Discussion of built driveline

[The Dark Side of Will]

I'm in Iraq right now, but I'd like to have a plan ready to build the driveline in my '85 wagon 5 speed.

I'm thinking of a 4.6 engine with GM EFI, Ford Z geared T-5 with NP-229 T-case, 3/4 or 1 ton truck front diff and yet-to-be-identified rear axle. Probably looking for 3.55ish gears at both ends.
I'd like to put the powertrain together outside the car first.

Engine:
4.0 block: What years are best? I've heard that '98+ blocks have more ribbing. What year was the roller cam introduced?
258 crankshaft: Early fully counterweighted style
Conrods: Either stock 4.0 or Eagle
Pistons: Either of the two Keith Black shelf forgings for the 4.6
Cylinder head: What years and/or casting numbers flow the best? I've heard the early 4.0 HO heads flow better than the later ones?
Intake manifold: I've heard the '98+ manifold flows best.
Headers: Is there a shelf header from any company that fits the 4.0 in an Eagle? Is there a different application that fits or is easily adapted?

Clutch:
Bellhousing: Any 258/T5 bellhousing will work, right?
Flywheel: Are there any lightweight steel flywheels available for the 258/4.0? I'd like steel or iron instead of aluminum so I can put some heat into it while offroading if necessary.
Clutch: What's a good clutch for decent torque holding (300ish ftlbs) along with off-road abusability?

Transmission:
Case: Does the AMC bellhousing take the Ford transmission case? They're both spread-bolt patterns, right?
T-case adapter: I believe I need a short T-case adapter and corresponding output shaft, right?

Transfer case:
I believe that the 229 is the one I want. My dad's done the conversion a couple of times and knows how to adapt the Eagle case half to the 229 case to put that case into an Eagle.
What combo of trans output shaft and T-case input gear will I need?
Is there a 4:1 low range gearset available for this T-case?

Driveshafts:
I don't have to change the driveshafts right away, but when I do build them, what yokes and high strength u-joints (if any) will I need?

Front Axle:
Will retaining the stock half-shafts be risky? How difficult are they to break?
I'd like to eventually swap out the front diff for something stronger than a Dana 30 How many people have done something like that?

Rear Axle:
What rear axle options are out there? I've heard that there's a year of a Chrysler axle in the Cherokee that's almost a direct swap and is a significant improvement over the Dana 35. I don't remember what type of axle it was... 8.8 or 8 1/4 or what...

[bigdog56e]

  Cherokee axles work fairly easily, they used a 35 with one piece axles, d44 and Chryco 8 1/4.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Thanks!
Which years used which axles? What were the common ratios?

[The Dark Side of Will]

I've been finding out interesting things about T-5's. This info comes from a conversation with Paul at www.5speeds.com
Apparently, no OEM ever used a WCT5 in a 4WD application in the US.

Borg-Warner made the WCT5 in 4WD configuration using the Jeep 23 spline output shaft for some foreign markets. The car I believe was named the Panther Solo. It was also used in Jacobsen tractors.
Advance Adapters and 5Speeds got together, bought some of BW's shafts and had them reproduced in the aftermarket.
The aftermarket shafts were discontinued when the volume of orders dropped too low to make them worthwhile.

5Speeds makes a short extension housing to use the 4WD mainshafts in RWD application in Jaguars of all things. This market is still robust. Originally this combo was built as a 23 spline setup, but they have migrated it to the Ford 28 spline setup.
They have 28 spline Ford 4WD WC output shafts for $320, in current production.

The Ford Z-box used in '93 Mustang Cobras was of course a WCT5, but it's also more. It uses several upgraded parts and has a cup/cone tapered roller bearing between the input and output shafts, instead of needle bearings like the standard WCT5.
The 4WD output shafts use the standard needle bearings. In order to build a 4WD Z-box, I'd have to swap out both the input and output shafts. I'd also have to change to the shorter 4WD shift shaft.
Paul thinks that he can put a box together for me for less than it would cost me to buy the parts at retail and do it myself. Obviously this also saves me the trouble of assembling it myself and sounds like a winning deal.

The only thing he asked of me is to provide the transfer case adapter that I wanted to have on the finished product.

Which brings me to my next big question: Is the 229 the right transfer case for me to use?
The 229 has 2WH, AWH, 4WL and N (the car can be flat towed). It was used in GM's and Jeeps. In GM's it used (I think) at 32 spline input gear, in Jeeps/AMC's a 23 spline. It had 3 pinion low range planetary set standard, but 4 pinion in AMC applications and 6 pinion in Big Block Chevy applications. I'm not sure if it used varying chain widths also. I do not know if there are 4:1 low range gear sets available for it. It has fixed yoke outputs at both sides, which is nice.

Was there ever a 28 spline version of the 229 built?
Are there other T-cases that offer capabilities similar to those of a 229 with a 28 spline input?

Thanks!

[IowaEagle]

Eggcellent information.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Back from the dead.

I'm back from the sandbox and getting ready to play.

I just bought a 3.54 front diff from an '82 4 cyl Eagle.

I have an NP-229 set aside and ready to modify.

I'm looking at rear axle options.

The Dana 35 with two piece axles has completely turned me off to any Dana 35, even with one piece axles.

In checking out www.car-parts.com , I see that the Chrysler 8 1/4 was common on '91 and newer Cherokees.

How easy is this axle to install in an Eagle? I understand that welding may be necessary.

If this isn't the easiest axle to swap into an Eagle, what is?

Thanks!

[eaglefreek]

Dana 35 and Chrysler 8.25 out of a Jeep Cherokee XJ will be the take the same amount of work since the mounting points, I believe, are identical to each other. Either would be the easiest axle to swap since they are very similar to the Eagle axle. Any other axle will require a little more fab work. I installed a 8.25 and it wasn't that bad of a job but I did have a welder,which I barely knew how to use, in my work truck and that helped out. Otherwise it's pretty straight forward.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I assume the hub width is the same and the spring pads are the same and all I'll have to do is relocate the shock mounting brackets?

Of course I'll have to find one with disk brakes...

[wagoneerhauler]

Hi there.  Glad to hear your state side.  If you want disk brakes then you might want to look into the ford 8.8 from an Explorer.  They are not too bad to swap (from what I have read) and have stock disks.  They are supposed to be as strong as, if not stronger than, the Dana 44.  Otherwise if the disk brakes are not too much of a concern of yours than some of the later 80's XJs had the Dana 44 that you could swap (don't remember what year exactly but Google should turn up good info).  They are harder to find.

[Venosho]

upper 90's jeep grand cheroke's had disk brakes on their D44 rear axles but I also believe they were coil spring rears. you could just take the mounting equipment for the disk system off of the grand cherokee and put it on a regular Jeep D44 rear axle with leaf spring system... but that may also put you in a bind as I believe that the GC's useed the larger bolt pattern... am not positive though..

[The Dark Side of Will]

I went to a local yard that had 3 Chrysler 8 1/4 axles from '95 and older Cherokees.
They also had the complete axle from a '98 GC. It looked like a D35, but the disks looked easy enough to swap. I've read elsewhere on the internet that swapped the GC disks over to an 8 1/4 is very easy and only requires slightly enlarging the center bore on the backing plates/dustshields and caliper brackets.

I've been told that the '97+ 8 1/4 axles had 29 spline shafts and are more desirable? Is this true? There's a '98 8 1/4 available for half the cost of the <'95 units, but it's a 2.5-3 hour drive. The fuel cost will make up the price difference, but are the later axles worth my trouble?

Also, what is there to know about electronic speedometers in Eagles?
Since I'll be using EFI, I need a VSS in my drivetrain. I'd like to not bother with a speedometer cable at all, and have a VSS instead of cable drive. Obviously to do that I'd need an electronic speedometer. Is there one that's easy to swap into the Eagle cluster? Is there one that's hard to swap into the Eagle cluster, but doable?

[thereverendbill]

If you are looking for a cherokee cluster and some wiring and are willing to make a drive i ahve a 95 cherokee sitting here on the property that still has all of the dash wiring and cluster that is yours for the drive to central PA

[The Dark Side of Will]

If you are looking for a cherokee cluster and some wiring and are willing to make a drive i ahve a 95 cherokee sitting here on the property that still has all of the dash wiring and cluster that is yours for the drive to central PA

Thanks! I really appreciate the offer!
Is the Cherokee cluster a direct swap, at least mechanically? I know I'll have to run some wires... BTDT with EFI swaps in other cars. I can probably source one locally. What years "work"? Is there a thread about that already on this forum?

[thereverendbill]

i know someone on the forum has done a cherokee cluster swap into an eagle, but I can't seem to find the thread.  The only thing that isn't the greatest with the cluster I have is no gauges only idiot lights.  My cherokee is also a 95 so it's pre OBD2.

[The Dark Side of Will]

This thread? http://forums.amceaglenest.com/index.php?topic=25422.0
How big is the difference in speedometer function between OBDI and OBDII?