Swampy

I appreciate it! I’ve been slacking posting on here. Just did a major update and photo dump

Also changed the front trackbar mount. The bkfabworks mount angled the trackbar too far back and it would contact the truss on the front axle. I ended up cutting the mount off with a cutting torch. Ordered a ruffstuff outside the frame track bar mount. Had to cut the top off of that mount to get it to sit where I needed it to. I made a custom plate to weld the new mount to. I welded the new mount to the frame and made a filler piece to connect it to the old mount that was welded to the stiffeners. It clearances the axle all the way to full bump. And speaking of full bump. I’m going to be modifying all my bump stops to make sure I’m keeping tires out of the fenders and not cutting expensive tires on sheet metal

I also changed the rear lower shock mounts because I wanted to use the oem upper mount to help combat some body roll. Had my son helping with these

After I got the tcase rebuilt I decided to modify my trailer and build some drive over fenders

More pics of the tcase installed

I had to rebuild the tcase because I was having issues with it engaging in 4lo. From what I could tell it was caused by the different gear cut split and the wrong input snout. I got it all changed over and as far as the minimal testing I’ve done it works

Just wanted to update the thread. These do work on the front of an mj. I’ve had them for a bit now but I need to extend them more.

Yessir! It is a nice internal upgrade for sure. Will be able to hold up to jeep abuse

Got the wide chain in the tcase

So the last time i went wheeling I started having issues with my tcase. the rear case of the doubler setup was not shifting properly. I lost 4lo and the transfer case wouldnt hold 4hi or 2hi and would pop out of the range slection and sit between gears. I pulled the case from the jeep and it was still behaving the same way. So I started to pull the case apart. What I found was the shift selector wasnt seated all the way like it needed to be. Now that I had that figured out it is time to replace the internals to beef them up. I ordered a 6 pinion planetary gear, the 1-1/4" wide chain upgrade and physically bigger gears to work in the tcase. here's some comparison pics stock chain vs wide chain new bigger gear set (stock on the bottom, newer ones on the top) I believe the new components came from a chevy or dodge 231 case so the new internals should be able to handle the doubler and the power output from the tired 4.0 thats in the mj currently. Definitely some worth while strength upgrades. And if I plan to do an engine swap the tcase should hold up.

Glad my older thread was able to help. You can buy a new tank for an mj 86-87 i believe that does not have the splash pan in the tank. I havent experienced anything bad about not having a splash pan in the truck offroad but i almost always have it over 1/2 tank. I plan to build so custom baffles in the tank evventually

huh okay okay good to know. I wanted to retain the factory dash when I planned my LS swap. I thought about putting a digital dash kit in place of the factory gauges, but the fuel gauge would have to be wired in. The standalone harness kit I want to use comes with a digital dash and gps speedo, I should contact them to see if I can still wire in factory gauges and opt out of the digital dash

Did you have to use the Dakota digital stuff because you didnt use a stand alone wiring harness? I also need to re-read the part where you kept the A/C controls

Offroad I don't really have complaints but like you its the around town that i have complaints on

The more I think about it the more it makes sense especially for what my requirements are

Yeah thats the tough decision I face. Ecoboost seems okay at stock power levels and regular maintaince. The LS is just so ubiquitous and designed to last. Because of it support its only slightly more expensive than a crate 4.7 stroker. A shop quoted me roughly $9200 for a turnkey swap which is ridiculously good deal. The two negatives i have about the LS is that 1- its a common swap now and 2- I'm not sure how my 231/231 doubler is going to hold up to the v8 Ecoboost is unique but how much preference and value do I want to put on a unique unproven swap. It would be similar to the few srt4 swapped mj's.

That would be good. at least a 4:1

4.7 STROKER Pros: -Bolt in (no mods) -Parts availabilty -Fairly reliable -regular pump gas (maybe premium if compression is high) -proven swap -Can retain A/C and heat Cons: -Engine is tapped out performance wise without spending crazy money -tuning software? LS Swap Pros: -Availability -Reliablity -Power -efficient -proven swap (been done countless times) -aftermarket support -can retain A/C and heat Cons: -cost -drivetrain mounting modifications (especially manual transmissions) -crammed engine bay -too much power for 231 doubler? FORD 2.3 ECOBOOST Pros: -Small/lightweight (around 250lbs) -power to weight ratio -turbo noises -similar power levels to base 5.3l LS -bellhousing adapter to ax15 Cons: -hasnt been done into xj/mj platform (that I'm aware of) -cost (most expensive engine swap of the 3) -plumbing of intake and turbo -aftermarket support (decent, getting better as more fords have these engines) -availability (relativley new) -reliability (how long do they really last)

I ran a 2.5 with 5.13s and 36s for a while. It was a good combo but not enough low speed control for me.

I feel like it can be. just depends on goals. I know people that run very little gearing with LS swaps and I know people who prefer to have a lot of gear. Do you plan to go bigger or stay in the 31/33" tire range?

Not into an MJ. I have seen them in tube buggies. There's a full stand alone ecu for it and there's adapters to mate it to an ax15. I like this option because I have the gearing for offroad but with the turbo have the power up top. For the 3.5 theres adapters to mate it to a 4l60/4l80. I want to stay manual though.

Theres a few of us in the DFW area that I'm sure will be wheeling to help. A lot of us are on facebook and are part of the comanche club facebook group, which has messanger chats separated by state.

I might need you if I decide to register my jeep in Texas

What do you guys prefer in your offroad setup? Small and or generally unpowered engines with lots of gearing? or more like ultra 4 car with lots of power on tap? do you try to balance the two? I know it mainly depends on wheeling style/terrain and a few different factors. I am biased to the over geared portion of our conversation cause technical wheeling with a 5spd has its challenges and the more gearing the easier it is to not stall and have to be slipping the clutch all the time. I am considering doing an engine swap on my mj to more so balance the two. My doubler takes all the work offroad so I don't necessarily need more power there but highway driving the rig could use some help. No I don't want to make this a trail rig only, I would like do to ultimate adventure one day or something similar so maintaining highway speed is a must. Theres three engines I'm considering, technically 4 if you consider a reman 4.0l, but that's besides the point. -4.6/4.7 stroker -LM7/LQ9 Ls swap -Ford 2.3 ecoboost Theres pros and cons to each and we can get into it more. Just wanted to hear yalls thoughts

Quickdraw brand makes an adapter kit to mate it an AX15 https://quickdrawbrand.com/cummins/adapter-kit-cummins-r2-8-to-jeep-ax15-nv3550/