Eagle

There's nothing wrong with the rear drum brakes on the MJ. As CW has postulated, a large part of the problem is the proportioning valve. Another part of the problem is the single diaphragm brake booster. Changing over to rear discs won't correct either of those problems.

The Monroe catalog is available on-line, and in the back is a tech data section that will give you the physical dimensions of each shock, and the mounting type. I believe ZJ Grand Cherokee shocks are about right for a stock height MJ rear if you remove the cross pins. Don't know if they're long enough to be of much help with an AAL -- how much lift did you get (or expect)? The other one I would look at is the shocks for a YJ Wrangler (the leaf spring version, not the newer TJ with 4-wheel coils).

Let's put it this way: The 1994 XJ FSM has more pages devoted to XJ wiring diagrams for one model year than Haynes has pages in the entire book that covers 16 years and three generations of the XJ. 'Nuff said?

Actually, in a stock XJ or MJ the drag link isn't far off horizontal. When you factor in the length, the angular defelection under normal suspension movement on the street isn't a very large angle, and it's well within the range that type of joint is designed to accomodate. When off-roaders lift their rigs and start building for flex and articulation, though, they eat tie rod ends a lot faster than a street vehicle does. Guess why.

I haven't looked but I doubt you can get 4 inches. Check the clearance between the axle and the oil pan. If you can drop it that much, you'll have to be sure you have good bump stops because you won't be able to allow ANY down travel in the suspension.

Why don't you just drop in a TCU? I have a 2WD MJ with a blown 5-speed that I'm going to convert to automatic so my wife can drive it. I could just drop in the shifter and shift it manually, but there's no trick to popping a TCU under the dash and connecting the wires. It's completely independent of the ECU. I know the ECUs are different for the 5-speed and the auto, but I'm sure it'll work with the "wrong" ECU.

I know what you mean, but the YJ series of Wrangler was the series with leaf springs all around. You're referring to the latest all coil spring Wranglers. Somebody makes killer ladder bars for the MJ. A friend of mine has them on his pro dragster MJ. I don't think he ever mentioned who made 'em, or if he said it I forgot. Let me know when you're ready and I'll ask him. BTW -- If your MJ is 4WD you can't lower the front very much at all, or the oil pan smashes down on the front differential housing every time you go over a bump. 2WD is the only game in town if you want to slam an MJ.

Put the right ends on it and poop pipe (at least, the old steel pipe, not the new plastic stuff) would probably work better. Plain old schedule 40 steel pipe isn't DOM structural tubing, but it's not putty, either. The amount of weight you can support on a single 3-1/2" Lally column is astonishing.

Rancho offers on. They list the same one for the XJ and the MJ. Despite what their catalog says, it produces less lift in an MJ than it does in an XJ. I used to have the exact numbers I got from a Rancho engineer, but I've forgotten. Should be fine for a 2WD MJ budget boost. The advantage an AAL offers over a drop shackle is that the AAL also raises the spring rate. This increases carrying capacity and helps the spring live longer. A drop shackle allows the spring to flex more than stock, which allows it to wear out faster. Hmmm ... stronger and lasts longer, or the same capacity and wears out faster. I know which I'd choose.

I don't agree. I just stated why I think they WON'T work.

Angularity. A tie rod end is designed to rotate around an axis, with minimal deflection off the plane it's designed to operate in. Don't recall for sure, but I think the range is about 15 degrees. For big truck steering, since the front suspension doesn't move a whole lot, the range may be less. An off-road suspension, on the other hand, needs to be free to move in several different planes or axes. I don't see a tie rod end, even a big one, providing the range of movement you'll want. I think it's going to bind up. If it's beefy enough, it may not break -- but it'll then limit the suspension travel to less than what you may be expecting.

There's a house down the road from me that has what seems to be an Army surplus full-size Chevy pickup in camo, and I keep thinking it might be fun to camo one of the MJ clunkers. The 87 shortbed I hope to restore is the medium grey metallic, and I think with the body work all fixed up and fresh paint that'll look really nice. Almost like pewter.

Johnny joints.

Alex, it very definitely is not as easy as just swapping the wing vents for fixed units. That's about 10 or 15 minutes per side. Maybe half an hour for the first side since you probably haven't been inside the doors before. You are looking at a LOT more time and effort to physically swap over the entire door, plus Mickey Mouse the latch. It's a nice swap, I guess, but don't fool yourself into thinking you're choosing the easier route.

I remember reading his write-up awhile ago. He sort of glosses over the problem. It's not as simple as changing from the post type strike in the MJs to the loop style in the newer XJs. The location of the strike in the door is physically higher in the new doors. Anything can be done. The questions are: how much effort do you want to throw at it, and do you want it to be done "right" or just hacked together? I consider Remi's (Kejtar's) to be closer to hacked than "right."

Ah, so, Grasshopper. The proverbial RTFM Error.

I didn't read the linked article. Did it mention the fact that the door strikes don't line up vertically, and that surgery will be required to make the doors latch? It can be done, but this is not a bolt-in swap.

Except that at 15x8 they'll stick out a bit farther than stock MJ rims, which are 15x7. If you run larger than stock tires, this will more than likely result in the tires hitting the flares when the suspension compresses. With stock rims, even a 31x10.50 will tuck inside the fender when stuffed.

Down pipe, catalytic converter and muffler are the same as the XJ (if the XJ has the same engine). The tail pipes are different. Dunno where you live, but it's against Federal law to sell a used catalytic converter, so I don't really think you're going to get an entire system. Given that you're looking at buying the cat new, I would recommend buying new. A Walker stock replacement muffler from Auto Zone costs $25 and has a lifetime warranty -- they replace it free even if you mangle it on rocks. With a deal like that, why fight with rusty, used parts? Stock tailpipes are not that expensive from the chain stores, either.

My '87 MJ Pioneer has full gauges and a tach, and carpeting. My '88 SporTruck has a rubber floor mat, idiot light cluster, and the station wagon steering wheel. I beliece the '86 'X' model had full instrumentation, as well as the Eliminators.

That's the right stuff, but in colder weather with conventional gear oil the second gear synchros are balky. Same is true on the BA10/5 and the AX-15. Synthetic gear oil is supposed to help. Personally, I toss in some Mr. Moly molybdenum disulphide additive and it seems to slick things up fairly nicely.

No! A GM 2.8L threw a rod? Impossible. Say it isn't so. Do yourself a favor. Forget the 2.8L. Frankly, you're better off with a 2.5L Jeep I-4, and it'll bolt up to the same bellhousing.

10" x 1.75" The other one they're showing is 10" x 2.5" -- that's for the Dana 44. Staring in 1990 they were all 9" x 2.5"

What did you put in, and how much?

Pretty simple -- opposite ends of the spectrum. The Eliminator was a top-end model, with bucket seats, center console, alloy wheels, the whole enchilada. The first year of the Eliminator, it was only offered in 2WD. The SporTruck was the base model. I have an '88. Bench seat, idiot lights, the ungly "station wagon" steering wheel. rubber floor mat instead of carpet, only one side mirror and it's a cheapie, screw-to-the-door type, not the XJ style, and base model 15x6 steel rims.