Idle thoughts re: transfer case

[INNATRUCK]

So, I got to thinking about something. I'm 99% sure my 3.6 powered 1500 has the same trans as a Wrangler.
Is there any reason why I couldn't swap the stock transfer case out for an NV241OR out of a Rubicon?

 

[6.7CumminsDrvr]

Physically it should bolt up and with Alpha I’m sure it would work. Since the Rocktrac has a manual lever you’d have to cut a hole but I think the manual floor shift from a 2500 tradesman or PW would do the trick, the cabs are the same so..............

 

[BriamH]

I'm pretty sure all 3.6L Rams came with the 8 speed transmission.

 

[INNATRUCK]

Physically it should bolt up and with Alpha I’m sure it would work. Since the Rocktrac has a manual lever you’d have to cut a hole but I think the manual floor shift from a 2500 tradesman or PW would do the trick, the cabs are the same so..............

Yeah, I don't think it would be hard to match up the hole with where it is on an HD

 

[kmrtnsn]

There are differences on the cases, the output shafts and gearing, I think the spline counts are different too. Between the Wrangler Sport and Sahara and the Rubicon there are differences in gearing. You need to match the three letters after NV241(***).

 

[csuder99]

Hmm... the Ram TC is a Borg Warner, the Rubicon TC is made by New Venture. It's probably gonna take quite a bit of fabricating to get the mounting, driveshafts and shifting sorted.

Having owned a 2003 TJ Rubicon for 16 years I don't see a benefit putting a 4:1 TC into a Ram. It really only excels on difficult rock crawling trails like the Rubicon, Dusy-Ershim, Terminators or Golden Spike. Otherwise you're just 50% slower....

 

[6.7CumminsDrvr]

It will take a little work but it’s already been done. The Autoedits dude bought the old Petersen’s blacksheep which was a 2009 Ram the mag modified........it has the Rubi tcase.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

it’s already been done.

The story of my life.....

 

[Tach_tech]

All 3.6 trucks have the 8hp45. Up until the newest JL model wrangler they all used the nag1 unless it was a stick. Wrangler transfer cases are also manually shifted so you would need to deal with that. The trucks and wranglers also use different flanges for the front/rear driveshafts. Another thing to deal with.

What are you hoping to gain by swapping?

 

[INNATRUCK]

All 3.6 trucks have the 8hp45. Up until the newest JL model wrangler they all used the nag1 unless it was a stick. Wrangler transfer cases are also manually shifted so you would need to deal with that. The trucks and wranglers also use different flanges for the front/rear driveshafts. Another thing to deal with.

What are you hoping to gain by swapping?

Crawl ratio, I suppose.
Like I said, it was just an idle thought.

 

[kurek]

Crawl ratio is cool if you're crawling but there's no way you'd see me trying to shoe horn my Ram through Rubicon trail

 

[62Blazer]

A quick Google search stated that both the 3.6L Ram 1500 and the 2019 Jeep JL use the 850RE 8-speed auto transmission. With that said, just because they are the same basic model of transmission does not always guarantee everything is identical. For transfer case swapping you would need to verify the transmission output shaft and adaptors are the same to allow the RockTrac transfer case to bolt on. From there you need to see if there are any crossmember or mounting issues, then you need to address the front and rear driveshafts for both the correct length and mounting flanges. Of course the shifter, and finally the electronics and programming of the modules. Pretty sure if you ripped out the stock transfer case and bolted in a manual shift case with nothing else changed it would light up the dash like a Christmas tree, and wouldn't be surprised if it went into limp mode or something else.

In regards to the comment about it being done before....sure, it's the same basic concept but it was also a 10 year older truck and a lot of things have changed since then.