ghetdjc320

I have a set at home I can check if no one replies in a bit. I want to say it’s an m6

Just to add to the chorus of voices here saying something similar, keep it stock!! Keep the interior, the engine, all of it.

Awesome! Glad you got it fixed. 99% of the time it’s something relatively simple

A continuity test is great if you’re sure you’ve isolated a single wire. Unfortunately, the level of splices and circuit sharing in the MJ/XJ is epic… Was your radio working recently? Look for something obvious, and try not to bypass any wiring. Normally it’s a simple fix. Do you have a factory wiring diagram?

Any steering wheel play?

Do the tests that @Limeyjeeper posted the other day. Should take 15-20 minutes but you’ll get some seriously good data:

No, the socket size should be 3/4 for the castle nut. The passenger side knuckle is where the drag link attaches from the steering box. I end that connects to the knuckle is a fixed end and not serviceable. The tie rod connects from the drag link near the passenger side and connects the driver side knuckle. The only replaceable TRE’s are at the steering gear box side and the drivers side knuckle unless you have a non-stock configuration. MOOG DS1046 should be the drag link that attaches from the passenger knuckle to the steering box.

It may be the wrong tie rod end. Or perhaps a previous owner drilled the knuckle for crossover steering or one ton tie rod ends. There is a fix if that’s the issue but you’ll need to examine it and see what the issue is. Is it both knuckles or just one? The 84-89 knuckles are no longer in production. The 90 and newer knuckles have a different caliper mount system but, if you needed to, you could change over to them. But you’d have to do the knuckle and caliper. And if you do that you might as well do the upper and lower ball joints. First things first though, knuckles don’t just go bad and are not a wear item. You either have a bad TRE (tie rod end) or someone may have modified it at some point. You need to find out if the actual knuckle taper is somehow modified or damaged. If the taper itself is confirmed to be bad after some testing and examination, you can use something like this to restore it: https://www.tmrcustoms.com/products/tie-rod-end-inserts-jeep-taper-tj-lj-xj-zj-mj

The likelihood of play coming from a faulty knuckle is slim to none. Tie rod end, ball joint or wheel unit bearing. Your mechanic should be able to tell you which beyond a shadow of a doubt within a minute or two.

Not sure what that other connector is from. The illumination lights though are all orange/black for positive and black for ground.

You’ll need to splice in another socket and install it as circled.

You’re missing another bulb socket. That’s why we offer them, the truck doesn’t typically have any extras. You can find them online but typically in bulk packs. They take a “74” bulb. I’m sure someone may have an extra oem socket available

Looking good!

The Renix era MJs I’ve worked on (88 & 90) had significantly worse assembly quality than my 91 did. Not sure if that had anything to do with the transition or not. Panel alignment and welds were bad, lots of spatter, too much heat and spot welds that at times completely missed the panel behind them due to poor alignment (noticed in the rockers and back of cab). The seam sealer was just globbed onto a panel (pulled out chunks 1.5” thick in a couple places) but in other places it didn’t even cover the seam! The floor pan to firewall seam and floor pan to frame channel were very poorly done. Aside from AMC’s general standards for assembly being on the low side, it still seems some of the assembly workers didn’t know/care about what they were doing. I really wonder if this had something to do with the Chrysler buyout though. Don’t get me wrong, the 91-92 still have plenty of rust issues and I’ve only worked on 1 HO year MJ, but the assembly quality was noticeably higher.

Have you come across any other members who own an original diesel MJ? The first MJ I was going to buy was a diesel one from a used car lot. Can’t remember why it didn’t work out but iirc I was looking for a short bed truck. Did they ever come with a short bed and the diesel option?

It will be interesting to see the results of a cam swap but ultimately, I have my doubts that it will do much. Gears could help with low end but as you pointed out, you’ll be high up in the rpm band without more transmission gearing. I’m sure some have done forced induction. How well does the 2.5 respond? I would think it would be a reliable little performer

Restored the glove box hinge. Not sure how in the heck it got this rusty and nasty. Tried doing a simple wire brush and rattle can but that just wasn’t going to cut it. So I hand sanded the whole thing, primed it, painted it and clear coated it lol. I know it’s one of those small items no one will ever really notice, but I despise any hidden rust so it had to be done.

Did you grab the set gjeep had posted?

I’ve only worked on 3 Comanches now but the differences in build quality were amazing. The assembly methods used were not built with longevity in mind. So many unsealed overlapping joints that act as moisture traps. The Comanche is literally covered in them. When I look at buying another MJ now, even if it’s completely rust free (which they never are, you just can’t see it sometimes), I know the amount of work required to make it last another 30+ years. Perhaps living in a dry climate would provide longer life. If I found an MJ that had all the seam sealer removed and all the overlapping joints coated in por 15 (I mean down into the seam itself) then I’d definitely be paying more for it. There are few who actually tear into their Jeeps that far to address the underlying issues. I don’t care what kind of shape the paint is in if the underlying work wasn’t done or wasn’t done properly. I still think these were built as disposable Jeeps

It’s worth spending some time repairing these tailgates. I could see key parts making a new shell at some point in time since the inside and outside separate like a clamshell.

Any part with the term “Comanche” in it is demanding a premium. As Pete mentioned though, who knows if they’re selling for those prices.

Gears will be the best mod for a seat of the pants increase. And forced induction is typically the best bang for the buck if you want the engine to make more power. Having modded several 4.0’s now, I can say that most mods do not produce an appreciable power increase.

There are so many bolts in that pan you’ll be fine. A good permadry gasket will take care of most any minor imperfections.

Supposedly Napa still has them in stock but I spoke to Bosch directly and they discontinued it 2 years ago. I asked if they still had any of the other parts in the kit but they were unable to find any.