Eagle

Bingo. I can't tell if you are finally agreeing with me, or trying to be sarcastic. The original question was: The simple answer is that the manual tranny steering column already has a lock and there is no NEED to change it when converting to an automatic. Sure, if he wants to interlock the PARK function to the steering column lock he'll have to change the steering column ... but that's a lot of work that is not necessary. I don't understand why you seem to have a problem with my pointing this out.

His steering column, being in a 5-speed truck, already has a steering column lock that is fully functional. Unless he wants to have it interlocked with the PARK position on an XJ floor shifter, there is no need to do anything with or to his steering column. It's really a matter of his personal preference, not mine. He does not need to touch the steering column to do his conversion ... unless he prefers to have the steering interlocked to the automatic shifter.

You definitely need a second opinion. The timing is not adjustable, and there's nothing inside the distributor that would affect it anyway. And since the distributor cap does not attach to the engine, I can't understand how the cap could be "seized" to the engine. The vibration you describe sounds like a u-joint vibe. It might not be a bad u-joint. Is the axle original? If an XJ axle was swapped in, the u-joint angle could be wrong and that could create a vibration.

Very observant. That's your problem.

How long is he grounded for?

:agree: 'Zactly that

I can't imagine anyone wanting the column shifter. I certainly don't intend to use one when I convert a 5-speed to automatic for my wife to drive. I don't need (or want) to be forced to turn the key before being "allowed" to shift out of PARK. I also have no use for clutch interlocks that won't allow me to use the starter unless the clutch is depressed. As far as removing the key, the 5-speeds have the manual lock that doesn't allow the key to be removed unless you hold down the little handle thingie. Since I always park a 5-speed in 1st gear before removing the key, putting an automatic in PARK is no different than putting a 5-speed in 1st. Again ... no need for the stupid cable. One less thing to swap (actually, several less things to swap), and one less thing to break.

Does the 2.5L have replaceable guides? Or do you mean "seals"?

There is no sensor, not in the steering wheel (which is what the post said needs to be changed) or in the steering column. The manual transmission vehicles have a manually operated key and wheel lock built into the steering column. There is no reason whatsoever that can't be used with an automatic.

Why a new steering wheel? There is no difference between a manual transmission steering wheel and one for an automatic.

Abuse. I have an '88 Cherokee with 287,000 miles and an '86 Cherokee with 209,000 miles ... neither is broken at the headlight switch mount.

Bent float arm.

I'm afraid I remain skeptical. I saw at least three different pages on their web site where they explained in excruciating detail that the IRS can take up to 27 months to approve status as a non-for-profit. They have been in exisyence for just over a year. This tells me that they have not yet received IRS approval as a non-for-profit. Yet they say all donations are tax deductible. If they have not yet been approved by the IRS as a not-for-profit, I don't think that statement is correct. Having been on the board of directors for several non-for-profits, and having been involved in the creation of one, it is my understanding that donations to an organization are NOT tax deductible until the IRS issues a determination that the organization is a not-for-profit.

I envy you. I always wanted to drive to Alaska. Take photos. Post blogs.

Sorry, Jake -- I guess I'm just too old and I've been burned too many times. What does it mean they'll donate the funds to the California 200 tragedy? Do they even know who the victims are and how to send money to them? How do they decide which victims need the most help? More importantly (to me) ... how do we know their idea of giving "to the tragedy" doesn't mean helping the driver rebuild his truck (not that I in any way blame him, but this wouldn't help the victims), or perhaps go into the organizers' legal defense fund? And I DO blame the organizers. Completely. Since posting earlier this evening I have learned that they paid a lease fee to the BLM for the use of the course. Among the terms: 1. No more than 350 spectators. In fact, they had well over a thousand. 2. Spectators to be kept at least 100 feet away from the course. We see what a swell job they did of that. The organizers (to use a well-worn military expression) screwed the pooch. They don't deserve any help or sympathy. Thanks to their negligence, 8 people are dead and a dozen more seriously injured. Sorry. I believe you mean well by posting that link, but I just don't get any warm and fuzzy feelings that my donation would ever get where it should go.

As the resident tell-it-like-it-is olde pharte, I guess I have to ask this: The mission statement of this Fast-Aid group says The people who were injured and killed at this race were spectators, not drivers, media or pit crew. How does a contribution to this organization help the people who were MOST affected by this?

True. The fences at NASCAR tracks today are both higher and a lot stronger than they were even a few years ago. They still probably aren't 100 percent accident proof ... but they are trying. Many years ago, my brother and I crewed on a modified stock car that ran at a quarter mile oval. They had guard rail around the entire track on the outside, and a chain link fence that was ten or twelve feet high. One night our guy was on the outside approaching turn one and the guy on the inside decided to go straight rather than turn left. Our guy's right front wheel hit the guardrail at just the right angle that it climbed the rail, flipped the car in a barrel roll, and sent him flying OVER the fence into the pit area. He landed on his roof in the back pit area, where (thankfully) there wasn't anybody standing because they were all up by the fence watching the race. He wasn't injured, and the car miraculously survived. It took about three weeks to bang out the sheetmetal and check out the engine, and he was back to racing. (However, the frame apparently got tweaked a little, because forever after the incident that chassis always had handling problems.) So the guardrail and fence weren't enough ... but they were something. It was a freak accident. Allowing crowds of people to stand basically IN a course where vehicles will be traveling at 100 MPH is not just imprudent ... its absolutely idiotic.

I was going to post about this, but you beat me to it. However, this is NOT a story about the dangers of off-roading, or even the dangers of off-road racing. The driver and navigator walked away from the crash. It was idiot spectators who were killed and injured. Watch the video. This was a flippin' RACE, on a course where the trucks get up to 100 MPH. And spectators were standing right next to the road/course. RIGHT next to it -- as in less than ten feet away, on both sides. Supposedly the organizers "advised" spectators to stay at least 100 feet away from the course, but human nature insists on pushing the limits, so people ignored the advice and stood practically on the course. Under conditions like that, it is hardly a surprise that something happened. Racing is racing -- when competitors are going flat out, sooner or later someone goes 102 percent and crashes. I was lucky in my racing and hillclimb days. I had any number of spinouts and "off course excursions," but no crashes. My brother and another friend in our club both succeeded in demolishing their cars at hillclimbs in Vermont. Rocks and trees are not very forgiving ... they hit back. I am very sorry that people were killed and injured but I have to say that the person I feel most sorry for is the driver. He had to flee the scene because people (the same people who ignored the safety advice) were throwing stones at him after he crawled out of the wreck. This was NOT his fault. The fault lies with the race organizers, who didn't make any provisions for maintaining a safe course, and the victims themselves. If you stand in front of a loaded gun when someone has his finger on the trigger, it should not be a surprise if you get shot. Follow-up ... Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/us/201 ... t/#slide=1

Or you could substitute something like DynaMat, which is excellent for sound control.

What happens when people CAN'T figure out your really badly misspelled words? Perhaps more importantly for YOU, when you go on the Internet looking for information ... what happens when people don't feel like trying to translate what you threw up on the screen, so instead of answering you they move on to the next question?

You may be referring to the ventilating fan motor.

I have no experience with the '96 vintage computers but, if you're not getting ANY codes, I would strongly suspect that the computer is toast. Why are you playing with the key, BTW? A '96 XJ is OBD-II == why not get a scanner and get a REAL read of the codes (or confirmation that it's dead)?

Reality check -- if you are driving in their state, you DO go by their rules. You may not like it, but that's the law. Your home state license and registration allow you to use their roads, but when doing so you are subject to their laws and regulations.

The problem you face is that the OEM Jeep rims have a 5-1/4" backspace. There are NO aftermarket rims with that much backspace. About the best you can find is a 4-1/2" ... that immediately sets the tires 3/4" farther outboard. Then you go from a 15x7 to a 15x8, so you add yet another inch. On OEM 15x7 rims, you can run 31x10.50s with no rubbing on the flares, and the tires will "stuff" inside the flares when the suspension compresses. Set the tires 1-3/4" farther outboard, and then the tires hit the corners of the flares when you turn, and the tires hit the flares when the suspension compresses rather than tucking up inside. The best setup, unless you really WANT to start carving up the sheet metal and spending big $$$ on a lift, is to run OEM 15x7 rims and either no lift or maybe a 2" budget boost. Going that route, the worst case is you might swap the lower control arms for WJ arms, but no other mods are required. One other point about running wheels that set your tires much farther outboard: You haven't mentioned where you live, but most states don't allow the tires to extend beyond the sheetmetal. How strictly they enforce that varies, but I have been ticketed for tires extending too far because my '88 didn't have front flares when I bought it, and the front tires (31x10.50 on OEM rims) were about an inch outside the fenders. Of course, the previous owner had cut off the lips where the flares mount, so I had to buy two new front fenders, get them painted and installed, and mount flares, all within a ten-day window so I could get the truck inspected.