87Warrior

I think you would notice an improved ride with properly adjusted CAs over reusing the stockers. The design of the aftermarket arm may change ride characteristics, but only for the better.

Pete is right, the flatter the arm angle the better. That's why long armed rigs generally ride soother than short. With that said, I switched from Rubicon Express superflex arms to JKS and noticed a dramatic change in ride with my TJ. I am approaching 5 years with the JKS and have had no problems...and I wheel it hard. They utilize the factory rubber bushings at each end. Buy them used (I did) since they are high dollar. Some folks say it is my imagination, but I noticed a change. I would highly suggest adjustable uppers and lowers so you can get the wheelbase set perfect as well as the pinion angle/caster. The slightest harmonic driveline vibe will make it feel like it is rough riding.

I believe Autodesk has a free AutoCAD viewer as well. It is the software I used in school. At this point I think it is appropriate to give everybody who has spent time tracing, assembling, or creating parts of this hitch bracket a big THANK YOU. I haven't had much to contribute other than my interest, but have really enjoyed following the thread. Jeepers are great!

Thanks 8) I don't know many details about the 86 and just made an assumption.

Storage is not an issue (I had better be careful, don't need to end up like Jim)... It can go in the same dirt barn my donor XJ is in. I would personally have little to no use for the parts from the truck. Rob - You are thinking along the same line as I am. I would hate to see a good B-Pillar, cab corner or roof get smashed. Even though I don't need one somebody will, and with fewer MJs around those parts will be hard to find. Guess if it turns out being better than I recall, I could swap a drivetrain in there along with my old gray interior and sell the truck as a running vehicle. (assuming he really does have the title) Now I am just rambling, seems I have subconsciously made up my mind and just need confirmation from others with the same MJ illness

Some of you are familiar with the 86 I visited a few weeks ago for parts. You know, the one with nice black interior. I got an e-mail from the guy asking if I wanted to buy the rest of the truck for scrap value, estimated at $200. He understood I am a MJ enthusiast and wants to give me a chance at it before it gets smashed. 1986 'Custom - No motor. Was 2.8 - AW4 - No tcase - D30/35 - Slight rust on bed, some bondo on bed - Cab corner/Rocker/B-pillar in good shape - Front fenders dented - Turbine wheels, one center cap - Header/grill/bezels decent, some cracking - Dirty but 95% complete Black interior with cloth bench (missing trim piece above rear window) - Has Title in hand Is it worth it? Should I get the whole thing or go and pull more parts? What would YOU do? My wife thinks I am crazy and already have too much to do on my truck!

My guess is he priced it higher than his bottom line, which is probably around $4000. None the less, look at it as a stock 91. If it is rust free with no major dents and can cruise at 65mph with out concern I'd venture to say it is worth $3-5K. From there just metally calculate how much $$$ it will take to replace/fix anything you don't like and figure out how much you initially want to invest in the truck. I overpaid for my 92 because I was overcome with excitement and missed the holes in the rockers, cab corners, and floors.

Welcome to the madness! Your truck looks like a great start.

After :wrench: on the MJ I usually like to clean up... Sorry, then/than bugs me.

You could upgrade to the V8 ZJ Tie Rod and end. I did the upgrade with Moog parts from O'Reillys on my TJ and it has worked great.

Thank you! I actually purchased this truck in the spring semester of my last year at K-State :yes: It was HARD to focus on school. Heck at that time I never could have imagined that I would be this far into a build. Actually, I guess I am about as far from a complete truck that you can get with a uni-body MJ :rotf: Today I decided to drag the truck to a garage with CONCRETE FLOORS :thumbsup: Here she is getting ready to go into the "POR15 Booth" Here is an image of some stamping I found on the MJ frame (passenger inner fender well and inner frame and driver inner fender well and inner frame) The deeper number changes from location to location (26155, 12134, 13571 and *unknown*) 9-13-91 build? Not sure about that, maybe when the frame was built. The build sheet indicates a 9-26-91 build date with an In Service date of 10-26-91.

About the only thing that guy had right when felling a tree was the use of a chainsaw. Nothing else was remotely right. Poor truck didn't stand a chance with the saw in bubba's hand...

Ha, my thoughts exactly. Yesterday it was 75, today I woke up to a dusting of snow and it never reached 35. Dear Canada, please keep your air.

Body: Red, the bed is already done a few pages back. Going with a light gray interior. Frame: Black. I know the frames were all body color from the factory, but I really like a dark under carriage.

Its not the pump which causes the issues with the 97+ conversion, but the fuel level sender. The MJ (renix or HO) sender does not send the correct signal for the 97+ gauge.

When my truck was drivable I would cruise at 75-80 mph going down the highway, getting 17mpg. She had plenty of juice left... the needle did dip past the gauge numbers once while trying to keep up with city traffic. 4.0, AW4, 3.55s on 30" tires. MY folks 93 XJ behaves the same way. Did bounce off the speed limiter (93mph) in my TJ when it was stock. 4.0, NV3550, 4.10's on 31" tires.

Finished blasting the frame/chassis today. Took much longer than I anticipated, but the HF blaster held through it all and is ready for more :wrench: Overall Shots: Engine Bay: Passenger Inner Fender: Driver Inner Fender: Under Carriage: A few spots need cleaned up, but I will use a flapper wheel on an angle grinder. Now I need to blow out the frame, wash, treat with Marine Clean, treat with Metal Ready and brush on POR15. If the weather is decent tomorrow on my day off (Presidents Day) I will get a head start on it :yes: I also need to haul it to the body shop so he can get an idea of what he is getting into.

Your not the first to encounter this :D viewtopic.php?f=2&t=27329

I am going with the Vanco 15" big-brake kit (designed for a 15" wheel) for my MJ's front brakes. It is 100% complete and bolt on. It also utilizes the dual piston brake caliper/pads and rotor from a Ford (98 Explorer, IIRC). http://www.vancopbs.com/category_s/121.htm

Thats usually how my TJ looks when I go to work on the MJ. Its 2 miles of slick clay that always retains moisture, to a network of poorly drained farm access roads that lead to the barn where the MJ resides.

And why didn't they just back down? Guessing those guy wires were supporting a 34Kv pole/lines.

That 5.9 sticker will look sharp on...your MJ? And to beat the horse some more, Spence is great to work with or just order from. Top class.

I assume you will continue to use the stock 2-joint shaft. Set the pinion angle at the same angle as the output shaft of the t-case. If you are running a CV shaft then you will need to set the pinion angle at the same angle as the driveshaft.

The wheel size its self should not dictate if you need a lift or not. I am having a hard time understanding why it would, with exception of of backspacing. I picked up my set of 5 rock rashed Moabs for $200. They need painted. You should be able to comfortably fit any stock Jeep wheel/tire combo under your truck (JK rubi 32s might not). Worst case scenario you need a budget lift, coil spacers and leaf shackles. I think the budget lift would be cheaper than going with some generic tires for 5 months. Plus you would have your preferred wheel/tire combo on your truck.

Spencer at JeepSticker is a great guy to work with. One of my orders: