Eagle

To compare to stock specs, measure from the center of the wheel/axle/hub straight up to the lower edge of the flares. In the front, "stock" height should be 17-1/2". In the rear, it should be about 20 to 20-1/2".

The muffler might have been new, but it may have had tenants. Many years ago, I had a similar problem with my Hudson pickup. (Yes, Hudson used to make pickups. 1947 was the last year, and I had one). I had done an engine swap, had it running nicely, put a new exhaust on it, then parked it for the winter. Next spring I started it up at it ran HORRIBLY. Sputtered, stuttered, and kept wanting to die ... and did. Finally, I got thoroughly frustrated. I started it one more time, and as soon as it caught I floored it. POW! Flames shot out the tailpipe, and all of a sudden it was purring like a kitten. Mice had bult a nest in the tailpipe (or muffler), and the nest was building up sufficient back pressure that it was like the proverbial potato in the tailpipe. It took flooring it to build up enough Moxie to blow the nest out. If yours was parked for awhile, it could have been the same problem.

Harbor Freight sells a manual tire changer station for around 50 bucks. That kit in your link, for $440, doesn't look like it does much more than my Stanley Wonder Bar (which I have used successfully to dismount and mount stock size tires, but I don't think I'd care to use it for 31s).

From that thread in the link: Seriously, with an engine geared to cruise at around 2,000 to 2,500 RPM, who CARES if the valves float at 4,200 RPM? I have 287,000+ miles on my '88 Cherokee, plus probably another 100,000 to 150,000 on various other XJs and MJs, and I am 100 percent certain that NONE of them have ever seen 4,000 RPM. The "sweet spot" for shifting with a stock engine is around 2200 RPM for the Renix and 2500 to 2700 for the second generation HO. With a stroker producing gobs MORE torque, there's simply no need or reason (unless you're racing) to be running the engine up to 4,000+ RPM.

Check the left spring for a broken leaf.

Yep -- the rubbing is because aftermarket rims sit farther out than OEM Jeep rims. Sorry -- I though you had written that you were on Jeep rims, but I guess I made that up. The only way lift will eliminate the rubbing is if you also extend the bump stops to prevent the suspension from working. It'll be a LOT cheaper to pick up a set of used Jeep rims than any lift kit. They can come off any Comanche, Cherokee, YJ or TJ Wrangler, or ZJ (93-98) Grand Cherokee.

How does running 31s in any way limit suspension travel? The tires fit inside the stock fenders and flares, and you don't have to extend the bump stops. I can't think of any way it COULD limit suspension travel. I ran 31s on my MJ after I took off the lift, and I'm currently running the 31s on my '88 Cherokee, which has smaller rear wheel arches than the MJ. There is no reduction in suspension travel. BTW -- friends don't let friends buy Rusty's junk.

Neither a cooler plug nor a larger radiator will prevent detonation. A colder plug might help a little, the radiator will do nothing. IMHO you need to use a different cam, with enough overlap to bleed off some of the compression pressure.

That's quite a haul. Good job.

The Up Country suspension rides 1" (25mm) higher than standard. I have a 2000 Cherokee with Up Country. I pulled the codes off the coil springs and took them to the dealer. They are the exact same springs as a ZJ (Grand Cherokee) V8, so you can easily source them from a junkyard. FYI, if you have OEM Jeep rims you can run 31x10.50-15 tires with NO lift. So in reality, more than likely all you need is enough to raise the front enough to compensate for the weight of the plow frame. The ZJ front coils will probably do that, possibly with the addition of 3/4-inch (not 2-inch) spacers if the V8 springs alone aren't enough.

150 psi usually. Compression spec for the 2.5L 4-cyl is 155 to 185 psi. Compression spec for the 4.0L 6-cyl is 120 to 150 psi Both allow up to 30 psi variation between cylinders.

That sounds a lot like what I encounter every time I go to the VA hospital for "health care." My sympathies. My wife fell a few weeks ago and broke her wrist. We've been to a hospital emergency room and three appointments with an orthopedic practice, and she hasn't been seen by a DOCTOR yet. She was seen by a PA (Physician's Assistant) at the ER. She was examined by a PA at the "doctor's" office, the PA set the wrist and casted it, and the PA reviewed the follow-up x-rays. And, as far as we know, the PA will be the guy who removes the cast the week after Thanksgiving. I think it's pretty sad when you go to a doctor's office and you can't even see a doctor. At least a resident is a doctor.

What do you mean by a "conventional y block"? A Cherokee proportioning valve? IMHO that's just exchanging one problem for another. The Cherokee proportioning valve is known for gumming up and causing you to have no rear brakes. All I did when I eliminated my height-sensing valve was to plug the bypass outlet on the MJ front metering block and run a single hard line to the rear flex hose. Simple. Rear brakes are a good thing. Especially when you haven't had any for awhile.

He was trying to say that he didn't know Toyota uses a height-sensing proportioning valve.

Seems to be normal for the longbeds, but the opposite for the shortbeds. I can't explain why. Doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

Did you follow the factory procedure to bleed the system?

What makes you think it would run hot at idle with an OEM water pump? The weak point of the XJ/MJ cooling system isn't the water pump, it's the radiator. The size is marginal. If you increase the flow rate, all that does is push the coolant through the radiator faster, so it has LESS time to shed heat to the radiator. It'll have the opposite effect of what you want to accomplish. Back when I crewed on a stock car, a lot of the drivers cut down the impeller on their water pumps precisely to reduce the flow of coolant through the radiator so it would have time to shed the heat. If your system overheats at idle with a new radiator and a new water pump, you have other problems.

I won't "recommend" this, because it's probably illegal, but if it were my truck I would remove the height-sensing valve and eliminate that second hard line from front to rear. One less line to rust, one less potential leak/rupture to worry about. Actually, TWO less ruptures to worry about. I base this on my own experience. The height-sensing valve on my '88 MJ blew out when I had to make a panic stop. They aren't available, so I just eliminated it. In the process, I also plugged the outlet for the bypass line on the bottom of the front metering block, and replaced the entire hard line from the metering valve to the flex hose at the rear axle. The effect of this is that I now have 100 percent (unproportioned) braking to the rear wheels all the time. I know this is not ideal when the back isn't loaded, because it can allow the rear wheels to lock up early (the reason they have that valve there), but I grew up before they had such things as proportioning valves, so it doesn't bother me. I'm happier knowing that I have all the brakes available to me, and I'll take responsibility for driving such that I hopefully don't swap ends due to too much brakes in the back. If you frequently drive with the back loaded, eliminating the rear height-sensing valve is probably a good idea. Just remember to take it easy when the back isn't loaded.

You guys are both confused. The original Javelin and 2-seat AMX ran only from 1968 through 1970 and was available only with a V8. I owned several and always destroyed Mustangs in autocross. The early Javelins and AMXs didn't handle at all like Mustangs, the AMC iron handled far better than the Mustangs. The next generation was the "Javelin AMX," which is what we're seeing photos of in this thread. I believe that was also only available as a V8. But the Javelin was gone by 1979 and the "AMX" badge was stuck on a Hornet/Concord. IIRC those were only available as a 258 c.i.d. (4.2L) in-line 6. It was not the same body as the Eagle SX-4, it was the longer wheelbase Hornet/Concord coupe body. The Eagle SX-4 was on the shorter Gremlin chassis.

I absolutely agree, but you can buy PB Blaster about anywhere, and Kroil is a lot harder to find for most people.

Your oil pressure is within spec, if the 19 psi is at idle. Factory spec is 13 psi minimum at idle, 37 to 75 psi above 1600 RPM. Nonetheless, 19 is lower than most, and I believe new bearings would fix that. While the pan is off, you should also replace the rear main seal. Based on your startup oil pressure, it doesn't sound like you need an oil pump. As to the other vehicle -- recent oil change? Different brand of filter? FRAM filter, perhaps?

What you said is, bias the weight 60/40 on the front, "more is better." I repeat: More is NOT better. You want/need only enough forward bias to ensure positive downforce on the hitch ball. Beyond that, you risk overloading the hitch.

Clarification: Being able to rotate the tie rod between the ends is normal. If you CAN'T do that, the ends weren't adjusted correctly.

There's another thread here discussing this truck. A couple of people think it's an okay price, not because of the truck but because of the "extras." Others of us think it's priced WAAAAAY too high. I agree on the welded Dana 35 rear axle. Welded is not "locked" -- it's "welded." It doesn't act like a locker, it doesn't drive like a locker ... and it will self-destruct VERY quickly. Aside from that, I'm in the group that looks at the truck, not the "extras." I think this thing is priced at least $1,000 too high for the truck. I wouldn't touch it. But I also wouldn't heavily modify any MJ I got. There are so few of them, I think they should be preserved. There are plenty of XJs available cheap if you want to build a trail rig.

That is NOT a base Cherokee. It has full gauges, including tach, and the 3-spoke Sport steering wheel. It also isn't worth 6 thousand dollars.