Pete M

it's important to have more than one MJ.

the front shaft will be perfect since the front half of XJ and MJ suspension is the same. I hope you got the t-case shifter linkage/gate from the XJ. I infinitely prefer the 242! my Liberty has been in AWD mode since 07.

your 2wd shaft is likely a 2-piece shaft with a 30 year old rubber isolator inside. I would just get a brand new one made (sans the isolator). I don't know the lengths of the 242 vs 231. might even change depending on year. The MJ never came with the 242, that was an XJ thing.

the pinion snout is an inch longer on the 8.25 (over the dana 35) which means if you had a stock 4wd MJ, you'd need to shave an inch off of the driveshaft. lifting an MJ 4.5" means that you'll then need a driveshaft that's 1" longer than stock. but I just noticed you included a "full time" in your listing of the t-case specs. the 231 doesn't have a fulltime option. the 242 does though. best to know which you have because it might affect the shaft lengths.

the lift will need an inch of length over stock 4wd shaft, and the rear axle will need an inch removed. it's more or less a wash and they cancel each other out. you won't need a SYE or a drop kit. edit, so I must be tired because I needed a half dozen edits to get that whole thing right.

it's a persistent myth that probably stems from guys removing bad/clogged cats and finding a power boost. but the factory designs them to not hamper anything. now, if you added a turbo or stroker, I'd step up to a high-flow cat because then you'd then be exceeding the factory specs for airflow.

I bought these for our Durango. They are Dometic brand but are the old generation that aren't made anymore (had to order them from England). but there are other options that attach in a similar fashion. honestly, unless I had a real need for a big truck, I'd rather have a modern Grand Cherokee or Durango. I've been very pleased with ours and the Hemi tows wonderfully.

gloss black also scratches super easy. it's a toss up.

how big is your camper?

so far so good on all accounts

those rims turned out great!

it's a keeper for sure

made it to Michigan. that giant metal parachute sure sucked more gas outta the tank than I was expecting. tomorrow I'll look into improving that.

good to know! I'll gladly pay that price to skip a few hours of driving and stay away from DC traffic

if you're still in southern Conn, then yup. I inserted a rough map in the first post.

it seems tall, but it's shorter than the camper I usually pull with plenty of weight down low (leafs and axles). a lot less aerodynamic up front though. not much I can do about that.

the liberty just isn't reliable yet. still have that random limp mode and there's no way I'm risking that with a big trailer. but with the profits from the trip, I hope to finally remedy that situation.

only had the one that I don't need. It's going to its new owner tomorrow. I asked if anyone already on the list had any special requests.

and so it begins... I already know I'll be making a run to town for more straps. when all is said and done they will be strapped down independently and then tied together to be a single unit. wasn't prepared for the ouch of buying that piece of plywood I'm using as a ramp. dang, wood is expensive.

do they accept kidneys as payment?

I've seen that done too but cardboard is free and I've got a lot of it on hand. this will suffice for a random stay at walmart. when I get the Liberty back on the road as my primary long-hauler, I might shell out a few bucks and do it better.

generally speaking I support the EPA, but this whole thing was super confusing to me last time they brought it up. from a legal standpoint I don't see how they can tell me what I can do with my non-registered car on private property, and the percentage of cars that go down this path is insanely small so... what's the point exactly? what they are contemplating would just kill the whole grassroots motorsports industry. my gut tells me they are actually after the go-fast parts that end up on street cars but this is a weird way to do that.

teamcherokee? rockauto?