Pete M

I'm of the opinion that if it broke, upgrade it. And if it ain't broken, upgrade it anyway. :D It can always be stronger or more convenient or (at the very least) cooler lookin'. 8) Jeep on! --Pete

If the Comanche is a midsize, it's certainly the smallest midsize in the world. :D Jeep on! --Pete

I'm still learning how to change things in here. Eventually I hope to have choices loaded where everyone can pick their own color combos. :D Jeep on! --Pete

Tha "re-usable" gasket sucks. Big time. I scraped it off and went with a regular ol' cork gasket. (one more oil leak licked. On to the oil filter housing O-rings!) Jeep on! --Pete

It's not as hard as it may seem. A cheap electric grinder can do a surprising amount of fabrication. :D Just keep the design simple. Jeep on! --Pete $20 at harborfreight.com

Just wait till you buy your second... or third... :D Jeep on! --Pete

http://www.off-road.com/jeep/cherokee/x ... 4swap.html

I admit that I got lucky to find the guy that has done all my stuff, but if you check your phone book, you should at least be able to find a place that sells steel. Really all you need is a whole mess of 2x2 square tubing and some steel plate to spread out the load on the frame. Jeep on! --Pete

I used a 3/4" piece of plywood and covered it in speakerbox carpet. Now I can attach brackets and what-not. :D Jeep on! --Pete

The best rock rails are custom anyway. Jeep on! --Pete

If anyone here is thinking about building a bumper and then towing with it, you'd better brace the heck out of it! If it fails and the ensuing carnage hurts anything or anyone, YOU are the liable party. That being said, I used 3x5 box steel and built the 2x2 directly into it. It has an added 3/4" bolt through the frame per side and is bolted to the rollbar. It will never be used for towing, only recovery. Jeep on! --Pete

Oooo, not so fast there guys. While the XJ and MJ are essentially the same up there, Jeep used a few different alternators up front, even in the same model year. Only way to know for sure is to check. When I ordered my 170A for my 88, I had to choose between 3 different mounting styles to figure out which would fit in my truck. (If I remember right, mine takes the GM style) Jeep on! --Pete

It's so morphed that it's hard to tell, but I doubt it's an MJ. Although I would never have believed that anyone had ever made an R/C body MJ and I've seen a couple of those on the internet (not for sale though). Jeep on! --Pete

Well, it won't bolt right up if that's what you mean, but take a length measurement of the longbed tank and crawl underneath and see if it'll clear the rear axle. Anything can be *made* to fit. :D Jeep on! --Pete

Different brand hitches mount in different ways and if they say longbed, chances are that it won't fit the shorty (although without knowing exactly what the difference is, I can't say that it can't be modified to work). Another common thing is for a hitch to require the stock step bumper. Jeep on! --Pete

I lopped off a couple inches from the 60" model and attached it between the rollbar legs and underneath the spare tire. Takes a couple minutes to get it out (anti-theft I guess) but I plan on putting it somewhere else during wheeling so I can have quicker access to it on the trail. The rollbar is custom and made from 2" DOM tubing welded/bolted to the frame. Jeep on! --Pete

The TJ transmissions are different in many ways, clocking of the t-case, shifter tower, t-case shifter linkage style, trans mount, etc. The XJ one is a direct fit. That being said, I have a 99 TJ AX-15 in my 88. Go to picturetrail.com/petermontie and look in the drivetrain folder. Jeep on1 --Pete

http://www.madxj.com/MADXJ/technical/technicalfiles/ARD30shafts297andSeals/D30shafts297andSeals.htm

Keep dreamin'! :D About the best we can hope for is finding a 4 door XJ matchbox (which do exist) and cutting it up to fab a fake MJ. Jeep on! --Pete

If I remember this right (what are the chances of that?) The TJs got a slightly different 3550 than the XJs. Something about a different cut in the gears (plus the typical differences of course). Jeep on! --Pete

The 3550 is newer and stronger, so I guess that makes it better. Either one is a good choice (as long as the trans is in good condition of course). Pay attention to the spline count of the tranny-to-Tcase shafts (the 3550 will be 23, your t-case is 21) and TJ/YJ trannys are different (can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you're looking for). Jeep on! --Pete

I didn't want the plate anywhere near the bumper (for the same wheelin' concerns) so I screwed it to the side and fabbed a simple plate to go behind it and hold the stock bumper's lights. The lower light points slightly to the right so the whole plate is lit. Jeep on! --Pete

The CPS in a sensor located on the bellhousing near the top/drivers side. Jeep on! --Pete

Ahh, so at least it's rated for something. Any idea what brand it is? I've yet to see a website selling a tube bumper with a reciever where they list the rating. Jeep on! --Pete

What old t-case? Mine was 2wd to start with. :D There's always the option of re-selling your current stuff. I too hate replacing perfectly good parts, but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Was the "different input shaft lengths" post concerning the 2.5L or 4.0L? Jeep on! --Pete