AZJeff

When I ran into this issue, I took the "standard" Teraflex preload spacers and had the local machine shop turn the outside diameter down so they fit into the bore of the D44 axle housing. The shop charged me $20 for both. I had no idea Teraflex even offered alternative spacers. Wait until you get to the part where you connect the parking brake cables to the features on the caliper brackets. The Teraflex bracket isn't even CLOSE to the right dimensions to accept either an OEM ZJ cable OR the Teraflex aftermarket cables. The guys who designed that portion of the kit were REALLY asleep when the worked out those features!!

I notice that the OEM sliders have a large opaque area above and below the glass that will reduce the viewing area rearward. Unless one is interested in retaining the original appearance for restoration purposes, the aftermarket sliders actually have more glass surface, and thus more viewing area.

The type of relay you are normally used to seeing (with the four spade terminals) is called a "Bosch-type" and are commonly found in automotive applications. The biggest Bosch type relays I have ever seen are rated for about 40A. Once you need more than that much current, you wind up going into other types of terminals on the relay. Since these are claimed to be rated at 120 (which seems dubiously high), a screw terminal for a ring-tongue lug is needed, since the normal small spade lugs cannot carry that type of current.

The seats in my MJ are some OEM power units from a later XJ, and the power adjusters are all wacked out, so I want to replace them with something comfortable and to match my very dark gray interior. Here in AZ, it's hard to find any junkyard seats that are not all trashed due to the sunlight, so that means mostly considering buying new aftermarket stuff. Does anyone have experience in who makes a decent seat that won't break the bank? ( Recaro seats are not in my budget, but maybe something like Corbeau.) Does anyone have any thoughts?

OP's question aside, I have owned enough older vehicles without a trip odometer that I have always just used an oil-change sticker or the like to keep track of maintenance schedules. On MJ's which are a bit more maintenance intensive than more modern vehicles, it makes sense to use more than just the trip-meter to keep track of what was done and when.

You are going to need to repair the looseness in your steering column. That is almost certainly PART of the electrical issue. The good news is that the older XJ/MJ's used the GM Saginaw steering column, which is pretty easy to repair (and they often need it, too, unfortunately). This link will help you sort some of the issues out: http://www.chevyasylum.com/column/tiltcol.html

If you are going to use the original seat brackets in their original location, that "u-shaped" bracket reinforces the floor to prevent the seat mounting hardware from separating from the sheet metal. However, as others have noted, it's a great place for dirt/moisture (and the subsequent rust) to begin. If I was in this spot, I would make a spacer to fill the gap between the new sheet metal of the floorpan and the existing OEM reinforcement bracket. I would then run my seat attaching bolts all the way through the new floorpan, then the spacer, and then the reinforcement bracket, and bolt all of it together. You would get the strenght of the OEM joint, without the rust potential.

Send me your postal address via the message system on the forum, and I will mail you a CD of the shop manual.

You need the FSM for a late-model XJ to help you identify connectors. There is a specific section that shows the "pin-outs" and shape of each connector. If you don't have a manual, I can burn a CD of mine and send it to you.

You are spot on about silicone's inability to take paint, and that is why I don't recommend it. I use the real deal, body seam sealer, but OP was looking for a "cheap fix", and silicone and body seam sealer are both relatively pricey, on the order of at least $6 or more for a tube. It looks like he found another solution.

THe down side of silicone is that it only sticks on VERY clean surfaces, completely free of rust. The upside is that, if it does stick, it's flexible and resistant to most chemicals.

OK, I gotta ask....WHY? What intrinsically makes any use of asphaltic sealers bad?

There are TWO types of locking systems used in "intertia type" seat belts, and I think people are confused by the difference. I will explain and call them "Type One" and "Type Two" 1. TYPE ONE seat belt retractors are designed to lock when the vehicle sees a sudden acceleration or deceleration. It uses a small weight inside the retractor that moves off center when it encounters such an acceleration/deceleration, be it front to back or side to side. If such an acceleration/deceleration is not seen, the retractor will allow belt extension/retraction no matter how fast one pulls on the belt. 2. TYPE TWO retractors lock when the belt is pulled rapidly from the spool on the retractor. These types of retractors will function independent of vehicle acceleration/deceleration. I "think" (but cannot be sure) that the Type Two retractors are considered obsolete, as they do not provide belt locking protection in anything but a forward collision deceleration. Recent production vehicles are all equipped with Type One retractors. I don't know when AMC/Chrysler started using Type One retractors on the XJ/MJ family.

Yes, it does stay tacky, at least for a few months. I purchased real body shop seam sealer and I paid about $12 for a standard sized caulk tube, as a point of reference.

How about some of that asphaltic stuff that comes in caulk tubes and is used to seal asphalt shingles on roofs? It tends to stay pliable for a fairly long time....

On my XJ, I welded the last 1" of the Ebrake lever from the drum brakes to the disc parking brake lever. This allows the drum brake cables to interface to the new brakes.

I purchased a set of bushings for a Ford pickup, and am modifying them to fit the MJ. We can compare notes when I am done.

Your oil pressure sender is defective, for sure. You might want to rent/borrow a real oil pressure gauge from th parts store to confirm actual pressures as a next step.

I would LOVE a set of bushings. My tailgate rattles like hell. I cannot believe there were no bushings from the factory. The metal on metal squeaks like all get out, and is constantly rusty. Also, the "double D" shaped lug on the bed suggests that something filled the space on the flats, and I am betting its some plastic piece.

I remember this sort of discussion on the XJ forums, with the same predictable schools of thought: Those who understand the purpose of anti-sway bars keep them installed and add disconnects if they see fit. Those who are ignorant of the devices' purpose rip them off, and claim they can compensate by driving differently. This group rarely will admit their mistake when calamity strikes. As others noted, If anti-sway bars were not a benefit, AMC/Chrysler would not have made them standard on all XJ/MJ front ends. Consider that before you join the second group I cited above.

The scoring in the cylindrical area inboard of the threads is where the inner race of the outer (smaller) wheel bearing would ride. If that area is chewed up enough to no longer align the bearing to be concentric with the centerline of the spindle, you are going to see shortened wheel bearing life and/or bearing overheating. THere is also a slim possibility that this spindle might suffer a catastrophic failure in this area due to uneven stresses being imposed on the part. That would make life real exciting if you were on the highway when it happened. (Please note--I am NOT saying this failure is probable, only that is POSSIBLE.) If it was my vehicle, I would be seeking a new spindle.

Wow. This is becoming a tough crowd here. I am waiting for the OP to explain, in more detail, exactly what he means and/or what really happened. Right now, we are all just yuking it up as to possible issues.

There are companies out there that will restore your dash padding and it's vinyl cover, but you must ship them the dash to have the work done. I don't know this for a fact, but I would bet it's not an inexpensive proposition, either. I guess it depends on how close to OEM you want the dash to appear when done. Do a search for "dash panel restoration" and you will find some links to such companies. As an alternative, if you are willing to practice on your dash, they make kits of materials that can repair/restore what you have. The key to the sucess will be in the guy doing the work, which I assume would be you. Here is one source of kits: https://www.polyvance.com/Repair-Cracked-Dashboard/

So the main issue is that most of the pumps people have chosen are of marginal quality/longevity. I am familiar with the old Ford scheme of two pumps in series, and that may be a factor in why that Ford external pump works well when used the way Ford intended, but not in other applilcations. I am sure there is a pump out there somewhere, but I would bet to be reliable, they are probably expensive.

Although not direcly part of the OP's issue and solution, I am curious why you made this statement. Are you suggesting that there are no suitable remotely mounted pumps that can do the job and survive?