Eagle

The measurement is to be taken from the center of the hub to the bottom of the flare lip. The accepted measurement for "stock height" on 4WD XJs and MJs is 17.5". When measuring ride height according to the factory service manual, they give a tolerance of +/- 1/2-inch. Your measurement puts you at the maximum for stock ride height, meaning that there has been zero sag, and you don't need to replace the coils. For street duty, OME shocks always get great reviews, but I don't even know if they make them for stock height vehicles (and I don't know if they have rear shocks to fit MJs). Bilstein is a good choice, according to many MJ owners. I've had good results with Monroes and with Gabriels, but you'll find other MJ owners who disagree. Do NOT waste your money on KYBs.

It doesn't appear that the front lift pads are placed where the lift points are located on the chassis. Small wonder it flexed a bit.

Why do you want a transfer case drop? You don't need it, and it doesn't do good things for the motor mounts.

What makes you think you might need coils? If your truck still has the flares on the front, measure the height from the center of the front hub/axle straight up to the bottom of the flare lip. Post that dimension, and tell us if you have a 2.5L or a 4.0L, 2WD or 4WD. Unless your front coils are badly sagged, I would just replace the shocks.

As I posted just above your question:

As I posted just above your question: Use the method in Hornbrod's link: http://comancheclub.com/topic/11098-how-to-measure-ride-hight/?hl=height I think the hub-to-flare measurement or a stock MJ is around 20-1/2 to 21, but I've never verified that.

I would not advise putting a Wilwood adjustable proportioning valve under the rear of the truck. I would put it up front, near the master cylinder, where it's accessible under the hood for adjusting it when needed.

"I love it when a plan comes together." . . . Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, The A-Team

Correction to your correction: He has a Dana 35C. The 'C' is for "customer," meaning that Dana shipped the axles to Jeep incomplete, for customer completion. It's a common misconception that the 'C' is related to the c-clip versions, but it's not.

Paradise is correct. Your NAPA guys don't know what they're doing. I don't know how they even connected an OBD-1 scanner to an '88 MJ, since there's no OBD port. Start with the basics -- to run, it ned fuel, air, and spark. We'll assume that it gets air -- but you should check the compression. Then check fuel -- but for testing purposes you can dribble a SMALL amount of gas directly into the throttle body, and that will make it fire IF you also have spark. The most complicated to trouble shoot is spark. But first figure out what you have and what you don't have, then post more info and we'll keep making guesses until somebody gets it right.

I'm going to have to call you out on this one. I grew up in the era of muscle cars and standard (non-power) steering. The shop manuals of the day (of which I still have a few) occasionally mentioned that positive caster contributes to tracking and return-to-center of the steering wheel. But the increased return to center meant increased steering effort, so caster was generally specified as less for manual steering than for power steering. Camber was to be zero. For example, here are the alignment specs from a 1966 American Motors factory shop manual: Caster: . . . . . w/o power steering = 0 to 1/2 degree positive . . . . . w/ power steering = 3/4 to 1-1/2 degree positive Camber = -1/4 to +1/4 degree, 0 preferred Toe-in = 1/16" to 3/16", 1/8" preferred These specs are typical of that day and age.

I don't think positive camber helps with self centering. I've never encountered any source that recommended positive camber, for any reason. Positive caster is what contributes to self centering of the steering.

I'm not sure about 1987 either. My MJ Pioneer is an '87. The speedometer and tachometer both have the old face design (with small ticks for every one MPH and a larger tick at fives and tens), which is why I suspect it may be the old style connector. But I haven't crawled under the dash to look at the back of the speedometer.

Remove the spark plugs, put the tranny in neutral, and see if you can turn the engine manually with a socket and breaker bar on the front of the crankshaft.

No leaks? The FSM calls for sealant ... but it doesn't say what type.

More details: The XJ and MJ instrument clusters are interchangeable, so you can use XJs for source material. All XJs and MJs used mechanical (cable) speedometers up through 1990. However, there was a change either at the end of the 1986 model year or mid-year 1987 from a speedo cable with a metal connector that screwed onto the back of the speedo head, to a newer style with a white nylon retaining lock that snaps onto the speedo head with no screws. At the same time they changed to the newer style speedo connector, they also changed to a tachometer with an adjustable potentiometer that can be used with either the 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engine. But -- if you get a 4-cyl tach and put it in a 6-cyl vehicle, it will NOT read correctly unless you adjust the potentiometer. I'm really not certain what was used in the 1987 vehicles so, to be completely safe, I would suggest that you limit your search to 1988 through 1990. If you find something from a 1987, before buying take a look to be sure the speedometer connection is the same as yours. The older style will also go into your truck, but you'll have to change the speedometer cable.

Questions: 1) Did he remove the interior trim around the windows? 2) Did he use adhesive/sealant in the grooves of the gaskets when reinstalling? 3) If so, what kind of adhesive/sealant? Butyl? Urethane?

Now you're on the right track. But there should already be a hose in your engine compartment for venting the front differential. It should come up on the driver's side, somewhere in the vicinity of the brake booster. It'll be black, with a white nylon thingie in the upper end.

I'm hoping to get Old Faithful (my original '88 XJ) back on the road for the winter. It doesn't have tinted glass, and awhile ago I was given a set of factory tinted rear quarter windows from an XJ Limited. Does anyone know what's involved in swapping those windows out? Are they glued in, or is it as simple as working the old gasket out of the opening and working the "new" one in?

Why not redrill and tap the hole where it's supposed to be? Is the shop talking about a one-way check valve? That won't work -- when the diff heats up it will force out air (and/or gear oil), but if air can't get back in through the vent it'll suck in through the axle seals. I'm thinking that's not a good thing.

What year(s) F150?

No fluid leaking out? Bleed it some more.

Comanche rear springs numbers: ----------------------------- Standard, code RB, 87-89 . . . 5200 2312 Standard, code RB, 1990 . . . .5200 6448 Standard, code RD, 87-89 . . . 5200 1240 Standard, code RD, 1990 . . . .5200 6444 Standard, code RE, 87-89 . . . 5200 2351 Standard, code RE, 1990 . . . .5200 6446 Standard, code RF, 87-89 . . . 5200 1824 Standard, code RF, 1990 . . . .5200 6445 Standard, code RG, 87-89 . . . 5200 2350 Standard, code RG, 1990 . . . .5200 6447 HD, 5-leaf, code SD, . . . . . 5200 3676 Part numbers aren't even close. Those are not Comanche springs.

An XJ should have all the same parts. Under the rear seat, driver's side. The XJ won't have the rubber strap, though.

Your link shows me front springs. Those would be for a CJ, or a YJ Wrangler, not for an MJ. In general, Crown makes good stuff (my Jeep dealer sells Crown parts and I've used a lot of them -- but no leaf springs), but their parts are vehicle specific. Most Crown parts actually use Jeep part numbers, so you should be able to select that way. However, JC Whitney probably won't show you the Crown/Jeep part number. I can't recommend Rusty's springs. Save your money. Are you looking for new, stock height springs, or for a lift? Correction: They do show the Jeep (Crown) part numbers.