CWLONGSHOT

http://www.kevinsjeepparts.com/tbconversion.html

Question 1 YES I think I used a 1996 nose. You can use the vent in the bolt OR retap a new one. Question 2 NO Only one line is a actual brake line. Cannot remember which is the one you wnat...do a search on rear proportioning valve. there ia MUCH infor here to read. But anyway, all you really need to do is to "zip" tie it in the up position and you will be bypassing its purpose.

Just call, email SPENCE MAHAR @ mahar design nipeej@snet.net He is a good guy and will make anything you would want for stickers. A number of guys have used his services here and love his work!!! Tell him I sent ya! CW

First off, WHAT A DAY HERE!!! It was 70 degrees, sunny and its Janbuary 6!!!! Well, while I was waiting for the electritions to do their thing on the electric, I decided to put in the Kevins Track bar conversion unit. It went VERY easy, no hangups at all!! All bolts for the factory frame mount came right off. I decided to change out the top ones to Grade 8 1/2" bolts of the same legnth. The bottom two, vertical ones are actually studs so I left them. My buddie, Art (Eagle knows him too) stopped by to see it go in and lend a hand!! Thanks man!!! ALL NOISES are GONE!!! VERY solid feeling I only drove it about ten miles, but its WAY better than it was with the fagged out bushing!!! CW

Adsolutly right Oizarod, I WAS talking about the LAZY ARSES out there. Not the people that got the crappy end of the stick! I lost a good friend to this aweful disease about ten years ago... Take life one day at a time and live it to the fullest!! God bless! CW

Just wait guys...Enjoy this near debt free time while you can. Soon enough you will have a house PMT, utilities PMT(electric/ oil/ gas), Credit cards PMT, car TAX, Property TAX. OH, please DO NOT read your pay stud thats attached to your pay check, you will see about 1/3 of what you earn go's to the slobs that don't work and live off the rest of US!!!! Personally, Tonight I just dumped $350 into a new hot water heater, and Last week, $2000 in a new furnace!!! Tomarrow will cost me another $1500 for an electric upgrade here on my house!! Sometime it seems like when it rains it poors!! Thank god we budgeted for the furnace and the electric work!! Also THANK GOD I work in the industry and can do most of this myself!!! Sorry for the reality check, but you are gonna see it soon enough!!! To all the guys who know and live this stuff....SO SORRY for the reminder!! CW

I agree with others suggestions. Personally, I would first look at the cylinder. I am thinking the die-electric grease thats in there is frozen and not allowing stuff to make propper contact. New bat cables are also good adjice but i do not think this is your ONLY problem. CW

Yeah, with 6" of lift and 32s you have enough clearance to mostly avoid the "rock magnet" problem. At 4" of lift on 31s, the brackets are hardly any higher off the ground than the stock LCA pockets on an unlifted vehicle, but you're trying to drive over bigger rocks. Even so, at 6" of lift and 32s the brackets aren't any higher than an otherwise stock vehicle with a budget boost. Well, I am sitting near 7" of lift and 33" tires. This rig will be wheeled, but its primairly my daily driver. Even when its wheeled, its only going on easy/modeate trails, my TJ is the hard core rig. The MJ has WAY too little departure angles for anything to serious. A for the Long arms, I haven't seen any that use a rubber bushing. Poly is OK, but I will never run heims on the street and thats what most LA's I have seen use. CW

I second this vote. I have pooly in my front control arms, and they suck. The new shackles I just put on the rear came with poly bushings for the frame end, and I don't have a problem there, but I think the bushings in the leaf should remain rubber. Absolutely, stay with the factory rubber bushings!! CW

Alright, who is running RE drop brackets and what do you think? I was not a fan from the stand point of having things hanging down under the jeep to hang up on stuff. But want to do something towards a better ride as this MJ will remain my DD for some time. Long arms are out. Because its built for a XJ, what is invilved with putting them on a MJ? Anything special I should know before I order them?? LMK!! CW

It looks hard, but actually this went pretty easy! Did you remember to remove the retaining clips from the inside of the ears first? One side was SUPPER rusty and the clips disintegrated when I hit them! I used the two sockets & BFH method, for removal. A 1 1/16" socket, centered underneath and a 5/8" on top. Hit the 5/8" with a BFH. Out they come. You have to be sure you give the bottom cap a place to go, thats why you use a 1 1/16 socket on the bottom. Once everything is appart, clean and inspect for damage and problems. then apply a light coat of oil to the inside of the "bores" where the new joints caps seat. Re-assembly is easiest with a big vice. Start from the bottom. be careful none of the bearings flll over. Keep the stem of the joint as deeply seated as possible while pushing cap in. New seat the first cap and install its clip. Finish with opposite side cap, set with BFH and socket, install clip. Will look like this: Image Not Found Now repeat for other side. Then finished off with a hammer/socket. Finally, a couple blows on each cap with a dead blow hammer to set everything. If we where closer, I would show you, I have another set to do this week end. CW

Here is what I did after I squished mine in the rocks!! CW

Not as it sits, no. The wheel base of the two models is different. 101" for the XJ, 113" for the SWB MJ and 120" for the LWB MJ. I imagion you could use the XJ tail pipe and add some to the intermediate pipe....but never tried it. CW

Got the brakes on the 44 done tonight. Also got new U-joints installed in my spare set of D30 axles. I then installed the new Unit bearings on the axles. I'm ready for install after the re-gearing. Image Not Found Image Not Found Image Not Found CW

SWB = 113 LWB= 120 1986 models w/metric ton where AMC20's all other years where D44's. D44 In a MJ: Image Not Found Image Not Found D35 in a MJ: AMC 20 in a MJ: Cannot find the pic I hijacked from Pete...maybe he can throw one up for you to see.... CW

I like it too. I put it on my TJ last spring. Part of the reason for getting it on the MJ, is bacause I have already purchased a full set of TRE's as trail spares. So I won't need another set for the MJ, if both jeeps have the same stuff! Its nice and beefy and mucho strong. It eliminates the dreaded inverted Y steering and the problems with TRE angles on tall lifts. PLUS the people there are AWESOME to deal with!!! CW

I got the Kevins TB conversion today!! Looks really nice. Install VERY soon!!!

:needpics:

VERY WELL SAID!!! :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: Doing research makes you a better informed consumer. This is the best bet you have to making a good decision on whats best for you and your rig!! CW

Good job guys!!! I am the membership director of my club as well as a moderator on our BBS. Your darn tootin its tough!!! Pretty much thankless as well!! Unless ofcoarse, you mod someone's post for cursing then your called all kinds of names!! :oops: :eek: Any way, I sympathize!! GOOD JOB!! CW

The Lo-pinion will work just fine for most XJ/MJ jeeps. Not the best for higher lifts but just fine. To the best of my knoledge, all ZJ's D30's where lo pinion. Yes they are weaker as they utalize a crush sleeve for the pinion and run on the weaker side of the ring gear. But I know a guy in my club palying his XJ VERY HARD with TJ front axle and 35" MTR's. NO breakage...yet. If you find one for the right price, you only havw say 3-4" of lift I say, go for it. CW

Take some 13/16th machine washers and put them between the TRE and steering knuckle, below the dust boot. It'll stop the tie-rod from rolling and remove the vaugeness. And bumpsteer is really more where you hold the wheel straight and hit a bump, and even though the wheel is still straight the tires turn due to the suspension travel. Basically, if you hit a speedbump and your truck pulls a lane change - you've got bumpsteer. this is a good tip, but a factroy part is avalible to help eliminate the TRE roll. its from a Jeep "J" series steering setup. I have them on the TJ with the JCR steering setup. JCR haden't herd of them either but couldnt find a reliable source so they are haveing them made fom poly and sold on thier site. they work quite well. As far as a rubber bushing wearing faster if over flexed, you are correct. But a properly set up track bar only goes up and down, it dosen't get twisted anywhere even near what a CA bushing does. Which is what I think you are refering to. CW

AGREED!! One thing to consider. I was in the market myself and was worned away from the 2000/01 XJ w/4.0L. Jeep went to the coil on plug setup that year and has had some problems with cracking heads. Its expensive to repair and still a bit to new to find reliable source at junk yards. Stick with a 1999. Just my 2 cents, CW

wrong buddy :) plasma cutter and a sawzall HEE HEE...Plasma cutter is one, and Sawsall makes two, :roll: ;) ;)

I don't take it as flaming at all. Here are my thoughts on your comments: 1) The RK TB itself looks fine, but the Heim on the frame end is a no go for me. Especially for a, on the street rig. Just too harsh and noisy. Their bracket is known to flex. Once member on my club has it and wasn't satisfied until we built a brace to attach it to the pass side frame rail. Then it was pretty good. 2) No real argument here, but stronger than stock...not so sure, It lacks some of the factory bends that provide mush twisting resistance. 3) RE bar itself fairly strong, but NOT as strong as the Kevins OR TNT bars. YES I have seen two bent one on the trail and one from another guy on the web. RE joints are better than a Heim but only because they are re buildable. 4) I'll argue about it weakness. I agree its dropped so it will have more stress on it than the factory designed it to have. BUT weakest of all, I do not think so. Same as the RK bracket. ALL will benefit from an additional brace running to the other frame rail as the Nth Degree TB set up has. The Kevins bas uses POLY bushings with an option for much stiffer bushings avalible to help combat really tough death wobbles troubles. I like the rubber bushings. They isolate vibes the best and provide adaquite stiffness at the same time. A Rubber bushing will outlast either the Poly, Heim or the RE/jonny joint by a long shot! The Nth degree is yet another one no one has mentioned.It also LOOKS, pretty good, but all I know about it is what I have read. It utilizes a factory WJ bar and ties both frame horns together. CW