Timmmmmy

Alright, thanks for the response guys.

The truck is a 89, 2.5L Renix, auto, RWD, Sportruck model. I was pretty sure it has the AW-4 in it now, just the RWD version. I was thinking/hoping that the AW-4 4X4 version should bolt up. I will get under the truck after work and confirm which transmision I have. If anyone can confirm that the AW-4 will bolt on to both the 4.0L and 2.5L it would be much appreciated. When I searched what transmissions were used during this time on comanche's it appeared that the AW-4 was used for both.

Well to be honest it just comes down to money and effort. I am not the most knowledgeable with mechanics but a friend of mine with a comanche and also a member of this site is going to give me a hand with the conversion. It might be a bit much to tackle the engine swap now. My plan is to put a 4.0L HO in it when the 2.5L dies. Seeing as the the origional 2.5L only has 180,000KM on it it I kinda hope it will be a while.

Well I am still detemined to get this done, hopefully this year. Unfortunetely the truck seems to drain all my extra funds by acting up or needing work in one department or the other. Originally I planned to convert the RWD auto (2.5L) to 4X4 manual (Still 2.5L) This meant finding a 2.5 4X4 manual donor. Not all that easy to find. Every 500$ Cherokee I come accross is 4.0 Anyway I have since decided to keep it simple keeping it auto, 2.5L and just converting to 4X4 I am considering two options for 1.) If I find a late 80'S to early 90'S 4.0L auto cherokee should the transfer case, tranny, and everything switch over? (Aside from the rear drive shaft which I will either use my current MJ one, or have the cherokee one lengthened) I believe the tranny was the same on the auto 2.5L and auto 4.0L 2.) The other option I am thinking of is finding a lower KM tranny and transfer case from the JY, and then putting a parts list together for the rest of the parts needed and not purchase a donor vehicle at all. This has the benifit of getting a better condition tranny and transfer case as well as not having an axleless carcass of a donar to deal with. This route is potentialy more money though. If anyone has a link with a parts list for this project it would be much appreciated. Can anyone let me know if the 4.0L donor will be compatable for the swap. There is just so many more 4.0L cherokees out there for potential donors. Thanks

Yup my 2.5 just starten leaking everywhere as well, must be the time of year. I think the source of mine is a plug I have yet to identify under the manifold. Also I was finding the green antifreeze in various spots around the engine so I think it may have leaked anto the fan and or fan belt and been sprayed around a bit.

That thing is sweet! I like it because it probably weighs a lot less than a full size one. Put some pics up of th interior lay out if you don't mind. I might have to keep my eye out for something similar. Good find.

2wd can be pretty fun in the snow as well. Pretty much every vehicle I have ever owned has been 2wd and I have gotten pretty good at doing snow drifting. There are lots of neighborhoods by where I live that have long wide open corners perfect for screwing around on. Fun times.

Truck looks great! I'm liking the way it sits with those tires. I had some fun in the snow as well, kinda wish it snowed more.

Unfortunetely can't help on your tech questions. If you don't get a reply I would post them on MJ tech forum, might get more trafic. I put a deck in my truck the other day, install was really easy. Good to know it isn't to pricey to have the drive shaft lengthened. I'll keep looking for a wrecked Cherokee. If you ever come accross another deal like that let me know. Seems like there is more 4 liters out there than 2.5. I'm jealous of the 4.5" lift your getting. That is what I want eventually. I just didn't have the stomach to put out that much cash so I went with a 2". Truck looks good. Can't wait to see some action shots once you get it together.

Yeah Stave is pretty sweet. I hear it will be turned into a resovoir soon so unfortunetely our days are numbered there for wheeling. Seems like there are a good number of comanche owners within driving distance, we should should try and get some kind of a comanche meet going up there this summer. Good to know about the CD player. I think that is what I'll be getting this Christmas from the girlfriend. I will start looking for a donor XJ over the next while and do a little research. The only real concern I have is that the rear drive shaft is longer on an MJ. I will have to figure out how to get the XJ one lengthened. Any progress on the new rear bumper your making? Thing looks solid.

Yeah unfortunetlely it's not 4X4 yet... I took it up to Stave a few weekends ago and ripped around a bit but without the 4X4 it is pretty limited in the mud. I have been looking for a wrecked comanche 4X4 to use as a parts truck but no luck. I think buying an old 4X4 cherokee and doing the swap that way might be easier. If you're ever interested in doing a little side work at some point let me know, I would make it worth your while and I'm sure the two of us working on it could get it done relativly quick. I don't think it is that tough and there is plenty of write ups on this site for it. I just don't have the tools/know how to get the job done myself. Also I see you put a new deck into your truck. Did you have to re wire it all to get it to work or was it an easy install? I am thinking of putting one in the next few weeks. Having only AM radio is killing me. It is news, sports or christmas songs. http://www.comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=32712 If it works here is the link to my thread. Not much yet but I'm working on it. When the new rear bumper arrives I will throw some more pics up. Wait time on those Hanson bumpers might be months though, hope to see it in January.

Ah, I recognize that truck, used to mine :D . Really glad you got it back on the road. I will be following the build, looks great so far. You and your old man wern't kidding when you said you knew a thing or two about jeeps. You recognize my truck yesterday at college? I got into my truck and looked over and low and behold, another comanche. I got to check hit out soon realized it was my old truck. Small world. Turned out my truck didn't have a shot motor after all. It was miss diagnosed. Needed a new air temp sensor and now it runs like a million bucks. I have my build on here as well, got a 2" lift and new tires. I also have a new hanson rear bumper that I have ordered that looks pretty sweet. Anyway glad to see you on here, keep up the pics!

Here are some pics of the new tires and the 2" lift New tires are 30X9.5 cooper discoverer ATRS. The lift consists of new Moog variable rate coil springs, 2" coil puck spacers, new track bar mounts, brake lines, add a leafs and shocks Here is a shot of the interior. All in all in pretty good shape, no tears or rips, nothing broken, everything works. I think it has a factory Comanche bed liner as Comanche is moulded in big letters into the fron of the liner, pretty cool. I will keep you posted as I continue to work on it.

Here is my 1989 RWD sportruck, auto, 2.5L. She has 177,000 Km and is completly stock original. Truck needed some tlc when I brought it home and thats what it got. -New Brakes, calipers and rotors -New fuel tank, and filter -New o2 sensor, cat, egr, air temp sensor -Replaced craked exhaust manifold, How this truck remained rust free in Northern Canada I'll never know but It will babied from here on in. The old timer I bought it from said it was his wife's truck and that nearly all the KM on it are HWY going beteen the Yukon and Vancouver. Even though it is not 4X4 (Yet) I think I found a hell of truck and couldn't be happier. Since then I have put new tires and rims which I will post pics of shortly. Current projects on the go include door locks, exhaust leak, and suspension work which I am thinking long and hard about. I will keep you all posted, Ryan

Well I read on here that drop shackles will wear your leaf springs faster, not sure how much faster but they are already 21 years old. I am going to ask if they can refurbish the leaf packs and add another leaf as well, might be a cheaper option. I asked a local spring manufacturer about a quote when I was looking at doing a 3" lift and they told me around 300 each. I am thinking it will come in cheaper if I only want 2" extra lift, still Pricy though...

So I'm looking at upgrading the suspension on my 89 RWD 2.5L Comanche, 177,000KM. Truck has, and will continue to have 30" tires, 9.5" wide, stock 7" rims. I want to do it right since I spend a fair amount of time in the back country, logging roads mostly. I am thinking of putting together the following kit: -New leaf packs with an extra leaf to give 2" of lift. (Not sure if originals are shot but I figure it will help the ride) -Moogs variable rate coils for a V8 ZJ 1997 grand cherokee 4x4 -New shocks, still researching which ones.. welcome to sugestions -WJ lower control arms I am looking for a soft ride to help smooth out these logging roads I frequent. What do you guys think? Am I missing anything? Any input is appreciated. Thanks, Ryan

Hey, so I ended up going with Eagles suggestion and put 30X9.5" tires (Cooper A/T discoverer tires) on these stock jeep rims. I like the set up, looks and feels great. So next I am going to do some work on the suspension to get it ready for next years camping. I think the shock absorbers that are on it already are shot because when I go over bigger speed bumps or curbs you can hear a metalic rubbing which I assume is the absorber compressing then springing back. I want the truck to handle the bumps pot holes and washouts "softly" that I encounter on the rough logging roads I frequent. I would like the suspension to have decent flex to it as well as some of the beach area's and trails require the truck to go over small to medium sized obsticles like rocks and logs. Nothing to extreme. I am thinking I would like to have a lift of either 2 or 3 inchs. Money is a moderate concern... If I need to save up a while so be it. I have been looking at old man emu lifts, they seem solid. But I would love some input from you guys think would good for this. Pete M recomended -1.5 or 2" pucks up front -extended chevy shackle in the rear. -WJ lower control arms Would this combined with new shock absorbers give me the performance I'm looking to get? Thanks, Ryan

Awesome guys. Thanks for the input. I get my truck back back tomorrow and I'll pay that bill. Then I'm gonna look at some upgrades. I would love to start a thread for this build but not sure how to upload pics. Do you guys use a site to host images? Be nice if it's free. Ps like the pics! I'm going for similar. Gonna check the junk yard and craigslist over thenext while, see what I can find.

So still planning out what I am going to do to Comanche. The 4x4/manual conversion is on the back burner for the moment as money and experience are currently lacking. Looking into doing tires and suspension first. Truck is 89, auto, 2wd, short box. Engine is renix 2.5, tranny is aw4 with 4/56 gear ratios I believe. I'm gonna confirm this though when my truck is outta the shop this weekend. I would like to get the tougher look of a knobbier tire as well as a bit of a lift perhaps to get away from the total stock look. This would not just be for looks though as I camp and spend lots of time in the back country. The clearance and traction gain is important. On the other hand gas millage is important as this is a daily driver with relatively short commute. I like the look of 31-32" tires ... I like the look of a 3" lift but am not sure if it would look goofy with the smaller tires. I am leaning towards the older style broad 5 spoke rims. What set up would you guys recommend for this application? How much will the bigger tires affect the gas millage roughly? Thanks, Ryan. I

Thanks for the reply's. I will look into the adapters. May or not pick them up. He would be giving me 5 rims and tires complete. He wants bigger ones. Hell of deal I think. But I agree, the rubber is not exactly what I'm looking for.

Hey, so I have a co worker with a new wrangler JK who would sell me his stock tires 225/75/16 with 5000km, all five for 400.00 bucks. I don't think these are directly compatable but maybe with adaptors? Any way to make it work?

Alright, well the 4X4 conversion is on hold. I am gearing up for a much bigger bill than was previously expected to get the truck past aircare. Good chance it is the cat as well as the EGR that need replacing and that could be half my conversion budget. I have decided to postpone the 4X4 conversion until I feel I have enough knowlege and cash to do a cherokee conversion or I find a 4x4 2.5L manual comanche in rough shape and do a swap that way. I need to spend some cash on the truck itself anyway. Tires, windsheild, shocks, and rear bumper, locks all need some attention as well. I'll keep you posted.

thanks pete! That makes sense. Really helped me understand the gearing. As for the o2 sensor it has been replaced already right before I failed aircare. It failed on the oxides of nitrogen (NOx) scored 2661.00 and max allowable is 1291.00.

Alright well I'm still thinking. Did another search around for other Comanche's on the market and there is still no real other alternatives. I am going to talk to my local jeep custom shop and get a quote to do just instal. I don't mind taking the donor apart but putting it back together again worries me. I am going to have them put a new cat on it this week so it can pass Canadian air quality tests (Just failed) and at the same time have them tell me the gearing that is in the truck. I will also put together a parts list and narrow down the exact donor I am looking for. I have $2000 max I can put into this conversion at the momment so I hope I can make something work. Can you guys help with a few questions: How do you tell what gearing is in the axle? Will I have to take it apart to check? Say I find a 2.5L, manual, 4x4, XJ with the same gearing as my MJ what other piece's will I have to source? The drive shaft being longer on MJ's than XJ's. How do I overcome this? Can mine be easily cut down or will I have to outsource it from somewhere else? How many hours would you estimate it would take a mechanic to do this conversion? They know Jeep very well and may have done similar work before. Thanks, Ryan

IC... thanks for all the advice guys I really do appreciate it. I will try and wrap my head around all of it. Unfortunately for me I have very little experience in the mechanix department and would really only try and undertake this myself if it was all directly swapable. Seeing as it will be more I complex than this I would be letting my local Jeep custom shop do it for me. To buy a an xj and then have them do the conversion will likley cost thousands.... I am kinda thinking that just looking for a 4X4 comanche to buy and selling my RWD would be a hell of a lot cheaper. It is a shame though because my RWD has only 177,000 km and is is in really good condition. I looked for months for a 4X4 manual and only found one that needed a lot of work and a few others that had been moded and mudded already with huge price tags. Got some thinking to do. Thanks again, Ryan.