NewfieMJ

Thanks for the comments so far . White is definately gonna be a nice color on this MJ . I was gonna go with 'intense red' but the interior would be a very poor match , lol . I like the stance too , but , don't let the pics fool ya , it's raked too much to the front . I have 2" and 1.25" pucks , so , I think the 1.25's are going in the front . Let to start running on the road are the following -pick up and install new rear shocks -new front brake lines -drop e-brake bracket -new rear line (stock , moved bracket , worked great , rubber lines are cracked up) -install ZJ V8 steering -get new windshield 5 outta 6 I should get accomplished today . I'm sure the list will grow once it's on the road and I get a feel for it , but , it should be OK to go . Guess I better get a pink card for it today so I can get it registered :brows: . Lastly , it's time to get my big compressor hooked up . I need to pull the box and get all the body work done so I can get it painted . Been a long long time since I have sprayed anything . White is a great color for a beginner , it shows flaws the least . I'm also gonna bed-line the box , and the box rails . Hopefully in a month or so , I'll have completed stage 1 of this build , a 5" lifted 2wd baja style MJ . JIC your wondering , stage 2 will be the full 98 conversion , 4.0 transplant with 4WD . At this point , I may stroke the 4.0 and go long arms as well . Pretty sure this will be my last jeep build . It's my third , I still have all of them , so , I have collected enough , lol . Next project will be a another Chevelle I think , or a 78-81 Trans am/Z28 , always loved those cars , and I have had a few . That won't be for at least another yr unless a good deal falls in my lap . :D

And , a few more

Been a not so busy week on the MJ . Needed to stand back and see what I was building . Make some more plans and start again . My rear springs from Rustys came early . Not too bad an install . Only had trouble with onle stubborn bolt . The battle ended with the grinder . Murphy's law dictated it also had to be the one closest to the gas tank . SOB . I used a small sheild even though my spray was away from things as best as could , still , I wondered if things were gonna blow . Well , I made it w/o incident thankfully . :D BTW , the rusty's springs which are suppose to be only 4" , got me a little more . 6.25 to be exact . One has to remember this is a 2wd and is 1" lower than a 4x4 , so , once things settle , I would still say 4.5" (compared to 4x4) outta the springs . I'm gonna add some 1.25 pucks I have to the front , that should give a slight rake . My ZJ shocks didn't pan out quite long enough . My eye to eye parked is a whopping 26" . I'm picking up shocks tomorrow morning that go from 18-32" . Best I can find local and cheap , pro-comps . Stiff shock , soft spring , might be ok , lol . Here's a few of the latest pics

I just got my rear springs from Rusty's . Same thing , I heard lots but I will say my first order went as good as it gets . Shipped out same day , got it in 1 week to the day(AB,Canada) , everything as ordered . Phoned in with a question and must have spoke to Rusty himself . That man set me straight and when I followed his diections , things worked like a charm . I have no room to complain about Rusty's . As for a bumper , I made the XJ OR-Fab bumper fit my ZJ . I have a winch in it and the mounting must be good cause I can pull the jeep accross pavement (done when pulling tree roots) . Although I had to make my own mounts , what was there was strong . It's a cool looking bumper and best of all , it hides the winch well . I'd certainly like to have another for the MJ . There's room for another set of fog lights that point to the side and an optional bolt-on stinger .

First off , bad control arm bushings and a bad track bar are the 2 biggest causes of DW . Yes , your should replace them . Where , I'll refer you to Iron Rock offroad . The make big beefy arms , use factory style clevite rubber bushings both ends , and have one of the best prices around . 10% discount to jeepforum members , you might wanna sign up if your not a member and decide to order from them . While shopping there , they also make a very well reviewed double shear track bar and new bracket , again , great prices . As for the drop arm . Whether you need it or not depends on the track bar and drag link being perpendicular to each other . They should be kept at the same angles . Your control arms should measure this @5".......lower...16.62"...upper...15.21" . Most important is keeping your pinion angle proper but the #'s are a good base to start from .

Sorry , meant to mention that as well . Throttle wide open and I prefer the engine warmed up .

Remove all spark plugs disable the ignition(I like to disconnect right at the coil) Dry test: With tester in place , crank the engine for 3 secs , check guage , note the pressure , release pressure from guage , remove and go to next cylinder ( I always do a double , sometimes triple check)(crank time really depends on the starter , if really slow , go 5 secs ) Cylinder pressures do range . Safely , they should fall between 120-150ish and all be with 10 psi of each other . If you have a low cylinder(by low I mean below 120 , or signifigantly out of range from other cyls) , you'll need to do a wet test . This can tell you what the problem is for low compression . On the low cylinders , squirt a litttle oil , maybe tblspoon or less , into the cylinder , do the compression test again . If compression increases (say 10psi+) it would indicate either ring or cylinder issues . If compression stays the say , it would indicate a bad valve seating or simply a bad valve . Hope this helps Newf

2 fixes the issue , 4 makes everything even . I would certainly do all 4 .

My most honest opinion , I would not put spacers on a wheel barrow . That said , there has to be thousands that have with no trouble . Most important part is the hub centric part . If the spacers have these , I would rate them as perfectly safe when properly installed . Is the spacer really any worse than an offset wheel ? Maybe a little , physics would agree , but I doubt it would wear out bearings noticably faster . Check your local listings for some wheels , never know what you'll find . 5X4.5 , 4" offset

Options : a) Spacers , not shims , and they should be no other than hub-centric such as Spidertrax . B) New rims . Check your local listings for anyone selling 8" wheels with a 5x4.5" lug spacing , and a 4" offset . Even new steels cost only $50 new , they run $90 in my woods . I prefer aluminum wheels because they are hub-centric . My ZJ has steels that are not hub centric , but , have no issue with either ........... on the trails Test the thoery . Just get a bunch of washers , with the jeep wheels raised , suspension loaded , place washers on 3 of the studs at approx 1/4" thick . Install wheel , turn full crank to the left . Note position of wheel fully cranked against rubbed sway bar link . Better ? Get a or b . Not better , I don't believe you , lol . BTW , I went and looked for steering stops on the solid 2wd axle , they are not there . Just a bump place on the inner c , no adjustment . Here's a few reference pics for ya , full left crank , offset wheel (4") Not even close to rubbing

I had to mix the shim plates a little , kept only one bolt tight per hinge until adjusted . Only loosen one screw , adjust in or out , tighten and check . I found I have to raise the doors almost as far as adjustment would allow . Only seam I found different was the one below the door handle , that is not a perfect match , but very close . I had no fenders on when I did mine , so maybe that was a good thing cause I could align the fenders to the doors . Guess my real test will be doing 60 on the hwy or the next car wash , lol .

I had my 2.5's flywheel resurfaced . Feels smooth as silk engaging the clutch . Cost me $40

Mine was a complete 98 sport . I didn't hesitate for 1 second to tear it down . Parts for the MJ I say . New doors , 4x4 powertrain and an interior swap , NICE !! You bought this jeep for a purpose , don't second guess your decision IMO . BTW , hoods are the same right from 84-up .

Grabber , no mention of changing the coil ? I know you have spark , question is , how much . A weak coil can run an engine but will have issues with starting . The strater fluid has a high combustion rate so it burns easy . Once running , the compressed gas will ignite easy with minimal spark . Not sure , just sounds like it might fit your bill .

There really should have been a drum roll when I opened this page , :yes: . Better late than never . Nice truck man ! Congrats on the COTM :cheers:

The laws are out there , it's really up to the police to enforce things . In my area , it would be no more than an excuse to pull you over if they wanted to . Here , by law , the "driving lights" are suppose to be wired into the high beams , not the low . I really don't know how that gets past Transport Canada except there is nothing in Transport Canada regulations pertaining to the use of aftermarket/factory auxillary lighting . So , I guess it falls under provincial legislation . Vehicles only have to meet federal guidelines , not provincial . Basically , all cars sold here in Alberta have an illegal driving light set-up . "Fog lights" are only to be used when the weather is such that the use of regular lighting is inadeqate . There are several types of lights , driving , aux.lights , and fog lights . All ID'd on the lens by a letter . Each is classed under provincial law with allowable uses . They are not allowed to be aimed to the right of the vehicle , but instead to the center of the vehicles aim , and must be aimed no higher than 25" from the light . So , they are suppose to cover the area that is darkened when you have your high beams on :) If it's raining , snowing , or foggy , I use mine because it does improve low beam visability . I avoid using them in clear weather . I always turn them off reguardless when I see a transport truck approaching . Them fellers just don't appreciate that much , I learned that lesson years ago . I still see a blue dot , lol .

So it's all together again , for now , lol . Today I ordered some 4"leafs , I just hear nothing that positive about aal's or shackles . I figure I'd need to do the bushings anyways so I'm just gonna do a whole new set . SOA was almost done but it's higher than I desire . Here it sits awaiting rear springs I got about 2 weeks before getting my springs so , I'm not sure what to take on next . I do need new brakes , they really suck on the MJ , so , I will probably take the XJ back in and swap the front axles . The XJ has new brakes and I need the diff eventually anyways . Maybe swap the brake booster too . I'm contimplating swapping the dash also and building an insturment cluster with custom guages . I had my electrical wiz friend look into it and he says that it wouldn't be much of an issue at all . Hmmm , this would be cool . I'm liking this idea . He's gone through all the wiring diagrams for the 98 and believe me , this guy knows his stuff . So , I may start taking the dash apart . We are going to look at things this coming weekend . I could do a full swap , but , with the price of gas going up , and not needing a powerhouse , I plan on keeping the 2.5 for a while . I got 3 vehicles with about 300hp or more , this is a miser build :) . It's just for the wife to pull a few garden odds and ends around in the summer time and for me to use on the weekends popping to town and back . I do love this little truck though . Maybe it's because it's different . I don't see many around anymore . I'm glad I did the 98 body conversion , and the white paint will look great too when completed . Been enjoying the other build threads also , some really nice MJ's on the board .

Bumped for more input . Yes , I know it's old

I have since installed 32x11.5 on a 3" lift and I get no rubbing . It is very very close to the fender edges , front and rear of the wheel well , but , with some minor trimming , they won't be an issue . I'll try to tag a pic later of the same area you showed above . My rims are not stock , they have a 4" backspacing , 8" wide inside the lip . How did you make out ?

I'd try this but, won't WD-40 deteriorate rubber? Yes . You should not use WD-40 on rubber or plastics. WD-40 is a water displacing petroleum product . It will dry out and damage rubber and plastic . Better to use silicone, hard grease or mineral oil when lubricating around rubber or plastic . Exactly how bad would it hurt our bushings ? Probably not enough to worry about . More critical to smaller parts like seals and o-rings .

Which spring lift is best ? a) short B) long How does each effect the ride ? Anyone ever try using both the short and long together ? If possible , how much lift ? estimates are good . Yes , harsher ride I'm sure , but not too concerned about that part as the 3" height I'm hoping for won't be there much more that 1 year . I assume any lift to an MJ also requires an extended brake line . When I jacked mine up to see what height I wanted , at 3" , that line was tight already . I have an extended line for the ZJ , haven't checked to see if will work or not yet .

Sorry for your loss , it was a nice build . Glad your ok though , good luck on your next one

Ok , I understand what your saying too . I've been fighting the "foot in mouth" syndrome for years , guess I need stronger meds :help: . Not meaning to argue , guess I needed to understand it better . Correct me if this is wrong , cause I think I got it this time Spring over axle conversion lift heights : 2wd stock springs - 5-5.75" depending on perch/axle choice 4wd stock springs - 5-5.75" depending on perch/axle choice 4wd w/2wd springs remove 1 inch lift height over-all 2wd/4wd with MJ main/XJ others can reduce lift up to another 1" Stock XJ shackles will lower the jeep another (approx) 1" but are recomended against (flip at flex) Reference pics : 88 2wd MJ D35 , it measured 4.5" , the angle is off in the pic 91 4wd MJ D44 , it measured 4.75 , again , bad angles Leaf spring options : add-a-leaf : Hell's Creek or Rusty's . Mostly combined with a 1" lift shackle for approx 3" of lift Spring pack's :4" at Rusty's , Custom from Hells creek but nothing being produced for up to 6 more weeks . Shackles : 2" longer means 1" ride height increase Most XJ shackles are required to be a 2" lift shackle to make approx 1" lift to a MJ

Front lift has been installed . I only got 3", maybe 3.5 outta the TJ 4.5 springs , :???: . Well , maybe the ZJ V8 w/winch and bumper they supported screwed 'em , LOL , but , oddly , they didn't loose any height on the ZJ . SOA will mean adding a 2" BB which I really wanted to avoid . I have been in touch with Rusty's and may order the 4" leaf packs , then just a 1.5 spacer (I think). I really like the stance of the truck as it sits in the pics , 3.5 frt 3" rr . 1 more inch shouldn't make much more difference . Here's a few pics of the suspension , no , nothing has been tightened up yet and I still haven't decided which track bar I'm using . I might just toss on the cheap @$$ one from RRO for now . The RE bar I want still sits on my ZJ , I need to swap out the Claytons I have for it , before I can get it on the MJ . The RRO bar has a good bushing and new Moog TRE , should be fine for 2WD . Yes , it's adjustable too . Remember , I will eventually go 4x4 . Just a Baja 2wd for this summer , unless I really hate the 4-banger ;)