Hi all you smart dodge folks. Not a dodge guy here but am helping the son in law get his 2002 Dakota back on the road and would like to test my logic and understanding of these transmissions. I have not pulled it apart yet because it is being towed to my place in the next day or two.

First off the tail shaft housing on the transfer case has a huge crack and it is now slipping there when in AWD so will not move most of the time on its own power unless switched to 4low. 4high might work but not tried it much but will move in 4low for sure. AWD has a grinding sound in that tail housing like threads are stripped and spinning on a shaft.

No idea how long that crack may have existed in the tail shaft but assuming it has been driven a while. My assumption is that the transfer case likely went dry in the process but it apparently still does work. The NV244 seems to be the unicorn in the pull your own wrecking yards and the NV233 appears to be a lot easier to find. It seems they are a direct bolt up but you lose the AWD function.

From what I see it would need to be from a 2001-2004 Dakota. The Durango tail shafts appear to be the wrong size as compared to the Dakota. Any other direct fit options?

The easiest thing would be to grab the tail shaft housing slap it on and call it good. Sure looks like a lot less work BUT with a big crack in it and probably at least a few hundred miles on it being run that way my concern is the rest of the Tcase is a ticking time bomb. Is the tail shaft the same on the 233 and 244?

If we go the cheaper easier transfer case swap will the electrical plugs directly swap with the difference being that the AWD position on the selector will be 2wd. Do I need to grab plugs and/or a different switch off the donor rig when we find one.

Thanks in advance for guidance on this one. I have a dry spot to work on it but no heat in December so want to make this as much of an in and out operation as possible.

So I guess in summary the questions are:

1 - Replace the whole transmission or the Tail Shaft assembly?
1a- If replace tail shaft assembly is the 233 and the 244 the same?
2 - Do switches or plugs need switched if it is changed to a 233 and will AWD become 2wd if no plugs or switches are swapped out?
3 - Any other direct bolt up 244 options other than a Dakota 2001-2004?


Cracked Housing

 

Update: Still can not find a 244D for any reasonable price for the Dakota but can find them for the Durango. Unfortunately with the cracked tail shaft that will not do any good. Think the tail shaft from a 233 on the Dakota would swap over? Anyone know of other Dodge models that would have the correct 244D for an 02?

 

From what I understand the NV233 is a direct swap, and all the electronics will work, but you will have 2wd instead of AWD. I am not sure about the tailshaft differece between the Durango and Dakota.