mvusse

Considering the size is completely different and the wiring won't support separate turn signal and brake lights, it would mean major fabricating for them to fit and work.

D44 front has the same u joints as a D30. Neapco Bruteforce, Duralast Gold, Spicer 5-297x, Spicer 5-760x and the Alloy USA chromoly ones do not survive long under my truck running 35s (although the Alloy USA and the 5-760x ones do better than most). 37s and definitely 40s are going to need something with larger joints, unless you spent $300 each on CTM ones and get chromoly shafts to put them in.

Motion's adjustable lowers (by whoever made them), probably going to be replaced because the bushings fall apart after a while (RE used to have the same problem with their bushings) and Rock Krawler adjustable uppers using a rebuildable heim type joint on top and the stock bushings on the axle. Most of the force is on the lowers. With the factory support brackets I've never had a problem on that end. I have had to replace or reinforce the factory lower brackets on three separate axles now. I have found that a front locker helps prevent this because both sides of the axle are pulling themselves instead of one side having to be pushed causing the mount to buckle. Should not be an issue on the D60 as all the mounts are going to be 1/4".

I spent $600 on a 1996 XJ without a floor, missing about 9 feet of frame rails, seats hanging in the carpet and a fist sized hole rotted in the roof because I needed some parts off it, figuring I could make the money back selling the rest and scrapping what was left.

With the difference between Wilbur when it was still stock (87) and Sparkles (96), the seat of the pants difference between the Renix 4.0 and 4.0 HO is much bigger than the number lead on, and I would go with HO in a heartbeat. Don't know if the difference with the 2.5 is the same or not.

Most likely. They have worked well for me so far and I'm not planning on lifting it any higher. Also don't like a radius arm style set up and to do true 3 or 4 link long arm the upper links would have to be mounted in the cab somewhere and go through the floor. Don't really want to do that.

My skills are mainly with wood, although I've done some 3/16 and 1/4" steel for the truck. As long as nothing needs bent I'm usually okay between a jigsaw, grinder, drill press and drum sander. If something needs welded on somewhere I usually tack it in place, then take it to a shop in town or a buddy 30 minutes away to have it burned on permanently. Had not thought about control arm separation until you mentioned it, but you have a valid point. With the upper arm mounts above the pumpkin, the lower link mounts will probably need to be on the face of the tube instead of below it to stay with stock separation. But with more height between them the pinion will actually turn up when the axle droops down which is not a bad thing either.

checked oil in axles as well as transfer case and put it back on it's tires after riding jackstands for 2 weeks or so.

Tired of replacing axles shafts because either the u joint broke or the ears stretched causing them to pop the caps out, as well as unit bearings and ball joints. So I picked up a kingpin HP60 front axle. Now I need to work on getting it under Wilbur. Removed just about everything that's bolted on. Next I need to cut off everything that's welded, then sandblast it so I got clean metal to weld to. Ballistic Fab makes some nice coil/shock/lower control arm/track bar combined brackets for $110. The problem is the upper control arms. If nothing else I can make the passenger side myself and weld it directly to the tube. The problem is the driver side. Any ideas? Has anybody else here done this?

With the engine running you should have about 14 volts at the stud. If it reads 12V with the engine running you're reading the charge from the battery.

Maybe the problem is that your battery can't hold a charge anymore. I would take the battery in to have it tested.

The 94 seats bolted straight down. Actually, IIRC there were studs in the floor and the seat just used nuts. The 96 seats bolt front to back to a bulkhead on top of the floor in the front, and straight down into the floor in back. I think they are Torx bolts, but not sure of that and the vehicle is 20 miles away at the moment.

My old 94 had the same seats as my buddy's 90. My 96 has the same seat brackets as the later body style ones (and possibly the same as ZJ as well).

Didn't do anything TO it, but went too the Cleveland West Pull-a-Part and got a high pinion king pin D60 for it. $242.44 total including tax, entry into the yard, environmental fees and core charge. If I hadn't scrapped ALL my old D30 housings I could have got $32.15 back.

Yes, the 90 knuckles will fit just fine on the 96 tube. If Autozone show the small u joints for all, specify ABS to get the number for the larger ones (297, IIRC)

Must be a design difference between years. My AX4 (out of an unknown year YJ) I'm pretty sure what prevented the shifter from going up when in the rightmost position was in the design of the reverse shift rail. That is why I had to change over the reverse shift rail from the AX5 when moving the 5th gear stuff over to the AX4 mid plate.

I just found one of those fairly rare bellhousings in the Canton, OH Pull A Part, row 408. Don't know that I want to spend an entire day to pull the engine/transmission, and take them apart just for the bellhousing, though. Also, even with 29" tires instead of the stock 27" ones my MJ has plenty of power to keep 70 or 75mph on level ground with 3.55 gears. And 24mpg at 75mph instead of the 19 I got with the AX4.

I mean the "clip spring combo in the AX-5 to prevent going into reverse from 5th". I believe that is all in the mid plate.

Actually, I believe all that is in the mid plate.

I know the AX5 out of YJs clock the transfer case higher. Enough so that the floor needs to be modified for the double cardan CV joint to clear in a stock MJ. Depending on amount of lift, it might work without mods in a lifted MJ.

That's one sexy 6 cylinder.

Forgot about that one. Even more rare than the MJ D44, though.

The rear axle for a 4wd Comanche and 2wd Comanche is identical. The reason a 4wd has a shorter driveshaft is because there is a transfer case behind the transmission moving the output shaft closer to the axle. Cherokee rear axles (2wd and 4wd) are identical to Comanche rear axles except for two things: 1 - Cherokees have the shock mounts on the axle instead of the u bolt plate. Easily fixed with a $20 angle grinder. 2 - Spring perches are on the wrong side of the axle and spaced differently. They will need to be cut off and new perches welded on in the correct spot. Stock perches are dirt cheap from Mopar performance parts and it should only cost $20 or so to have them welded on by a welding shop. D35 axles are junk. They are barely worth their weight in scrap steel D44 axles are great. Especially ones already set up fro a Comanche. They are quite rare and thus usually overpriced. Chrysler 8.25" axles from a Cherokee are a good upgrade and there are literally thousands out there in the junk yards. The early 96 and older ones are okay, the late 96 and newer ones use 29 spline shafts are are about equal to a D44. Get one from a vehicle with the same size engine and transmission to make sure it is the same gear ratio as your current axle. The only possible issue is that both the D44 and the Chrysler 8.25" have a 1" longer nose than the D35. Make sure the slip yoke on the front of your driveshaft (the part that goes into the transmission) has 1" or so extra length sticking out or you're going to need a shop to shorten it a bit. U joints on the driveshaft are identical for all these axles.

Thermostat should be rated at 195, so the temp should be above that at all times. Anywhere up to 240 or 245 is within operating specs. Back on topic: Three tires are leaking on the bead due to mud/sand/gravel/wood stuck between tire and rim. Have resealed two of them so far. Replaced rear brake pads. One of the rear rotors is shot (1/16" deep grooves from gravel stuck between the pad and rotor) and still needs replaced, replacedbad unit bearing on the front, and still need to replace the rear axle vent line that got cut on something. Still have to open up the axles to see if I got water in them.