school me on the zj

[hoggie101]

good and bad about 1997 zj's with the 4.0
can i put a aw4 and 231 in it mating issues electrical issues and tell me about the 44a

[Chaos]

So far.......

The windows and that stupid alarm are a major pain. Other than that, wife is very happy with it.

[HeavyMetal]

paging dr. hux

[Ruepart Hoaxley]

Don't put an AW4 in a 96-98 ZJ. The nightmare of other shit you have to do isn't worth it. Don't expect the tranny to be as bombproof as an AW4, is all- put a tranny fluid temp gauge in it and pay attention to it. Throw a cooler on it, but don't bypass the radiator cooler.

A 231 will go right in... Good luck finding a rear driveshaft that'll work. The 242 shaft is different, as is the 249, and they're different from 35 to 44a... And no ZJ ever came from the factory with a 231 and a 44a. Better off putting a 242 in if you have a 249, or just leaving it be. They're a stronger case than a 231 anyway.

44a is fine up to 33's/35's. Watch the pumpkin, though. Pete bought a skid to protect the diff, other than that they're pretty solid. Don't expect ANY of your other 44 parts to fit it though. XJ/TJ 44 gears are about it.

They're a solid platform. Minor electrical gremlins, the headlight switch develops bad contacts over time on some, common problem. Sometimes the window regulators go bad (not as common as the WJs). Most of the electrical gremlins they're known for are related to them being treated like dog shit by most people, they're pretty stable most of the time. I have quite the stockpile of ZJ parts if you need any.

[Pedro]

The 44a isn't a bad axle. Here's some specs I found because I was curious too. Obviously, the downfall is the aluminum housing, but when trussed and skidded it is definitely stronger than a normal 44 since it has stronger internals. The crappy part is that the aftermarket isn't as good. You are limited to an Aussie or spartan locker, minmal shaft options, and up to 4.56 gears. But, a lot of people run them stock on 35's and lockers and never have issues. I believe they are comparable to an 8.8 strength wise when you protect the housing. A kid on JF just started making skids/trusses for them, Valhalla Fab, and are cheap. The great thing is that they are pretty readily available and bolt right in.

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f13/d...a-axle-193889/

A 242 case should bolt right up as well.