yellaheep

Well I tried. :thumbsup: Mods - change the title to "Leaf springs- source for CHEAP rubber strip in leaf clamps" :yes:

I dig the kit and the end result.......... but those inner fender wells look like they waste a whole lot of bed space. The funky angles...... I'm just not understanding why all the angles. Why the long angle back to the tailgate?

I googled "leaf spring clamp pads" and found this ebay listing. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mopar-Dodge-Plymouth-New-Rear-Leaf-Spring-Clamp-Rubber-Pads-/251894859738

Fairly certain that bulge fender for the Cherokee would need some modification along the top. That top line is designed to go along the window - fairly sure that'll stick up where the bed rail bends over. If ya dig what I'm saying.

Definitely keep contact (documented) with the tow company. They can't legally submit for title to own and sell it if you're continuously laying claim to the truck AND trying to settle the financial obligation reasonably.

No opinions on the steering set up huh? Got the new tires on. 245/50/16 BFG G-Force Sport Comp-2. Needed a new battery too after it's 2 year slumber in storage. Alignment tomorrow. Gotta replace a leaking t-stat housing gasket, a temperamental TPS that is causing hesitation and surging on acceleration from idle, install the cold air intake I have for it, then see what all else it's gonna need to be a reliable driver. I'll work on actual race mods sometime after it's driving good and reliably.

It's a bummer you already contacted the tow lot about the truck. I'd have suggested that you report the MJ stolen. When it got entered into CCIC/NCIC as a steal, the VIN would have popped up that it had been impounded. Being a Victim, you would have likely not had to pay impound fees, at least not the full amount, likely a tow fee. At this point, you can try to get the impound lot to have empathy and reduce their fees. Beyond that, it comes down to how much you're willing to pay to get it back. Suing the guy that you loaned it to probably won't go far in Civil court. Given that he isn't doing well financially himself, you'll not likely see money from him......ever.

Ok so I decided to get serious. Sold the '01 Dakota 5.9 R/T........ regretfully as I really did love that truck....... but having 3 MJ's sitting in storage just got ridiculous. So, I brought the raceTruck home. It will serve as errand / run around driver duty in place of the R/T truck. With that said, I need some advice from those running "track" XJ's and MJ's........ steering. This truck needs the steering buttoned up badly. Seems silly to put stock stuff back on it since it's all kind of bunched up together in front of the axle. What say you all about simplifying it and doing a simple rod end (heim) and straight tube set up? I'm thinking of keeping the truck 4x4 and feel that a low pinion D30 from a ZJ with WJ knuckles and big brakes would be a proper front set up. Given that the WJ knuckle on the pass side has the upper drag link arm on it, why not do rod ends/tube steering that connects the pitman arm to the upper arm of the knuckle, then ends/tube from right to left lower knuckle arm? I'd have to keep the stock track bar as it needs the diff clearing bend in it. I don't believe the stock track bar will interfere with the straight tube steering design. Basically this, but putting the heims: on top of or below the pitman arm - looking to achieve the least angle here; below the upper pass knuckle arm; and keeping the tie rod heims under the lower knuckle steering arms.

You do not. Remove the center console if equipped, then the inner shift boot. Top loader design, 4 bolts holding the shifter base retainer to remove, go to neutral, pull old shifter out, clean gasket surfaces, apply new gasket material, install new shifter, bolt it down , re-install boots and console. Done! Yep. One of the top 10 best MJ mods for certain.

Nice! When you get moved in down there and get a couple days on the job, introduce yourself on NAXJA's Colorado Chapter and mention you're working there..... drum up some business!

I have one in my '91 Eliminator. Dunno how I'd lived without it. Amazing upgrade, worth the cabbage. :thumbsup: Another thread on Hurst / Core shifters exists here: http://comancheclub.com/topic/43862-core-short-throw-shifter/

Gonna keep the back-half of the top functional too? That'd be cool to drop the top to get to the stuff inside.......

Glad our schedules worked out to meet you and Robin while you were out here Ben! I agree that you'll likely find the 'Springs to be a good place to get settled in Colorado. Denver is pricey and getting more hectic and busy every day....... I find myself wanting to move farther away from it. Looking forward to getting together again when you get yourselves moved out here!

Yeah, I'm not a fan of anything earlier than '87. If you're gonna do all that swapping, then '87 - '92 will all work the same. If you're wanting to leave the drivetrain in place, but just want to swap over the late model stuff for looks, then '91-'92 are the best with the H.O. and OBD1. But yeah, those are the hardest to find and generally fetch bigger prices. '89-'92 got the AX-15 5 speed, an upgrade from the earlier BA10 Peugeot trans. If you hadn't figured it out, the '86 was only available in long bed so if you're wanting a short bed, '86 won't get ya there. And you're correct, the firewall and radiator support areas on the '86's are different and make fitting a 4.0 swap a challenge. Other than that, not much else differed between '87-'92

Nope. Life has generally gotten in the way of this project. Well that and the fact that I can't stop bringing other projects home....... :nuts:

If you put that gun box in a truck with a bench seat...... no one would ever know it was back there. Even with buckets...... they'd have to know what they're looking at. Hell, put a 10" woofer speaker grill on it where it shows between the buckets..... make the crooks think it's some large speaker box....... lol.

So whereabouts in Kaufman TX do you live? :D

I'll be around Thurs - Saturday. PM me if you need my number.

You sure do find the cool stuff brutha.....

Couple of flipper project toys I just acquired from craigslist........ '67 Cutlass $1800 '00 Durango $1200

Didn't really inspect them closely, but given that the rockers were bondo over rust, I would believe that if the corners weren't rotten, they're close to it underneath and behind. Have you ever tried to cut MJ cab corners out? It's a muther. Many parts of the cab are joined there behind that external sheet metal. I tried to cut a set of corners from a scrapper MJ since so many folks here ask for them........ I gave up after getting some cuts started on one side. Nothing easy about it.

Specs: 4.0 / auto column shift / 231 / D35 / long bed / AC / dark blue interior. Went to the yard it's at (LKQ at 33rd and Peoria). Someone beat me to the tail lights and tail gate, e-brake release, visor clips, emblems, arm rests and door panels. I made off with the long bed liner, rear interior trim below the window, the carpeted rear cab panel, t-case shifter surround, the bench seat brackets and sliders, e-brake assembly, A-pillar trim plugs, and fuel pump sending unit and pump assembly. The yard monkey that snatched the truck with the fork lift was none too kind to the poor truck. What appeared to have been a nearly pristine long bed was totally trashed along the bottom where it bashed around on the forks. The front was rammed at one point as well, probably to push it into place in the row as the picture shows it with a relatively clean front bumper and header panel. The bashing it received revealed that the rockers were rusty and filled with bondo. Driver's floor board was rusted through in spots. Rear bumper was rusted and crumbling along the lower edges and bent to hell. End caps were present but beat up and cracked/torn. The bench seat was trashed, carpet nasty, headliner gone. Some a-hole needed the brake booster assembly and literally ripped the lower dash panel apart and bent it over to the passenger side. The column shift cable was trashed so that they could get to the booster bolts. The column itself was also trashed. I tried to get the rear window rubber trim but it was glued in and ripped. I salvaged what I could. Wanted to take pics but my phone battery died.

No, I believe you can tell by the truck's advertising....... cash for cars....... That's it going across the scale at the junk yard a few weeks ago on it's way to becoming a parts donor. I'm going this morning to grab the bed liner and any other bits it may have.

Clean body, 4.0 / auto / AC / 4x4. Tossed out like last weeks newspaper. Why didn't the owner put it on Craigslist???? That's a $1500-$2000 MJ right there. Even with a blown engine. With stupid-low scrap prices out here currently....... he probably got $300-$450 for it.

Anybody remember "B.J. and the Bear"? :brows: