DirtyComanche

I figured I'd price steering parts just so I knew what I'd be getting into. I figured out what tie rod parts I needed, or at least I think, from RockAuto. I phoned the local parts places and they quoted me hideous prices, so that's out. Moog ES3096L is the tie rod at the knuckle (outer, as I would call it), DS1312 is the long tie rod piece (inner) that connects to the drag link, and ES2079S is the adjuster sleeve. However some reading I did alluded that the MJ/XJ drag link had changed between 90- and 91+. So I mucked around looking at part numbers, and it has. The thread went from 20mm to 22mm. But, I can't quite figure out what exactly is what, since Moog's site doesn't seem to have a diagram, and Rockauto typically has less than useful descriptions. Moog DS1238 is the long drag link piece with the outer tie rod. IMHO the adjuster sleeve should be the same ES2079S, as that's a 22mm one. The only thing I can figure looking at things is it must be another ES3096L that connects to the pitman arm. Am I right on the P/Ns for both the V8 ZJ stuff and the newer XJ stuff? For comparison's sake, it's $275 + tax/duty to have this stuff to my door. I think I can buy a universal '1-ton' kit from NWF for about the same price, which begs the question of if I want to deal with reaming knuckles and the pitman arm for the sake of going to even bigger components, especially when I don't anticipate ever needing the strength. It would allow me to go to an inverted-T setup though.

Rather irrelevant, but I don't think you can buy a Stak anymore. They went broke, TrailworthyFab (IIRC, Dookey on Pirate) bought up the IP/rights to all their stuff, and since then he hasn't bothered to do anything with most of it. Some people were pestering him to put stuff back into production, but he isn't interested at this point for whatever reason.

Is the TJ bar significantly thicker than the XJ one?

Really digging that look. My JK is the same colour with the same wheels.

If you thread the bolts in by hand with the tstat housing off, and then compare to the housing, it becomes immediately apparent which way they go. Sorry I can't tell you for sure, I just can't quite visualize it.

Other things: Brake lines - I plan to use the Dakota line in the rear, and move the front lines down Steering - I think I'll just order up the ZJ tie rod and call it good enough, I will check if everything else is worn out first or not Rear driveshaft - I don't have one, so it will be a matter of it I want to track down a SYE and go to a CV shaft, or just get one of the random shafts I have lying around cut down and balanced (only $150 or so to do that) Track bar - Whatever the aftermarket one that came with the truck is, I will probably use that. Sway bar - I'll probably redrill to move it forward a bit, and just lengthen the stock links by cutting them off and sleeving them. I have some rod ends lying around that might work too. Shocks - ????? Probably look for a KYB that will work. What have I forgot?

As far as the control arms goes, if my buddy sells his Danger Ranger rather than parting it out (he's on the fence), I think I will make my own. Lowers: Need 2 of these: http://www.barnes4wd.com/Forged-Poly-Joint_p_419.html 2 of these: http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/125TS-SQ.html Half of this set: http://www.tmrcustoms.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_52_283&products_id=1251 And 2 jam nuts, and 2 short pieces of 2x2x.250 HSS. I actually have the square adapters, probably the bushing sets (I should), the jam nuts, and the HSS on the shelf. So it would be quite cheap. Uppers: Half of this set: http://www.tmrcustoms.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_52_322&products_id=2610 2 of these: http://www.tmrcustoms.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=211_215&products_id=2485 2 of these:http://www.tmrcustoms.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_169&products_id=1305 And 2 jam nuts, and 2 short pieces of 1.75x.120 DOM. I have the jam nuts and adapters for sure, I think I used up the last of my 1.75x.120 DOM. Ruffstuff also sells fork dealios for the upper axle mounts, they're less money but aren't threaded (would need to do things a bit different). We'll see.

That's how these things go. I'll be watching for updates. :cheers:

I had two other thoughts on wheels. Buy 1.25" thick 5x4.5 to 5x5 adapters and run stock JK wheels. Why? Because I have a JK. At least then I'm still sticking with two lug patterns across all my vehicles (5x5 and 8x6.5). Then I could unload all my other oddball stuff and help clean the place up. Adapters are about $300 cnd to my door. I have zero issues with spacers or adapters. Anyways, doing this I can get a set of stock take off JK Rubicon wheels and tires for $500~, and in general used tires and JK wheels are easy to find. Or I could buy a set (5) of steel Pro-Comp 16x8s with 4.25" BS locally, asking $500 and I'm sure he would budge. 2000lb load rating, which is probably good enough, and I have some 16" tires around, and 16" tires are easy to find for the most part. I'm leaning towards this route as it would be easy enough.

This is all my opinion based on what I have broken personally, or seen break in person, or a trusted internet source has broken and documented. I would not buy a Teralow kit for the NP231. Yes, people have them and love them. However, they're a total timebomb and their inability to cut the gears correctly means you have to limit input RPM severely in order to get any real life out of them. This straight up does not work in certain situations, as with the 4:1 reduction you are lower than you already want to be some of the time, but high range would still be too high. Specifically I am talking about mud, loose hills, and snow (may not apply to you). The 231 is NOT up to the task of being the case behind a doubler. It is a time bomb in this arrangement. It will live longer with a HD SYE providing the front axle does not have a locker, but a failure is mostly inevitable. If one wants to use an aluminum tcase behind the doubler, a GM or Dodge NP241 would be a decent option, as you get 6 pinion planetaries, a wider chain, stronger case halves, and 32 spline outputs on both ends. One good thing about going this route is it does not weigh much more than a Np231 (231 is say 65lbs dry, 241 is about 80lbs dry IIRC). The length disadvantage of this arrangement is largely irrelevant in a MJ, with the exception of the front driveshaft starting to be longer than what I find comfortable. You will be hacking your floor pretty badly. I have limited use for the D300. The problem with it is that by the time you buy all the upgrades, you are approaching the price of buying a NEW Atlas. However, you can find ones that are already built for pennies on the dollar. The other thing that bothers me about them is if you run them flipped, which you will probably be doing, they tend to leak. As in, I've never seen one that doesn't. The seals for the shift rails were only meant to seal in a little splash oil, and seal out a little splash water and dirt. If you don't care, then fine, for me it bothers me to the point that I couldn't do it. As said, the Teralow gears for the D300 are fine, there is no limitations with using them. The D300 is nice in that it is more compact than the other gear drive options, and does not weigh as much as them (85lbs dry in stock trim, it weighs more with HD outputs). Personally I went with a NWF Ecobox (http://www.northwestfab.com/NWF-Eco-Box-Billet-Planetary-Doubler-Case_p_2403.html) and a Ford NP205. This was because I had a broken NV241DLD to harvest the planetaries and ring gear from, and a couple useless NP231s with my needed 21 spline input gear. This gave me a much stronger setup, which is also more compact than a standard NP231 doubler, and there was no requirement to weld a blockoff into the stock case and risk not having it seal properly. I don't know if anyone is reliably building NP231 doubler kits anymore, everyone that used to do it was out of business when I went looking to buy one. Also NWF is somewhat local to me and charged me in Canadian dollars and shipped it free (not value to you, but it costs me a lot to get stuff out of the US). With the Ford NP205 I get 32 spline outputs on both ends, twinstick capabilities, I don't have to run it flipped, and it's super strong. Unfortunately I wound up cheaping out when it came to driveshafts and bought 1310CV yokes for it, in the long run I'm guessing I will regret this move. The penalty on this setup is it is very heavy, with the NP205 being about 140lbs dry and the doubler itself being about 50lbs, and it became fairly hard to package as I wanted to preserve ground clearance and wound up cutting my floor out badly, modifying my seats quite a bit, and it needs a second mount to help control the weight. Oh, I also had to cut a massive hole in the tcase itself and weld a plate over it, since Ford has a very awkwardly placed mount boss 'thinger' on the top of the case. And building the shifter setup took a fair amount of time and headscratching. At the end of the day the Rubicon case seems like an easy and cost effective way to go.

Sounds about right for light driving. I wouldn't be bragging if something lasted that long though. My '11 JK only has 23000km on it. I'm not bragging about JK longevity based on my personal testing. :rotf:

I've bought from them 5 or so times. Only one minor screwup, which turned out to not matter at all (they shipped something the same day when I wanted them to wait a week). I know some people don't like them for whatever reason. They seem to have a decent deal on RE stuff, and have some pretty oddball things in stock.

I was just going to buy the Procraps through T-Dot, people can say what they want about them, but I always price check and most of the time they're basically the same deal as getting it from the US but with way less hassle. But for comparison, I could buy these from Summit: http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/crr-3995812/overview/ Basically the cheapest Soft 8 that would work. They're silver, which is cheaper than black for some reason. They're still $440 cnd for 4 by the time they get to my door, assuming that all taxes/duties/fees are actually paid upfront as the shipping calculator implies. The advantage of the Soft 8 is it is actually rated for 2200lbs, 400lbs a wheel more than the Procomps. And they're silver, which I haven't decide if that looks better than black, since black is played out. If they were a darker silver, more a charcoal or gunmetal colour, I think I would be all over them.

There's no free shipping to Canada. One main problem with Jegs is their site won't quote shipping, I actually have to order them and then they email the shipping quote and I can okay it. I might phone them on Monday to ask about it, but I bet the price will be within $20 of the place I can get the Procrap wheels from here, but ordering it from this side of the line means there will be no unexpected brokerage/duty/we'regoingtochargeyoubecauseyoucan'tdoanythingaboutit fees. And I can actually get a confirmed delivery date, unlike when something goes through customs and they can't decide if it's a wheel or part of a nuclear device.

Thinking about ordering the Procomp 51 series wheels, P/N 51-5866, 15x8 4.5" BS. Why? Because they're the only wheel company that seems to have decided that Canada is a worthwhile market. I'm going to price getting AR767s or Crager Soft 8s, but I can't find anyone that actually stocks them on this side of the line. I'm not crazy about Procomp quality, although I'll admit I've never run anything made by them. These wheels: http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/pcw-51-5866/overview/ I can have 4 to my door for just under $500 cnd (not through Summit), which doesn't seem like a deal, but the exchange is what it is and shipping wheels is expensive. Also trying to track down some TJ Rubicon wheels, since I think they would look good and probably are better quality than these, maybe they even weigh less, but I'm not sure how easy that will be to do. I do not have a tire selected and may actually buy new (gasp!).

It fits , yes it's an HO gasket . What's different about it? Material, shape, thickness?

They list the straight ones as fitting WJs, which IIRC use a wider pocket/bracket and joint, and should not fit an XJ/MJ/TJ/ZJ. And I found somebody who is running the RC LA kit with only 3" of lift. I will see if my friend wants to play ball, which would also be doing the world a favour as his deathtrap should be disassembled before it kills anyone.

And the other potential curveball is I know of somebody who has an XJ LA kit installed on their Ranger (don't ask). IIRC it's the Rough Country one. I might be able to buy it for less than it would cost to build. Of course, that's probably a bad idea since it won't fit with only 3.5" of lift.

They bent those way too much. I think I might order these: https://www.allensoffroad.com/suspension-systems-lift-kits/Core-4X4-Control-Arms/Cherokee-XJ-1986-2001-Core4x4/Core4X4-TIER-ONE-XJ/Front-Control-Arm-Set-TJ-LJ-XJ-MJ Cheaper, not bent crazy, and I can choose from 8 colours!!!! (Even though I'm just going to order black) Or I will build them. Still pricing that. Somebody was selling forged threaded joint bodies, but I don't remember who.

Funny thing is ALL of the gas I keep around is 50:1. I mix it when I fill the can at the gas station. I use it in my 4 strokes and 2 strokes... Never had any of the ethanol gas issues that people constantly complain about, and the can I'm finishing off right now has been sitting in my shed for 2+ years. My lawnmower smells better running on it too!

Not in Bama. :yes: I suppose. But the 4.0L is like the dandelion, they pop up just about anywhere.

Oh, and I would pay a grand for that thing without hearing it run. I have a whole driveline sitting in storage for that type of scenario. A clean body is way harder to come by than a good 4.oh.

I bet he means the outlet on the tstat housing, or the housing itself, as previously said. They corrode, people don't scrape the old gasket off, the hose nipple cracks or is scored from somebody cutting the hose off, etc. You can buy a new one, just make sure you get the right one because the Renix and HO are a little different, IIRC. If it's that, and only that, it's a simple fix. But it could be a cracked head or block potentially, probably not though... I would plan to convert to the open cooling system either way, personally. I was not a fan of this mod previously but I've changed my tune after one too many pressure bottles blew up on me.

That is the plan. I said they were too tall for my XJ, I don't know how much lift they actually net out to because there is nothing on my XJ that is normal. If I put them in this and they're too tall for it, I can order some 3.5" TJ ones I guess? As the TJ coils should be an inch lower (at least if you buy RE ones that are a different P/N). They should be fine though, providing they are the advertised height. It also occurred to me that I have 2wd rear springs, so they are lower anyways. The truck has quite the pre-runner look (hmm, building a go fast prerunner type truck was an option I didn't consider), and I had assumed it was because there was stuff in the back of it. However, it makes more sense that it has 4wd, maybe even ZJ coils, in the front and 2wd springs in the back. I think I would be best to either buy or build some adjustable lower and probably upper control arms. It seems nobody makes the simple low buck adjustable control arms with poly joints on each end anymore? I guess they went out of style a long time ago. However, they're really all I think I need. Unless somebody knows who makes them, I will do it myself. I think I might put a questions summary on my posts from now on, since like I said, this is a planning thread at this point. That will make it easier for people who skim to not have to read my long winded butchery of Her Majesty's language. Question: Are simple poly bushing adjustable upper/lower control arms still made and sold?

Hmm. I'm hoping it is a wristed radius arm setup or a true 3 link. Some guys have been pulling one upper arm to make a hacktacular 3 link, not really a good idea IMHO.