CRF136N

I'm convinced, not gonna waste the time. Was just a random thought as I'm stealing any half decent parts off the xj before I sell it; thanks for the replies...not that I don't want to learn axles as having the jeep disease and going through countless jeeps its a good skill to have, I just have too many other fires to put out this summer...maybe next summer :) Thanks again!

Meh; already sounding like too much work lol. Suppose I should have mentioned as I forgot...the limited slip rear d35 in the xj is from my '96 police package xj (swapped 'em cause the '87 originally had a d44)...but I wouldnt imagine it would make any difference...the 87 still has the original front axle. All this lash/shimming/etc is sounding too involved...or is it easier than it sounds? Neither of these are daily drivers so I'm not in an hurry but would be nice to sell the xj asap...wanna use the $$$ I get for it for a spray in bed liner on the mj :D

OK, so I am pretty confident in most every mechanical aspect of these trucks but differentials are totally foreign to me, that's why I ask. I attempted the pinion bearings in my old dodge once and it was a fail (but I think I realized what I did after the fact in regards to the yoke nut torque and could probably do it right the second time...but that how ya learn, right?) Here is what I am working with; this '89 mj I just picked up has the 3:07 gears in an open D35 mated to the ba10 5-spd; and of course the d30 up front. I upped the tire size from 205/75-15 stock to a 235/75-15...which did not help its getup-and-go with the renix power plant (but sure looks a whole lot better!). Being my super clean low mileage 'barn find' of a manche, I do not have any plans to hack into this truck in any way as I want to leave it as clean and stock as possible...but as with anything any opportunity for an easy minor improvement; or an upgrade after a part failure is justifiable to me. I have an '87 xj with a LIMITED SLIP 3.55 d35 in the rear (and d30 in the front). I am just getting this xj buttoned up enough to sell; its not worth much but I can maybe squeeze enough out of it to justify the effort (and its getting all the old parts I have lying around and I'm keeping all the new stuff I put on it!). Seeing as I am planning on pulling the axles apart on the manche anyway to replace the pinion and axle seals and replace the old oil, it wouldn't be much additional effort to pull the ring/pinion and swap for the slightly higher gear ratio...being an otherwise perfectly good d35 right now, as the rule of thumb goes with these cruddy d35 axles I'm not interested in buying new gears for it...if it fails I'm finding something better, but with 85k on its going to be awhile. So see where this is going?...I sure wouldn't have a problem swapping that limited slip 3:55 rear gear set into the manche (and the front to match of course) giving my nice pile of an xj some 3.07's, should really make it a turd with the aw4 but whatever, I am sure some high school kid would love it as a first vehicle and will never know the difference...besides its now sporting the manches old 205/75-15 tires :) On the other hand I suspect the 3.55's would really help the manche out without compromising the fuel economy too bad as the larger tire should help offset the difference. Swapping axles is too much work with cutting/welding rear perches plus the front axle is always a gangly fun disaster I just don't want to mess with right now. If this is a realistic possibility of just swapping the gear packs while I'm in there I'm all for it; I just don't know if its a bad idea to swap used gear sets between axles like this...thoughts? If not, I am ok with the MJ as it is; would just be nice to make the gears a little more useable in it without having to always downshift and rev the motor out just to get to the top of an incline in the road. Thanks for any info!

Ok, sorry for the delay; bossman has me workin a really stupid shift. Anyway lets see if I can confuse you here...and to make it worse my phone is being stupid so I can't upload any pics. -my '96 xj that had the aw4 and now has the ax-15 has the stepdown bracket you have pictured bolted on the trans with the cross member in the rear position...probably the setup you need. -my '89 mj with the ba10 has the straight down bracket with the cross member in the foreward position. -my '87 xj with the aw4 has the straight down bracket with the cross member in the rear position. As far as details on the swap there was really nothing special as I dropped the one tranny and bolted the other one in after swappig flywheels and a new clutch kit; I had to use the 242 t case cause the ax-15 is 1.5" shorter than the aw4 (and the 231 t case is shorter than the 242) so it was the only way I could get the driveshaft to bolt up temporarily but I'm working on the SYE in my 231 for a custom driveshaft now. Only thing I had to make sure of there was making sure the spline count between the ax-15 and 231 t case were the same cause the newer ones have more splines. Otherwise everything else was just a matter of the auto to manual swap which you won't have to really deal with like removing the auto shifter plate on the floor, cutting the firewall for the clutch slave and bypassing the neutral safety switch from the auto tranny. I suppose the only other bit of adivise I would have is bleeding the ax-15 external slave...perhaps this is elementary but it sure messed me up; I ruined two jy slaves trying to figure it out...there is a place for a bleeder screw on the plastic housing but no bleeder screw and its plastic welded shut where it would go; so I bought a new slave which came with two plastic straps holding the slave shaft 'in'...just not thinking as if were to minimize package size like they do with shocks I cut them and it took nearly 300 miles of stop and go driving before that clutch hydraulic line finally bled 100%...then it occured to me the plastic straps should have been left alone & installed 'as is' and as the pressure in the line built up and the thing self bled I bet it would have just broke the straps resulting in perfect bleed the first time...duh. Oh well haha.

If you got an oxygen sensor on it try unplugging it and see if that solves the problem; I had a similar problem with my '87 4.0, acted like it was starving of fuel at times but otherwise ran fine...in fact I think it was cause I would stand next to it with a can of ether and when it bogged I'd squirt the intake and it would immediately recover the idle. Could not drive it 20 miles without it acting up on a good day. Replaced every damn thing from the fuel pump to every sensor and ignition part (including a new o2 sensor) and even got creative with a few things, nothing worked...decided to try unplugging every sensor one at a time trying to find consistancy in the idle/running, starting with the o2 sensor...with just the o2 sensor unplugged I have put almost 7,000 miles on it and it runs like new...tried replacing that new o2 with another new one and it did the same tweaky thing...wires are crossed somewhere, not worth chasing down...leaving the o2 sensor unplugged, getting 19 miles per gallon and driving it daily; I'm ok with that :) A bad o2 caused my '96 xj to run like crap too but in a different way. Hope you find the problem...never fun with mysteries like that.

I will also update tonight when I get home casue I have 3 jeeps with each tranny type: An '87 xj with the aw4 An '89 mj with the ba10 And the '96 xj that had the aw4 and now has the ax-15 withthe same bracket so I will tell you the tranny and bracket associated with each one to see if this helps any

Ok, so looking at the bottom of my jeep there are three sets of pre drilled holes for the cross member, allowing it to be slid front or back depending on the tranny mount you have I suppose...perhaps thats why you were led to believe the cross member would not work and mine from the aw4 worked just fine with the ax-15 because I used the exact same tranny mount between both trannies. It looks like the one you have from the junkyard would more or less drop straight down for the cross member in the front position, and the secon one places the cross member in the further back posiion. Sounds stupid and I could be completely wrong on this but thats what I am seeing. I remember having to move my tranny crosmember to the other position once on a past jeep and had to tap out the threads...don't remember why but I think it was going from a ba/10 to an aw4. Maybe someone else can chime in

Oh ya, and I got the bellhousing with mine; not sure how hard/how much that would be...I'd try to get him down in price needing that

Thats exactly what I paid for mine and I knew nothing about it either, was happy to get my hands on one that looked clean so I just made a gamble with it; I thought it was a bit much considering I had to get all the other stuff (hydraulics, clutch kit, flywheel, etc) but whatever. It was 1.5" shorter than my aw4 so if you are lifted consider that for driveshaft length...I had 4.5" lift on my xj, and it grabbed the output by a butt-puckering 1", so I drove very carefully with sandbags in the back for a while to squat the rear and reduce the risk for problems...but then added another 2" lift and put a SYE in so now my xj is stuck until I get a custom driveshaft lol. Turned out to be a good one though; sounds like these are pretty solid transmissions so I wouldnt fret over it too much

Not sure exactly what bracket you are referring to but when I did the aw4 to ax-15 swap in my '96 xj all the crossmember stuff worked fine as I only had the bare trans to work with and no extra brackets or anything; the only bracket that didnt swap was the 4x4 linkage bracket for the 4wd shifter...but then again thats in an xj but I can't imagine the mj would be any different cause the motor is in the same spot and the tranny is bolted right to the motor.?.

Did this swap in my '96 xj (and love it btw) not sure what year you are working with, but my '96 is OBD2 so its super picky. For now I went to the junkyard an cut out the tranny side of the connector to the trans so I didnt cut ip my factory wiring an just connected the two nss wires together. It works great but I have a check engine light with the nss fault code. Had thought about your idea but problem is every time you push in the clutch its going to act like reconnecting those wires and trigger the CEL if you have one. I have been told throug relays or diodes its possible, but thats way beyond the effort I'm willing to give it. I have also been told swapping the ecu's to a manual unit would work, but the solution I found is a contact-when-pressed button I got at Radio Shack I am going to wire in and mount in an inconspicuous place so in order for it to start I will use the left hand to press the button as I turn the key, that way there will be no connection while the jeep is running and driving triggering the CEL l, and it kind of doubles as an anti theft feature...easily defeated but what kind of car theif in the heat of the moment would suspect a nss bypass button? BTW, if you don't have the tranny yet I was told to get the '94 up for external slave and if you have an '80s model 4x4 mj there may be spline compatability issues between tranny/transfer case. Otherwise its a great swap.

Wow; that is great! I hadn't even considered that ground jumper from the dash to the frame, but even though that groundpoint looks fine it makes perfect sense to do so, lots of other fantastic ideas on there too! Thank you! I am going to try these things out and report back. Stuck on the cooling system right now, flush #3 and still getting crud out, don't think this guy ever had the cooling system flushed :/ not taking any chances and just replacing everything there (rad, w.p., thermostat, hoses and all; I just hope the freeze plugs havent been too badly comprimised). Def got the clutch master on the list too; just going through this thing with a fine tooth comb and going to replace everything I even suspect may be due...even if it is a renix 4.0, with a pukegoat ba/10 5-spd and a d35 out back, I'm bound and determined to preserve this one as an all original unmolested rust free MJ that remains reliable enough to get in and drive anywhere; even planning to keep the miles low using it for minimal tasks like hauling my dirtbike to riding areas and a few other things, otherwise I got a little 4-banger Scion TC as my daily driver to rack up miles on and save a few $$$ on gas :) (oh ya, and a moneypit xj as my toy...but thats another story lol) Anyway, thanks again and I will start chasing the gremlin and see if I can get these electrical woes solved.

Hey, it been a while since I posted as I sold my last beloved MJ a few years ago now due to finances :( I'm back in the mj game now though with my latest find -ok, score-...a super clean 1 owner '89 MJ Pioneer 4x4 5-spd short bed; always garaged, always in a dry climate so NO rust, 95% original aside from passenger door repaint due to parking lot bang in 2009, otherwise the original 'colorado red' paint still shiny and flawless aside from a couple door dings and scratches...no dents...and...85,000 ORIGINAL MILES, all documented :D. Heck, I even got the original dealer sales papers, original invoice, build sheet, owners manual and a stack of service papers lol. OK, bragging aside, I am glad to see the ComancheClub still goin strong; different layout than before, I like it. Anyway, going to have to pick your brains on the one quirk of this beautiful jeep, see if any of this sound familiar to anyone. I suspect a bad ground, but I checked as much as I can access and everything checks out fine....the running lights don't work, as with the dash lights, but the headlights work fine. The guy said he had intermittant issues with the brake lights, but they work flawlessly for me. The tachometer worked fine until I almost got it home, then it stopped working, unless I either kick the e-brake mechanism or push in the clutch.?. The turn signals click through the stereo. So far thats all I have found; I know its something stupid and simple but the gremlin is hiding somewhere and I can't find its hiding spot! I noticed the clutch master was leaking a little onto the fuse box, not dripping wet but moist; pulled the fuse box out from firewall and aside from being kinda damp there is no sign of corrosion or issues. The stereo, clock, dome lights and heater all work fine. Anyone have any suggestions? I am in the process of getting her all serviced and tuned up right now so I'm not driving it much yet, but if I notice anything else in relation I will post an update. Thanks in advance :)

I was under the impression that any "factory" RHD vehicle was to be registered as a "special use" vehicle (mail delivery, etc) or for export only. I remember seeing a RHD tj for sale that I thought was the coolest thing ever, especially for the price they were asking, but upon doing the research thats what I found out...Maybe it varies state to state :hmm: It sure would be fun just to have something different; I remember getting a shotgun ride in an SUV driving across Australia once...definately had to re-tune the brain a little cause it felt so...wrong :rotf:

:rotfl2: What can I say?...you tend come across a lot of jeep stuff when you have the sickness. I actually had the OEM ones for a long time cause those are my favorte style, but eventually let them go. Tha black ones are the same as the polised ones, I just painted them. I think in all, that Jeep has worn about 7-8 different sets...I tend to get bored with the same look for too long and wheels are the easiest thing to change :cheers:

MJ WORKIN: MJ FOR PLAYIN: Image Not Found (THERE IS ACTUALLY 3 BIKES IN THE LAST ONE, ONE IS STUFFED IN THE MIDDLE) :D Oh, I don't want to sell this truck :( Gotta figure out how to hit that lottery... :hmm:

I did the ones on my Subaru within a week of owning the car back in Aug of 2007; I'm super happy with the results, they still look the way they did when I first did them and after 80,000+ miles of driving, I haven't encountered a cop who cares. Light still goes through great, can't even tell at night that they are tinted. I picked up an extra set of MJ taillights to do this to, but have yet to get around to doing it cause it does take time to do it right; I first used 3M wax remover on the lenses to clean them. I then sprayed 2 even coats of spary tint on both lights (got the spray tint off ebay, "nightshades"), allowing 10 mins to dry between coats. This stuff runs easy, so take your time and be sure the tint is even. After I allowed 24 hours to dry, I used Dupli-color clear (got it at Wal-mart) and sprayed 5 generous coats of clear. After allowing another 24 hours for that to dry, I wet sanded them with 2000 grit sandpaper until all the orange peel was gone, I then buffed them using 3M rubbing compound and a Mothers Powerball on a drill. This is kinda a one time deal, so take your time to do it right or it will be an expensive mistake (or just look like crap)

http://www.grizzlygrip.com I will use this product from now on. I did 3 coats in the bed of my MJ using an undercoating spray gun (actually, I think I wound up getting a dupli-color bed liner spray gun, but more or less the same thing) it is unbelievably durable and chemical resistant. Very good quality product. It can also be rolled on. What sold me on it, aside from a fellow CC members recommendation was the fact this product is used by reputable companies not only for bedliners, but also floor coatings. I'll put it this way, I rescently loaded both my front and rear axles into and out of the bed of my MJ by myself, and they are quite heavy (140-150lbs...?) with jagged/sharp edges...I had to do it one end at a time, got one side on the tailgate, then picked up the other end and walked/slid the axles into the truck...dragging it along the bedliner...only one tiny sliver shaped scar, a couple mm's wide by about an inch long...nothing a quick dab of touch-up product won't fix. Otherwise my dirtbikes are always leaking trans oil and I'm always spilling gas on it while filling them up, its not effected. Just my .02 cents ;) Oh ya, I got the kit for the 8' bed, which came with 2 gals...but I only used 1gal with 3 coats, and it cost somewhere around $120 -James

LOL, it was SO worth it Being as all the value is lost due to the high mileage, I'm not getting rid of it...so this turned out to be the best thing I could have done with it. Something just stupid silly giggly fun about wheeling an AWD SEDAN; not too many places I can't go so long as I don't get hung up from the low ground clearence (its got 9.5"ground to lowest point on the car)...every once in awhile I gotta get a running start through deep ruts, etc cause as you can imagine the suspension flex isn't great and its got open diffs. I made a huge 3/16 aluminum skidplate that covers everything from the bumper to well past the oil and tranny pans for a little piece of mind. Should be gettin my tube bumper with some off-road light fabbed next week. Its seriously a blast though :D I STILL can't figure out these damn pics though! 1/2 the time they are thumbnails, the other half they are big and the only thing different is a different login session :wall: Oh well, sorry...was just trying to post a few pics without taking tons of thread space :rant: -James

Noted, I like that idea best, thanks! I GOT to do it now cause someone is interested in buying my 3.55 axles, so that was enough motivation to do the axle swap TODAY :D Its all done, but I'm waiting on some new brake lines before its ready for the road (I just figured while I'm at it, get rid of the dry-rotted lines) -James

I was in your very situation back in 2007, having owned my share of trucks/SUV's, the gas prices had me looking at something a little more realistic for an economical dd...gulp, I began my "car" search. -I preferred something NEW, cause I don't trust anyone else whe it comes to break-in maintenance on a vehicle I plan to rely on every day for a couple hundred thousand miles. -I NEEDED AWD cause I live in snow country -I wanted a known tried, tested and proven drivetrain and a good reputation, no new model experimentation -It HAD to not only be low maintenance, but be easy and cheap to fix should something go wrong -Finally, I wasn't gonna spend more than $20,000 Search upon search, I wound up with a new 2008 Subaru Impreza 2.5i. For the new price tag of like $18,000 -I think it was-, I'll say I do really like the car. The AWD is GREAT. I average between 25-31mpg consistantly. I have racked up over 80,000 miles on it so far without anything more than changing the oil every 3,000. I hated it at first, I learned it was too "delicate" and low to the ground for me...I kept crushing in the rocker panels and causing damage to the front bumper by running over things...but I got used to it. For your dog, I personally don't care much for the '08+ hatch, but the '07- wagon isn't so bad. If I did it over again though, I'd prob look cloers at the new forester. :brows: Rescently I decided to modify it a little for my needs, because I can't leave a vehicle stock either. It occured to me thats these are born and bred rally cars, so why not rally it out? So, I trimmed for a little more ground clearance...fabbed up a custom lift kit and put bigger tires on it :shake: :nuts: Now I REALLY like it Its a blast to go tear up some fireroads, play in the rocks or just hit the jeep trails...something about doing it in a car and getting reaction from the Jeepers, or just being able to play around with the low center of gravity is just fun as hell. Some people think I have lost my mind, but mostly I get positive feedback :D Do I dare post pics.?. :roll: I'm still awaiting the tube front bumper to be made... (BTW, those are General Grabber A/T2's I'm running on my SUBARU IMPREZA :rotf: ) Anyway, .02 cents...the AWD is nice to have :D :cheers: -James ***I changed these pics to thumbnails, dunno how they got big after an edit? Sorry, I'm trying to figure it out***

This is the very debate I'm in right now...I'm currently running the complete '94 donor drivetrain (non CAD D-30/Chry8.25 3.55) I am so very desparate to get my "new" axles in my MJ (CAD D-30/AMC-20 4.10's) from the '86 MJ M/T donor. Being winter I cannot loose my 4x4, so I got to have the 4wd operational, but simply cannot wait any longer. I keep debating this posi-lock, but I have heard both good and bad things about it. Many have said to wait and do the solid axle shaft swap. But, my mj is more of a dd and an occasional toy. When I do go hit the trails, I certainly treat it as a prized rare truck that I don't want to scratch or dent, so I'm pretty mellow with it. This said, driving in the snow I shift in and out of 4x4 as needed, so I never run my truck in 4x4 ALL the time to avoid uneccesary wear and tear. Based on this, would a posi-lock be a sufficient and reliable choice, or should I wait and straight-shaft it?...if so, do I need to find another axle of the same gear ratio, or can I get that pass side shaft from any D-30? Thanks for any info you can provide -James

Not just yet...still anxiously awaiting the paperwork. :fs1: Until I get that, its just his wrecked Jeep sitting at my work. I talked to him today on the phone, he said he's still looking for the title. Big irritation is he forgot to leave the key, and didn't get it to me before I left for the day. I'm anxious to get it in the shop and get that motor fired back up, then rack it and drive it in the air to see if there is any obvious drivetrain damage. I took a closer look at it today, that RF wheel hit that rock HARD; not only taco'd the lower control arm, but bent the brackets where it mounts on the axle as if the axle shifted pretty violently to the left. It didn't appear to have split the axle housing at the diff case or anything and there's no other appearant damage on that side of the axle. And I wouldn't assume the rear axle shafts got damaged, but its hard to say just yet. Big bummer if so, cause I already have a buyer lined up for both axles. The motor was shut off immediately after impact, but it did sit upside down for a good 20 mins...I can't possibly think of any concerning factors on these motors, maybe just have to reprime the oil pump at worst? Maybe this motor will be my stroker build side project for that perfect Comanche build :brows: I'll just save all the electrical/computer, etc...prob sell the tranny, cause I want a 5-spd in my next build...or maybe even a 6-spd from a wrangler :drool: At least I've done this once already and learned all the things I "wish" I did, so I can definately do it right this time. :hmm: Its beginning to look like this guys wreck will wind up costing ME a lot of money :doh: :nuts: -James

WOW :hmm: This is actually a pretty powerful thread...it really puts our health into perspective. I have a relatively low maintenance lifestyle, aside from the self inflicted bumps, bruises, concussions and broken ribs that frequent my life from being an idiot and lauching myself off my dirtbike...I guess I REALLY do take my good health for granted. I'm so sorry for some of you who have to deal with this stuff :( That really sucks. I guess if I could say anything is an 'inconvenience', my uncorrected vision is 20/200 and after 9 years working in a shop without hearing protection, it rescently became evident that I'm loosing my hearing and I have to wear earplugs now otherwise loud noises can be excrusiatingly painful...for example I can't even enjoy my car stereo even at normal listening level anymore, but to turn it up so I can better hear it is painful, so I usually don't even have it on anymore...but these are things I can deal with. But I suppose at 28, I still have plenty of time for things to go wrong. This thread just bummed me out, more for some of you guys than anything. -James

AMEN to that! Not too long ago I thought I was "over" Nevada cause of the HOT, dry summers and Frigid and seemingly pointless winters, but as an off-road enthusiast, the more I explored elsewhere, the more I liked NV cause of its freedom to roam and convenience of location...I've decided I'm here to stay. You can literally jump on a trail, and wind up in another state 400+ miles away, all on dirt. Us Northern NV guys gotta worry about those Illegal dumpers though, they are giving EVERYONE a bad name :fs1: You ever catch 'em, get their plate # and a pic or two and report them!!! Something I've been wanting to do for awhile, any U Reno/No. NV guys interested in gettin together for some cleanups?...load our Manches up with some dumped garbage and dispose of it PROPERLY? -anyway, here I go again. Back to topic- What your experiencing STERLING is perfectly normal...just consider it a side effect of the sickness :nuts: If your urges become too much to control, get a second set of wheels and have the baldest tires you can find mounted on them, then remove your front driveshaft...you can't get yourself into too much trouble that way...or maybe you can? :roll: SERIOUSLY THOUGH...the BEST thing you can do IMHO is SUPPORT organizations like the Blue Ribbon Coalition, National Off Road Association, etc and be PROACTIVE at your local land rights meetings, etc...so long as it supports the fight for motorized off road recreation, these guys have the connections and ARE winning battles!!! One example of a HUGE case here in NV is reguarding the legalization of off-road dirtbikes being converted to street legal with the appropriate equipment, which has been allowed up until last year, when someone tried to convert and register a Rhino :no: The state decided to no longer honor valid 2 wheeled conversions which outraged a LOT of people...until this guy I know, -average everyday joe- went to the state and 'threatened' a class action lawsuit...that was all it took, the state didn't want to get involved in a C/A lawsuit. As of last week the state is forcing the DMV to make the neccesary changes to honor valid and legal 2 wheel conversions...Yes, I know, slightly off point as thats more of a DMV thing, but point in case, ONE person (a nobody) changed this...it can be done, everyones voice counts. Now more than ever we need to fight this battle so we can have more land to play on and STOP the closure of our favorite spots. OK, sorry. I'm done now. :D I tend to go over the edge on this topic.