Comanche Bryan

Still tracking down all the required pieces for the Dana 44 drum brakes...I need some bits that are obsolete from Chrysler and that auto parts stores don't carry. I think I may have to just clean up the old ones the best that I can and re-use them. (I'd like to replace the parking brake struts and the flat springs that fit at their ends - everything inside the Dana 44 drums was super rusty) In the meantime, I have received both my custom bumpers from Nate's 4x4 and I'm busy painting them before install. I'm going with Rustoleum Hammered Black finish. They are looking pretty good so far, and I can't wait to get them installed!

I bought a new black grille and headlamp trim bits for the front end, so I removed the chrome grille assembly and posted it for sale on Craigslist. I also received new drums, shoes, brake hardware/springs, parking brake cables, adjuster kits, wheel cylinders, and leaf spring front + rear bushings...I am going to swap in the Dana 44 pretty soon but I figured I'll freshen it up with new stuff before install. Might as well do it once and do it right!

Haven't done a whole lot lately: *The brake noise I was hearing (above) was due to one of the dust shields just ever-so-slightly making contact with the brake rotor. Bent it out just a bit and all is well *Got a massive screw in the left front tire, just above the sidewall; lucky for me, the tires on the truck had a road hazard replacement warranty so it was replaced, not repaired *Changed the oil *Added a folding lug nut wrench and a small 12v aircompressor to the tools inside the truck cab *Ordered up front and rear bumpers from Nate's 4x4 (will have to save up some $ for the rocker protector bars)

No pics but I replaced the plugs, wires, cap and rotor this morning. The engine was running Bosch plugs so I swapped them out for Champions. Also replaced all four shocks. Tonight I started picking up a random intermittent rotational noise from left front, and it sounds like brake pads or maybe something is rubbing on the dust shield; it's not a super heavy noise and it's not constant. I haven't touched the brakes yet but did notice earlier today that the pads still have plenty of meat on them and the rotors are smooth. Tomorrow morning I'll take the wheel off and remove the brake calipers in the hopes that maybe there's a little rock or something stuck between the pads and rotor.

1990 Jeep MJ Comanche Pioneer Came from the factory with 4.0L, 5spd manual, Dana 35 rear axle, 3.07:1 ratio, 2WD drivetrain, longbed Build Date: April 9, 1990 Current Location: Gilroy, California Status: One of my daily drivers Notes: Exterior color is currently gray plasti-dip but factory color was that champagne gold color ("classic yellow clear coat" according to Chrysler build codes) with beige interior. Factory 23 gallon tank. Current truck mileage = 152,XXX ** This truck was upgraded with a 1999 XJ 4.0L, AX15, front Dana 30 axle, OBD2 diagnostics, dashboard, cluster, doors, power windows, power + heated mirrors, fenders, hood, grille, lights. (Mileage on the powertrain and drivetrain is 125,XXX)

Thanks everyone! And yes, CA laws do indeed suck. I just remembered I had access to shared photos from my friend in NM who did all the work. When he bought the truck, it was barely running. He decided to pick up a donor XJ with 119k miles on it and do the full swap:

It works, but backwards. Full tank = just past 1/2 on the gauge, and as the tank empties, the needle moves to the "F" and will go past it. I keep track with my trip odometer. This is the 23 gallon tank and I've been averaging about 16-17 mpg out of the tank during typical use (60 miles a day of commute traffic). I'm new to this forum but have been on the VWvortex for awhile - I don't frequent it too often but with over 3400 posts over the years, I can add pics and multi-quote like a boss :rock on: But I haven't used Photobucket in a VERY long time though; hence my first post on Comanche Club was a photo upload test, lol! Yes my tires are 30" on 16" wheels (I forget the width at the moment). I actually don't mind the gear ratio as I work 30 miles from home, and this thing just cruises at 2k rpm at ~70mph. When I come to steep hills though, I have to downshift. On my trip from NM to CA I averaged over 18mpg from each tank, and that was doing between 70 and 75mph (weather permitting).

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