cracker

Check your motor mounts as well. Usually the drivers side goes bad due to the heat. I had an issue years ago was a shot motor mount that would allow the drivetrain to shift just enough to shift my TC.

I think I am in love :bowdown:

The 'easiest' comment doesn't coincide with 'best.'

Rusty's is the Harbor Freight of the 4x4 world.

Well I guess I don't match your wisdom. Must of had someone else install this, So as to keep within the spirit of the forum, I'll leave it as that. We'll agree to disagree. With all due respect, bolting on suspension parts someone elses designed suspension parts doesn't mean detailed knowledge is gained. I think if you have seen my Build, and my part trucks, I've dissected them pretty well. :D :cheers: Wonderful build. You brought that thing to life for sure. That is amazing work to bring it back to almost stock perfection. :cheers: We have different approaches. I run very little stock and avoid bolt on aftermarket parts. I make all my own suspension parts and won't buy anything but joints. You focus on leaving it stock. Different approach. All is good. :thumbsup:

Can you clarify this with a picture?

You want him to cut off the factory welded steel supporting the lower control arm mount like what is outlined in red, and reduce the strength of the mount to bolt on the braces that are designed to be used with the XJ. Far as what you are saying here, If the design was the same, there wouldn't be an issue with using XJ specific braces. Not sure what your trying to explain here, This may be that were talking apples and oranges and the thought was just lost in translation. :cheers: :doh: Clearly you are not as intimate with a Cherokee or an MJ as you think you may be. Not what is outlined in Red. The whole peice right there is an additional bracket. Remove it and it is 100% an XJ bracket underneath. The extra reinforcing for the MJ is formed gusset plates that could be bought separately and added to an XJ. Remove it as it is not really needed with a drop bracket set up. The drop bracket set up already integrated with the UCA and the additional supporting brace behind it is more than adequate on its own to not need the formed gusset plates.

Why the hell would you do that to put on a cheaper design? The reason only a few produce a bracket for the MJ is one, the stock control arm mount is a lot stronger than the XJs and can support the added stress, and two, low demand. Now before you say what do you know, I've kicked the crap out of this dead horse. Do a search with "RRO" and you'll find plenty on the drop brackets. Now another thing since on the soapbox, I've heard this a couple of times about the self tapping screws not going to hold up on the braces. Now of course you know the brace, when fitted tight against all surfaces, acts as part of the frame, right. If it's not flat up against them then ditch them because they are just a piece of crap bolted in place. Now when they are installed right, those grade 5, self-tapping screws believe it or not, will be enough. Those bolts are not holding thousands of pounds in place but are there to keep the brace tight against the frame as stated above. Nothing is pulling at them to rip them from the frame however, they will face shear forces. Since the shear strength of those bolts is about, uhm, 15000-16000 lbs. per square inch, you're going to have to hit something really hard to shear them off. At that point your going to be pulling your head out of the dash and what's left of your suspension out of your @ss. Now even if your brace were to say fall off while wheeling or going down the road, its not what is holding the drop bracket on so you shouldn't panic, unless you run over it and blow out a tire. Now that I've got that out of my system, if your still wanting a brace for your drop brackets, fab one up or have someone build one for you. RRO's braces are really a good design and could easily be duplicated with something similar. Far as the drop brackets, themselves, go with a brand that you trust. I personally wish I had. :cheers: Cheaper design? What are YOU talking about? It is the idential design as the XJ underneath the LCA brace. It is stronger with the brace but not a lot stronger. A lot stronger? Please. It does use the same XJ lower control arm so it can't be THAT much stronger. The additional support was designed for a single LCA and not a bracket (drop bracket) that integrates with the UCA. With this in mind the additional bracing is not necessary on the bottom anymore. Sure it is nice but why reinforce an item that is not going to fail? The drop bracket support that comes with the drop bracket is more than adequate. If he has the parts there so just use them. Why spend more money than one has to? Self tapping screws can work extremely well when installed right. There are few sheets of sheet metal under the frame rail they can bite into it. If you are concerned about this, just put a couple of 1" welds on it to hold it in place.

I don't think it was Phil :rotf:

You can use what you have there. The additional OEM welded on supports on the LCAs can be removed then you can use the supports you have for your drop brackets.

There is (usually) a diagram on the side of the relay. It should tell you which wires go where.

Troll? :dunno:

This is very untrue, and I had believed this until I did some research. The "True" name for the ZJ D44 is not D44A, but really D44HD or heavy duty. While the aluminum case is still a crutch, it does not share much with the reg D44. The pinion shaft is almost interchangable with a D60, and it actually uses D60 pinion seals and yokes. The ring gear is massive, as well as the carrier to match. It uses 30 spline axles, and they retain a C-clip, but have disk brakes from factory... Any and all problems confronted with the aluminum case can be helped with trussing, or BTF makes a cover/truss kit that bolts on. I recently spoke with guys running 4.88's, aussies, and 35's with their D44HD and couldn't be happier. There are also more rare versions of the D44HD, that use a cast steel case to boot, and compliment the D60 like internals... The proper name for that behemoth is the "Super D44HD" Rant over. Rob L. :rant: It is the Dana 35 of Dana 44s ;)

Do you realize an AX-15 is a transmission and a D-44 is an axle and your question makes no sense?

Why would you have high steer arms and not put the tie rod onto them?

93? So it is not out of a Cherokee?

X2 The guys with stickshifts in the rocks that do well generally run a 5:1 transfercase.

5K trailer??? :doh:

Ever look around the http://www.greatlakesxj.com/ website? ;)

Rock Krawler three link If I didn't build my own stuff I would probably go with the Rock Krawler three link.

The TNT is a very well built system. The belly pan is a work of art. My buddy has one on his XJ. For him it was pretty finicky to install in regards to pinion angle and minor rubbing. If you like and can predict the characteristics of radius arms, it is a nice system. I would recommend limit straps as well.

Agreed. Look at the tow hooks that were optional from the factory and they mount further back and way more securely. [gulp] Rusty's actually mounts better. Too bad it may be made of butter. http://www.rustysoffroad.com/instructio ... H11-XJ.pdf

I thought the seat brackets are the same in XJ up until like 1995. Johnny, You hade a late model and those were definitly different on the XJs.

Not different They are they same but with an additional support. I believe they are actually different. The MJ ones are one long piece, not an XJ piece with an additional support. Also, the seat mounting brackets and floor pans are different. And so is the e-brake setup. But yeah, maybe 1%. Nope. They are the same. I cut all mine off and the first piece to go was that outer piece. Once that outer piece (the one that you say is one long piece) was cut off, it is the stock XJ bracket underneath. ;) (at least on the 1987 MJ).

Not different They are they same but with an additional support.