buffalob

Still looking for correct crossmember to mount AX15 into my 88 MJ short bed......... Anybody got??? :cry: Have $........ will pay resonable price plus freight to Denver. Thanks.... Bob in Denver

Really groovy to see so many guys from Colorado here...Man I am glad (for the sake of my marriage) that I don't have as many comanches as you do. ...but then again I have only been at it a short while (and already have parts/trailer stashed at a buddy's place). Congrats on the awsome collection of trucks...my old man had a new corvair in 65' Bob

Today I got a fiberglass topper onto the 87' so I could store all the assembled MJ parts for both trucks inside. Now they are in one place, clean, dry, sorted, and locked. Best of all they are out of the family room floor. Because.....Happy wife....Happy life. Bob in Denver

See introducing my comanche.. .this is bucky for details. The sun is shinning in the Rock Mountains of Coloardo this morning!!!!Have a great day! Bob in Denver

Second photo of bucky is after the install of D30/D44 axles from a 91 MJ (thanks Troy) now rebuilt with new 4.56 gears. Covers on the diffs are by G2. Rubicon Express 4.50" lift in front (with additional 1.5" spacers on the coils). New Rubicon Express upper/lower control arms and heavy duty track bar. New Currie Enterprises heavy duty tie rods drag link etc . Procomp steering stabilizer painted to match the billstiens. New JKS sway bar disconects. New Hubs/bearings U-joints. Billstien shocks all round. New Big Brake kit by AEV includes knuckles rotors calipers pads master cylinder (also upgraded to ZJ Booster). With this front brake set up...I had to go to 17" wheels...oh darn. They are pintelers by AEV 8.5X 17" w/4.25" BS. Tires are 285/70/R17 Pro-comp extreme muds. Rear lift is 4.50" full leaf packs by Hell Creek ...thanks Tom. Rear axle still has drum brakes and every component in them has been replaced new. This truck drives straight runs great and stops on a dime. I still have to install the new AX15 and NP231 with fixed yoke. trying to source the correct tranny C'member Bumpers will be built local by Jared Fessler (check the website.. fessybuilt, thornton Colorado). Next up is paint...followed by the install of a 4.6 stroker. Will start a build blog soon with more pics. Was really glad to find this site and you guys here. Jeep on... Bob in Denver

This is Bucky... Taken after changing all the windows weatherstripping regulators and going tinted glass. Bucky is an 88 short bed We bought last summer. She had over 250k miles when bought has always run like a champ never let me down or stranded. She is a 4.0 liter 2 wheel drive with 5 speed stick and 3.07 in rear D35. Has absolutely no factory options...(does power steering count?). Have made minor modifications in this photo, including cherokee agate leather bucket seats and center console. full gauge upgrade. Changed throttle position sensor,air-idle control valve,O-2 sensors,interior lights (ala this forum), and usual water pump, hoses vacume lines plugs wires rotor cap yada yada...all the usual stuff. Clear side markers and turn signal indicators. rattle can front grill job. and 235/75/R15 firestones on procomp steel wheels. Bought the truck from Troy (yellaheep) on this forum here in Denver. I check this forum everyday and have learned slightly more than enough to be dangerous.... in the past 6 months I have also aquired an 87 short bed off e-bay and had it shipped in to Colorado from Atlanta. Bought a short bed trailer off another member of this forum and have it being brought into Colorado from California. We are in the process of converting Bucky to 4X4 with AX-15 etc. I guess I'm addicted at this point. I have four grown kids three of them drive and all drive jeeps. a 2000 4 door stock cherokee sport, a 99 4 door lifted 4" cherokee sport and a 99 lifted 4" wrangler. We don't do too bad on the wrenching scene.........with almost no off street parking and no gagrage. Just thought I would finally take a moment to introduce myself. Thanks...... Bob in Denver

This is the last Item I need to complete my drive line conversion. The truck is an originally 2 wheel drive 88 short bed with 5 peed 4.0 liter. so no transfer case in her now. Presently sits on newly rebuilt D30/D44 axles with 4.56 gears. I have the new AX15 trans and NP 231 with correct bell housing for external slave. New clutch, flywheel, hydralic parts etc etc. She is lifted on 4.5" hell creek springs in back and 4.5" full rubicon exress front (w/1.5" coil spacers)in front. Currie enterprises heavy duty steering set up. New AEV big brake disc conversion kit for 17" AEV pintler wheels (also on truck with 285/70R17 procomp extreme muds). If any one has the crossmember I need (I am told it is different than tyhe one for a standard 5-speed or automatic set up????) I am wanting to get all this tied together to complete the 4X4 conversion. Will fab up my own if I have to...prefer a bolt up if available. will pay freight and a reasonable price. Please let me know .... Thanks Bob in Denver

I will be running a gale banks "revolver" header. Interesting comment about the Walker Muffler.... You do not have a part number for that item by chance?? thanks!

Does anyone have any idea who make the best (flow) muffler and cat for a (steeet legal....I'm not in California) a 4.6 liter stroker in my 88' Short bed build? I will probably go with the Walker pipes just for simplicity sake, but as far as the Cat and muffler are concerned I am curious what other people are doing and how the different brands stack up. What is the concensus???....Flowmaster, Magnaflow, Gale Banks. Others????? I have a Banks revolver header to go on. Years ago I had the Borla system (header, cat back) all in 409$$$stainless on my 89 Cherokee. Other than sounding great, I can't say I was otherwise impressed. Thanks for the feedback. Bob in Denver

Thanks for the input.... All I needed was some validation that I was on the right track changing the ratio. I called the 4$4 shop and they are swapping the new gears to 4.56...with all the money for the lift, big brake kit (also AEV) wheels, tires, axles, re-gearing, trans, transfer case, stroker...yada yada yada I want to get it right the first time. :banana: :banana: :banana:

Ok what do the gear gurus reccomend.... I am ready to have my recently aquired axles re-geared. (thank you Troy yellowheep) They were 3.07s (Dana 30/44 combo) out of a 91 MJ. They are going into my 88' short bed presently 2X4 also with 3.07 rear. The wheels I went with are AEV pintler 8.5 X 17... The tires are procomp extreame muds 285/70/17 so for all comparison purposes 33 inch diameter. I will be keeping the renix 4.0 for the present untill the stroker goes in the transmission is a new AX-15 5-speed with a new NP231 from advance adapters. My initial thought was to only go to 4.10 gears (and a detroit out back) but after reading this thread I am wondering if I should reconsider and go to 4.56 gears. This is not my daily driver but will in all honesty spend way more time on the highway than the trails. I live in Denver and by highway driving I mead Starting at 5500' above sea level and going up from there. Any helpfulsuggestions are appreciated the gears go in this weekend. Thanks :dunno: Bob in Denver

Great looking truck. Can I get the paint manufacturer's name and the paint code # from you? Man I dig the color and great work! Bob in Denver

Thanks for your comments and the link it has already been a great help. Ordered some further items from advanced adapters in California this morning. I will try to get some pics posted over the weekend. But more than likely I will be hanging off the roof and putting up Christmas lights.

OOPS...forgot to mention the truck is a factory 4X4 if that changes the answer on the trans/transfer case cross member question. Thanks for the feed back. I don't want to be down needing silly parts to get this done once I start, especially this time of the year (no garage, live in Denver). Will get some pics posted soon. She is a sweet truck! Bob

Still gathering parts to make this happen. Is theree a difference in the trans xmember from the stock AW4, To what I will need for the AX15 in it's place? I have pulled together the following and will drop in the block etc over the holidays. 4.6 stroker (western engine supply/ Denver) fresh rebuilt AX15 (A1 transmission/ Denver) new mopar master/slave hydraulic clutch assy wrangler (external slave cyl) bell housing & flywheel new motor mounts ( more offroad/ Delta Colo.) new Luk clutch/pilot bushing/throw out bearing- Banks revolver header Magnaflow exhaust/ muffler Still a way from on the road..... anything I'm missing to get the engine dropped in? Thanks for any feedback. Happy holidays.

Pardon my incorrect nomenclature..... the motor mounts are bought and enroute.... the parts welded to the frame (which they bolt to) is different fro the 2.5 4 banger to the 4.0 liter I think. At the very least the location is different. My question is, do I have to find a doner cherokee that had a 4.0 liter to cut these off of? Do I have to make something from scratch? Or are there aftermarket items (preffered) that I can bolt or weld in? The motorless 87' is enroute to Denver, My 88' with a factory 4.0 liter is here. I can't compare the two emgine mount details untill the 87' arrives. Sorry for the confusion.... Bob

I am converting an originally 2.5 liter 4 banger AW4 automatic equiped '87 short bed, to a 4.0 liter stroker & AX15 5 speed . Have found new motor mounts from More Offroad in Delta Colorado. Does anyone have a line on replacement/aftermarket frame horns, to suit the 4.0 liter. or do I have to cut them out of a doner or make from scratch? Thanks in advance for the feedback. Happy Holidays... Bob in Denver

Has anyone out there swapped in a tilt and telescoping steering collumn into an MJ? I have the original non tilt in my '88way short bed 5early speed. I have dropped the collumn about an inch with longer bols and spacers. This has helped quite a bit. I would really like to get the wheel approx 2-3 inches closer to the dash. and pick up tilt and intermittent wipers in the process....?any ideas?

Troy, No wonder you peddled off the "drag truck" you lucky F***. Let me know if the dude does not show on Saturday..... Still glad I wound up with the silver 88' SWB we bouht in July from you. you ought to see the agate leather buckets in her. Buffalob.

Granted I am very new to this list but I have to say that two weeks after buying the 88 SWB comanche 4.0 liter 5 speed 2WD we call Bucky (my son trying to learn to drive a stick...and the name stuck) I had a family emergency that caused me to drive from Denver to Phoenix, not knowing anymore about the vehicle than that it had 239 K on the odometer. I drove straight through at 70 to 85 MPH in 16 hours with absolutely not a hickup. I was there long enough to overfill the bed, cram the cab full of houseplants and hitch up a very overloaded 5X8 enclosed u-haul and return to Denver. I was one tired SOB but Bucky was and is awsome. You bet I wrench a bit on the weekends but it is because it is what I enjoy doing. Slowly I am putting all the issues and gremlins to right. I am enjoying very much my daily read on this website. I would not hesitate to drive coast to coast should the need (or a whim) arrise. In part due to the good help and advise from this website. Thanks to all here who share thier knowledge wit and wisdom. Buffalo Bob in Denver