87MJJeep

Fine! Coarse will be a drag, literally! Once I realized I could pull a folded strip through the end, it was a breeze. Just not a quick one. If you have a multimeter, keep testing for continuity. Once you get continuity in both directions, file away just a little more.

I got mine working this afternoon. I just need to do the LED upgrade. I couldn't believe how much sanding on the contacts and that pesky wheel was required. I kept testing them for continuity before bothering to hook them back up. If your contact is flaky, very gently try to bend the tabs up a bit. Flip the switch in one direction, and bent up the "open" tab. Then flip it the other direction to bend the other one. I used a toothpick to do it. The toothpick seemed to give before I bent the metal too much. What did you sand with? I have been using a piece of sandpaper because I don't have anything else that fits into that small of a space. I can't recall the grit, but it was a very fine (800 or 1000 or 2000) wetsanding paper. It came in a 3M automotive pack I had bought to wet-sand and polish taillights. It was the first thing I saw laying around. I just cut a strip off that was about 1/2" wide and folded it to make it stiffer and not as wide (down to about 1/8" wide). I then slid it through the end of the switch with the contacts, and one at a time, positioned it between contact points and pulled it back and forth. Many times!

That's a good idea! Thanks!

Thanks Dave! I'll check around and see where I can get Spicers if any of mine need replacing. Wildman, I figured someone would post a smaller diameter fitting, not THAT. Far out!

I need to replace some heater hoses. One of the two that run along the valve cover has the AMC logo! As faded as it looks, I imagine it's original. For now I'll stick with having a stock closed system. It is feasible or advisable to cut the hoses off the metal pipes where they are currently crimped on? Can I cut them off with a Dremel or other tool without ruining the pipe? Or is buying a replacement pipe with integrated hoses recommended? I've read where some ditch the Heater Control Valve. What effect does that have on the heater operation if I ditch it? Too many black noodles under the hood...

Thanks for the quick reply. Is there a preferred brand or P/N to switch to non-grease-able? Do you stick with grease-ables for the rear shaft? Thanks for the amount of grease advice!

A slight update. Either I am going cuckoo, or I can hear the noise as slow as 15-20 mph, too. It may be more of a whirrrr than that wooowooo I first reported. :nuts: I put it on stands Saturday morning, and with my assistant holding it at 45 mph, and with a automotive stethoscope placed all around the back side of the diff, the axle tubes at various spots including as close to the ends as possible, nothing sounded out of the ordinary. I heard the same "normal" noise no matter where I put it. Transfer case leaked fluid out when I removed the upper plug, so it's not low. I was expecting it to be low considering it appears to be weeping some fluid from the seal that goes between the case's two halves. Back to the rearend, I observed something. The left tire clearly spun faster than the right one. I knew from testing the brakes in the rain, if I jab the brakes, the right rear locks up. It once locked in a semi-panic stop on dry pavement, too. When applying the brake with it on stands, the left rear definitely took longer to slow down. Some may recall I posted here several weeks ago about a squeak-type noise when the brake is applied. I would have bet money it was coming from the front of the truck, and I even wondered it if the was pedal linkage. Nope, it comes from the left rear drum. If anyone has any thoughts on any of this, let me know. I've done all sorts of things on other cars front disc setups, but I've never done anything other than look at a drum brake. I wonder is the right drum too "tight" or is the left one too "loose?" With the screech/squeak I hear, I imagine it's the latter. CW, I have not disassembled the u-joints yet. I haven't forgotten that. And I need to check the diff fluid level, though as normal as it sounded, I doubt that's an issue.

I guess I'll assume the grease gun fitting I have is too big, but with the right angle, I've always gotten it on every u-joint zerk fitting I've had. Until now. I can't get it on the front u-joint fitting without it being at an angle. Is this a common problem for that spot, or maybe I have an aftermarket/replacement part on there that is making it a pain? When I was a kid, my uncle told me "pump grease till it farts." That was for the suspension points. For u-joints and the fitting on the "sleeve" of the front driveshaft, what is the best way to tell I've pumped enough grease in? If grease starts squirting out of one end of the u-joint, but not the other, keep pumping till grease comes out all around? Thanks for any tips.

I got mine working this afternoon. I just need to do the LED upgrade. I couldn't believe how much sanding on the contacts and that pesky wheel was required. I kept testing them for continuity before bothering to hook them back up. If your contact is flaky, very gently try to bend the tabs up a bit. Flip the switch in one direction, and bent up the "open" tab. Then flip it the other direction to bend the other one. I used a toothpick to do it. The toothpick seemed to give before I bent the metal too much.

Thanks for the tip!

Thanks! I got them rather tight. I'll loosen them and retorque!

Is there a torque spec for the shackle bolts?

I should give an update. I don't know if my bumper sits too far back, or if the Blazer light housings are fatter front to rear. I had to get creative. I went to Lowe's and looked around for the longest and I finally found something that would let me offset them forward a bit. It's a type of grounding mount for home wiring. It's aluminum, and I had to spray paint it and matching bolt black. The Blazer housing is plastic, and the swivel for aim adjustment is the bolt head riding in the curved plastic base. I could have mounted them and twisted the housing right off the bolt, or bolt them too tight and pull the bolt through the plastic... I cut up a small prescription medicine bottle that had about the same radius as the swivel base. I put a thin piece of rubber in there, too. And I added a washer. It's rather robust, but it's a PITA to truly adjust them. If I had it to do all over again, I'd kept the junkyard specials and reused their housing (with some elbow grease and TLC) and used the fresh innards of the Blazer lights. and the end result. :yes: Many thanks to jpdocdave and Hornbrod for some private messages and emailed help on the wiring.

Hornbrod, it was approximately 4-7/8" to the upper hole and 5-7/8" to the lower hole from the top hole. I haven't read any lift threads, since I have not wanted to lift it. I assumed the lift came from the springs and shackles. Is that true? Dave, the truck is almost too high for me now. I feel like I fall out of it. I don't want the front any higher. :( CW, thanks for the comment on the other shackle I can use.

Okay, so I am not the only one that thinks it sits a LITTLE bit high in the rear! I really like the MJ best with the 10 spokes as I call them. BUT, I think the 10-spokes look killer on my ZJ. (It seems to look less sporty and more sophisticated. :nuts: ) I wish I had two sets of the 10-spokes. I am leaving them as-is for now. I may decide to hunt down a set of 10-hole Eliminator wheels eventually. (I'm a wheel lady of the night, what can I say? :nuts: ) Here's a shot of all three to give a better view of the 10-spoked ZJ.

:rotf: Well, since you insist on me having my MJ my way... I tried, I really tried. :D I had the "bright" idea to take the shackles off. I bolted the spring to the frame. Before I went 5' in my driveway, I felt the rearend doing a high-frequency bounce that made me think I was in one of those low-riders that sits on the ground and shake as they go by. Oops. I drove two houses down really slow, and turned around! I reinstalled the shackles going with the upper hole. I couldn't tell any difference in that and the lower hole. So, that's where it is now. Here's a pic of the shackle. Is it what you think it is with this close-up? Thanks for the advice on the other shackles I can use!

Thanks for the compliments on the rake. :cheers: Water pools in the back even when it is parked at a slight angle in the front. I figure water is getting under the bedliner, so having it drain a little easier would be nice. I'll probably just take the bedliner out. I rarely tote anything back there. I also kinda wanted it to sit a little more level for personal taste. I thought I might like it leveled a bit. :hmm: It's not that important. ;)

Thanks for the quick reply. Given the shape of the setup, I had suspected the net drop might be less than the difference in the hole positions. Ahhh, shackles. I couldn't think of the word. They look pretty nice, so I imagine they're aftermarket. I think it's got a 2" lift on it. Here's how it sits now. I rotated the image to get the wheel centers as even as possible.

I thought I'd ask before I wrench... Is there any reason why I shouldn't swap the mounting of the leaf springs to a different hole in the mount? The rear sits higher than the front, and I hope to get it closer to even height F to R. As high as the truck sits, I imagine I can just leave the tire/axle alone, and put a jack under the rear bumper. Remove the bolt, ease the bumper/body down a hair, then put bolt back in the other hole. Is there a particular torque spec to use when tightening it back up? I know rear LCAs on cars have a torque spec.

Very interesting. You swapped over everything!

What is the difference in the taillights? That is not what I expected to read in a Renix to HO swap thread!

I've misplaced my owner's manual. What is the spec'ed fluid, and what fluid do you all recommend? Is the np231 the "Command Trac" case, or the Select Trac?" Is the fluid the same between them? When putting the plugs back in, should Loctite be used? Red or Blue? EDIT: I forgot I had opened more threads in my search. I see where ATF is what is recommended for the transfer cases. Any advice on the plugs is appreciated. Any specific torque spec to tighten them to with or without Loctite?

When you all say use Dexron, just grab the latest, IV or VI (can't recall what I saw last) or do they still sell older Dexron I/II grade? I assume my '87 has the AW4? What is the best fluid/filter change interval on these? Are "power flushes" recommended, or is it best to let the new fluid mix with the old in the converter? I know how with some really old/high mileage transmissions, a fluid change can flush out a lot of the friction material, and then the transmission start slipping. Are these prone to that?

Thanks for the advice Dave and CW. Foglights still come first! At least it'll look better when I sit and stare at it. :D

After SuperWade2's heater control valve thread, I may be bypassing a heater control valve and replacing some hoses before checking on the wooowooo noise! Maybe I should "engineer" some pipes into the heater core inlet/outlet hoses, so when it finally craps out, I can just turn a valve to bypass it. "What's that?" "It's my manual heater CORE control valve." :nuts: