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Funny you should say that about the V6 v. V8 axle prices. I just had my local junkyard tell me this morning that they're two different axles But that guy also told me they're both 8.8. I guess the books show different part numbers or something. Sounded funny to me, but I didn't know enough to argue at the time. Now I suppose I don't want to argue with that. I found a limited slip disc brake 3.73 225k-mile Ford 8.8 axle for $200. Looks like I can re-gear it to 3.55 for about $200, which doesn't sound too bad for an axle with new gears. I'm building this engine for low-end torque more than high hp. I'm not a drag racer and I'm thinking I'd rather stick with the 3.55 for mileage purposes. I'm thinking a 5.7 LS1 is plenty to push that ratio with an NV3550 5-speed. I had a Miata with 4.11 gears. That thing would wind into the heavens, but it was so buzzy at 75 it drove me crazy…almost.

I like that response. And apparently 3.55 Ford 8.8 gear sets are plentiful in the aftermarket.

Well, if I'm trying to match a front axle ratio to a rear axle ratio, is the difference material? I'm anticipating using an NP229 transfer case. I'm a little leery that the mysteriously magic and kinda expensive viscous coupling in that case will burn up with slightly mismatched ratios. (And please don't turn this thread into a transfer case discussion with that disclosure. I'm really trying to focus on axles here.)

My '86 Comanche was a V6 automatic. The engine is dead, may it rest in peace. I'm trying to ID the axle ratio. I turned the back wheel and it comes up to approximately 3.5 revolutions of the driveshaft for every 2 wheel revolutions. Apparently that rules out all the ratios that are 3.31 and down and 3.73 and up. But in my reading, I've seen 3.54 and 3.55 axle ratios as factory options for that year. But I've seen more 3.55's. Is the 3.54 a misprint, or were both axle ratios actually available for that year? If they were both available, is there a way to distinguish the two besides pulling the differential cover? When I was under there counting revolutions, I didn't think to look for a tag... I'm contemplating an axle swap from a Ford Explorer in the hopes that it will stand up to the 5.7 liter LS1 I'm prepping to transplant into it. Anybody know if 3.54 and 3.55 ratios fairly common in those Fords?

I once tried to tow a 1955 Chrysler C300 on a trailer with a 1983 full size Grand Wagoneer. Couldn't get over 45 mph without really bad swaying. Like fishtail, end-swapping swaying. Problem with my Wagoneer was the factory springs were tuned to "luxury", and over time they sagged to the point of being spooky towing such a load. I added a leaf to each leaf pack, and the transformation was night & day. Later towed the same car at 75 mph down the interstate, straight & solid as a rock. I know your question is really about stopping, but brakes aren't very important when your front end is heading west, your tail end is heading east, and your tires are sliding sideways across the pavement. I once noticed a big GM 4-door sedan that had been towing a travel trailer down a hill The rig captured my attention because when I saw it the back of the car was up in the air because the trailer had flipped on it's side coming down the hill. That was a heavy trailer "pushing" a car to the point of making it sway & flip. So add me to those suggesting that you're really maxing out this rig. My 16' flatbed car carrier is 1600 lbs. empty. If you're gonna do this, make sure you have a weight distributing hitch, a separate sway control damper, working trailer brakes, etc. Heavier springs would be helpful, too. By the way, I just bought a Draw-Tite 2" receiver hitch last night. It's a used out-of-production item. The sticker on it says the max weight rating is 5000 lbs. WITH a weight distributing hitch. That wouldn't give you much room to work with.

I'd like to add Comanche chief graphics to my '86 as well. Factory original graphics would be nice, but aren't necessary. I'm thinking about a large Indian chief face like the infamous late '70's Firebird screaming chicken. Or something like the same-era Jeep Golden Eagle graphics, only Indian-themed. Is there anybody out there who knows how to do that sort of stuff? Is there a cost-effective way to convert custom graphics to stick-on vinyl that would last? What about the car-wrapping products? Is there anybody who creates custom pics from your artwork in that kind of stick-on stuff?

Just added pics above.

Stupid question #2: All of my pics are on my laptop hard drive. I've never put them on a website somewhere. So the idea is that I need to find some website somewhere and upload pics to THAT site, and then post links on HERE to THAT site? Ok, I get that. Any recommendations for a free, user-friendly site for that sort of thing? I see a reference to PhotoBucket in the directions your link referred me to. Is that the best such place? Are there others?

How do you post pics? I've looked vainly for instructions and I can't find any buttons on any pages that tell me how to post pics. I've found plenty of buttons, but none for pics, unless I just don't recognize that's what they are.

I bought my niece a 1998 5.9 liter Jeep Grand Cherokee. There's no room in that engine compartment. But cooling isn't as much about space as it is air flow through a radiator. Our 71 Chevy Kingswood Estate with a 400 engine overheated all the time until we got a large enough radiator in it. Can't say that problem was caused by a too-tight engine compartment.

Comanche fan: My '86 truck originally had a 2.8 that died spectacularly years ago. The auto tranny is attached to the NP207 in the bed of the truck. Send me your clutch parts (pedals & stuff) & I'll pack this tranny & 207 in an envelope & send them to you… Where are you anyway?

By the way, about those power door locks: What's the electronic wizardry that makes power door locks work with a remote transmitter? Is that part of what "body computers" do? If so, where are those body computers usually located? Minuit says power door locks & windows are available just by plugging in the right parts from a later XJ. But my semi-defective memory says cars didn't have remote lock transmitters that far back. So would there be wiring for that too? Oh, and I looked around for pic-posting directions or an obvious link somewhere. No dice. How 'ya do it? Thomas

I just signed up for this forum. I haven't figured out how to do pics yet. Most other forums I've been on don't allow them, so that's a pretty novel feature for me. I'll get some up when I figure out how. I'm also the proud owner of a 1964 Rambler American convertible. I also have a fuel-injected AMC 360 built and ready to go into it, but for some "final" prep, like painting & wiring & adapting the motor mounts, etc. Small stuff. But while researching that swap, I ran across the curious fact that while AMC did install their small-block V8 in later Americans, during the first years of that body, they only used the I6. When they did get around to installing the V8, they lengthened the engine compartment 3" to allow extra room for the A/C accessories at the front. With that background, I wasn't surprised when I began reading the Novak Adapters website that says one of the most difficult swaps into an '84-'86 XJ/MJ is a Jeep 4.0 I6. What??, I said! Apparently AMC had to modify the firewall to fit the I6 when they finally got it into the engine compartment. So a Jeep 4.0 isn't an especially easy swap into an older Comanche that wasn't designed for it. So once freed of the notion that I had to stick with a Jeep drivetrain, I went "shopping". I'd much rather use a Pentastar 3.6, but apparently the aftermarket hates Chrysler computers when it comes to swapping things around. And for that reason, nobody wants to makes the rest of the hard parts, like engine & tranny mounts & bellhousing adapters & clutch parts, etc. On the other hand, Novak in particular, and other suppliers in general, are practically delirious about how "easy" it is to fit a Chevy into a Comanche, and how great the results are. For sure, after you read the Novak website, it looks like they have practically everything covered, although some of their solutions look a bit pricey. I'm also the proud owner of a Buick 215 V8. If I could figure out how to get that engine under the hood, I'd consider that, too, but plowing the ground on that is a little daunting since we're talking about a mating it to a potentially hostile 4WD drivetrain. Oh, and Novak promises you'll be in hellish hot water trouble w/o their super-duper (expensive) custom aluminum radiator & fan setup. I kinda believe them, but I sure don't want to find out the hard way if they're right. Burning up a "new" engine isn't my idea of fun. Thomas

I just tow-dollied a new-to-me 1986 Comanche Custom 4x4 longbed home yesterday. In the bed is the automatic 207 drivetrain. It can stay there. The 2.8 threw rods years ago and the previous owner buried it with due respect. C'est la vie! The truck came out of WV, so I'm surprised the body is so blessedly pristine. There's minimal surface rust from external damage, but no rust-through from salt or standing moisture, even in the floor. Woohoo! Except the lousy perforated tailgate and rear bumper. The truck was off the road for 10+ years. Tomorrow I'm going to the junkyard and hoping to come home with a 51k-mile LS4 5.3 Chevrolet (303 hp!) V8 and an NSG370 six-speed. I already have a couple NP229's leftover from my full-size (man, I miss my Grand Wagoneer!) days. I plan to use the truck for hauling & towing, not off-road rock-climbing. I'm all ears when it comes to good advice. Being a low-option 1986, it has vinyl buckets, crank windows, and manual door locks. How retro! I didn't get a door key either. Just a single GM ignition one. The seats are OK, but I wouldn't mind more modern creature comforts and I'm not cranked about the interior color: dark red. So I'm wondering if the best route to power door locks, power windows, and a plusher dashboard would be to find a later donor Cherokee and transplant freely? I understand the doors are pretty plug'n'play, but how about the whole dashboard? Anybody know what years are best or off-limits? Will any Cherokee do? For the sake of the drivetrain, apparently I'll be doing practically the whole underhood wiring harness anyway. How plug'n'play would a whole dashboard be? (The vinyl top to mine is cracking up pretty badly.) I'll need manual clutch & brake pedals, so I'm thinking a donor is just the right ticket. But I'd like to limit myself to just a single donor if I can, so as not to clog up the whole driveway with a glut of gutted Jeep carcasses. Beautiful as that might sound, my neighbors have different aesthetic tastes than I do. Of course, if you've got a carcass with just the right parts I need, I'd be happy to haul it away for you if you're within shouting distance to improve your neighborly relations. Incidentally, does anybody make a plug-in trailer wiring harness, and/or trailer hitch for these trucks? A quick check of a trailering website found a big, fat nothing. Thomas SW Virginia Image Not FoundImage Not FoundImage Not FoundImage Not FoundImage Not Found