CWLONGSHOT

Send him a note and ask him to measure them. Eye to eye and width. To me they look pretty long! If they come up close to 5" eye to eye and 2.5" in wide, your in!!! Other than that, they would work fine. CW

I don't understand...the stop lights SHOULD'NT come on when you pull the switch???? Or was this just a typo? :oops: Have you gotten your self a cheap tester w continuity? Have you tested the grounds to see if you have them everywhere? I am still saying the problem is either the pinched wires from the accident or the switch in combonation with a groin==und problem. These things are a PAIN to diaginose and take many hours to track down. Be dilligent and look carefully. If you can't get a meter, get a couple long wires, run them directly to the batt and try to see if the lights will work with these wires as a test. IE you KNOW it will have a good ground this way and you can be positive of that once tested. CW

I do it just as Cooter describes...grinding around the circumference trying not to go too deep as this will weaken the tube. If you do, you could always fill with weld and grind smooth afterwards. Weld is hard stuff so it can take some time. Get yourself some wheel cleaner (Looks like a hardened stick of rubber cement) and keep the disc clean and it will cut better. CW

I had a bulb blow a week or so back. It was one of the tail lights. i took it appart and replaced both bulds with brandy new ones. For the past week the marker light circut would blow the fuse after about ten minutes driving. It was strange, it would barely blow the fuse, I mean barely. Usually when a fuse blows, it burns up half of the visible metal inside. Not mine, it would be a tiny break, just enough to not make contact. I checked and re-checked everything!! I took everything back apart, cleaned and regreased all the sockets. I removed, cut and recrimped the ground leggs and reinstalled in new holes all with die electric grease for good measure. Problem was still there!! I was stumped! Then, during a phone conversation with my dear old dad. He reminded me of something, Just cause its new, dosen't mean its not the problem. Guess what it was...a faulty bulb!!! I couldn't see anything wrong with it...but I went to a different store and bought new bulbs and re-installed them....and wallah...problems GONE!!! You never know!! Good luck, CW

Good luck!! Sorry if I offended, didnt mean to suggest you didnt know what you where speaking of. But the way your first post read, it left me wondering. On the dozen or so XJ/YJ/MJ's I have worked on the vacuum is hooked to a little blue vacuum switch on the pass side inner fender. That is wired to the dash to show the 4x4 light to shine if and when there is vacuum to it. The Posi-lok has a contact switch inside as you describe. Let us know what you find!! CW

It's likely some one has swapped them out at some point. Have you owned this Jeep from day one? Then again, Jeep DID do some strange things thru the years.....I have measured three different MJ shackles all thought to be stock and all measured 5". I have a set here that I bought off Ebay that where supposed to be factory MJ and they too ate 5" eye to eye. CW

First off, you have some things mixed up, but I think you are on the right track as far as the linkages are binding. The vacuum on the front axle does two things. It puts vacuum to the diaphragm, which moves the fork and slides the collar to engage the inner and outer axles AND sends vacuum up to a switch on the pass side inner fender making the light on your dash light up. The Vacuum lines at the X-case do nothing in the shifting of the case. When the case is shifted it allows vacuum to run thru different lines and engage the front axle as previously described. In other words the vacuum has nothing to do with the Xcase's ability to shift into any gear. BUT, if it is faulty it can NOT send vacuum to the front axle in effect disabling the front axle. The drive shaft WILL still be spinning, but because of the OPEN front diff power is just sent to the pass side half shaft and NOT to either wheel. Thats why open diffs suck off road, the send power to the tire that is easiest to turn...got it? Now back to your problem....does the light come on the dash when you shift into 4wd and then back off when shifted out? This will not necessarily happen instantly, the collar must be moved back and fourth and sometimes the splines on the shafts done align up right away. A bit of very slow rolling helps. If so, it would appear the vacuum is working as required. Now back at the Xcase, dis assemble the shift linkage and shift tranny into neutral. (Be sure tires are safely chocked...don't need you getting squished!) You may need to get something to give you some more leverage. Say a deep socket and a 6-8" extension. You should be able to shift the Xcase thru its gears, 2wdHI-4wdHI-neutral-4wdLO. It should feel solid/firm as it clunks into every gear. I am expecting you find that the linkage is the culprit. I have had seen NUMEROUS XJ's with the linkages SO RUSTED they couldn't be freed enough to use again! If you Xcase will not shift in thei manor manually. Its likely it needs a tear down. If you fint the culprit IS the linkage you could try to remove and soalk it in PB Blaster but its likely you will just need to replace it. This is all assuming you have a 231 Xcase. Because it has a vac disco axle it came from the factory with a 231...but that dosen't mean its got one now! GOOD LUCK, CW

XJ shackles are 3" long while MJ shackles are 5" long. SO, using MJ shackles on and XJ nets you about 1" of lift, just like REGGER said. As for specfic, MJ shackles, best I could find was .75" lifted XJ shackles. Those will equate to only about a .25 loss of height in your MJ. I also got my hands on a set of chevy shackles that are 5" eye to eye and quite HD . This is a great candidate for the MJ!!! Good luck, CW

http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/re_db.html#arms

This will net you almost 5" of lift. Thats really a bit much for the fact legnth CA's, your caster will be quite a bit off. Do you have an adj Track bar? You will need to readjust that as well. YES you could do it, but it would be better with at lease lower adjustable CA's. CW

The one thing I will add is be sure the shackles are gusseted. IE have something between the sides offering better support and resisting twisting. Without it your rear will feel mushy in corners. Remember to achieve 2" of lift you will be looking at a shackle that is 9" hole to hole..thats a mighty long shackle!!! (The factory is 5".) CW

Swapping axles or doing a SOA setup will have no bearing on the rear brakes or the proportioning valve. Its part of the brake system, not the axle, and NEEDS to be hooked up to funtion as intended. You do have the option of eliminating it as many have. But just not hooking it back up is a really bad idea. If you wanna try it without the valve, you will need to afix it in the fully open position, IE UP. Zip ties will work, but be sure it cannot come loose as you could loose all rear brakes. Doing this will cause you to have full braking to the rear axle, all the time. I did this for a time and it was fine, I could get the rears to lock up before the fronts, but it was not unexpected as every PU I have owned would do that. Later I swapped in a XJ proportioning valve and called it good. EAGLE, has written some great threads on this topic. Do a search and read up. He has even cut a factory front block in half to see how it funtions. There are pics somewhere.... Good luck, CW

I will say its one of two things. 1) a bad headlight switch 2) AND /OR a badly pinched wire loom. You have to begin tracing. A couple questions. Did this just start happening, or was it this way forever? If it just started, what have you recently done. Been wheeling? Someone else use the vehicle? Has it been hit/ in fender bender? There are a set of major wires, running around/behind the grill on the drivers side behind the bumper/brill. A good hit there can pinch/cut the harness there resulting in what you are evperiencing. If no to any accident, I would get yourself a new headlight switch. These can be a bugger to change. There is a little button on the top that must be depressses to remove the center pin. Allowing you to remove the bpdy of the switch from under the dash. If you haven't done this. I would recomend your aquireing the new switch before attempting removal of the old. That way you can see how the switch comes apart, before hand, once you reach in to remove switch, you have to feel your way, there is no room to see anything. Good luck, CW

I bought these buckets with the brackets attached. I am not sure what they actually are. The seats are the style that "rock". I and the brackets from my bench, but you only get two and you need four.........You muxt know something I havent figured out yet.....spill it already! :-D :D :-D Yea, I smack my head of I don't get enough of my arse on the seat before tipping my head in... :shock: ..This has proved more difficult since I lifted it almost 6" taller and added 33's. :D :wink: CW

I'm not a small guy by any streach either...6' tall, 245lbs, #12 shoe. Since my bucket seat swap the head room is a bit tight and friends laugh watching me et in and out....(Seats are a bit higher). But once in I manage, tilt wheel would be nice but I don't rub against it while driving. The wheel is in the way of the gages. I am tall from the waist up, only 32" inseam jeans. :shock: To tell the truth, I am only bothered, because I can no longer ware my cowboy hat in the truck!! :D :P I have new headliner to put in and in a couple weeks I'm gonna remove my buckets and see if I can cut the height down and reweld back together. It was fine for room before the XJ buckets went in. But I LOVE the comfort they offer, I will NOT be going back to the bench even if I cannot cut them down! CW

This would be my choice as well!! CW

22/25 here...... I of the opnes I got wrong, knew the right answer...DOAH...OH well! Nice find!! I posted on my clubs web site as well!! CW

Ahh....Linkie no workie... :D :shock: CW

I think its fair to say that you "COULD" run ANY axle out there. I am not fermilular with the stregnth of the housing itself. the rest is likely just fine, but if it isnt housed in a stout case, you got yourself another D35!! My 2cents... CW

This was my first impression upon reading your "life" story. :D I am going to assume the linkage is badly rusted, so it wouldnt allow total and complete engagment into the desired gear. As others have said, if the "frame" and flors are solid and there is little rust on the body and rockers, i think you did FINE on the price. Keep it and invest in a nice fun little truck!! CW

YEA....WHAT HE SAID!!! :D :D

If this is the V6 axle it has quite a following. It is very stout as well as about the profile of the D35. meaning you get a much stronger axle with out dragging you arse around!! the down falls are the need to fiddle with metric brake lines/threads and the bolt pattern difference from front to rear after the install. As it was said to me, Someone has to be the gunie pig...you might as well be him!!! :-D :D CW

Worry not my friend...it all good!! BTW, Thanks for the ride!! CW

MJeff87, I am using the factory hangers. Its just that, that pic was snapped as I was installing and I hadn't finished buttoning it all up yet. If you look close, you will also see there is no rear muffler clamp on the glass pac CHERRY BOMB!! :shock: Here is how it looks now: I used a better quality aftermarket hanger in the very rear. You can see by the pic I moved it over a couple inches form the factory mount. I have the 4.0 and like the sound, not aweful loud and NOTHING like the ricers with the soup can exhausts!! :twisted: :evil: :x CW

Many moons ago, I would knock out the stuffing out of cats....OH wait, that is another forum... :oops: :shock: But seriously, this is not the best plan of attack, cats really do serve a purpose and its not to ruin your performance! I picked up a replacement hi-flow cat for my MJ when I first got it. Then a couple months ago, the muffler cracked! SO, in went a Cherry bomb. Sounds nice, good power and I'm LEGAL!!! I came out the back, straight. Just peeking out under the bumper with a rolled chrome tip. CW