Comanche County

Yep the HD44 as it is actually called but popularly referred to as a D44A, is a complete different beast than the XJ and MJ D44. I'm about 90% sure that an 86 CJ D44 and the TJ D44 axle shafts will swap also, but not the ZJ version. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong -- in no less than 3 hours guaranteed. haha

:drool: :drool: :drool:

Yes, but I don't know all the differences between prop valves. An early ZJ I saw had the same one as my 89 MJ but had rear discs? I know some models have different pressure ratios, but I'm not an expert. Some of the guys who have eliminated their rear height sensing valve and/or swapped rear discs could probably answer better than I.

FWIW, here's what I've gotten with different tire sizes and gear ratios on my rig. All are +/- 1-2MPGs w/ mostly highway driving and some city miles. I used to check my MPGs every time I filled up. 3.07 and 30" tires - 18 mpg average (firestone ATs, stock steel wheels) 3.73 and 30" tires - 20 mpg average (firestone ATs, stock steel wheels. Same MPG with 30" BFT ATs on XJ aluminum wheels) 3.73 and 31" tires - 17 mpg average (BFG MT 31s, steel D window wheels) 3.73 and 33" tires - 16 mpg average (After having the head rebuilt that jumped up a bit to 17 mpg. That was with 33" Mud Brutes, 33" BFG MTs on Soft 8 Steelies. MT Baja Claws on Soft 8s was a little worse.) 4.56 and 35" tires - 17-18 mpg (current set up, I need to do some more driving but that's my rough estimate for now) More rotating mass and resistance of off road tires and heavier wheels kill MPGs.

Must be a blockage somewhere or perhaps the rear wheel cylinders gave up. Anyway, I just did the WJ swap. Its in the DIY section and my build page.

Haha, yeah I've been lucky when it comes rust.

Yeah don't sweat the gears....another cost effective option is to buy a welder and 4.5" grinder if you don't have one already. For the cost of getting gears done you can buy a welder, which is a complete game changer. Then the door opens to all sorts of possibilities. They'll also pay for themselves eventually (especially considering time saved) when little things break.

Sounds like the pressure plate is weak. It's not hard to replace a clutch, just dirty and a little time consuming. If you can find a helper it will go faster...while you've got it off be sure to do the pilot bearing.

Nice, keep up the good work!

Looking forward to seeing the truck, an MJ in any condition is always fun.

Nice work man!

Woo Hoo!!! Great start with a new truck. p.s. I'm jealous of your garage. :cheers:

Nice truck, I like those Rubi wheels. The overall look of the truck is great. :thumbsup:

Nice work man, keep the updates coming! :cheers:

Thanks Guys!

Alright it's time to do the brakes! There are several good write ups on this mod around the net. But I thought I'd do it and post a few pics and lessons learned that may augment the great info that's already out there. Here's a couple of links: http://www.4x4wire.com/jeep/tech/brakes ... 3/booster/ http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/ ... index.html Those articles are basically what I followed to get it done. James750 has also done this mod and lent his expert advice via pm. If you're thinking about this mod, DO IT, its not hard to complete and can be done in 2-3 hours and... yes, it greatly improves your stopping power. First get ALL items and tools needed. Get a WJ booster, Master Cylinder (MC), the two WJ lines with the flexible sections, all the hardware....and you're set... Tools I used: Metric and SAE sockets & wrenches. Cheap flaring tool from Harbor Freight 4.5" grinder with a cut off disc Drill 5/8" drill bit Vice Grips The articles above mention a custom spacer between the MC and firewall,,,,I did not use a spacer in this install. The first JY I visited asked $150 for the MC and Booster, so I skipped them and found another (Hi-Way Auto Parts in Brownwood, TX) that pulled it for me for $80. Only problem was they did not include the hardware and the guy that pulled them also cut the WJ lines that run from the MC to the proportioning valve. You will need those lines! All I got was the MC disconnected from the booster. I was so excited to get started that I didn't even think about the hardware and lines. You will need the four nuts that hold the booster to the firewall. The MJ and WJ have different nuts - don't forget them. They're Metric 8mm 1.25 pitch lock nuts. The two that hold the MC on the booster are the same. That's 6 metric nuts total. The part numbers: I thought I'd just use my MJ hard lines (from the MC to the proportioning valve) but the MJ MC lines exit on opposite sides from the WJ - no joy. I went back to the JY the next day and found the donor WJ. A 99' 2WD with 150K. I got the four booster nuts that were still laying in the floorboard as well as the cut lines and a couple of extras. I got the two more metric lock nuts I needed from Ace Hardware. While at the yard I pulled an extra set of lines off a burned out 07-08ish Grand Caravan based on their extra length of flexible hose in the line. Turns out I did not need them....also they have different threads than either the MJ or WJ booster. However, if you have a Bubble flare tool you could attach the proper connectors and benefit from the extra flexibility. I also pulled the cut lines from the donor WJ and another set of cut lines from another WJ in the yard. I wasn't sure how the line issue was going to work out, so I grabbed whatever I thought I may use. The Grand Caravan lines are on the left, the two cut WJ lines have the shorter flexible sections. One of the MJ lines is next to the two cut WJ lines for comparison. I didn't use these, but if you custom make your lines, couplers may come in handy. First remove the washer bottle. The motor is attached to the bottom of the bottle. There is a two wire connector, the fluid hose and two 8mm screws that hold it on. Be prepared for washer fluid to leak out once you pull the hose. Also disconnect the booster rod from the brake pedal. Here's the bolt that comes out. IIRC its 15mm. I used a ratchet wrench and a small crescent. Disconnect the two hard brake lines at the MC and the four booster nuts on the inside of the firewall. A flexible ratchet extension would come in handy but I managed to get them out with a straight 3" and 6" extension. Use a deep socket. Next pull the MC and booster as one unit. Here they are side by side: The MJ and early XJs have the same brake light switch that mounts on the end of the booster rod. These are the sleeve and grommets that hold the switch on the booster rod. You'll need to drill out the hole in the WJ booster rod to 5/8" and use these items to mount the switch. Comparison of the two rods. Notice that the MJ booster rod has a flat spot. That flat spot engages the brake light switch and has to be right distance relative to the hole in the rod. The hole isn't clean, but the sleeve and grommets fit snug anyway. In the JP article they removed the both rods from the boosters and aligned them with the 5/8's drill bit then ground the flat spot on the WJ rod to match the MJ rod. That would be a good way to do it. Since I didn't take the boosters apart, I inserted the sleeves and grommets in the newly drilled rod, measured the distance with a micrometer then ground the WJ rod until it was a match. OK, once you've got the WJ rod set up with the brake light switch then mount it up in the vehicle. Next is connecting the lines. This one shows where the stock MJ lines orient to the WJ MC. I wasn't sure how it would work and I thought I'd use the connectors here but it wasn't necessary. I used the longest set of WJ lines and slid on the old MJ connectors then flared the ends using my handy dandy HF flare tool that I believe only cost me about 8 bucks. I only had to cut one of the MJ lines because it had both sizes needed to connect to the valve. Here's the lines. After some creative manipulation bending the lines my MJ now has brakes. Also, note that the WJ lines are reversed, that is --- the end that was connected to the WJ MC is now turned around and connected to the MJ proportioning valve. In the WJ, the flexible hose is closest to the MC now the flexible portion is nearest the valve. Clear as mud? A couple more pics to show the difference in the flares. The WJ uses bubble flared ends and the MJ uses a double flare. The top line is the WJ style. You'll need to make a little room for the top of the booster. The EGR tube must be moved above the booster but the clutch hard line can stay where it is,,,,there's room for it between the booster and the firewall. After bleeding all the air out of the system I can vouch that this mod makes the brakes a lot better. Overall, I spent about 100 bucks. That includes the parts, brake cleaner, and brake fluid. Money well spent. The truck stops a lot easier and is much safer to drive. :thumbsup:

Alright it's time to do the brakes! I bought a 99' WJ Booster and Master Cylinder, plus the MJ also received new pads and rotors. I'll turn this into a DIY post too. There are several good write ups on this mod around the net. But I thought I'd do it and post a few pics and lessons learned that may augment the great info that's already out there. Here's a couple of links: http://www.4x4wire.com/jeep/tech/brakes ... 3/booster/ http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/ ... index.html Those articles are what I basically followed to get it done. James750 has also done this mod and lent his expert advice via pm. If you're thinking of doing this one. Do it, its not hard to complete and can be done in 2-3 hours and... yes, it greatly improves your stopping power. First get ALL items and tools needed. Get a WJ booster, Master Cylinder (MC), the two WJ lines with the flexible sections, all the hardware....and you're set... Tools I used: Metric and SAE sockets & wrenches. Cheap flaring tool from Harbor Freight 4.5" grinder with a cut off disc Drill 5/8" drill bit Vice Grips Duct tape and paper towels!! (more on that later) The articles above mention a custom spacer between the MC and firewall,,,,I did not use a spacer in this install. The first JY I visited asked $150 for the MC and Booster, so I skipped them and found another (Hi-Way Auto Parts in Brownwood, TX) that pulled it for me for $80. Only problem was they did not include the hardware and the guy that pulled them also cut the WJ lines that run from the MC to the proportioning valve. You will need those lines! All I got was the MC disconnected from the booster. I was so excited to get started that I didn't even think about the hardware and lines. You will need the four nuts that hold the booster to the firewall. The MJ and WJ have different nuts - don't forget them. They're Metric 8mm 1.25 pitch lock nuts. The two that hold the MC on the booster are the same. That's 6 metric nuts I didn't have in my extra bolt box. The part numbers: I thought I'd just use my MJ hard lines (from the MC to the proportioning valve) but the MJ MC lines exit on opposite sides from the WJ - no joy. I went back to the JY the next day and found the donor WJ. A 99' 2WD with 150K. I got the four booster nuts that were still laying in the floorboard as well as the cut lines and a couple of extras. I got the two more metric lock nuts I needed from Ace Hardware. While at the yard I pulled an extra set of lines off a burned out 07-08ish Grand Caravan based on their extra length of flexible hose in the line. Turns out I did not need them....also they have different threads than either the MJ or WJ booster. However, if you have a Bubble flare tool you could attach the proper connectors and benefit from the extra flexibility. I also pulled the cut lines from the donor WJ and another set of cut lines from another WJ in the yard. I wasn't sure how the line issue was going to work out, so I grabbed whatever I thought I may use. The Grand Caravan lines are on the left, the two cut WJ lines have the shorter flexible sections. One of the MJ lines is next to the two cut WJ lines for comparison. First remove the washer bottle. The motor is attached to the bottom of the bottle. There is a two wire connector, the fluid hose and two 8mm screws that hold it on. Be prepared for washer fluid to leak out once you pull the hose. Next pull the MC and booster as one unit. Disconnect the two hard brake lines at the MC and the four booster nuts on the inside of the firewall. A flexible ratchet extension would come in handy but I managed to get them out with a straight 3" and 6" extension. Use a deep socket. Also disconnect the booster rod from the brake pedal. Here's the bolt that comes out. IIRC its 15mm. I used a ratchet wrench and a small crescent. Here they are side by side: The MJ and early XJs have the same brake light switch that mounts on the end of the booster rod. When I pulled it I noticed something odd. My first car obsession was the early Mustang...first car was a rusted out springtime yellow 67' coupe, then I had a 65' fastback. Anyway I used to practically memorize the part numbers for everything on those cars. While digging through one of my old part boxes I found a 65' Mustang brake light switch I had leftover. The only real difference between the MJ switch and the old Mustang switch is the location of the connector prongs. OK enough trivia,,,back to the build. These are the sleeve and grommets that hold the switch on the booster rod. You'll need to drill out the WJ booster rod to 5/8" and use these items to mount the switch onto the WJ booster. Comparison of the two rods. Notice that the MJ booster rod has a flat spot. That flat spot engages the brake light switch and has to be right distance relative to the hole in the rod. Here's where the duct tape and paper towels come in. I used a brand new sharp 5/8" drill bit to enlarge the WJ booster rod. This was actually the only aggravating part of this mod. My drill is a dewalt 1/2 drive that turns out to have more than enough torque. The metal of the rod is fairly soft, the drill bit would dig too deep and catch solid in the rod. Then "super drill" decided to sling the WJ booster round and round and somehow take a nasty scrape out of my hand. The better way would be to use something with less torque or a duller drill bit....or remove the rod from the booster and use a drill press or put it in a vice. I didn't have either so I held the booster as best I could, slung it around a few times and finally got the hole threw. Then I sopped up the blood with the paper towels and used the duct tape to tape my hand back together. :fs1: The hole isn't clean, but the sleeve and grommets fit snug anyway. In the JP article they removed the both rods from the boosters and aligned them with the 5/8's drill bit then ground the flat spot on the WJ rod to match the MJ rod. That would be a good way to do it. Since I didn't take the boosters apart, I measured the distance with a micrometer then ground the WJ rod until it was a match. OK, once you've got the WJ rod set up with the brake light switch then mount it up in the vehicle. Next is connecting the lines. This one shows where the stock MJ lines orient to the WJ MC. I wasn't exactly sure how it would work and I thought I'd use the connectors here but it wasn't necessary. I used the longest set of WJ lines and slid on the old MJ connectors then flared the ends using my handy dandy HF flare tool that I believe only cost me about 8 bucks. I only had to cut one of the MJ lines because it had both sizes needed to connect to the valve. Here's the lines. After some creative manipulation bending the lines my MJ now has brakes. Also, note that the WJ lines are reversed, that is --- the end that was connected to the WJ MC is now turned around and connected to the MJ proportioning valve. In the WJ, the flexible hose is closest to the MC now the flexible portion is nearest the valve. Clear as mud? A couple more pics to show the difference in the flares. The WJ uses bubble flared ends and the MJ uses a double flare. The top line is the WJ style. You'll need to make a little room for the top of the booster. I couldn't find my wide sheet metal pliers so I butchered the bend with a pair of vice grips. The EGR tube must be moved above the booster but the clutch hard line can stay where it is,,,,there's room for it between the booster and the firewall. Pads and Rotors... I've got five huge tool and parts boxes, and I do not have a dang C clamp. Can't tell you how many I've had lost or broken in the past. I opened the bleeders and tried to push the caliper back in by hand to make room for the new pads but it wouldn't budge. So I got inventive and used a coil spring compressor to compress the caliper. Installed... After bleeding all the air out of the system I can vouch that this mod makes the brakes a lot better. They're actually not what I hoped, I still can't lock up the 35s on pavement (maybe if I slammed on the brake pedal but I don't want to put that stress on it if I don't have to) but I think the system works as well as possible given the higher rotating mass of my wheels and tires. Overall, I spent about 100 bucks. That includes the parts, brake cleaner, and brake fluid. Money well spent. The truck stops a lot easier and is much safer to drive. :thumbsup:

I have the same problem, I can't lock up the brakes....not even on dirt, but I have extra rotating mass with the 35s. Also, I have 90' S10 calipers and pads, but I don't think they're the problem. The booster and MC are stock 89 MJ. Yesterday I picked up a WJ booster and MC, just need some hard lines from the MC to the distribution block and I'm in the money. I got em from a yard for 80 bucks and they pulled it for me...another yard wanted 150 for the two if I pulled it.

Right after posting that I remembered I had to go get new grommets from the dealership. They were cheap. Not mine but here's a better discription... http://www.myjeepxj.com/cherokee-repairs/linkage-fix

Ouch...

You gotta get underneath and examine the linkage for the TC. There's a threaded bolt that tightens on the shift rod allowing you to adjust the linkage. Excess leverage can pull it outta whack...also check the hard plastic grommets (mine were fairly bright green, can't miss em). Mine would come out a lot back in the day making shifting in and out of 4x4 difficult. They're testy little buggers, if they are out you may have to use a pry bar to pop them back in.

Looks good brother,,,,maybe I missed it, but how's your driveshaft length after the lift?

That Warn bumper is 900 bucks from Quadratec.

Nice!

Never seen a body kit, but there was an air dam made at some point....viewtopic.php?f=3&t=25204&p=257862&hilit=air+dam#p257862