PDA

View Full Version : 249 to 231 advantages / disadvantages



exopar
08-04-2005, 12:49 PM
Kind of new here.

Have read some topics regarding swaping 249 and 231 transfer cases on the ZJ, I have recently purchased a 1998 ZJ Laredo 5.2L and need to knwo what are the advantages / disadvantages of this swap?

My ZJ is a daily driver and off road vehicle, will receive a 4.5 lift and a set of 32x" tyres, what diferences whould this swap make?

Also would like to know what kind of locking options do I have for the rear axle and advantages / disadvantages as well.

Regards
Ray

OHIOZJ
08-04-2005, 01:33 PM
well, im not much help with the cases, i have a 231 and am pretty impressed with it so far. but i dont know all that much about the 249.

as far as locking the rear up, i have a 95 laredo daily driver and i run a simple, cheap, lockrite in the rear. still open up front. and 32'' tires.

i was able to score a used lockrite for my rear d35 axle for 100 bucks at my local 4wheel shop. i wheel it quite a bit and am really impressed with how well it has held up. it makes hardly any noise. its been pretty good at locking and unlocking when its supposed to. a few times it has unlocked rather violently just going down the street. but for a weekend wheeler daily driver i love it. will probably get one for the front when i swap in a d44.

my .02cents

ZJake
08-04-2005, 04:07 PM
The 249 doesn't lock in 4Lo. Its a full time system and uses a viscous coupler to differentiate between front and rear wheels that is similar in principle to a limited slip.
Unfortunatly the VC unit has a limited life span and goes bad and so on and it becomes hard to drive on the street. Also not many aftermarket parts for the 249, slip yoke elim, etc. For the price of a new VC you can buy a new 231. Its an easy swap and I plan on doing it when I tear into my shizzll. :rock:

ZJake
08-04-2005, 04:09 PM
As for the rear locker, I've got an ez locker. Its almost
invisible on the street, cheap, easy to install, and works
very well on the trail. Great bang for your buck.

97trxuszj
08-04-2005, 04:18 PM
well sence I see you have a 98 5.2L you probley have the D44 AL and the only locker for now you can get is a stock dana limited slip from the stealer or randys some other places carry them also, not worth it though

exopar
08-04-2005, 09:32 PM
OK got the basic idea, now, how could I distiguish which tranfer case my ZJ have?

Welding the VC as I have seen in another post what can make when daly driving? Is it worth to do?

What does involve the swap on the 231? If the rear is D44 AL why is not possible to use the regular D44 locker?

May be stupid but my major concer is to keep the the ZJ interiors as stock as possible, dow this swap involves changin the shifter or shifter pattern?

Regards
Ray

5.2Krawler
08-04-2005, 11:35 PM
Welding the VC will make the Jeep unable to be driven on the street, the driveshafts would be locked together. When I bought my Jeep the VC in my 249 was going out so instead of replacing it i switched to a 231. If you have a 249 and your VC isn't going out I wouldn't switch to a 231 until it does start acting up. As far as the swap goes it uses the same shifter but you will need a new bezel for it to read out correct. I haven't got one so mine still says full time, n and 4Lo. Also not all v8's have al44's mine as a turdy 5.

Jim311
08-04-2005, 11:37 PM
My 249's VC burnt out a long time ago. I don't give a shit. I'm running it like that anyway. We'll see how long it takes for something to catastrophically fail, but so far nothing bad has happened and it's been dead for a loooong time.

Kraqa
08-05-2005, 01:29 AM
.....off to newbie tech.

LouisianaZJ
08-05-2005, 02:23 AM
ok just to be an areshole here and this thread is JUesque.

he has a 98ZJ

"oh just slap in a luchbox locker, :supz: "
umm, no he has a 98, ie an D44AL (1996+), no lockers for that. 93-95's all had D35's

"oh yeah that 249 is going to spin tires like 1wd"
umm, no he has low lock. 96+ 249's have low lock. 93-95 did not have low lock


249>231
advantages- lets you run a front auto locker, 2wd option, aftermarket t-case parts

disadvantages - cost, and no full time 4wd option

swap in a 242 and you will have full time, part time, and 2wd option