Pete M

It's probably for the better that I'm broke and don't own a square inch of property. I'd have soooo many projects...... :roll:

If it's of any help:

Yup.

I've always found it easier to leave the shackles attached to the leaves and unbolt them from the frame. And yes, 8.8s can be had with 3.55s. Although I've yet to find any evidence that the 3.55 8.8s ever had posi as an option. Posi is available on the 3.73 and 4.10 ones though. It's also an option on pretty much every Jeep rear axle you can use in this application. Try car-part.com too when you junkyard searching.

If your truck is still stock, all you need to do is match the current axle. A magnetic angle finder should help out here.

Well, bidder 11 thinks it's worth more than 7 grand. :(

Mine shifted fine on the day it blew up. Right up to the bang sound. :( It's best to be prepared, but there's no guarantee that it'll die tomorrow or 5 years from now.

It might be easier to list what doesn't swap. :D The vehicles are essentially the same as far as parts you can unbolt (drivetrain, wiring, front suspension). Just about everything from the back of the MJ doors to the rear bumper is different. The rear suspension is different, but Cherokee rear axles can be used if you weld on new perches. The XJ bucket seats can be modified to work if you use your current floor brackets, but 4 door seats don't lean forward (2 door ones do) and the rocking or power seats don't swap as well as the regular flat track seats.

All Explorers/Mountineers 95-01 will have disks. And while we're throwing out info, all explorers (even pre-95) will have the big 31 spline axle shafts. It's a good axle choice. :D

Yeah, it was like September of 89 or something like that.

Sweet! Too bad they start at 4 grand. I doubt I have that much into all of my Manches combined. :(

The axle you're looking for are found under pretty much all of the older small Jeeps TJ/XJ/YJ/ZJ/MJ. Which model you buy from will affect how much bracketry you have to cut off as TJs and ZJs are 4 link in the back. The Dana 35 is the most common, but the other common one is the Chrysler 8.25 axle. It's technically better than the Dana 35 and the later versions (late 90s) are 29 spline and on par with a Dana 44. Bonus points if you can find a ZJ unit with disk brakes on it. :D

Whoops. :oops: That's what happens when I'm in a hurry. :dunce: Yup, 89 was the transition year and your 90 should have an AX-15.

Throw on some 30s or 31s and it'd be much better. :D I'd take it wheeling.

With 150k on the ticker, my 4.0L '88 was fast and peppy from 0 up to 80mph with the 28" tall tires I bought it with. Then I got 30s and cursed the day. It sucked at stop lights and above 65 on the freeway. Swapped to 3.55s and it was like a whole new truck again. :D Combining 3.07 gears with a manual transmission was a mistake.

It takes a few special tools and a whole lot of patience. You essentially have to completely and properly assemble the entire diff in order to check the gear pattern and guess how you should move the shims around to get the pattern to be good. Then disassemble the whole thing to move the shims, the reassemble and check again. Then repeat until the gear pattern looks good. It's part science and part magic and it's one of the few things I would gladly pay a pro to do for me. If you do it wrong, you can waste your new gears or even the whole axle.

90 is the transition year. Sorry, but you'll have to look to know if its the peugeot or the later AX-15. The middle of the peugeot case has a left side and a right side and bolts together along the top and bottom seams. With the AX-15, this area is a complete donut of metal and it only bolts forward to the bellhousing and rearward to the back half.

Plenty of vehicles on the road today came with 4.10/4.30/4.56 gears. Your top speed won't suffer as much as logic seems to dictate. My Dakota has 3.92s and even with the 28" tall tires it has no trouble doing 90. What size tires do you have? If they are 30-31s, I'd have no problems suggesting 4.10s.

Higher rpms doesn't necessarily directly equate to more-gas-used. If the engine moves towards its sweet-spot, it'll take less gas per firing to maintain the speed, plus it'll use less gas to get up to speed. It's all about putting it in the right spot in the power band. After you do the swap and you can't wipe the smile off your face when you first feel that pop of extra power from a standstill, gas mileage won't matter anymore anyways. :D If you want to go the extra mile, find an Explorer 8.8 with disk brakes, but for now the Dana 35 should do you fine and be cheap too. When you convert to 4wd, then you should definitely look into the 8.8 and get even better gears and more strength at the same time (factory 4.10s are out there).

That makes 2 of us (the feeling old part). :D

Regearing an axle is not simply a bolt-in procedure and is either expensive (to have a shop do it) or tricky (not recommended for beginners). For his situation, I think finding an axle with 3.55s already inside would be the best bet. Careful searching should produce a 3.55 geared Dana 35 for anywhere from $100 down to totally free. Bonus if it's an MJ axle, but it's not hard to get new perches burned onto an XJ/YJ/TJ/ZJ rear axle. You can even use the brakes you have now (or use the new axle's, whichever are better). Then bolt it up 'n' go like the wind.

Are we talking about front fenders or rear?

4.0L + stick = 3.07 gears. There's your problem. No need for expensive engine mods here. Go get a 3.55 geared rear axle (a dana 35 will work fine in this application) and drop it in. Your truck will come ALIVE with performance!!! I promise. :D

I could easily have installed a couple Hemi engines into MJs for the price of a new truck, but I needed a daily driver right then and there and the Dak is what won my heart.

95-01 Explorer 8.8s are far easier to find (and easier to find in good condition) and come in the typical Jeep ratios (3.55/3.73/4.10).