Eagle

Replace

I see a LOT of XJs being towed behind mobile homes. IIRC, The early XJs didn't have a true neutral on the transfer case, but somewhere in the 90s they fixed that. Don't remember when. By "true neutral," what I mean is that (again, IIRC), putting the transfer case in neutral on the early ones disconnected it from the engine and transmission, but left the front and rear driveshafts locked together. That, of course, is not what you want when flat towing.

I put a 12.7:1 box in the 2001 XJ (which I have since sold). The only time I was aware of the difference from the original 14:1 box was in full-lock turns at low speed, such as when parking. It has about a quarter revolution less turn of the steering wheel to full lock. I didn't feel any difference when on the road. When I hit the lottery, I'm going to go for a 10:1 box.

Why?

Did you replace the flex hose when you replaced the slave cylinder? If not, replace that and report back.

Looks like a good deal at $2,000. Straight, has the full gauge cluster and the sport steering wheel. If I didn't already have three I'd be all over that at 2 grand.

As you have discovered, that approach won't work. You're going to have to open up both transmissions to make a "good" 4WD box that will mate to the transfer case.

Dealer choice what (if anything) they provided. The factory didn't provide anything.

12.7:1 for the Grand Cherokee box. It's considered an upgrade for street driving on stock tires because it gives you slightly quicker, more responsive steering. It isn't an upgrade in strength, only in driveability. Using a quick-ratio box with larger tires puts more stress on the internal parts of the steering box and is not recommended for off-road use. In fact, in the early years of the XJ the optional off-road suspension came with a slower ration steering box. (18:1 is what I remember, but I'm not sure of that.)

I don't see any way the original control arms could push a different XJ/MJ/TJ axle 1 to 2 inches farther forward than the old axle. Something is very wrong. How many shims are in the lower control arm frame pockets?

What did you use for control arms? Stock height or lifted?

12.7:1 ratio is faster than stock for the XJ/MJ, which use a 14:1 ratio. 12.7 is an improvement for street driving on standard-ish size tires, but for oversized, off-road tires the 14:1 is a better choice and is available from other vendors.

No hate, just people who have seen enough accidents to want to help other people avoid them. You wrote what you wrote, we read what you wrote and we responded. If what you wrote isn't what you meant, that's on you, not the readers. In my 74 years on this planet, I've been in two serious accidents, a few fender benders, and several near misses. At the age of fourteen there was a question if I would ever be able to live a normal life due to an accident (I was a passenger). I know -- first-hand and all too well -- how quickly something unexpected can happen. If it hasn't happened to you -- yet -- you are fortunate. Thank God for that. But that doesn't mean you're safe on the street without the sway bar, not even temporarily or for short distances. I'm off my soapbox. You're an adult. Make your own decision.

Your technical understanding and description are 100 percent correct. The problem with Ralph Nader and his book Unsafe at Any Speed is that the book didn't come out until well after Chevrolet had switched to a double-jointed rear axle, thereby eliminating the problem. To the best of my knowledge, Ralphie has never acknowledged that Chevy fixed the problem before he made a lifetime career out of bashing the Corvair.

The guy on NAXJA didn't have any issues, either -- until he landed on his roof.

Also, try to route the cable without any kinks or tight curves. Tight curves create points where the cable can bind up, and that results in the needle jumping.

Easier to fix than an oil pump ...

A sway bar (actually, it's an ANTI-sway bar) reduces body roll when cornering. As a general rule, whichever end of the vehicle you add roll resistance to tends to push out on cornering. Thus, if you increase the diameter of the front bar, expect a slight increase in understeer ... which you will experience only if you are at the limits of traction. Adding a rear bar, such as Hornbrod has done, counteracts the front understeer to give you more balanced cornering. Go too stiff on the rear bar and you get oversteer (the rear tends to break loose in cornering before the front). Personally, I prefer a suspension that provides slight oversteer at maximum cornering Gs. I also prefer a vehicle that stays as flat as possible, so I'm all in favor of the 28mm bar, and then perhaps a rear bar as a supplement. For off-road, you need the ability to disconnect the anti-sway bar(s), because they limit suspension travel in off-camber situations.

So substitute "neighbor's child" for "neighbor's dog." Are you going to speed up, or swerve? That sway bar was put on the vehicle for a reason, and when you lift the vehicle it becomes more important, not less. Get some longer links.

The YJ transmission doesn't "clock" at all, and neither does the XJ/MJ transmission. The transfer case in the YJ aligns ("clocks") differently relative to the transmission than the XJ/MJ version. Also, the YJ transfer case shifter is totally different from the XJ/MJ linkage, and that's why the doofus who had my truck hacked the floor. He kept the YJ shifters ... both the transmission shifter and the transfer case shifter.

Unfortunately, yes.

Same console, same console inserts. Is it possible that that transmission and/or transfer case in your vehicle didn't come out of an XJ or MJ? The tranny and transfer case in my '88 4.0L came out of a YJ, which is why the previous owner butchered the floor.

Those things cost money and the factory wouldn't put them on as standard equipment if they didn't think they NEEDED them. Me&my86MJ, you have been lucky. Back in the early days of NAXJA, one of the most active members totalled his XJ. He was driving on the street with no sway bars. He was in his own, residential neighborhood, a block from home, driving (according to him) less than 30 MPH. He had to swerve sharply to avoid hitting a neighbor's dog. The next thing he knew, he was on his roof in a ditch.