mkbruin

I've seen it done before. pretty straigtforward.

I've had two manche's and will absolutely get another someday to build into a family expedition rig. I think they are the perfect length, width, and wheelbase to carry the family and gear to the camp spot, and they are easy to build. Easily my favorite vehicle ever.

A few more pics, as it sits now. Also, a couple of the red 98 (126k) we just worked on. We have about $2500 total in the 98.

This thread has a ton of info on homebrew bumpers http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=786191

We have made some modification.... that is as-bought, and the work the previous owner had accomplished before giving up on the project

Sorry it took so long. Parts are painted, and we should have it up and on the road before the end of the week! I will post moe pics later...

I'm gonna guess that it was a pretty small fifth wheel? #23 of 500 made. 17' fiberglass 5th wheel, only weights about 2k lbs and has a bath, kitchen, and 2 queen size beds.

Here is the best writeup I have found. Completely eliminate the guesswork. http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/get-rid ... how-12341/

swaybar link part numbers: PN: #52037849 1993-95 ZJ, all years XJ. #52087846 1996 #52088437 (updated PN for 52087846) 1997-1998

Its a sweet find. When I got there, there were two others on the way... looks like I got lucky! 2001 XJ Sport, 4x4, 4.0 auto. ~95k miles. black/grey, dealer installed ASC sunroof. Front passenger damage, not nearly as bas as Sam's green one. Ordered a new hood, fender, bumper, header, grill, radiator, elec fan... picked up today and they are off to our paint man. He'll come back to hit the cowl and roof where there's clearcoat fade. Guy I bought it from had already installed/replaced the inner fencer for us. Working on re-doing the wiring, as the wreck ripped apart the headlight wiring loom. Have an eauto harness on the way, along with autopal H4's. Working on piecing together a 3" lift, and will swap on some junkyard canyons and 31's. Altogether, should be back on the road in a few weeks. Looks to be a great driver. Now time to sell the 98 XJ I currently have (126k miles)... but I'll be sad on that one. It drives like a new car.

Ah... missed who the original poster was. Sometime I'll build one with a Poly 4 link kit.

IRO is some solid gear.... my personal favorite is TNT Customs.

Wohoo! got the email that I'm picking it up tonight. I'll post up some pics once we know what we're dealing with. The engine alone is worth what we've got in it, so if we can't rebuild it to our standards (or make it a trail rig for cheap) then we can part out to break even. All in all a great deal. Whenever I sell, I let people go on their own test drives. I deal with first come for email/phone contact, and even if I have 5 others in line, if you can get me the $$$ in a reasonable amount of time its yours, no deposit required. Heck, one XJ we sold (totaled, 6k orig miles, ex .gov vehicle) we took half the money, and the other half when they had it saved up 8 months later. They bought it to do an engine swap, and were tight on finds. We figured worst case, we're out a couple hundred and we help someone out.

Usually they do... occasionally they require minor modifications, but nothing that can't be solved by a grinder and 5 minutes.

Still looking for the mopar concept...

Absolutely. I am supposed to pick it up today, so long as the guy didn't sell it out from under me. Shot him the email on Wed, he responded saying he would get the title ready and he's off work on Friday to do the deal. I've sent a few emails since asking for time and address, and I'm waiting on a response. I have a bad feeling he sold it to someone else though. :fs1: If we get it today, I'll absolutely post up some pics. Out of curiosity, where did you get the replacement inner fender piece? Did you take it off a JY car, get it from OE/aftermarket source, or just BFH and hammer out the old piece? Where did you get the BASF single stage paint? We have a shop down on Broadway that makes the paint matched rattle cans for us, but doing a HVLP with the single stage looks to be a much better option. Lastly... I think we need to set up a Colorado Comanche Club BBQ or trail run sometime this summer. Seems like there's enough of us on here. (I'm also on colorado4x4.org and pirate)

I sold my first MJ with ~130k showing on the odo. It was in rough but solid shape. Driveline was stout. no rust. needed some bodywork, and had a bad case of DW I couldn't get rid of. Ended up selling it for a grand just to move on. :doh: Anyways, fast-forward seven years. I would love to see what it looks like now. The board I sold it through scrubbed all old posts and I'm's, so I lost the username of the guy I sold it to. I still have the VIN, and a check of the national insurance system shows not reported junked or salvaged and not stolen. Any other ways to track it down?

They got to drive the JK with the mopar independence package that turns the Unlimited into a truck.... here's the last pic in the article:

Hey Sam... I love hitting up the Klode auctions. I'm actually picking up a XJ private party tomorrow that I expect to have about the same damage that your had. Its an 01 Sport with under 100k miles. I figure $1500 for the Jeep, $500 parts, and I have a heck of a driver or a flip. I am gonig to have to use your work as a template. That's extremely impressive. :cheers:

I had an aftermarket one on the MJ I just sold (to a fellow board member), but it went along with the 5th wheel hitch.

1989 SporTruck, 4x4, 4.0/ax15/231. Front: RE 4.5 ZJ coils, RE shorty LCA's, RE adjustable track bar, JKS BPE's, JKS quick disco's. Rear: SOA using no-name perches (picked up for ~$15/set), custom rear driveshaft (slip yoke) with high angle yokes. Tires in the pics were freebies (don't remember the size), rims were 16" For reference, she was 5'4".

For reference, here is how I sat:

Nope. Bone stock parts. factory shackles, factory springs, factory 231, XJ 35 rear at the time the event happened. Check the depth of your spline engagement at the yoke. Its not much at all.

To answer the original post/question: If you are keeping the slip yoke, keep the pinion and the t-case outputs parallel. If you are going CV/SYE, point the pinion at the case. Also... you will need a longer driveshaft with SOA. The factory shaft will go in, but barely. When I did my SOA, when I was driving on the highway for the first time after I hit a gentle riser, but it lifted the rear enough to disengage the shaft from the t-case. BOOM, there goes the rear axle. Grabbed another axle to put in, and had a local drag race shop build a custom shaft for the proper length (total cost for the new shaft was ~$125, it was BEEFY and included high angle yokes).