Pete M

Picked up my '88 MJ back in '97 when I was 21. Been hooked ever since. :D

How much lift do you want in the end?

So it worked great... right up until it didn't? :D

Both in the midst of the conversion: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=15934&start=20 viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10092&start=86

What's a "clutch switch" for? Are you referring to a switch that won't let you crank the engine without the clutch pedal depressed? 'Cause none of my MJs have one. :D

As you found out, pipe shouldn't be used on anything that is necessary for forward movement or self preservation (no rollbars, control arms, driveshafts etc.) It's just not strong enough. :thumbsup:

The only mod necessary was to grind a bit off the metal insert in the bushings (they are a hair too wide). Other than that they bolt right in. I went the extra step to trim the control arms mounts a bit for max articulation, but it's not that necessary. Control arm photos start near the bottom of page one: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1556

HAven't a clue if autozone would have them. Take a tape measure with you when hitting the junkyards. Measure the bearing cap diameter on the MJ axleshafts you've got. Those would be 260s. The 297s will have slightly wider bearing caps. (off the top of my head I can't think of the exact numbers)

Have yours retubed with some slightly beefier metal. Don't go overkill though. I've heard of problems balancing a shaft made from too thick of metal. I wanna say the guy was using 1/4" tube. :dunno:

I wouldn't touch that Rough Country lift with a ten foot pole. I wouldn't touch any lift over 2" that didn't provide longer lower control arms, longer brake lines a longer track bar and some sort of sway bar extension. It's cheap for a reason. Also, they don't know how to spell Comanche (the firefox tab has 2 'M's). :fs1: My 90 has 31s on Jeep 15x7 rims with no lift. Only mod was to add WJ lower control arms to eliminate the rubbing there.

If you're contemplating swapping MJ axle shafts into a CV-shafted XJ axle, then you've got one minor dilemma. The CV axle will not have a CAD. Almost all MJ axles are of the CAD variety and the passenger side axle shaft will be a 2-piece unit and can't go into a non-CAD axle. You'll need a shaft from a non-CAD front axle. You might as well focus your efforts on some axle shafts that use the bigger 297 U-joints as they will be stronger. TJs, 96+ XJs, and older XJs that had ABS will have the proper shafts/joints. And yes, the axle shafts will always and only go with the type of joint they were made for. The yokes on the ends of the shafts will only connect to the proper joint, whether CV or 260 U-joint or 297 U-joint. :thumbsup:

Chances are very good they will either be 3.55 or 3.07. A quick and dirty way to check ratio is to hold one brake drum still and rotate the other one around exactly twice. Count the number of times the pinion yoke spins around. Just over 3 times is 3.07, about 3 and a half if 3.55, etc. Going prices differ area to area. These days I wouldn't pay more than $300 for one that was in good shape and was the proper ratio for my needs. If it's beat up or the wrong ratio, the price drops quickly to $200. Also, 3.07 is always the wrong ratio for me.

In my humble opinion it's a waste of money anyways. I just can't see the point unless you're running a spool in the front diff. Don't worry about the front stuff turning. The theoretical fuel savings are minuscule at best. There's a reason Jeep doesn't use any sort of lockout anymore. Just lock the CAD and never look back. :thumbsup: The worst thing that might happen is you may notice if your front driveshaft U-joints are bad.

:no: No one needs to be "that guy". :D Any 4-door Cherokee front doors will work. In like 95 or 96 they changed the door latch style so some minor fab work will be needed to swap out the post on the B-pillar. These guys are doing the door swap: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=14658 viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11834

I tried that on my truck. All it did was ooze oil all over the valve cover and make a big mess. :(

From the factory my Dakota had ~28" tires and 3.92 gears. Haven't blown up anything yet. :D

I tried the little filter idea and oil just got everywhere. :( My "fix" was to run a hose from the valve cover into a gallon washer fluid jug, then another hose running from the jug into the air box. It traps the oil and keeps it out of the filter. But I've heard that a stretched timing chain can cause horrendous blowby. Someday this summer I'll be replacing it to see if it helps. Replacing the chain can't be a bad idea for a 200k engine anyways, so it's no loss if it doesn't work perfectly. :D

TJs.

Then it's not the ballast resistor. When it cuts out, check it for spark and for fuel. That should help narrow it down. :thumbsup:

I'm a big fan of silver. Which is a bit ironic since I don't own a single silver truck. :hmm: But I've only painted one so far. :brows:

When it stalls, does connecting the 2 wires together (bypassing the resistor) get it to run? The resistor is only there to reduce the voltage to the pump and lessen the noise so bypassing it won't hurt anything.

That's a new one by me. :hmm: I'll look into it. What was in the PM and what was the "from" name? And the one peach on my sister's little tree was eaten already. Deer most likely. :fs1:

There is a connector in the rear wire harness located right behind the drivers side rear tire. Corrosion inside can cause all sorts of headaches. :(

I've been meaning to tone down the yellow too. Remind me about it next week when I'm back home and I'll make some adjustments. :thumbsup:

Tech questions should really go in the Tech forum so more people will see them. :thumbsup: