mvusse

Pinion angle depends on type of driveshaft, there is a good diagram floating around somewhere. With a stock style driveshaft, stock pinion angle will be correct. If you go SOA, you would need about 6.5" lift in front to make it look right. In that case you probably also need to lengthen your driveshaft although you may be able to get away with your stock one and a longer slip yoke.

Still uses 1310 series u joints, so your driveshaft will be fine as far as that goes. The nose on the D44 is about an inch or so longer than a D35, so you might *possibly* have to have your driveshaft shortened a bit if you don't lift your truck. And I doubt the majority of D44s came behind a 4 cylinder. Why would they put the heavier duty axle behind the least powerful engine? AFAIK they came with the tow package, which automatically meat 4.0/automatic, or could be ordered separately as a "heavy duty rear axle" on older Cherokees. On Comanches they also came with the Metric Tonne/Big Ton package, but that package was never available on the Cherokee. Newer Cherokees got a 8.25" if no ABS or D35 if ABS.

IIRC, Cherokee in stock trim is 2900 something. Comanche is over 3K. I think 4500 is a conservative number with 5000 being more realistic, add 2000 for the trailer and you're looking t 7000 pounds. While some 1/2 tons trucks could probably handle that, I would go 3/4. Trucks are weird anymore, though. My 1/2 ton Suburban had 6 lug axles, my 3/4 ton van has 5 lug.... Used to be Chevy/GMC 1500 meant half ton, but my buddies 1500HD (with factory rear steer!) Silverado sits on 8 lug axles with a baby 14 bolt under the rear.

I don't think the main thing about this storm is not it's intensity, but rather the sheer size of the thing. 22' waves off Lake Michigan in Chicago, when the center of the storm is in NY... I have friends on Lake Erie who posted photos and videos last night; just spectacular.

He can get scrap for the axles (which are definitely NOT Rockwells btw.), but he will most likely have to pay to dispose of the tires.

A D44 is unlikely as it has the cheap steel wheels. Probably a mostly bare bones model like the Purple People Eater used to be: radio delete, no dash clock, no cigar lighter....

I'm assuming the 85 has the 2.8 V6. The owner probably thnks 6 cylinder = 4.0, not knowing the difference between the GM V6 and the Jeep straight 6.

Don't know how far you can talk him down, but with likely rust issues hiding under the paint/bondo and being 24 years old. I would think it is worth barely half of that. Then again, my daughter drove Wilbur to school one day week before last, and it looks every bit as beat up as it actually is. Class mate offer $3000 for it out of the blue. She just laughed at him, saying the tires alone cost half of that. Then again, if I were willing to sell it, I would take that offer in a heartbeat. Maybe they have gotten to be worth more than I realized.

All depends on the year. The older square looking Dakotas I think are about the same size as an MJ.

After the first replacement seal on the Sterling went bad I would have replaced the drive shaft u joints and taken it to a shop to be checked for straightness and balance.

The on on the tailgate is a factory emblem. Sometimes there is one on the tailgate, more often there are two of them on the bed sides near the back, or on the cab underneath the vents behind the doors.

Simple, really, find an axle (or reuse your old one if not a D35), cut off spring perches (and shock mounts if applicable), buy new spring perches and shock mounts (Ruff Stuff Specialties makes some nice ones), have them welded on, buy new u bolts, get a pair of Cherokee u bolts plates, buy longer shocks and brake hose, possibly have a longer driveshaft made. Lift the front 6.5" to match the rear. That last one is the expensive part. Then you will need larger tires so it won't look funny. 33x10.50 will fit on stock 7" rims, but even without wheels this step is almost as expensive as the front lift. Then because of the larger tires you need to regear the axles. That will probably cost in between the front lift and the tires. If reusing your old driveshaft, expect to have to replace the old u joints in it soon afterwards. Main thing is to get the pinion angle correct on the new axle. Total cost will be ~$3000-$3500. The actual SOA conversion is the cheap part, it's everything else that adds up.

The 2.5 is somewhat related to the 4.0, but I don't know if that makes a difference or not. I know the 4.0 seems to like the good old fashioned copper Champions best.

I've been planning to go to Bundy Hill for over a year now, but something always comes up. Still 3 trips to go this year, assuming I have money for gas and I don't break something on the first or second trip and Wilbur will be parked for 6 months or longer to undergo major surgery. Maybe next year.

Problem with the needle fitting is, you would still have to remove it to temporarily install a 90 degree fitting to be able to grease it without removing the axle shaft. Except it takes a flat screwdriver to remove, which can't fit unless you first remove the axle shaft anyway.

In that case I would check engine and transmission mounts. That's one issue I have never experienced myself. Also, why did you replace spark plugs, but not the wires, distributor cap and rotor? They all usually get replaced together.

Depends on how far. I wouldn't tow anything over 1000 pounds for any distance with a D35 rear axle. And back to the balljoints, Autozone and Advance loan a small ball joint press kit for $100 deposit. This kit does not have all needed adapters. You need to borrow the big $160 dollar kit. Also, bot ball joints go out the bottom, you're going to have a lot of fun if you try to press the bottom one out the top. Don't ask me how I know.

The axle shafts clear the grease fitting just fine, but you can't grease them without removing the axle shaft And a 90 degree fitting is too big causing the axle shaft (u joint ears) to hit it. I have a tiny little bolt in mine to plug the hole, when it is time to grease them I turn the wheel so I have access to the bolt between the u joint ears, remove the bolt, screw in a 90 degree fitting, grease it, remove the fitting and replace the bolt. Sounds like a bigger pain than it really is.

Does it ALWAYS do it AS SOON as it hits 4th gear, or just most of the time around that speed? Automatic transmission? Put the lever in 3 to keep it from shifting into overdrive (4th) and run the speed up to 65 or 70mph. I'm thinking you might be experiencing death wobble, which would be a problem with the front steering/suspension and has nothing to do with the engine or transmission.

Running 235/75R15 on a 4 cylinder with 3.55 gears I usually cruise 70 on the freeway.75 is no problem, don't know about top speed. Same tires and gears and same ration on a 4.0/automatic I've been over 100 a few times with pedal to spare.

Welcome from a fellow Dutchman, although I haven't lived in The Netherlands since 1987. Sorry, Can't help you with a 1987 Comanche, though. I have two and am not willing to sell either one of them...

Yes, and that is the best, easiest and cheapest way to go to boot.

And yet everything is fine when you jumpstart it.

It is not a one weekend job, so if I were to buy a 2.5 to be a body donor I wouldn't buy it unless the body and frame were pretty much completely dent and rust free.