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Agree with Kyle, get out the angle grinder. They're probably rust-frozen into the metal bushing.

OK, it's been too long since I've had the knuckle apart. How can I get the knuckle off, to put the dust boot back on, without removing ball joints? It's a Monday, but I'm slow everyday. Also, trying to order one from Daystar, they wouldn't just sell me one for a Cherokee, they sent me this diagram, and I'm out of town. Anyone know these measurements? What a hassle. Thanks for reading along....Tom :nuts: Uploaded with ImageShack.us

fun! :fs1: Searched through Energy Suspensions a bit and couldn't find anything specifically for the Jeep upper ball joint. Anyone have any part #s, even those of other manufacturers? Thanks Tom

Yeah but how do I get the new seal on there?? Thanks Tom

Out of town for a couple of days, put in some hard hours on replacing the coils, shocks, and endlinks on the MJ. On the driver's side, found that the upper ball joint seal had torn and separated. I cleaned it all up and re-greased. I did the ball joints about 7 years (40K miles) ago, I don't really feel like pressing out the ball joint again just yet. Any suggestions? I was thinking of gluing a piece of another seal in???? :ack: Luckily, it seems like the best place for a grease seal to go bad, there's not that much dirt up there in on-road driving...anyone think I should just bite the bullet and press out the joint? Uploaded with ImageShack.us

:nuts: Yeah, I'm sure Lee Iacocca was blasted out of his mind at HQ all the time. Who give a @#$%? Hell, if I'm going to buy Chrysler, do I want my $40K vehicle assembled by a bunch of doped up clowns?

Anyone know the bolt size for the spare tire carrier under the bed? Took mine off and lost them!

Third shift, baby! Thanks :cheers:

1987 Jeep Comanche Laredo Image, if available - pending 2.5/AX-5/NP231J/LWB Build date: will check later Current Location: Somerville, NJ/Washington, DC Status: Still on the road Notes: Laredo with chrome trim, bumpers, mirrors, and dash applique. Also had the really thick padding, some kind of "quiet comfort" package. Factory A/C, cruise, tilt, delay wipers, rear speakers, underdash lights and lighted ashtray. Cordovan paint, Cordovan "Hunters Plaid" interior. Current owner: Me, Tom Lardner, since 4/2004. Bought in Indiana!

It's on the fuse box under the driver's side dash. I don't have a diagram handy, but it's a 7.5A fuse, probably the only 7.5A fuse in the box. Should be labelled and say TRANS or TCU.

I've read alot about Centralia, sad story. There's not much left standing - maybe one house - from what I've heard. Have never been, but curious as hell. Just don't think there's much to look at anymore. And wheeling there could be dangerous, with the chance of subsidence.

Haha, these are the tidbits that are gold, sometimes. Glad it helped someone else.

1. When the backup lights stop working, don't just check the stop/b-u light fuse. Also check the 7.5 amp TCU fuse, even if you don't have a TCU! That fuse was disintegrated, and thus I had no backup lights. 2. Rubicon Moab rims do not fit a Comanche! Well, that's not entirely true. They wouldn't fit over the hubs on my AMC20. Dammit. I got a set of five really clean ones locally, and though I wasn't dying to put them on, I figured what the hell? Now, I've got to sell them. Sharin the wealth of trial by error information --Tom :cheers:

Nice work! Easier off the car. FWIW, I tried the JW and it failed, miserably, after I put my header on. You had a lot of room to work! After mine failed, I got some stainless steel flexible tube from a source (exhaust for gas powered model airplanes) and clamped it on both sides. Worked well. Really annoying exhaust leak from the rigged tubes.

Clutch fluid. If the level is OK, your clutch disc may be worn.

Thanks to both of you. Someone rigged in the radio(s) at some point before I got it; there's wires and auxiliary fuses coming off the fusebox that I don't know what they're for -- I'm sure that's the lighter/radio gremlin. I'm planning on pulling the dash this summer, and replacing it. I plan on doing re-wiring and waterproofing at that time. The reverse light thing just pisses me off :fs1:

I have a couple of electrical gremlins right now, one of which makes my radio shut off when I use the lighter socket. I had replaced the heater core/box, and I think I'll be able to find that short when I pull the dash. Here's a weirder, and more annoying one -- just wondering if anyone had the same. My taillights (AX-5) had been out for months. I didn't really care, but had some time today to check into it. Turn signals had been fine. Checked the fuse, it's good, and there's power to the hot side on the fusebox. I pulled the connector off the reverse light switch and jumpered it, still no lights. Checked at the pigtail behind the left taillight, and no juice there, either. Bulbs are good, no juice getting to the sockets. I put everything back the way it was and, you guessed it...no turn signals.... WTF? :ack: Tom

No, older, squarish containers...not that new-fangled, roundy stuff! LOL Thanks, though Tom

Yup, 2.5. Thx

Looking for : backup switch for ax-5 clean, unbroken, black dashboard with glove box, etc. PS idle speed switch clean old-style overflow and washer reservoirs black-trimmed taillights e brake hardware that goes under the bed (leveller, etc.) Thanks for your kind consideration. Tom

Wouldn't an 86 2.5L be fuel-injected, and have a serpentine belt setup, not a v-belt? I could be wrong, of course.

I bought a Clifford header for the 2.5L a couple of years back, and had to cut/fab my EGR tube, since the header had it located in a different area. I did a crummy job, I'm not the best welder, and it had some pinhole leaks. In the tradition of trying too hard to make it right, someone told me I could use some silicon flexible tubing that could take high temps. It turns out its the kind of tubing they use for the A.I.R. connections on catalytic converters. I bought 6" of the 1/2" stuff (though the EGR is 5/8" -- it only came in 1/2" and 3/4"), cut out the middle portion of my poorly fabbed EGR tube, and clamped it on. Within a month, it was cracked and leaking like a sieve. There's nothing I hate more than an underhood exhaust leak. I literally hate driving the truck like this! :fs1: I may have to try and refab in the future - how would I make a template? OR -- is there actually some kind of flexible tubing I can use for this -- metal, silicon, or otherwise? Any ideas? Thanks Tom :cheers:

I haven't sifted through all of this thread, but it seems like a good one. My two cents: My old bumper bolts were so badly rusted on that I went to U-haul and had a hitch installed about 5 years ago. They did a great job, didn't have to drill any new holes, and did it INTALLED for like $175. Not bad at all. I absolutely need the hitch on my MJ, but I also wanted to make a filler/valence with the hitch on there, and go bumperless. The design of our hitch sucks, because I'd have to make slits in the valence for it to fit on. Anyone out there made one?

Thank you both!! :cheers: Most folks use an electronic aftermarket gauge as the sensor is 1/8" or 1/4" NPT and the sensor will screw right in the head. Your mechanical gauge probable has at least a 5/8" NPT sensor that's an inch long or so. That won't work in the thermostat housing either.

Hey all, Bought an aftermarket temp gauge, since my factory gauge no longer works. I swapped to a gauge console with tach a few years back, and even swapped the printed circuit with a NOS one I found. I have changed the sending unit, changed the gauge itself, and it always reads high. A buddy of mine hooked up a Renix scanner, and the gauge was always about 20* higher (so we set the electric fan thermostat off the scanner). Anyways, giving up on the factory gauge, especially since I may be having some head gasket issues, I want to get an accurate gauge on there. Bought a sunpro from Autozone, and none of the fittings they have are even CLOSE to the sensor fitting in the head. Should I just drill and tap a hole in the thermostat housing? I'd probably have to use TWO reducers to get the sensor into the head. What have other folks done? Thanks- Tom :popcorn: