Pete M

finally breaking in that engine, eh? :D

great stuff! :D show those guys what a unibody can do! . :MJ 1: .

1: as mentioned, it's stronger and eliminates the silly factory slip yoke. drawbacks are you'll need a new shaft. 2: I'd go with 4.88 if I was paying for gear setup. what axle are you running out back? 4: my buddy has the harbor freight 12k winch and it hasn't failed yet. for myself I was thinking about getting one of Warn's new VR series winches. 5: avoid rhino and dura and hurc. they don't seem to last 6: I use a TJ AX-15 shifter in my truck. doesn't fit quite right but is usable. 8: I use a Co2 tank so no help there. 10: I swear there was a guy fairly recently that was doing that. maybe he has a build thread.

nice! :thumbsup:

shouldn't. should be set up as a restriction for starting a thread.

I have also occasionally had a similar issue but never could get it to happen twice in a row so I just ignore it. :dunno:

http://comancheclub.com/topic/48710-diy-projects-writeups-master-search-index/ same as a cherokee. MJ benches go right in, other brands can be adapted.

been there and it sucks royally :( you're not seriously going to part out your truck over that, are you? yours is still in infinitely better shape than mine. Just need to plug the holes. :thumbsup:

It will be driven in the winter, one of the questions i had was going to be rust proofing. our trucks rot from the inside-out. the key starting locations are above the rear tire inside the bedwall (you can see the ledge where crap collects if you peer up in front or behind the tire), the floorboards under the carpet (chances are that it's rusting there already), inside the rockers, inside the frame, and inside the bottoms of the doors.

car-part.com might be able to help with junkyard searches. just be sure to search for various years as the website lists things by part number and those changed now and again even though the trans will still work. are you sure it's not just a failing clutch system? usually first gear is first to show problems if the clutch isn't working properly. also, the AX-15 is supposedly fairly easy to rebuild. if it is a stripped first gear, you might be able to just replace the bad part. Either way, don't throw out your old trans, as you might be able to sell it to someone needing to replace their peugeot.

a lot depends on the state of your system. if your radiator is practically new and the fan clutch works great and you still have a fan shroud (and you don't live in death valley) then you should be fine. :thumbsup: my liberty has a mech fan and a broken e-fan and I never even noticed it until towing a camper trailer up the mountains on a 100 degree day. my dakota (also mech fan plus an e fan) is the other way and I need the e-fan to keep the v8 cool while using the AC. the internet is awash with e-fans that are only $25. if you go OEM, try to get the later model version with the curved fins.

very nice!! . :MJ 1: .

yeah, 4.56 or 4.88 will do fine. even 4.10 will be ok, but if I was paying for new gear setup, I'd never go lower than 4.56. I assume you have something better out back than the dana 35?

91-95 will be the most straight forward but pretty much everything will need to be swapped no matter the year. check the DIY thread for ideas: http://comancheclub.com/topic/48710-diy-projects-writeups-master-search-index/ also, don't let it touch winter.

short bed and long bed weight practically the same. if you ever intend on sleeping in it, the longbed is worth the extra space. the diesel is under powered and high maintenance, but rare and so a non-issue. the 2.5 and 4.0 are both good powerplants if they were cared for. the 2.5 will give better mpgs. most important, please do not take a rust free truck back to see salt. just buy one that is already rusting and enjoy it year round for as long as you can. :thumbsup:

having an engine hoist is like having super powers. :D

when last did you check the oil level?

well, I guess in XJs that would be important, but the back of my seat is firmly pushed against the back of the cab. even if my seat moves, my body isn't going very far. 'tis cozy in there. :D

I had a similar issue in my 88 when a bolt was too rusted and had no surviving threads. I just ignored it. :D

um, that kinda sounds like one of those "if you have to ask, it might be too much" kinds of questions. essentially you need to be able to weld on all of the XJ/MJ bracketry in the proper orientation and do so well enough that you don't become a danger to others on the road. :thumbsup: Opinions will vary, but it's a solid 8 on my 1-10 difficulty scale, mostly because poor welds could be deadly if your front suspension collapses. TNT makes a truss for adapting to JK axles, maybe they have one for yours too. that knocks it down from an 8 to a 6 because there is way more weld area (meaning each inch of weld becomes a bit less vital) and alignment is pretty much taken care of.

problem solved! another small chunk of 2x4 saves the day :D

the tape wasn't holing it up very well. need to come up with another plan.

hmmm... interesting idea. :brows: as it is now, there's a bookcase right underneath it, but I guess that probably won't be there forever. I have a feeling I might get some flak from my family for a tire hanging on the wall, but the wheel shouldn't be a problem. :D

well, I've got a couple front ends in decent shape. :yes: but that would likely be shop/garage decor since they don't need climate control (also, I'm trying to limit the MJ stuff to just the one wall :rotf:)