gogmorgo

That doesn't surprise me at all, considering when they were built, the roads that existed between towns were much more fun than most are today. And by fun I mean that most people wouldn't even attempt to drive a modern car on them.

I've also found that some publications (Haynes manual!) have the wires wrong on the diagram. Note the location of the dizzy cap screws below: Haynes manual, WRONG!: Correct placement: The firing order is correct, per se, but the Haynes manual shows #1 cylinder right next to a cap screw, not between the two. Although if the timing light is right on, this likely isn't your issue. But I did have it rear it's ugly head on me once, and trying to fix it before I realized what happened I got the distributor a couple teeth out. But since your timing light shows right on 0° a #1TDC maybe not so much? Or isn't there supposed to be at least a bit of advance?

Doing it in low range will also add drivetrain drag to the system which could impede the start, at least in my mind. Lower gears will turn the motor more quickly at a given wheel speed but will also increase the force required to make it turn. Higher gears do the opposite, slower turning speeds but more resistance. I still haven't managed to bump start my '92 4.0 XJ, although I've only tried twice. The battery in it is either worthless or there's a huge drain, charging system seems to work (voltmeter sits at 14 the whole time) but it was on a charger overnight when I picked it up, and it started great twice there and didn't have enough juice to crank it over after I stalled in the driveway (oops) after the 40-mile drive home. But otherwise it runs and drives great. The hill I tried on is maybe 10% grade and 100ft long, so should be a no-brainer. First time I let in the clutch in 3rd about half-way down the hill, but no bueno. I then reattempted at the bottom in second, also no good. The second time I attempted to start it down the hill, I went for 1st gear about 1/3 of the way down the hill, and left skid marks when I let the clutch back in. Figuring I let the engaged the clutch too quickly, I let it out more slowly towards the bottom of the hill, still in first, and it spun the engine over a couple times but didn't catch before it slid (again leaving skid marks) to a stop. If it happens again, I think I'll try for second about half-way. When boosting it, it always requires a couple revolutions before it fires, and I've read it usually takes a couple to "wake up" the ECU after a completely dead battery, and also that the Renix's are worse than the HO's for that. But in my mind it makes more sense there simply isn't enough juice to prime the fuel pump. My take-home is there may not be enough distance in your "small runway" if it's a dead battery.

I think I remember someone posting on here within the last year that they can still be had new from Mopar. I believe there was also a Dorman one that would work, possibly for an F150? Yup, my memory's good. Brought up a thread that mentions both: http://comancheclub.com/topic/48372-a-little-rear-shackle-info/ As a pointer, the search feature built into this site is sub-optimal. I've found that doing a google search including the term site:comancheclub.com to limit results to this domain is more helpful.

The only full-size truck available with a manual any more is the Ram and then only behind the Cummins. My friend just picked up a 2016 Colorado with a manual, but per the dealer the only way he could get one was with the absolute base model, four-cylinder, only colour option was white and they didn't even put seats in the extended cab. Seems like that's the case with most of the vehicles that still have a manual option. The Renegade has a manual option, but again only behind the four-banger as well. It makes sense in a way, given how most people aren't really interested in driving while they're behind the wheel, and from a manufacturer's point of view because they'd want to be in control of how the vehicle is being driven as much as possible, so they don't risk their reputation being ruined by someone who doesn't know how to use the product given how rapidly things go viral now, but it really does suck for the few "enthusiasts" still out there.

Wrecking yard? You might see something on the classifieds here, maybe eBay. Good luck!

If there is crud in the tank plugging it up, it would also be showing up in the filter. Pop it off and dump it out, just to see. Probably wouldn't hurt to change it either if it's been a while. Something that also happens sometimes is that the rubber hose in the tank is worn out, and the stress of pulling it off and onto the new pump can cause it to fail, so the pump will still run but just pump right back into the tank. What brand fuel pump did you get? Some of the parts-store brands have been known to be problematic.

Another word on the above. My MJ knocked sporadically when I first got it. Took me a while to figure out where it came from, as the knocking was also accompanied by symptoms similar to a fuel pump failure. Turned out the bellhousing bolts had come loose, and that fixed the knock. Six months later I noticed another knock. Turned out it was a cracked flexplate. It ran and drove fine, and took me about six months before I got around to replacing it, and the new flexplate cured the knock. Three months after that, it started knocking again. My oil pressure had been low for a while, but I pushed it a little too hard and the the knock started. It was also accompanied by the magical appearance of glitter in the oil. Unlike the other knocks, this one got worse very quickly. As long as your oil is free of glitter, you'll likely be fine, although the knocking does indicate something's not right somewhere, and you'll probably still want to look into it.

And the Canadian spec: I've only actually ever seen one US-Spec one, but I thought they only went to 85mph. Like this one:

So in other words there's nothing super special about the gauge itself, it's not a higher-end gauge or anything, just one that happens to go higher than the regular US-spec ones with a "sticker" on it?

Welcome to the madness! I would personally avoid photobucket. My experience is more problems than solutions. Any third-party image host will work, so long as you can get a url for the image file. I use imgur.com for most of mine, and occasionally Facebook — although you need to have virtually no privacy on stuff, and also Facebook inexplicably and randomly changes their image urls, so it can be a PITA for anything you want to be semi-permanent. Hope to see pictures of it soon! I enjoy seeing foreign-market Jeeps, just because there are slight differences in the vehicle itself and also the modification cultures.

Beyond the fonts not matching, I think I would be mostly okay with that. The blue gauge indicating something special going on. But at the same time, what's so special about the calibration? Seems like variation in tire pressure as they change temperature would negate any sort of precision in the gauge.

The issue with going to 33's is the front tires will rub on the lower control arms as you approach steering lock. Spacing the wheels out will prevent that, but then you'll hit the fenders with the tires.

As long as the valve is hooked up, it's opening and closing partially as the rear suspension cycles, so it can always wear out. As far as adjusting the rod, I think the only way that could happen is if the rod gets bent, which if anything would just increase rear braking. Also the above.

Except you don't need or want a drop pitman arm...

I've seen this one come up on Kijiji a few times. Started out asking something like 15,000 for it I think.

I've actually since upgraded to a small lightweight dome tent my grandpa gave me. It takes up much less space in my backpack. Told me he got it for $5 at a garage sale. The stuff pictured was actually about ten times that, cause it involved a reasonable quality recovery strap. I've been looking pretty hard at this thing the last little while. My parents got it not long before I was born, and growing up we dragged it all over the place. Lots of memories. Unfortunately as kids grow up family road trips become few and far between, so that picture is the farthest it's gone in about 10 years, maybe a total of 200 feet while rearranging stuff after I picked up another XJ back in May. So it needs some work, but it's still a tidy little survivor of a unit. Dry place to sleep, propane fridge and stove, light enough to move around by hand... it would be nice to get it fixed up again, but that's another project on an increasingly long list.

Recovery strap, ratchet strap, and a tarp. Pull the sleeping bag over your face if the bugs are bad.

Generally steering wheel misalignment is taken care of by adjusting the drag link. I don't think you'll want a drop pitman arm, as it will screw up your steering geometry. If you draw a line between the end points of the track bar, the line should be parallel with a similar line drawn through the end points of the drag link.

The first couple seconds should answer it visually, as both ball joints are only partway in. I would suggest avoiding the shop that can't figure out the uppers go in from the top. It's pretty obvious once you're in there.

But the undercarriage probably isn't caked in mud...

I've seen pictures of your truck. I have a hard time believing you'd let any part of it get dirty enough to cause it to malfunction...

... Cleaning it out and resealing is a 20-minute $5 job (free if you already have brake cleaner, rtv or silicon, and dielectric grease) that should last you a couple hundred thousand miles. Excellent write-up. Pull it off, split it open, clean it out, pack it full of grease, run a bead of sealant around the edge, reassemble and reinstall.

It is for me. Maybe you aren't signed in?

I'll have to check out my small collection of D30's. Got a '91 CAD from my MJ and '93 non-CAD from an XJ. Also a '92 D30 under my 2-door, but it's at my parents' house and I honestly don't remember much about it.