mvusse

According to the manual, anything over 1000 pounds requires trailer brakes. Now my trailer weighs 1200 pounds dry, and I've had it loaded over 3000 for a gross weight of ~4500 pounds. towing with both the MJ and the XJ. Just short distances, though. I will not tow it with the XJ ever again when fully loaded. Every turn (zig zag township road) it pushed my @$$ end sideways. Only way to keep it straight was to brake before the turn, when still going straight, then power it through, keeping the vehicle pulling on the trailer so the trailer can't push. The MJ doesn't have this problem hardly at all. Counterintuitive because of I imagine less weight on the rear axle. May be the longer wheel base. Problem I have with the MJ is stopping it downhill with a stop sign at the bottom. Twice now I have ran that stop sign with the brakes to the floor. Rear brakes have been upgraded, still can't stop it downhill fully loaded. Next upgrade will be a dual diaphragm booster under the hood and brakes on the trailer. The XJ can stop it, but I have to watch it, because it takes close to locked up brakes to do so. And the moment they lock up the trailer jackknifes. XJ has no problem keeping 60 mph up hill, but I have to downshift to 4th, and once to 3rd on a very steep hill (9% grade). That's with a smidge larger than stock tires (235/75R15) and stock 3.07 gears. MJ has more trouble, but it has stock gears (3.55, auto trans) with 33" tires. It can only keep up ~45 on that hill with the pedal to the floor. For fairly frequently towing 3000 pounds for long distance, Comanches are too light, and don't have good enough brakes. I would consider a full size rig. Towing the same trailer with the Suburban I'd have to check the rear view mirror to make sure it was still there when empty, and when fully loaded it was barely noticeable, and only while braking. The only time I can compare it to the MJ towing my fully loaded trailer was when I had a 15,000 pound hauler loaded with 2 Bobcats (753 series) behind it. But then again, that should have been towed by a dump truck...

That has got to be the smallest 5th wheel I've ever seen. Only time I've seen a 5th wheel behind a mid size truck was a Dakota pulling a 20 footer.

I run RuffStuff spring perches (they're 7 or 8" long), and have no more axle wrap than I had spring under.

SOA will usually give you ~6" of lift. Coupled with 6.5" in the front it looks good, and is about the right height for 33s. You can run 33x10.50 with 4.5" in the front, but 33x12.50 can be problematic with anything less than 6.5". And Eagle, is that table you posted your general solution for any engine/transmission, or specifically a 4.0 stick shift?

The stock ratio for a 4.0/5 speed is 3.07. 3.55 gears will give you very close to the same final drive ratio running a 32 or 33" tire.

Hitting just the "right" bump in the road can set if off. To check the track bar, have someone move the steering wheel left and right as you lay under the vehicle watching it, especially the frame end. Putting a concrete block against the outside of each front wheel will make it more obvious. As said above, dry rotted bushing in the control arms are a contributing factor. From your symptoms I wouldn't rule out one or more bad ball joints either.

You don't trust ANY 35, Pete, reworked or not.

It says "pipe bender". Does it have the correct molds for tubing? They are NOT the same thing.

Guys, he's made up his mind about the 4.3. Anyway, when you start tearing into it, please start a build thread with lots of pictures. Always interesting to follow a new build.

Are you saying Jeep 4.0s have problems with piston slap or timing chains? I never heard that. A 4.3 is 3/4 of a 350/5.7. In 160,000 miles in my Suburban I went through 2 intake manifold gaskets, 2 sets of head gaskets and 3 timing chains. The 350 (and 4.3) is a reliable engine for GM standards. I would take a Jeep 4.0 over a 4.3 any day, though. Either way, do they make bolt in engine mounts for a Comanche (or Cherokee, same engine bay)? Would they actually be strong enough bolted to a unibody "frame" that is just a few layers of sheet metal stacked on top of each other? Since you seem to think you can fabricate everything else, you should have the skill and tools to fabricate something as simple as an engine mount for much less than $140, and make them exactly where and how high you want them.

I'm guessing the rear line rotted through somewhere and it was "fixed" by pinching the line shut.

I was taught that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all... :razz: :rotf: :banana: ;)

Of course it's best to have the perches at the right angle so you don't need shims, but I personally don't think shims are a bad thing. Within reason. Don't stack shims, only use one per side, and I wouldn't go any thicker than 3 degrees tops.

Closing up on 3000 here, but I share my obsession between this site and JeepSkool.com.

Not that I could afford it, but a diesel Wrangler would be awesome. And I guess the Comanche was ahead of it's time. Chrysler killed the unibody Comanche in favor of it's body on frame Dakota. Now the Dakota gets killed and replaced by a unibody truck. And what's wrong with the Ridgeline? I happen to like it.

I don't know. Do you more often drive it with the extra weight, or without? Maybe go in between? That would be a personal choice.

Rental on the twin minis is not realistic. Guy at Southington Hunt Club owns a mini (one of 8 privately owned in the USA) and is the owner of a gun store. He reloads his own ammo for ~$0.75 per round. A 200 round burst takes about 3 seconds. So twin guns for 30 seconds sustained is 4000 rounds, or $3000 of ammo if reloaded. More if store bought.

I installed the axle under the truck with everything bolted together, byt the perches not welded on yet. I adjusted the pinion angle with a yack under the pinion housing, and when I had it where it needed to be tack welded the perches in place. I then took everything apart again and took the axle to a local welding shop to have the perches permanently burned on as I lack a welder big enough to do that. He use the largest arc welder I've seen in my life, and it cost me $20.

I just measured to also say 42 center to center is correct. 6.25" from the flange the backing plate bolts to to the center of the perch. For a stock style drive shaft (single u-joint at each end) the pinion shaft of the axle and the output shaft of the transfer case should be parallel, so both u joints have the same angle. Not parallel can cause drive line vibrations. Some people go a few degrees below, so that under load it will be parallel, but the pinion shaft on an 8.25" is very low, and I don't want my drive shaft any lower than it already is. For a double cardan shaft (single u joint on lower end, double u joint on upper end, like the stock front drive shaft on a 4wd), the lower u joint should be straight, or the pinion shaft of the axle in line with the drive shaft. Again, anything else can cause vibrations. I would like to get a sye and double cardan shaft to get my drive shaft up higher out of harm's way, but on my truck that puts the pinion bearing higher than the axle vent hole meaning I can't have enough oil in the axle to keep the pinion bearing lubricated.

For the spacing of the perches, go off your old axle. We need more information for tha angle. Like what style drive shaft?

On things like thermostat housing ot diff cover, I never saw the need to use a gasket if you're using RTV. Vice versa, there's no need to use RTV if you use a gasket. Never had a leak either.

All 3 arms are 90 degrees. As far as I know, the 23 gallon tank and the 18 (16?) gallon lwb tank are the same height. Will measure tonight.

Had a chance to get it on a chassis dyno for $50 a couple weeks back. Didn't have $50 at the time :(

Golf carts should be banned. They are death traps! A few years back my nephew was riding shotgun when my niece was driving a golf cart around their property (drive in theatre). Someone yelled "WATCH OUT!", she hit the brakes, he got launched head first into a steel pole. 5 stitches and a concussion.

The steering column is made by Saginaw, so any GM steering wheel will fit.