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Someday you’ll be the first to bring to market a bolt on IFS system for the MJ/XJ

I’d probably have to run a thin sub if I did and it would take out some precious behind the seat cargo space. I’d like to keep that area open and keep the system 100% stealth mode

I’m running dual exhaust and the dual cats are under the passenger seat. Not a bad idea though. I was planning on just drilling out 4 3” holes with a hole saw so cutting would be pretty minimal.

I did look into that but the space I have under the canister is minimal. Larger subs can struggle in sound quality. I’d even consider multiple 6.5’s with the right specs and box design.

Having some audio ideas. First off, the sound quality in the cab is exceptional. But yes, I am a bass head . Anyways, the current system is completely hidden. 8” kicker sub under passenger seat and all components in factory locations. Kicker class A/B amp under drivers seat for the component speakers. It’s a clean overall system but lack the depth I’m after. Frequency response fall flat under 50ish hz and it’s just obvious the shallow 8” sub doesn’t have enough airspace to perform in that little under seat enclosure. I’ve thought about several behind the seat options but don’t like the idea of them covering the cab corner speakers which, when tuned, provide a nice mid range boost and even help staging. So a behind the seat sub is out of the question. That leaves a blow through style design. The existing roll top canister leaves about 10” of available space under it. It’s a bit of a dead zone that I can’t use for much else. My thoughts are a 4th order band pass system. (2) JL 8” W3’s in force canceling, back to back sealed band pass design. I would then use (2) 3” ports on each side tuned to 40hz. The vents would go straight into the cab with some nice trim out and would be behind the driver and passenger seats. The box itself would fill the empty space below the roll top canister and be finished in a waterproof coating and raptor lined. It would be serviceable from the bed. I’m thinking this would be a stealthy high performance system that should provide what I’m looking for. Any thoughts?

Build it the way you want it. I did a hybrid on my latest build and wouldn’t change a thing. 97+ front end, full size windows but no bubbly 97+ door mirrors or dash. I will say though, the 97+ center console is much more useful and durable than the stock MJ version.

On vehicles such as ours, the coil spring sets ride height and supports the load but has very minimal effect on ride quality with our suspension design. That is 90% the shock’s job. If your shocks are too long for the application they may also be bottoming out.

Looking good. Did you use the replacement door card panels or your old ones?

I’d suggest either swapping/repairing it or going with the full glass swap. Ventless fixed glass design in the later MJ years was a horrible design imo. Swaping to the later style is tedious but sooooo worth it. This guy did a good video install guide:

I’d also recommended removing the bed, tank and all the lines. No sesnse risking damage or possible fire here. I think you’ll find it’s totally worth it to do this. Should be a rewarding project though you will likely find much more rust once it’s opened up. I would also suggest you really support the frame when doing this. You don’t want to have any flex from the repair area. May not be a bad idea to weld on some frame reinforcement plate brackets to that area once the underlying repairs are complete. The junction where the bed frame connects to the uniframe under the cab are crucial structural areas as are the leaf spring mounting points.

The major difference between the XJ and MJ units is that the MJ is just a distribution block and the XJ is a proportioning valve. Meaning the XJ unit will effectively reduce pressure to the back brakes. This is important in a disk/drum brake setup to prevent the rear drums from locking up prematurely. I’d try slamming on your brakes in a safe gravel area and see if the rear locks up before the front. Ultimately though, that little block helps you brake safely but shouldn’t greatly affect your braking power overall if plumbed correctly.

Can you take a picture of the booster and master cylinder?

Looks like you may have an add a leaf in the pack from the pictures. Driveshaft angles are important here if you don’t want it to vibrate like crazy on the road. If you’re not running a slip yoke eliminator in the transfer case, then both the pinion and transfer case should be very close to parallel to the ground. In this scenario you’ll just need to lengthen your driveshaft at a local shop to fit. If you’re going to install a slip yoke eliminator, then the pinion will need to point up to the transfer case output. see this article for the tech info you need: https://4xshaft.com/blogs/general-tech-info-articles/driveshaft-angles Hope this helps

Here is the one you need: XL2Z2A635AB It’s a 2001 explorer RHD right side. It should be about 51” which is about 3” longer than stock. They fit great on explorer or zj disk brake setups. Should fit the kj disk swaps too for those running an 8.25.

There are. The best I’ve used so far is a pair of explorer cables. You need two of either the left or right sides. I don’t recall which ones but someone should have the answer. KJ liberty cables work but are far too long for an MJ.

Novak will dril the XJ tcase pattern for you.

Excellent work, looks great! Looking forward to seeing how it all turns out

Shocks are your likely issue unless you are bottoming out your springs against the bump stops.

The only tip I’d recommend is bleed out the power steering system thoroughly to remove any trapped air. Once you have the new pump and lines installed, remove the draglink from the pitman arm, fill the reservoir with a good quality, pure ps fluid (with no stop leak or friction modifiers), and move the steering wheel back and forth from lock to lock about 50 times in each direction. Do this ant a steady pace, not too fast or slow but about the same speed you’d use when turning a corner. Occasionally check the fluid level while doing this as you don’t want to run out, but otherwise leave the cap on when doing this to keep the fluid from spilling. Then let it set for a few hours (preferably even overnight if time permits), check fluid level again and move the wheel from lock to lock another 10 times. Check fluid level and, if at the right level, reconnect and start it up.

No skyjacker, Rusty’s, rough country are in the same category imo.

EAS25875 is the size I came up with. Just make sure your axle tube ID and axle shaft OD at the seal location is correct. https://sealsit.com/product/economy-axle-seal/ Seriously, last seals you’ll ever need to buy and way easier to install. Just make sure to use the proper sealant (mega black or “the right stuff”) and make sure the seal surface is nice and clean. No trying to tap in some little tin seal anymore.

I never tried the Spartan but had the Aussie locker for some time in my YJ. It also did great. I agree that front locker is nice if you’re just doing one lunchbox style locker. The Aussie was pretty smooth though with no clicking or popping when not in 4wd. As for the axle seal, did you swap in a single piece axle shaft? If so, the axle shaft is machined for the seal near the housing on the passenger side of the carrier. However, the CAD axles didn’t machine this spot for a seal. The seal referenced above should work but it is finicky getting it to sit in the bore properly. If you want a surefire way to seal it so it won’t leak again, use a seals-it economy axle seal. I can’t remember the exact size but basically the seals-it seal is a fat, self-aligning seal that greatly simplifies installation and provides a far more reliable seal than those dinky tin metal seals. I’ll see if I can find the one that fits the D30.

This is the way

Consider this though, I have gone through literally a dozen steering boxes over the years. Junkyard OE, Lares, Redhead, and all other manner of rebuilt boxes from the parts stores. I can tell you, it's like trying to win the lottery with those rebuilt crap boxes. Best case scenario, I got about 6 months out of a rebuilt Lares box from O'reillys. At some point, your time surely has to be worth more than the cost of a new PSC box. I know PSC advertises it as their "big tire" box, but it works with smaller tire sizes exceptionally well. PSC has also rebuilt boxes for XJ's and I did run one of those successfully. At least for me, this truly has been one of those "cry once" scenarios. I simply do not believe that a steering box can be correctly rebuilt if they re-use or try to rebuild the valve circuit at all. I think they all use some cheap aftermarket parts kit that just doesn’t work. Bearings and seals, sure. But not the valve circuit.

PSC big bore box. I’ve been down this rabbit hole far too many times. A new psc box is the way to go