Pete M

I say go for the rustys leafs and tell us how they are. Someone has to be the first, right? :D Jeep on! --Pete

Not a clue. It was installed many many previous owners ago. I'm guessing smittybilt, but that's just a hunch. I've found no identifying marks on it yet. Jeep on! --Pete

I'd heard of that same technique using propane, but I guess you've covered all the bases. Seems you've got a real head-scratcher there. :? Jeep on! --Pete

What procedure are you using for leak detection?

My 2wd Peugeot self-desrtucted at the 183k mile mark. Blew a hole out the side on the freeway, draining the gear oil in a hurry and causing the gears to emit an ear-shattering whine. Still got me home though (can't say that about ANY automatic). 30 miles or so and for the last 5 I was stuck in 3rd. Then she sat in my driveway for 2 years before the 4wd conversion began. Keep the fluid level up and be easy to it and it *should* be ok. Add big tires or a heavy right foot into the mix, and you might want to start researching the AX-15 swap. :D car-part.com and your local pick-n-pull 'yards are your friends. Jeep on! --Pete

What about a leak in the manifold gasket?

I seem to remember someone saying that a new TPS needs to be "set". Jeep on! --Pete

"Most every"? throttle position sensor? MAP sensor? Did you adjust the TPS? Small vacuum leak somewhere? Scanners are really only useful on 91+ MJ/XJs. The old Renix Jeeps are easier (and at the same time, harder) to work on. Jeep on! --Pete

U-joints don't like changes in their opperating angles so be sure to change out the old ones. No known vehicle's driveshaft swaps in except for another MJ. Do you have an auto or manual? 4.0L or 2.5L? Jeep on! --Pete

car-part.com lists some 8.8s for a 96+ v6 explorer with disks/4.10s for $300 and less in the new england states. Jeep on! --Pete

If you're tight on cash, stick with 3" and 31s. Then get out and enjoy your truck! Trying to get 33s to work right WILL cost money. There are ways to do it that are cheaper than others, but none are truly cheap. Then save up your pennies and go all out when you can afford do it right. The difference in ride height between 31s and 33s is only an inch. in my opinion, armor and driving skill are way more important than lift/tires. Jeep on! --Pete

and the snowball keeps rolling...

Jeep on! --Pete

Certainly looks stronger than stock! Jeep on! --Pete

90 was the first year for XJ ABS. Seems a shame to buy a whole axle shaft and not get a better joint when the washer trick seems to work just fine for bypassing the CAD. Keep an eye on the 'yard and pounce on the first ABS XJ you see! It's only a matter of time... Jeep on! --Pete

That's my plan! :D There's nothing more I'd want to remove (I like the looks of a stock MJ body), but plenty more I want to add (like a cage to protect my noggin). Jeep on! --Pete

I'm looking for a girl who's already into wheelin'. :D Or at least camping and hiking, cause I want to do a LOT of that in my lifetime. Jeepin' should be a natural extension of the desire to be out in nature (at least in my head it is), or at the very least, the means to and end. The Jeep can travel a lot further out into the wilderness than I can on my two feet (and carry more stuff so we can maintain a certain level of comfort). Jeep on! --Pete

No problemo. :D Jeep on! --Pete

Are you looking for an IDing photo that you can use to identify a factory bar? Looking for how the longbed bar attaches? Or just looking for proof they exist? Different bars attach in different ways. If I remember right, the factory bars' rear legs attach to the angle front wall of the wheel well. Since there is a 6 inch difference between the sortbed and longbed in the distance between this point and the front of the bed, they won't interchange. But other bedbars (I'm trying not to call them "roll" bars) have legs that mount to the bed floor between the whellwells, and others mount to the top of the wheel well. These two designs could possibly interchange between longbeds and shortbeds. Jeep on! --Pete

But only on those MJs that are way beyond restoration, right Eagle? :D Jeep on! --Pete

My picturetrail pics have this sort of address: http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL91/5120 ... 747036.jpg Try posting one here and maybe we can tell what went wrong. Jeep on! --Pete

I'm a thousand+ miles from my brochures, but if you remind me in a week, I'll get you something. Jeep on! --Pete

The rollbar's fate is now up in the air. I'm having difficulty removing it without hurting it and it's rustier than I originally thought. Jeep on! --Pete

Careful when you say "share". The Dakota and MJ were designed by two companies that were completely separate at the time of conception and the trucks share very little directly. But they were both small trucks and some bed accessories will interchange. Of course, other small trucks are close enough in measurement to donate those types of items too. When you own an MJ, you sometimes have to be creative when hunting down parts. :D Case in point, the long bed S-10 tonneau covers and bed caps will fit a longbed MJ. Jeep on! --Pete