Eagle

I would say to just ask the owner if it turns over or not, but I've become aware in recent years that there are a LOT of people out there who don't even understand what that means. To far too many people, "does not start" is the same as "does not turn over."

With smaller lifts, you definitely want to stay with Jeep factory rims in 15x6 or 15x7 because they have enough backspacing to allow the tires to "stuff" inside the fenders. There are (to the best of my knowledge, information and belief) NO aftermarket rims offering 5-1/4" or even 5" backspacing. Put anything larger than about a 205/75R15 on an aftermarket rim, and the tires hit the flares and/or sheet metal when the suspension compresses. With factory rims, the issue is tire contact with the lower control arms. The largest tire that usually fits with no rubbing at all is a 235/75R15. I have run 30x9.50s on both an '87 MJ and '88 XJ and get some very slight rubbing. I also ran 31x10.50R15s on my '88 MJ. They rubbed the control arms on sharp turns. In stock trim, the steering range is about 3-1/2 turns of the steering wheel, lock-to-lock. With the 31s, I lost between 1/4 and 1/2 turn at each extreme. What that means is, quite simply, a larger minimum turning radius. It's not a major problem, and even with the "impaired" turning circle the MJ still turned in a smaller circle than my brother's 4x4 Nissan "hardbody." With a 1" or 2" budget boost, IMHO the optimum tire size is either a 235/75R15 or a 30x9.50R15. The diameter is almost the same -- the 30x are a little bit wider.

Agreed. They ain't makin' MJ beds any more. Once you cut it -- it's DONE.

I'm happy to hear that you got it fixed, but it would be nice if you'd share with the others of us having the same problem what you fixed ...

If you don't set it up with a flexy, long-travel suspension first, trying to drive it like that will leave you with a pile of broken metal right quick.

The side marker light blinks? Who else has a '90? I don't think the side markers are supposed to blink, but there is a wiring mod circulating on the Errornet (actually, a couple of different ones) to make them blink, and I wonder if a previous owner of your truck might have tried to accomplish one of those modifications. If so, it's anyone's guess what he might have messed up. I would start by tracing wiring back from the side markers and the front turn signals to see if you can find anything to suggest that the wiring has been "improved."

10-4. One of my friends in NAXJA bought a diesel Suburban for that exact purpose. It's a really nice tow vehicle, and it has plenty of room inside for a family of four (or, probably, even a family of six).

That could have been a surface charge. The only right way to test a battery is under load. For example, although it's not smart to make a practice of it, turning on the headlights and then hitting the starter gives you some idea of how much reserve capacity the battery has. If the lights dim out and the starter won't turn over the engine -- the battery isn't charged, regardless of what the voltmeter shows. The correct way to charge a battery is with a trickle or taper-charge battery charger ... and it takes several hours to fully recharge a dead battery. The industrial-strength fast chargers that shops use still require between 30 minutes and an hour to charge a battery -- and they are VERY hard on the battery in the process. It sounds like you just hooked the battery up to another vehicle for a few minutes and then started it. That's not enough to charge the battery.

Very high. Check with a known-accurate mechanical guage to verify the readings. And dump the Fram filter. So you had a $3.00 filter on the shelf. Is it worth blowing a $2,500 engine to save $3.00 on an oil filter? Yes, Fram filters are THAT bad. Factory spec for a warm engine is 13 psi minimum at idle, and 37 to 73 psi above 1600 RPM. Most 4.0L engines in good condition tend to run about 50 psi (+/- 5) at highway cruise. My '88 XJ with 279,000 on the clock still runs at about 45 psi using Castrol 5W50 synthetic.

It gets really confusing because there IS a Jeep model with those letters -- reversed. The Jeep YJ was the original, leaf spring, solid axle Wrangler. The newer Wranglers with coil springs and solid axles were the TJ models. And now there's the newest series, and I don't pay attention to it because it doesn't offer a 4.0L engine.

Lastly, remember that the 2000 and 2001 Cherokees and ALL ZJ Grand Cherokees have the low-pinion D30 front axle. So you're really looking for an XJ axle between 1995 and 1999.

I wondered the same thing. Even if you used the modified track rather than the factory OEM track, it would require a track wider than most roads to get up to a 4-1/2" lift under that formula. Must be the new math I keep hearing about ...

Ah, I see what you're saying. Yes, the limit for an MJ would be about 3 inches. Of course, in my state NO light truck (or car) can have any lift greater than 4" (body, suspension & tires combined). Somebody forgot to tell all the poseurs who drive their megatrucks to the mall with 12"+ lifts just so they can park on the grass landscape islands and look "cool."

According to that it would be 3" lift for MA.. Their formula says that a 2" lift and 2" larger tires = 4" total lift over stock ... someone needs to educate them a little on that. A 2" lift & 2" larger tire would = 3" total lift over stock... You're not looking at the formula, you're looking at an example. The formula is wheelbase x track / 2200. The example says it might be possible under that formula to qualify a 4" lift of which 2" comes from the body/suspension lift and 2" comes from larger tires.

According to that it would be 3" lift for MA.. Their formula says that a 2" lift and 2" larger tires = 4" total lift over stock ... someone needs to educate them a little on that. A 2" lift & 2" larger tire would = 3" total lift over stock... You're not looking at the formula, you're looking at an example. The formula is wheelbase x track / 2200. The example says it might be possible under that formula to qualify a 4" lift of which 2" comes from the body/suspension lift and 2" comes from larger tires.

What year is your 2.5L? If it's a Chrysler ECU, it does "learn" from driving, but it uses the vehicle battery to store what it learns. Some people plug a 9-volt transistor battery into the cigar lighter to hold that data when the vehicle battery is disconnected. The Renix ECU does not "learn." Every start is a cold boot from the default settings.

What year is your 2.5L? If it's a Chrysler ECU, it does "learn" from driving, but it uses the vehicle battery to store what it learns. Some people plug a 9-volt transistor battery into the cigar lighter to hold that data when the vehicle battery is disconnected. The Renix ECU does not "learn." Every start is a cold boot from the default settings.

I don't know what the problem is, but you definitely have a problem. Half a quart in 40 miles extrapolates to using 31.25 quarts in a 2500 mile oil change interval. Even by Ford standards, that's a mite excessive. Compression check? Leak-down check? What did they use for rings? Is it possible the new rings haven't seated yet? Maybe they didn't hone the cylinder walls correctly?

I don't know what the problem is, but you definitely have a problem. Half a quart in 40 miles extrapolates to using 31.25 quarts in a 2500 mile oil change interval. Even by Ford standards, that's a mite excessive. Compression check? Leak-down check? What did they use for rings? Is it possible the new rings haven't seated yet? Maybe they didn't hone the cylinder walls correctly?

Even with a 401, 10.xx in a Comanche would be tough. I used to race with a guy who had an original 1969 AMX 390 4-speed. It took trick shocks, slicks, headers, and distributor work to break 14 seconds with that car. A Comanche is too light in the rear to ever hook up for a 10-second quarter mile. I'm inclined to agree it must be an eighth mile track.

Even with a 401, 10.xx in a Comanche would be tough. I used to race with a guy who had an original 1969 AMX 390 4-speed. It took trick shocks, slicks, headers, and distributor work to break 14 seconds with that car. A Comanche is too light in the rear to ever hook up for a 10-second quarter mile. I'm inclined to agree it must be an eighth mile track.

It feels like that, if you don't know what's happening. It happened in my '88 XJ about ten years ago. Naturally, it was the coldest part of the winter. I'd be motoring along with the heat on high and the fan on to keep my feet nice and toasty, get to a long upgrade -- and all of a sudden my feet were freezing. Of course, it feels much worse than it is when you've been in a nice warm breeze and all of a sudden -- no more warm air. It's still blowing, but it's pushing the air up to the windshield, and you don't really notice or feel it there when your feet suddenly start icing up. First thing to check is the vacuum tubes in the vicinity of where they run past the battery tray.

It feels like that, if you don't know what's happening. It happened in my '88 XJ about ten years ago. Naturally, it was the coldest part of the winter. I'd be motoring along with the heat on high and the fan on to keep my feet nice and toasty, get to a long upgrade -- and all of a sudden my feet were freezing. Of course, it feels much worse than it is when you've been in a nice warm breeze and all of a sudden -- no more warm air. It's still blowing, but it's pushing the air up to the windshield, and you don't really notice or feel it there when your feet suddenly start icing up. First thing to check is the vacuum tubes in the vicinity of where they run past the battery tray.

usually with a new filter this is normal. one should clean a filter before it is put in with an airbrush or airfilter cleaner. if you can find a K&N setup for an XJ (Cherokee) it will work. maybe try some tuner brands or go onto summitracing maybe jegs No, the problem is that the K&N filter element they sell for the XJ/MJ airbox is 1/4" too short, leaving a gap that allows dust and dirt to bypass the filter. There actually is a K&N element that fits the XJ/MJ 4.0L correctly -- problem is, it's listed for some Dodge vehicle and not for the Jeeps. If you're talking about the air tube/cone filter system that replaces the stock air box, you also have to remember that the K&N system relies on oil to attract dirt to the filter. The filter itself, dry, is not very effective. Having grown up when oil bath air filters were the norm, I think they are a colossal PITA and I want no part of them. The stock air intake system works just fine. We are not running NASCAR race engines that spend all day at 7,500 RPM. You just don't need a freer-flowing intake to loaf down the highway at 2,000 RPM, or crawl rocks at just over idle speed. Save your money for something worthwhile.

usually with a new filter this is normal. one should clean a filter before it is put in with an airbrush or airfilter cleaner. if you can find a K&N setup for an XJ (Cherokee) it will work. maybe try some tuner brands or go onto summitracing maybe jegs No, the problem is that the K&N filter element they sell for the XJ/MJ airbox is 1/4" too short, leaving a gap that allows dust and dirt to bypass the filter. There actually is a K&N element that fits the XJ/MJ 4.0L correctly -- problem is, it's listed for some Dodge vehicle and not for the Jeeps. If you're talking about the air tube/cone filter system that replaces the stock air box, you also have to remember that the K&N system relies on oil to attract dirt to the filter. The filter itself, dry, is not very effective. Having grown up when oil bath air filters were the norm, I think they are a colossal PITA and I want no part of them. The stock air intake system works just fine. We are not running NASCAR race engines that spend all day at 7,500 RPM. You just don't need a freer-flowing intake to loaf down the highway at 2,000 RPM, or crawl rocks at just over idle speed. Save your money for something worthwhile.