For the retention of the J shift you'll want to see how I attacked this in my 97 limited 5 speed/J shift swap.

I kept all of the limited 4wd electronics/wiring but made a couple small changes. Don't follow my wire color/pins as they've probably changed between years.


In short the 4wd button switches to ground, tells the 4wd computer to engage the transfercase motors to go into 4wd, when the transfercase successfully goes into 4wd it sends a signal (ground) to the 4wd computer, which turn tells the ADD relay to engage the front axle.

So - the workaround is super simple. Make sure you have the J shift connected to the proper 4wd and 4wd low switches/wiring to the limited.

At the 4wd computer connect the ground signal from the 4wd button to the ground signal from the 4wd switch in the transfercase. Keep both connected to the computer but jumper them.


What, in short, happens is when you shift the J shift into 4wd, the 4wd computer receives a ground as if the button was pushed and the 4wd is engaged. At least in my 97 there's absolutely no issues without the transfercase motor not existing. It then tells the VSVs for ADD to run (and it works).