Below, we'll take a look at the parts involved in the installation of Tom Wood's Short Shaft Kit. You'll find that this project demands more in the way of mechanical confidence, than it does a shop full of tools. Although, for the novice, cracking open a transfer case may seem very intimidating, one can take confort in knowing that its a fairly straight-forward procedure with common hand tools.

This is our 231J transfer case. As far as I know, the accordian boot and the sealed output bearing housing are the only visible differences between it and the regular 231. As far as Jeeps go, this transfer case is common to later model. TJs and XJs.

Here is Tom Wood's Short Shaft Kit all laid out on the table. You will have to purchase a tube of silicone and approximately 3 quarts of Automatic Transmission Fluid. Don't forget to refill your transfer case after you're done! The rear output bearing housing on the far right is for that of a YJ. Tom's 231 kit is primarily for Jeep YJs, but will seamlessly install on a TJ with the addition of this single component.

This is the "short shaft". It is a popular mistake to think that the "short shaft" name is referring to the driveshaft, while in actuality, it is referring to this "mainshaft" our "output shaft" inside the transfer case, which ultimately allows the driveshaft to be longer.

Roller bearings were included in the kit to be pressed into the synchro-hub assembly for additional strength.

This is the synchro-hub assembly for a 231 transfer case. This component is installed securely on the mainshaft in the transfer case, as the transfer case chain slides over the teeth on the hub to engage four-wheel drive - much like the "shift derailleur" on a ten-speed bicycle... if thats what those things were called.

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