Pete M

Since you've basically got a ton of questions, I bumped you over to the tech forum. That way all the answers will be there later for when people use the search feature. As your project progress, then you can post up pics and notes in the Projects forum. And welcome! :waving:

It's real easy once you get the hang of it. First you need to host them at another site like Comanche Club Image Hosting. Follow their instructions to upload your pics and then get the picture's internet address. Then copy that address and come back to the forums. You can add them into your post by pasting the address, then highlight it, then click on the IMG tag. Then the picture should appear in your post. :-)

Try finding some junkyard 4x4 MJ leafs in good condition. That'll raise you up an inch right there (2wd MJs are lower than 4wd MJS). Add in the main leaf from your current pack (cut the eyes off first or course) right under the main leaf of the new pack for another inch. Then swap in the 4x4 MJ coils for an inch up front. If it doesn't balance out, you can add in an inch spacer for the front coils. Or grab the rubber isolators from a couple junkyard MJ/XJs and stack them on top of your coils. Don't forget that ANY height change up front will necessitate an alignment for your steering. You could do all that for dirt cheap if you find the right junkyard.

You probably won't notice with the 29" tires, but with 31s or bigger the truck will become more sluggish on stock gear ratios.

It's really very easy to use a Cherokee rear axle. All you need to do is get new perches welded on. I recommend the Mopar perches rather than trying to reuse stock Jeep ones.

What are you testing? :hmm:

Is there a buildup of burnt oil on the exhaust crossover right under the trans?

Yes, the front must match the rear. But if you're going to spend money replacing the rear anyways, now is the time to consider buying a pair of axles with better gear ratios. I would. Heck, I did! My newest MJ is getting a pair of 3.55 axles and I didn't even blow up the previous set yet. I hate 3.07 gears that much. I'm not even going to sell the old axles. I'm using them as guinea pigs for a practice tear-down, then I'm going to set aside the guts (as wheeling spares for other people) and then haul the carcasses off to scrap.

Well, you can't "just" swap carriers and gears, you'd need to re-setup the gears. How cheap are you getting this axle? I've not found any evidence that 3.73 gears were ever offered in an MJ. They were offered in various years of XJ, but they can be very hard to find. It may be difficult to find a matching front axle. 3.55s were offered in Explorers, so maybe it would be better to wait and get one that has the right gears. Or get a 4.10 one and go for even better gears. :D

Don't quote me on it, but I think I remember reading that the Aerostar 8.8 also has the right flange adapter size.

At 5:43 AM? :eek: Are you kidding? I usually hit the sack at 3am. As to measurements, I'd guess they give about an inch of extra space. They also give a smooth surface for the tire to touch rather than the harsh edge of the stock arms. I'm not sure if they'd be enough to prevent all contact with 34s, but with them and a small amount of steering stop adjustment, I'd think you could get away with it. But only for stock height MJs or if you use drop brackets.

All of them. From the compressor's engine bracket, to the radiator hose, to all the vaccum lines in the dash and the controller. It's not for the feint of heart and probably best if you can get a donor rig. :(

With a 4.0L and manual transmission, you should have 3.07 gears and the rear axle is a Dana 35. If you're riding on tires bigger than stock, now is a good time to think about getting axles with a better ratio. 3.55 is a very common ratio in Cherokees and you just need to weld new leaf mounts on them to work in a stock MJ. try car-part.com for junkyard searching. If you're running tires bigger than 31s, nows the time to think about buying a stronger rear axle too. Don't pay more than $200 for a Dana35 and that's if it is in perfect working order. Most of us can find them for $100 or so. And sometimes for free. :brows:

Unless something has changed, the rocky kit comes with NO arms. :nuts: Longer LCAs are generally needed for even just a 3" lift, let alone a 5" one. The caster must be awful! :eek:

The oily smells in my 88 was directly linked to the blowby gasses leaking out past the hood or to the oil dripping onto the exhaust crossover pipe and burning (depending on when in its history we're talking about). :(

To anyone whose avatar is pixelated or grainy or even those who don't have one because they can't get your photo to shrink right or don't have a program that will do it at all, just email the fullsize image to me with your screen name and I'll shrink it and upload it for you. :D petermontie@hotmail.com :cheers:

My 2wd Peugeot would let me know when the fluid got low. :( Eventually I started topping it off with every oil change. I probably could have fixed the output seal, but then I wouldn't have that awesome Jeep undercoating back there. :D

The d-shafts would be spinning in the same rotational direction. The chain inside the t-case makes sure of that (it wraps around both sprockets). Whether you call it clockwise or counterclockwise depends on your perspective. When you start to go forwards, the top of the transfercase chain would move towards the drivers side (CCW if viewed from behind the t-case). Both d-shafts must follow suit.

I'll be unavailable from like July 26th to August 13th. Of course, I still need a working MJ too. :(

Just make sure it turns out better than this one:

I can say it, but can I lift it up? :eek:

I took the decals off my R/T at a do-it-yourself car-wash that had some pretty warm water coming out the hose. It was surprisingly easy. :roll:

A rear bumper would be nice. My thoughts on rock rails: -MJs don't have the pinch seam beyond the cab, -many of us don't have pinch seams left. :( -They are wicked easy to make if they don't mess with the seam. Just buy a couple 8' 2"x2"-3/16wall tube for rails/supports (I recommend 3 supports per side) and about 4 feet of 3"x3" angle iron. Do all the prep work (measuring/cutting to size) and then take the whole shi-bang to a local pro. I got all the welding on mine done for $100 and it was worth every penny. :D

Chrysler says 10w-30 for the AX-15 so that's what I put in mine. Maybe someday I'll be able to actually drive it and give some opinions. :( For the Peugeot, any ol' 75-90W GL3 oil should work.

FWIW, car-part.com shows the "Spicer 50" as the only choice for the F350 from 80-84 and as an option for 85.