Pete M

Found a couple more of Rob's. If only you knew how many MJ pics I've got... Heck, if only I knew how many. Some day I need to get around to organizing them... :D

From me directly. But not until the manufacturer gets off their lazy duff and finally sends them to me! :headpop: :mad: :hateputers: :wall:

Since no good project is ever "finished", and since few seem members seem to be able to follow that rule anyways, I think I'll just change the title of that forum. :D

Don't forget that 2wd leaf packs sit 1" lower than 4wd packs. Plus most MJs' leafs sag a bit from time while the coils should give the full 4.5".

-Your driveshaft should be fine, just install new U-joints. -You don't have a t-case, and even if you did, you won't need a drop kit. -4.5" coils can work just fine with an SOA conversion. -You'll need much more than just replacement lower control arms. Shocks, trac bar, brake lines, etc all need to be replaced.

Hit 25 posts. :D

The only issues I've heard of with rough country are springs that were stiffer than the owner wanted. The kit on ebay seems to have every item you'd need to do the lift properly. I'd bet that if someone else is selling the kit cheaper, it probably doesn't have shocks included.

There are 2 main routes to take when owning a 4x4. Do it all at the same time, or build it up as you go. Neither one is better than the other. Do the one that makes the most sense to you. Keep in mind that changing gears is expensive, like $400 or more per-axle expensive. That's why tracking down a stock 4.10 Dana 30 can make so much sense. If you think you'll see 37" tires in the future, but only 33s now, you can either bolt-in a Dana 30 to use in the interim, or build up a Dana 44 now. But you'll want much deeper gears for 37s over 33s, so do you regear the Dana 44 twice? I'm flat broke, so these decisions tend to be much simpler for me. :cry:

More imprtant than finding good/bad opinions about products, is delving deeper to learn why the owner liked/disliked the product. Was the part quality up to par? Did the owner not like the ride quality? Did the lift not do what the owner wanted? And what was it that he owner wanted in the first place? did they do hard-core trails? Or just tool around town? Some people don't like the stiffer ride of some kits, while other owners didn't even notice. Opinions vary wildly in that regard.

Oops, hold on. I don't think I said that quite right in my last post. Lemme clarify. I can't argue with the Dana 44 having better everything. It simply does. I'm just saying that for a small investment someone can get a 4.10 geared Dana 30 and 297 axleshafts (rarely from the same axle unfortunately) from a junkyard, bolt it in, and handle 33s just fine. :D I do not condone spending the coin on chromoly anything for a Dana 30. It's just not worth it. 35" tires give only 1" more ground clearance over 33s, but the headaches of making them work properly go up considerably. Not everyone wants to take the sawzall to their rig. And apparently I got my shots to immunize against inch-itis. Only 33s on a HP Dana-44?!? That's crazy talk! :nuts:

How many gear failures have you heard of? I'm not saying they are stong, but I just don't hear of too many failures of the gears.

Personally, I would hesitate swapping in a Grand Wagoneer front axle. The strength increase of a low pinion Dana 44 over a high pinion Dana 30 (with the upgraded joints) just isn't worth all the hassle in my opinion. This is a Grand Wagoneer:

By "backing plates", I was assuming he meant the dust shields. :dunno:

I've looked at what's required to rip them off (mainly, pulling the axle shafts), and I'm just going to cut them free of my new 8.8.

If you're looking for 4.10s, it can be cheaper to just get stock Jeep axles from the junkyard with 4.10s in them. Installation costs can be mind boggling. Plus, I can't condone sinking any money into a Dana 35 beyond new gear oil. They just aren't worth it.

Up front yes. In back, no.

My "Ford" suspension is not lreally imited by the current shocks so in theory these should work just fine lengthwise. Other owners running flexy 5-link suspensions can definitely gain from them though. All 4 current shocks on the 88 will be going over to the 90, which is in desperate need of shocks. :D

It was SCCA and the 2.5L powered MJs frequently came in 1st and 2nd. :D

It is supposedly available right now. But I have no idea if there is a back-order or anything.

Not driveshaft, axle. As tire size increase, the added stress on the Dana 30 goes up practically exponentially. Unfortunately there is no easy upgrade for the front axle. Just make sure you've upgraded the axle shafts inside to the later model ones with the Dana-44 size U-joints. http://www.madxj.com/MADXJ/technical/te ... dSeals.htm

The best kit (whatever it may be) will new coils, new lower control arms, long MJ-specific AALs for the rear in addition to the brake lines, sway bar fix and trac bar fix (those can vary as to how they acomplish them). Plenty of kits won't have all of those. The only thing that typically won't be included is shocks and that's because the manufacturers recognize that many people have differing preferences. XJ kits will generally come with t-case lowering blocks, but MJs won't need that.

I think you'll learn a lot when you read it, just keep in mind that XJs and MJs have plenty of differences and he doesn't list every single one.

Did you try having someone turn the wheel back and forth while you watch the front end?

Not yet, but they will. :D

Ok, I think I did it. Try signing in as: $500 MJ with the password being: comanche