A few lessons from my travels with Jenny (89 MJ)
1.) Go learn how to weld.
2.) Keep an excel spreadsheet with all the different years of your major components. As you inevitably start swapping, modding, or otherwise "improving" your MJ, you will begin to cross years with later XJs, early XJs, different year MJs, all sorts of crazy stuff.
The proof is in my story. Complete 4wd swap, AX-15 from a 97 XJ, long arm BDS-kit installed - life is about to be awesome. Everything is tight, installed, pilot bearing saga over came, "crank crank crank crank - oh crap." Checked every single electrical part involved in sparking...timing, TDCing, CPS replacement about 3 times, distributor, plugs, wires, multi-metering the heck out of everything I could think of, still no spark. Oh wait - whats that? You swapped out your old 2wd transmission for a 1997 4wd model and replaced the clutch? But you ordered the pressure plate for a 97 and not for the 89 because you are an idiot and thought you'd stay true to the transmission year? And then you wasted so much time diagnosing it that you couldn't get the part swapped out, tranny stabbed, and everything all buttoned up prior to your deployment so you've had 7+ months of sitting and thinking quietly about what a bozo you are for such a simple and costly mistake? Man that sucks - my life.
3.) Obligatory floor pan rust plug* - It's like Newton's 4th law of Motion "Your MJ floor is rusted" - Sir Isaac Newton
4.) 4wd conversion is easy - just do your research and pay special attention to things like the pilot bearings being the proper interior and exterior diameter for your applications.
5.) invest in the Novak cable shifter for you T-case - it is epic.
6.) consult Comancheclub forums first and then Cherokeeforum - you aren't the first person to have the problem...you just may be really bad at using the search forum feature.
7.) If it is worth doing. It is worth doing right.
