Pete M

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:

nope, he was the guy pretending to be Jewish. then pretending to be black. basically just being a jerk. The hitler costume was actually acceptable, since halloween is about scary/silly costumes, and that guy was about the scariest human ever. It could have been a completely different thread if other guys chimed in with their own costume ideas.

please read rule #2. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16664

essentially for purposely causing undue drama, even after several warnings. and it was a couple days ago when that happened.

that's why I always suggest just asking questions. The collective knowledge on this board is quite impressive. :cheers:

hard to say. all leafpacks are different. I'm guessing he'd lose 2" if he used just the explorer pack, but gain back an inch with leaf thickness and the extra leaf in there. Once you have a pile of leafs sitting there, you can mix and match to get it perfect. :thumbsup: also, it's been suggested to use a masonry bit to drill out the centering hole in the leafs.

yup, 97+ XJs (the dana 35 was used at the same time so be sure it's the right axle). A Liberty rear axle should work too, and some had disk brakes. :thumbsup:

half inch. But XJ shackles are too short for the MJ leafpacks. One guy actually had an XJ shackle flip up on him. Explorer leafpacks can also be used. In fact, if that truck was mine, I'd go get a set of Explorer leafpacks, cut the eyes off, and put the entire thing under the current MJ main leaf. The truck will sit a bit lower, and you'll get the added benefit of the extra leaf helping to fight springwrap. :thumbsup: Just be aware that the Explorer leafpacks use a slightly larger centering hole and you'll need to bore out the MJ main leaf a tiny amount to use the bigger bolt.

shortbed MJs can be found with a Dana 44 rear, independent of the Metric Ton package (which was a longbed-only thing).

2wd leafpacks or 4wd?

starting? Dude, you NEED to pull the carpet out.

nope. his name is Eric.

sounds like a rear main seal leak to me. most of the oil would be pushed out while on the throttle and then would drip down and spray back on the exhaust and undercarriage.