My poor old 96 jeeper.

Odometer has 318k. Not sure if it is all original or not, I am guessing not, It doesn't smoke or rattle or anything. Drives great, stops great, goes over everything Montana has to offer and it is bone stock.

But its tired. Trans is starting to slip, power is down.

I have the opportunity to get an 02 dakota 4x4, same 5.2, auto trans, same same everything, different body.

My intention is to yard the engine trans and xfer case out of the 02 and stuff them into the 96. I figure I will have to change out the intake and maybe the exhaust, Not sure what other headaches I might be facing. My theory is I can use the base engine, trans, and xfer case, bolt my 96's junk on it and stuff it back in the jeep and have it run AND drive. That may be wishful thinking. I have the technical experience to perform the labor and mostly not screw it up.

Anybody else done this? Are there any other parts off the truck that are interchangeable? I could probably scavenge the front and rear diffs, but idk why I would want to. I wonder if the truck seat would fit in the jeep. The interior on the 96 is in fairly good shape, but seat covers are plentiful if one will provide a more cushy ride.

What else might I not be considering?

The engine is the same, that will swap straight.

The dodge transmissions have the starter on the wrong side, you need longer starter wiring and custom exhaust if you want to use a dodge transmission. The electrics are also going to be the newer flavor.

The transfer case may not have the provision for the jeep speedo, not sure on the year break there.

Generally, it's not a good match.