CaptainPatchy

Took my time and got the rear brakes bled really well, and adjusted the e-brake a well. Significantly better braking than before, not sure if it beats the drums yet, but it feel good. With the nice weather, I got the Jeep out for it's inaugural spring run and ran it to a self-serve car wash. After that, I took it to my Niece's birthday party and parked it next to my brother's truck just for fun. Always crazy to me how small this thing it! I really want to spend more time this year actually driving it and enjoying it rather than spending so much time working on it in the garage. One thing I would like to look at is an upgraded bigger brake kit for the front. Does anyone have any experience with the Black Magic big brake kit, and would that fit on a 2wd front axle? From everything I can find, the outers are basically the same as the 4wd dana 30 of the same year, minus the actual stub shaft being different for the 4wd models.

Looked at the brakes some more, found some old threads for testing the booster and ran through those: With the engine off, pumped the pedal until firm and started the truck. Pedal sank down a little bit, maybe a few inches? Seems like the truck is idling low, maybe 600-800 rpm, but seems unbothered and I'm not sure it's any different than before. Seems to run fine otherwise, and rpm doesn't seem to make any difference in pedal feel. After first, initial soft brake, I let up and the second of third is much better. Even the first pedal push WILL stop the truck, just seems to have a lot of pedal travel to get it stopped quickly. Maybe I'm making something out of nothing, I don't know.

Made a trip down to Speedway Motors as it's reasonably local to me, and picked up the 1/2-20 flare plug for the master and the 3/8-24 X 3/8-24 inverted flare union I thought I'd need to couple the rear lines. (More on that shortly) So first step in removing the load sensing valve for me, was to take the line out of the lower front port on the proportioning block and block it off with the 1/2-20 flare plug. I removed the airbox to give me some more room to work, and because it's very simple to do. Once I got that snugged in place, I took the now-unused emergency line portion, and slowly followed it back, cutting it off as I went. It runs all along the frame rail and they twist over one another in a few places, so it'd be difficult to do without also removing the one line at the same time. Once I got back to the load sensing valve, I undid all the lines and carefully set the ones I was supposed to be keeping aside. I took the line coming from the front, and got it bent back on itself and ready to couple into the line running under the frame. This is where I ran into an issue: everything I'd read said both lines should be 3/8-24 and couple together with a union easily. Problem was, my line running from the front had a 7/16-24 nut on the factory line, which would not work with my coupling. I thought about removing the nut and trying to re-flare the line for the coupling when I noticed that the line had plenty of length to run to the factory location without the other piece, so I carefully bent it up and under the frame and into the factory bracket. This is where I ran into my second issue, the factory line ALSO only takes a 3/8-24 line as well, so that wasn't going to work either. I had purchased a slightly shorter braided stainless flex to use instead of the factory line, and it also takes a 7/16-24 line and adapts down if needed, so i set to about getting that installed in it's place. Then I discovered when the axle would articulate, my swaybar mounts/links would be a little close to the new line for comfort, so I re-installed the factory bracket on the front of the X brace instead and gently bent the lines some more to meet it. Its not the best routing at the moment, but it is going to be temporary until I can get my new nicop line ran from the front anyways. at this point I got the axle attached with the U-bolts, at the FSM specified 100 ft. lbs , Set the axle on jackstands so the total vehicle weight was on the spring, and attached the shocks at 44 ft. lbs, the Front Eye Bolt, Rear Eye Bolt, and Shackle to body all at 65 ft. lbs, making sure to hop on the rear bumper a few times and recheck. After making sure everything was clearing as expected. Before picture: Then I routed the e-brake cables, mounted with the flopshop offroad adapters and factory cable, which are now WAY too long, adjust them to where I could actuate the brake and not move the rotor by hand at all, and bled the brakes at all four corners using a bottle, clear hose and a little fluid in the bottom to do it solo. Checked the air in the tires, mounted them and took it for an inaugural spin around the neighborhood to test things. Everything was working fine, but it seems like the pedal has more travel than before and seems to take one pump to build decent pedal pressure, so not sure if I've got a vacuum leak, bad booster or possibly air in the lines, if anyone has any guesses I'm all ears. After re-checking lugnut torque and making sure everything looked good, I ran to the gas station to fill up my mower gas can and the truck, all smiles and running reasonable well! I'm a little disappointed in the current braking performance to be honest, not sure what's missing at this point? I believe it still has the single diaphragm booster, and it is likely stock as it looks like it. Once I get one pump or so on the brakes, the pedal feel is much firmer and it stops in a hurry, although it seems to drop the idle real low when I hit them hard. I'm not sure what's going on there, but it's back on the road anyway!

Thank you, I guess I'm a relatively detail-oriented person nowadays. Started off this evening with the goal of getting the brake lines mounted and everything ready to slide the axle back underneath the truck. Not pictured, but I also realized I didn't have a hard mount for the axle-side flexible brake line, so I welded a few tabs to either side and painted them to match. once I got the flexible lines in place, I was more than happy with the orientation. Then, after staring at it for a bit, I decided that it made more sense to navigate the brakelines around the U-Bolts that would soon be in place, similar to stock. I placed the new U-Bolts in place, and worked on getting the brake lines cut, flared and bent with the SS gravel guards. And after installing both sides, the new flex, and the SS gravel guards. Ran out of time tonight, but I'll work on getting the load sensing valve bypasses (for now) and getting the leafs and axle back under the truck

Ran into a couple of snags along the way of getting the new 8.25 rear axle in. First, I thought I could through-bolt the dust shields to the backing plates, however with the lip on the rear axle tubes that wasn't an option. So I tapped the backing plates to a 5/16 coarse thread, grabbed some bolts at the local Ace Hardware I could cut down, and got them mounted that way. Threw a coat of Rustoleum implement black on everything to match. Once they were installed, I was able to mount the parking brake hardware and get the axle shafts put back in. I used a new cross pin with some red Loctite to make sure it wasn't going to come out on me. I also cleaned up the axle shaft ends and painted them to match everything else. After that, I mounted the new rear Solid diff cover with a Lube Locker gasket, same as I had on my Cherokee Then it was time to get the discs on, parking brakes adjusted and ready to slide the new axle in! Everyone knows red calipers means it works better, right? Unfortunately, I totally spaced that the Dana 35 tube diameter is NOT the same as the 8.25, so actually mounting it up will have to wait until my new U-bolts arrive, but we're making solid progress! I've got a host of new brake hardware waiting, including parking brake adapters from FlopShop offroad, new NiCop line and fittings, SS brake line guards, Eastwood flaring tool, Ridgid bending and cutting tools and flexible lines that will be mounted. We're getting there, slowly but surely.

I love getting to work on it! Between finishing my bachelor's and studying for certifications for work, I don't get as much time as I'd like work on it, but still enjoyable. Thank you! I'm very happy with how's it turning out. Update: Started working on getting the axle painted with some Rustoleum implement paint in low gloss black. Then it was time to turn my attention to the backing plates. Grabbed some off a Liberty in a local yard. These had obviously seen better days, but all the parts were there. After searching, I found a video from backyard ballistics about a DIY "evaporust" concoction so decided to try that before attacking it with a grinder. The recipe is 100 grams of citric acid, 40 grams of sodium carbonate(washing soda) and an "appropriate amount" of dish soap per each liter of water (I used the hose). Mixed up a few gallons worth in some buckets and left it to sit for a week and do it's thing. I was not prepared for how well this worked, as it literally removed all the rust like it had never been there and left me with clean, bare metal! After scrubbing them down with a wire brush and more dish soap, I had to battle the bare metal flash rusting! That photo is after a light brushing to remove anything loose and letting them dry in the ambient air, at which point it promptly flash rusted to what you see. I hit it again with the wire brush, blasted with carb cleaner and dried quickly then hit them with a coat of paint. The backing plates themselves and assorted nuts and bolts were the same. After pulling them out and lightly scrubbing, clean and bare metal! I quickly got a coat of paint on these, and submerged the assorted nuts and bolts in a container of oil for now, but wow! I'm BLOWN AWAY with how well this worked for very minimal effort! I also installed the new bearing and seals in the axle, and pounded out the old axle-shaft studs to replace them with some front Dana 30 studs, which are about a 1/4" longer and should work great with the disc's and aluminum wheels. Once the paint on everything dries, I should be about ready to put it all back together!

Long term update: -Have an MTS fuel pump assembly with a Bosch Fuel pump ready to swap in -enjoying driving the truck and seeing the attention it gets everywhere it goes -everything seems to be working well So last fall I was able to score a late model, 29 spline 8.25 from a guy locally that was parting out a manual Cherokee. I'd gone back and forth on swapping in a 3.07 axle as with the smaller tires, 3.55's and the AX15 first gear was all but useless. The donor had seen better days, but everything here has got that "patina" First step was to get the old perches cut off, as I'm staying SUA. With some careful grinder work, I was able to salvage the factory perches. I also pulled the drums and backing plates to prepare for a disc brake swap as well. Next I took the axle over to my Dad's place, as he's got 220V and a fancy new miller in his garage/shop. First we cleaned up the small gouges I'd made cutting the old perches out to give us a clean canvas. I also took this time to really get acquainted with a grinder and wire wheel, cleaning up the housing and tubes. After getting those ground flush, it was time to locate the perches. I'd taken measurements from my old D35, so I knew how far apart the perches should be (42") for the stock Comanche locations. Measured the overall width of the axle, found center and then subtracted the width of the perches Center to Center to get them setup on the axle. I'd also wanted to shift the axle rearward 3/4" to center the wheel and tire in the wheelwell and to also help give me some more clearance for the larger pinion snout of the 8.25" axle. Hopefully I won't have to get a new driveshaft, but it's gonna be close. Drilled a new 9/16" hole 3/4" rearward from center, and then rosette welded the center and rear holes shut for more strength. Used a pair of angle finders to set the perches and pinion to match the dana 35 that was in there. Not sure if that's the correct way to setup a new axle, but I didn't have any driveline vibration before, so I should have any now if I matched everything up correctly, or that was my thinking at least" Worked out to be with the perched set at 0 degrees, the pinion was point up towards the transmission around 10 degrees. It's backwards in that photo since we'd turned it upside down to weld it them on. Once that was done, it was a simple process of welding my swaybar mounts to the axle matching the previous setup as well and everything should be getting close! Once I've got a coat or two of paint on it, I'm going to start ordering parts for the disc swap. I've already made a a trip to the junkyard to get the backing plates off a Liberty, but I don't see the use in putting gnarly, rusted out junk in for everything else so I'm just going to buy mostly new. I also want to ditch the load sensing valve and go to a Wilwood adjustable for the whole braking system ran through nicop lines, but I'm still exploring those options.

Been away for a bit, I didn't actually take any photos but I swapped the non-functional factory stereo for a reasonably priced bluetooth unit from crutchfield. I also put in some alpine front door speakers I had from another vehicle and put in some rear 6.5" using brackets from boxyjeep.com. Finally gave me audio in the truck, although it is severely lacking in bass at the moment. Boxyjeep also makes wall brackets for mounting tailgates as decoration, and I had picked this bent and mangled one up off a guy from the facebook group. Did my best to straighten it out and clean it up some and... Not too bad for the price I paid, and it looks cool so why not? I'd been busy with starting a new job, and I'd finished the big project(manual swap) so comanche projects had kind of gone on the back burner for a bit. We got a brutal round of cold and well over a foot of snow so going out was miserable, so I kicked up the heater a bit and started looking at the truck again. I'd been a part of the original Oracle LED tailight group-buy, but was looking to replace the entire rear wiring harness to avoid splicing mine. The 91-92 years have a different plug than all the other years (of course) and they're exceedingly hard to find as you can't even buy new connectors anywhere I could find I thought about converting the body side harness to something more available, and then decided I'd had enough. I can always splice them back together, so... first thing, these are BRIGHT. I knew going from faded 1980's tech would be an improvement, but I guess I didn't really think it'd be that much! Obviously don't have a chance to get it outside at the moment, but everything seems to function as factory, I was worried about the low impedance of the led's playing havoc with the flasher. My next project I've got earmarked is I'd like to fix the bad fuel level sender. The previous owner said the float had a hole in it and I know the gauge doesn't read right, as I can run it to empty and only get 8-9 gallons in it. MTS now sells the 91-92 complete sending unit, but I'd like to upgrade the pump while I've got the whole assembly out. Anyone have an recommendation for a factory+ rated fuel pump from a reputable manufacturer? Something like Walbro, Holley, or the like?

Thank you, I really enjoy how it's turning out. Definitely different than most, but still cool. I wasn't able to find an answer to that question, seems like some guys are able to use the auto crossmember with a manual and others complain of terrible vibrations. I had planned to use spacers to drop the whole piece down 3/4" and use the auto crossmember, but was able to source a manual crossmember for a reasonable price so just went that way instead. They're identical as far as mounting holes and whatnot, other than the drop section in the middle.

Found the source of my whine, the guy that rebuilt the trans apparently didn't feel the need to put any fluid in it! Got the ~3.5 quarts of royal purple 75W-90 yellow metal safe gear oil in it and she's running and shifting much better. Thankfully I only drove for maybe 20 miles without fluid and only on surface streets so with any luck it's going to be okay. It's much quieter now so that's a good sign? Got the patch panel finish welded in, needed to run a few welds to get it dialed in and looking pretty Not great but plenty of heat penetration. Had problems with the ~16ga frame/fender panel to the 1/8" patch panel but finally got the rust out Looking better, happy with those. Seam sealed all the joints and painted everything with some rustoleum matte implement paint. Undercoated everything in the fender well after paint. I don't really ever drive in the rain so it should last forever but wanted to make it weatherproof just in case. Next up was to get the shocks figured out. Pulled up the PDF of Monroe catalog for every shock they make and cross-referenced the stock MJ length and styles vs. some other lengths and found something ~3-4" shorter front and rear and got them ordered and installed. These are the numbers I used, but mine will be different from most with my custom leafs. Front shock difference. The rear (not pictured) was even worse since they accounted for the 4" drop blocks I removed. Crazy enough they STILL weren't bottoming out but they were still too close for comfort. I also trimmed 1.5" out of the rear bumpstops to give some more travel. It rides much better and smoother now, and doesn't seem to bottom out at all.

Double update for tonight, got my new wheels/tires back from being mounted and balanced. My old tires were still the 17x9s that had 26mm of offset from an 03-04 mustang cobra. I needed to run 1.25" spacer on the rear to get the rears somewhat flush with the fenders as many have done, but I wanted to get away from the spacers if possible like I said. Enter the new setup: Those are 17x10.5" with 20mm offset matching cobra style rear wheels, with a nice fat lip. Finished them off with 315 wide Nitto NT555 G2 tires. Got it outside under its own manual power to take some quick photos. I couldnt be happier with it! Needs to come out about .5" either side to really be even with the fenders but she's sitting pretty now. Took it for a spin around the neighborhood quick, came back and rechecked the fluids and lug nuts and then took it for a quick spin out on the open road. First impressions are that 1st gear is all but useless! Acceleration is lightning fast even with 3.55s, would probably be a better cruiser with 3.05s but it's definitely quick enough for now. Speedo is STILL off, must have screwed up my math on that one, will have to explore further. Used a GPS speedo on my phone and it definitely gets out of its own way right quick. Had to hurry home to beat some storms but we made it! 4th and 5th gear whine pretty bad, especially under constant light throttle, probably needs more mileage to break in proper bit everything else is running perfect

Got the rot mostly cut out from the inner fender. was able to cut/grind the spot welds and hammer the panel out with a prybar along the seams. This is the T&M metal fab panel I picked up. 1/8" plate is a little thicker than the inner fender panel but it's close enough. Got it bent up to follow the lines and test fit it against the frame. Borrowed a 110v Flux core from work to get it tacked before taking it over to my dad's to finish weld it with his 220v Miller and gas. Just wanted to get it secure enough to mount the battery tray so I could drive it over. Did two rosettes to the frame underneath and two small ones to the inner fenderwell up above. Secure enough to mount the dirtbound tray i picked up Battery feels very secure now, I'm going to finish weld it all along the front panel seams and cut some more plate to fill in that area in front of the fusebox but this will do for now.

Super interested in these as my factory radio/speaker setup doesn't work anyways

Sneak peek of another project. Old rear wheels with the 1.25" spacer from earlier. I've been really happy with them, but I don't like the idea of spacers at all so I'm working to get away from having to use them. Just a personal thing. And the fitment with the fender Again, I've been really happy with the look and fit of these wheels, however I have something else in store for the rears... No spacers on these, different offset and width. They're really close, by my math about 5mm further in, so slightly less than 1/4". I took the opportunity to measure my stock, 91' MJ dana 35 rear axle with drums and found it to be 60.625" (60-5/8") wms-wms. Information on these numbers is varied, and hard to come by but that's mine confirmed for this model,year and trim. Do with that what you will internet! I'd like to upgrade my rear anyway, so if I can find a rear axle with a measurement of ~61.5-62" I'd be happy but more research is needed. I could always run slightly longer studs with 1/4" shim spacers but that's a last resort. If anyone has any suggestions I'd appreciate it. Everything I've found says the late model 8.25s are around the same except the Liberty is ~63" which is a bit too wide but we'll see. I've looked into custom width 9" rear ends just with the wild thought I might V8 swap it down the line but they're pricey. The idea of an oem axle for cheap that's close to the right width and strong enough for the 6 now is appealing.

I know right!? I've got a problem with tinkering with things I did however, completely forget one crucial thing that I had noticed while early in the disassembly. I've always said this truck was completely rust free, (minus a little surface here and there) but I had found a spot of rot right under the battery tray that was real bad and needed attention. Somewhere between the "garage-majal" reno and a million other little things I'd totally spaced it. Life gets in the way, ya know? Normally I'd chalk it up to "not critical, fix down the line", however this particular spot doesn't allow me to bolt the battery tray down to anything so that big hunk of electric mayhem is just sitting there, with nothing stopping it from shifting, shorting, and destroying, my prized vehicle. I've already ordered a T&M patch panel for this, and I splurged on a metal Dirtbound battery tray to finish the fix. Luckily, it's 40° and raining right now, so I've probably got a week or two before the nice weather is here to stay. I've pretty much made my deadline to have it "finished" by the time spring rolled around so tonight I'm just finishing off a few last minute touches.