mkbruin

:needpics: need pics of bedcoverings, front mods, etc. So far the only pic is a slantback F150.

I couldn't look at a hill without overheating in my 89 4.0 swapped in a GDI 3-core, never overheated again.

build/swap pics?

If he gets alloys (and stays on 32s) with full cirle clips, he doesn't need to load his vehicle down with more weight with spares. Lighter vehicles break less often ;) A locked 30 front WILL grenade. If you overbuild the shafts, you start snapping R&P's like twigs. I personally would rather carry a few cheap and plentyful later model stock parts that are easy to swap on the trail than risk something more catastrophic or expensive. I would be leary of running a full detroit on the front axle of a DD. I would go full locker in the rear, and try to find a selectable for the front.

I will absolutely be watching this thread.

Get a set of front shafts with 297 joints... and a few as spares. Is this mostly trail or street? DD? How its going to be used will depend on the type of locker used. I have no problem recommendign someone use a detroit in the rear, but a detroit up front on a street rig is going to be painfull. If you are wheeling hard enough to lock, you may want to truss both axles while you have them out. It doesn't have to be pretty, just strong.

Sounds about right. Going UP in amps shouldn't hurt anything. Get the highest amp available that will bolt-on.

I used my 1988 MJ 4.0 BA 10/5 longbed (non-metric ton) to tow a 1972 Dodge Demon (approx 3,200lbs for the car alone) from denver to Phoenix on a 16ft tandem axle flatbed trailer (off a class III hitch). Towed like a dream. It wasn't twitchy, and I didn't get tossed around at all... was 100% stable. I had trailer brakes, and just kept good distance from vehicles in front of me.

Of the companies you list, TNT is about the only one I would go with. For an extra $200 you are getting a HECK of a lot better parts.

Yep. These two are also must-do's on either. I must have still been asleep, I can't believe I forgot those!

List of items to do 6" as cheaply as possible: Front: coils (I used RE ZJ 4.5") shocks bar pin eliminators Adjustable lower control arms Rear: spring perches driveshaft Now, to do it the RIGHT way: Front: coils (I used RE ZJ 4.5") shocks bar pin eliminators extended brake lines (YJ wrangler lines on mine) Adjustable upper and lower control arms, preferrably a long-arm kit. RE, TNT Customs, etc... re-gear the front axle Rear: spring perches weldable shock tabs shocks slip yoke eliminator driveshaft extended brake lines re-gear What year is your MJ, is it 4cyl or 6, is it manual or auto? edit.... Just saw your sig, "1989 Jeep Comanche Pioneer 2wd 4.0 I6" So, you don't have to re-gear the front. If its manual, you have 3.07 gears, auto will be either 3.55 or 3.73 (can't remember right now). If you can find a 4cyl in a junkyard, grab the rear axle to get bolt-in either 4.10 or a rare 4.56

so you've tried it? I've done 2" pucks on a friends TJ... stock shocks were nearly at full extension sitting on flat pavement. Of course, that was the rear shock, which on a TJ are tiny. Aftermarket shock companies list 0-3" for most factory replacement options.

The mount itself will be the same, but the trackbars came in various sizes. You will need to match up the correct mm diameter for the bushing to work.

Sure about shocks? I brake liens should be good, will absolutely need an alignment, and will most-likely need shocks (unless he wants to bottom them out on every pothole or going over speedbumps)

I ran with aftermarket wheels and 31x10.50's on my factory MJ... I also had slightly trimmed fenders, and could still manage to sipe the tires on the sheetmetal at full flex... I loved it though! On factory rims with no trimming, 30x9.50's is generally the max.

I had somewhat the same situation, mine kept eating fuses though. I just upped the amp from (i think) a 15 to a 20, and it stopped blowing out on me...

What bellhousing does the 2.1 use? Are there any other light-duty diesels that would be a close swap?

closed system or open? I'm assuming closed. 1) replace overflow bottle (possibly to one with greater volume) 2) replace overflow cap with high-pressure volvo cap. 3) swap to a lower temp t-stat, 180-185. 4) swap to a HO style t-stat housing to add the breather valve, easy way to burp the system and get all the air out.

Yeah, sorry about that. It wasn't specified in the OP, so I was assuming front bumper. The rears were MJ-specific, so your only bets are car-part, local junkyards, ebay, or custom/offroad. There are several vendors here that have MJ specific rear bumpers.

Wrong. While the tracks may be the same, the bases are different and the swap is NOT a bolt-in. You need to grind, drill, cut the tack welds and rivets, then bolt/weld the swapped over bases.

$75 for a junkyard bumper is horrible. http://www.certifit.com black front bumper is $40, chrome is $50. And these are new. Fit perfectly.

Spot on. Perches are about 1/4 to 3/8 inch outboard on the XJ. Overall WMS, bolt pattern, and DS length/yoke are all the same though.

Never hurts to do your own tune-up. 1) Seafoam or Mopar cumbustion chamber cleaner. 2) run it for 100 miles 3) basic tune-up: oil change, plugs, wires, filters.

For us lazy sods ;) Link? http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=904488 I just didn't want anyone to think I was pimping another board on here...

yes and no. Are they better than the factory 30/35, but they are not a true 44. You will need custom bracketry regardless, so overall I think you would be better off going with a combo out of a Waggy. Dollar for dollar, its stronger than what you have now, but you can have stronger for comparable $$$.