AMCJeepMJ

:D :D carry on. :)

Not many possibilities on this one if you're 1000% sure it's not the tilt mechanism- it's either: -2 big nuts which hold the column to the dash -2 bolts which hold the column to the firewall Take a look at them while you're trying to move the column. it'll take removing the knee panel to get to the nuts, and pulling back the carpet to see the firewall bolts. When you find the loose culprit, crank down the nut or bolt and you should be good to go. In fact, crank all four down just to be sure. Let us know what the outcome is.

I understand this is perfectly legal in Nevada. ;) I lol'd about the dog attacking the brake pedal- almost choked on an almond because of it.

$350 shipping in the linked auction? Eeesh!

I like this idea, but for the aerodynamic aspect of it. For us 2.5 guys, I suspect we don't need the entire grille to be open and could block off the two outside slots on each side of a 10-slot grille, leaving the center six open, and still be just fine on the cooling. Between blocking off the slots and 1/16" clear lexan over the headlight bezels, one may be able to squeak an extra quarter to half a mile a gallon out of one of these rigs. Every little bit helps, no?

My 14 year old is aspiring a little higher this year: Beats headphones, iPhone 5, fashionable clothing [jeans with rhinestones on back pockets at $50 to $150/pair], an iPad, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber CDs, etc. She will be disappointed this year as almost none of that stuff is within our budget, and will be lucky to receive Rue21, Bath & Body Works, or Victoria Secret gift cards with her 'smaller' items. Teenage girls aren't cheap. She also informed me that when she turns 16 she wants my truck.

I am in the "It's Faster and Easier to Replace the Entire Column" camp when it comes to tilt-mechanism or other steering column issues. Best of luck!

Thread bookmarked for when it comes time to bleed my brakes next. My proportioning valve is still intact and seems to still function.

Out of curiosity, what should it be torqued down to?

If you can find one, snag a 190D. They're rated for about 75hp, but the engine is bulletproof. Also it is far lighter than the 70s models and can pull 35-40 mpg. They also have much more modern safety features than older MBs... and probably more than our MJs have.

You're going to have a hard time convincing Prestone that their product caused the damage to your vehicle. If you still have the original bottle with remaining liquid coolant in it you may wish to secure it. What you will find is that bottles of premixed coolant sold at the same location you purchased your coolant from would have been from the same batch, and if others in your area that used the coolant had similar problems they would have gone back to the store at which it was purchased to complain. You may want to start there. Should you come up empty-handed at the store and decide to pursue this with Prestone, if you are not flat-out told to go jump in a lake by them, be prepared to provide a sample of your remaining bottled coolant and the coolant from your rig for their chemical analysis. If you're trying to pull one over on them to get a new engine by having added a bunch of water to a 50/50 mix, they may go as far as to sample your local tap water for chemical similarities as engine repair isn't cheap at any shop. Better pay to get a diagnosis from a reputable shop or even a Jeep dealership on why the head cracked, too. Prestone has been in business a long time; they know what they're doing, and know what formula their products are as they have professional chemists working for them- too much of a deviation from their original expected formula of a 50/50 mix could be bad news for you; they are not in business to lose or give away money. While you're at it, better start getting leads on replacement parts to do it yourself while this drags on for months. Best of luck to you but be prepared to be disappointed.

If you're going to put in a puck or spacer up front, be sure to replace your coil spring bushings while you're in there. They're just a few bucks each.

Looks drivable to me; no roof damage. I don't see what the problem is other than maybe the door will be a challenge to operate.

When looking for a donor XJ for your 87, make sure the column is a 87-89, as 1990 has a little bit setup on the behind-the-dash parts on the top of the column which can cause confusion during installation. Should you look for a tilt column, make sure it does not wobble up/down or side/side. if it does in even the slightest, move on to the next vehicle in the salvage yard. To remove a column, first disconnect battery, then remove the steering shaft bolt from gearbox, remove the bolts where column goes through firewall, remove the 2 nuts under the dash, undo electrical and cruise connectors, and then remove column from vehicle. Assembly is reverse of removal. Have a 2nd person on hand to reconnect the steering shaft while the other maneuvers the column. Changing a column is easy and a first-timer can get it done in under 2 hours. Good luck.

Looking at the Curt front-mounted hitch installation instructions, it hangs down no lower than the OEM air dam and allows for a winch mount that fits 2" receivers to be installed, such as this lovely Harbor Freight one for example: http://www.harborfreight.com/hitch-receiver-mount-for-winches-69106.html

We've had negative single digit lows for the past few days and my battery from 2004 finally gave up the ghost. $110 later I'm up and running.

damn lifter failed[center is mauled out ] ! what the damn moo with red break in goo thick as hell and fresh oil ...rest are ok pulled them ....well time to build a short block time ...if you start have strange power struggles and hear lifter bleed down -rocker arms are rubbing on the valve stems a creeling sound /noisy start up lifter noise .....dive in ! The text in red... what does that mean? Not trying to give you a bad time, just trying to understand.

The display is kaput: http://jalopnik.com/the-playboy-statue-that-pissed-off-an-artsy-texas-town-1477237475

So, after re-reading this thread,a group 34 battery is able to use the OEM group 58 battery hold-down bar? Can anyone confirm?

Will any of these oversize filters work on a 2.5, or is there another list?

My non-A/C 2.5 had a 61a alternator that failed on me this past Labor Day weekend. I moved up to a new 74a from the local auto parts store for about $100 with a core. Just had to reuse the old pulley and it went right in, no problems. While it's no 100a or 200a alternator, it works just fine for a daily driver.

Perhaps too much of an electrical load on the truck on a tired alternator. By giving it some gas did everything speed up and headlights brighten?

This thread makes me sense another comanche ending up in a salvage yard in the near future.

That real-world fuel economy is the only kind to pay any heed to - anything else falls short. I like the "Fuelly" site - thanks for posting. You did not mention if your transmission is manual (4- or 5-speed) or auto - would you add that please? Also tire inflation pressure? Sorry about that- AX4, 2wd, 35psi summer, 30psi winter. Also has a fiberglass bed topper [canopy], and 2x 60# sand bags in the bed during winter. 201K.

I've been tracking my 2wd rig's mileage for the past two years using fuelly. I drive 17 miles each way to/from work on the highway and about a mile of in-town on each trip. The highway has mild up/down hills, nothing drastic. On the highway I intentionally keep it at 55 mph with slightly oversized tires (245/70/16 on Silverstars)) and get 23 summer and 17 winter (studded 235/75/15 on Gamblers), averaging right at 20 mpg year-round. Fee free to check my fuel-up history per my signature for real-world fuel economy instead of seat-of-the-pants guesswork fuel economy.