Eagle

The 165 degree thermostat is a SERIOUS mistake. That won't let the engine get warm enough for the ECU to enter closed loop mode. Your gas mileage is going to be lousy and if you have emissions testing ... it probably won't pass. The stock thermostat is 195 degrees and it's purpose is to keep the termperature UP high enough for the engine to operate efficiently. Running a colder thermostat is never a good idea.

Keep in mind that Jeep has used many bolt patterns. The Cherokee and Comanche use a 5 x 4-1/2" bolt pattern. For 2000 and 2001, the Cherokee Classic and Limited (and some Liberty models) had 16" rims with the 5 x 4-1/2" pattern. The newer WJ series Grand Cherokees had 17" rims available, but the bolt circle is 5 x 5" so they won't fit a Comanche. Same for the JK Wranglers -- different bolt circle.

Or at least improbable. After reading more and more about Toyota's problems, talking with my friend who is a VW dealer's shop foreman, and exchanging some e-mails with an e-friend who is a retired automotive engineer (who has NOTHING good to say about drive-by-wire), I have decided that I need to stockpile a couple of "newer" old vehicles while I still have a shot at finding them. Since my wife and I each have a 2000 Cherokee, with a granddaughter about to come on line as a driver I'd like to pick up another 2000 or 2001 XJ, to replace "Old Faithful" (my trusty but aging 1988 XJ). I'm limiting the search to 2000 and 2001 because those are the two years that did not use the crappy composite rotors on the front brakes, and because a 2000 or 2001 will be pretty much parts interchangeable with our other two XJs. I'm looking for an automatic with Selec-Trac (the NP242 transfer case). The Selec-Trac is a must -- I want to be able to put it into full-time when the first snow flies and leave it there for the duration for the ladies. A Classic or Limited with the overhead console would be nice, but I'd consider a nice, clean Sport if I can't find one with the console. I don't want any "projects" -- this is going to be a daily driver for my granddaughter. I want a clean, straight, rust-free Jeep. I am in Connecticut but I'm willing to buy from a radius of at least a couple or few states if the right vehicle shows up and the right price. I also don't want high mileage. We're talking ten years old, so at an average of 12,000 per year I guess 120,000 is about the upper limit, and I'd prefer less if possible. Also looking for a 1991 or 1992 shortbed Comanche in decent shape. Again, I'm looking for rust-free (or nearly so) and straight. This will also be for a daily (or weekly) driver, not for a "project," so no heaps need apply. (I have enough of those already.) If anyone knows of anything, please let me know ASAP. Thanks

Good luck finding a front axle with 4.56 gears. IMHO the search is a waste of time. Better to just buy a new set of gears and have your axle re-geared. Toss in a TrueTrac limited slip while it's open, since you'll probably have to swap carriers anyway.

I agree with mvusse, VERIFYING the front axle ratio before buying the replacement rear axle would be prudent. The ratio numbers ARE stamped into the edge of the ring gear, and can be read by removing the front diff cover. The front axle isn't broken, so you can rotate the ring gear to find the numbers. Chances are, though, it's going to be 3.07, because that is the only ratio that came from the factory with the 6-cylinder 5-speed. Sure swapping the front over to 3.55 might be nicer, but unless you are running tires MUCH larger than stock you'll be fine with 3.07s. I've wheeled my '88 Cherokee all over the northeast on 30" tires with the stock 3.07 gears, and my '87 MJ still has the 3.07 gears and is rolling on 30" tires. It's fine. Would 3.55s be better? Absolutely. If I were in your situation, would I switch both axles to get 3.55s when I could just replace the rear axle and drive? Nope. The difference is so slight that it really doesn't make sense to create three times as much work as necessary. (Yes, I said three times. Swapping a front axle is more work than swapping a rear.)

The only reason I can think of for changing is that IF you are changing from an internal slave to a 94+ external slave, when you buy the 94+ parts the new master, slave and connecting line come all together as an assembly, pre-filled and pre-bled. As to functionality, I seriously doubt there is any difference.

It also has 6-bolt hubs. Oh, wait ... '87? Are we talking XJ (baby) Wagoneer, or (full-size) Grand Wagoneer?

It will be MUCH easier to find a Cherokee axle, and cutting off the spring perches and welding them back on in the correct location for use in the MJ is pretty simple, especially when you have the old axle to use as a pattern.

Most likely leaking injectors.

What tee are you referring to in the rear? It sounds like you still have the rear height sensing valve installed. There is a special bleeding procedure if you have that valve, which has been posted here a couple of times. If you still have the rear height sensing valve, you MUST follow that procedure. Also, if you still have the rear height sensing valve, I hope you replaced both lines to the rear, and I hope you didn't get them crossed or your brakes may not work correctly.

I wish we weren't on opposite ends of the continent, because I'm pretty certain I have a 3.07 MJ rear axle out in the pile. In fact, that may be the one that put me in the hospital four years ago when the pile shifted and mashed my ankle. Unfortunately, axles are heavy and shipping from CT to OR would be "pricey." Anyhoo, I'm glad we have zeroed in on some important information and helped you focus your search in the appropriate direction. By the way, if all else fails you could regear the existing housing. Setting up gears requires a bit of patience and double-checking, but it can be done in the back yard. If the truck is a beater and won't see lots of high speed highway miles, you and your son could learn a LOT about how a differential works by slapping a set of new (or even used) gears in the existing housing. Does anyone remember where the carrier break is for the D35? Would a new/different carrier be required going from 3.55 to 3.07? Last but not least, check www.car-part.com for used axles. You can limit the search to a region, or just to your state.

Why should he look for a 3.55 axle when the front axle (unless it has been changed) is a 3.07? He has a 4.0L with a 5-speed transmission. Those did not "usually" have 3.07 gears ... they ALWAYS had 3.07 gears. The tow package with 3.73 gearing was only available with the AW4 automatic transmission. Jeep didn't want people towing more than 2000 pounds with the 5-speed. Before doing anything here, it will be essential to determine what the front axle ratio is. The ratio of the replacement rear axle has to match the front axle.

It occurs to me that if the front axle ratio doesn't match the rear axle ratio, that could go a long way toward explaining why the axle broke. If the front axle ratio doesn't match the rear and the vehicle is driven in 4WD, you get some funny reactions in sand and mud but when you hit rocks or pavement ... something's gotta give. My experience has been that it's rare to find a ratio tag on rear axles, but they are usually present on front axles. Check the front differential and report any tags/codes you can find there.

Now THAT's redneck engineering.

All MJ Dana 35s are 35C. The 'C' indicates "Customer," meaning that Dana shipped the axles to AMC (or Chrysler, later) for final assembly. Your '89 has the non c-clip version ... but the 'C' in the axle nomenclature did NOT indicate the c-clip. You have a 4.0L 5-speed, the ratio is 3.07. 3.54 would be a better all-around ratio, but then you'd have to replace the front axle to have it match. Stay with the 3.07.

Actually, it can be argued that ground clearance is a side benefit. Ring gears are cut on a bias -- look at one from the edge and you see that one vertical side of each gear is almost vertical and the other side is slanted. The cut of the gears is optimized for strength when a rear axle is driving a vehicle forward -- which is what rear axles do probably 98% of the time, if not more. Take a rear axle and flip it around to use in the front, and now when the axle is driving forward the gears are engaged as they would be when driving in reverse in a rear axle. They are weaker when run this way. So for maximum strength a front axle can use special gears. We use the term "reverse cut" but the more correct term is "reverse bevel."

There's a vent hose on the filler. It's a separate, smaller hose than the actual filler hose. That's a prime candidate for leaking and fumes.

New seals won't help. They leaked when new. Leaking vent windows was one of my warranty complaints when I bought the '88 Cherokee new in 1988. The factory "fix" was to replace the vents with the fixed windows. I opened the vents, applied a coating of NAPA "Sil-Glyde" silicone grease to the rubber, and shut the windows on the grease. Works fine, and you can still open the windows when needed. If you actually use the vents, you'll need to reapply the grease periodically.

Normally, questions about ZJ (and all other Jeeps other than XJs and MJs) should be posted in the Pub. This area is only for XJ/MJ technical discussions. Unless Pete decides otherwise, I'll leave this post here because the ZJ front axle is a Dana 30 that could be a drop-in conversion for an XJ or an MJ (albeit the ZJ front axles are low pinion, so don't get confused -- the same lockers that fit MJs may not fit ZJs).

But do you still have the OEM distribution block in place? Do you still have the two lines to the rear, and the rear height-sensing valve? And is the Wilwood proportioning valve in the front circuit or the rear? If it's in the rear, which line runs to it?

Here you go: "Good evening. A few days ago we found a group on the site Yahoo "Jeep Club [???]" and we would like to make contact. Regards, Paty" I don't find "catu" in my Portuguese/English dictionary. But it doesn't seem essential to get the gist of the message. He found your old Yahoo group and (says) he wants to make contact. Let me know by PM what you want to say back to him and I'll put it into a semblance of Portuguese for you.

I hope you can wait a couple/few days. It's POURING rain out there and I don't have access to a garage with a lift, so this weekend does not look good for pix. If I see anything promising in the FSM for the 2000 I'll try to get a photo of the page and post that.

I have a 2000 XJ with the NVG3550. What do you want to know, exactly? Whether the under-floor linkage is the same as for the BA/10-5 and AX-15?

So they replace the originals directly with no modifications -- but they have an extra "city light" built in that you have to figure out how to wire. I'd start by giving the seller a "FAIL" for English language skills. And you get TWO for $12.99? Gotta be junk. Go to Advance Auto and buy a pair of Silverstars.

I don't like to belabor the point, but we see this mistake too often to let it slide: YOU DON'T HAVE DEATH WOBBLE You have wheel shimmy, caused by an imbalanced tire. If you can drive through it ... it isn't death wobble. With death wobble, you CANNOT keep driving, and you have to slow down to almost a complete stop before the shaking goes away. There is no such thing as a "little" death wobble. It's called "death wobble" for a reason. When it occurs, you think you're going to die ... instantly.