Eagle

When you compressed the caliper pistons, did you open the bleeders to allow the fluid to escape as the pistons were pushed back into the bores? That fluid has to go somewhere -- if you didn't open a bleeder, I don't know what might have been damaged.

Time out. You say you changed the "pads," but everything else you mention (emergency brake, load sensing valve) is related to the rear brakes. Did you change the FRONT brake pads, or the REAR brake shoes?

Yes, the click is the relay. So your horn button works and activates the relay. The problem is somewhere between the relay and the horns.

If the gauge reads correctly when you manipulate the sender manually, I don't see an electrical problem. It sounds more like the float arm may be binding up or being obstructed when installed in the tank. When you had it out and were testing it manually, did the arm move freely?

I think the X was a mid-level model. Pure guess, I'd say the black was probably the original.

I think 10-gauge is plenty thick enough for the intended purpose, which is to reinforce the frame. If I understood the OP correctly, the problem he wants to address is the underside of the frame rails dragging over rocks. So he wants the stiffeners to act as sliders, and for that I think thicker is better.

And it's a good thing, or we'd have to set you out on a fence and use you for target practice.

Consider a True Trac in the front. Or do some research and see if the gerotor limited slip from a '99 or 2000 WJ Grand Cherokee will fit the older Dana 30 axles. Those were used with the QuadraDrive system. They work exactly the opposite of the XJ/MJ TracLok. The TracLok is a clutch-type limited slip. The clutches are engaged (locked) until the two rear wheels develop enough torque differential to allow the clutches to slip. The QuadraDrive works the opposite. The diff is UNlocked until the two wheels on that axle spin with enough speed (not torque) difference to engage a mechanical pump that applies pressure to the clutches, locking the front axle. I had a '99 WJ with QuadraDrive. It had a lot of other problems that caused me to dump it and go back to a Cherokee, but the QuadraDrive system was fantastic, and the front diff was totally transparent on pavement.

Great idea!

The fan circuit is tapped off before the starter relay, on the power input side. The starter relay didn't do anything. My guess is that you are correct in thinking that the aux fan has died and is pulling too much current. That happened on my wife's 2000 XJ. I have no idea why or how it could happen, but the fan was locked up solid.

Brilliant!

More than likely, it was in gear when you removed the shifter handle, and when you reinstalled the handle and then shifted gears it's now in two gears at the same time. You should be able to see the shift rails and move them manually, but to do so you'll probably have to jack the rear wheels off the ground to take all load off the gears and synchronizers, and you may need a helper to gently rotate one of the rear tires back and forth to facilitate shifting.

"Reset the ignition"? I have an '87, two '88s, an '88 XJ, and an '89 XJ. I haven't yet encountered anything in the ignition or starter circuit to "reset."

The original 1987 model was rated at 173 horsepower at 4,750 RPM and 220 foot-pounds of torque at 2,000 RPM. The horsepower rating for this version was raised to 177 horsepower at 4,750 RPM and 224 foot-pounds of torque at 2,400 RPM for model years 1988 through 1990. As ImpulseRocket89 noted, the factory says the redline is 5,000 RPM. With a torque peak at 2,400 RPM and max horsepower at 4,750, there is NO reason to ever push it beyond 4,750 RPM, and you'll probably get better performance shifting quite a bit lower than that.

I use the one that Harbor Freight always has on sale for $3.99.

Nope. The 23.5-gallon tank is too long. It won't fit.

Depending on what chart you look at, 10-gauge is either .1345" or .1406" thick. 3/16" is .1875" thick. Even compared to .1406, the 3/16" is 33 percent thicker. That's fairly significant.

Must be the "Oh, $#!&! He knows what it's really worth" discount. :)

You mean the temperature sensor in the head? That's not "burping" the system, that's for the initial fill. Every time you drive the truck for the next week, after it cools down check the coolant level in the plastic bottle. As air gets burped out of the system, the level will probably go down. The correct fill level is HALFWAY when cold. Don't fill it all the way or you'll blow up the plastic tank.

The 18 gallon tank is the tank for the short wheelbase. If you have a long wheelbase, you need the 23.5 gallon tank.

As already noted, the windshield glass is the same for all years of the XJ and MJ. Part numbers changed from the factory for different years, but we've pretty much determined that the difference is only in the amount and color of the tinting. There is NO WAY using the gasket should add $449 to the cost of installing the windshield. The gasket should probably be about $25 (that's a guess -- maybe $50?). It's probably less work than fighting all the stainless trim and clips, so there should be no additional labor cost. You're being robbed.

That's a butcher job. Looks like he wanted to add a supplemental ground. You're on your own. I doubt anyone can figure that out from pictures.

Tilt wheel?

A '98 XJ would have the AW4. The XJ is the small Cherokee. The '93 thru '98 Grand Cherokee was the ZJ.

True. You'll also spend a boatload of money that doesn't need to be spent.