Pete M

that 20 probably started life under an MJ. and it very likely has 4.10 gears in it. :thumbsup:

the newer diesel engines are very electronics oriented. You'll essentially be swapping over the entire wire harness and trying to stuff it in the MJ. This includes what's in the dash.

film sucks. go digital. there used to be a quality advantage to film, but that's no longer the case. price is the only advantage now. and that advantage will quickly fade once you start tallying up the price for film and development. I love snapping photos and was one of the last holdouts of film. Ended up selling my Elan 7e Canon for all of a hundred bucks. She was a sweet (and expensive) camera. But I don't miss her anymore. I kept the lenses and when I have money again, I'll be getting a digital version (lenses interchange). Th advantages of instantly seeing my photo far outweigh the romanticism of waiting for film development. As a side note, 95% of the photos you see in my picturetrail site were taken with non-SLR digitals. I've been so utterly impressed with the abilities of my Canon T-10 Steadyshot that I may never get around to buying a larger camera. the colors and sharpness are way beyond the pocket cameras of a few years ago. The only disadvantage has been low light capability when trying to not use the flash. the smaller lens just doesn't pull in light like the big ones. and this one is indeed a fly. :D

For the party last week I went as Survivorman. :D Don't know if I have a photo for yous guys though. :hmm:

Yes, yes it is. :D

I assume you're talking about an 08 Grand cherokee, yes? :D be prepared for a lot of wiring swapping. :ack:

:rotf:

The last Fram I ever used caused a 0psi issue on the freeway. I was none too pleased. :fs1:

No offense taken. There's simply not a lot of companies in Michigan looking to hire industrial engineers. And any ones that are, have a huge selection of potential employees from all the layoffs. Guys with way more experience than me. Michigan's economy sucks. I'm really starting to look forward to moving to Georgia next year. :D I've been keeping an eye on the classifieds down there. The move could happen sooner if something comes up. :yes:

long as you have a plan. :D

That's why I suggest the multileaf Explorer packs. They should be easy to find. :thumbsup: Between the MJ leafs that sit too high, and the Exp leafs that sit lower, you should be able to find the sweet spot in the middle. no flex problems here. :D It'll easily travel bumpstop to full droop.

The overload leaf should always be kept. Spring wrap can really get out of hand if it's removed. :(

yup. lost a lot of steam when the fuse box bit the dust. I hate wiring. Especially when I have to do it upside down lying on a jagged rusty floor. And then projects just kept piling up that were more important. On the plate right now are: landscaping that needs to get finished before winter, a basement that needs to be gutted before spring, the bedroom needs to be finished before spring, my grandparents need the bathroom drain pipe replaced asap (it's inside the wall of course), their basement also needs to be gutted (found some serious mold behind the panels on the north wall), the Liberty needs a ton of maintenance, and that's just the short list (doesn't include anything in Georgia). :( Besides, what does it matter? it's not like I have the money to insure it for driving anyways. I realized long ago that my trucks have become just big 1:1 scale models. They look cool, have all the right stuff, but never seem to actually get used for the intended purpose. :dunno: Maybe when the big pile of dirt is out of the driveway and I haul the truck over so it's right next to the garage I'll be more inspired. I guess I'm fighting the out-of-sight-out-of-mind complex with them across the street.

When the gas is applied, the axle rotates opposite of the tire. So the leaf pack gets pushed up in the front, and down in the rear. The front is generally regarded as the place that need the most strength,down so if the extra leaf was on top it wouldn't help at all. Unless you could tie it to the main somehow. Is there a reason you're hesitant to try my method? It's essentially what I'm running on my 88 right now (though with 2wd MJ packs instead of explorer since that's what I had on hand). Upgraded your front axle U-joints yet? 35s will find your weak links.

Wait a sec. You're contemplating an drastic engine swap in your only DD? :hmm: This sounds like a project that should be done on a whole nuther truck. I would go buy one with a blown engine and use it for the conversion. :thumbsup:

It would help if you could fill in your location and add some truck specs into your signature. :thumbsup:

I lost a ton of oil with a bad rear main and my undercarriage didn't look any worse than normal (had a small leak for years). No smoke either.

Actually that's a common misnomer. The MJ unibody is wicked strong (as long as there's no rust). These aren't XJs. These are trucks. The only weak point is the spot between the track bar and the steering box, where the push-pull forces between the two can crack a perfectly good frame. It's rare, but possible. Add a plate straddling this area and it'll be fine. :thumbsup:

I've been trying to remember where i read it, but nada so far. my memory hasn't been the same since i was sick. but as soon as I find it, I'll let ya know. :thumbsup: It was fairly recently. like within the last month or so.

Explorer packs come in both multi-leaf and mono-leaf configurations. If you try to use the explorer main as your main leaf, the axle will no longer be centered in the wheelwell. the main is a similar length to an MJs, but the centering hole in a bit off. In theory, the Explorer pack will bit a bit lower than a 2wd MJ pack.

ahhh. You're reusing the factory wires? I assume you're just using a standard head unit, nothing powerful like an external amp.

that'll happen. :yes:

removing brackets is easy. the important thing is finding the right gear ratio in a stronger axle. :thumbsup: Some guys run the Explorer 8.8 without the spacers. it all depends on the tires/rims used and personal preference. the axle is only 5/8" more narrow on each side.

are you reusing the factory speakers?

Admittedly, if it wasn't halloween and he was still dressing up like hitler, that might be cause for concern. :yes: