Eagle

What vehicle did the "new" Dana 30 come out of? If it's from a ZJ (Grand Cherokee) or a TJ (round headlight Wrangler), it's a low pinion axle. The original for your MJ was a high pinion axle. It can make a lot of difference, but at less than a 2" lift it shouldn't be an issue. You may have to reduce the caster angle slightly, and that's where things get "iffy." If the caster angle is reduced below about 6 or 6-1/2 degrees, the possibility of death wobble is greatly increased.

Those look like the rear shocks on my 88 4-cyl MJ.

That would be my choice for a junkyard box, too -- if the spline for the pitman arm is the same. That should have the quick ratio, and the spool valve (the "module" to which someone referrered above) should be the one that provides less boost & better road feel.

I don't believe so ... but I'm willing to be corrected.

GM boxes are pretty widely interchangeable, whether they used three or four bolts to mount. The fourth bolt can be ignored in an MJ/XJ, and I think the other three are in the same positions. In my case, the Borgeson Company (http://www.borgeson.com/) is just a few miles north of me, and even closer to where I work, so one of these days I plan on taking the worn out box I took out of the 88 MJ up to them and asking if they'll rebuild it to a 12:1 box, with a stiff spool valve for better road feel/response. I really hate variable ratio. The problem is, I do a WHOLE lot more highway driving than I do off-roading. Fir highway driving, I want a box that gives my instantaneous response if I need to make an evasive manuever. And the variable ratio boxes are slowest at the straight ahead (center) position, and the ratio gets faster as you get more into the turn. For my purposes, that's worse than useless -- it bass-ackwards.

I'm going to send Pete the bill for treating my hernia. Just dragged out the 88 (which is really the 86), 94, and 2000 factory manuals. 88(86) (XJ & MJ): Steering gear type: Recirculating ball with hydraulic assist Steering Gear Ratio: .....1984-85 & 86 "off road" package .......... 17:1 .....1986 - All except "off road" package ..... 14:1 ---------------------------- 1994 (XJ & YJ): Steering gear type: Recirculating ball with hydraulic assist Ratio Code (Top of Gear): .....BH, NZ ............................................ 14:1 .....BF, XS ...................................... 13 - 16:1 .....AL ................................................ 12.7:1 ---------------------------- 2000 (XJ Only): Steering Gear .....Type.............................. Recirculating Ball Gear Ratio: .....LHD ................................................ 14:1 .....RHD ................................................ 14:1 ---------------------------- The 1994 FSM covers both the XJ Cherokee and the YJ Wrangler, so I have no way of knowing which of those steering box code would apply to which vehicles and/or which packages. I know the steering in the 2000 XJ feels much better than the 88 XJ and MJ, but I'd be extremely happy if I could lay my hands on one of the 12.7:1 boxes for my daily driver. I've been tempted to take the box out of one of the hulks and have it rebuilt as a 12:1 box. That would be just about right for the way I drive, I think.

Keep in mind that the 84-99 XJ and the 86-92 MJ used a high-pinion, "reverse rotation" Dana 30 in the front. The ZJ (Grand Cherokee), the TJ (Wranger, round headlights), and the 2000-2001 XJ used a low pinion, standard rotation D30 in front. The low pinion axle will bolt right in -- all the mounts are the same -- but it isn't as strong as the reverse rotation setup, and if you lift it runs into u-joint angles sooner because the pinion is below the axle centerline rather than above. The best candidates for new front axles are from late 90s XJs, with no vacuum disconnect and with the larger u-joints.

I don't think either of those would/could cause wobble. Sounds like either a bent rim, or a bent axle shaft. Put the back end up on jack stands, and run it in low gear to see what's wobbling. Once you see which side (unless it's both), take off the tire and rim and run it again to see if the hub itself is wobbling or running true.

The FSM indicates that the XJ box is a fixed ratio. Where do you see references to variable ratio in the XJ/MJ?

Well, that bottle is NOT an "overflow" bottle. It is part of the pressurized system, so if it's cracked, there's a major part of your problem. http://www.quadratec.com/products/52449_1493.htm http://www.quadratec.com/products/51216_01.htm

It looks to me like you have everything you need except the flex line from the master cylinder to the slave. What do you mean "a whole new clutch setup"? Dude, what you have there is an external slave setup. That's an improvment over the internal -- don't tell me you WANT to go back to the internal!

86 and 88 were both Renix-based, throttle body injection. They should be pretty much interchangeable as far as I know. Just watch out for water pump issues. If one has a serpentine belt and the other has conventional vee belts, the rotation of the water pumps will be reversed.

I think to match the general appearance of the new style front flares a better choice would be Wrangler flares, but I haven't done enough research to decide if YJ or TJ flares would be better.

What year MJ? If it's a 1990 or older, that isn't an "overflow" bottle, it's a surge tank and it's part of the cooling system. If it leaks, the coolant level goes down, and when the coolant level goes down there isn't enough coolant to run through the heater core. Quadratec in Pennsylvania sells the old style coolant bottles, if that's what you need.

Yeah, we confirmed that the regulator is built-in. L'il bro said he drove it for 40 minutes today (about 50 degrees and sunny) and it kept on charging. As a test, when he got near home he turned on the headlights. He stopped for a traffic light and it stopped charging. He tried running in a lower gear to keep the RPMs over 3500 and he said that didn't bring it back. Any other suggestions will be appreciated.

He's on the third alternator, and they ALL bench test as good. And it isn't specific to the plow. Running the plow causes the problem to kick in sooner, but it also happens if he just drives around in daylight with no lights and no accessories running. He said it operates normally for about 15 ot 20 minutes, then just ... stops charging. Got any idea where the regulator is for that year and model?

Any XJ column up to 1994 will work. 95 and newer are Chrysler columns with an air bag. Not sure about locks -- I think they started using Chrysler-pattern keys in 1991, but it might have been 1990.

Good point. I forgot to mention that I pulled the code in order to zero in on the gas cap. However, a shot of silicone spray on the O-ring won't break the bank. I also went on-line and found a place where I could buy the appropriate size O-rings, in a fuel-resistant rubber compound, for about 50 cents each in 5-packs. So I now have them for if/when I need them.

Good point. I forgot to mention that I pulled the code in order to zero in on the gas cap. However, a shot of silicone spray on the O-ring won't break the bank.

^^^ Yeah -- THAT photo. Notice how the line from the "nose" on Pete's loops up and back and goes directly to a coupling -- and the line beyond the coupling looks suspiciously like it might once have gone to that bottom outlet that's now plugged. Don't be too hard on yourself. It's easy to get confused, because on the XJ front proportioning valve there is no "nose" outlet, and that line would go to where you ran it. Making it up like Pete's fix would make it easy to convert to an XJ proportioning valve down the road.

My wife's 2000 XJ had that problem and it was the gas cap. Dealer gets about $25 for a new cap, and they don't sell the O-ring as a separate part. I took off the O-ring, sprayed it with silicone spray and worked it into the rubber as best I could, and put it back. Haven't had a light for six months.

Ever trash a rotor because a stone got caught behind the caliper? YMMV but IMHO discs are more of a liability in an off-road vehicle than drums. I wanted discs on my race cars. I feel no need for them whatsoever in a Jeep that gets driven off-road.

Rancho full-length (actually not full-length in an MJ, but pretty close in an XJ) AAL. All new parts, under 100 bucks. Easy. Should lift an MJ about an inch and a half.

The hard lines on the axle have conventional flare fittings. The junction block (or "banjo") is part of the flex hose to the chassis, not part of the hard lines. I think. Look again.

Weird! I'll pass it along and see if that helps. Thanks. [EDIT]Passed it along. He said the idiot light works when he turns the key on, so it isn't burned out. Got any other suggestions?