8HP Swap on 2018 and older PW?

[Odin]

Anyone on here with a 2018 or older PW done the 8HP swap? I pretty much just read every single page of the 8HP swap on our forum and for the 2014-2018 it's a lot less expensive. Looks like no need for SGA wiring harness and some other things. Still gotta fork out money for the trans and some other parts though. My '18 is almost paid off and my only real complaint is the trans, but not worth another truck payment in trading it it.

Russell at SGA said I should be able to use the ecu and tcm tune from a 2019 PW and if needed he could reprogram my ecu.

 

[olyelr]

Im in the same boat as you. Love everything about my truck but the trans.

Subscribed!

 

[Odin]

Im in the same boat as you. Love everything about my truck but the trans.

Subscribed!

There's another member on here who posted about doing the swap in his 2014 1500 in his driveway with just hand tools and it didn't require a whole lot. Said he was gonna do a huge write up on it. I sent a PM to see if he got around to completing it.

I'm mechanically inclined to a degree, so I feel I could do it with some help from one of my buddies as far as install of the trans and other related hardware under the truck. It requires a change to the dial shifter which would have to come out of a 2019 PW, but that's not a big deal, it would be easy to install where the Fob or push button is and relocate those to just above like is in the 2019 and up trucks. I found one already on ebay for like $120.

I guess the 2014 and up trucks across the board are supposed to come equipped with being able to run the 8HP if I'm reading a few of the posts in that thread right and a couple things Russell at SGA has put out. I'm just not sure how much is actually there vs what still needs to be bought vs how much the 2013 and older 4th gen guys have to get. I'm not a technically inclined when it comes to wiring, so here's where I'm hoping someone has done/researched it for our trucks a little more.

I know our trucks need the 8HP75 from a 2019 or up PW or 6.4 2500 4x4 with the trans case lever and not the push button 4wheel system. Saw a couple on eBay in the range of 1.8k-2.7k.

Now, what I'm not sure of is, if in that swap to the dial knob, how it would all work with our lockers, sway bar disconnect, and hill descent.

EDIT: Actually, after thinking about it, I don't think we'd need the dial shifter out of a PW. We could use one out of any 1500-2500 that's just PRND and keep our bezel set up like it is.

 

[gtomike60]

I'm finishing up the swap on my 2012 and did it all with bolt on OE parts + the SGA harness/controller
I got longer front/shorter rear driveshafts from Tom Woods and I did the install myself in my 2 car garage

Your transfer case will bolt on to the 8HP75 with possibly needing the adapter swapped.Just make sure you get the trans from a 2500/3500 for the 29 spline output vs the 23 spline on the 1500
I had to elongate a couple of slots in the crossmember and the mount dropped right in
Transmission has nothing to do with the function of the lockers or sway bar unless it's all integrated into the same dial on your newer truck,but you could get one from an 8 speed PW,and you'll have to get an 8 speed shifter anyway

All in,I'm at $4900 ready to run,including the driveshafts,with me doing all the labor

 

[Odin]

I'm finishing up the swap on my 2012 and did it all with bolt on OE parts + the SGA harness/controller
I got longer front/shorter rear driveshafts from Tom Woods and I did the install myself in my 2 car garage

Your transfer case will bolt on to the 8HP75 with possibly needing the adapter swapped.Just make sure you get the trans from a 2500/3500 for the 29 spline output vs the 23 spline on the 1500
I had to elongate a couple of slots in the crossmember and the mount dropped right in
Transmission has nothing to do with the function of the lockers or sway bar unless it's all integrated into the same dial on your newer truck,but you could get one from an 8 speed PW,and you'll have to get an 8 speed shifter anyway

All in,I'm at $4900 ready to run,including the driveshafts,with me doing all the labor

I'm not sure if you saw my edit on that second post. But afterwards I got to thinking about the shifter and realized I don't think a PW specific one would be needed. My initial thought was the parts needed had to be PW specific. My comment about the lockers/sway bar was if one of those specific units was used, because they changed it in 2019 where all that stuff was put into the dial unit vs the 2018 we have it as part of our radio bezel surround. I'm pretty sure a dial out of any 8 speed truck would work. I had read in that thread Russell was trying to figure out how to keep the column shift and idk if he ever did. If so, that's one less thing for us to have to worry about swapping out. But if not, would make modifying the dash to accept the shift dial much easier if it was just the PRND without the additional buttons.

Appreciate you chiming in. I posted in that thread a week or so ago when I read a large majority but not all and never got a response.

Out of curiosity, why'd you get longer drive shafts? I know in the thread someone said the 8HP is like an inch longer than the RFE and it sat back further so a spacer was needed. But then someone came along and said it wasn't.

 

[GTyankee]

Don't some Jeeps have the 8 speed & 4 x 4
no Rotary knob

 

[gtomike60]

I'm not sure if you saw my edit on that second post. But afterwards I got to thinking about the shifter and realized I don't think a PW specific one would be needed. My initial thought was the parts needed had to be PW specific. My comment about the lockers/sway bar was if one of those specific units was used, because they changed it in 2019 where all that stuff was put into the dial unit vs the 2018 we have it as part of our radio bezel surround. I'm pretty sure a dial out of any 8 speed truck would work. I had read in that thread Russell was trying to figure out how to keep the column shift and idk if he ever did. If so, that's one less thing for us to have to worry about swapping out. But if not, would make modifying the dash to accept the shift dial much easier if it was just the PRND without the additional buttons.

Appreciate you chiming in. I posted in that thread a week or so ago when I read a large majority but not all and never got a response.

Out of curiosity, why'd you get longer drive shafts? I know in the thread someone said the 8HP is like an inch longer than the RFE and it sat back further so a spacer was needed. But then someone came along and said it wasn't.

The 8HP transmission is 1 and 5/8" longer than the 66RFE so I opted for new driveshafts. I didn't want a spacer in the front.The rear shaft needs to be shorter to ensure the slip yoke doesn't bottom on the transfer case output when the suspension gets compressed
I have long travel suspension and it gets used

 

[gtomike60]

Don't some Jeeps have the 8 speed & 4 x 4
no Rotary knob

Yeah...same as the RAMs with the shifter in the console

 

[Odin]

The 8HP transmission is 1 and 5/8" longer than the 66RFE so I opted for new driveshafts. I didn't want a spacer in the front.The rear shaft needs to be shorter to ensure the slip yoke doesn't bottom on the transfer case output when the suspension gets compressed
I have long travel suspension and it gets used

Awesome!! Thank you for this. This is the information I was hoping to see in that other thread. I just don't think many of the guys doing the swap have the 4x4.

 

[gtomike60]

Awesome!! Thank you for this. This is the information I was hoping to see in that other thread. I just don't think many of the guys doing the swap have the 4x4.

Anytime
If you have any more questions.I'll try to answer them