MrSimon

That's a shame. But at least now you know for sure and you have a new memory. Props to you for being willing to make the trip and not settling for something less than you wanted.

I wheel with a guy who has a lifted 03. It sure is nice and comfy on the inside, has more room than an XJ, and wheels just fine. But I still think the lighter weight XJ is a better trail rig. The WJs usually have the D35 (or the not-so-great D44a) and its very involved to upgrade the rear ... requires lots of custom work. The steering and brakes are awesome. There are two different transfer cases available .... both have pros and cons, but both are pretty darn good. They aren't perfect and lots of guys seem to have problems with the V8s with higher mileage, but the prices have come way down on them making it a great DD or wheeler option.

I drove 1.5 hours to pick this up .... but it was a piece of crap. The kid lied to me about a lot of things. I was pissed.

Sold.

I didn't realize a forum member has the authority to state the conditions under which they will participate in public discussions. If you want to be part of the forum, then do so. If you don't, then don't. Either way ... stop being a drama queen.

Axle shaft ujoints and driveshaft ujoints are interchangeable. But, its always a good idea to put in new ones (and beefier ones if you have the older 260 joints like come stock on MJs) when swapping stuff around. They aren't that expensive.

You are exactly where most of us where when we first got our Jeeps. Thinking about 3", then considering 2" to keep it cheap, then going back to 3" ... but keeping it on the cheap and upgrading as time and money allows. I went through the exact same thing, and it was a fun and rewarding experience. I learned a lot about my truck, lift kits, and myself. But, with all that said, looking back on it, I wasted a lot of time and money with "budget builds" and it would have been cheaper to just save up for a good quality, complete lift and do it right the first time. But, its not always about doing things in the most practical and efficient way, is it? Regardless, keep us updated on your progress and figure out how to post pics!!

A 3/8" ratchet, a universal joint, and a looooong (like 3') extension will make it a lot easier to change.

I think most likely an axle shaft snapped. You can easily replace it with one from a junk yard, as long as nothing inside the diff was damaged .... but you'd be better off to put a stronger axle under it. You can usually find complete 29 spline 8.25 rears for around $100 ... then buy some new perches and have a shop weld them on. For around $300 you can have a very nice axle that is significantly stronger than the D35.

Some folks will say that you should always use new gears .... and while I'm sure that's the best option, used gears can be set up well enough to be just fine. I also think that its even less of a problem in the front axle, where the gears get much less use.

More than its worth probobly ... but then again, its a Comanche :thumbsup: But I was able to confirm via the title that it is indeed a 1990. You guys are GOOOOOD!

Boy isn't that the truth!! I completely understand that you don't want to lose money on the deal, but unfortunately you overpaid for the truck in the first place. Which is totally understandable if its a truck you plan to keep and enjoy. But when it comes to trying to make money off old Jeeps (or even break even sometimes), you have to get a really good deal in the first place. With that said though, if it looks nice enough and drives fine ..... with some patience and a really good ad, you might be able to get $3k through Craigslist. Just be ready to get offers of $700, even if you list it for $3k.

Since you are just replacing, I'm pretty sure its all plug and play. The control arms will bolt up, the driveshaft will bolt up, and all the brake stuff should be interchangeable as well. The steering, trackbar, and sway bar should also be the same. You will have to cap off your vaccum lines for the CAD, but that's the only change you'll have to make. Obviously you'll have to run the passenger side shaft from the new D30 ... the 2 piece shaft from the older one won't work. The older D30s had the smaller Ujoints, but they are interchangeable with the larger new ones .... just not as strong. Ideally you can run the shafts from the new axle and keep your drivers side shaft as a spare.

Thanks for the VIN codes ... that is helpful and I'll definitely check it. But as long as its not an 86, I'm happy.

Thanks guys! You rock. I'm going to look at it tomorrow afternoon. I'll post up the results tomorrow evening.

Is your truck currently 4x4 and you are just upgrading .... or are you converting a 2WD truck to 4WD?

I'm thinking about buying this truck. Here are the pics I've received so far. The owner says its an 86. Is there any way to confirm that from these pics? I was really hoping for an 87 or newer.

You don't have to ask me twice.

If you want to do regular towing of full size vehicles ..... get a truck designed to do it. Your MJ build looks great (go with deeper gears though) and I think you should totally do it ..... but don't use it to tow a truck on a regular basis. Its just not safe. Once in a while for short distances if you are in a pinch - maybe. But not as a dedicated tow rig. My advice is to get a nice 5.3L Suburban with higher mileage for around $5k to use as a tow rig (you really need to get past the independent suspension thing) and spend the other $5k on your MJ. Best of both worlds baby!!! I can't tell you how nice it has been to have a reliable tow rig that can be used as a driver while the Jeep is laid up.

Here is a short video of the MJ going through some rocks.

Sooooo ... its been a while. I noticed that all of the old picture links are broken ... sorry about that. I hosted them through a service that isn't available anymore. Here is a link to an album with most of my MJ pics. Feel free to browse. Its all here, from the day I brought it home in stock form, to the building of the custom bed. https://plus.google.com/photos/114095976989588686155/albums/5619306565210348625 So how does the story end? Well, I have two kids with a third on the way and I couldn't fit them all in the MJ, so I gave it to a friend. Yes, you read that right. No, I don't want to talk about it. Man oh man do I miss that truck. A lot. But, I bought a nicely built XJ and have been having a blast wheeling with the kids and doing small upgrades to the Cherokee from time to time. But I sooooooooo want another MJ. And WHEN I find a rust free one, I'm going to do what I should have done with the first one ...... tear it down and restore it. Clean, mild lift ... and keep it OFF THE TRAILS. I'm now a believer that XJs are for the trails and MJs are for the garage :D Anyway, here is the XJ I'm wheeling now. Hopefully I'll start a new MJ build thread soon. And just for kicks ... here is a progression of the old MJ. The day I brought it home ... $500. 3" and 31s. Spring over 5" and 33s. 35s and the bed

I didn't read the thread to closely (sorry about that), but the Jeep in the picture does have a lot of rust. Rust isn't the end of the world, but if you plan to fight it and do a complete restore .... it will take some serious work to win that fight. Its doable, but you'll have to tear the Jeep down to its bones, spend hours grinding and sanding, do extensive sheet metal repair, do a lot of body work, and repaint everything. If you don't have experience with that sort of thing ... its gonna be a long hard uphill slog ..... BUT TOTALLY WORTH IT IN THE END!!!!

I've been away from this forum for a while (and MJs too) ... but I recently came back. I've seen lots of great new builds, read some great DIY topics, and have seen people providing positive and useful feedback to questions. All good stuff and I'm happy to see it. I've also seen a few yahoos stirring up drama completley unnecessarily ... but its the internet ... I just ignore them. Anway, to the OP, I don't really know you, but I'm sorry to see you go. Any chance you have a clean rust free MJ you want to sell ??? :brows: :brows:

I have a 98 XJ for sale in Glenmoore PA for $1,200. Firm on price. Here is a video that gives a complete overview of the vehicle ... good, bad, and ugly. I can deliver within a reasonable distance for a price. I would also trade for a rust free MJ. 7qrfrwO90ds

I've run all three types. The electric compressor (I had a Viair) is small and fairly simple to install. Even with a tank, it was pretty weak .... couldn't really run air tools and took a long time to fll 35s. They do make bigger and better compressors, but they get expensive. I also had a Co2 tank .... portable, lots of pressure, lots of volume .... but heavy, bulky, and it gets annoying having to fill it every few months. Belt driven York compressor mounted where the AC compressor would go. AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME. Plenty of endless air with enough volume and pressure to do everything I needed. But, it was a pretty complicated install so I paid a shop to do it.