Eagle

Looks to me like the SSBC unit and the more expensive Wilwood unit are intended to completely replace a stock proportioning valve or distribution block. That suggests to me that the pressure switch isn't for the brake lights, but for the brake system warning light on the dashboard. I don't see any reason to spend the extra money for either of these when it's far simpler to retain the stock distributiuon block, plug the by-pass outlet for the rear, and install the less expensive Wilwood unit in the single line that goes to the rear.

You're looking at the expensive Wilwood valve, the one for disc brake systems. The one for converting MJs is this one: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wil-260-8419/overview/

I'm not familiar with the SSBC unit. A good friend runs the Wilwood and has been happy with it for many years. I believe the unit sold by Chrysler in the Mopar Performance Catalog is the Wilwood.

I'd say the speedo cable needs to be lubricated.

I think you're making a HUGE mistake. A camper will move the center of gravity a lot higher than it is. A lift will just make that even worse. IMHO what you really should be looking for is a set of metric ton springs -- something to add load capacity withOUT raisng the center of gravity.

Springs cannot push the axle either way, sideways. Lateral location is done by the track bar. The stock track bar centers the axle for the stock spring height. Lift the truck --> get an adjustable track bar.

Double flare. Bubble flares weren't being used by American cars at the time the MJs were being built.

Correct me if i'm wrong, But the res tank is never sealed? So having a leak in that wouldnt affect the water pressure? Sounds more like a radiator cap to me. Since you asked -- you're wrong. The Renix-era 4.0L XJs and MJs used what we call a "closed" cooling system. That plastic bottle at the firewall is not an overflow recovery bottle -- it's a surge tank that is part of the pressurized cooling system. The cap is a pressure cap. As has been noted above, if the bottle (tank) is split and can't hold pressure, then your cooling system has no pressure and will boil the coolant. As coolant gets hotter, it expands. That bottle is not supposed to be full. When the system is cold, the bottle should be filled to the halfway level -- there's a post inside with a notch in it, and you fill to the notch -- no higher.

I'd be game to try some 3" XJ AALs but I'm having a hard time finding them, as I don't want a full kit, just the leafs. Anyone seen these anywhere? I've seen a few that don't state a lift amount or application..... Has anyone here tried bastard packs? Thanks for all the good info guys... this is making more sense now! Try the Rancho 2-1/2" AAL kit. It should give you about an inch and a half.

Maybe I have only seen worn out XJ leaf packs, and non worn out MJ leaf packs, but every XJ leaf pack I have seen not under a vehicle (9 packs from 5 different vehicles, ranging in age from 1990 through 1999) had considerately less free arch than every MJ leaf pack I have seen, including 2 wd ones (10 packs out of 5 vehicles ranging from 1987 through 1990). That's exactly correct. Now go back and read what I wrote. If you take an XJ main leaf, out of the vehicle and out of the pack, and hold it up against an MJ leaf pack IN the pack and IN the vehicle sitting on its wheels with the box empty -- the XJ leaf will just about match the arch of the MJ spring. Since that's the case, it is impossible for an XJ leaf to lower an MJ -- which is what someone else said would happen. Stick the XJ leaf in there, and sitting there with an empty box it won't be doing much of anything -- just taking up space. But ... as you start to add load to the bed, now you have an additional leaf to help carry the extra weight.

I thought CJ leaves were only 2 inches wide ... (Not a CJ guy, obviously.)

^^^ What he said. No "procedure" or "sequence" involved. In fact, the torque isn't really all that critical, but the Jeep FSM has a torque for everything.

Everything will work EXCEPT that the '89 speedometer cable attaches using a plastic clip, where the '86 speedo cable attaches with a metal clip and retaining screw. If you can get the speedo cable that goes with the '89 cluster you should be good to go. Remember that you'll have to swap the oil pressure sender and the coolant temperature sender in the back of the head.

MJ springs are longer than XJ springs, but the more important difference is that XJs come from the factory as spring-over-axle (SOA), whereas MJs are spring-under-axle (SUA). The MJ springs have considerably more native arch built in, so an AAL that produces 'X' amount of lift in an XJ produces less lift in an MJ. For example, the Rancho catalog lists the same AAL for both the XJ and MJ. It says in the catalog that it produces 2-1/2" of lift. I called Rancho and spoke with their engineering department. They acknowledged that the results are not the same for the XJ and MJ, but the marketing department didn't think anyone would be lifting an MJ so they ignored MJs. The correct spec is 2-1/2" for an XJ but 1-1/2" for an MJ. As for using an XJ main leaf in an MJ, there is simply no way it can lower the vehicle unless you install it upside down (arched against the rest of the pack). In fact, the native arch of an XJ main leaf is about the same as the arch in an MJ pack in the vehicle, sitting with an empty bed. That means adding the XJ leaf would not lower the vehicle, but probably would not lift it very much, if at all. It would, however, add load capacity. In fact, I have a couple of XJ packs that I hope to use for making a home-brew pair of MJ "metric ton" spring packs. My goal is added capacity, decent ride, and no lift.

Actually, you're right. Extension is still extension. My bad. However, there is still the issue that the valves may not work properly (or at all) if/when inverted.

What you have just described doesn't say anything about a "ratio." Up is up, down is down. What "ratio"? Do you understand that shocks have internal valves to control the fluid flow and velocity? That's what allows the shocks to do their job -- they restrict the flow of the hydraulic fluid, which restricts the movement of the suspension. Valving can be set to 50/50, which offers equal resistance to compression and extension, or it can be set to other ratios such as 60/40 or even (as in the drag race shocks) 90/10. Take a 90/10 shock and mount it upside down, and now you have a 10/90 shock. Instead of allowing a lot of extension but little compression, it will now resist uplift, but if the front gets extended it will offer almost no resistance to compression. And that still doesn't address the fact that some valves may be designed to operate in one orientation only, and won't operate properly when installed upside-down.

I don't think the top of that post is the mark. Isn't there a notch, or a cut-away portion, below that? THAT's the mark. (I don't remember -- I've been running a Moroso surge tank in place of the plastic bottle for fifteen years.) Do NOT run it without a thermostat. The thermostat is there for a reason, which is to keep the temperature UP to the proper operating range. If the system can't keep it from overheating beyond that range, removing the thermostat is not the answer.

First things first: We just did this a few days ago. At least you know that you have a closed system, and that the plastic bottle on the firewall is pressurized, right? And that plastic cap on that plastic bottle is your pressure cap. If you still have your original plastic bottle and cap, it is now about 25 years old. Plastic gets brittle and changes size as it gets old. It's very possible that your bottle isn't capable of maintaining pressure any more. If that's the only problem, then a replacement bottle will cure it. Second point -- how full are you filling that bottle? It should NOT be "filled." If you look down inside, you'll see a post sticking up. That's the fill mark. It should be HALF-full when cold. There is no overflow, so the coolant needs a place to expand. The upper half of the plastic tank is the expansion space. Lastly, if you still have the original radiator, consider it beyond dead. It may not be leaking but I'll bet it's almost completely clogged. 25 years is a LONG time for a radiator. I bought my '88 Cherokee new, and it's now on its third (second replacement) radiator.

Back in my pony car days, when I graduated from autocross to road tracks and hillclimbs I decided it would be a good idea to have a kill switch next to the shifter handle. I wasn't sponsored and I didn't have a lot of money, so I went to Radio Shack and bought a small-ish "project box" and a push-pull switch. Out was ON, and in was OFF. I mounted the box to the tranny tunnel and drilled a hole in the top for the switch. That part was great -- up was on, so to kill all power all I had to do was drop my hand from the shift knob to the switch, and it was OFF. Except ... that it didn't work. I don't recall how I wired it the first try, but what happened was that, when I hit the kill switch, instead of killing the engine it kept right on running ... and the lights got brighter. Whatever I had done, what I had accomplished was apparently to just remove the battery from the system so the alternator was running everything directly. It took me awhile to figure out how to get around that, but I did find a way. Wish I could remember, because it might help you here.

The shocks operate with gas, not fluid? What kind of shocks do you have? I don't think you understand what the term "gas shocks" means. Generally, all it means is that, instead of the non-fluid part of the interior of the shock being at atmospheric pressure, there is a chamber that is filled with a LOW pressure charge of inert gas, usually nitrogen. The gas doesn't do anything as far as absorbing shock. All it does is reduce the tendency of the hydraulic fluid to foam when it gets hot and works hard by raising the ambient pressure to which the fluid is exposed. It's like taking a new bottle of cola and shaking it. As long as you don't open the cap, whatever pressure is in the bottle doesn't allow the carbonation gas to foam out. Open the cap, and you get LOTS of foam. We don't want foam in our shock absorbers. The fluid in a shock absorber absorbs shocks by being forced through orifices and valves inside the shock. Not all shocks are designed and valved to resist movement equally in both directions. An extreme example is the 90/10 shocks used in the front of drag race cars. They allow lots of uplift, to help transfer weight to the rear wheels off the line, and they resist compression to help KEEP that weight on the rear wheels. Consider what would happen if they were mounted upside down. Also consider that the valves in the shocks are designed to function when the shock is installed in the orientation the designer expects it to be installed. If you invert the shock, the valving may or may not (probably not) function as designed.

Anti-seize will do it. Fiberglass doesn't rust, but it sure holds enough moisture to help the screws rust.

Probably not, but check with Nick or RE to be sure. How is Nick? I haven't touched base with him for probably ten years or more.

There are a VERY few that can be mounted either way, but not many. Usually the rod should go up, unless the instructions specifically say otherwise.

That's normal in hot weather.

Really? JB Weld is conductive? I never knew that.