mjeff87

Just one of the little useless factoids buried deep in a convolution of my brain.....taking up precious memory space reserved for more important things (like my anniversary date, wife's birthday, my home phone number...... :oops: ) Jeff

carrier break for D44's is 3.73. If you regear a 3.07 to 3.73 or up, you need a different carrier, or what's called a "thick" gearset. Might want to consider adding a locker at the same time, since you have to reset the gears anyway. Jeff

I'll throw this out there just in case.....check each of the studs to see if there is a small washer-looking thingy on one of them. They're called Tinnerman clips, most often used on assembly lines to keep things in place until final assembly. That one little washer can ruin your day if it's there and you don't notice it. Probably not your problem, but something to check anyway.... Jeff edit: only pic of one I could find- Image Not Found

X2 I just SOA'd mine with a rebuilt set of 4WD leafpacks (mine was a 2WD originally, so the 4WD packs netted an inch by themselves). Ended up at almost 5.5-6" in the rear with a set of new Mopar spring pads. I used ZJ coils up front plus a set of ACOS thinking that would match the rear, but it didn't....had a good 1" rake, and that was with the ACOS fully extended which I was not comfortable with. Ended up pulling the ZJ coils back out and installing a set of 5.5 TJ coils....left the ACOS in but removed the adjustable disc and used the factory isolators on top. In hindsight, I could have left the disc in but just spun the whole way up, acting like a 1/2" spacer of sorts, and it woulda worked out fine. I ended up with about a 3/4" rake which doesn't look dumb (IMHO) and is all good because I still use my MJ from time to time as a pickup truck, and with a load in the bed it levels out nicely. As far as +3" in the front, you need to start looking at adjustable control arms to set pinion angle, and a longer trackbar (adjustable), longer swaybar links, brakelines, etc...... Jeff

thanks. A couple of the pics could have been better, but I didn't have a third hand to hold the camera with while I was working :D If the wife woulda been home, Id'a made her take the pics..... Jeff

agreed, Don :cheers: But, that was some sloppy play (on both sides). If they play like that against NE, not a chance. Jeff

12.5's, on 3.75 backspaced wheels. Notice how much they stick out of the wheelwells.....but I'm lifted about 6" (but haven't bumpstopped in the rear yet :oops: )

backspace the wheels less than stock for 12.5" to clearance the rear framerails and front control arms when turning, which means they won't tuck inside the fenders when stuffed. 10.5's will fit on stock wheels (5.25" backspacing) but 12.5's won't. Jeff

Pulled an XJ 4.0/AW4 front driveshaft out of the junkyard last weekend, and took it up to the shop yesterday morning. In 2 hours, they had it chopped 4 inches, balanced, and painted. Put it in and all's good again with the front end. stock MJ 2.5/AX5 on top, was MAXXED out just sitting level/static, cut shaft below that has 2" travel in both directions now. I swapped the brandy-new UJ on the pinion end to the new shaft also: Image Not Found

check the needle bearings on the other cap to make sure they are all seated and none have fallen out of place, then install the cap inside the opposite side Image Not Found Image Not Found flip the yoke over in the press and press that cap inside the yoke until the joint is centered. If it gets hard to press, stop and loosen the press and check the needle bearing to make sure they are all still in place Image Not Found when it’s centered, install one of the clips in the yoke Image Not Found flip the yoke over and install the other clip on the opposite side. You might have to move the joint slightly from side to side in order to get both clips to seat inside the grooves. Make sure each clip is seated fully inside the grooves on both sides Image Not Found rotate the joint from side to side to ensure it moves freely. If it’s tight, tap the yoke shoulders all around with a hammer while rotating the joint to unload the pressure on the needle bearings. You can literally feel them loosening up Image Not Found reinstall the zerk, if applicable Image Not Found finished install, go drink a beer….. Image Not Found reinstall the driveshaft, and yer done! Image Not Found

I had to swap in a new front driveshaft today, so here's some basic tech for anyone who’s never changed a U-joint. There’s a couple different ways of accomplishing it, and here’s one way…with a ball joint press kit (about $40). I bought it last year because I’m eventually going to change ball joints and axle end control arm bushings, but it works great for UJ’s too. I clamp it in a bench vise also. Press kit: Image Not Found start by removing the clips that hold the bearing caps in place, using a pair of needle-nose pliers: Image Not Found after both clips are removed, mount the joint inside the press: Image Not Found press the joint thru the yoke, almost the whole way across, to push the opposite side cap out so you can remove it Image Not Found pull the bearing cap off, put the UJ back in the press in the other direction, and reverse the process to push the other cap out of the yoke Image Not Found one it’s pressed the other direction, pull that cap off and remove the joint Image Not Found to install the new UJ, make sure the zerk fitting is facing the direction of the shaft (if it is greasable). Remove the zerk now, so you can press the joint in fully. You’ll reinstall it later Image Not Found remove two bearing caps from opposite sides of the new UJ, put one cap squarely in the yoke and slip the cross inside Image Not Found press the bearing cap thru the yoke until it is pressed ¾ of the way through, and line up the cross Image Not Found

no chance Don...they're calling 2" here in RIC tomorrow, but Tidewater is scheduled to get 4+ This ougta be fun...... :D

Gonna do that this weekend. I hafta dial in the discos for road driving first (they're fully extended right now, and I've got a ton of body roll). I'm thinking my limiting factor is going to be the LCA's, if anything (fixed). Depending on what it does, I might trim the shock mount area to get more droop if it requires. Jeff

home PC: Image Not Found

I don't see any motorcycle :dunno: Jeff

for MJ specific mods and building, I suggest you link CW's build post too. Many a question I had answered without needing to ask by following it, and the pics are excellent. http://www.comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1230 :cheers: Jeff

I'm hoping da govna here in VA cxls here too......we're off Friday and Monday for state/federal holidays, and that would make it a nice little 5-day off ;) (did I mention, I work for the state?) Buncha no-drivin'............southerners! :D

and it's Richmond bound overnight. School districts here are already starting to cancel classes for tomorrow LOL. On the way home from work today, I stopped off at a convenience store, and the little pop-tart at the register asked me if I was "ready" for the BIG STORM coming tomorrow AM (we're expecting a trace to a dusting here, BTW....) I said that I have two Jeeps and an AWD Subaru (wife-mobile), and that we're from PA originally. That ended the conversation. Enjoy the fluff, Don. I can only imagine the sheer panic that's going on way down there right now... :D Jeff

best way is to pull it, then pull the cable the whole way out of the housing. Clean all the old grease off of it, then coat it with fresh and reassemble it. The housing also held by a little metal clip that slips over the frameend UCA bolt....make sure it's still attached. Otherwise, it will bounce around underneath and cause the needle to shake. Jeff

I bent the metal part of them some, but not nearly as straight as you did CW......I'll try bending them a bit more :D Jeff

FWIW, since yer a Mopar guy :D this is one of my neighbor’s Dusters (he has 2 of them, and the other one is in the middle of a frame-off resto at the moment and it’s a 383 but I don’t have any pics): Image Not Found Image Not Found

at 6", the YJ lines are not long enough....I put them on mine. But, I've already bought them ($23 each from NAPA), and they're brand new lines, so I'm gonna keep them and either extend them with some hard lines, or relocate the frame brackets down a couple inches. I'd say they would be good for up to 4-4.5". Jeff edit: the Dakota rear line suffices for the rear, but could stand to be longer as well (again, would work fine for up to maybe 4.5"). I'm gonna drop the hardline in the rear also for more, and also unbolt the e-brake cables from the little clips that hold them to the underside of the bed. The stock ones are barely long enough....

I've just got a mental image of Eagle stuck in my head, with a thug cap (on backwards, of course) sitting in a tuner car with a 15" tach, A-pillar gauge pods, a huge wing on the back, and a Folger's coffee-can fart tip muffler. It's very unsettling...... :D Jeff (I confess, I used to drive a Kia....until I demolished it......)

Dern near anything over a 31X10.5 AT tread is going to make contact with the rear framerails, and possibly the leafpacks, if flexed. Here’s a shot of mine w/ BFG AT’s on stock (5.25 BS) wheels…I had about ½-5/8” clearance to the framerails. And another shot of the same tire but in 33X12.5” size, on a set of Cragar 3.75 BS wheels. I’ve got about 2” of framerail clearance with the Cragar’s, but you can see how far the tires come out of the flares. To get full extension, I’m gonna have to cut. Jeff Image Not Found Image Not Found Image Not Found with 33’s: Image Not Found

Eagle driving a ricer......... something's not right . . . red is blue, and yellow white . . . .cats laying down with dogs . . . the whole world has lost sense :D Jeff