ghetdjc320

Some picture updates:

I’m familiar with these kits. Had one in my 88 YJ with the 258 for a while before building a stroker. These kits run a dampener mounted CPS. Those were problematic as they were exposed much more than the bell housing mounted units. They are Hall effect cps units.

Any chance you can get a closeup profile picture of those pro seals like I did with the oem above?

This differential had been rebuilt at some point and it was done very poorly. It’s unfortunate since I didn’t have reliable numbers to start from. I suspect many people get away with less than ideal settings in the front axle as they see less torque and use than the rear.

Dana 30’s are quick but finicky to setup gears on. Got the pinion depth acceptable on the second try but took 7 attempts to get the bearing preload correct. Anyways, here are the specs: carrier backlash .009, carrier prepoad .015 (added .015 to the shims after getting to zero play), pinion rotating torque 15inlbs with no carrier installed, pinion depth shim stack .070 including the oil slinger. I could have gone maybe .001-.002 deeper on the pinion but the pattern is within spec.

I used this sender and adapted the deatschwerks dw200 pump to it. There are some pics on my build thread somewhere. Limey also used the same pump and made a nice custom setup

I made a tool that I could attach to the drill and run a scotch bright pad on. Then used a 2.25 wire wheel on an extension. Finished with mineral spirits soaked rags I’d push through with more pipe. Turned out great. I’d prefer not to add any extra weight from sleeving. Trying to keep unsprung weight to a minimum

Front axle completely disassembled. Managed to completely clean out the axle tubes, weld on new upper control arm mount and HD track bar mount. The brackets are from stinkyfab off-road and are very well made. Sanded the entire housing, primed and painted. Regear up next with arb then back under the truck. Moog control arm bushing and spicer ball joints installed. Sprayed the inside of the tubes with Eastwood internal frame coating.

Good to know. I’m wondering if the actual door profile is any different between the 96/97 break. I have both sets of doors and will try to compare

Yes you can. The factory ones were not molded in any way, they were just bulk length cuts that you trim to fit. There is a marine side bulb seal that has an excellent profile but is not the proper thickness. I’m thinking that I’ll align the doors with no seals then once they are set perfectly, I’ll use some clay and get a profile and dimension for the seal location in different positions around the door.

These are noted as being dual durometer and seem like they have the correct design: https://metrommp.com/door_sealfront_9701_jeep_cherokee_4_door_models_lm_97e/?Year=2001&Make=Jeep&Model=Cherokee But I have no experience with these. I prefer the 97+ design as it has a better profile

Want to collect some info and get some input on what door seals you have found to be the best overall. My criteria is: the door should close easily without being slammed, it should seal well without any bunching or wrinkling, it should reduce wind noise and it should fit the interior trim like oem I currently have Mopar nos seals installed if the 96- design. I have used Fairchild as well in the past. The Fairchild seals required a hard slam to close. I have a set of used 97+ seals (see attached pictures for profile views). The 97+ seals have a slightly different design that looks like it may provide a better seal to the door. I’ve seen many people say the 97+ seals don’t work but that seems to mostly be the aftermarket seals which don’t fit right to begin with and require hard slams to get your door to close. It should be noted as well that the Fairchild seals I had spent two years in the truck in the sun and heat and still wouldn’t allow for a good close. The durometer of the rubber was just wrong for the seal. The factory mopar ones also use a white gummy adhesive that helps seal the pinch seam in the body a bit. Essentially, these are “side bulb” trim seals and are available in a wide variety. Finding NOS 97+ seems quite difficult. I’ve also heard that fox body mustang seals work and their profile is similar to the 96- seals. Any thing anyone has come across that works well overall?

Love the design of the GTO. Feels like the culmination of early 2000’s late 90’s styling

I think the 02+ GTO/C5/CTS ls1’s pull a little over 400hp at the crank stock from the dynos I’ve seen. Those versions of the ls1 are the premium performers. Stock ls6 intake and the 241 heads flow better exhaust than the 243’s in the ls6. Well balanced engine for performance & longevity imo. Even the accessories for those engines were top shelf.

That waxy residue is a nice anti corrosive coating. I just left mine on and will spray it down with more anti corrosive from time to time.

Oh, thats awesome it's already on island! I'm off island for a few more weeks but will definitely have to do a Comanche takeover at some point. You may see my old Comanche driving around there from time to time too. If they told you on island that the evaporator is bad, that is literally what they tell everyone. Of course if you're sure it has gone bad, at least you're familiar with the removal process .

I can't imagine a hydraulic roller cam worth that much more on a 4.0 than a flat tappet cam with the same grind. Maybe 5hp at some ridiculous rpm?? Solid roller, perhaps?? Thats a bummer if hylift-johnson isn't making them anymore. I see Mopar ones are still available though. I'm not sure if they actually have them in stock but here is the elusive mopar performance cam: https://www.moparpartsgiant.com/parts/mopar-camshaft-engine~p4529229ac.html Normally comes with the lifters as well. Seems like there is less and less for the 4.0. It's bitter sweet, I've had so many Jeep straight 6's. But I will say, they are really hard to get much bang for your buck when upgrading. I feel the 87-95 4.0 cams are great overall. Bump up your compression and do any mods that will keep your intake velocity high to take advantage of that short 197 duration. Regearing and shedding useless weight off of Jeep's helps a ton (pun intended) and is probably one of the best improvements to drivability for the money.

Just remove or trim back that small catch on the left side of the shifter slider. No real need to have a shift “gate” in the first place.

Found in a junk yard in Arkansas. Completely destroyed but was able to remove its badging and cab vent covers. Short bed Dana 35 2WD

Totally understand that. Thats how I feel about my Notch flares

If you're planning to bring this truck to Guam, here are a few suggestions that may help: 1st. Cooling system needs to be simply the best you can get - Double jeep e fans don't cut it and neither do the cheaper triple fan setups (been there done that). The air here is stifling and you simply need the capacity to shed enough BTU's. You need a thick radiator core and lots of CFM. I'd look for a radiator core thickness at least a full 2" thick at a minimum. OEM radiators will not cut it. The Novak unit, Griffin, Cold case ect. all make units that could work. 2nd. You need A/C. 3rd. See 2nd 4th. The amount of salt in the air here is epic. Like far more than those in Florida or HI typiclly see. The salt, sun and moisture here kills everything in short order. Get rid if the rust under the windshield glass in the frame and back glass. POR 15 is your friend here. Also make sure all of your seals are in tip top shape and replace as needed. Unfortunately, the sun here will destroy rubber trim and your paint in short order. If you do decide to paint your truck, use a base/clear and get at least 3 layers of clear on there to protect the base as long as possible. For reference, I apply high end solvent-based ceramic coating to my WRX every 6 months. That is the same stuff that should last 3+ years stateside. No joke, the UV here is extremely intense. Use 316 stainless fasteners when you can and add some copper anti-seize to every fastener possible, especially around suspension components. Just keep in mind that this island is a one way destination for most any mechanical items (RIP). You'll find endless amounts of broken down vehicles and equipment here both on base and off (unfortunately not salvageable). Hopefully you will have covered parking, consider that a necessity if you have BAH and are looking for a place. Most auto parts here are for Japanese vehicles (the Tacoma and 4runner reign supreme here) though there is a decent assortment of basic domestic vehicle parts. The auto shop on NBG is quite worthless. Always broken down equipment or short staffed and closed. Head to Andersen for the auto shop. They still have occasional staffing issues but have a much better facility. Plenty of auto enthusiast on island though. Keep in mind that the island wide speed limit is 35 and traffic can be quite bad. Save some funds for getting on the water. That is really where it's at . Keep in mind that the Comanche is a great eye catcher on island, but will have a limited resale value if you decide to sell there as most people will not know what it is. Conversely, you can easily sell a Tacoma or Gladiator here for more than you purchased it if maintained. Hopefully this info is helpful as the build progresses

Grab some Johnson lifters. They make quite a few options for AMC engines that work great

There have been 4.0 roller cams before (e.g. 505 performance). A flat tappet can work fine if properly setup with the right springs along with some decent oil for it. Biggest issue I've seen is with the lobe width on aftermarket cam blanks. The 2229 mopar cam had the full width lobes as did a few others. I ran the comp 235 cam for upwards of 40K miles with zero issues and that was with the narrow little lobes on that cam. Just need proper oil and break in.

Best mod I’d like to see for a 4.0 from the aftermarket is a flow through head

Welcome aboard! Yep, I’ve been on Guam several years now. Let me know if you have any questions I might be able to help with