Josh Battles wrote:
> ""TJ Goettner"" <dakota52318@toad.net> wrote in message
> news:002f01c48e3b$d520ae80$d8b50642@VALUED664B84C7...
>
>> What trans would the 91 v8s have in them, would it be a 46RH?
>>
>>
>> TJ
>
>
> I'd think that would be the required transmission.
>
> I don't know the differences between the dodge 2wd and 4wd transmissions,
> but on other manufacturers transmissions, you can usually just swap the
> tailhousing from that of a 4wd to the required length of a 2wd. You may
> want to look into this, perhaps you can continue using your current
> trans....
>
Not possible - as I found this out the hard way trying to get Christine
ready for this past BBQ. I have been learning all of this stuff the
hard way it seems LOL. The transmissions guts are the same between a
2wd and a 4x4. (assuming we are talking about the same model here - a
46RH/RE) Yes you can swap tail/OD housings. But the front of the
transmission is different. The bellhousing is different. There is an
engine/tranny/front axle brace/bracket, that interconnects all three
componants on the 4x4 Dakota. On the 2wd there is no such brace. I can
get pics later of the two trannys to illustrate what I am talking about
here.
When I tried to use a 2wd trans in a 4x4 truck, I had no place to mount
the starter and no place to bolt up that support brace. The physical
design of the two tranny bellhousings were different. Granted this was
an A-500 - but the fundimental design of the 2wd vs 4x4 engine/tranny
mounting is the same all the way up to the Gen III's. I got a good look
at the underbelly of Mikes truck at the BBQ and there were many changes
but they were basically the same lay out as mine.
If you want to drop your body on a 2wd frame - you will have no problems
other than having to get a different transmission and a different drive
shaft. A long bed 2wd and a long bed 4x4 (of the same generation) use
the same body mount locations and bed bolt locations.
Only other thing I can think of might be steering shaft issues.
Due to the recirculating ball design on the 4x4 and a rack and pinion
steering on a 2wd - the lengths of the shafts may be different.
To the best of my knowledge, this is pretty much accurate for 1987-1996
Dakotas.
--Terrible Tom -- AIM & Yahoo Name: SilverEightynine http://members.aol.com/silvereightynine/
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