new.
That YJ will look nice with CV shafts.
-RC

[jeepchipjones]

Glad to see you found your way back, sounds like you have a lot of work to do over the holidays. If youre gonna be in town working on it, let me know and Ill give you a hand. Ive got some work to do on mine as well. Will the knuckles from your gc work on my TJ? Since youre swapping your axles, Id like to get the pass. knuckle from you if at all possible, just depends on when you plan on starting your work.

[danthemanx07]

wow, thats awesome man, congrats on the purchase, glad to have another zj up here, , yeah the hp will swap directly and is a great swap if you have the axle, do you know if it is a vacuum diconnect axle? that would be one thing to check on, but if it is free then what the heck you just have to make sure that down the road you get the right kind of shafts, yeah that is badass, most people would consider that a better swap than a 44 up front, if you run across any spare ujointed axle shafts let me know, i need to get rid of my cvs too, , the transfer case swap should be pretty straight forward too, here is a write up to the swap home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=130018&ck= it was done by carl, a guy from new orleans, i dont know if he posts on here or not, but credits to him anyway, yeah good call on the driveshaft too, i learned pretty quick that it is worthless, the first time i went out to ridge lakes with chip and garrett, i ripped it all to pieces, i have a new shaft and pinion yoke to go in its place, but i havent been able to get the old pinion yoke off yet, need an air wrench or something, but yeah dude, if you want any help or are doing any of that stuff soon, give me a call ill help, 228-342-0421, i have been meaning to swap out my case too so maybe i can learn a few things from yours, so yeah give me a call, are you lifting it any?? get a pair of 3 or 4 inch springs and put them up front and then put the stock fronts in the rear for some cheap lift, did mine for less than 100, looks good too, cangrats man

[rccolacc]

I live in New Orleans, and I'm going home to do the swap.
Chip- I plan on swapping the axles, so the old knuckles will go back on the Cherokee when I'm finished. Sorry. The junkyard on 389 had a few XJs in it with dana 30s. I'm sure you could buy the axle and use the knuckles.
Dan- I read Swampy's swap article already and plan on following it for the 249-242. The front end off the Cherokee was a non-disconnect style (thank goodness), so I don't have to worry about that stupid vacuum disconect failing. I have the right shafts (with ujoints and ABS rings) for it already, so everything should work. I bought them on Ebay for $150 shipped. Where did you get your front driveshaft? Was it from a Cherokee too? Those pinion nuts are really really on there. The last time I took one off I had to use a 3' pipe on the end of the socket wrench to break it free. The service manual torque spec on it is like 400ft-lbs or something. I guess they don't want it to back out and come free. About that lift- I wasn't planning on lifting it, but since you mentioned it I'm thinking about it. Did you use your stock shocks? I was thinking of maybe putting 2" spacers all around just to raise it a little. Spring break I want to buy a 3" Skyjacker lift for it. I have 31" BFG mud terrains at home (also on the XJ) and I want to eventually put them on my ZJ.
My dad is helping me on this, and I'm thinking it shouldn't take but a few days. If anyone really wants to come to New Orleans to help though, you can. I figure my dad and I will probably do it the week leading up to Christmas.
-RC

[99rockkrawler]

Good going RC, now there is another grand in the family. If you need any help on your jeep then give me a call or e-mail me and let me know. I would love to come and lend a hand. It can be a learning experience for me.

[Busted Knuckle Racing]

I didn't realize you were from NO. I might get you to pick up a part from those LA boys sometime on your way back.

[danthemanx07]

yeah rc, i want to stay up here and work on some things with chip, but you should give me a call when you start working on it and if i am in town, i will definitely come over and help ya out, i want to get some experience with that kind of stuff so when i do mine i will have a little idea of what i am doing, i live like 45 minutes from new orleans down in bay st. louis, so i am pretty close, just give me a call, if i can round up some money i might be getting a new transfer case too and be doing the same thing,
i got the driveshaft off of ebay for like 40 something shipped, wasnt a bad deal i thought, look around on there, but yeah the spring swap is really cheap, and i bought some used shocks to go with it for like 40 or something like that
maybe by summer we can talk into someting a little better than that skyjacker lift, but for now spacers are cheap and easy, i actually have a set ridin in the back of my grand, but i want to throw them on top of my current springs, hopefully someone will have time to help me with that after exams... but good luck with it, and yeah giv eme a call over the break

[mississippi_xj]

what rear you got in that old xj? if it is the old 44 w/3.55's I would be seriously interested......

[rccolacc]

I'm not parting out my XJ. Although it never gets used, I still like it and keep it around. One day when I finish school and have lots of money I'll rebuild the whole thing.
It has a Dana 35 rear in it, which I've already rebuilt once.
-RC