putting a wrangler 3 speed in place of an aw4

[moparjim1987]

I've been thinking of swapping my aw4 in my 97 xj for a 3 speed out of a wrangler. point being is i can run a lower axle gear and actually build the trans so it lasts longer and shifts firmer. i could possibly use a manual trans pcm, and use a shifter out of a zj, cause they use the same basic design of trans. the wrangler trans is basically the same as a 904 torqueflight used in chrysler cars/trucks in the 60's-90's and into the 2000's. just looking for opinions, thanks

 

[Gold Cobra]

My opinion, keep the AW4.

Add one of these instead.
http://radesignsproducts.com/default.aspx

 

[256offroad]

There crap.... They don't last long a burn up real easy. Imo keep the aw4. They are a much better and built a lot stronger than that 3spd

 

[foxwar71]

use a shifter out of a zj......used in chrysler cars/trucks in the 60's-90's and into the 2000's.

IIRC they only used the 3 spd autos' in the YJ and were phased out in the early/mid 90's. the ZJ and TJ autos were 4 spds and like the 42re/47re i believe. if youre gunna go back a step to a basic 3 spd, why not jsut do a 727 TF? since yours is a 97, your gunna run into alot more computer/electronic things. pretty much everybody here is gunna tell you to keep the AW4.

 

[xjtrailrider]

Keep the AW4

 

[muddeprived]

IIRC they only used the 3 spd autos' in the YJ and were phased out in the early/mid 90's. the ZJ and TJ autos were 4 spds and like the 42re/47re i believe. if youre gunna go back a step to a basic 3 spd, why not jsut do a 727 TF? since yours is a 97, your gunna run into alot more computer/electronic things. pretty much everybody here is gunna tell you to keep the AW4.

My 2000 TJ had a 3 speed auto. Some had 3 speeds and some had 4 speeds. The 3 speed auto is known to be bullet proof in the TJ's unless you dunk it in water, which will kill any transmission. When I submerged mine in water, it still ticked until two years later when it finally stopped shifting. I was going to swap it out for a different tranny but all the TJ dudes recommended staying with 3 speeds cuz they are pretty strong trannies.

 

[FlexdXJ]

IIRC they only used the 3 spd autos' in the YJ and were phased out in the early/mid 90's. the ZJ and TJ autos were 4 spds and like the 42re/47re i believe. if youre gunna go back a step to a basic 3 spd, why not jsut do a 727 TF? since yours is a 97, your gunna run into alot more computer/electronic things. pretty much everybody here is gunna tell you to keep the AW4.

They didn't put OD transmissions in TJ's til 04 i believe.My Aunt has an 03 TJ and its still a 3 spd auto.

 

[foxwar71]

Huh, news to me. Ive never seen/heard of a 3 spd TJ before :dunno: Well, I guess if the OP was gunna go for the swap, the TJ TCU and electronics would probably help the merge into the XJ.

 

[winkosmosis]

The AW4 was also used in Supras right? So it has to be good

 

[FlexdXJ]

The AW4 was also used in Supras right? So it has to be good

Yeah kinda. I think they called it the A340.

 

[962drrhino]

Had a three speed in a TJ, It was crap. Previous owner had it rebuilt THREE TIMES in 100k. When I got it at 112k, it was slipping pretty bad so I sold it. Utter piece of crap. The funny thing is every TJ guy I met raves about these things, I tell em my story and they don't believe me.

 

[muddeprived]

Had a three speed in a TJ, It was crap. Previous owner had it rebuilt THREE TIMES in 100k. When I got it at 112k, it was slipping pretty bad so I sold it. Utter piece of crap. The funny thing is every TJ guy I met raves about these things, I tell em my story and they don't believe me.

If a transmission is rebuilt 3 times in 100k miles, then it's been rebuilt WRONG. The 3 speeds were fine transmissions. They are not known to go bad 3 times in 100k miles.

 

[bjoehandley]

That and/or the P/O was an abusive idiot in the way that truck was driven.

 

[tbburg]

The Wrangler 3-spd was the 32re, I think. If you go one step further back The YJ wrangler used a 32rh. Basically, both trans are a-904/A999 design. I think the -999 is actually the 36re/h. The -E and -H denote electronic or hydraulic control. You can swap the trans, not a problem, and bolt it all up using a variety of factory hardware. You will need custom length driveshafts, as the 904 is a LOT shorter then the AW-4.

Question: What's the reasoning behind this? You can run lower gears(numerically higher) with the 4spd overdrive then you can with the 3spd. The overdrive allows reasonable engine rpm at highway speed, while still having deep gears for more power/torque off road.

The advantage of the 3spd would be:
lighter weight,
shorter powertrain(not an issue with an XJ, big issue with a TJ/YJ/CJ)
mechanically less complex,
Hydraulic control(with the RH series)to do away with the computer connection.)

The axle gearing advantage goes to the 4spd.


Not trying to knock the swap, my buddy's considering that swap into his race truck(no street miles on that baby ) I'm just not sure it makes sense for a DD/trailrunner/anything that sees highway miles.

 

[R.DesJardin]

The AW4 was also used in Supras right? So it has to be good

Yes, that same Aisin-Warner trans is an AW4, A340 some call it a 30-40LE and a few other designations too. They are found in Jeeps, Toyotas, Volvos, Suzukis, Mitsus and Isuzus, might have forgot some one. Known to be very durable and with a 4.0 preform great offroad especially when adding lower diff gears since the OD is around .7:1.

 

[962drrhino]

If a transmission is rebuilt 3 times in 100k miles, then it's been rebuilt WRONG. The 3 speeds were fine transmissions. They are not known to go bad 3 times in 100k miles.

Dealership rebuilt every time. Once in NY, Once chicago, once PA. Driving habits? Ehh, he drove like a 17 year old girl in her first honda accord.

 

[muddeprived]

Dealership rebuilt every time. Once in NY, Once chicago, once PA. Driving habits? Ehh, he drove like a 17 year old girl in her first honda accord.

LOL how does a 17 year old girl drive her first honda accord?

Well that one was definately an isolated case, or a lemon, or they didn't do it correctly. I've been browsing all the jeepforums (tj and xj) for 9 years and wheeling for the same amount of time now and I have not seen someone get their 3 speed rebuilt 3 times. Of course that's only a majority of the actual jeep owners but if the 3 speed was THAT BAD then it would been seen more often than usual or even recalled.

Something had to be causing the 3 speed to fail that often.

 

[joe_peters]

Used quite a bit by Toyota.

Copied from Wikipedia (fair use rules) A340 applications:

A340H

4 Speed Automatic Transmission (4x4)
Applications:

• 1985-1995 4x4 Trucks w/v-6
• 1990-1995 4Runner (4x4)
• 1998-2005 Toyota Altezza Gita Wagon (GXE15W and JCE15W)

(Gear ratios 1st-2.80, 2nd-1.53, 3rd-1.00, 4th-0.71, Rev.-2.39)
A340E (30-40LE)

Applications:

• 1987-1992 Cressida (30-40LE)
• 1986-1998 Toyota Supra non-turbo
• 1987-1998 Toyota Supra turbo
• 1995-1998 Pickup 2.4L I4, 3.0L V6, 3.4L V6 (Tacoma)
• 1993-1995 T100 3.0L V6
• 1993-1997 Previa 2.4L w/supercharger
• 1991-1997 Aristo 3.0L I6 Turbo
• 1992-2000 Lexus SC 300 3.0L I6
• 1990-1995 Crown Majesta 3.0L I6
• 1994-2000 Toyota Soarer 3.0L I6 (2JZ-GE)
• 1989-2002 4Runner
• 2001-2004 Sequoia (4x2)
• 2000-2004 Tundra (4x2)
• 2005-2007 TOYOTA COMMUTER 2.5L DIESEL

Ratios 1st:2.804 , 2nd:1.531 , 3rd:1 , 4th:0.705
A340F

Applications:

• 1995-2003 4Runner (4x4)
• 2000-2004 Tundra (4x4)
• 1985-1988 4-Pickup (4x4)

A341E

Applications:

• 1990-2000 Toyota Chaser/Mark II/Cresta 2.5 GT/Tourer V (1JZ-GTE)
• 1991-1997 Toyota Soarer 4.0L V8
• 1993-1995 Lexus GS 300 3.0L
• 1992-1999 Lexus SC 400 GT-L V8 cdn spec.
• 1990-1994 Lexus LS 400 4.0L V8
• 1990-1995 Toyota Crown Majesta 4.0L V8
• 1992-1998 Volvo 2.9L I6 (AW30-40LE)

A341F

The A341F is an A340F with locking/unlocking transfer case differential to allow an AWD mode on the Sequoia.
Applications:

• 2001-2004 Sequoia (4x4)

A343F

Application:

• 1993-1996 Land Cruiser Prado (3.0l)
• 1995-2001 Land Cruiser
• 1996-2002 Lexus LX 470

 

[moparjim1987]

sorry i havent gotten back to replying. just to help my idea along, there is alot less things to go wrong with the 3 spd trans, they are very strong, and are cheap as hell to rebuild. i have the 727 torqueflight in my 87 dodge truck. the truck that the transmission came out of had well over 100k on it (highway miles none the less), and all i did to it was install a shift kit in the valve body, and re-adjust the bands, and it will bark the rear tires any time i put my foot down its throat. also, a very good friend of mine has a 73 dodge dart sport drag car with a 422" stroker small block dodge, which runs 10.20's or quicker in the quarter. he has been running a basically stock rebuild on a 904 and has had no problems for the past 4-5 years he has run the transmission. hope that changes at least a couple of your guy's views on that trans. now that a couple of you had mentioned the zj overdrive, would that be a viable option to swap? it is basically the same thing but with overdrive....thanks for the opinions and keep them coming.

 

[3XJFamily]

sorry i havent gotten back to replying. just to help my idea along, there is alot less things to go wrong with the 3 spd trans, they are very strong, and are cheap as hell to rebuild. i have the 727 torqueflight in my 87 dodge truck. the truck that the transmission came out of had well over 100k on it (highway miles none the less), and all i did to it was install a shift kit in the valve body, and re-adjust the bands, and it will bark the rear tires any time i put my foot down its throat. also, a very good friend of mine has a 73 dodge dart sport drag car with a 422" stroker small block dodge, which runs 10.20's or quicker in the quarter. he has been running a basically stock rebuild on a 904 and has had no problems for the past 4-5 years he has run the transmission. hope that changes at least a couple of your guy's views on that trans. now that a couple of you had mentioned the zj overdrive, would that be a viable option to swap? it is basically the same thing but with overdrive....thanks for the opinions and keep them coming.

Nothing wrong with an AW4. Most of the Cherokees that end up parted out still have a good AW4 in them. I've sold a few to guys to replace the wrangler 3 spd - seems like you are making an extra effort to move backward. The problem they have is when they gear the Jeep a little deep, it sucks on the highway - everyone I know who HAS the 3 spd auto, wishes they had a 4 spd.