teamsmith

So whats the trick to getting the lca holes lined up? Everything is on jack stands but it seems like the axle maybe rolled back, possibly when I turned the wheel when installing the springs. I've only got one side unhooked. It's acting like the lca is too long and won't clear the mounting brackets without rubbing, but I'm hoping that's all just because the caster is rolled back. Speaking of caster, I saw those shims you were talking about but I didn't have to remove them, they seemed to be bolted in so I left them alone.

When you say shims behind the LCA, do you mean as a spacer between the bushing and the mounting flange that it bolts to? I have a Chiltons that I plan to consult but I have not yet dug into the process of setting caster or camber. I had hoped I could just slap it all together with fresh ball joints and drive to a garage and get an alignment which would address such things.

Thanks, Don. I assume you have experienced no ill effects from having yours backward (or else you would have swapped them around)? I am all for not needing to trim, etc. so I guess I'll follow your lead and plan to put them on backward as well.

Hello, I found a post from about 8 years that says the LCA bolts are 14x2.0x110mm. Is this the same for both sides (frame and axle)? Is there clearance for them to be little longer if need be? Will I need nuts as well or do they tread into the ear/flange? I'm doing the WJ LCA swap this weekend and am trying to plan ahead. Thanks

Hey, Any chance you still have the pictures for this write up tucked away somewhere? I'm installing WJ LCA's this weekend for about a 2" lift. Will I need to trip the LCA brackets or the bushings within the LCA's? Thanks!

Is anyone running the HD leaf springs from crown automotive? Edit: Nevermind, they are the xj leafs. The website says they are for Comanche but its wrong. I would delete this post but that option must have expired. http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sku/Jeep/Comanche/Crown/Leaf_Spring/1989/Pioneer/6_Cyl_4-dot-0L/4886187AA.html

mine is leaking because I am using the wrong seal. I have the correct one but haven't swapped it out yet.

I'm sure that is a great pack but the HC MT pack is a stock height spring, correct? I believe the OP, and me vicariously through him, is looking for a 1-2" lift over stock at a lower price. I know the GS MT spring pack is a little higher than stock but this GW pack is about $150 less... if it works.

Short answer is no. I'm using the newer style blue felpro on my '98 engine with an '89 aluminum cover. I only recently realized that there was a difference in gaskets and that they should match the cover you are using. I have a small leak at the back of the engine that tells me it's not sealing properly. I plan to swap out shortly.

I found the text of the post but couldn't find pictures. It reads like it was written by a high schooler but it could just be the excitement of owning such an awesome van. Ad text below: If you don't like attention and you don't want to be surrounded by admirers every time you stop somewhere...then please hit the back button and read no further. If your wife (or husband...don't want to be sexist) tells you she is tired of cramming the kids and the groceries in the Civic then this is the vehicle for you. If your friends all have Cookie Cutter YJ'S and 4 Runners and you want to show up and be the BOSS...this is your van. If you want to see countless double takes and an endless stream of thumbs up and waves in your direction...this is your chariot! This beast started life as a humble 1984 Dodge Caravan...the first production year of one of the most popular vehicles of all time. Lee Iacocca had a vision for the future but he never saw this! The running gear is a 1976 full size Jeep Cherokee Chief powered by a 1992 Chevrolet 4.3 liter V6 mated to a built 700R4 automatic transmission with a B&M shift kit. Rear end is a 12 bolt Chevy with 4:56 gears out of a 1978 pickup with a no spin Detroit Locker. Transfer case is a NP241 with SYE kit. Front axle is a Dana 44 from the Cherokee. If you need to fix your friends Bronco or you have to let down some tire pressure while you're out on the trail this thing has an on-board belt-driven York air compressor under the hood. This was not built over a weekend and a case of Bud...this was done right! I have a file with build information on it. The van was built by a retired engineer from ORNL. You will not believe the quality until you see it for yourself. Everything works on this thing including the map lights and the little light under the hood. It no longer has air-conditioning because the air compressor sits where the A/C compressor used to be. Doesn't matter much because you'd have to constantly roll the windows down for all the people yelling "Hey, what the heck is that!?" Interior is fantastic! No cracks in the dash. No sags in the headliner. Back seat feels better than the sofa in my living room. AM/FM/CD sounds awesome. Dash was done right with a full set of gauges and a digital tach. Box in the back houses the spare and the remote mounted battery. You could remove this and put a third row seat back in it if you have too many friends that demand to ride with you everywhere you go. The previous owner had a roof rack with the spare and KC lights on it and this made it look even more beastly (if that's even possible). Tires are 32" BFGoodrich Mud Terrains in great shape. Pictures speak for themselves but you really need to see it to appreciate it. The only negatives are a burn spot on the paint on the hood and the drivers side fender and door need minor work and paint. Not a problem for paint because it's a factory color. No rust and no rips. You won't be able to wipe the grin off your face for a week...it even got a thumbs up endorsement from my grandma! I'm not interested in trades. I'm not going to finance it. Your uncle in Saudi Arabia won't be sending me a check. I love this van but I love my fiancee' more...therefore this awesome piece of automotive history is available for serious buyers. I am a little flexible on the price but my wedding isn't until December so I don't need to give it away. I would rather that you see the van before you make a reasonable offer. Thanks for looking and have a blessed day! (Phone number is Minnesota but I live in Ooltewah.)

Likewise. Simple is good. :) Thanks. Simple is good; cheap is better. Simple and cheap is the unicorn of jeep problem solutions. I would not have guessed that simple little vacuum switch would go out.

I swapped in a new $10 vacuum switch in the back of the TC and the 4wd shifts flawlessly. Back when it did work it took forever to shift out of 4wd with lots of backing up and pulling forward. Now its nearly seamless. I still have issue of the front pinion bearing and the fact I'd like to swap axles for better gearing for bigger tires but I will probably put that off until next year and enjoy that my truck is, more or less, fully functional. Thanks again for all the advice.

I'm very interested in hearing/seeing your result in this experiment. If it works out, I will likely follow suit

As retarded as this is, I am almost seriously considering taking a drive over to look at it. I've got a guy coming to supposedly buy a motorcycle I have for sale this weekend. Cash in my pocket and a Built Caravan for sale locally is a dangerous combination. https://chattanooga.craigslist.org/cto/5200927016.html

I had one there but it was pretty chewed up from so many install/uninstalls from my slave changes. I replaced with a new one last night and my exhaust ticking is gone.

My guess is that he had a buddy place that bid so it would cause a minor stir in the Comanche community.

11 years? That should be good news, huh? A tire shop shouldn't be selling 11 year old tires.

My mirror adjustment is kaput with the mirror always looking at the ground. I didn't realize how valuable the passenger mirror was until I hauled a dresser in the bed. :) I got a mirror off a guy here but it was incomplete (did not include the part that mounts to the jeep.) I need it to look like this, with the remote stem adjust and the piece that mounts to the truck:

Knucklehead, If you do go the 8.25 axle swap route, maybe I'll see if I can talk you into making the drive up to Chattanooga and helping me do the same.

Thanks. Unfortunately I have 3.07 gears so if I attempt a swap I want to go up to at least 3.55. I had a line on a great set of front+rear axles a couple weeks ago that was an hour drive away but my slave died and took the truck out of commission.

thank you for all the comments. I believe my lines are routed correctly because a: I didn't disconnect them during the engine swap, etc. and b. the part time light is on which tells me it should be the CAD should be engaged as it is. after doing some simple google searches, I see that the vacuum switch is simple and a cheap $10 part so I've ordered that. While I was doing the engine swap I was fighting off a lot of dirt dobber nests so it's possible something could have got into the switch while it was sitting disconnected. I agree the CAD bypass would solve the problem but it would force me to deal with the pinion bearing and, for the kind of money it would cost to have that rebuilt, I could get a late model XJ front end. I've seen a few good deals on front+rear ends but I'm not ready to tackle the project of welding perches and mating brake lines, etc. While I wait on a new vaccum switch I just have the vacuum lines disconnected from the axle actuator and the axle collar shifted manually to 2WD.

After my engine swap I have not been able to disengage the front axle. It wouldn't be a problem except that the front pinion bearing is wailing like a banshee at 40+mph. I seem to have a vacuum problem. The linkage disengages 4wd and shifts perfectly, but the vacuum signal is not being changed from the back of the TC- I'm still getting a vacuum in the line that holds the front axle engaged and there is no vacuum on the line that is supposed to disengage. I cannot find any kinks or breaks in the vacuum lines. I have all the EGR vacuum lines plugged and bypassed. The truck's idle hunts a little bit but generally stays around 500-600rpm. In order to drive it without the wailing banshee noise I pulled the actuator off the axle, manually shifted the sleeve over to disengage the axle, put it back together, and left the vacuum lines disengaged. If I hook the lines back up it shifts the sleeve back over. With the lines disconnected, I still get the 'part time' light except for when I press on the gas which I assume take vacuum pressure away and make the light go out. Any thoughts on this? Is there a vacuum switch that goes out on the transfer case that sends the signal to one side or the other that I can replace? I don't want to spend much money on this (such as replacing the VAC with a cable [~$200] or buying a new actuator[$80]) because I have mid term plans to replace the driveline with one from a newer cherokee. I would, however, like to have a working 4wd system without having to take the cover off and manually slide the sleeve over. Thanks

My header collector flange only has 2 bolts. Yours must be a fancy aftermarket setup.

Awesome. Ordered. I'm glad to know that there's room for improvement to reduce my exhaust drone.

I saw this item on Amazon and wonder if I'm supposed to use it. There was not one between my downpipe and header when I initially took it off but that doesn't mean I don't need one. http://www.amazon.com/Fel-Pro-60745-Gasket/dp/B000C2ADSK/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1440680586&vehicle=1989-42-348-334--31-8--3363-244-8-2---7-0&sr=1-5&ymm=1989%3Ajeep%3Acomanche&pebp=1440680595126&perid=17H8GBPRD8HXE5TWJ2VJ