AZJeff

I prefer the Hella "E code" headlamp housings with the H4 bulb in them. They feature a reflector pattern that has a low-beam cut-off angle to keep from blinding oncoming motorists. If your state isn't too picky about what headlight you run, you can upgrade from the "normal" 60/55watt halogen bulbs to the 100/90watt halogen bulbs. This setup is noticeably better than any stock headlamp, and yet isn't too pricey. You should be able to get a pair of these with the lower wattage bulbs for under $100. (LED lights are still too pricey for me.) I had these in my XJ, and am putting them in my MJ (with the appropriate wiring upgrades others have noted.)

Synthetic 10W30. Change oil and filter every 4500 miles. I live in an even HOTTER part of AZ, near Phoenix. The synthetics tolerate heat MUCH better than conventional oils, which is the main reason I use them.

I just learned a new term--"U-Nut" I always called them "Tinnerman nuts" or "clip nuts" When I was a design engineer working for a living, we used them all the time, and we bought a lot from the Tinnerman company. I guess it's a bit like Kleenex versus "tissues"

You can purchase a sealant specifically made for automotive body seams from Amazon or a larger auto parts store.

Amen to all of this. I bought a Comanche as a "project vehicle" for my retirement. I had owned several XJ's, but I always wanted a Comanche. Because of my XJ experience, I realized that a 30 year old vehicle is going to be in need of more than "just a little work" and I was mentally prepared in advance. I paid $6k for my MJ, which had new paint, a new(er) engine, a well-done lift, bed liner, and other well-done stuff. It was a pretty nice vehicle for being a 1989 model. In spite of that, I have dumped several thousand bucks into the machine redoing the brakes, redoing some electrical stuff, fixing some lubricant leaks, etc. And I have yet to tackle the need for new seats, carpet, and headliner. Now I am kind of picky about how my vehicle looks and operates, so my costs to repair/upgrade my MJ are probably higher than most owners would see, and I willing admit that others could be happy spending less to fix some issues I have enountered. The point is that any MJ that has been sitting around unused (off the road) for any length of time will need a thorough inspection and test drive(s) before taking the plunge to accomplish a long road trip. Nothing would suck more than to be 500 miles from home, on the side of the road, with a vehicle that needs a major repair to continue the journey.

Actually, my question is more about how the spare tire winch is actually operated. I don't have an original Owner's Manual for my MJ, so I am guessing on some of this stuff. There is some sort of handle that goes into the winch to raise/lower the spare. What does it look like, and where and how is it stored on the vehicle. I am guessing it's different that what was used on an XJ, correct?

My MJ is missing the sheet metal cover that goes over the lower front part of the bellhousing on the AW-4. I assume the part is called a "flywheel cover", but I cannot find any references to it when I search the internet by that term. Am I using the correct term? (And does anyone know where I can get one of these covers?)

If you are sleeving the frame rails already, then I think you will be good to go.

Those look to be some sort of doubler used to tie to sections of the "frame" rail together. It would say having a piece in that area that performs that function is probably structurally critical. If you are worried about the area between those doublers and the bottom of the "frame" rail, you can do a few things: 1. try to etch the area between the two pieces with some sort of acid to remove any existing rust. Then THOROUGHLY neutralize the acid and allow it to dry. Then apply POR15 into the joint to allow that specialized paint to convert the remaining rust into a neutral state. 2. cut ONLY the bottom surface of the frame rail off, and clean the bottom of those doublers of any rust. Then weld on new steel of at least the same guage or heavier on the outside. You can also go in and weld those doublers to the new bottom surface of the frame rail from the inside. You might need to make some holes in those doublers before installing the new bottom of the frame rail, and then do some plug welds between the doublers and the new bottom surface. 3. remove the existing doublers from inside the "frame" rail, and clean the floor of the frame rail in the area you say cannot be reached now. Then make new doublers from appropriate guage metal, and weld them into the frame rails inside. Whatever approach you choose, don't just remove those doublers and call it a day. Those are pretty important in that area.

How large are the braces you are running from the rock rails to the "frame" rail? If they are 2" square tube or bigger, those can replace the torque boxes, provided you actually tie those braces not only to the frame rail, but to the floorpan as well. The torque boxes are intended to tie the rocker panel area of the cab to the "frame" rails. Your braces would accomplish the same thing, as long as they are big enough and located in a similar position along the length of the "Frame" rail.

What e-fan(s) do you use in your 3-fan setup? Where do you sense the 180* temp versus the 210* temp? Curious as to how you approached this, and I might try to duplicate your scheme.

The material depends on the plastic part in question. PVC is used on pieces that need to have some flexure to them for installation and removal. Door kick plates, trim around the bottom of the door, etc. Pieces that are more "permanent" in their position (such as the glove compartment door and the like) are something else, most likely a polycarbonate/ABS blend. Manufacturers tend to mark the part on the back side near the area where the part number is molded in with an abbreviation for the molding resin used. Since all the trim is out of my MJ right now, and knowing about these markings, I looked some pieces from my vehicle. to see what material markings the have. The answer was NO material markings, exceept for the ones from the dash, and those are marked PC/ABS. Unfortunately, my dash/instrument panel is from a 2000XJ, so that doesn't help tell you what was used on an original MJ dash. I would say it's a safe bet that most of the "hard" plastic in the vehicle is PC/ABS or straight ABS.

Air shocks?

I put a "plastic gas tank from a Dodge" in my SWB MJ, and the tank sticks down below the "frame" rails less than 1 inch at it's lowest point. Since I have a 4" lift already, that protrusion is not very much. FWIW......

Dumb question: If you apply vaccum to the system where it enters the passenger compartment, does it HOLD vacuum, or drop instantly?

I agree with Eagle. The instrument panel Voltmeter in most vehicles, particularly the older stuff like an MJ, are considered "trend indicators" at best. In other words, they are NO WHERE near accurate enough to indicate anything more than if the system is charging or discharging the battery, and that is done by observation and experience of the guage reader (aka, you, the driver). I suppose one could go crazy and attempt to "recalibrate" the guage on a workbench outside the vehicle. However, there is no guarantee that process wouldn't break the gauge completely, so it's a risky proposition. If it was me, I would learn to live with it. PS....Eagle's assumption that the gauge has a linear sweep is up for contention. Those older instruments tended to be very NON-linear.

Wow. I learned something new about a pretty old-tech device. I never encounter that in my 50+ years of working on cars.

NICE!!!

OK, I must be a dumbass. What is an "inertial ring"?

I am still new to MJ's, and had no idea that a D44 is an oddity in a SWB MJ. My 1989 MJ (which is a Franken-MJ to begin with), I have a D44 in the back, and it's SWB. It does NOT look like the axle tubes have been cut/welded upon. So am I to assume that the axle on my Comanche is from a LWB MJ?

The door sill is part of the rocker panel stamping, if I recall. (At least at the factory that is the case.) Do aftermarket replacement rocker panels for an XJ include that part of the stamping?

I disagree with that assessment. If a junkyard has pulled a trans and placed it in an enclosed area (no rain or dust storms), if the trans was working when pulled, it will be a FINE candidate for installation into another vehicle. The internal parts will not corrode/rust/deteriorate if they were coated in ATF at the time of removal. The rear and front seals might be dried out and needing replacing, but that is not big deal. A new pan gasket and filter screen would be prudent anyhow. Once that is done, that AW-4 would be ready for transplant.

As a retired mechanical engineer, I agree with Eagle. A "box section" (which is the technical term for the added piece we see in MJ floorpans) is not a part intended to improve crashworthiness. It's intended to increase the stiffness of the "frame" to longitudinal bending loads. Most of us probably rarely, if ever, tax our MJ's to the published limits from AMC/Jeep/Chrysler. Removing this relatively small "hat section" from the top of the floorpan will have minimal impact to the overall structure, particularly in a vehicle that spends all it's time driving on streets empty or at best lightly loaded. SIde note---as an automobile afficianado for 50 years, that "hat section" welded to the top of the floorpan is one of the STUPIDIST design features I have ever seen. It TRAPS WATER (and other stuff) almost by design, and invites corrosion. It is almost by design intended to destroy itself. Knowning how engineering is often done, I suspect the addition of the hat section was an "eleventh hour" modification to the design to improve the basic Cherokee "frame" stiffness without forcing a major redesign of the lower "frame rails" that the MJ shares in common with the XJ. In other words, it was a "band-aid" to make the MJ more rugged without impacting the XJ's common parts. I wouldn't worry one bit about taking them out, unless you are making a rock crawler, in which case you are doing other stuff to the chassis already.

My error in passing out this information. I now see that my MJ has an XJ prop. valve in it (from a previous owner), and I assumed all MJ's had that valve as well. SOrry to anyone I led astray. Eagle's information is to be followed, not mine.

THAT TOO!!