Differences in 4WD question....

[Hand's End]

New to the FSJ world and confused.

Been looking at late 80's Grand Wagoneers and some have a 2WD/4WD selector switch on dash and a lever on floor for hi/lo. Others have only lever on floor. Are they 4WD all the time and the others are 2WD except when 4WD needed. I would think the ones with 2WD/4WD switch are preferrable?

[Merc69]

There were several transfer cases used in the late 80's wags. I have one with a 208 and the other was a 229. The 208 is a manually operated part time case allowing the driver to use one lever to control the 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive options with out having vacuum lines. The 229 used vacuum lines and vacuum operated motors to shift into and out of 4-wheel drive.

The 229 is a gentleman's transfer case. Very civilized. They also used a vacuum operated lockout for the front hubs. Again very civilized. A pain in the butt if anything goes wrong. I'll take a 208 any day :D

Hope that helped, I am sure others will chime in with more info.

[carrotman]

So Merc69, what years have the 208 and does it have hi/lo?

[joe]

The part-time 208 was avail in 80-87 but rare in the mid-late 80's Wags. Usually only find them in fleet rig Wags that late. Pretty standard in the trucks though till 87. The 208's can be behind manual or AT's and the 229's only behind AT's. Yup they(208) have a hi/lo range 2.6 LO as does the more common full/part-time 229's in the late 80's wags.

[SBJeep]

Just based on the levers assuming nobody has changed the tcase:

NP219(full time) - floor shift says(4hi 4hilock N 4lo). I believe these were between '80-82.

NP229/228(part&fulltime)dash shifter for 2wd-4wd/floor shifter has (4hi N 4lo). '83-91 with the 228 being '86 only. 4hi can be used on the street.

NP208(part time) floor shifter which says (2hi 4hi N 4lo). Mostly early '80's base models and my personal favorite. 4hi can't be used on the street.

[Hand's End]

So the '87 I looked at only had a floor lever with hi/lo was full time 4WD? When you pulled lever up to Lo the 4WD indicator would light in dash.

The '89 had the dash mounted 2WD/4WD vacuum switch to engage the front and then a floor lever to engage 4WD Lo. So it was normally 2WD.

Is one preferable over the other all else being equal or is it just personal preference?

I found info in the tech section, but still a little confusing. I'm new to 4WD systems.

Thanks for the help.

[Merc69]

The only real problem I see is all the vacuum lines for the civilized t-cases, 228/229. If you can find one with the 208 you are ahead in my book. Also you need to make sure that what ever case you get you have 4-low otherwise not much fun on the trail. Others may disagree but that is my .02 worth smile.gif

[andy d]

Originally posted by Hand's End:
So the '87 I looked at only had a floor lever with hi/lo was full time 4WD? When you pulled lever up to Lo the 4WD indicator would light in dash.

The '89 had the dash mounted 2WD/4WD vacuum switch to engage the front and then a floor lever to engage 4WD Lo. So it was normally 2WD.

Is one preferable over the other all else being equal or is it just personal preference?

I found info in the tech section, but still a little confusing. I'm new to 4WD systems.

Thanks for the help.somethings not original. there should be a mode shifter on the dash of an 87 just like the 89. could you be mistaken about the year. do the tail lights look like the ones on the 89? they should.

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Originally posted by Hand's End:
So the '87 I looked at only had a floor lever with hi/lo was full time 4WD? When you pulled lever up to Lo the 4WD indicator would light in dash.

The '89 had the dash mounted 2WD/4WD vacuum switch to engage the front and then a floor lever to engage 4WD Lo. So it was normally 2WD.

Is one preferable over the other all else being equal or is it just personal preference?

I found info in the tech section, but still a little confusing. I'm new to 4WD systems.

Thanks for the help.Both the 87 and the 89 would have the switch on the dash.

[Hand's End]

There was no lever on the dash and it's supposed to be a '87. He did say the transfer case had been repaired. Could someone have done away with this switch?

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Only thing that comes to mind is it may have been swapped for a NP208 part time and the switch was pulled out as it is not needed with the NP208. However the shifter from the NP229/228 will work with the NP208. I would verify what T-Case is in it and make sure it is working as it should. NP208 should also have manual locking hubs.

[Hand's End]

Thanks for info. It did not have manual hubs on front either. That's what was confusing. It only had the one floor lever for hi/lo and when pulled up the 4WD light would come on in dash, but didn't actually go into 4 lo. I don't think I engaged it properly though. I was at a stop with trans in Drive.

Glad I found this forum. You guys really help to make a more informed decision before buying.

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Pretty sure its a NP208 then if it lit up the light on the dash by pulling the lever on the floor. It will need to be swapped to manual hubs as well.

[joe]

Hand, is this Wag wrapped in shelf paper(woodgrain)? If it isn't it's possible it was a fleet rig(us gov, power co etc) that came with a 208 part-time tcase but it would have also come with unlocking hubs. Odds are it's had a 208 swapped in to replace the 229. Both the 229's and the 208(behind AT's) have the same style floor lever. On the 229 the 2WD/4WD switch is sorta "under" the dash and the floor lever is just H/N/L but on the 208 it's a 4 mode lever for 2H/4H/N/4L. How many positions does the floor lever have on the one you looked at? Also there should be a round tag on all the NP tcases with the model number in the middle of the tag.
I personally would rather have the 208. I don't care much for full-time 4WD tcases but I'm used to part-time cases but if you're young you may only be used to full-time tcases and the PT thing may not be as user friendly to you.

[SBJeep]

Like the others said, the '87 should have a dash switch. If the light came on when you pulled up one, it sounds like a 208. The 208 has four distinct positions. The shift lever flag may not have been changed to tell you the correct positions. With a 208, the first easy click up is 4hi, so it doesn't feel any different that 2wd. 4lo is two more clicks above that and takes much more effort. It usually does a small little crunch sound when you put it in 4lo.

You don't actually need to put locking hubs on, the drivetrain with just spin without getting power in 2wd.

Look for the round tag on the back of the tcase like the others have said. It shound have stamped on there something like "208AM" for 208 or whatever it is that is in there.

[Merc69]

Hand...you need to crawl under your rig, carry a good rag, maybe even some WD 40 and look at the back of the t-case. Find the round metal disk and wipe it off, use the WD 40 if its really greasy. The tag will have a model number stamped on it. This should answer you question. Hope you have the 208. I like them and others do also. If you have a 208 then get a set of locking hubs and get them installed.