Improving 42RLE rear driveshaft angles by removing / modifying the transfer case adapter?

[Jeepsy Driver]

So as the title implies, is it possible to remove/modify that adapter plate or even the 43rle output shaft to mount NP231 closer to the front of the car?

Got this idea when i was rebuilding the NP231 while doing the SYE, that adapter seems kind of huge and mostly filled with empty space.....i know that the Rubicrawler exists but that doesn't get rid of that dead space so much as it just makes it useful space.

Some photshopping attached to stimulate the imagination. Am i being too extra? Does something like already exist? Maybe just a littler adapter?

 

[LONGJP2]

Does something like already exist? Maybe just a littler adapter?

Something like the Super Short SYE kit?

 

[jjvw]

I've seen the idea brought up a few times over the years. I'm not aware of anyone having done it. The only thing we have to take advantage of that empty space in the 42rle is the RubiCrawler.

 

[jjvw]

Something like the Super Short SYE kit?

The tail housing on the 42 where the transfer case attaches is empty space with a long output shaft. Imagine if we could eliminate that empty space. We could lengthen the rear driveshaft. But we would also shorten the front driveshaft.

 

[Mike_H]

The tail housing on the 42 where the transfer case attaches is empty space with a long output shaft. Imagine if we could eliminate that empty space. We could lengthen the rear driveshaft. But we would also shorten the front driveshaft.

Shortening the front DS wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing...Its plenty long and the shorter length will stiffen it.

 

[LJBean]

Shortening the front DS wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing...Its plenty long and the shorter length will stiffen it.

True, but you also have reduced driveline angle adjustability in the front due to caster angle limitations.

 

[CMBD]

So as the title implies, is it possible to remove/modify that adapter plate or even the 43rle output shaft to mount NP231 closer to the front of the car?

Got this idea when i was rebuilding the NP231 while doing the SYE, that adapter seems kind of huge and mostly filled with empty space.....i know that the Rubicrawler exists but that doesn't get rid of that dead space so much as it just makes it useful space.

Some photshopping attached to stimulate the imagination. Am i being too extra? Does something like already exist? Maybe just a littler adapter?

View attachment 471248

What you want is most likely possible. And anything is possible with enough money. I know two people that do that type of thing for a living, but not for Chrysler products.

 

[jjvw]

True, but you also have reduced driveline angle adjustability in the front due to caster angle limitations.

Nothing a front stretch and hubs can't accommodate

 

[LJBean]

Nothing a front stretch and hubs can't accommodate

Hah! Again true, but now we're really blowing the budget compared to a SS SYE and DC driveshaft.

 

[CMBD]

True, but you also have reduced driveline angle adjustability in the front due to caster angle limitations.

There actually are no limitations. The only thing messing everyone up in the correct pinion angle/ caster game is the aversion to just cutting the inner Cs and doing what needs to be done

 

[CMBD]

Nothing a front stretch and hubs can't accommodate

Cut and turn seems so much more low impact.

 

[jjvw]

Cut and turn seems so much more low impact.

Access to the welds makes it high impact to actually do. Otherwise, we would see it more often instead of paying a bunch of money for hubs.

 

[Jeepsy Driver]

Something like the Super Short SYE kit?

I guess so but the point is more so to eliminate necessarily wasted space, with the front driveshaft already pretty long and at a healthy angle 90% of the time as it is, losing a bit of overall length i cant imagine you'd even have to change it, just let the slip yoke take up the slack, especially since here it's not very common to get new front driveshafts till you've gone over a 3" lift (assuming you've done it right).

 

[Jeepsy Driver]

What you want is most likely possible. And anything is possible with enough money. I know two people that do that type of thing for a living, but not for Chrysler products.

Yeah not sure there's anyone like that here, although most of my worry lies in the lack of people here who'll apply their brain cells to a potentially one off design, might dust of the old CAD software and a budget 3D scanner (just a crap not so old Iphone) the next time i'm rebuilding a transfer case. I cant imagine it'll cost much more than a replacement tail-housing as far as materials and manufacturing go.

 

[Jeepsy Driver]

Shortening the front DS wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing...Its plenty long and the shorter length will stiffen it.

Especially if you consider that people seldom change their front driveshafts after a 2" to 3" lift this might be a 2 birds with one stone type of scenario.

 

[CMBD]

... my worry lies in the lack of people here who'll apply their brain cells to a potentially one off design, ...

My input because I have lived in this world... no one wants to work for free. And these things take time.

Design it yourself. Or put up the money to have someone invent things for you, and those lowly people will become more productive.

Great ideas are nothing if you cant design and R&D yourself or pay someone to on your behalf.

 

[Rickyd]

I see two problems here. You eliminate the transmission mount doing this and if you look at how the transfercase and tailhousing bolt it would be impossible to attach the transfercase to the transmission with a simple adapter plate made from flat stock.

 

[hear]

I had to go watch a tear down video to believe it, but dang if that isn’t just empty space inside that extension housing! On the 32RH the park pawl & the output governor live inside the extension housing. I expected the 42RLE to be similar. TIL, I guess.

 

[Apparition]

I had to go watch a tear down video to believe it, but dang if that isn’t just empty space inside that extension housing! On the 32RH the park pawl & the output governor live inside the extension housing. I expected the 42RLE to be similar. TIL, I guess.

As Josh said, that housing is a placeholder for a Rubicrawler.

 

[mrblaine]

Cut and turn seems so much more low impact.

Seems easy in concept, not so easy in execution. But, you should also cut and rotate the spring perches at the same time so not exactly the end of the world to rob a set of perches off of a junk axle. You wind up destroying the tubes on one to save the perches and destroy the perches to save the tubes.

After that, just time and patience to get the C's loose enough to turn and hope you don't damage the tube too much and have to replace them. At the end of the day, you are still spending a lot of time on an axle that has relatively low value in the axle world.

I'm more than capable of figuring out how to do it that way. Hub kit is far easier with similar effectiveness and far more forgiving.