Pete M

Bummer. :( But not that uncommon. My 88 overheated on our first trip out and the 90 blew the clutch line on the way home. Stuff happens with old trucks. :( You might want to post the questions in the tech section. More eyes will see it. :D

:redX: Can't see anything without logging in.

Pros: -Decent fuel economy -The 2.5L trucks can usually be had for much cheaper than 4.0L trucks. -as bullet-proof as the 4.0L Cons: lacking of horsepower. Keep the tire size down.

It's been debated as whether a loose track bas has anything to do with deathwobble. Many of us have had the loose trackbar with no wobbles what-so-ever, just a loose steering feeling. I think you need to replace the whole bar. My experience with tierod ends is that once the start spinning, it's over for them and since the TRE is integral to the bar, the whole thing has to go. :( Any pictures of the snow? :D

That's the most likely reason why my 88's engine has sucked ever since the trip to the dunes. :( It runs, but there's no horsepower and the blowby is horrible. :cry:

For $225 I bet I could find complete 3.55 geared XJ axle assemblies (probably with the factory rear posi). Please don't spend much money on a Dana 35. :(

That's just a kit. Then you've got labor charges on top of it. And I can get a whole XJ axle for half of that (or less) and the gears are already set up for you. :D Please don't ever spend money on a Dana 35. :( (except for fresh gear oil and brake parts, those are acceptable :D )

How old are the stock shocks? Maybe it's time to replace them anyway.

I would go with 3.55 axles. They are the most common (and easy to find) XJ setup out there and you'll definitely feel a bit of kick off the line. I went from 3.07s to 3.55 in my 88 (back when it was 2wd) and it felt like a whole new truck.

Are we talking about the efficiency of the cooling system (its ability to pull off and dispose of the heat) or the efficiency of the engine itself (it's ability to run at the most fuel-efficient state)?

Nope. I ordered a few extra. :thumbsup: And everyone that ordered a hat is getting magnets and cards. :cheers:

No hats yet. But the new order business cards are in. They had a special on a thousand of them for a few bucks more than the minimum. So of course I took it and now have more cards than I'll ever know what to do with. They're still free if anyone wants some. :D

Well, yes to the 44. Or an Explorer 8.8, or an 97 XJ 8.25. Spend your money on something that's worth investing in. Heck, you might even be able to buy the axle with the better gear ratio already in it. Being a 4.0L/auto, your MJ likely has 3.55 gears in it. Essentially that mean that the driveshaft spins around 3.55 times for each rotation of the tires. Going with a lower (numerically higher) ratio of gears will give you moor grunt. What you get depends on what you want out of your truck. Since you're looking to get a lift and bigger tires, I'd go hunt for 4.10 geared axles. Explorer 8.8s can be found with 4.10s, or you can get the aforementioned 44 or 8.25 (in which 4.10s are rare but not unheard of) and pay to get it refurbed and regeared. With the front axle, you're pretty much limited to the Dana 30, but they are out there with 4.10s in them. Oh, and for reference, it can cost $300-400+ to regear one axle (that's parts and labor), that's why all the reference to junkyard scores. :D car-part.com is a good junkyard search engine. A common trick is to get your axles, get them ready to go, and then swap them in when you do your lift. Less work that way. :thumbsup:

Definitely agree with Pete...you will notice more gain from this then anything. It is the most expensive option, but this is one of those "get what you pay for" things ;) . Not necessarily the most expensive. I regeared my 90 for less than any aftermarket exhaust system. :D Heck, you can pick up a whole XJ for cheap and haul the remains to the scrap yard to offset the cost. One caveat, please don't ever sink money into regearing a Dana 35. Grabbing a junkyard one is acceptable. :thumbsup:

While we're on the subject, a neat trick I've found for tracking down leaks is to dry the entire area, then sprinkle baby power everywhere. Then either hit it with the hose or wait for the rain. There have even been reports of water splashing up through imperfections in the floor. Oh, and don't forget rain getting in past the aging side window seals and pooling up in the doors because the drain holes are plugged.

My 86 leaked from the windshield and the doors. My 88 leaked from the rear window, the firewall by the fuse box, the drivers door, and the A/C drain. My 90 leaks from the heater core. And that's only the leaks I can remember offhand. Many of those leaks were NOT easily noticeable and pooled water under the carpet for god knows how long before I caught it.. :( They are old trucks with some common leak locations and every owner is recommended to pull the carpeting and check for moisture..

The first thing I would do is a good cleaning and keeping up with regular maintenance. If the cat, the fuel filter, or a sensor is not up to specs, that needs to be addressed before any aftermarket parts are even looked at. Then I would do gears. :D Gears, gears, gears, gears, gears. Best bang for the buck you could EVER do. The right gears can make a 2.5L feel peppy and help a tired 4.0L smoke a v8 car.

Rustys has some quality issues. (although they were worse in the past) Quality of craftsmanship, quality of materials, etc... :(

Time for some upgrades! :D

gears, gears, gears, gears, and... um... oh and gears. :D

That's just your copy. The forum files it in the "outbox" until the person reads them. Then it gets filed into the "sentbox". :cheers:

Why would renix engines be any worse than the older HOs? The issues isn't the renix stuff, the issue is 20 year old vacuum lines in a 20 year old truck. The rubber and plastic will degrade over time. Buy yourself a bunch of the appropriate size tubing and replace them one at a time.

All cars have the 28 spline axle shafts. Not sure about the width. This site has some good 8.8 info: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Axles.html

In the mean time I started assembling boxes. The ones on the right are for those getting the windshield decals (minimum order for boxes is 50 and I ain't sending out 50). This is about 1/3rd of the total I'll be sending out. What the heck did I get myself into? :roll: