Pete M

Better flex AND less 'wrap? How bad are these Toy springs? Are they really short? Jeep on! --Pete

I didn't even know I *could* change it, let alone how to go about it. Heck, I'd be happy if I could figure out how to sucessfully upload some more smilies. :( Jeep on! --Pete

I don't know the specifics on the materials used, but both of those items you mentioned are reinforced, where-as on the XJ they are not. Every part of the body from the firewall back (except the doors of course) is a different design, so it's not like they even went through the same presses. Remember, you bought a *truck*, not a grocery-gettin' station wagon. :D Anyone know if the XJ frame is double-walled at all? Jeep on! --Pete

Sounds like a lot of work to fix a problem that hasn't even proven to be a problem yet. :( I kept my overload leaf and added a second main leaf to the pack (with the eyes cut off of course) and have had no issues with springwrap. Try running what you've got and then make changes if you have problems. Since it's probably thicker, maybe you could add the main Chevy leaf to the pack (with the eys cut off)? In my opinion the MJs leaf packs are the best ones ever invented. Seems a shame to drop to a lesser pack. Do you know why the Toys are using Chevy leafs? Jeep on! --Pete

I happen to have a shot of my truck during the period between rolling out of the garage and getting the 33s (due to one of my new rims arriving bent). Jeep on! --Pete

The reason I don't recommend locking a Dana 30 with 35s is longevity. When one of the spinning front tires catches something hard and stops rotating, a posi or open diff will transfer some or most of the engine power to the other side, reducing the shock load that is responsible for lots of broken shaft/joints. For traction purposes the locker is obviously better, but they are very abusive to axles being pushed to their limits. Jeep on! --Pete

looks like a 15x7, measure accross the rim to be sure. The steelies are usually 15x6. Jeep on! --Pete

$2000!!!!! I'm not *that* much of a rider. I bought a Mongoose Switchback many, many years ago and I thought it was dang expensive at a measly few hundred. It's positively archaic by today's standards, but somehow still gets me where I'm going. :D Jeep on! --Pete P.S. back to the topic at hand, When a project ever feels overwhelming to me, it generally means I haven't broken it down into small enough tasks. Being able to check things off of a list may sound corny now, but it'll become soooooo satisfying later on when you watch that list shrink. :D

I ain't got a bed! That's why I said "back", but I guess there's no "in" at the moment. :D Shouldn't be hard to fab up a holder of some kind. I might make one of my own someday when I get bored. Jeep on! --Pete

Toss a mountain bike in the back! That should cut your 3 day walk into a 1 day ride. :D Jeep on! --Pete

I think you need to better define what you want in the end. Do you want 37s or do you want something that is reliable? Even a brand new truck can fail in the middle of nowhere, don't start thinking that you're going to build a fail-proof rig just because you use tougher axles. Find yourself a wheelin' buddy by either introducing a friend to the hobby, or finding a local club and start making friends. For the time being, take a break and get yourself better organized. I could never have done my buildup without using a spreadsheet in excel to map out my plans and keep track of all the details. I recommend backing off the 37s and go with 33s or *maybe* 35s. I have 33s and have yet to wish I had 37s. Plenty of times I've wished for an engine in better condition, but not bigger tires. Driving skills, good armor and a buddy vehicle are all you truly need to get back home. An 8.8 will handle the 35s just fine, the Dana 30 can hold it's own if you get some late model XJ shafts with 297s, don't lock it (the posi is fine), and maybe brace it to insure it stays straight if you're really worried about it. I think you'll be quite surprised as to the strength of the Dana 30. What tire/gear combo do you have your experience with that 4.0? Mine felt tired as all heck with 30" tires and 3.07s. 3.55s perked it right up! Now I have 4.10s and 33s and I bet if I had 4.56s she wouldn't feel so inept. Jeep on! --Pete P.S. They unibody is a heck of a lot stronger than you seem to give it credit. That *ain't* a Cherokee. Repair what's broken, strengthen anything you want, but I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Ok, I've been able to peruse that link and couldn't find all the answers I was looking for. I *think* all I'm really looking for is a website builder and phpnuke seems to do a ton of things (half of which I don't understand). Jeep on! --Pete

Did you get to snap a photo? Jeep on! --Pete

My 86 Metric Tonne leafpacks have 5 leafs total. Jeep on! --Pete

advanceadapters.com sells all sorts of adapters. None of them are especially cheap. Consider stroking your 4.0L out to 4.6L. It bolts right in, produces v8 power, and isn't as hard to keep cool (as many v8 MJs/XJs have proven to be). Jeep on! --Pete

Sweet! Take LOTS of pics! :D Jeep on! --Pete

Oh, it could take out a lot more than that if the gears fuse together on the freeway. :( Most shop charge $150-$250 for labor so $75 is a screaming deal if he truly knows what he's doing. Not everyone that says he does gears is allowed to touch my truck. Warrantees are nice. Even the junkyard should have a warrantee on the new axles. Carrier break for the Dana 35 is 3.31/3.54, Dana 30 is 3.54/3.73 Check out the tech section at ring-pinion.com for more info than you can shake a stick at. Jeep on! --Pete

XJ is 101 and the short bed MJ is 113.

There are only a few things I still leave to the pros. Rebuilding an automatic (not that I have to worry about that), machine work on my engine, the final welding on safety equipment, tube bending (only because I don't own a bender), and swapping gears. Gears muyst be set up properly and that requires special tools, lots of patience, a little bit of magic, and if you do it wrong, you can destroy much of your axle's innards. Swapping the entire axle is preferable to me. I hunted for quite some time to find Ford axles with the optional 4.10 gears and eventually bought an entire Bronco to get them. Plus then you have spare shafts! Always a good thing with the Dana 35 and the 30 if it still has the small ujoints (upgrading is a good thing here). You will have to weld on new leaf perches if your rear axle comes from a Cherokee. Jeep on! --Pete

hmmm, I'll have to read through that later and see what all they have listed. Swapping ing the 242 is fairly straightforward, I would grab all of the associated hardware in case there are slight differences Jeep on! --Pete

I've got an 86 Metric Tonne and if there's any height difference between it and a stock 4x4, it seem to be not so much a "design" difference as much as it is due to the stiffer leaf packs not sagging as much over the years. I can't get you measurements though as there is about 1000 pounds of stuff in the back and I'm not about to unload it right now. :roll: Metric Tonne MJs have a 5 leafs total in their packs including the overload leaf. Oh, and 4x4 MJs have about an inch more height than 2wds. 30 inch tires are the generally accepted limit for stock MJs, 2wd or 4wd. A 3inch lift is needed for 31s. Jeep on! --Pete

According to all my resources, no such animal exists. Sorry. The MJ had an all-wheeldrive option in 86, but it wasn't with a 242 or an AW-4 or even a shortbed. A quick search in car-part.com shows that there are 26 different rear shaft part numbers for an 88 MJ. That's not to say that some lengths are so close as to be interchangeable, but none list a 242 so I don't know where that length would fit in. Jeep on! --Pete

I recieved Comanchedude's photos yesterday and I'll have the tapes and photo CDs ready by this weekend, but I still need addresses from some of you. Jeep on! --Pete

If your new owner is anything like me, you'll be pampered with all sort of goodies in the future. :D Jeep on! --Pete

Nice one!