Eagle

I have no problem with someone who is genuinely interested and is willing to discuss a fair price -- even if I'm not interested in selling at a fair price or any other price. Eaglescout526 picked up on it -- the most off-putting aspect of the poorly scrawled note was the reference to my Jeep "stuff." Not "your Cherokees," not "your Comanches," but "your Jeep stuff." That's the kind of notes I've gotten in the past, from people who want to low-ball me on price so they can clean up by parting out the vehicles. I'm interested in preserving them, if possible, not parting them out. As it turns out, my decision has been made for me. The guy scrawls so poorly that I can't make out the telephone number. And I'm not going to waste my time calling a dozen variations of what it MIGHT be to try to find the right guy.

The OP said he has an AX-15 out of a 2001 Wrangler. That combination didn't exist from the factory. As to whether the NV3550 is better than the AX-15 -- I have an AX-15 in an MJ, and my 2000 XJ has the 3550. The 3550 is hands-down the better transmission, by far. There's no comparison. It's stronger, quieter, shifts smoother, and has better gear ratios.

What part(s) of the frame would these stiffeners stiffen? Weld-in or bolt-on?

31s will fit with no lift, as long as you run factory Jeep wheels. I've done it but, personally, from a viewpoint of proportions, I think they look better running on 30s at stock height. Unless there's some reason why you need an extra half inch of road clearance, I'd go with 30s.

Mileage?

No. Leave the pinion alone. What you need to do is check the backlash on the existing setup, and maybe use some marking compound and take photos of the pattern ... then adjust the backlash with the new carrier to the same as it was before. As you have learned, the 8.25 doesn't set the ring gear engagement with shims, it uses that long tool to reach in through the axle tube to turn the adjuster. Set it so the backlash matches the existing reading, then use the gear marking compound for a visual check that the pattern is the same.

We had a thread recently about whether or not you should go knock on the door to ask about a Comanche parked in a yard. Well, I was on the receiving end of such a visit today. I found a Post-It in my storm door this afternoon. A guy left his phone number and said he wants to talk to me about my Jeep "stuff." So now I have to decide whether or not I want to give him a call. The last time someone stopped (actually, the last two or three times), it was some shag who wanted to pay me a hundred bucks for everything so he could part them out and make a lot of money. My attitude was that if I wanted them parted out, I could do it and I'd make the money -- get the [___] off my property. So I'm inclined to not even give this one a call. What do y'all think?

Better, IMHO. But ... different.

2001 Wrangler? AX-15? Didn't the 2001 Wrangler have the 3500 transmission?

I think it'll be fine.

^^^ Quoted for truth. And that's why most Jeep guys don't want to pay for mods -- because the mods are rarely done to any semblance of acceptable standards. Some years ago I looked at a lifted Cherokee. The rear lift was an add-a-leaf. The doofus put the AAL under the entire spring pack And then he had the chutzpah to claim the lift was "professionally installed." (The XJ was at a small, rural garage -- he might have actually paid them to install it. Frightening thought!)

We're not "car guys." We're "Jeep guys."

Halle Berry drove an MJ in Monster's Ball.

Too long of a story to go into, Amigo. It was a long time ago, in another lifetime. The only thing left from that part of my life is the handle.

The typical crack is hard to see even if you know to look for it. It's usually around the outer diameter of the bolt reinforcing ring.

Student council? What do they know about laws and legal stuff.

WHOA! Slow down, Mate. Gimme time to process all that.

I never owned an AMC Eagle. My sister-in-law did. There was a time when I lusted after an SX/4, but I never bought one.

Yes, it seems like there's a small variation when turning, but probably no more than 1/16 inch. Should be zero. Cracked flexplate?

A mod that one prospective buyer thinks is worth money is a mod that some other buyer will view as a deal breaker. My position is that almost any mod that isn't easily reversible reduces value, and mods such as lifts and/or cutting sheet metal are absolute deal breakers. Things that I would not reject outright include replacing the "station wagon" steering wheel in the base models with a 3-spoke wheel; replacing the idiot light gauge cluster with an all-gauges cluster or the "3/4" type (no tach, although I prefer the tach); Jeep alloy rims in place of factory steel wheels. My red '88 Comanche had a 4" Trailmaster lift on it when I bought it. The front and rear sheet metal had been cut. Almost immediately after putting it on the road I got a ticket because the tires extended beyond the sheet metal, so I had to buy new front fenders. I still haven't figured out a way to install the factory flares on the rear, since the previous owner crudely chopped off the mounting flanges. I paid $500 for the truck, I've spent two or three times that much UNdoing much of what the idiot previous owner did, and the only difference you can see on the outside is that the lift is gone (and the front fenders now have mounting flanges for the flares). As Minuit posted (above), too many mods are done poorly, and I'm at a point in life that I no longer get any enjoyment out of undoing other people's butchery. I have high standards of engineering and workmanship, and I don't trust anyone to perform or install mods to my standards (even if the mod is something I might want to do -- which is unlikely).

I did a Native American spirit quest many years ago. The eagle is my power animal, and I used White Eagle as my CB handle.

Now park it with a sheet of plywood or Lexan protecting the glass.

For a perfect fit, you need a header from an '84 thru '89 Cherokee or an '86 thru '89 Comanche. You can also use the header from a '90 thru '96, but in 1990 Chrysler changed the trim around the grille and headlight bezels. Using the '90 thru '96 parts won't require any cutting, but it will mean that you'll need the corresponding '90 thru '96 grille and headlight bezels.

The salt faeries eat aluminum alloy wheels a lot faster than they eat painted steel wheels, Grasshopper.

How the heck did an apprentice get his grubby paws on one of those?