Topic: Help with removing the rear section on a ax-5

[Jeeper_will]

I'm converting a 4x2 86 amc comanche to 4x4 but want to use the same tranny. I got a ax-5 out of a 4x4 cherokee. My plan is to remove the rear housing from the donor and then place it on the ax-5 out of my comanche with the 4x2 rear housing being tossed. I'm currently held up by trying to remove the rear section of the case it gets hung up when trying to slide it off. How do I remove the rear casing? Any help or tips for steps still to come would be much appreciated, Thanks in advance guys. Pics to follow!

[Jeeper_will]

One more question on this subject. My tranny out of my comanche that had the 4x2 rear housing had the speedo gear inserted into the rear housing on the drivers side. Where or how do I hook it up to the new 4x4 rear housing? I bought the donor already removed so I'm not sure. Thanks again guys!

[jfrabat]

One more question on this subject. My tranny out of my comanche that had the 4x2 rear housing had the speedo gear inserted into the rear housing on the drivers side. Where or how do I hook it up to the new 4x4 rear housing? I bought the donor already removed so I'm not sure. Thanks again guys!

I dont know the first thing about a Comanchee, much less an '86, but in my '94 wrangler, the speedo gear is in the Transfer Case, not the tranny...

[Jeeper_will]

Well I'll go look over the t-case I picked up with the donor ax-5 and see. Worst case I gps my speedo lol. The big question is still how do I remove the rear casing on the ax-5? Thx.

[Bounty Hunter]

Speedo sending unit attaches to the tailhousing of the transfer case.

There's several steps to removing the rear extension housing, I'll try to describe the pics as I can't scan in the FSM:
1) Remove detent spring and ball. Remove detent plug and remove detent spring and ball with a pencil magnet. (looks like it's on pass. side of rear case extension, about half way up the case).
2) Remove shift arm set bolt and remove bolt and lockplate. (looking down into shift tower)
3) Remove shift lever shaft plug, then pull shaft out with large magnet. (above output shaft on backside of extension housing).
4)Remove adapter housing bolts.
5) Remove adapter housing by tapping it loose with plastic mallet.

I too have a 2wd tranny here that I need to convert to 4wd one of these days.  Came out of a 'manche.

[Jeeper_will]

Okay as for pulling the shaft out Im lost? I removed the rear shaft plug, the bolt looking down in the shift tower and its clip but the piece is still solid on the shaft. I also removed the two spring loaded bolts on the two sides of the tower so that it can all move freely. As for how to remove that shaft I'm not sure with the piece the shifter sits in still firmly attached to the shaft. Is it press fit or what am I missing? Thanks again. 

[oldjeep]

Not going to work.  The 2wd AX5 has a different output shaft than the 4wd

[Bounty Hunter]

I figured he would have to swap that shaft over as well.  Complete tear-down requiring a press.

[oldjeep]

I figured he would have to swap that shaft over as well.  Complete tear-down requiring a press.

I'm figuring he doesn't know that.  Someone having to ask how to remove the tailcone isn't likely to be capable of a trans rebuild.

Better off using a good 4x4 tranny

[Bounty Hunter]

After looking closely at the FSM I'm not sure I'm capable of rebuilding one.  There's a lot there.

[Jeeper_will]

Great well then guess I'll just run with the 4x4 tranny as is and hope shes good. The reason why I wanted to swap it over was because the 4x2 tranny I pulled out worked great where as the 4x4 ax-5 is a used cheapy from off kijiji. I'm not looking to build this comanche into a crazy offroader or anything. I've got better plans for that. This comanche is gonna be a cheap home built daily driver just to and from work. I could have easily found a cheap daily driver that was already 4x4 but I like the comanches and always wanted to have one 4x4. I'm gonna use the 4x2 tranny as a learning tool though. I completely rewired my last comanche. Never done that before but figured it out easily. Ive got pics of bumper to bumper rewire. No replacement harnesses just 400ft of new wire off the rolls. I'm good with detail just take it easy everytime I attack a new unknown area. The key is simple dont be a dumbass take your time and never guess. Ask, research, do what it takes and make logical sense of things then gitter' done!

Thanks again anyways guys!