Pete M

Oh, don't get me wrong, you can care about mileage. I care about mileage to a certain extent (towing a trailer on the freeway and getting 27 mpg in the CRD is fun :D). But if you're whining about gas mileage and you're not willing to slow the heck down...

Yup, I can see those. And my 88 is an Oly "edition" too. :D

I still don't see anything and when I paste the addy into the address bar, I can't go to the page and it diverts me to the main myspace page. I could be wrong, but this leads me to believe that it's not possible to hot-link pictures from the page you're viewing. Try uploading them to Comanche Club Image Hosting

:rant: Ok, so I just read a post over at naxja from a guy wanting to get 4.10s to go with his 33s. He says he's worried about gas mileage and that he usually drives 75mph. Wait, lemme just paste it: And then later on: I can't STAND people who say they are worried about fuel mileage and then drive their shoebox Jeep on 33s at 75 mph. AAAAAA!!!!!!!! :rant: As if they either don't understand or think they can beat physics somehow. :fool: Your mpg is going to SUCK no matter what gearing you get. If you really truly cared about your mpg, then either slow the heck down, buy a dang car, or stop caring about your economy and go buy your gears/mufflers/airfilters/etc for other reasons, like "I want more power" or even "it's cooler looking". :D We now return you to your regularly scheduled program... :nuts:

A picture is worth a thousand words... :D

Truck nuts. Classy. :roll:

On U-joint angles? Well, if my truck is any indicator, you can be off a lot and still not have vibes. The axle (SOA) points straight up towards the t-case, but I don't have a double-cardon d-shaft, just a regular one. Although, I do have the rubber isolator version. I replaced the u-joints when I did the buildup and I can't sense any vibes from it. :dunno:

Lot's of MJs came with the column shifter. If 4.0L, then yes it's an AW-4. If 2.5L, then, ummm, I forget which years had which tranny. :hmm:

Your pic isn't showing up for me. :redX:

If you're asking about running identical shafts front and rear, that won't work on our trucks because the rear shaft is much longer than the front.

I blew up a Dana 35 with a 4.0 and 30" tires on a 2wd truck. Even the Peugeot outlived it. :D Popped open the cover and there were ring and pinion gear teeth everywhere!

I never said I didn't go crazy.... :D

I would go find an Explorer 8.8 with your choice of gear ratio (3.55, 3.73, 4.10), disk brakes, with low miles and the factory posi. Then, if you find you don't like it, you can always upgrade to an aftermarket locker or posi unit later.

Yup, I did. Just cut down at the t-case end of the shaft, not the rubber isolator end.

Replacement bed sides. Preferably out of aluminum, plastic, SS, something that doesn't rust. And I'm not looking for expensive ones that "replace" the current sides. I'd like ones that are an overlay of sorts, to hide to gapping holes and make the truck look good from 30 feet.

The ones right above the thick overload leafs? Did you use leafs from a 2wd or 4wd?

I don't have complete answers for you, more like half answers. I do know that all of the Ford 8.8 flange adapters will bolt to all 8.8s. That includes Rangers, F-150s, Aerostars, etc. Don't know which is the Jeep size. I'm also betting that the flange bolts are hardened and metric threads that can be challenging to find in hardware stores.

Have you checked for broken leafs yet? My 88 was saggin' (back in the day) and during the buildup I discovered a broken leaf on each side.

I'd double check that they aren't heating up from exposure to the exhaust heat.

Many of our trucks are like that. :D

I'm not sure how much of a need there for a frame stiffener on an MJ. :dunno: Our frames aren't as wussy as the XJ. That being said, the rust on my 90 is bad enough that I'll be adding rockerguard/stiffeners to it like the ones I made for my 88. Rockerguards on the other hand... Every MJ should be sporting rockerguards. There's a lot of wheelbase there. :D

Just out of curiosity, is the clutch line secured and not near the exhaust pipe?

Don't forget that your front and rear gear ratios need to match.

I changed my rear main 4 times or so in 2 days. I found that I had to use copious amounts of sealant and then let it sit overnight to cure. Another option I've heard of is the double lip seals (for use when the metal surface is scored). But if you haven't replaced the o-rings or valve cover gasket yet, I'd start there. Dropping the pan sucks.

I believe it's the NV3500 that has the integral bellhousing.