Jump to content

first post, new member. I just bought 2 Comanches


Recommended Posts

Hi everyone, I have just jumped feet first into the world of MJs. A little background about me, I am a broke, unemployed student who makes play money buying and selling car parts from time to time. I am 46 years old and going back to school after losing my job of 22yrs in a steel processing plant. I am no master mechanic, but I have been around the block a few times and been messing with old cars and specifically AMCs since 1985.

 

The 1st Comanche is a 4cyl auto 2wd 87 short bed. It is rust free and runs good, but had an engine fire. My original plans were to swap out the burned up bits and just drive it. After doing more research, I decided doing all that work just to have an under powered, 2wd truck that didn't get all that great gas mileage just wasn't worth the effort.

 

Enter Comanche number 2, 4.0 auto shortbed that is so rusty, the frame is breaking in half. It has 220k on it, but everything works and it runs good. My plan is to switch the running gear into the good body.

 

Besides the parts truck,i also have an AMC 20 from an MJ, a rebuilt 88 4.0 with unknown  mileage on it, an H.O. 4.0 head that would need a valve job, 2bbl intakes and 4bbl intakes for 258s and an early Clifford fuel injection setup. 

 

I think the drivetrain swap will be fairly straight forward, my main concerns are:

 

if I should swap the H.O. head onto the rebuilt engine

 

How will the factory F.I. react to a cam swap?

 

If I decide to go carbureted , will the transmission still work? I know they are electronically controlled. 

 

How good are the Clifford setups? I think it is adjustable, I got it in a parts swap, so it is totally unknown to me

 

I know this is a lot for one post, but I wanted to lay it all out there to give you as much info as possible,

 

Also, I plan to put a small lift and trim the fenders for 33s when I put it together. SOA in the back? What about the front? I also know I will need to swap the front gears to 4.10s to match the rear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi everyone, I have just jumped feet first into the world of MJs. A little background about me, I am a broke, unemployed student who makes play money buying and selling car parts from time to time. I am 46 years old and going back to school after losing my job of 22yrs in a steel processing plant. I am no master mechanic, but I have been around the block a few times and been messing with old cars and specifically AMCs since 1985.

 

The 1st Comanche is a 4cyl auto 2wd 87 short bed. It is rust free and runs good, but had an engine fire. My original plans were to swap out the burned up bits and just drive it. After doing more research, I decided doing all that work just to have an under powered, 2wd truck that didn't get all that great gas mileage just wasn't worth the effort.

 

Enter Comanche number 2, 4.0 auto shortbed that is so rusty, the frame is breaking in half. It has 220k on it, but everything works and it runs good. My plan is to switch the running gear into the good body.

 

Besides the parts truck,i also have an AMC 20 from an MJ, a rebuilt 88 4.0 with unknown  mileage on it, an H.O. 4.0 head that would need a valve job, 2bbl intakes and 4bbl intakes for 258s and an early Clifford fuel injection setup. 

 

I think the drivetrain swap will be fairly straight forward, my main concerns are:

 

if I should swap the H.O. head onto the rebuilt engine Are you asking if you can swap heads?

 

How will the factory F.I. react to a cam swap? The cam is 'in block' so unless you just wanted to there is no need to swap cams. In which case the Renix system is pretty robust and will handle a cam swap with ease.

 

If I decide to go carbureted , will the transmission still work? I know they are electronically controlled. To put it plainly, no and besides carbing a 4.0 would be a huge downgrade and most likely leave you very disappointed.

 

How good are the Clifford setups? I think it is adjustable, I got it in a parts swap, so it is totally unknown to me Just from what i have heard, Clifford is a good brand, but i have no idea other than that.

 

I know this is a lot for one post, but I wanted to lay it all out there to give you as much info as possible,

 

Also, I plan to put a small lift and trim the fenders for 33s when I put it together. SOA in the back? What about the front? I also know I will need to swap the front gears to 4.10s to match the rear.

 

SOA will give roughly 5in of lift, depending on the condition of the leaf springs. If you intend on going that high LOTS of things will need to be changed.

 

New spring perches, spring plates, U bolts

Taller Coil springs (duh) and possible spacers

Longer track bar (adjustable preferred)

Longer brake lines

Longer upper and lower control arms (adjustable preferred)

Longer drive shafts

 

= $$$

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know I CAN swap heads, I was just wondering if it was worth the effort and expense, and whether the F.I. will adapt to the increased flow for a power gain, or will it stay the same. Ditto for a cam swap.

 

it looks like an SOA might lead to more $ than I want to spend. Not for the SOA itself, but to raise the front an equal amount. I definitely want to avoid that.

 

When I had my XJ, I remember seeing cheap lift kits for it. What is the cheapest 2-3" lift kit that isn't total junk? Most of my offroading is done on my hunting property, which gets some pretty deep mud, but I don't need a lot of articulation

 

thanks for your input 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is the cheapest 2-3" lift kit that isn't total junk? Most of my offroading is done on my hunting property, which gets some pretty deep mud, but I don't need a lot of articulation.

 

Welcome to the Comanche world. Sounds like you have a lot of work ahead of you. I'm fairly new too... but I've been into XJs for a while.

 

Also, I suggest Rough Country lift kits. In my opinion, they are middle-of-the-road lift kits; good quality and decent prices. I think anything cheaper than Rough Country is probably a little junky. Maybe others have more experience with other lift kits though.

 

They sell a 3" lift for Comanche for $340.00.

http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep-suspension-lift-kit-625-20.html

 

They have more options for the XJ; not sure if XJ kits can fit MJs or not.

http://www.roughcountry.com/suspension-lift-kits/jeep-suspension-lift-kits.html?vehicle_drive=3&vehicle_model=304&vehicle_year=37

 

Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know I CAN swap heads, I was just wondering if it was worth the effort and expense, and whether the F.I. will adapt to the increased flow for a power gain, or will it stay the same. Ditto for a cam swap.

 

it looks like an SOA might lead to more $ than I want to spend. Not for the SOA itself, but to raise the front an equal amount. I definitely want to avoid that.

 

When I had my XJ, I remember seeing cheap lift kits for it. What is the cheapest 2-3" lift kit that isn't total junk? Most of my offroading is done on my hunting property, which gets some pretty deep mud, but I don't need a lot of articulation

 

thanks for your input 

 

In all honesty,  no. Its a lot more involved than just swapping out heads. Because the head intake ports are different from the Renix and HO years you have to also swap to a newer intake style (new gaskets are needed), which also means swapping to a different (but better) throttle body, which also means finding a way to adapt the old style TPS (throttle position sensor) to the new throttle body (not easy)

 

From what i have read you might gain 10hp from doing all the mods and that is probably being optimistic. I have some friends who's Renix 4.0 is bone stock and when they drive mine they say there is no comparison as far as power/torque/seat-of-the-pants feel. This is what i have done to my 4.0; Ford (bigger) multi port injectors, 7120 head, 2001 intake aka octopus, and bored 62mm TB)

 

 

 

 

Yes, lifting your truck can get very expensive, although there is a writeup on here somewhere that shows you how to piece together a good quality 5.5in lift for just under $750-800.

 

In my opinion, all you need to do is get some 2in coil spacers (I use HD PVC flanges), some shackles for the rear (google orielly's drop shackles) and a good set of aggressive mud tires.

 

PVC flanges + shackles = 2in lift = $50ish

 

 

HUGE thing you need to know about, if you don't already know, go ahead and lock you CAD in place. It will save you a lot of head ache down the road.

 

http://comancheclub.com/topic/17377-cad-fix-1/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hey $50 lift kit is right up my alley! I will probably just use the rebuilt 4.0 the way it is, less hassle and money that way.

 

as far as the CAD goes, the parts truck already has a cable conversion. Should I use it, or lock it in full time?

 

thanks again for the tips. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

those would probably work, but I am talking about the flanges mentioned here. 

 

.

 

In my opinion, all you need to do is get some 2in coil spacers (I use HD PVC flanges), some shackles for the rear (google orielly's drop shackles) and a good set of aggressive mud tires.

 

PVC flanges + shackles = 2in lift = $50ish

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do not have access to my truck right now or i would snap a picture. Before i put the flanges on i was trying to design some other kind of home brew coil spacers as i was to broke to afford the real deal and found myself in town at the local plumbing shop trying to source the parts i thought i was going to use. While walking around the tiny little shop i saw the flanges out of the corner of my eye and thought to myself, i wonder if these could work. When i got them home it was really freaky just how well the work. It is as if they were made for the job i kid you not.

 

I should have some time to poke around my truck this coming week so i will try and take some pics then.

 

 

As far as the CAD. If the cable system works i would leave it alone. If you want to be REALLY adventurous you could weld the front diff. With the welded diff and the CAD cable system you would have yourself a ghetto selectable locker. I actually intend on doing this myself one day, its the only reason why i am retaining the CAD system at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greetings, MJ Newbie myself that's been working on getting my truck on the road.  My lift and tire plans are close to your own, and what I have worked out may interest you.

From everything I have gathered, to even out the ride height on the trucks the front has to come up roughly 1 1/2"    If you want to keep a rake to your truck, then the following won't really apply.

For the front I am going with some OME 2" lift springs (you can go with other brands if you desire) with half inch coil spacers to get a 2 1/2" lift up front.  Out back I plan on using lift shackles that are designed to give 1" lift out back on the MJ.  Then I either want to run 31 or 33" tires.  31's can be run with no lift at all, and 33's with a small lift do require cutting (or some flares designed to give more clearance).  There is a good set of adjustable shackles to get more rear lift, but I think more than the shackles I have now will decrease the shackle angle too much and effect the ride quality.   I also plan on getting a decent budget adjustable track bar for the front that runs about $100.

I wanted some extra ground and tire clearance, but I don't want to have a ton of lift either because my truck sees road use, but I do take it down a few dirt paths from time to time for work or personal shenangans.  

With the OME Springs, the price works out to about $280 (380 with track bar).   There is also the option of some properly designed rear leaf springs that give lifts in the 3 1/2 or 4 1/2" range from Hell Creek, but they are $188 a pop (roughly $340 for the pair).  The upside is, it is less involved, and less lift, than a SOA.  Inversely though, a SOA can be done for cheaper out back, but requires more money spent ( as others have pointed out.

Oh, and then there are little costs to consider, such as longer brake lines (there are good budget solutions here if you search) you will also want to consider.


Oh and my opinion FWIW, leave the rebuilt 88 engine alone and keep the HO head for building another engine to swap in later.  You won't entirely notice the 10-13 extra HP enough to care, and having driven an HO and a Renix now, I like the way the Renix feels more down low.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks guys, been busy lately, so I haven't checked in. Pics of those spacers would be great as I would like to do this as cheaply as possible, sweet J-truck BTW. I have a 77 J-20 with a Rhino grill.

 

The welded front diff sounds tempting, but since it's only a Dana 30, I am kind of afraid to abuse it that much. Open in the front should be fine. For the rear, I will probably buy a drop-in locker to keep things simple.

 

I want to run the 33s mainly because I already have them.

 

as far as rake goes, a little rake isn't too bad as I am known to overload my vehicles from time to time. I will have to set it on level ground and decide if I want to even it out, or just raise it all around

 

I was reading on here, about running aftermarket wheels and lots of folks were saying you need the factory wheels for the backspacing, so the fenders don't rub. Those obviously won't work with 33s, so I am going to see if I can scrounge a set of 15x8s. I know that's kind of narrow, but I think it will be livable. Years ago, I even ran 33s on 7" wheels

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That would depend on how wide the 33's you have are.  I've run a 10.5 width tire on a 7" wide wheel and it was perfectly fine.  I wouldn't want to go any narrower than that, and 8" wide would definitely be better.  Factory Jeep wheel offset is 5.25" I believe.  With the current wheels I have on my truck with 235/75-15's, they are a 7" width with 4.25" of backspacing, and the outer edge of the tire sits nearly flush with the edge of the factory fender flare.  To go an inch wider and fit under the stock wheel wells, it would require adding that extra distance to the inside, which would indeed put it back to factory backspacing.  At the same time, I could probably run a 10.5" width tire on the wheels I do have and still fit, but that would be the limit.

Picture of how the front looks with my said wheel and tire fitment from a slight front on angle  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks guys, been busy lately, so I haven't checked in. Pics of those spacers would be great as I would like to do this as cheaply as possible, sweet J-truck BTW. I have a 77 J-20 with a Rhino grill.

 

The welded front diff sounds tempting, but since it's only a Dana 30, I am kind of afraid to abuse it that much. Open in the front should be fine. For the rear, I will probably buy a drop-in locker to keep things simple.

 

 

I highly doubt you will ever break that D30. The D35 on the other hand isnt worth its weight in scrap value. A commuter/street truck is just about all it can handle. There are a few people who have abused the D35 and been lucky, but most of the time they snap like a twig. Unless you are planning on doing a rear axle swap, don't waste a dime on that D35.

 

Both axles are a dime a dozen, so even if you should break the D30 (not likely) a replacement can be found in a matter of hrs.

 

Keep the cable system

throw in a locker/limited or weld the front

swap the rear axle for a Chrysler 8.25 and a limited slip

or

leave the D35 until it breaks

 

 

FPC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the tires are 33x12.50 15s, so yeah 8" is the bare minimum, 10 would be ideal, but then fender clearance will be worse. I have been collecting parts for years and have several tall stacks of wheels in my basement, I will am going to have to dig through them one day and see what I can come up with. Most likely, I won't have a 4 15x8s though. I will just keep looking on Craigslist until the right set comes along. I have a ways to go on the project anyway. I probably won't start working on it until this fall or early winter.

 

I will give the front locker some consideration, I need to buy gears for it anyway. For the rear, I have a 4.10 geared model 20 that I will be using

Link to comment
Share on other sites

figured I would share some pics

 

new project Comanche

 

parts truck

 

77 J-20

 

my poor used and abused Libby

 

yes, I drug the Ford and the camper through the mud after his 4wd failed

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The push bar on the first one looks kind of like somebody took an old cop car unit and hacked a bit to make it work.  It looks good, but weird.   Nice collection though, and I am really digging that J-20.

XJs where used for many years are police units, especially in beach communities.

 

I have seen those before.

 

I saw a chrome one on an XJ and I've been keeping an eye out for another.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the p.o. took the push bar and cap off before I got it, I need to give him back those white wheels too, no problem, I don't like them anyway :)

 

Good to see a new member posting up pics here using Photobucket.  :cheers:  We have members who have been here for years and have not figured it out yet.

lol, I figured I better put up a few pics. people get bored with just talk, especially with newbies.  :)

 

the J-20 is just sitting in the backyard right now. I let the tags expire because I wasn't driving it enough. It has a really crappy 304 in it right now, but will run and drive. I started building a 360 for it, but other projects got in the way and it's sitting on an engine stand waiting for me to get back to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alrighty here we go, as promised. Swung by the plumbing shop and snapped a few pics. My phone is pretty crap, but they are better than nothing. They owner is an older gentleman who has forgotten more about plumbing than i will ever know. He said they are called PVC "bushings" and are used as diameter reducers.  The more you know!

 

Anyway onto the pics. . . .  They are both used for the same purpose, just different sizes, color, and slightly different material. The owner said there was no difference between the two as far as strength/durability.

 

 

Price: The white one is $5 and the black one $1.70 :dunno:

 

 

 

 

 

 

2#

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is the black one rubber?

 

 

I can't believe you would put plastic parts for your suspension...

 

Nope, both are PVC or a PVC like material.

 

I have had mine on for a little over 8k miles with no problems. I can't think of any reason not to use them. The only thing that has come up is the passenger side squeaks when the suspension cycles. These bushings are pretty beefy, so i am not worried about them breaking/cracking and even if they do i can have a brand new pair for less then $10. Sooo :dunno:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well if people want to get technical, any urethane parts you put on your vehicle are more or less a type of plastic.  Even polyurethane, which is polyol (organic chemical chains) joined by a carbamate.  PVC is just a vinyl polymer chain instead of an ethyl or polyol carbamate chain.  You would actually be surprised at how durable various types of PVC can be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...