MJ Noob Questions

[Motorcharge]

1. How do you change the bulbs in the courtesy lights above the seatbelts? I've changed the rest of the interior bulbs over to LEDs but I don't see any obvious way of getting the covers off those lights.

 

2. Anyone have a part number for rear shocks that will work for 4.5" lift? Preferably Bilsteins. I can weld so it's not a major issue if I need to change how the shocks mount on one end or the other. Search didn't pull up much for rear shock options and I haven't crawled under the MJ to check out how they shocks attach yet due to being sick.

 

And are the rear brake lines long enough to leave alone on a 4.5" lift or am I going to need to extend them?

 

3. Is there a fairly easy way to get the seats to tilt forward if the lever doesn't work anymore? My driver's seat the lever doesn't feel like it's attached to anything anymore and I can't get the seat to budge by moving it back and forth while messing with the lever.

 

4. Are the floopans the same in an MJ as they are in an XJ? My carpet is in pretty decent shape and I want to get some of the fitted rubber mats like Quadratec and Rugged Ridge make but none of their product descriptions mention if they'll fit right in an MJ.

 

Couldn't find answers to those searching.

[MJRemi]

1)  The B-pillar lights are all about careful prying. They snap in place and the cover snaps on to the frame. Many members have switched over to a modern replacement from Euramtec and like the look.

3)  There is a cable that runs from the seat lever to the hook lever at the back of the seat frame. You'll need to peel away the seat coverings to see exactly what is wrong but it's not hard to remedy.

4)  The floor pans are not exact but might be close enough to use the fitted mats. Call the vendors to see if you can return them if your not happy with the fit.

[Motorcharge]

Thanks for the answers. Bumping for more.

[Eagle]

2. Anyone have a part number for rear shocks that will work for 4.5" lift? Preferably Bilsteins. I can weld so it's not a major issue if I need to change how the shocks mount on one end or the other. Search didn't pull up much for rear shock options and I haven't crawled under the MJ to check out how they shocks attach yet due to being sick.

The shock length will depend on how you position/reposition the lower shock mounts when you put in the lift. If your truck is now stock, the lower mount is a stud that extends off the lower spring plate, which is under the axle and under the leaf spring. If all you do is install an add-a-leaf, then you'll need a shock with a mid-travel length about 4 inches longer than stock.

 

If you go to the Monroe on-line catalog, you can look up shocks by end fitting and length to get a part number. Then go to a different section of their web site to cross-index that part number to what vehicle(s) it fits. The look up Bilsteins to fit that vehicle.

 

And are the rear brake lines long enough to leave alone on a 4.5" lift or am I going to need to extend them?

There is only one rear hose, from the frame to a junction block on the rear axle. You will need a longer one. '95 YJ is what I used with a 4" lift.

[Motorcharge]

I'm doing full leaf packs with stock length shackles.

[HOrnbrod]

2. Anyone have a part number for rear shocks that will work for 4.5" lift? Preferably Bilsteins. I can weld so it's not a major issue if I need to change how the shocks mount on one end or the other. Search didn't pull up much for rear shock options and I haven't crawled under the MJ to check out how they shocks attach yet due to being sick.

 

I would wait until you complete your lift and shock mounts before worrying about shocks. Lots of things can change during the project. When the lift is complete, call Bilstein Tech Support and give them the "at rest" length distance between the mounts and they will recommend the proper length 5100 series shock.

[Motorcharge]

I'm not messing with the mounts unless I have to. Waiting isn't an option because it's going to be doing DD duty by the time I'm getting the lift on.

 

Tires and wheels are already mounted and I'm replacing the majority of suspension and steering at the same time.

[Motorcharge]

Bump

[Eagle]

Bump

Okay, if you want to guess. The "at rest" (mid-travel) length for several Monroe shocks listed for the MJ is approximately 18.521". This ain't rocket surgery, so round that to 18.5". Add 4.5" and you get 23.0"

 

Step 1: Refer to the Monroe length chart. For the MJ the upper and lower fittings are both L1, so look for an L1/L1 shock with a mid travel length of approximately 23" and a total travel distance somewhere in the range of 8 to 10 inches. Monroe doesn't list the at-rest length directly, so you're looking for something with a collapsed length of about 18.5" and an extended length of about 27.5".http://www.monroe.com/assets/downloads/english/MonroeMountingLengthSpecifications.pdf

 

Step 2: Go to Monroe's application listings to find out what make, model and year vehicle the shocks you find are designed for. http://www.monroe.com/en-US/catalog/Part-Search/

 

Step 3: Shop for shocks fitting the resulting vehicles in the shock brand and series of your choice.