I just totaled my 81 wagoneer with quadra-matic transmission. I am looking at an 89 grand wagoneer with selec-trac. The salesman says that it will perform just as well as the quadra-matic (Jeep changed over in about 84 I think). However, I have a special situation. Several times each year I back a 5000 lb boat up a very very very steep drive at a cabin in middle Tennessee. The quadra-matic allows each wheel to pull independently, with the other three picking up the slack when a wheel starts to slip. I am told that Jeep had to quit making the qudra-matic in the mid 80's because of service problems, even though it was such a great transmission. The car is in a different town from the cabin so I can't just go pull the boat out of the water and try it. If anyone has had experience with both, or has knowledge of the differences etc., please let me know. Thanks.
quadra-matic vs selec-trac
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by daddychic:
I just totaled my 81 wagoneer with quadra-matic transmission. I am looking at an 89 grand wagoneer with selec-trac. The salesman says that it will perform just as well as the quadra-matic (Jeep changed over in about 84 I think). However, I have a special situation. Several times each year I back a 5000 lb boat up a very very very steep drive at a cabin in middle Tennessee. The quadra-matic allows each wheel to pull independently, with the other three picking up the slack when a wheel starts to slip. I am told that Jeep had to quit making the qudra-matic in the mid 80's because of service problems, even though it was such a great transmission. The car is in a different town from the cabin so I can't just go pull the boat out of the water and try it. If anyone has had experience with both, or has knowledge of the differences etc., please let me know. Thanks.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
If your '81 has the factory Quadratrac transfer case, that is the NP219 case, which has an identical 4wd-High and 4wd-Low range to the NP229 in the later Grand Wagoneers. The only thing the NP229 lacks is the 4wd-High-Lock range that your NP219 had. Which range would the truck be in when you pulled out the boat? If you didn't shift anything, but had it in the same position you had while driving the truck, then the NP229 will perform identically.
If the boat is a real handful, however, the NP229's 4wd-Low range locks the front and rear driveshafts together, and multiplies engine torque by 2.6x, allowing you to pull a trawler out of the water! The only drawback would be having to shift at low-speed into high range again, as you can't run in that mode on the street.
Whatever you do, verify that all 4wd-modes operate on the new truck before you buy it. Sometimes the modes are never used during the life of the truck, and the shifter gets jammed in the one range it has always been in.
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Bob Barry
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>* '78 Cherokee 4-door
* '88 Grand Wagoneer[/list]
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to add alittle more info to bobs response,your 81 probably had front and rear open diffs,unless you added limited slip differentials.jeeps came from the factroy on occasion with a rear limited slip(usually a trac-loc in a dana 44) but its unusual for one to be included from the factory in a full time 4wd.its also uncommon for a truck to come from the factory in the front axle,even if it werent full time 4wd. the transmission,unfortunately,does not have anything to do with controlling slippage between left/right wheels on an axle,or between front/rear axles. the transfer case controls front/rear slippage.a part time case locks the front and rear drivehsfts together in 4wd,period. the new process 229 uses a viscuous coupling to control front/rear slipping in high range 4wd,making it suitable to use on pavement. as has been stated,low range is locked,and both drivehafts will spin at the same speed,no matter what.it is still possible for one front,and one rear wheel to not spin if both diffs are still "open",in both high and low range. the 219 was only used in 80 and 81,when the 229 took over.
the transmission in either 81 or 89 would have been a chrysler 727 torqueflight.
i think youll be happy with a 229 provided the t-case is in good shape.as youll find from this and other forums,the 229 can be problematic. for street use,the 229s full time 4wd high range is a nice feature,and the viscuous coupling works well in snow/ice if its in good condition. one of the first things id do to the new truck is change the fluid in the tranny and transfer case. both are lot of time neglected,and its very important for both to have good,clean fluid. the chrysler trannys tend to burn the fluid due to the fact that the convertor drains in park,and doesnt fill until you put it in another gear.this is why it sometimes doesnt go right away when you put it in drive right after startup. as bob said,make sure the 4wd works,maybe even have a shop that specializes in 4wd trannys and transfer cases give the drivetrain a good once-over.
if your individual situation does require all 4 wheels to always spin,it is possible to add a limited slip to the front or rear axle.
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scott
85 grand wagoneer
258/904/twin stick dana 300/dana 44/amc 20
38x15.5 gumbo mudders
snorkel/dual batteries/onboard air/"custom" convertable
3 inch body lift/mostly stock suspension/"modified" fender openings
custom front/rear bumpers and brushgaurd
[This message has been edited by scotty (edited July 10, 2000).]scotty
85 grand wagoneer
258/t18/d20/10 bolt/14 bolt
38" TSL SXs
chopped,bobbed and caged
http://nightcrawlers4wd.20megsfree.com/index.html\
http://mytrailrigs4x4.20megsfree.com/photo.html\
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