Pete M

an added bonus is now I have a semi-protected area to keep things dry.

random MJ from the internet. just guessing the year.

starting tuesday I'm in full parts-gathering mode

good question. I image once you have the inner brace installed, the holes should be easy to punch through from the inside-out.

cannot argue with that. if you peruse the Epic Tech section, you'll find some very fun v8 swaps.

I figure it's going to die a horrible death anyways so why use the nice camo one. at least this way no one will have an excuse as to why they didn't see me coming. final version. got support straps under it supporting it and over it controlling it. I think it'll work out fine, but no plan survives first contact with the enemy. oh, and I used a buddy's winch to scoot the assembly back 2 feet to better weight the trailer, especially after the next bed gets dropped off.

losing 2 beds and 2 axles hasn't even been noticeable. it always drove and felt fine. I'm sure technically I can accelerate faster now, but I don't really try to punch it. the wind resistance is a huge fuel killer. I was driving straight into a stiff wind through flat Ohio and was getting all of 9mpg

looks like I'm leaving for the next leg east on Thursday. gave me plenty of time today to work on more effectively slicing through that wind. my chunk of uber expensive plywood is under there providing support and the edges of the tarp at the top and the bottom is sandwiched between pieces of my uber expensive 2x4s. cheap tarps tend to die quick deaths if you at all rely on the grommets.

including the speedo cable bits!

in general. but if you still have it I'd take it off your hands a cable can easily be replaced. a rustfree bumper that's mangled on the ends can be fixed.

I'd grab that center console too if it's not horrible. there are 8 bolts holding the bed on, plus 2 gas tank bolts, plus ebrake bracket bolts, plus random electrical harness bits. I think all are 13 and 15? plus some had 2 bolts going from the spare tire carrier to the bed and some didn't. and the spare carrier is good you should grab it too. plus the rear bumper. plus the rear springs. plus saw off the whole rear frame. plus I can show you how to slice off rockers if you're really into saving the important stuff

as has been said, there are reasons I cannot find a single example of this swap to share with you. If you think this will be a good project and the ends will justify the means, I say go for it. if you think this will be cheap/easy because you just so happen to have a WJ on hand, then you should probably rethink it. you will be inventing it all as you go and not everyone is up for that level of dedication.

set the bed aside and I'll come get it some day

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