comanche09

My 234k mile Ax-15 will only go into reverse (and without grinding) after I depress the clutch, go into first gear, back to neutral, release clutch, fully depress clutch again then shift into reverse. Sometimes I have to do it twice. Try that before tearing it open.

First, remove the football/globe in my case, (or the two vac lines to it) that is mounted behind the passenger side of the bumper. IIRC two 5/16 bolts in the bottom of the bumper. End caps can remain on. You can either use a torx (T50?) to remove the 4 bolts from the bumper brackets (and risk breaking the probably rusty stop nuts). Or you can remove the 6 15mm bolts (3 on each side) where the brackets mount to the uniframe. If you don't have factory tow hooks, the forward two bolts on each side are held by the same easily breakable stop nuts. The rear bolts actually bolt into the uniframe through a welded nut. Recommend plenty of soaking with PBlaster before attempting. Good Luck!

You can use 2wd MJ springs and lose and inch there. I want to go SOA too for better clearance, but don't want 6+ inches of lift back there. Keep us posted on your results! What size tires are you planning on using? Are you going to re-gear?

I'm running an AX-15/3.55 gear/31" tire combo. Yesterday, I climbed a steep 1/8 mile long mud/bogged hill in 1st gear and 4HI with a 250 4-wheeler in the bed and 10ft trailer with 500 4-wheeler on it in tow. I like the steep first gear. :yes: (could be a little steeper). Held her at 3,000 RPM all the way up. It was all or nothing as there would be no backing up! :eek: Had to get as best of a running start at possible, but was tough with my BFG A/Ts caked with wet mud acting like slicks. The old girl powered her way to the top. Temp gauge reaching the halfway mark. Score 1 for my 'Manche

Sweet... PICS!!! :yes:

I got an OEM replacement one from rockauto.com a few months ago for around $90 shipped (they had a few left on clearance). I have yet to install it. My truck has a tick at around 2000-2400 RPM. I know the manifold leak is at the rear cylinders because white smoke came out from around there when I did a seafoam treatment. The manifold bolts are know to work loose on their own. Have you checked their tightnes? I know that when I get around to installing my new manifold, I am going to add a flexpipe somewhere in the downpipe to relieve the stress.

I'm interested in people experience with this. I was thinking of hitting the engine bay with Gunk Engine Brite and covering the electricals of course and the dreaded TPS.

No sag and it was mint when I got it. I've since added a couple battle scars... :(

I just bought my first quad, a '99 Polaris Magnum 500 4x4 (like the Sportsman 500, but with a solid rear axle) a few weeks ago for $800 off of CL. Needed a cooling fan and shift linkages. I actually wired up and mounted my spare MJ electric fan just so I could ride it around the weekend I bought it :rotf: It is one ugly and tough SOB. Most parts are plentiful and cheap and the local Polaris dealer will actually service it if need be, unlike my buddies Yamaha... They only will service anything 3yrs old or newer. :fool: I went out last weekend trail riding all day with two buddies. One has a Yahama Big Bear 400 4x4 and the other has a Bruin 250 4x2. The Big Bear got stuck and I ended up pulling him out. :rotf: We were all riding on mud tires. One downside when riding with them is the Polaris should be run in 4LO under 10mph (to not overheat the belt), and shifted into high above 10 mph so it was kind of a PITA to keep shifting and then playing catch-up. Everything on my Polaris has a grease fitting (u-joints, shafts, suspension, steering). Most of the foreign makes don't. Downside it it is somewhat of a PITA changing fluids and you have to use Polaris Fluid at $8 a quart. Other than that I love it. :thumbsup:

I have run Mobil 1 10w-30 in my AX with no issues. Recently switched to Redline MT-90 and noticed no difference in shift quality, but I do have a warm and fuzzy now knowing that Redline is in it. :brows:

I am running an AX-15 on 31" BFG ATs with 3.55 gears behind a stock Renix 4.0 with 104k miles on a 3" lift. 1st gear is pretty deep, no problems pulling off the line and keeping up with traffic. Never really have a need to go past 2.5k RPM anytime. Can't use 5th gear at 70 on the hwy when pulling my 5x10 utility trailer loaded with my 4wheeler unless the road is flat. I think 4.10s would be nice for a DD.

No, can't say I've heard of stock offset Jeep wheels rubbing the frame unless the tires are real wide. You're not off-roading your beautiful truck are you Matt? I think I bought mine here: http://www.4x4groupbuy.com/store/spidertrax-wheel-spacer-jeep-xjyj-whs002-p-943.html but not absolutely sure. They are 1.25" wide and even the rears out with the fronts. You might want to shop around. Thanks Don. And yes, I do wheel my MJ on the weekends. Been scouting out the property of a hunting camp (1400 acres) I recently joined. Rough logging trails and some small streams. No rocks down here and I go around mud not through it... (got an old Polaris Magnum 500 4x4 for that stuff) :thumbsup: :cheers:

Do both XJ's have the same rear axle? (both D35's or 8.25's) If the '99 has an 8.25 and the '95 a D35, you should be able to put the DS and Tcase from the '95 into the '99 and be good to go. Just swap yokes on the driveshafts. Even if not, getting your DS cut down or re-tubed one inch will cost less than if you paid someone to rebuild the '99 tcase. FWIW, my '98 NP242 that was running behind an AW4 bolted right up to my '90 AX-15 that was running a NP231. The other consideration would be that the wiring for the speedo and 4x4 dash light may be different. No too big of a deal and easily fixable.

Hey Don, I was thinking about running spacers in the rear. I noticed that my 31" tires on stock jeep wheels rub the uniframe when wheeling.... Is that normal? How much did you space them out? Can you post a link to where you bought yours? :cheers:

The yoke setup is different between the two. IIRC 97+ use a sealed tailcone with external splines for the yoke. A boot cover fits over the yoke to prevent debris from contaminating the grease. 96 and below the yoke itself seals the t-case. I am running a '98 NP242 with the sealed tcase output and I had to shorten my driveshaft 1" to run it. Hope that helps. There may be differences in input shaft lengths 5spd vs Auto, but they both should be 23 spline.

Check floorboards even if you don't live in the snowbelt. That rust is caused usually by windshield/firewall and sometimes door seal water leaks.

I remember when I found my '87 XJ Dana44... A week later I found a minty '98 XJ 8.25 with factory LSD... Sold the Dana and made a few bucks. I have yet to find an MJ 44 and I've seen about 10 MJs go through the U-pulls in the last year. The 1996's will also have the newer higher CFM fan. Yes and that one was plug and play on my '88 Renix. 97+ you have to splice connectors, not a big deal but still...

Indeed, you got my gears turning with your swap talk... :rotfl2: :cheers: What vehicles or equipment had the 4BT? :cheers:

My Pioneer came with painted flares and front airdam, well what was left of paint, when I got it from the original owner. (who did absolutely nothing to the exterior the entire time he owned it, except putting eggshell exterior/interior paint on the hood and roof in a vain attempt to stop the rust :ack: ) Also, the headlight trim and 8 slot grille were not black, but argent (dark grey) and black. It had a black tailgate handle, the pioneer hockey decals and most of the lower rubber trim that one has. Black bumpers and endcaps. Also had ugly white painted steelies with chrome centercaps. No chrome whatsover on the body except the badges on my Pioneer. This thing was chromed up so they could try to charge $$$ :rotfl2:

My '88 Pioneer came from the factory like just like that (but in maroon), and without remote mirrors, totally manual :nuts: . I only thought my panel was weird when I saw an XJ in the Junkyard that had the little chrome pieces.

Hmm.... been mulling around a Cummins 4BT swap :brows:

Gotta say, I wish my engine bay was that clean... :eek: Must have been a complete teardown resto paintwise at least. But why did they not take the badges off??? You can see the overspray on the 4x4 badge. I like the OEM bedmat and that chrome bumper is rare. Wheels are fugly. :ack: I would pay 4k for it if it ran as good as it looks... 3500 if it still has the BA-10/5 in it...

Update: Went to look at that '93 XJ. He would not budge on the price... :nuts: The underside was covered in rust. The axles we're very rusty as well (like flaking away). Definately a northern XJ. Definately not worth what he's asking even with new calipers and brakes all around and two new tires. Definately not going to scrap, just gotta be patient and find the right donor for the right price :thumbsup:

I like that that one is tandem axle too. Thats pretty cool, never knew that these smaller 5th wheels even existed. Is there a 5th wheel hitch that fits the bed of an MJ? Dually :drool: Indeed. More info on that one?

I think I've found a donor candidate! '93 XJ 4.0L HO 5speed 4x4 http://mobile.craigslist.org/cto/1830489235.html What would be a good price to pay for it? Is 170k miles too much? How should I go about the swap? Renix to H.O.? Thanks :cheers: