I just bought a 98 dodge Laramie 1500 with the 5.9 in it and it needs a transfer case I’ve been told I need to get one out of the same year and same engine truck I have no clue at all I have been looking through the forums and haven’t found an exact answer for my question so I figured I’d put up

 

Engine shouldn't matter 5.2 or 5.9 and maybe the V6...not sure.

Definitely shouldn't need to EXACTLY a '98. I'd think '94-01 likely to work. Electric or floor shift very important though.

Go to car-part.com and see what comes up for donor model years when you search for your part

 

No electronic 4wd in a 2nd gen. The only think that a 98 and down would have that he wouldn't need is the speedometer sensor. Just don't plug it in

 

So as long as its an NP231 from a 94+ dodge you're in good shape (before 94 they were passenger side drop), 96+ you'll be in better shape. transfer cases from the 46RH (pre 96 auto) have a different input as well transfer cases from a manual trans. for cost of a seal and gasket you can easily remove the front cover on the case and swap the input shaft from your current tcase and make anyone of the previous ones work. I forget the year change but they did change the shift pattern in the later 90s but they will still bolt in more or less and work. Somewhere around a 98 they also switched from having the shifter bolted to the trans to it being bolted to the floor of the cab but again everything should still work for you. Ill go look at mine and see but I'm thinking you'll want a 98+ NP231 from an auto to be the most perfectly direct bolt in option there is

 

Shift pattern changed in 98. Ideally, anything 98-01 should work.

 

Yupp just looked my 97 has trans mounted shifter with 4H-2H-N-4L pattern and my 98 is cab mounted with 4L-N-2H-4H pattern
also like mentioned speedometer output i don't know what year they did away with the speedometer pickup and went to using the abs for speed

 

98 as well

 

I was thinking that as I was typing because 1) I've never personally seen one so-equipped and 2) if there were the forum would be overrun with threads about "pushbutton" 4wd failures like the Ford forums I frequent. Good on Dodge for holding out for so long with a lever in the floor as God intended!!

 

Indeed. I hate electronic 4x4. I have since GM first introduced it back in the early 90's. (I was working at a Chevy dealer then......) The system was awful, and when it failed, it was always several hundred dollars to fix it.......

 

My Dad's 06 Ram is electric and it has such a delay in engagement and disengagement it's annoying.