Pete M

No problem here. My shocks are behind the axle. :D Jeep on! --Pete

I have the photo CDs done again so I'll mail them out tomorrow. Jeep on! --Pete

I rotated the guards for the uniqueness of the look, the extra strength of the added weld bead and welds being in more than one plane, as well as it allowed me to tuck it up as close to the body as possible. Jeep on! --Pete

Pics! Pics! Pics! :D :D :D

You do know that swapping gears isn't as easy as bolting them in, right? Just checking. And while the TJ axle may technically be weaker, I've seen plenty of them survive just fine with 33s. I wouldn't go any bigger though, but that's just my opinion. Jeep on! --Pete

I have all of the above and have to say I use the Chiltons/Haynes manuals too. Sometimes the Factory manual seems to assume you know stuff. :? But the electrical diagrams and pictures in the FSM can not be beat. :D Jeep on! --Pete

Usually due to extensive rust but sometimes to reduce weight or to increase clearance on tight or rocky trails. Jeep on! --Pete

If you're looking for the toughest guards possible, I cut holes and put the connection bars *through* my frame and have force-spreading plates on both sides of the frame. There are no welds to pry apart, no screws to pull out, the only way for the bars to move is if the connection bar itself bends. :D It was a little tricky to do, but I like overkill. :D Jeep on! --Pete

Each one seems to be done a little bit differently. There is no "best" way, but there are plenty of wrong ways. The minimum you need to do is weld pads on top of your axle directly above your current ones, your rubber brake line needs to be longer (I believe it's a Dakota line that is usually used), and you'll need to work on shock mounts. I reused my factory mounts and stock shocks by slipping the mounts between the leafs and axle (with a bit of trimming to fit round the tube). I also added an extra leaf right below the main leaf to help combat springwrap. It's a main MJ leaf (with the eyes cut off) from another pack I got from the junkyard. Nows a great time to check your leafs for cracks. I found a cracked leaf in all four of the packs I had to put two good packs together. New ubolts and other hardware should be aquired. Also you should replace your driveshaft U-joints. Ujoints don't like changes in their operating angles and tend to vibrate. photos of my setup can be found at: picturetrail.com/petermontie What size tires are you shooting for and what gear ratio will you be using? Jeep on! --Pete

Custom. Rocker guards are easy to make (though not mine specifically). Take 2x2" 3/16" wall tube and cut your guards and the connections to the frame. Get your hands on some 3/16" plate (maybe 3x5" wide) to place between the 2x2 and the frame to spread out the forces. I did three connection bars per side. We have an extra foot of wheelbase over an XJ so I feel the third leg helps spread out the forces. Spreading out the forces is very important since our frames are made of sheetmetal. find yourself a skilled welder because welding thick metal to thin takes some experience. Some guys like the guards tucked up against the body, others prefer to be able to use the guards as a step when the truck is stuck in the mud or to keep tree trunks that much further from the paint. Also notice that I didn't mention bolting anythning to the pinch seam as many XJ guards do. I can't. There simply isn't any steel left. My rockers are held together with the bed liner I hit them with years ago. And even if I did have perfect rockers, I certainly wouldn't drill holes through them! :shock: Jeep on! --Pete

Not counting the transmission and transfercase (which I bought several years before the build), I actually *made* a little money on the build by parting out the 78 Bronco I had purchased for the axles. How's that for a budget-build? :D I've since passed that monetary mark with all the improvements I've made in the last year (rollbar, rocker guards, etc), but even then they were all built on a tight spending limit. Make friends with local welder owners and 4x4 enthusiasts, check out the classifieds on Jeep sites and ebay for used parts and tires, do extensive research (research is free :D ) on what parts you need to build the 4x4 you want ('cause the fastest way to waste money is to do something twice), have patience and stay focused. Most importantly, don't think that you need the absolute biggest tire you can find since costs go up practically exponentially with tire size. It's not always all about the lift, but rather bringing the truck back home under it's own power. Jeep on! --Pete

I think he meant "bolted on". Leaf pads have to be welded on no matter what axle you choose to go with. Jeep on! --Pete

Careful, they are addictive! :D Jeep on! --Pete

That IS weird! :shock: Jeep on! --Pete P.S. Do you mean you got the picture, or you got the MJ? :D

That helps immensly. Every once in a while it happens to somebody. Haven't a clue why. :( I reset you to "active" and changed the password to "comanche" when I saved it (since I can't see yours). Should work now and you can re-change the password again. Jeep on! --Pete

What user name did you sign up under? "josh" doesn't seem to exist. Jeep on! --Pete

I don't remember any of my dealership brochures mentioning the fastback, so I'm betting it's purely aftermarket (though it could be dealership-installed). Jeep on! --Pete

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D Jeep on! --Pete

Dang it. The Photo CD didn't come out right. I'll reburn it asap. Jeep on! --Pete

I don't see the pictures? :(

I know it was done once, but it is a very bad idea. Haven't clue if it can be done on any MJ or if it was a special case. Jeep on! --Pete

I swear that owning one makes you a magnet for other MJs. Or maybe it's just me. 8) Favorite incidents: Working on the 88 (back when it was 2wd) in the driveway and a guy pulls up in a white 86 MJ and asks if I knew anyone looking to buy a Comanche for cheap. Didn't take me long to snatch up my second MJ. Sitting at home. Knock on door. I answer door and there's a lady standing there. She asks if I was the one who owned all the Comanches (and I only had 2 at the time). Then she asked if I needed any parts off of hers 'cause she was donating it to charity. Sitting in my 88 (4wd now) at a Belle Tire waiting for my mom to finish picking up her car. Guy knocks on my window and asks if I wanted to buy a Comanche for 100 bucks. I didn't buy that one (still kicking myself for that) but I ended up buying his other for $300. Jeep on! --Pete

Duh! I should have been able to guess that if I had more experience with this crap. Worked like a charm! I gotta start getting ready for a meeting with GM for my senior design project, so I'll attack the smilies when I get back. I need to find someone loacal that can actually show me what all I can do and step me through doing it. I figure it's like trying to learn a foreign language all by yourself. :( Jeep on! --Pete

I'm almost finished making the copies. I've tried numerous things and I simply give up trying to improve the quiality of my Moab footage or to get the stupid VCR to stop flashing a date stamp on the screen at apparently random times. :evil: I should have everything wrapped up and in the mail by Wednesday (or maybe Thursday). The Moab stuff is a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy so you don't have to watch it all (although you'll miss some funny stuff), but after that I added some professionally produced 4wheelin' vids, so fast forward for that. :D Jeep on! --Pete

Ok, I found it. Now what?