Eagle

sweet, things for clearin that up guys, i was convinced i had a dana 35 c, so does that change the lockers posted above? Redwolf You DO have a Dana 35C. The 'C' does not indicate that it is a c-clip axle. (As explained above.) Most of the options for both limited-slips units, "lunchbox" lockers, and full-diff lockers are available for both the c-clip and non-c-clip versions of the Dana 35C axle. The lunchbox lockers are easier to install and don't require setting up the gears because you re-use the original differential housing, but they function as lockers, not limited slips. The handling/driving characteristics on the street are different, so if you don't understand the difference, do some homework before making a purchase.

The original Wrangler Radials such as what came on the early XJs and the MJs has been discontinued in 225/75R15 but it is still available in 235/75R15. Wal-Mart sells them for under $100 per tire. I just put a set on my XJ and I'm more than happy with them. I don't know what you've heard or read about Wranglers, but I'll keep buying them as long as Goodyear keeps making them.

It's attached to the transmission bracket on the crossmember.

Part #19 in the exploded diagram from the link yxmj gave you is the rubber "strap"

I believe the eliminator was only sold with the 4.0L I-6.

Which is too narrow, so it requires either aftermarket wheels or spacers, and it requires an adaptation for the u-joints. That's on top of welding on spring perches. And then you have to figure out how to rig a parking brake. It's a decent axle, but it's not exactly a bolt-in.

You can buy a Trac-Lok carrier assembly from any of the gear and axle places, such as Randy's Ring and Pinion, Dynatrack, etc. Installing a Trac-Lok will convert your open axle to a limited slip. Just so you understand -- this is a complete carrier replacement, which means you are replacing the "big chunk" inside your differential. You will be unstalling a new carrier, new bearings, and new shims. It will require resetting the ring gear to pinion clearance and backlash. If you don't know how to do gear setup, don't fool around -- pay a professional (who has the right tools and gauges) to do it. If you have to pay someone to do it for you -- it's cheaper to buy a junkyard axle if you can find one with the limited slip.

The factory offered a limited slip option with both the Dana 35 and the Dana 44 (and in the XJ with the Chrysler 8.25"). Jeep called it Trac-Lok. The units were made by Dana-Spicer and are readily available on the aftermarket. If you're buying new, the Dana Trac-Lok is the least expensive limited slip you can buy. It's also less aggressive than some others but, for street and moderate trail use, it's fine. I have Trac-Lok diffs in all my XJs and in the '87 MJ. The Trac-Lok uses clutches (as do most limited slips), which requires an additive for the gear lube. If you find a Trac-Lok axle in a junkyard, it might still function but there's a good chance the clutch packs may be worn out. (They don't last forever -- 125,000 miles is probably the maximum life expectancy). Rebuild kits are available. As with all MJ axle swaps, the easiest swap is going to be another Jeep axle because it'll have the same overall width. Unless it comes out of an MJ, though, you will have to weld on spring perches in the correct locations.

That'll do it. Glad you got it fixed.

Heck, it it's just a blown motor the XJ is a perfect source from a front clip update. The parts for that (two fenders, header, grille, lights, bumber, etc) would easily cost twice the asking price for the vehicle. The rest is just gravy. Fuse panel setup is totally different. 2000 XJ has one fure panel in the passenger side footwell kick plate, and another on the passenger side under the hood. The entire wiring harness is different. None of it can be used in an MJ unless you plan to swap in the entire updated harness.

No spark -- or no start? Have you removed a spark plug wire from the spark plug, and held it (carefully!) near a solid part of the engine while cranking to see if a spark jumps from the wire to the block? Have you removed the coil-to-distributor wire from the distributor, put a screwdriver into the terminal at the end of the wire, and then checked to see if there's a spark between the screwdriver and the distributor cap terminal? In other words ... HOW have you determined that there's no spark?

If it backfires, it has spark.

Cherokee 4-doors ... the front doors fit the Comanche, but a 2000 XJ will have the latches at a different height than your XJ and will require some modifications to the door posts. There are write-ups on this here on the forum. Wheels are the same bolt pattern, but if the XJ is a Classic it should have 16" wheels. The Sport and base models still had 15" wheels. Rear axle could be a Chrysler 8.25, or if the XJ has ABS the rear axle will be a Dana 35. Seats and console require adaptation for use in an MJ but can be made to work.

How much of a hurry are you in? Since I can't find a buyer, it looks like I'll be pulling the drive train out of an '86 XJ 2.5L. That's the same Renix throttle body that your '88 has. I can pull the wiring harness before I scrap the body -- but it's mid-January and snowing outside. I won't even start on it 'til Spring.

DO YOU HAVE SPARK? HAVE YOU CHECKED?

Looking at the photo on the beach, I think you need a bit of lift in the back, not in the front.

You can't -- they're hydraulic. Why do you "think" you're not getting spark? It's easy to check, so check. An internal (some would say "infernal") combustion engine only needs three things to run: Fuel, air, and spark. Take away one of the three and you have a problem. Spark is easy to check, so verify. Either you have spark -- or you don't. Did you remove the distributor from the block when doing the head gasket?

I believe it's a '74 304 CJ. IIRC. That sounds familiar.

Doesn't it need the pilot bearing from some obscure AMC-era CJ?

Ah, so. There are no u-pull junkyards in Connecticut. The state outlawed them a number of years ago. Junkyard prices for used radios range from $40 to $100, and there's no assurance a replacement (radio or display) would be an improvement. The one I have worked fine for a year, then it became progressively flaky. A replacement could last ten years -- or ten days. If I can "fix" it with a resistor and a soldering iron, I'll be happy.

Swapping the display requires unsoldering a bazillion tiny solder joints. The guy in the video obviously knows how to do that -- I can solder larger stuff, but I know I'm not good enough to do that. But ... The video shows that the display itself wasn't the problem, it was one of the chips that drive the display. So if I replicate his jumper experiment and my display light up, then I should be able to "fix" mine the same way he did, just by soldering in a jumper through a resistor. That I can handle. Dave, I have two Kenwoods new-in-box that I could use. I prefer the factory look, and the factory radio does everything I want. If anybody made a reasonably-priced 1-1/2-DIN replacement I might be tempted, but there were never a lot of those and they now seem to have disappeared from the marketplace. To go aftermarket in a 2001 XJ you have to use a single-DIN head with a 1-1/2-DIN adapter bezel, and I think that looks stupid.

One of my high school classmates does plowing for hire. I don't think he does large, commercial lots but I saw him just last week and asked him if he's still doing it. He is. He has about fifty residential customers. He used to use an old full-size Bronco, but around 2002 or 2003 he replaced [what was left of] the Broco with a 2001 Cherokee. He said he still has the Cherokee and it has been better for his needs than the Bronco because it's more maneuverable.

Did you see the electronics gear he had on that bench? WOW! Impressive. Must be nice to know what you're doing. There's no way I could possibly undertake to go through what he went through. But the video did answer the question of whether or not I could splice in a display from a different radio ... unfortunately, the answer seems to be "No." So much for Plan A. But I think I can handle his Plan B -- just jumper directly from the 12-volt input through a new resistor and power the display directly. If I can source a resistor with those specs from Radio Shack I may give it a try. As he said, I could just toss in an aftermarket radio (and I already have a couple I could use), but I'd rather keep it looking factory if possible. Thanks for finding that video.

I need help. As some of you may have picked up from other posts, a year and a half ago I picked up a 2001 Cherokee. I admit -- I was seduced by the fact that it's a near twin for my 2000 Cherokee, it appeared to be in decent shape, and it was (for a ten-year old XJ) relatively low mileage (83,xxx at the time). I paid too much for it, and I've been paying ever since. The current problem is the radio. It has the factory AM/FM/CD/Cassette head, and the display illumination is getting progressively flaky. Not the backlighting for the controls -- just the dial. It'll work for awhile, then get dim, then go out -- and a couple of hours or a couple of days later it'll be back ... for awhile. Recently, the no-display intervals have been getting longer and the visible intervals have been getting shorter. When the display goes out, the radio still works and the CD still works. I suspect it's something about the power connection to the LED or LCD display that's flaky but I have no idea how to go about troubleshooting it. Can anyone provide guidance?

Ignore my previous ideas -- I overlooked the no power to starter factor. Ignition switch?