Little advice...PLZ!

[YouCanDoIt]

OK, been a while (almost a year) since I've been here. You guys all still appear to be going strong! Good to see.
I have a couple questions for you guys::

I have the 350 for my YJ sitting on a engine stand in the garage ready to drop in as soon as I bolt down the intake, carb, and front goodies. Already have the motor mount too (ty Advanced Adapters)!
Jeep is pretty much gutted just a rolling chassi.

SO here is my question(S): I am not sure what transmission/t-case to go with :x. Or if I should go with auto/standard? I am trying to go with the least expensive, easiest to bolt up to the engine and into the YJ. I dont want to have to spend $500 on a adapter or a bell housing. SO, light me up with the best combos! And I wish I could afford a AtlasII but I can't.

Next question:
I came into a set of D44's (3.73'z) (front is passenger drop) out of a 73 Blazer, (buddy swapped for 1ton'z) and I am wanting to swap these into my YJ. How difficult is this process? Looks like they already set up for spring over. I already have 4" susp./ no body lift. How ridiculously high will this be if I did go with the spring over. I am thinking :shock: HOLD ON :shock:!!
I do want to run 35-37'z with no problem.

This is pretty much a toy for me/wifey. (ME I not gonna lie). But I still need it pretty streetable. So bombard me with your knowledge!

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

If you run spring over, ditch the 4" springs for some stock height springs, or 1.5" max. Anything else and you will run into driveshaft angle problems.

You can run the Cheby axles but you will need a pass. side drop transfer case. I'd look at a Chevy transmission and transfer case combo like the 4L60e and 241c, to keep cost of adapters out of the question.

 

[Collin the Hen]

If you want bullet proof, try an SM465 with a 205 transfer case. I have seen the whole set for sale in some places. The 205 has a relatively high low gear as in 2.03...?, but with the 465's first gear of 6.55, you'd be fine.

 

[blown XJ]

i wound say the sm and a 205 or a th400 and 205 the manual will give you a much lower first gear. are you building it for rock crawling or for the mud?

 

[YouCanDoIt]

Excellent info guys. The SM465 transmission & 205 t-case is one option I am highly considering. (Wish I would have snatched up the one I saw a few weeks ago on Craigs List)....I noticed that this transmission looks pretty bulky, Does it fit very well in the YJ?
As for rocks or mud....A little bit of both but nothing extreme either way. Being here in Colorado, I am sure to find some rocks, and a efw mud holes up in the mountains.
Also want to build a badder-ars Jeep than my brother-in-law. As soon as I get my wifeys new bathroom remodel done I can get back on the Jeep. Should take about another month to complete that. In the mean time I'll keep picking up the other parts for the YJ and get ready to buy a lot of beer! JEEP building party!!
I cant wait to get this done! Spring fever is coming on fast!

 

[blown XJ]

in that case you cant beat the sm465. if you had said mostly mud i would say go with the auto. goodluck with the jeep. keep us posted on how your engine transmission and tcase combo works. thinking about swaping a 350 into my xj..

 

[Collin the Hen]

Actually, the SM465 is shorter than an AX15. I don't know what transmission your YJ had, but chances are, one of the SM's is shorter.
If you happen to see an SM420, don't pass that up. They are similar to the SM465 but with a 6.98 first! Most didn't have a reverse light, but that's not a problem.
If I were you, I would buy some stock YJ springs and spring it over.

 

[YouCanDoIt]

ok,,,,,so what the heck is the deal? I have found 3 different SM465 and np205 set ups........this is good.. BUT,,BUT,, not one of the trannies has a dang bell-housing on it! errrrrr! What is up with that? I haven't seen any for sale nor have I found one anywhere!
Is there a bell-housing off another transmission that fits these,,,like say off a t-350 or something? All I can think is the bell-housing off the SM465 fits other trannies thus the reason guys are keeping them. :scratch:....
Need to know the answer to this one PLZ!

 

[Utah_jeepster]

Just a small note, if your going to do any rock crawling a standard transmission is going to give you a lot of heart aches. Most pro-rockers and weekend type prefer an auto on the rocks for better control.

 

[jps4jeep]

that and it's easier to hit reverse than in a standard.

I vote sm 465 simply due to length and I prefer a stick, even for crawling. if your crawl ratio is deep enough, the standard is less taxing then if you just lifted it and tossed on a set of 35's with all stock gearing. I prefer to go as deep as possible when ever possible. regardless of which way you go, stick with one manufacturer drive train simply for the price point. if you go auto, I would avoid the 4l60e and go to the 700R4 simply because it is easier to install, other than that, they are pretty much identicle

fyi, those chevy axles are not all that great. the front axle can be beefed up to fit your needs but the rear 12 bolt is not all that great in terms of other possible axles to use. I would source a 9" from a f100,f150,e150. it will be about the same wideth as the 44 front, just swap the front hub assembally for a f150/bronco one so teh bolt patterns match.

 

[YouCanDoIt]

This is all good info! I appreciate all you guys input! It is priceless:mrgreen:

One thing though............ Can someone please tell me what's up with the SM465'z not being sold with the bell-housing? :deadhorse:

 

[jps4jeep]

it's a standard, 99.9% of standard transmissions have a seperate bell housing, wheather the seller includes it or not is there issue.