ghetdjc320

For future reference, when you have a parking brake that tries to smash your fingers when releasing it, you are missing the bumper that acts as a stop. Unless you find the replacement part, you’ll need a bumper approx 1” in diameter and 1/2” thick. I used a plastic spacer and button head 5/16 bolt for this but will track down the correct bumper eventually.

I’d suggest a body hammer and dolly and work slowly.

It’s not the clearance that makes the lp 30 a weaker axle. It’s how the pinion engages the ring gear. By having a high pinion front and low pinion rear you are effectively engaging the strongest part of the ring gear. That plus the HP doesn’t use a crush sleeve which makes future jobs like pinion seals much easier imho. i have seen plenty of TJs with big tires on lp Dana 30’s. If that’s what came in your rig then why not wheel what you have. Heck, i run a super Dana 35 after having run 8.8’s and 44’s over the years. But if your Jeep already has a Dana 30 HP then going to a LP is a step backwards. I understand not wanting to mess with gears but a used axle of unknown condition is already going to need bearings refreshed at some point. Plus 4.10’s aren’t that ideal for 33’s (not to bad though). It seems everyone tries to avoid a regear nowadays. As for the lift, soa will net you about 5.5” of lift minimum in the rear which will vary a bit depending on the axle and leaf springs used. The SD truck springs 5 leaf springs will met you about 2.5-3” setup as spring under axle. Hells creek still makes an MJ leaf pack I believe for a 4.5” lift spring under. Depending on if you are running the stock fender flares or if your wanting to open up the wheel well a bit with different flares, you can fit 33’s in nicely with 4.5” of lift. With aftermarket flares you could probably get away with even less lift. Keep in mind also that the rubicon express front coils don’t always show the correct lift for an XJ. Most show the rated lift for a TJ amd in fine print say it raises XJ’s about an inch less. My 5.5” RE coils raised the truck about 4.5-4.75”. A small coil spacer evened up the lift though.

Finished my parking brake rebuild today. Pretty crappy design if I do say. So many design issue with the unit. The pawl and sprocket were both stamped out with a not so sharp blad which caused some rounded off edges. A lot of welding and reshaping needed here.

Saw a neat build on Texas Metal one time for a unibody C4 corvette. It was very impressive work but gives a good idea what is involved. It was very ekstensive (pun intended)

First thing I’ll mention here is I’d recommend chucking that TJ axle. They are a low pinion Dana 30 and not up to big tires. The high pinion Dana 30 was found in XJs, MJs and YJs. I know you didn’t ask about it but try to find another axle. The 8.25 is a great axle too. Are you swapping it just to change gear ratios? Regarding the control arm drop brackets, although they can technically be used with that lift height it’s definitely not necessary and quite a bit of work. The RE 4.5” springs net about an inch less on the mj. I run their 5.5” springs and get about 4.5. Soa will give you about 5.5” but can vary depending on the leaf pack you use. What I’d recommend is let us know what you are wanting out of your truck. What size tires are you wanting to run and what engine and transmission are you running now.

Do you recall if all mj years had the same firewall pattern for the booster? I know the one on my 91 is 3 3/8” square. Only thing I know that changed was the booster to pedal connection and brake light switch on the pre HO’s.

The Wilwood kit is a nice setup (planning on running myself soon) but not needed unless your running 33”+ tires or are towing or racing. Being you have an 86 do you know what rear axle you have? There are rear disk kits available for all the different models but there are some differences. Try to identify both the axle model and year. The master cylinder will need to be selected AFTER your braking system is selected since you need to leverag the right hydraulic ratio. You caliper piston sizes and count will determine what size MC is needed. 9 times out of 10 you’ll keep the stock size or be within a 1/16” of the stock bore unless upgrading to larger axles/brakes. Check out the DIY section regarding brake mods. There are several helpful posts there that can shed some light and help you get started

Here is a link to that thread: https://comancheclub.com/topic/48463-cruisers-mostly-renix-tips/

Pull all your turn and tail light bulbs and carefully inspect the bulbs and sockets. This is a very frequent issue and you will find several tips in the diy section. You’ll also find tips regarding the pre HO (91) model MJs under @cruiser54’s signature.

What year knuckle? The pre 90’s are completely different

The door jamb switches are a ground trigger.

Looking good. Only thing that looks off to me is the reverse light. I notice some red peaking though in that area. @Dzimm I see an opportunity for the housings to be reproduced!

The outer retainer for the locking ring is welded to the tank but the sending unit is not welded to the tank. If it is welded to the tank then an utter moron did that. As @Dzimm mentioned, it’s more likely that your mechanic didn’t notice the actual locking ring. Another common area for gas leaks is around that locking ring and seal. Especially if it only leaks badly when full or over 1/2 tank.

Can you send a link to their posts?

Yep I agree. Those are the floor courtesy lights

Yep. If I looked at Jeeps and compared the time spent actually riding/driving vs the time and money spent wrenching, we would probably be better off renting a Jeep for $100/hr

Lol, electrical can be almost therapeutic if you take your time and work through the issues. Every problem on a 30+ yo Jeep is finicky though. They will drain your wallet then spit you out with bloody knuckles. Two days ago I went to work on my e brake to rebuild it. Seems like a fairly easy task right? Simple cheap Sunday afternoon kind of job? Nope! Two broken cobalt drill bits, broken tap and several nasty cuts later and the whole assembly is scattered in the back of the bed as scrap metal. I’ll have to redo it all. Probably will have $100+ in a “simple” fix plus many hours.

And weatherproof butt connectors. Home Depot has a fair amount of them at a good price if there is one close by. I have a commercial account at our local Napa (yep there’s Napas out here on Guam) but the prices for those connectors are quite high. A good crimper goes a long way also.

I had the same issue. Once I replaced all the tail light sockets and bulbs the problem was solved. A bad bulb or socket will backfead power from the brake lights to the parking lights and dash indicators. Sounds bizarre but they are all interconnected. For the sockets, if you can get new oem that’s great but a quick to the electrical section in your local auto parts store will reveal the Dorman part numbers that fit. You’ll need the 4 tail/turn signal sockets and the 2 reverse signal ones. New bulbs are a must as well and don’t go LEDs except maybe the reverse lights if you want.

Good tips. I’ve always use a bit finer grit before primer. 320 before primer and 400 before base coat. Comes out great that way and has plenty of bite. I use 120 pre bedliner though

Good tips. I’ve always use a bit finer grit before primer. 320 before primer and 400 before base coat. Comes out great that way and has plenty of bite. I use 120 pre bedliner though

When splicing in the new connectors, be sure to at least use weatherproof butt splices that have a built in heat shrink. Soldering the connections and adding heat shrink is even better. Just don’t use the generic butt connectors as they do not seal up and they will get nasty with all the stuff the tires sling on them.

Those sockets are your problem for sure. Just replace all of them while you have it out. I had all kind of lighting problems until I replaced them. Also, make sure to add some bulb grease (aka dialectic grease) when installing new bulbs.

NOS coin just arrived today. the original plastic is not perfectly sealed so I’m going to take it out of the plastic and put it in a coin holder