Eagle

But the XJ proportioning valve is well-known to gradually seize up and leave you with NO rear brakes. That's why a lot of XJers remove the O-ring and spring -- which is just making the proprtioning valve into something that works just like the MJ distributiuon block already works. It makes much more sense (IMHO) to keep the MJ front distribution block. If you find that the rear brakes often lock up prematurely (this has not been a problem for me), you can add a Wilwood adjustable proportioning valve to control that.

But WHICH Monroe shocks did you buy? It isn't fair to compare Monroes cheapest shock with another company's premium, performance shock. FWIW, it was exactly the type of driving you describe that I found the KYBs to be so horrible for -- especially the rears. They were fine over big dips, but over small cracks and ripples in the pavement they were unable to keep up, and the tail end (of a Cherokee, which is heavier than an empty MJ) was getting bounced all over the road. Personally, for your application I'd suggest the Monroe (or Rancho) Reflex shocks, but if you're dead set against Monroe, don't buy 'em on my say-so.

You have an all-electric gauge cluster in an '88 MJ? Was the entire '94 wiring harness swapped in? If not, you have a problem because the '88 originally had a mechanical speedometer with a conventional speedo cable.

I don't think you need a high-altitude CPS in Monteray, CA. But, irrespective, the CPS doesn't control the ignition timing. It sends a signal to the ECU which, in turn, compares the crankshaft position to several other inputs to determine when to fire the plug. Either CPS gives you as much advance as the engine can handle short of getting ping. When the knock sensor detects ping, it retards the timing enough to stop it before you grenade a piston. The high-altitude CPS is offset a couple of degrees so that UNDER LIGHT LOADS you get a couple of degrees more advance, and maybe better gas mileage if you're near sea level. Once you mash the throttle under load, the knock sensor is what's going to limit your timing advance, so I don't think replacing the CPS is likely to fix whatever problem you are experiencing.

Absolutely YES. I would not mix types, brands, or series between front and rear. Shocks do NOT help you carry load. Springs carry weight -- shock absorbers control suspension bounce. If you have a tight budget, go with the Monroe-Matic line (but see if you can find truck shocks with the right dimensions -- they'll have a bigger piston).

Funny. I had KYBs on my Cherokee for about a week -- took 'em off, replaced with Monroe and have never regretted it. You do realize that Monroe and Rancho are the same company (Tenneco), right? If you don't like Monroes (which series?), I doubt you'll like Rancho 5000. They ride pretty harsh. Maybe the 8000 (if they still offer that series)?

Keep in mind the OP does not have a stock height truck. Stock shocks are too short. What you need to do is measure the eye-to-eye distance when the truck is parked on level ground. That's going to be your mid-travel length. If you look at that Monroe link I provided, they give the compressed length and the extended length for each shock. Average the two and that's the mid-travel length for that shock. You want to find a stock number with upper and lower eyes for mounts that has a mid-travel length as close to your truck as you can find. Once you know that, you can pick a Monroe shock if that will work for you, or go to a cross-reference table and find out what vehicle that shock fits. Then look up that vehicle in other shock brands. The SensaTrac is an okay shock, but remember that it uses bypass grooves in the center portion of the shock bore to soften the ride over small bumps. Unless you really get pretty close to a perfect fit, they don't work as intended. And for the rear of a pickup, adding a load may take the shock out of the central zone. For Monroe, I'd go either one line cheaper, or step up to the Reflex series.

"Ah so," said the man who only owns 5-speeds.

Check an Advanced Auto (if you have them in your part of the world) and see what Monroe shocks they have on sale. The Monroe web site has (or used to have) the full catalog online, and in the beck there's a listing of shocks by length and upper and lower mount type, so you can figure out what length you need then look up what shock(s) will fit by part number. http://www.monroe.com/assets/downloads/ ... hSheet.pdf

The NSS is not really part of the transmission. It has nothing to do with making the vehicle run or move. It's the equivalent of the idiot safety switch on the late-model 5-speed XJs that won't let you start the engine unless the clutch pedal is ALL the way to the floor. Until we got my wife's 2000 XJ Classic, I don't think I ever drove an automatic that had a NSS. It's just more nanny state interference. I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to do that "hack" and call it permanent -- except for the "gotcha" about losing the backup lights. I wouldn't mind wiring those to a manual toggle switch on the dashboard, but that's not an option in states that have mandatory safety inspections.

OK not form an XJ. I need to learn to read better... Junior (87 MJ) was a column shift at first. I may still have that cluster in the trailer, and will look for it today after work. He is not looking for a cluster. He is looking for the cable that connects to it.

Unfortunately, most XJs had floor shifters. Finding an XJ with a column shift means finding a fleet vehicle, and those are rare. Someone (Hornbrod, perhaps) some time ago posted a link to an aftermarket PRNDL that mounts right on the steering column. That might be the only solution.

Borrowed from another forum for your viewing ... pleasure?

Yep. If the engine can't get up to an operating temperature of at least 165 to 170 degrees, the ECU will never switch out of "open loop" (or warm-up) mode. That means you will ALWAYS be running based on a hard-coded, overly-rich fuel mixture. Your fuel economy will suck, and you may end up fouling the catalytic converter due to excess unburned hydrocarbons.

Eight, not seven. The MJ never had a 7-slot grille.

When I had a clunk in my '87, it was usually when making a low-speed, sharp turn. It would not reproduce when doing all the standing tests on TREs, etc. I could hear it, but it didn't resonate through the steering wheel. It felt like it was under my foot. Which it was. Replaced the driver's side LCA ==> no more clunk.

My apologies. I don't have PayPal, either, and I won't sign up for it due to their political position on certain things I consider important. If someone won't accept a postal money order, I don't need to deal with them.

Time out. Back on April 5, didn't you agree to buy the box from another member? What happened to that, did you stiff him after agreeing to buy it after he cut his price in HALF for you?

:agree: Waste of time and money.

245s are a 30.5" tire http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_li ... Tires.html 265s are a 31.6" http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_li ... Tires.html Not to quote, just general info the thread :thumbsup: Yes, and if you look at actual tire dimensions, most 30" tires are really 29.5" most 31" tires are really around 30.5, and most 32" tires are really around 31.5".

If you have a good block, with no core shift issues, you can get to 4.6L and probably 4.7L. Going beyond that requires sleeving the block. Dang! I worked on this so long ago that my spreadsheet is (was) in Quattro Pro ... and I no longer have anything that'll open a Quattro Pro spreadsheet. IIRC, the rule of thumb is that using the 4.2L crank, a .030 overbore gets you 4.5L, .060 over gets you 4.6L, and .090 over gets you 4.7L. Anything beyond .090 over gets you into deep pockets territory.

No. But the best way is the way I described -- by feel, not by eye. You should feel ZERO flex.

What y'all are forgetting is that lift provides VERTICAL clearance. unless you have a LOT of lift, you still have to consider exactly what's happening here -- the shoulder of the tire hitting the corners of the flares when turning. And, of course, lift doesn't help at all with regard to rubbing on the lower control arms. A 265/75-16 is the equivalent of a 32" tire. That's fairly large for daily driver duty. Personally, I'd sell them and go back to 245s.

Mine are all Renix, not HO, but the issues remain the same. The stroker is created by using the crank from the older 4.2L engine. Due to minor differences in deck height and wrist pin height between the two engines, there's an issue of higher compression to be dealt with. After a LOT of research (because the idea of a stroker and the resultant torque sings a siren song in my head), I finally gave up. I can't afford a HESCO, and there are too many issues involved for me to attempt doing it on my own. That's not because I'm afraid to build an engine -- I've done two for my old autocross/hillclimb cars. It's just that you can't simply buy parts and assemble them without creating problems. And the notion of trying to solve a high compression problem by decking the block (thus INCREASING compression still more) to optimize "quench" is just too much for my little brain to deal with. Start saving your lunch money.

I would go with 30x9.50 for tires, on factory 7" rims, and either no lift or at most a 2" budget boost.