Pete M

If it makes you feel any better, $600 isn't all that unheard of for an AX-5 and 231. Sure there are cheaper ones here, but not all of them are cheap.

Cheaper than beadlocks: I bought a used co2 tank and a non-adjustible 100psi regulator. Has no troubles seating a bead. :D

There are DOT approved beadlocks out there, but they are the "internal" variety.

I've only heard the sidewall issue from one guy and he was wheeling in sharp rocks. Mine have held up just fine to all the abuse I throw at them.

Varmint: noun, One that is considered undesirable, obnoxious, or troublesome. I think Rick named his MJ well. :D

Day 2 at Moab. This is my camping site: And on to the trails! My time in Moab was way WAY too short. Next time I get out there, I'm spending a week at least! It's incredibly addicting!

BFG MTs and Trxus MTs are decent mud tires that will also work good on the road (unlike the TSLs).

A neat little trick I learned once for tracking down a short is to pull each fuse and check the circuit with an amp meter. Be sure that you don't have anything running at the time (like the interior light cause the door is open).

The Peugeot bellhousing will NOT bolt to the AX-15. You must get a bellhousing with the AX-15. The NV series transmissions are stronger and better then the AX-15, but as he said, they are newer and will cost more. Stay away from YJ/TJ transmissions if you want a bolt-in experience. They are a bit different than XJ/MJ transmissions. The 242 is supposedly not quite as strong as the 231, but that only comes into play if you're truly abusive when wheeling or running really big tires.

31s

Your pile of parts is probably worth more than a set of 3/4 ton Ford axles, especially if you buy a rusted-out Ford to get them. Or you could run 35" tires. :brows: :fool:

Figured now that we have a trip forum, I should start adding in my old trips. I'll start with the best: Moab. :D Most of you know I live in Michigan, and that Moab is in Utah, but just to give you an idea of how far that is, mapquest says it 24 hours of driving. I broke it up into 4 days so the driving didn't become a chore (it's not like I can ask my dog to drive for a while). :roll: This is Kansas: I saw many, many hours of that. Here's a typical "hill" in Colorado: Notice who's passing who. My engine just doesn't like the freeway. At one point during a long mountain pass in Colorado (7 miles of some insane grade), I had slowed to below 35mph (in a 75 mph zone) because I simply could not keep pace or accelerate. But enough of the highway, here are some shots from the first day in Moab: And here's Rick's MJ: And some of my MJ: We took it easy the first day. Just a couple mild shake-down trails so we could quickly catch any problems with our old rigs. That's all for now. I'll post pics of Moab day 2 later.

Personally, I would just skip right to fullsize truck axles if you want 38s. That's seriously pushing the limits of Jeep axles.

The first ones will be white. I didn't ask about doing one offs of colors, but I'll look into it when I pick up the white ones.

I ordered the 12" cutouts.

Corrosion in the battery cables or at their ends is a common no-crank cause. It's very frustrating too, as there will be 12 volts as measured at the starter, but not enough juice flows to get the starter turning.

Is Minydigger's an auto or manual?

Ooo, good site. I don't need anything right now, but it never hurts to pay attention, just in case. :brows:

That's what I was thinking too, but there's only one way to find out. It could be close. It'd certainly be a convenient way to get new main leafs. :D

Finding a deal on what you want takes patience and a bit of good luck. You're close enough to us, try paying attention to the classifieds at greatlakes4x4.com It used to be a Michigan Jeep site, but has since expanded to other states and brands of 4x4.

Some Explorers have monoleafs.

I love used tires. :D I can afford tires that I could only dream of aquiring if I had to buy new. And then there's the junkyard. I just picked up a pair of 31s in great condition on steel rims for $15 each (seems a shame they will only be used when I flat-tow the MJ).

Be the first to try Explorer leafs. The measurements seem pretty close to ours, but what happens in the way of lift/drop is totally up in the air. There are 3 different types of packs. Code F is the multi-leaf 4wd packs.

Oh, I'm not looking to do it myself just yet, I'm hoping to gather together info from the people who have so everyone can get some first hand info. Best sites I've found so far for it are: http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cherokee/x ... 4swap.html http://www.lunghd.com/Tech_Articles/Pro ... ect_XJ.htm But I wanted to find any guys here that have done it so questions can be asked.