91Pioneer

What all bushings do you have Jeep Driver? That may be an option...

I think I'm going to replace my shocks first and see how much the ride improves. I cannot find anything but poly for the shackle bushings though.

Bypass it and don't worry about it. I deleted mine when I changed hoses, but I got one-piece 97+ XJ hoses to clean things up. Plug off the vacuum line with a bolt or something.

I've been thinking about replacing all the worn/cracked bushings on my truck, for now I want to focus on the rear. I plan on buying new shocks and bushings for the springs. I assume shocks will come with bushings so no problem there. With regards to the leaf & shackle bushings, is there any benefit to doing standard replacement parts (rubber) versus polyurethane? I care more about cost than handling. I don't drive my truck much anyway and don't use it to haul or drive fast, it's just for beating around town, so I don't want to spend too much to get it to ride smoother. Literally any kind of new bushing will be better than what's in there. Looking online this seems to be the cheapest solution - Energy Suspension polyurethane - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CNAWB2/ I see also that Moog makes factory style one-piece replacements for the springs, SB371 & SB372 which are about $16-20 each. But they don't make shackle bushings. In fact, the only shackle bushings I can even find are those two piece polyurethane ones with the metal sleeve. If I go the Moog route with the extra shackle bushings I'll probably be double the cost of the Energy kit. Thoughts? Comments? What do you guys recommend? I'm strongly leaning toward the Energy kit because it includes all the bushings I need for the rear for ~$50. One last question, do bushing kits that say they fit the XJ also fit the MJ? I know the springs aren't identical (length), but I'm assuming the bushings are. Edit: I found a Daystar kit for a few dollars less, seems to be identical as the Energy ones but black instead of red: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IARQ28/

How are you making out with the Bird? I'll be taking mine out of winter storage later this month, I live in what feels like the arctic LOL

They were on my '88 and they were really stiff, I hated 'em. Stock truck, same size tires.

LOL. At the very least remove the airbox, grab a flashlight and an inspection mirror.

You will likely be able to see it/them. I have one of those snake camera things so it was easy for me to see without taking anything apart ;-)

It's likely either going to be a loose manifold bolt causing the leak, or a crack. Re-torque the bolts and inspect for cracks. Cracks are very common though. What I did for my 88 is found a manifold at the junkyard with no cracks, but long story short I sold the truck before I replaced it. If you want a new part this is a good option http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C123A2/ If you're looking for a manifold, easiest bolt-on replacement is the 87-90 one. The 91+ are different.

I just drilled a new hole beside the broken-off bolt and used a thick self-tapping metal screw in there. It's sturdy as can be now. I'll hit up the junkyard for a T-bolt (no sense in buying new) next time I'm there. My truck starts much better now, what with not needing to boost it every time LOL

I took a closer look at things. Yeah as long as I can drill out one of those broken off "bolts", I'll just JB weld a new bolt in it's place and move on. It would be nice to have things stay in place LOL

So I bought a new battery for my MJ, and decided I should remove the battery tray and clean things up... turns out that was a bad idea because 2 of the 3 bolts in the tray broke off. I even sprayed penetrant and left it for a couple hours before trying to loosen them by hand with a breaker bar. So I got to looking at the body-side bolts and it seems they're pressed in from underneath, like massive rivets or something. I'm leaning toward just re-installing with the one good bolt and saying "good enough". One of my T-bolts on the hold-down is also broke off (it was like that when I got the truck). I would feel better if I could ensure the battery won't bump around and short anything. After all it's a brand new battery ;) Your thoughts? Should I try drilling out even one of those "bolts" to get a second bolt installed? p.s. Where can I buy a replacement long T-bolt?

Very nice truck. If it was my truck the only thing I'd add is some OEM style decals. :thumbsup:

"TOO MUCH TO LIST" = 100% lazy. Trying to sell a truck for 3x what it's worth or more, you damn well better list the stuff. "THE LOWEST ORIGINAL MILES ON THE WESTCOAST" = BS Ugh, not diggin' this one...

Add this to your list too, trust me: http://www.mn12tech.com/vacuum-hose-replacement.php

You will notice a difference, absolutely. And a paint polish will only help a little bit most likely. If you're concerned about the paint not matching, the only real solution is to put decals back over top 'cause you will have to deal with that issue.

Those eraser wheels work good on smaller decals, stripes, etc. For something as long as the Pioneer stripe, personally I'd use a heat gun to loosen the glue and try peeling as much as possible first. Then followup with the eraser wheel for any bits that are left.

Pics of mine (added SuperCoupe ground effects & aftermarket wheels):

Don't hesitate to PM me or post at mn12tech if you have specific Q's.

No, these cars don't chew up front end parts. As long as you use quality (Moog, Ford) parts you'll get another 15-20 years out of the parts. It's those guys that buy cheap crap parts off eBay that are replacing their front end parts a year later. The reason every T-bird needs the front-end re-done is because the newest T-bird is 18 years old, stuff wears out over time just like Comanches. I used Moog QuickStruts for springs & shocks. I put on TRW tie-rod ends, Ford strut rod bushings, Motorcraft upper control arms (integrated ball joints), Ford OEM lower control arms (easier to replace than press ball joints/bushings in&out), and Ford rear sway bar end links (they were making noise over bumps). I've also done a bunch more work but that's what I did right after I bought the car. I got my 96 from the original owner, and he gave me every receipt since the car was new. He had oil changes done every 3 months for it's entire life.

Nice you might want to check out http://www.mn12tech.com I've got some experience with the identical car. Rule #1 change out any and all bushings up front. The strut rod bushings, buy OEM Ford *only*. Not too hard to change. I swapped out all front end parts on mine, shocks, coils, tie rod ends, upper & lower ball joints, strut rod bushings, etc. Then took it in for an alignment. Odometer out, yes very common. Gatorback belt will most likely fix the squeal. Front end parts should be your priority. Change out all fluids (trans requires Mercon V only, coolant flush, etc). I'm sure your drivers door is sagging too, they all do. The Dorman pin/bushing kit is the cat's @$$. Check out that link for a how-to on that. Getting the oil filter out is a bit on the tricky side but is do-able from underneath.

Drive it nice and you're good. Put in new fluid, the right stuff though.

Yep. I've experimented with mine a bit, and I've found the best braking is when the lever is above horizontal. The lever should not be in the full up or below the horizontal with the ground positions. I used a zip tie, cheap, easy, and won't rust LOL --> http://comancheclub.com/topic/45617-brake-load-sensing-valve-quick-fix/ p.s. I wish people that don't know what they're doing wouldn't touch the darn lever. Leave it alone unless it breaks. And if it does, use a zip tie. As you can tell braking performance suffers if someone messes with it and does not understand the thing.

I think my 88 had a towing package or something because it had beefy rear drum brakes. I'm sure bigger than the ones on my '91, even though it was a Dana 35 axle. So my 88 may have had that fan due to a towing package or one of the other non-AC choices (off-road?). It was a truck sold out of BC, so not far from you, 8valve.

My 88 4.0 BA10/5 4x4 with no A/C had the aux fan.