Eagle

Eagle, my 87 4cyl, column shift had the metal retainer for the cable. Swtiched to the cluster from my 88 for the full guage package and was able to get the cable to attach with some minor modifications. That confirms my suspicions. Do you remember what you had to do to get the cable to attach to the newer style speedo head?

With 33" tires and 4.88 gears, in overdrive 70 MPH is 2700 RPM. That's not excessively "low" gearing, that's right about where you want to be.

I would avoid both 96 and 97. 96 was the first year for OBD II, but it was the last year of the old body style so they cobbled together a bunch of wires and circuits to implement OBD II as an overlay to the existing OBD I wiring harness. In computer terminology, it was a kludge. 97 was the first year for the new body style, with a totally new wiring harness and a bunch of other stuff that was first time implementation. On the surface, it looks like a minor cosmetic update, but it's a totally new chassis wiring harness, different instrument panel dual airbags for the first time, etc. I would look for a 1998 through 2001. If you're at all interested in brakes, they were still using the crappy composite rotors in the front until mid-1999, so if I were looking, I'd be looking for a late 99, 2000 or 2001.

They don't all have a junction downstream from the speedo head. I believe that's only for vehicles equipped with factory cruise control. It's not that unusual to find it on junkyard XJs, but I'm surprised your MJ had it. Do you have cruise?

:agree: Replace the fuse panel.

No, it has a skinny rod between the two latches. The write-up addresses your setup. The only other setup was the 84 - 86 style that had a single latch in the center.

Also dependent on your choice of shock absorbers, because you want to snub the suspension before the shock absorber bottoms out. A few shocks are designed to also act as bump stops ... but most are not.

Where on the frame is this? Got a couple of views from a little farther back, to put the damage in perspective and give a better idea of the relative extent?

4.88s

Rich would backfire through the exhaust. Lean can backfire through the intake. Timing (distributor and/or cam timing) could be an issue. Also check for vacuum leaks. If you have a leak, the engine pulls the highest vacuum when decelerating, so a leak would have the most effect then and could be creating a lean mixture that the O2 sensor can't adapt for quick enough (or "enough," period).

You have to go through 4-HI to get into 4-Lo. Plus, there's a detent -- when you pull the lever straight back, it goes into 4-Hi and stops at a step or gate -- you then have to move the lever toward the passenger side before you can pull it farther back. Then it has to go through Neutral before it engages 4-Lo. It does not sound from here like you have a temperature-related problem, it sounds like you have a mechanical problem. You mention having run it in 4-Hi before. Was this perhaps on dry pavement? If so, you may have fubared the chain in the transfer case, which could account for problems when trying to run in 4WD.

How old is the oxygen sensor? And are you sure the O2 sensor has a good connection?

I'm looking forward to seeing photos, and I think it's great that a teenager cares enough about his cuz to even bother to post.

What did you use for a heat source? Is a hair dryer hot enough? If so, do you use the high setting, or low or medium?

I have a couple of Peugeots, an AX-15, and a 3550. NONE of them want to shift from first to second when cold. And the 3550 uses some new, super-duper uber lube that was specicially formulated for that tranny and the 4500. It's the nature of the beast. Using synthetic gear lube helps, but be sure if you have an AX-15 that you get one that doesn't have sulfur-bearing compounds in it -- they attack the synchros. Redline has been reported to work well.

You can buy just replacement glass if you break one. What I remember from the old repair description is that the mirror head pivots on a pot metal gimbel thingie, and the pot metal cracks or breaks, allowing the ball on the mirror head to wobble around. Somebody figured out a way to rig up a replacement or reinforcement for the cracked pot metal piece. Unfortunately, that's ALL I remember, but it may give you an idea what to expect if/when you get inside. If you try it, please be sure to take photos and do a write-up.

And what happens with a locker if you're rock crawling and lift one front wheel off the ground?

Removing the glass is the only way. There was a write-up on NAXJA, but it was MANY years ago and may not even still be there. The glass can be removed by using a heat gun to soften the adhesive. (Supposedly -- my friends at the glass company assure me this is correct, but I haven't been brave enough to attempt it.)

I don't think this is correct. All the Saginaw boxes the Cherokee used should be the same. Correct - the XJ boxes are all the same 3-bolt 14.1 ratio Saginaw steering gear. The 93-98 ZJ boxes however are the quicker 12.7 ratio. :cheers: http://www.chevelles.com/techref/ftecref29.html Yep. It's highly UNlikely that the steering box needs to be replaced, since there are plenty of other likely suspects to check out first. But IF you need (or want) to replace the box, for primarily street driving and especially if you want "Indy car response" the quicker ratio ZJ box (or aftermarket equivalent, typically from Borgeson) is the answer. However, if you do serious off-roading (especially rock crawling) with very large tires, the quicker box is not a good choice.

It's pretty accurate for home. These days it's 5 to 10 degrees colder at work, and that's only about 10 miles farther north "as the crow flies."

The XJ and MJ do not use a variable ratio box, they use a 14:1 fixed ratio box. And 3.2 is not the ratio for the YJ, that's the number of turns lock-to-lock. Before buying any parts to tighten up your steering, find out where the slop is. Improperly adjusting the steering box can trash it, and may not be necessary. A slightly worn track bar makes the steering feel very loose, for example. Ditto for worn tie rod ends. Also, be sure the track bar bracket is tight where it bolts to the frame.

Quite a bit, but I don't think the SportTrak has the pass-through rear gate, does it? I like the look, but I think those pass-through gates are ridiculous. What happens if I want to carry something long and high on a rainy or snowy day?

It could be a kink or tight bend, or lack of lube, or both. For lube, I think probably something like the white lithium grease that comes in the spray cans (such as we use on the door hinges) might be a good choice. I just checked the FSM and I can't find any mention of a lubricant for the speedometer cable, so you're kind of on your own.

Not really. Either job can kill you in an instant.

Better measure again. The WJ bolt pattern is not 5 x 4-1/2, it's 5 x 5.