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Was able to replace the upper arm rest retainer clip and finally get my arm rest solid. Started tracking down a slight clanking sound when going over bumps. I found a bit of play on the passenger lower control arm mounting bolt. Going to try tightening everything up and see if that takes care of it. Been keeping a close eye on all fasteners as I start daily driving it. The AC works excellent and I’m very satisfied with how the ls pcm handles the controls. Just need to take care of the clanking sound and replace the gear box with the PSC. Plenty of small little projects that are now enjoyable to do since the major stuff is finished.

These box issues are a familiar one. The pump itself is quiet, flowing well and bubble free. You can feel the feedback in the wheel from the steering box. Almost feels like those “Cruisin USA” arcade game steering wheels that would pull the wheel one way or another as you drove. The return to center is non existent and the steering is stiff only when turning left. All the steering components such as ball joints, linkage etc are all new. I’m truly starting to believe that a “rebuilt” steering box is a myth. Once they go, send em to the scrap heap. I’m running the stock C5 TC 2 steering pump which is rated at 1200 psi with the upgraded GM performance pulley. The only thing is dislike about the C5 power steering setup is the reservoir. The location is great for feeding the pump but is tough to fit your intake around. I cut and welded that bracket on every dimension possible to eliminate all but the tiniest bit of clearance between the reservoir and the engine. I’d run a PSC reservoir and TC 2 pump but there just isn’t a great spot to add that reservoir on a C5 belt drive. Chase bays has a pretty sweet little reservoir I may try someday. But I’ll see how the steering does with the PSC box. I had one on my YJ before and it was the best steering I ever had on a non-rack & pinion Jeep.

So it turns out it’s the actual steering box that is defective. It doesn’t want to return to center, it’s very tight and resists turning left badly. Ordered up a new PSC big bore box and will never again buy a rebuilt box no matter who builds it. Redhead has a pretty good reputation but this box is trash.

Once you get to about 45mph, the airflow from driving should exceed the flow of most e fans. The real test for e fans comes from idling in traffic on hot days with accessories on. The battery will provide reserve capacity but only at about 12v vs the typical 13.8-14 from the alternator. The performance difference is noticeable for e fans. Once the engine operating speed comes up, so does the alternator output and the fans may provide enough flow. The XJ/MJ just wasn’t designed to run all e fans on the stock cooling system. If the radiator capacity and efficiency is increased, the coolant passages are clean, the water pump flow is appropriately matched to the radiator capacity and engine size, then e fans could be used provided they can churn out sufficient flow under full alternator load at idle. But most setups simply can’t provide the CFM of the factory setup at idle. When idling, the engine electrical is basically at its weakest when the e fan load is at its peak. Many aftermarket manufacturers spec their fan CFM rates at specific voltage which are simply not attainable at idle with most stock MJ/XJ electrical system.

Stock electrical probably can’t supply enough amperage to keep a steady 14v to the fans when idling. The OE or similar design works best on most stock setups.

It has arrived!! Definitely need to fix the drivers side interior door pull/armrest. That’s first on the list. It runs great though. I’m going to grab an HP Tuners and adjust the speed sensor input on the PCM since I’m running the Dakota GPS speed sender. The sender is working great and gives me an accurate Speedo. The fuel gauge also appears to have resurrected and is functioning perfectly again . I’m guessing it maybe just needed a full tank and some road miles?? Funny how some bugs work themselves out. I’m not happy with my steering though. The steering is too stiff. It’s definitely some form of power steering but it’s too heavy. I’m guessing the 12:1 box with the 33’s is asking a bit too much. Will probably go with another PSC big bore box or something that gives me a better steering feel. The brakes work well and seem to be well proportioned. I can tell that I could benefit from a slightly larger master cylinder in the 1” or 1-1/16” bore range as it takes a good bit of fluid movement (aka pedal travel) to move these massive calipers. But they do work very well. I would definitely recommend this style brake setup if you have the pre-90 knuckles. Will have to get some glamour shots but here is a quick pic.

About to pick it up from the port

I wish key parts would add fenders to their offerings. We need someone to make a decent body panel

It can. The factory cooling system with the mechanical fan was sufficient when in new operating condition. Over time, coolant passages plug and cooling capacity diminishes. The mechanical fan could pull a much higher CFM than most e fans can. Converting to all e fans requires some careful planning and design changes. The aftermarket fan “upgrades” often struggle to provide adequate airflow. Then your cooling system becomes marginal. Add to that some corrosion/sludge in the coolant passages and/or an engine that has started to run lean and you have a recipe for overheating. Under hood temps in the engine bay are also difficult to manage so all these issue can compound and ruin an engine. Not saying that is what happened in your case but it does seem to be common.

You can have UPS pick it up. I’ve had a pickup arranged before and it works well.

I’m currently running aftermarket fenders with an oe front header/grill. The fenders took some modification to fit properly and are definitely a thinner metal than originals. You can make them work if you need to but I’d suggest just getting some junkyard fenders as well.

There are simple thermostatic switches that will work for you. Painless wiring has some nice little kits. You’ll need to determine where to place the switch. You will also need a power relay capable of whatever amperage your fan is going to pull (normally 30a is good but some require higher power).

it’s been a long time in the making. Ready to hit the road!

In the watercraft world, we use a variety of clamps depending on the application with 316 stainless Oetiker being a mainstay on most fuel and coolant hoses.

I found one that fit great at Ace on the hardware section. It was a Hillman part.

Lookup the different types of rod ends and you can decide what works best for your application. Stock replacement arms also work well at that lift height provided you address your wheel to control arm clearance in some fashion. The oe design had flexibility and low weight while still maintaining good linear rigidity. In the event of a crash they will crumple up and give way to reduce your impact force. Aftermarket control arms definitely have their place too but the oe design is not that bad and actually make sense for a great number of milder builds.

Swap that hydraulic line. You’ll need to just replace it from the master to the slave cylinder. Don’t try to splice it as it will not last. You’ll need to bleed out the air afterward.

I know the 4.0 and its accessories are quite heavy. I can’t imagine that makes up all the difference though . I kept the axles on the light side along with c rated tires and 17” aluminum wheels to avoid extra unsprung weight but I wasn’t conscientiously trying to go for a light weight build.

I'm sure it does. I tried to stay away from too much extra weight but between the hidden winch, bed roll top cover, crossmember/skid, front and rear bumpers, I'm surprised by the final weight.

Sounds good . Great color choice with the paint/rims combo. Truck looks great, just hadn't seen that much wheel arch opening as a final product and wondering if there were some plans in the works. Out of curiosity, how much space is there from the top of the tire to the bottom of there flare?

I just have to ask, are you planning to stick with that tire size and lift? That’s a massive front wheel arch gap you have there . Or do you need that amount of wheel travel?

Truck is few days out now from port. It made a stop over at Honolulu for a day. According to the shipper, the truck came in at a weight of exactly 3,231 lbs.

The return hose carries no significant pressure so carb hose is fine. There is not a decent barb on the hardline at the engine side where it switches to soft line. An Oetiker clamp is what I’ve seen factory use there. In fact, I’d use stainless Oetiker clamps on all but the fuel sending unit connection. 3/8 fuel injection hose on the supply side will work just fine. Personally I prefer to use a vapor guard hose which is a marine rated efi hose.

The actual resistance sweep is different between renix and HO aside from being reversed. For an accurate gauge, match your sender to the cluster. The HO requires a VSS signal. You can retain a renix cluster with mechanical speedo by swapping in a 91-92 YJ VSS. It has a pass through for the manual speedo cable and your VSS wires.

As Limey said, MTS. JPSU-7 is the part you need.