Eagle

I think the premium VST shocks are excellent. I admit to being partial to Monroe, and I currently have Monroe SensaTracs in my '88 XJ, but IMHO the Gabriel VSTs are probably just as good. The Gabriels I bought to throw in the back of the '88 MJ when the VSTs proved to be too short were NOT the VSTs. They were the cheapest Gabriel the nearby Pep Boys had in stock -- and I bought them because they were $2 per shock cheaper than anything I could get at Auto Zone or Advanced Auto. They do the job, but when the back is loaded they're a bit mushy. And when the back isn't loaded they let the tail bounce around more than I like on washboard surfaces. Hey, for $9.99 per shock I wasn't expecting Gran Prix performance. I needed shocks and I was short on cash. Monroes are good. Gabriels are good. Bilsteins are good. OMEs are good. My brother once talked me into trying KYB "Gas Adjusts" on the XJ. Another reminder never to listen to my brother. They were horrible. DO NOT buy KYB shocks unless you're into masochism in a big way.

MJ rear shocks are longer than XJ rears. You can knock the cross pins out of the upper end and the XJ shock bushings are the same diameter as the eyes on MJ shocks. BUT ... I thought I was going to be clever a couple of years ago. I had a pair of the very same Gabriel VST shocks you mentioned, out of an XJ. I thought I'd remove the pins and use them in the rear of my '88 MJ when I removed the lift. WRONG! Fully extended, when I put the lower eye on the mount the upper eye was about half an inch short of reaching the upper stud. I could have weighted down the bed and forced the shocks on, but then I would have had a one-way suspension and it would have destroyed the shocks rather quickly. So I bought a pair of new Gabriels for the MJ, and had to buy new splt bushings to get the pins back in the shocks so they can be used in an XJ.

Whatever. However you choose to look at it, I just logged on at 10:55 p.m. to find Steph's lead has been cut to 1,111 votes. It was 1,300 earlier today. If you don't care about helping a fellow Jeepr's gal in this thing, that's fine. Don't help. For those of us who wish to help, I repeat: Do not become complacent.

It's not a commanding lead if the "other team" cuts into it by 50 or 100 points or more every day. At one time the margin was slightly over 1,500 votes. Then it dropped to less than 1,200. Last night, after some work, we got it back up to about 1,300. This afternoon it was back down to a bit over 1,200. I don't consider that to be a commanding lead, when we still have two weeks to go. They can hit it hard for one afternoon or evening and wipe that out when we're not looking. Do not become complacent.

I have no experience, as I'm basically a 5-speed guy, but the collected wisdom at NAXJA was to NOT use synthetic joy juice in the AW-4 transmission.

I agree. That's why I hope we can build up a big cushion now. First, it may result in their throwing in the towel. Second, if they decide to pull a blitzkreig at the end, it'll be that much MORE work for them, and that much less work for us. I'm just plain obstinate. I've wasted enough time on this that I refuse to allow it to be wasted. It sure does slow down my web surfing, though. I'll be happy when it ends.

I've considered using an XJ backer board and cutting it down. I'm pretty sure the front part will work, but it'll undoubtedly be a less than perfect fit at the back wall of the cab.

Call to arms! Lads, the price of freedom (or, at least, a make-over for Stephanie) is eternal (at least until 10 August) vigilance. Rickie's co-workers were busy today. VERY busy. The margin was down to around 1200 points earlier today. I've been whittling away and it's now back to around 1300, but IIRC it was over 1400 when I logged off last night, so even though it may seem like a comfotable margin ... we lost ground in 24 hours. Was it Yogi Berra or Casey Stengel who said, "It ain't over 'til it's over"? I hope some of you west coast keyboard wizards can put up a few votes before you crash for the night. http://photocontest.freedom.com/shelby- ... ?mode=most

On an XJ, taking a spare set of main leaves, cutting off the eyes, and using them as add-a-leaves typically results in about a 1-1/2" lift. At a guess, doing the same with an MJ should result in about the same. You could use an MJ main leaf, or any other leaf that's the same width and thickness and has about the same arch. Then add in another lower leaf or two for the "donor" pack and you should be just about where you want to be.

I got 4000. Had me worried -- I was swapping votes with someone -- they got 3999, and I got 4000

Signing off. Steph is at 4,000 votes and the margin is back to a respectable number, so I can sleep soundly.

I'd guess the former. Doesn't mean I'm going to let anybody sneak up behind us and position themselves for a last-second surge. Drafting should only be encouraged in NASCAR, where it helps both drivers ...

Unplugging doesn't "reset" the CPS. It scrapes a bit of possible corrosion off the contacts in the plug, hopefully improving the signal strength enough to tell the ECU what the CPS is saying. That's all. It's a temporary fix at best, and may not work at all. Somebody awhile ago posted a link to a tech article put together by Eric Giordano (a.k.a. on-line as Jabbathehut) that explains how to test the sensors -- including the CPS. The method described in the FSM is useless -- it calls for testing the resistance at normal operating temperature, but how do you get to normal operating temperature if the engine won't start? And I've tested the resistance of known bad units against brand new ones, and they ALL tested within spec, and within about 5 ohms of each other.

That's what mine is doing now, except that I have to sit about 20 or 30 minutes before it'll restart. I believe the fuel pump ballast resistor is bad and faltering after it has become "heat soaked." I now have a short jumper wire with flat spade terminals on each end, to plug in as a jumper the next time it quits on me. Naturally, last weekend in the course of my usual weekend warrior tasks, it didn't quit.

Is there any scrap value to old steel rims? I hate to sell of genuine Jeep alloy rims for scrap, but I have a huge assortment of old XJ/MJ steel rims that could be thinned out without hurting anybody's feelings. Worth pursuing?

Nope. Because the radiator cap will be lower in the system than the expansion tank. And you still have the issue of how to control the auxiliary fan. Using a manual switch is easy, but it doesn't allow the system to operate as designed.

Funny you should ask. If Eagle didn't have what he thinks is a better solution, Eagle wouldn't be foaming at the mouth over what a mistake he thinks this non-upgrade "upgrade" is. The better solution: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetai ... toview=sku I installed this on my '88 XJ in August of 2000, at the same time I replaced the original factory radiator with a new GDI 3-row unit. The Moroso tank is still going strong -- the GDI radiator crapped out last year and has been replaced. This tank uses a conventional radiator cap. It provides ALL the advantages of changing to a newer-style radiator, with none of the disadvantages. Additional benefits: The radiator cap is located at the highest point in the entire cooling system. Plus the tank, being completely filled rather than half-filled like the old plastic tanks, actually ADDS coolant capacity to the system.

Heads up, guys! Rickie is catching up. Not an issue ... yet ... but let's not get complacent and have to pull a collective all-nighter at the last minute. Steph's margin had been hovering at around 1500 votes for the past 24 hours or more. It's now down to about 1400 due to a surge by Rickie's team. I just logged onto that comments web site again. A lot more comments have been added since I first saw it, and I gotta say, that Homovich gal with all her blathering about "cheating" really irritates me. She knew the rules when she entered the contest. If her friends don't care enough to man the trenches, she doesn't deserve to win. Gentlemen, your assignment is to ensure that Steph remains comfortably in the lead. I am assigning myself the mission to ensure that Cynthia Davidson ends up with more votes than Kellie Homovitch. If there's anything worse than cheating, it's calling someone else who is playing by the rules a cheater.

I don't think you'll find a 110v unit that can do 1/4" in a single pass. It's been awhile since I was doing the research, but my recollection is that 3/16" was the best anybody claimed.

Match? If you have an 89 MJ that's red, the color IS Colorado red. But the new paint won't match any old paint that has been exposed to sunlight. It gets darker with exposure. Correctly mixed Colorado Red will match your paint where it has been protected, like under the hood and on the door jambs. If you're painting just certain panels, that's a problem. If you're repainting the entire vehicle, it won't matter.

Be very careful to read EVERYTHING regarding the sensor/sender for controlling the auxiliary fan. Otherwise, you will complete the "upgrade" (which does not add any cooling capability at all) and find that you have no way to control your electric fan. Personally, I think this swap has to be THE most over-rated and incorrectly written-up modification ever devised for the XJ/MJ vehicles.

It's called Colorado Red, and I think the paint code was PE4. Check an auto paint store and ask them if that code sounds right. The code should be on a metal plate on the upper radiator cross brace, and also on a plate on the driver's door.

The interior looks great, execept that shifter handle has to go.

We just did. I think the result of the poll serves as a checklist. If we want to flesh it out even more, you could ask those who voted for "Other" what they had in mind. ... If you aren't sure you experienced death wobble -- you didn't. My description above is not just my own. The standard response from people who have experienced the real thing is, "I peed my pants and I thought I was gonna die right there!" This will sound a lot like a used car salesman, but "trust me on this" -- there is NO mistaking death wobble for anything else. I have a slight imbalance in a front tire on the XJ right now. It kicks in at 60 MPH but I'm good up to about 58, and it goes away at 65. I can drive it at 60, but I just prefer not to feel that constant shimmy. If it were real death wobble, the moment it set in I would have to slam on the brakes and slow down to about 15 MPH or the vehicle would -- literally -- be uncontrollable. You absolutely CANNOT drive while death wobble is going on. Okay, so what causes one of the front castors on a grocery cart to wobble all the time?

Sunday night, and as I sign off Stephanie is a bit more than 1500 votes in the lead. As long as we can keep the margin around there, it should be comfortable. But ... we still have about three WEEKS to go, so we can't pack up the tents and head for home just yet. I propose a secondary fire mission: I don't like whiners, and that means the contestant who posted the whining comments. It wouldn't take a lot to push Cynthia Davidson (the mom whose daughter entered her because she looks like Meg Ryan) out ahead of Ms. Whiner. Next time you're throwing some votes at Steph, toss in a few for Cynthia while you're at it.