Eagle

??? Did you replace the drive shaft u-joints, or the front axle u-joints?

As far as I know, the ratios for gears 1 thru 4 are identical. The only difference is that the 5-speed has 5 speeds. I would just swap the bellhousings and use the 4WD setup.

That's much too high. It should be 30, or maybe even 28. According to my '88 MJ factory service manual, the recommended tire pressure is 30 psi for sizes P205/75R15 through P225/75R15 ... and 33 psi for P195R15 The door jam on mine says to use 30 psi for P series 215/75/15s. I have done that for the past 150K with good luck , but with these 6ply rated tires, I am considering going up a bit on the pressure to allow me to take advange of the stiffer sidewalls.....not to the 52 psi they will take but up a little bit to about 35 or so. "P205/75R15 through P225/75R15" includes P215/75R15 -- it's right between 205 and 225. With a stiffer sidewall, you need LESS pressure to keep the tread patch flat on the ground. All you are going to do running higher pressure is to cause the center of your tread to wear down before the shoulders.

I had no issues (other than the steering wheel centering) when I installed the newer style track bar in my '88 XJ. I also put one in the '88 MJ after I tossed the Rusty's adjustable.

That's much too high. It should be 30, or maybe even 28. According to my '88 MJ factory service manual, the recommended tire pressure is 30 psi for sizes P205/75R15 through P225/75R15 ... and 33 psi for P195R15

No difference. There was a part number change somewhere around 1990 or 1991, though, and that made a difference. The old part number was superseded, so they only sell one, and both I and the parts guru at my dealership assumed (we all know how dangerous that can be) that the difference was that the frame end on the newer ones has a zerk -- the original track bar on my '88 didn't have a zerk. However, when I installed the new one, my steering wheel was suddenly about a quarter turn off center. Easy enough to adjust, and I don't see visual evidence that the axle is off center, but it DID move. But nowhere near 3/4 of an inch.

AutoZone or Advanced Auto will generally "rent" you tools like a ball joint press for nothing. You give them a security deposit, take the tool home and use it, and you get your money back when you return the tool.

I can't recommend Rusty's. I put one on my '88 MJ and the upper end (which fortunately is replaceable) only lasted a year. A friend from NAXJA had worse luck -- the threaded bung that the upper TRE screws into pulled out of the tube. Just like with Rough Country ... "don't even bother."

Clogged catalytic converter?

They do have to be pressed out. Everyone I know uses a vise and a socket.

How can the a/c work if the heater core has been removed?

It's either the starter or the alternator. I would take both to the nearest Auto Zone or Advanced Auto and have them bench tested. Unfortunately, it isn't uncommon for "new" (especially rebuilt) alternators to be dead-on-arrival.

Being an Eliminator with a sliding rear window, it might be worth a bit more than $500 -- depending on how well (or if) it runs. It sure isn't worth $1800.

Maybe it should be -- but it isn't. TJ coils produce 2 to 3 inches less lift in an XJ or MJ than they do in a TJ.

You need a transmission to make the 2WD to 4WD swap, too, unless you think it's easier to tear apart your transmission and change the output shaft and tail cone for a transfer case input shaft and rear tranny housing set up to mate with the transfer case. The AW4 has a separate TCU, so going from manual to automatic doesn't require RE-wiring anything in the truck. Just add the TCU wiring harness.

You need both. For vehicle carry, I picked up a mid-size tool set from Sears on sale that includes both SAE and metric sockets and combination wrenches. I leave my full toolbox stuff at home in the toolbox. Christmas will be coming soon -- Sears will have tool sets on sale.

I agree.

Depends on the year. I don't recall specifics but some years the 2WD used a "conventional" front wheel bearing setup with the studs in the rotor. Other years the 2WD used the same hub/bearing units as the 4WD, and the studs are in the hub.

The flappers are controlled by vacuum. You have a vacuum leak. First place to check is where the vacuum hose to the reservoir behind the front bumper passes by the battery.

What's wrong with just using the factory mounts?

The factory metric ton package had the same ride height as the standard springs. It aoppears from reports that aftermarket "metric ton" springs ride 1" to 2" higher than standard ... which suggests that they are not really duplicates of the factory springs. (Not saying they aren't good springs, just that they aren't a duplicate of the factory equipment.) I've never heard of any "metric ton" spring that generated 3 inches of lift. With up to 2" of lift you can generally get away with OEM shocks. At or beyond 3" you really should be looking at different shocks. Looking at Monroe data for MJ rear shocks, one model has a total travel of 8.625" and another has a total travel of 9.750". Round it to 9" f\or discussion. Under ideal conditions, the piston normally rides at mid-height, so you have 4-1/2" of compression travel and 4-1/2" of extension travel (droop). Lift the vehicle 3" and you have used up almost all the available extension. Not the end of the world, but ... not right.

Sorry. I KNOW this is incorrect, because I wheeled both my '88 XJ and '88 MJ all over paragon and on a number of trails in the Mohawk Trail region of Massachusetts, including several stream crossings and deep fords -- no harm to hubs. In fact, the '88 XJ is on the third hub on the driver's side at 287,000+ miles -- and still on the original on the passenger side.

A factory part number won't help, since the factory doesn't make them any longer. Crown uses factory part numbers for their parts. About ten years ago I installed a Crown flex plate in an '88 XJ and it worked fine. I have heard isolated reports that they are now clocked incorrectly, but I have no first-hand information on this.

6-inch

The early XJ/MJ front hubs had NOMINALLY serviceable bearings. I wrote "nominally" because service requires a hefty hydraulic press, and by the time you buy the two bearings and associated seals the cost is about the same as buying a complete hub/bearing unit. That said, what's wrong with the hub/bearing? They typically last between 100k and 150k miles.