mjeff87

You're research is correct. Saw a couple Volvo's in the 'yard Saturday, and sure 'nuff they have D30 center sections in the rear. Low pinion, and I swear that pinion shaft must be at least a foot long :shock: The housing also has a funky panhard bar mount cast into it on the lower right side....it's a pretty funky setup compared to a D30 under the front of a Jeep :lol: , but it's a D30 nonetheless. Jeff

I pounded the chrome beauty rings back on to the OEM steel wheels that I mounted my snow tires on, to try to cover up some of the rust on them. Lotsa cursing involved, as well as a couple of beers (at 10:30 in the morning, no less.....) Not only does it look pretty, but it goes faster now :D Jeff

Thanks Patrick....but I think I'm gonna go the $30 repair route. I REALLY don't want to mess with it. I did add comp back on my policy (stinkin' $11.25 is all it cost :evil: what was I thinking!) It's just my luck that I'm gonna get it repaired/replaced and it's gonna get thunked again. Jeff

MUCHO pain in the keester. I put a winshield in a Chevy Citation once, and that was once too many times for me..... plus I know every one of those little plastic clips that hold the trim molding on are going to shatter if I'd pop it off. I'd rather a winshield tech have to worry about that than me :lol: I've been wanting to pull it all off anyways to paint it black (over the chrome) but don't want the hassle I know will come from it. I might have found a local independant shop that'll do the epoxy repair for $30 or so, so I'm probably gonna go that route. Jeff p.s. Safelite quoted me $207.09 for full replacement (and that's them coming to me, not me to them). That seems like a good deal to me, but $$ is tight right now. I would have figured 350-400 anyhow.

Funny, funny Bill :lol: Called VDOT and they said to submit a written claim to the residency office, so I just whooped one up and am going to mail it out return receipt tomorrow. Probably never see a dime, but at least I might get somebody cranked off up there, for a moment at least :wink: friggin' state employees.....LOL Jeff

and it just keeps getting better.... In an attempt to save a little coin, I dropped comprehensive coverage on the MJ the last time we renewed our policy, so it's not covered. Agent says there's a snowball's chance in h#ll of me getting anything out of the state, either. Maybe I'll run it past a glass shop and see if they can seal it, or I might try the do-it-yourself kit and see if I can seal it by myself. Anyone ever use one of them :?: I really don't want all the hassle of changing the whole winshield out. Jeff

[rant mode/on] Calling for nasty weather this morning, so I decided to run the MJ (bad clutch master and all) to work...even put on the new winter tires I picked up. On the way in, I pass a friggin' subcontractor for the state spreading rock salt and sand on the BARE roads...he plasters the front end of the Jeep and takes a nice chunk out of my winshield, which IMHO isn't gonna be able to be repaired :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: . So I gotta get a new winshield put in, oh joy.... State Farm (I'm waiting for them to open to call my agent) should cover it, but I'm still pizzed. The dumbass had no idea what he was doing, almost ran me off the road. If Id'a been in my car, I swear nothing would have happened to it....he was slinging that crap so hard it would have sailed over top of it! As it was, he ended up hitting the middle of the MJ's winshield...and he was spreading on a 2 lane county road, not an interstate! [rant mode/off] Thanks for listening... Jeff

I dunno. As it was, this was the first one I've ever seen. Rumor mill says they only came in 87-89 XJ/MJ's. I thought for a moment about grabbing the tranny and the TCU, but the pan had tranny oil all over it and I suspected it might have been shot :cry: But I grabbed that D30 faster than you could say boo and had it in the back of my MJ heh...heh.... If I ever see another, I'll be sure to let y'all know (I'm a 5 speed guy so it's no use to me) Jeff

Chilton's is correct. 75-90wt is the right fluid....sounds like yours hasn't been changed in quite awhile :) New fluid should perk it up quite a bit. Jeff

Ultra rare, but I saw one in the 'yard last month. It only came in 87-89, and had 4.56's stock in the D30/35. I snagged the 30, and am regearing a D44 I got to match after the new year's hoopla settles out. Jeff

Very interesting......got any more info on that? I'd imagine that a LSD in a D30 (disco) wouldn't see as much stress as it does in the rear. Might last pretty good, and be a cheap traction aid :?: Jeff

Cool.....lemme know if not. I'm heading down there sometime this weekend, prolly Saturday. Jeff

Dimensions: A = 2 7/8" B = 17 1/4" C = 4 5/8" D = 1 1/2" E = 6" Kinda hard to get "exact" measurements, 'cause the ends are rounded off, but that's pretty close :D Jeff

Gimmie about 3 hours and I'll be home from work (where my MJ is) and I can get them for you. Or, if you want, I can snag one or two of them from the next MJ I see in the boneyard and mail them to ya (?) although, some nice aluminum reproductions would be neat to see.... 8) Jeff

Hey Frank, welcome aboard :-D Your build philosophy sounds alot like mine.....I started with a 2WD (second owner) that I acquired back in '99. It's now 4WD and still stock, but I'm stashing parts as I find them to build it up in phases (while still keeping it streetable). Phase I was the 4WD conversion, Phase II currently is upgrading the axles, D44 in rear to replace the 35 and 4.56 gears and running 31" tires. Eventually, the time will come for Phase III where it becomes a non-daily driver, lift and larger tires, and who knows what else...probably in about the next 5 years. I enjoy this thing too much to make any major mods to it with the shape it's in now, but I know the time will come. It's got 160K on it now, and I have a spare engine waiting to transplant into it at some point so I can pull the original and rebuild it.....I'm holding out for 200K before I pull it, but don't know if I'll make it any time soon. I've got another car that's my DD (better gas mileage:)) so I only drive the MJ maybe once or twice a week. Just took it on a 600 mi roadtrip to PA this past weekend, tho, and it still runs great. Only bad thing is that the POS Advance Auto clutch master crapped the bed about 200 miles out on the way home so I drove it basically clutchless the rest of the way :twisted: stupid master only has like 15K on it......at least I know what I'll be doing this weekend LOL! Jeff

My U-pull yard has a big rice section (almost as big as the GM section LOL). I might be able to pull you something out of there if you don't find anything. A pic of what you demolished would help if ya had one... Jeff

The 2WD trannies have an extension housing bolted to the intermediate plate vs. a shortened flanged end on the 4WD one (to attach the TC to). Also, the main shaft is longer on a 2WD than a 4WD. You have to disassemble the entire tranny and swap mainshafts, and find/bolt up the 4WD rear to convert it. I have a .pdf of the AX15 service manual, in case you feel frisky enough to try to convert it :) Glad to send it to ya! Jeff edit: for anyone that needs it, here's a link: http://cache1.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav ... n_AX15.pdf

PM'd ya...... Jeff

:D Found this place yesterday called After Hours 4X4, that came on a recommendation from another place I go to. It's downright scary looking, like Cooter's garage collided with a tractor pull competition, minus the scary Doberman Pinczer chained to a tree.....BUT, the owner is hooking me up. Gonna order me up a carrier and master install kit, and install my 4.56's (I'm getting from someone else) for "about $125" <> He's wanting to sell me a locker instead of staying open, but I haven't decided if I want to yet or not. I was thinking open for now, then maybe a drop-in one down the road. I'm going to take a dig cam with me when I drop the axle off so I can show y'all some of the stuff he's working on...BIG stuff. Like 4X4 school busses on portal axles, F250's on 44"ers, and so on. I felt like a midget walking around his building. He was surprised to see my MJ, even tho it was a "little Jeep" to him LOL. Jeff p.s. Patrick, if you're interested, I can tell you where his shop is in Prince George.....

Well, thanks to my wife we have a house with no basement, or garage (it's a long story.... :evil: ) but I do have a decent crawl space under the house, where I store all my Jeep junk. It's nice and dark, cool, and dry, so that's where I've been keeping them, mounted and aired up and stacked flat on top of each other. Someday, when I'm not poor, I'll have my dream garage to keep stuff in. Thanks all! Jeff

Hell, apparently it's legal to drive without a HOOD in Va....I've seen no less than 10 vehicles tooling down the road sans hood :shock: But I do like VA for the fact that my MJ is registered as a passenger vehicle, not a truck (like PA made me do and pay 30 extra bucks for a plate sticker). Patrick, do you actually drive your MJ on the road? :D Jeff

What exactly are you talking about? tranny crossmember?

The filter I bought last year came with the two lengths of fuel line already in the box. IIRC, it was a Purolator filter.....might be worth checking before you buy any hose. HTH, Jeff

Sorry if this sounds stupid, but what's the best way to store tires? Keep them mounted and aired up, dismount them, treat them with anything special? Reason I ask is well, I store tires :) For my other car, I pick up new tires already mounted on wheels from the junkyard (for $11/ea) when I see them, and stash them under the house until I need them. I've got a set of 4 new Michelins I pulled last month, and I won't be needing to put them on until June (inspection time) Plus, I'm picking up a set of new snow tires this weekend that I got mounted on a spare set of steel MJ wheels, that I may use only a couple times down here in VA this "winter"...they'll be plenty good to use for a couple more seasons too. What do y'all recommend (or does it matter much anyways?) TIA, Jeff

Not too much work at all, if you don't use those parts from the '87. Just keep your 86, swap your tranny for a 4WD version, add a transfer case and a front axle, plus driveshafts :-D Got any decent junkyards near you that you can get parts from? Jeff