Oyaji

I did the same with the old 914 I drove back in college days onward until 2004. I used spare scraps of 6-oz ding repair 'glass for surfboards I had accumulated for years along with a doubled section of heavy-weave 'glass roving plus a few layers of 'glass mat from boat repair. The resulting patch was a quarter-inch thick and plenty strong. I ended up making my own seat mounts that dropped the seating position a bit more than an inch - the patch provided plenty of security for the bolts I ran through holes drilled through glass and what metal remained. I took 2 weeks prepping the rust with a chipper, wire wheel, and Ospho (phosphoric acid rust treatment) before priming, painting, 'glassing, gel-coating, re-priming, and re-painting. When I was done, you couldn't tell by looking at it that it had been repaired - the fiberglass patch even duplicated the original contours of the factory sheetmetal. It was plenty secure for nearly 20 years... right up until the day Hurricane Ivan dropped a 30"-diameter pine tree right down the middle of the car.

Sinkrun is right could very well be a bad starter out of the box. x3 I've run into this a few times on various vehicles over the years. As a result, I always test new starters with jumper cables to the terminals before installing them. I've found that what seem to be bad starters new out of the box will oftentimes work properly after rapping them with a wood block and then cycling them a few times. The new brushes just need to settle in before they make good contact, I reckon. If they are hanging up just a little after being assembled, they won't make contact and the starter won't turn, but after a couple whacks they work fine. This has saved me the trouble of returning what is really a perfectly good starter.

Thanks - just the sort of info I am seeking. Do those steel wheels also come in 16"x8"? I am still hoping to hear from someone with experience with 5-lug-on-4.5"-circle 17" factory wheels. Did Jeep offer them in steel, or only aluminum, and in what widths?

I always preferred cellos, personally :D (Just yankin' yer chain a bit. Typos we can deal with. At least you didn't spell it "wallah!") I too prefer cello to viola. Here is some heavy metal cello for your listening pleasure - voila! :rock on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B4K45iFtoY

How about the 16" and 17" five-spoke 5-on-4.5" factory aluminum rims - what are they called, "Rubicons"? Are they available in 7" width? 8"? And the 16" steel factory wheels - what width(s) are they? I'm guessing they would have the 5.25" backset - is that the case? Probably the easiest to get a 6-ply tire for would be a 16" rim, but 17s would have less sidewall and be better for the street. Should be no problem to find a 31" diameter tire for either of them, I reckon. Eagle, got any info to pony up? Anybody?

Not really my issue. I'm at stock height with stock links.My sway bar is bowed outwards, pushing the ends back. Looks like it was used as a tow point. Hahaha. I've had idiots insist I pull them out after they have themselves hitched to their shackles and axle tubes, but never the swaybar. I told them what would happen if I tried to snatch them out using those points; some listened while others just cussed me. For those latter, without a word I just rolled up my tow strap and left them sitting there. In retrospect, it would have been a lot funnier if I had yanked their axles out from under their trucks... oh well, 20/20 hindsight and all that. Too bad you got the short end of the stick when you bought a truck from just such an idiot. :(

"Great minds think alike?" If there was anybody I know that had done this already, I s'pose it would have to be you!

We think the same way. I spent some thought on it in years past, and decided that the easiest way to accomplish it would be hydrostatic drive. It would be only fractionally powered compared to the main drive on the truck and would be useful only at low speeds, but that is not a minus for the only useful application (off-road).

I disagree. Assuming it's done safely, donuts and the like aren't a bad way to learn to deal with skids. :agree: There is a reason most NASCAR drivers come from the South: they grew up driving pickup trucks sideways on muddy dirt roads. :yes: I think some level of this should be taught in Driver's Ed, or that at least there should be insurance discounts for drivers successfully completing a high-performance driving instruction course.

You're on the right track there. Asking questions of people who have been there before you certainly helps and can save you headaches and expense, but until you get to turnin' wrenches yourself, you aren't really getting anywhere. Experience is the best teacher.

Welp - you seem to have finally gotten her attention. If you made mention of Regulatory Affairs at Chrysler, that would probably speed her "research".

Welp, sounds like he succeeded.

I don't know him, never heard of him in fact. I see he is a V.P. though, so I think you need to contact someone lower on the totem pole (Manager or Director, no higher). Maybe you could find out some more info on the 2 guys on his page who do show contact info - at least they could point you to the right people. Regulatory Affairs sounds like the right guys. Every few years those big corporations like to reorganize and change the organizational names around to keep everybody pretty well-confused. :yes:

Maybe you have a carburetted 2.8L V-6? If so, the fuel in your float bowl could be sloshing up the sides so far that you are starving the engine of fuel in your high-G turns.

I have never heard such a thing. I do know that limited slip differentials have been used for decades in street applications. If I had to make a guess, it would be that independent suspensions might use lighter axles and CV joints (thus keeping unsprung weight to a minimum, good for street suspension performance and manufacturing cost reduction) that could be overstressed in an off-road application? What is the nature of the cautions you have heard, from what sources, and where can I find out more on the subject?

Come to think of it, I had an identical problem on my XJ - more than once, too. Check that the wires are attached snugly to your battery terminal clamps. My wires from the positive terminal looked good, but when I took them apart them it was plain to see they were corroded and not securely attached to the clamp. I had to cut off about 2" to get to good clean uncorroded copper wire, then reattach - after that there was no problem.

:agree: After that double-check connections at the starter, supply and energizing connections both. Don't forget to make sure the starter is mounted properly and snugly - that's how it gets its ground. While underneath, rap on the starter a couple/few times with a wood block. Maybe the new starter brushes haven't settled in to the commutator yet. Rapping the starter body a few times may just settle them in so they make a sufficient connection.

Sounds like Ed Stevens knew his stuff. By sharing his exhaustive results he saved those of us who pay heed the trouble of duplicating his work. As far as I am concerned, lifts are the work of the devil. They bring expense in not only in parts cost, but also burn more fuel. They make a vehicle more dangerous, because they raise the center of gravity and thereby reduce braking effectiveness, cornering, and make a vehicle vastly more prone to rollover. Though their merits cannot be denied for some off-road applications, even there the minimum lift to perform as intended should be used because regardless of the application, lift complicates vehicle dynamics and reduces stability and safety. I am interested in relatively "skinny" tires (tires of stock width or only somewhat wider) mounted on larger diameter wheels. I need to be able to run across beach sand here to launch boats, and though I can do it with stock 215/75 15s and use of four-wheel-drive, I have had to air down my tires and have still gotten stuck more than once (inconvenient, because to get myself out I have to ditch the boat trailer, drive out, then hitch back up at an angle - or drag the trailer out with a strap). What I want is to use taller tires instead of wider so as to not get stuck while still retaining or improving my fuel economy. Seems to me that wheel diameter should not matter so long as factory backset is retained, and that 7" or 8" wheel width may be used. Are there 16x8 and/or 17x8 wheel offerings with factory 5.25" backset? If so, what are they called, and does anyone have a picture of them? Factory or aftermarket, plain or fancy, steel or aluminum, as long as they have the 5.25" factory backset I'd like to see any you guys mention and hear of your experience in fitting them to MJs/Xjs - thanks.

. Moral of the story - when you're inside you're having so much fun you just don't care, and besides you can't see the ugly from there anyway? :rotf:

"Race of Lemons", or something similar? ;) Gonna be tough finding 10 ads of exact matching specs - not too many MJs were ever made, much less still around now. Will keep an eye out though. If you make it past this stage and want assistance in the build, post the rules and ask away - it sounds like fun. Good luck!

Found out that though he reported a compression check was made, it was in actuality not done. Waiting for compression check results now.

Y'know, an unscrupulous person might park his '86 MJ on an incline and let the parking brake fail, then sue Chrysler for not only the damage resulting from the safety recall but also for denying remediation of that recall after it was twice requested! Just sayin'... :rotf: Seriously, you need to talk to the Regulatory Compliance people at Chrysler. They would be able to get you in touch with the right people who handle recalls. You should write once more to "Ms. Melissa" (so desirous of preserving her anonymity that she does not give her last name!) just to make damn sure they have record of your correspondence. Make sure to append your two previous letters, and state plainly in the body of your letter that this is the third attempt to seek resolution. This is all based on the assumption that this is indeed a safety recall. Considering the importance of the parking brake and the potential consequences of its failure, I don't see how it could be otherwise... If it is too much of a headache to try to identify the proper entity after having been stonewalled by a Customer Service Representative, you could always just cut straight to NHTSA. Considering that they are bureaucrats, you should not expect too speedy a reply, though. I used to have some contacts in regulatory compliance at Chrysler, but I let them lapse over the past 15 or so years. If I can remember one who could help you, I'll be sure to let you know.

Earl, thanks for posting the image. I was going to do it since you had trouble; glad you got it worked out. Would you still post the link to the page you found the image, please? I'm curious about what else accompanied the chart you posted.

You mentioned it was hit from behind a year or so ago. Did you check and refurbish the fuel pump ground behind the left tailight?

Thought so. "Gamblers" are the factory 5-hole wheels, right? Those are the ones that would be my choice for a 15" wheel... but I would prefer a 16" or 17" wheel (even if only plain steel ones) if available to run 31s without rubbing. Anyone have info on any such options?