What is different about the np231 that came in the 93 dodge Dakota that makes it not interchangeable from any other models or years? I have been searching trying to find the difference to see how much I would have to change in order to have everything working properly if I replaced my t-case with one from a 91-92 or a 94-95 but so far I have come up with absolutely nothing at all even when I talk to the remanufacturing companies they have only been able to confirm that they are different and not directly interchangeable but nobody has been able to let me know what the differences are between the np231d from a 93 and the np231d from any other year Dakota. I know that a percentage of the trucks in 94-95 went to an electronic speedometer as where all 93 and earlier were all cable driven and in 96 all were electronic the 95 Dakota that I had previously had the cable driven speedometer but from what I have found it was like 60 percent went electric in 94 then 90 percent were electric in 95 and all in 96 so 94-95 with the cable driven speedometer will not be an easy find but it very well could be easier than finding a 93 with a good t-case or even a good rebuildable core seeing as the housing on my truck is broken and I have not been successful in locating a replacement housing for either the front or rear half of the case. Any information and or suggestions are greatly appreciated thanks

 

You might still be able to use one of the newer t-cases with the electronic speedo. (up to 97, I think, In 98, even the VSS there went away.) It still has the drive gear on the output shaft, and still has the hole for the speedo drive, they just want to a gear driven tone generator with the electric speedo. I don't think it mounts any different than the gear drive unit. (as it actually uses a gear to drive the sensor, instead of a cable.)

What happened to your old t-case?? Is it rebuildable?

 

I have to get it back to the house from the shop as I just had the trans rebuilt a few months back and then when this happened I thought it was the trans so I had them bring it in to look at it and they said it was the t-case and that the case had broken in half however I went to the shop yesterday and got under my truck and I could not see any breaks in the t-case visually so my plan is to get it here pull the t-case and then I will get it cleaned up with the pressure washer and inspect if I still don't see any breaks I will tear it down have the case halves bead blasted and then have them inspected via either ndi or a shop that has the equipment to x-ray the case halves and then go from there

 

I have to get it back to the house from the shop as I just had the trans rebuilt a few months back and then when this happened I thought it was the trans so I had them bring it in to look at it and they said it was the t-case and that the case had broken in half however I went to the shop yesterday and got under my truck and I could not see any breaks in the t-case visually so my plan is to get it here pull the t-case and then I will get it cleaned up with the pressure washer and inspect if I still don't see any breaks I will tear it down have the case halves bead blasted and then have them inspected via either ndi or a shop that has the equipment to x-ray the case halves and then go from there

Unless during this time I happen to find a good used one available that is reasonably priced then I will pick it up and get my truck back on the road probably still go through mine and slowly get it completely rebuilt that way if this happens again I will be able to take a few hours and swap them out and be done with it and not be without my truck again

 

Ok so I got the truck to the house and well it definitely has a broken case so I disconnected everything to remove the transfer case but I can not get it to go far enough back to come off of the input shaft or to clear the studs that are use to mount it to the transmission because of the welded in crossmember where the torsion bars mount.
I know there is a trick to it that makes it easy I just have no idea what that might be hoping that someone here can help

 

While searching around for some more information about what is different I got in contact with drivetrain.Com and they were great based off the tag on my transfer case I now know that the exact same t-case was used from 88-93 and they even gave me a list of build numbers that are a direct bolt on replacement for my unit. This is the email they sent me today!

"The unit you have is not a one year wonder. It was used from 88-93 on SOME of the Dakotas. It has a 23 spline input with a 26 spline, slip rear output. Fixed front output yoke with a 1.75" speedo hole.
1.55" exposed input shaft. Any of the following assembly numbers on the tag would work."

UMT308-3 NP231D 4505528
UMT308-3 NP231D 52005462
UMT308-3 NP231D 52005467
UMT308-3 NP231D 52097600
UMT308-3 NP231D 52097601
UMT308-3 NP231D 52097606
UMT308-3 NP231D 52097607
UMT308-3 NP231D 53005467
UMT308-3 NP231D 53007979
UMT308-3 NP231D 53008206