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I have a 95 Dakota 3.9L 2WD with AutoTrans (42RH?) and a 93 Dakota 3.9L 4WD AutoTrans (42RH?).
The 95 is mostly just a parts vehicle but has a good transmission.
The 93 has a bad transmission and/or transfer case with missing front driveshaft but is otherwise road-worthy.
Both are extended cab/2-door and I believe the same wheelbase.
Can I remove the transmission and transfer case from the 93 and replace it with the 95 transmission, as-is, and make this 93 Dakota a 2WD to get usable vehicle?
What about the electrical, throttle and other sensors regarding this swap?
Will the computer(s) or ECM/TCM be involved or affected with this swap?
Use the trans and rear driveshaft out of the 2wd. You won't have 4wd, (of course....) but, it'll work. All electrical connectors should be the same, and the PCM won't care that the t-case isn't there any more. (it can't tell) PCM controls the trans, so, no worries there either. O/D and TCC are the only computer controlled aspects in any event, all other shifting is purely hydraulic.
Two wheel drive models use coil spring suspension versus torsion on the 4x4 models also different transmission cross members are used so your 2 WD trans is not going to work in a 4x4.
Both your 95 and 93 42RH use indenticle internal parts from the rear output shaft forward the 2 wheel drive uses a longer output shaft while the 4x4 has a shorter one.
Why not overhaul the trans from the 4x4, the kits are cheap. The most difficult part is the overdrive package which has a large coil spring compressed to something like 850 pounds behind a snap ring. More that enough energy to decapitate you.
Take the overdrive assembly to a transmission rebuilder then have them rebuild that section for ya, the rest of the transmission overhaul is straightforward.
With only 2 replies so far, there seems to be conflicting information about whether this swap is possible.
Has anyone done, seen or know of this (use a 2WD 42RH in place of a 4WD 42RH) swap working?
It does look like the trans cross member is different and in a different location.
I've had a Haynes manual for the '95 for about 10yrs but it doesn't give enough detail to know if this will work before I attempt the swap.
I'm trying to do this at least cost and have no need fro 4WD operation. So I would rather not have the 4WD trans rebuilt, because i know the other is a good trans.
Two wheel drive models use coil spring suspension versus torsion on the 4x4 models also different transmission cross members are used so your 2 WD trans is not going to work in a 4x4.
Both your 95 and 93 42RH use indenticle internal parts from the rear output shaft forward the 2 wheel drive uses a longer output shaft while the 4x4 has a shorter one.
Why not overhaul the trans from the 4x4, the kits are cheap. The most difficult part is the overdrive package which has a large coil spring compressed to something like 850 pounds behind a snap ring. More that enough energy to decapitate you.
Take the overdrive assembly to a transmission rebuilder then have them rebuild that section for ya, the rest of the transmission overhaul is straightforward.
The Haynes is not worth being used as toilet paper for some of this.
In the FAQ, there's the parts list.
Depending on the year (and yes, 95 is one of the ones there!), there's also the factory service manual.
Well, links to both.
Pull BOTH down (the 94-96 truck parts list, and the 95 FSM), and peruse those.
You'll need to take the 2WD transmission all the way apart AFAIK to swap the OD tailshafts; but I could be wrong on that.
If you DO ... you've done the work to rebuild the 4WD!
RwP
That works but if the reason the 4x4 transmission quit is because the OD unit is toast done all that work for nothing.
If it were me I would first pull the transfer case then the overdrive unit off of the 42RH while the transmission is still in the truck. Disassemble the OD unit chances are the 8 frictions are worn out.
Then again could be something simple like band adjustments.
There are several test ports on the trans that he can use for diagnostics, all the port locations and expected pressures are in the rebuild manual.
Isn't the trans mount in the same location on both versions though?
Yes it looks like mount shares the same location, the 4x4 cross member is a bit different and is bolted to the side of the frame unlike the 2 wheel drive member bolted from the underside.
The deal breaker here is going to be the cross member that supports the back end of the transfer case and also is part of the torsion suspension. His 2 wheel drive transmission is going to be a whole lot shorter with out the transfer case and I do not think a one piece drive shaft is going to work.
That crossmember is welded to the frame.
The truck that I'm getting these photos from is a 95 4x4 with the extended cab, long box, same as my 96 2 wheel drive which has a longer wheelbase and uses a two piece drive shaft.
Transmission Swap
