Pete M

you should probably get that Tstat in there one of these days.

that bites. but at least you caught it.

you should do a build thread for that awesome truck!

car-part.com purely searches by part number. even among XJs it won't bring you every year.

we've got a huge thread somewhere, but this website should sum it up quite well. https://www.imcdb.org/

if you're comfortable doing wiring, and you have the schematics for both rigs, then it seems very plausible that you can do this. the reason why you're seeing suggestions to go with XJ stuff is that, with a donor rig, it all more or less bolts in because the MJ and XJ share bady parts. with the YJ engine stuff, you might find that the wires aren't long enough to reach a spot where you can mount the pcm, or the vacuum lines need to be all custom, or a plethora of other things that are dependent on each particular items position in space inside the YJ bay vs the MJ bay. It could be a HUGE hassle. or it might not. I can't say because I've never seen it done. But that just means you're blazing new trails! There's no reason why it can't work, just reasons why it might be a headache now and again.

how solid is that XJ? how much work to get it working again? those things are pretty dang rare and I'd wager you can make a tidy profit if it's easy to get running again.

think of it this way, an MJ saved Tom (kinda), who saved the world (kinda), so an MJ saved the world!

you should put your truck's info into your signature.

-pick a random facebook automotive group -find a comment from someone that just installed new LEDs headlights or some such thing -wait for guys to come out of the woodwork that seem to take pride in how many people flash them everyday thinking they have the brights on -then ask why they don't bring a flashlight to stores so they can blind people in there too -keep asking until they answer that question it's fun. the childishness of the responses is just breathtaking.

yes but I want 4.10s FOR the road. offroad I want even deeper, but low range is a good enough bandaid. the rule of thumb that I've read in many places is to get at least the factory ratio back plus one more step to accommodate the extra weight of the tires. either way he'll be happier than with the 3.55s.

4.10s all day every day. putting a set in my libby for its ~31" tires. (mostly because that's as deep as the gears go in stock axles from the factory. if I was paying for a regear, I'd go 4.56)

the problem could be anything up front, but is likely a combination of slightly worn parts. I would start with having a friend saw the wheel back and forth rapidly while I looked and felt for slop in the steering and trackbar joints. Then I would jack up one front tire and shake it as hard as I could with my hands at 9 and 3 oclock, then with my hands at 12 and 6 oclock. it should feel nice and tight and not all wobbly. Also tire balance seems to be related to random DW episodes too. less so if it starts with a pothole or other bump.

for his particular build specs he'll never know it was a low pinion.

cheaper? yes. easier? well, that depends if you just drop the truck off and pay a guy to do the re-gear. 3.73s are a common ratio in low pinion ZJ and TJ dana 30s.

AX-15s have aluminum for the donut. AX-4/5s have steel.

The MJ M-20 has one piece shafts and is on par with the 44. I regret selling mine.

3.73 in an AMC-20? be sure to double check that, as 4.10s are what the dealership brochure mentions.

the clusters are indeed plug-n-play with the caveat that you need to swap out the temp and oil pressure switches with their appropriate sensor counterparts.

does a magnet stick to the intermediate plate?

all I'm saying is that now's the time to do all you can. it'll never get any easier.

oh, it gets even worse. a fully decked out Rubi JK is knocking on the door of 5k. Xjs are sooooo friggin' light. my Libby weighs in at ~4100 stock. Hooray for... safety?

that part number comes back as an AX15

aren't the head gaskets prone to issues?