Pete M

I have (had?) a potential buyer for my tires (trying to raise funds for my new MJ project) and he's shying away due to BFG being absolutely insane. The BFG website lists a 7" rim as the widest for the 235, but a 8.5" for the 30" even though there's only like a 1/4" difference between the two. And of course, he has an 8" rim. So has anyone mounted 235s on the apparantly monstrously huge 8" wide rim? Jeep on! --Pete

The rocking/sliding ones will put your head a couple inches or so closer to the ceiling. The NON-rocking/sliding ones are identical to MJ buckets (but you still need the MJ floor brackets from the bench). Avoid the power XJ seats unless you want a serious project. Jeep on! --Pete

There's also the chance that he's really really old and had his indicator on the whole time. :D Jeep on! --Pete

Also, don't forget about the "devil that you know" aspect. I know practically *everything* that there is to know about my 88, I know nothing about my new 90 and that's a new (and kinda scary) feeling to me. But then, the seller wasn't making ANY claims about reliability with a $300 rustbucket. :D Jeep on! --Pete

Best for the 4.0L has got to be the NV series, but they can be hard to find (TJs and XJs got different versions and the XJ are the ones you want). As CW said, the AX-15 is a great tranny too, just the NV trannys are newer and a bit stronger. Best for the 2.5/2.8/3.4 is the best condition AX-5 you can find. Or you can go to the effort of tracking down a Dakota 2.5L-to-AX-15 bellhousing and swap an AX-15 into your 86. Search over at pirate4x4.com for a post from the guy that figured out all the details on that. Or you can venture into the territory of Chevy transmissions. I don't know much about all of them, but I do know that the 2.8/3.4 does not need a CPS so you have a greater choice of transmissions. see advanceadapters.com for info on swapping chevy trannys. Jeep on! --Pete

Soooo, this particular forum was designed for finished projects and all... are you going to at least give us some specs on that beauty? :D :roll: Maybe fill us in on what all you did? Oh, and the link won't work for me. :( Lemme guess, all my questions are answered at the link. :( Jeep on! --Pete

Best trans for the 4.0L? Or best tans for the 2.5/2.8/3.4L? Jeep on! --Pete

The front axle is identical, your front drieshaft is easily swapable. The biggest downfall of your 86 is the 2.8, and that's easily fixed with a 3.4L and a better carb. What I'm trying to say is, more often than not the condition of the vehicle (drivetrain, wiring, rust, etc.) is the most important factor due to the ease of swapping and upgrading any MJ. If you want a stick, go get a stick. If you really must have a 4.0L, go get one. But be prepared to upgrade the gears in a 4.0L/stick. 3.07s SUCK. What do you truly want in the end? Jeep on! --Pete

If you drive a big enough RV, you wouldn't feel a thing. Jeep on! --Pete

Safety first! But even before a cage, I would spend my money on STRONG recovery attachment points front and rear. No matter how you build up the truck, you WILL get stuck someday and you do NOT want to be the guy who rips off his rear axle because he doesn't have a good tow point and the leaf spring breaks. The more capable your rig, the more stuck you will be and the harder the recovery becomes. I put custom bumpers on my 88 before I even finished the 4wd conversion. Jeep on! --Pete This guy had good front tow points, but just couldn't resist hitting the dunes before the rear bumper was done. And the leaf spring break happened AFTER the F-250 that had offered assistance used the Ford's ball hitch and the ball ripped off and hit the MJ.

Spiders eat mosquitos, and anything that east mosquitos is a friend of mine! :D Jeep on! --Pete

Not tech questions about your own truck. They go in the tech forum. No advertizing. That goes in the classifieds. Keep us updated on your progress with plenty of pics! Lots and lots of pics! :needpics:

:D

On the 88 I threw a thick aluminum plate over the big hole and called it a day. :D I know my 90 is much worse, but haven't pulled up the carpet yet. Jeep on! --Pete

Define "fit". Some guys care if it's a bit taller or shorter than the cab, others don't. The big question I have is, where to the rear downbars mount? to the floor? to the angled front wall of the wheelwell? to the top of the wheel well? Just about any small truck can donate a rollbar if it mounts up right. Most bars are not very "vehicle specific". Small is small. Ask for some pictures or at least some measurements. Jeep on! --Pete

It would be worth it to me to seek out a "long" AAL and swap them. Jeep on! --Pete

Yup. That would be a "short" AAL. There are also "long" AALs out there. Jeep on! --Pete

2000 was the first year for the NV transmissions. Stay away from TJ trannys unless you like extra work with your swap. The TJ (and YJ for that matter) have trannys that rotate the t-case up a bit more than MJ/XJs. It can be a great way to gain some ground clearance, but the trans is different in other ways and some fabbing and coaxing of metal is necessary. Besides, 00+ TJs got a less refined trans anyways. My sis had a '00 TJ and the trans whine was not insignificant. Jeep on! --Pete

Most everything I've read has recomended taking it to a shop. That way it'll be "legal" and what-not. Costs seem to range from $10-30. Personally, my 88 has had 3 clusters so far and I've decided that I simply don't care what the odometer says. (Speedometer doesn't work anyways due to the mismatch of an 88 truck and a 99 t-case.) :roll: Jeep on! --Pete

Amen to that! I almost lost my engine to a fan that wouldn't turn on. Now I just flip the switch and the aux fan comes to life. Flip another switch and the hood vent fan comes on. I like switches! :D Jeep on! --Pete

It's a straight forward swap. A bit tricky if things are rusted, but not hard. A shop manual will lay out the steps. Make sure the vents work right before installing them. I got vents from the junkyards and ended up having one that wouldn't seal up right because it was looe in its pivot hole at the bottom. Jeep on! --Pete

3 regular leafs plus the overload for normal MJs. 4 regular leafs plus the overload for Metric Ton MJs. Chances are that an AAL will look a little different that the others (like the shape at the ends or the finish of the paint) and, while the ends of the regular leafs are spaced fairly evenly apart, an AAL will seem to be shoved in. Jeep on! --Pete

There's nothing like a factory service manual for dealing with wiring issues. :D I recommend the 89 though rather than the 88. The trucks are essentially identical, but the 89 manual was the first Chrysler re-write and is better than the 88. ebay.com is a good source for them. You shouldn't have to remove the engine to get at the wiring. Jeep on! --Pete

Don't forget that you'll need to swap the ending units in the 88 for the switches. Otherwise the new owner won't have use of the temperature or oil pressure lights. Not cool. It may just be easier/cheaper to get a junkyard cluster. Jeep on! --Pete

http://www.jeepin.com/features/gaugeswap/index.asp