DesertRat1991

Wow, haven't seen that one before. I like it better that better than Fry/Westin.

You can fit up to 33x10.5 without cutting if you properly adjust your bumpstops and turnstops. I'm on metrics that are roughly 32x10.5.

It may work in an emergency, but there are better designs out there. Perhaps most importantly, that shackle doesn't appear to have a rating stamp. It may not be safe for recovery use. Try to find a mount that is machined out of a solid chunk of steel with no welds. It's also better if the part inserted in the receiver has 4 holes so that you have the option of running the shackle either horizontal or vertical. Having options is nice if you ever need to do an off-center pull or a pull across an elevation change. Something like this: Shackle Hitch Receiver, 2 inch 42000 Lbs https://a.co/d/6rAShbv

I thought the stock headlight pattern was terrible. Outside city limits where streetlights were few and far between, the shadows and hotspots wreaked havoc on my eyes. Truck-Lite LEDs with the Putco harness felt like a night vs day difference. Stock low beam: Truck-Lite low beam:

I think this is your best bet. The OEM mudflaps are too small and dinky looking for a lifted rig with tall tires, and they don't hang low enough to the ground to be functional.

Well, they don't look like 10" D44 drums. What is the part number on the backing plate? It should be visible in the area cicled below. You may also want to look for a 7 digit BOM number on your axle tube [XXXXXX-X]. That will tell us roughly what years/models your axle could be sourced from.

Welcome! Quite the dilemma. I'm somewhat partial to color matched camper shells.

That's a really odd bird you're describing. OEM D44 should have 10" drums but it is possible to swap 9" D35 hardware on to a D44. As the saying goes... "a lot can happen in 30 years." Best way to sort out what you have would be to find the part numbers on the backing plates. Quick question, are your drums smooth around the outside, or do they have cooling fins?

Dang.... RiP

Another happy OTRATTW customer... L-series illuminated by the unused footwell light wires in the OEM harness (orange/black). This ties their illumination to the rest of the cabin lights.

Definitely read the fine print. In some states you can't haul or tow anything in an antique vehicle. For me, it wasn't worth rendering my truck useless as a truck.

Interested..! There's a wagon load of reasons why I haven't ripped apart my dash to install A/C yet, but this would address one of them!

Nice truck! Too bad you couldn't save that color matched shell.

The Walker parts were well made, but I seem to recall several members have tried to source Walker MJ parts through various vendors only to find they are hopelessly backordered. It's possible that Walker has finally made another run but parts were scarce about a year ago. Maybe call around a bit before you get your hopes up.

Grand Total for Calendar Year 2023: 1 Just the one I passed by on a road trip. No junkyard finds near me this year. That's kinda scary.

Just got an e-mail: Warn $150 rebate extended to Dec. 31

It was a Ramsey 6k. Note that curb weight for a bone stock MJ is ~3000lbs.

General Rule #1: Minimum winch capacity is 2x vehicle weight including all mods and all your adventure gear. Then, add a fudge factor for the extra load created in sticky situations. In some ways, deep mud can be worse than rocks because of the suction created. General Rule #2: Maximum winch capacity is the largest winch you can afford, that will actually fit on your rig. Larger winches will offer a more generous duty cycle for quicker recoveries. The down side is that they weigh more and your charging system may not be able to handle the load. If a winch exceeds the capacity of your charging system it does not "fit." These are small trucks but a properly kitted rig with larger tires, armor, gear and passengers will be knocking on 4500-5000lbs before you know it. I would say an 8k winch is a conservative option, but 10k to 12k is a more comfortable choice for an offroad XJ/MJ. Side note: You just missed some killer Black Friday deals on Warn winches. They were like $200 off this weekend.

While on a roadtrip back in August, I spotted this guy headed southbound through Maryland. This is the only new MJ I've spotted this year (not counting repeats I've previously seen around my local area). Slim pickin's this year.

Facebook. He wasn't hard to find at the time (2018ish?). He was doing business as Detours of Maine, making parts for the Toyota market. According to Google, looks like his business reputation took a major hit during the COVID years. That's unfortunate.

Yah, I contacted him a few years ago, after he relocated to Maine, to ask if he would do another run and he declined. That said, this place is awesome. Another one turned up! It's 1/3 the weight of my current winch bumper, provides better approach angle than a front mounted hitch and doesn't require cutting our front fenders. I have no problem slotting an easily replacable bumper cover but fenders are off limits. It really is a shame this solution is out of production. *cough* @krustyballer *cough

Detours Backbone..? Haven't seen one of those in years. Would you sell the front assembly?

A contrarian point of view and some things to think about... This is your first car and you don't intend to wheel it? Does that mean that you are a highschool kid that really needs reliable transportation to/from school and work? And you want a lift to make it look more badass? If so, then consider... The higher you lift, the worse your gas mileage will be. Moving to bigger tires without regearing will make an old, slow truck feel even slower. Doing a short arm lift with an intention to move to long arms later is a bad financial decision that many of us have made. Pick one or the other, save up, and build it once. Are you aware that a stock MJ can fit 31's with no lift at all, and that the difference between 31's and your target 32's is only 1/2" of ground clearance? Old leaf springs aren't all bad. Your old leafs will flex better than a new leaf pack. If they aren't broken or riding flat with no load, they might be worth saving. You said the rear end is bouncy? I like your plan of focusing on the shocks first. An alternate strategy for building a very capable street truck on a budget... Start in the rear. Rehab your current leaf pack with new eyelet bushings. De-rust lightly with a wire wheel. Nothing that will build heat. Repaint with self-etching primer, then hit with anti-rust paint. Achieve a mild lift with aftermarket boomerang shackles. Measure for shock fitment. Then spend your money on GOOD shocks. Call it done. Rear is set, design a mild lift for the front to match your desired rake/ride height. Forget about 4.5" on 32's. Aim for for a 0-3" short arm lift on 31's. Spend your money on replacing every bit of old degraded rubber you can find (all bushings), GOOD shocks and a new steering stabilizer. Tire choice. You want a badass looking truck.. so pick an aggressive looking 31" on nice wheels if you like. What's odd is that you should pick something tall and skinny for the Alaskan snow but, here in NC, a wider footprint with deep treads works better in the clay. Either way, a mildly lifted MJ on 31's is a very capable and functional truck. With unlimited funds, sure go wild and build your dream truck. But on a budget, I would recommend aiming for a good balance of street performance and reliability.