YEAR/MODEL ●
1987 Jeep Comanche 4x4 Pioneer Long Bed
ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ●
4.0l with 4 hole injectors otherwise stock
DRIVETRAIN ●
AX15 with a hurst short throw shifter, Trussed HP30, Ford 8.8, NP231
COOLING ●
Stock with aluminum Expansion tank
ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ●
Renix
SUSPENSION/STEERING ●
OTK Ironrock Offroad steering, about a 6.5 inch short arm lift, Spring Over
INTERIOR ●
Custom Center console and bedlined floors, otherwise stock with a nice bench seat. great for the ladies ;)
BRAKES ●
Discs all around with drilled and slotted rotors up front
LIGHTING ●
2 KC hi lights up front and rear facing Flush LED cubes
EXTERIOR ●
Metallic Grey. Painted 2 years ago by Macco. Decent job looks good though. Also have Napier Products flaires. Nates 4x4 front bumper and sliders. Homemade rear bumper
WHEELS/TIRES ●
Black powder coated steel wheels and 33x10.5x15 toyo M/T
MISCELLANEOUS ●
Have a train horn and a PA system, makes for alot of fun. Plus its fun to blind your friends with the rear LEDs
FULL BUILD THREAD HERE
Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ●
I was coming home from playing lacrosse with my buddies and there was a little toyota corolla stuck on some train tracks. It was a Asian family from canada, they're all horrible drivers by the way, and they turned off of the intersection onto the train tracks. I winched them off and they paid me $50, all took pictures with me and invited to their house in Vancouver, BC for dinner. It was quite a weird experience but also pretty funny.
CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ●
I had never worked on any vehicles until my jeep and comanche club taught me everything. I am so thankful for this resource and I've tried my best to do as much as i can to give back
Such an awesome truck! It's great to see the younger crowd having an interest in these old trucks. Way to go 'Rabbit! Keep it on the road and congratulations!
-Ben
YEAR/MODEL ●
Originally - 87 jeep Comanche SWB 2.5L 2wd base truck
Currently - 99 Drivetrain 4.0 4x4 with 2001 XJ Limited Interior
Purchased this from someone down in Las Cruces, New Mexico. That person purchased it from KCsurfer20 from here on CC. He is the one that performed the original conversion
Items marked with an *** are things i have done since owning it
ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ●
1999 4.0 Rebuilt and bored .30 over
Bored out TB Melling Oil Pump
Brown Dog Block Brackets
Ironman HD motor Mounts
Eddlebrock dual outlet header
High flow intake manifold
Moroso Multibaffled Oil Pan ***
DRIVETRAIN ●
AX-15 out of a 1999 XJ
Np231 transfer case, with HD wide chain, gears, and a 6 pinion planetary
Dana 30 up front with OX locker ***
C8.25 in the rear with an OX locker and 29 spline axle shafts ***
4.88 gears in the front and rear ***
COOLING ●
High flow water pump ***
Stock radiator and stock fans
ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ●
Dual battery setup with 2 Blue top Optimas ***
Auxiliary fuse box from CR-Snow over at CF ***
SUSPENSION/STEERING ●
6.5 inch lift
Adjustable upper and lover control arms
SOA in rear
Fox Shocks in front ***
BDS in rear
Track Bar from IronMan4x4 ***
Steering Box Brace with sector shaft support from IronMan4x4 ***
Steering Box Spacer from IronMan4x4 ***
Track Bar drop bracket from IronMan4x4 ***
Track Bar drop bracket brace from IronMan4x4 ***
INTERIOR ●
2001 XJ limited interior with the wood grain accents
Heated Leather seats
Pioneer double din touch screen head unit (did not trim bezel or vents) ***
2 tweeters, 2 Mids 6.5”, 2 6x9” Lows, 2 6 3/4” Bass ***
Custom headliner with the overhead sound bar ***
XJ limited Overhead console shortened ***
LED interior lights
Jeep WJ overland steering wheel ***
BRAKES ●
stock - for now
LIGHTING ●
Rigid Industries headlights ***
Aux beam spot lights
EXTERIOR ●
Winch bumper up front
heavy duty bumper in rear
Bushwacker flat fenders
WHEELS/TIRES ●
33” Dynapros
MISCELLANEOUS ●
7 switch panel bezel ***
Factory style locker switch ***
Factory style LED Lights switch ***
PARTS WAITING TO BE INSTALLED●
Rear Winch bumper from Krustyballer with warn winch
Baja industries flush mount flood lights in rear
OR-Fab winch bumper with Warn winch
Rigid industries light bar and spot lights up front
Cowl intake
PROJECTS TO BE DONE SOON ●
35”+ tires
On board air from VIAIR
Rear sliding glass
Roll bar
Beadlocks
Wire the steering wheel controls
Cameras wired to head unit to use as rock cameras for self spotting
Create a logic board that lets me use the steering wheel controls to select front or rear winch and then use them to winch in/out
Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ●
The first time i took this jeep to do some serious off roading was to the frostbite event at Kansas Rocks Recreation Park. I was absolutely amazed at the capability and frankly, the jeep was able to outdrive me. It made me look like i had more technical skill than i did. But my biggest sense of pride came when i tackled “The Slab”. After watching several vehicles try and fail, and after one jeep broke the driveshaft just trying to get to the obstacle, I succumbed to the peer pressure and went for it. If it wasn't for my lack of technical skill it would have made it up without a single hiccup like it was nothing, but it took me two tries to get the traction I needed. Sure 'nuff, I got it! Crawled up it without even going over 2500RPM.
In the past I have been used to mud and sand type terrain, but now that I am in Kansas, I have been expanding my technical trail ability thanks to this jeep.
CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ●
The wealth of knowledge is great! I needed to do a gear swap and locker install on my axles after the spartan locker blew up and destroyed the front Ring and Pinion Gear… If it wasn't for the help of the members and their know-how, I would have felt a lot less confident going into the project. With having the input from people here checking my work, I am very confident that my install will last for the life of the jeep! Comanche Club RULES!!!!
Stay tuned! In the coming months I have a lot of plans for this jeep!
I just found out today that my first child is going to be a baby boy!!! Let's hope that the jeep blood runs in the family! :]
FULL BUILD THREAD HERE
Way to go, Brannon! I think you did the right move with taking a good truck and making it great. I think a lot of times a project can stall out because they take longer than originally anticipated. By picking up where the past owner left off, you could focus on the finishing touches right away. I really like that you still have plans for it too. They're never really done, anyhow! Congratulations!
-Ben
YEAR/MODEL ●
1988 Short Box
ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ●
4.0L Renix with Volvo 746 Injectors, rerouted serpentine belt to delete idlers
DRIVETRAIN ●
AX-15, NP231 with AA HD SYE and fabricated shift linkage, HPD30 front with Lokka Locker and ZJ CV axleshafts, D44 rear with Yukon Zip locker, 3.55 gears
COOLING ●
Converted to open system with HO radiator and GM generic overflow bottle, heater control valve deleted
ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ●
Alternator high mounted in place of A/C compressor using fabricated brackets, Motomaster AGM group 34 battery
SUSPENSION/STEERING ●
RE 3.5" lift coils/LCAs and Bilstein shocks in the front, SOA with well used 2wd springs and stock length Monroe shocks in the rear, V8 ZJ tie rod, late model XJ drag link, TMR Customs flipsert in driver's knuckle
INTERIOR ●
XJ bucket seats and center console, full gauge cluster, Viair air pressure gauge in place of clock, 'Race' pedals
BRAKES ●
Stock front with dropped YJ hoses, rear hybrid D44/Isuzu Trooper disk brakes and Dakota and Isuzu hoses
LIGHTING ●
Putco relay harness with added fuses on stock lights
EXTERIOR ●
YJ mirrors, Krylon OD green paint, S10 canopy, crazy hood scoop/vents
WHEELS/TIRES ●
JK 17" Moab wheels, G2 Gear 5x4.5 to 5x5 adapters, 265/70R17 (31.6" actual diameter) Firestone Destination M/Ts
MISCELLANEOUS ●
Viair quarter duty air compressor, front tow hooks, rear trailer hitch
FULL BUILD THREAD
Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ●
There is no real best story, but I do enjoy the amount of times people ask me either if it really is a Jeep, or what exactly it is.
CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ●
CC is the best tech resource for anything MJ related!
Way to go, Dirty! I know I say it just about every month, but I really dig this truck. So many little things that add up to one very cool MJ! Keep in mind that this truck wouldn't be anything you. Have a look through DirtyComanche's profile... go on, look! You'll see that he's always helpful to other members and can always find something positive. Good truck. Good member. Thanks for being a part of Comanche Club!
-Ben
YEAR/MODEL ●
88 Jeep Comanche Base
ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ●
4.0 renix bored .060,97 head, 99 intake and 62mm TB
DRIVETRAIN ●
99 AW4 with radshifter, Np231 Sye and AZZYS design shifter linkage, Dana 44 with spool, 4.88s rear Ford 9" detroit locker, disc brakes, 4.88s
COOLING ●
Ebay special 3 row radiator with twin 10" fans
ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ●
All 99 OBD2 harness.
SUSPENSION/STEERING ●
Reid knuckles, Ballastic fab 1.50x .250 DOM steering 7/8" hiems, Rustys long arm with custom 3 piece center section, 8" coils, Rear is SOA, with Barnes 6" Boomerang shackles, Barnes Track bar set up with same angle and length as drag link
INTERIOR ●
99 dash and center console, Radshifter, Cobra CB, Blue tooth audio with xj sound bar, Raptor bed liner
BRAKES ●
stock Dana 44, 9" has disc
LIGHTING ●
Stock 99 headlights, rock lights under bed, LED rear lights and reverse lighting. Rear lights run off a CURT trailer controller
EXTERIOR ●
Monstaliner SANS PANTIES paint job, 2x6" Sliders that are also plumbed for air tanks, Custom flat bed with tool box and tree kickers, Front bumper is a DIY JCR winch bumper with a X20 smittybuilt 10k wireless/waterproof winch.
WHEELS/TIRES ●
36" tsl with DIY bead locks on 15x8s
MISCELLANEOUS ●
This jeep was built in my tiny garage every night from stock 88, 5 speed truck to what it is now. I took a lot of time on the 99 conversion because i wanted it to look as factory as possbile. The hard work paid off when i took it out on my first trip in it.
FULL BUILD THREAD
Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ●
I don't have many because i recently just finished the build but every time i drive it i have ppl coming up to me or taking pics of it, so that makes me feel good about all that time i spent doing it.
CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ●
I think i enjoyed most was helping out others that have been planning on doing the 97+ conversion or what ever. My whole reason for the build thread was to help out others. I've owned several jeeps in my day but the love from the MJ community is amazing.
So very, very cool! Lately I've been a big fan of the somewhat odd yet definitely different. Your whole build thread is very well put together and full of those all important pictures. Good to see it out being used as well! Dirty, thought out, and home build... I like it!
-Ben
YEAR/MODEL ●
1990 Sportruck, SWB
1989 Pioneer, LWB
1988 Pioneer, SWB
ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ●
All are stock 4.0 L. The ‘88 has an ‘89 engine from a fellow CC member with Bosch 4-hole 19 lb fuel injectors and a Dynomax header.
This was the condition of the transplant ’89 motor with ~100K miles and oil changed every 3,000 miles! You could eat off of it.
And finally installed
DRIVETRAIN ●
1990: Stock 2WD with a D35, 3.10 gears, AX15
1989: Stock 2WD with a D44, 3.54 gears, floor shift AW4
1988: Stock 4WD with D35/D30, 3.10 gears, now AX15/NP321
COOLING ●
All have stock closed systems with Mac’s aluminum tank.
ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ●
All stock
SUSPENSION/STEERING ●
All stock with OME 60046/60032 shocks
INTERIOR ●
1990: Tan with stock vinyl flooring, black leather Jeep steering wheel, bucket seats, full center console and door panels from donor XJs.
1989: Tan with stock carpet, tan leather Jeep steering wheel, full center console, folding bucket seats from a CC member with XJ seat covers, woodgrain instrument panel bezel and door panels from a ‘96 Country XJ.
1988: Burgundy with stock carpet, burgundy leather Jeep steering wheel, full center console, folding bucket seats and door panels from donor XJs, Laredo instrument panel bezel and custom sliver accents.
BRAKES ●
All stock
LIGHTING ●
Stock with Marchal 750 fog lights through stock fog light switches, the ‘88 has chrome Marchal 850GT fog lights with a pair of chrome 750s waiting in the wings and a stock roll bar light switch waiting for a roll bar. All have LED B-pillar and courtesy lights.
EXTERIOR ●
1990: Spinnaker Blue Metallic (PB3), shell painted to match, 10 slot grill.
1989: Colorado Red (PE4), gold Pioneer stripes
1988: Pearl White (PWB), burgundy Pioneer stripes, Chrome bumpers/door handles/tailgate handle/mirrors/window trim/drip rails, ‘85 XJ 21 slot chrome grill.
WHEELS/TIRES ●
All have 235/75/15 tires on black powder coated stock aluminum Jeep wheels (10 Hole Eliminator, Turbine, Five Spoke)
MISCELLANEOUS ●
All have Jeep AM/FM cassette radios, dash clocks, sliding rear windows, Jeep/AMC bed mats, DrawTite hitches and factory tow hooks. The ’88 has stock full skid plates and I have OEM front/rear mud flaps awaiting installation.
Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ●
My best MJ story is actually purchasing the ’90 new. It was July 1990, we were heading to my in-laws and stopped at all the Jeep dealers on the 100 mile route looking for a Comanche, this was before the days of on-line inventories. No dealers had any and one tried selling me a Shelby Dakota, so after we got to our destination we decided to keep driving and finally found a dealer, another 50 miles away, that had two on the lot, one was a white automatic 4x4 and the other a blue five-speed 4x2. I could not justify the extra cost of the 4x4 so I purchased the 4x2. Having only driven a manual transmission about twice before made the test drive interesting to say the least. :driving: I then had to drive it back home but I got the hang of it, even kept the original clutch for 195K miles!
CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ●
As everyone else has said, members on this site are always willing to help without drama (usually) and members have even offered parts for free just to get others going! It is also nice to know I am not the only one with this sickness. :teehee: Thanks to everyone that has helped me along with my projects by providing parts, advise, knowledge and inspiration. :thumbsup:
Huge, HUGE tip of the cap, sir! Being an original owner is a huge investment in keeping it on the road and looking so good for so long. The other two trucks are just beautiful too! With all the modifying and "upgrades" going on with these trucks it's very refreshing to see three fine examples of what they all started out life as. Congratulations and enjoy your month!
-Ben
YEAR/MODEL ●
1989 Base 120k+ original miles
ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ●
Rebuilt Stock renix 4.0 with Bosch type3 injector upgrade
Magnaflow exhaust
DRIVETRAIN ●
Aw4 Column shift, NP231 with Boostwerks Engineering HD Shift Linkage
Axles- Dana 30 Front with Rugged Ridge Diff Cover..29 spline Chrysler 8.25 Rear Powertrax No-Slip traction system
COOLING ●
Closed system, volvo expansion bottle cover
97+ XJ Thermostat housing with Aftermarket coolant temperature sender
Hayden Automotive High Performance Trans Fluid Cooler
Inline transmission temperature sender
ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ●
Stock.. slightly modified fuel sending unit (fairly accurate fuel gauge readings except in reverse because of switched polarity)
SUSPENSION/STEERING ●
4.5 inch lift
HD track Bar, HD Tie rod HD Steering Stabilizer
INTERIOR ●
Heating and A/C
Custom blue carpet
Custom Headliner
reupholstered Bench Seat
BRAKES ●
Rear ZJ Drum to Disc Conversion with XJ prop valve with zj internals and Rear Height sensing valve eliminate
Drilled and Slotted rotors front/rear
LIGHTING ●
Custom Blue LED dash lights
LED B-pillar lights
Modified Isuzu Rodeo dome light
LED H4 Headlight Bulbs
20 inch Bumper mounted LED light bar, 50 inch roof mounted LED light bar
Auto Switching LED white DRL lights that switch to amber when using turn signal
EXTERIOR ●
Aqua Blue Metallic paint
97+ Xj facelift with doors manual window winders
WHEELS/TIRES ●
15x8 Tuff T01 Wheels with 33x12.5 Mastercraft Courser MXT mud terrains
MISCELLANEOUS ●
A-Pillar Dual Gauge pod with Trans Temperature gauge and coolant temperature gauge
Custom Ipad mini Magnetic In-Dash Mount
Bushwacker fender flares
Smittybilt xrc front winch bumper with bull bar
10,000 LB Smittybilt X20 winch with Synthetic rope
Wolo Bad Boy air horn
FULL BUILD THREAD HERE
Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ●
Was looking for a beater truck, something cheap mainly to carry gear on spearfishing trips..A friend of mine told me he knew a guy who had something for cheap so asked a cousin of mine who knew more about trucks to accompany me so when we got to the place and saw the truck my first impression i knew there was no way i was going to buy that in such terrible shape There was no carpet on the floor and what looked like years of rat droppings by the amount that was there not to mention the smell.. it went from bad to worse when i popped the hood engine looked a mess not to mention an incomplete harness chewed up by the rodent colony..and lets not forget the rust, it was everywhere from the floor to the entire windshield frame..my cousin told me we were wasting our time and we had better just leave but what really sparked my attention was despite of the fact that it was in such terrible shape she started in one the engine sounded strong..the other thing was the fact that i saw "JEEP" embossed on the tailgate not only was it the first time i saw a comanche...i had no idea jeep even made a truck..knowing that jeeps are reputable vehicles just the idea of a jeep truck intrigued me so in spite of the discouragement from my cousin i went home that night and decided to do some research online about that truck and right after that first google search i caught the disease... So i ended up paying $500 for her the next day signed up at comancheclub.com and the rest is history...
CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ●
Comanche Club is awesome because not only are the members on here very knowledgeable about Jeeps but they are always willing to pass on the knowledge to guys like me who knew nothing about jeeps and even though as a newbie we tend to ask some silly questions sometimes, no one makes you feel dumb or belittle you like you see happening all the time on other forums but instead you are enlightened. CC has taught me so much not only about jeeps but ive acquired skills i never knew i would be able to acquire and has made me a more confident Do-It-Yourself er That is why CC is Awesome
Wow! From its beginnings as a scruffy primed truck to what it is now is an amazing transformation. Quality time as gone into so many little details and everything came out just perfect! Thanks for putting together such a complete build thread and for keeping me completely glued to my computer waiting for more updates. A big congratulations on your month!
-Ben
YEAR/MODEL ●
1989 Jeep Comanche Pioneer. Originally 2wd, 4.0L, AX-15, with a Dana 35
ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ●
2006 Trailblazer SS LS2 400hp/400lbft - stock internals, Corvette accessories
Novak Ceramic Coated swap headers, 2.5” header outlet pipes, merging to a single 3.5” pipe. Reduces to a single 3” over the axle with a Magnaflow High flow cat and straight through muffler
4” intake to AEM cone filter
DRIVETRAIN ●
2007 Tralblazer SS 4L70 - TransGo shift kit, some upgraded internals, Novak tailhousing and 300M output shaft
NP242 from a Grand Cherokee
Dana 30 Front axle - 4.10, TrueTrac, Truss/sleeve, c-gussets
Ford 8.8 rear axle - 4.10, Trac-lok, Mustang Cobra Carbon Fiber friction discs, restacked and no friction modifier for more locking, RuffStuff diff cover
COOLING ●
All metal CSM 3-row HD radiator (for now, needs upgrade to Novak super thick aluminum unit in the spring).
stock XJ E-fan and 2 Spal Slimlines
B&M transmission cooler
Needs an oil cooler
ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ●
Custom wiring harness from the driver's seat forward, everything is rated to IP67 for water protection
Engine bay connectors are either stock GM, Deutsch, or a few metripack 280
Deutsch DRB12-48 bulkhead connector in stock location
Cooper Bussmann RFRM engine bay fuse box
Littelfuse 868-163 HWB60 interior fusebox, mounted to old ECU mount
Cooper Bussman Power Relay Modules to switch and control the big loads
SUSPENSION/STEERING ●
WJ Grand Cherokee knuckles with crossover steering
Custom 1.5” OD 0.25” wall track bar using JKS OTK bracket, RuffStuff ¾” heims, and a modified Iron Rock Offroad Double shear chassis side bracket
Durango Steering box with removed internal stops
Custom power steering hoses to meet up with Corvette PS pump
SPC 1.5” travel JounceShock front airbumps
MetalCloak 4.5” Dual-Rate springs
0.75” Spacers
Garbage 12” travel white-body shocks to get it on the road (soon to be replaced with Fox/Kings)
Single Y-link radius long arm suspension - RuffStuff DIY Long arms kit with 1.25” heims
Rusty’s Offroad 4.5” lift springs (5-leaf)
SummitRacing extended XJ shackles in relocated pivot (7” long c-c I think?)
RuffStuff high-clearance Deaver-style leaf spring brackets and u-bolt plates
Garbage 10” travel black-body shocks to get it on the road (Soon to replaced with Fox/Kings)
Extended progressive poly bumpstops on 1” aluminum drop spacers
RuffStuff Specialties DIY Traction Bar
INTERIOR ●
2007 Subaru WRX Seats
Rostra Seat Heaters
2002 Subaru WRX Underseat subwoofer mounted to back wall
Streamlight 75712 flashlight/cradle mounted to back wall - charges from vehicle 12V
Jensen JHD3630BT head unit with weatherband and bluetooth
Infinity Reference Speakers with DEI Speaker baffles
Cobra 19DX CB Radio
B&M Pro Stick shifter - modified with BillaVista tutorial for offroad use
Novak Cable TC shifter - modified to work with NP242 and 4L70
Modified XJ Center console to remove e-brake handle area, add cupholders, and clear B&M shifter (needs more work)
LED B-pillar and footwell lighting
1992 GMC Jimmy rear-view mirror with LED map-lights
1990 Eliminator tilt steering column, with working cruise control
BRAKES ●
WJ Grand Cherokee knuckles with 13” rotors
Akebono Calipers with a small shave to clear wheels
Stock Explorer rear disc brakes
WJ grand cherokee booster and MC
Deleted rear proportioning valve
LIGHTING ●
IPF H4 headlight housings with 65/75w bulbs
LED White/Amber turn signal bulbs with switchback
Hella 90mm foglights with PIAA amber bulbs
Zeus Pro Single 20” LED bar - spot beam
Hardwired flood work light on a magnet mount
EXTERIOR ●
Custom dents
Cut hood for intake manifold clearance
TrackSpec large hood louvers
Custom 3/16” plate front bumper with integrated LED and fog light mounts and protection with hidden winch (between front frame rails)
Custom bent stock rear bumper (for now), custom plate bumper to match the front coming soon
WHEELS/TIRES ●
33x12.5 R15 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain KM2 - siped
Cragar Soft-8 steel wheels 15x8, 4” backspacing
1” spacers on the rear, 0.25” spacers on the front
Winter (just put them on, no pics yet):
2009 Ford Ranger Sport 16” wheels
285/75 R16 Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072
1/2” spacers in the front, 1/4” spacers in the rear, extended lug studs
MISCELLANEOUS ●
T&M Metal Fabrication frame stiffeners
Hi-lift extreme
Maxtrax
Warn M8000 with synthetic rope, custom tool to turn clutch lever through a hole in the front bumper
Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ●
The company I work for built a prototype vehicle, and we were taking it up to Houghton, MI, in the Upper Peninsula for testing. I thrashed on my Comanche for several months every night after work to complete the 4.0 HO and 4WD swap, along with the 3” lift, D30 build, and Ford 8.8 installation, to get the truck ready to take up there, often working into the night in the garage after a 10-12hr day getting the work vehicle together. I went to school in Houghton at Michigan Tech, so I was really excited to get my truck up there for some after-work shenanigans, especially because one of my coworkers was bringing his Land Rover Discovery up as well. I ended up finishing putting the MJ together at 1am Monday morning, had it all packed up by 4am, and left at 7am to drive 600 miles up to the UP. The MJ ran almost perfectly for 4 weeks of wheeling and exploring.
Everything was great until the last weekend. I volunteered to stay over the last weekend as my co-workers all had families to get back to, and we needed someone to stick around until Monday to load the vehicle back onto the trailer for the trip back. I was doing some exploring by myself and unfortunately ended up almost getting stuck in a mudhole (thanks MaxTrax!) and cutting an electrical harness in the front of the truck. Some of the magic electrical smoke escaped and I hustled back to civilization as fast as I could, but the Comanche died on a remote dirt road, and I had to get it towed back to town. I couldn’t find the cut in the last day up there (luckily I also brought my motorcycle so I still had transportation) so I had to rent a u-haul to get it back to Detroit.
Even after splicing the harness back together the truck never seemed to run very well again, I don’t know if something somewhere got shorted or what, but this eventually led to me having enough of the 4.0L and deciding it was time for an upgrade. And now it’s got an LS2 :)
CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ●
There’s a huge knowledge base here and some pretty incredible build threads. I love browsing the tech and build thread sections learning new things about Comanches, and seeing what other people are doing with the platform. My favorite part is when I find some part or solution that is really well done, so I can take and use for my own build! :)
FULL BUILD THREAD HERE
Holy picture dump, Steve! Totally worth it though! A big, BIG tip of the cap on this build. I really appreciate the way you've documented everything in your build thread. Almost like a "how-to" on an LS swap. Very cool! It's your month so be sure to enjoy all of it. Congratulations!
-Ben
YEAR/MODEL ●
'89 base
ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ●
Renix 4.0 with Volvo injectors and an HO oil filter nipple to run a bigger filter. Near future goals is a 58mm TB and custom cowl intake.
DRIVETRAIN ●
2WD AW4 column shift powering a stock d35. Soon to be replaced with a 98 XJ's 29 spline 8.25 regeared to 4.10 gears. Front axle is the same 98 XJ's front beam almost completely rebuilt with new parts.
COOLING ●
Spectre premium open system radiator with a deleted heater valve and "custom" Jolly Rancher soda bottle overflow canister :D
ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ●
I have a set of Mean Lemons 2awg cables ready to go on once I have the time to clean the grounding point as well as install the cables... busy season. 100AMP Carquest rebuilt alternator to get me by until I have my stock unit rebuilt to 140 AMPs.
SUSPENSION/STEERING ●
Steering is Moog brand V8 ZJ tie rods with an XJ/MJ drag link and trac-bar. Stock sway bar (28mm ones are tough to find...) suspension is mostly stock other than adding a 1.75" puck to the front coils without the rubber isolator so that it would level the truck out. Oh and completely rebuilt WJ upper and lower control arms! Next is a ZJ 12.7 ratio steering box.
INTERIOR ●
Mostly just stock blue with a bench seat other than my ported 10" sub and upgraded door speakers. And a Pioneer headunit, of course. The interior is fixing to get some upgrades when I find a good set of ZJ or XJ buckets. I will be redoing the sound system again, as well. Adding Alpine component 6.5's to the doors running off an amp instead of the Kicker Coaxial 5"1/4's that I already have running off the headunit. Trying to fix a ported Alpine Type-R 12" sub in a bass tube box as the center console but not sure if it will fit. We'll see!
BRAKES ●
Fronts are the 98 XJ's usual stuff. Rears will eventually be disks and I have a WJ MC/booster to go in along with messing with the proportioning valve to make the rear brakes work better.
LIGHTING ●
Headlights are Rampage (I think?) H4 casings with regular H4 55/60w bulbs powered off of an Ebay 10 gauge wire harness. Hella bright... my brother was jealous of how bright my headlights are. I replaced the side markers with clear ones. The rear is stock until I get a LED bar as an extra backup light. Interior I have LED Eram-tec(or however you spell it...) dome lights and soon the entire interior will be LED. I'm considering going 100% LED with this build.
EXTERIOR ●
Pretty much stock. The whole front clip and drivers fender are from an XJ because I wrecked the Jeep (story later!)
WHEELS/TIRES ●
Offbrand 235/75/15 street tires on TJ Canyon wheels which I have painted black and added chrome lug nuts and center caps. The rear has Trail Sport 1.25" spacers to pop the tires a little bit.
MISCELLANEOUS ●
Reese front hitch, Krustyballer rear hitch, FEY black diamond plate step bumper, diamond plate tool box, flowmaster super 44 muffler with no cat.
FULL BUILD THREAD
Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ●
Just about the only story I have had with this Jeep was a long period of time before and after I became owner of it. My other MJ has plenty of stories behind it because it was always breaking down! This one has been quite a reliable piece of gorgeous machinery, though... Story time! It all started when I began working at the local Winn Dixie at 17 years old. I would drive by this bread factory and out front sat a gorgeous blue MJ... best looking one in town. After about a year the MJ stopped showing up at the factory and I figured the man sold it. I always hated that I never got to stop by and talk to the owner. Every day my brother rode with me to work (we both worked at Winn Dixie. Now we're both at Publix) I would tell him about how I wish I could own an MJ that nice and how I wanted to drive it and ect ect... fast forward to about 6 months ago I see an MJ pop up on Facebook. 108k, low miles, automatic... has an overheating problem. I message the guy and set up a time to come look at it (ya'll should remember all of this!) After I pull up and talk with the guy I realize that this MJ looks EXACTLY like the one from the breas factory! So I ask him if he worked there. He said no, but that his father used to work at the factory and he always borrowed the MJ because he had to pull a trailer sometimes. So this MJ was the beautiful one I always was drooling over! I couldn't believe it. After a month he gets in the title for the MJ and I fixed the overheating problem in his front yard, paid him 1k and drove it home (he was very upset that I was able to fix it so easily). Fast forward 3 more weeks and I hit that deer on my way to work... totaled the Jeep. I was so upset until my insurance company contacted me. They gave me 1800$ and left the title un-salvaged on the MJ. WHAT?! I made 600$ after the price of the Jeep and fixing the deer damage myself. I love to tell that story because it's unbelievable to me! And I still can not believe I own the MJ that I truly never believed I would own
CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ●
The people here are truly amazing. I'm the member of many forums and this is the only one that has such kind-hearted, knowledgeable, down to earth people who are always willing to help. We all share a similar love for an amazing type of vehicle and it really shows in how we help each other with keeping them on the road. I frequent this forum almost as much as I do my social media accounts. I've learned so much from Comancheclub that some friends now call me "Comanche" or "The Jeep Guy" because of my knowledge behind MJ's and XJ's. I owe it all to ya'll!
Way to go, buddy! This is one of those "slow and steady wins the race" kind of builds that I really dig. It's simple and to the point. Crap happens (as you've found with with the fancy new red fender), but we just keep plugging along. I kinda like it!... but I'm also a sucker for mismatched body panels. Looks great! Congratulations on being our first MJOTM for 2017!
-Ben
YEAR/MODEL ●
1987 jeep Comanche 2wd
ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ●
Stock, for now. 746 injector upgrade in the future. Hopeful for an AX-15 swap after I'm done with high school.
DRIVETRAIN ●
Original 4.0, BA-10, factory Dana 44 w/ posi.
COOLING ●
Stock
ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ●
Added front door speakers. Cruisers tips performed. Mopar cps bypass kit
SUSPENSION/STEERING ●
Stock
INTERIOR ●
Bucket seats, Cherokee center console, door panels with wood trim.
BRAKES ●
Stock....for now.
LIGHTING ●
Factory b-pillar lights and footwell+ashtray lights added from a Cherokee.
EXTERIOR ●
Many dents, chrome bumper, chrome grille/headlight surrounds, chrome door handles have been added.
WHEELS/TIRES ●
235/75/15 Goodyear Wrangler radials, Vision Warrior wheels
FULL BUILD THREAD HERE
Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ●
I have many stories, especially since I've been riding in this truck since I was five, but the most memorable is probably from this year. Traveling to Los Angeles from Las Vegas, I had faith in the old jeep but I had never driven it that far before. Being an old truck I was pretty nervous, but knowing the truck ran flawlessly it got me to the destination and back home without hesitation. That's where my love for it grew more. It didn't leave me stranded and on top of that it was hanging with the new cars on the freeway without feeling like it was going to fall apart. Also I love getting asked about my truck and getting compliments on it. I love how unique it is.
CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ●
All the great people that are willing to help and that are respectful with lots of knowledge. Cruiser's Renix tips so I can keep my heep running. Also hornbrods MJ had inspired me to put chrome on mine with hopes to get my MJ to an immaculate condition like his one day.
This truck really sums up the year just great. These little trucks continue to run and keep going with simple care and respect and yours is a prime example of this. Well done! Great truck, great member, and another great year in our own piece of the automotive world. Tip of the cap and cheers all around!
-Ben
YEAR/MODEL ●
1990 Comanche Pioneer SWB
ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ●
Completely stock 4.0l
DRIVETRAIN ●
External slave AX15, not sure what it's out of, non vacuum NP231 from an XJ, Advanced Adapters SYE, Tom Woods driveshafts, Dana 44 rear from an 87 XJ. Chromoly shafts. D30 front
COOLING ●
Open system conversion. Toyota Land Cruiser overflow bottle. Flow Kooler water pump.
ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ●
2 E-fans on switches.
SUSPENSION/STEERING ●
Rough Country long arm upgrade. Rubicon Express 5.5" coils and shocks. Stock leafs rear, SOA with trail gear perches. Rubicon Express track bar. Stock steering.
INTERIOR ●
Two-door Cherokee (flip forward) bucket seats, Cherokee center console, Fox flag headliner. New floor pans. Rockford Fosgate 10 inch shallow mount sub behind the seat.
BRAKES ●
All stock...definitely needs to be upgraded.
LIGHTING ●
4 KC Daylighters on rollbar. 55w reverse lights. XJ Wagoneer (4 headlight) Header panel swap.
EXTERIOR ●
XJ Wagoneer Header panel swap. 2x6 steel sliders. Roll bar.
WHEELS/TIRES ●
33x12.5R15 KM2s
MISCELLANEOUS ●
This was my first truck. I 4 wheeled it pretty hard until I bought a TJ. I swapped over a bunch of stuff over to that and now the MJ is just a daily driver. Trying to keep it from getting so beat up off road. It used to have ARBs, AR twin compressor, 44s front and rear, and a Warn 8274. All that is now on the TJ. I am in the process of making the MJ a good work truck / daily driver.
FULL BUILD THREAD HERE
Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ●
A couple of my buddies headed over to Eastern Washington after school one day to do some wheeling / camping. It was about 100 miles on the freeway (which the Jeep did AWESOME, only burned 1 qt :rotfl2: ) and did 75 mph no problem. We spent a ton of time on the trails. We ended up coming to a wash out. I put it in first gear, low range, squared up to the hill (the washout was at a 45 degree angle to the road) and went right up it. The guy behind me took it straight on and chewed it up pretty bad. I ended up winching all 3 of the guys in the group over the wash out (I had a winch on my Jeep back then). Then made the trip back over to the west side. That (at the time) was the most amount of miles I had put on my Jeep in one trip, and it definitely impressed me!
CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ●
CC has been an awesome resource in building and modifying my MJ. You guys are all so helpful and can gave me a lot of help and ideas. Reading through the builds here has given me a ton of inspiration.
Now THAT'S a cool truck! Love it or hate it, that Waggy grill really makes this thing stand out. For the record, I dig it... a lot! The whole build is a fun one to go through. Built a little... built a lot... added some more... unbuilt to keep it nice... Quite the roller coaster! The overall look of the truck is just awesome. Keep up the good work and congratulations!
-Ben
