An 1986 CJ7 could possibly have a Dana 44 rear differential, they put them on some models of that year. If so it is one of the better CJ7. I had an 1984 with the T5 5-speed. It was a smooth transmission and shifted well but not known to be very strong. The best transmission that was put in a CJ7 was a Tremac 4-speed, it was much stronger than the 5-speed.
As good as the T18?
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No, I forgot about the T18 used in the late 1970's CJ7. My mind was thinking about the 1980 to 1986 models. Those Jeep T18 were rare and many people use an adaptor from Novak or Advance to install a Ford T18, Muncey SM420, GM465.
