neohic

No school today so I spent my time going through the front end and getting to know the new Jeep. Ol' Captain Rafiki was a real mess underneath. I ended up going through and checking every bolt and quite a few were barely tight... the steering box being one of them. :eek: When Austin had it, he ended up tearing the frame around the box. There was a bolt on frame patch but I went ahead and welded it in there. Need to make up a steering box brace that ties over to the other frame rail at some point too. Set the toe, cleaned up some wiring, removed what was left of the TJ rear fender flares, and hung my big ugly bumper on a big ugly Jeep... which I think looks way better on this than it did on my Eliminator. Otherwise things looked pretty good from the firewall forward. It's got a wobble that sure surprised me going around a corner though. Not near as bad as death wobble, but it was enough to make me really test the brakes (which also need some attention). During my road test the mistake was made to go splashing through a puddle as there was no washer fluid bottle anymore. Dug through my stuff and, wouldn't ya know it, I had one from an older XJ. Perfect! Had to reroute some wiring, but it fit in nice and snug where it would've been in the '96 and older models. Had to cut off the ends of the factory wiring to make it work, but I'm sure the Jeep didn't mind. Still a bunch of odds and ends to take care of, but it's nice having almost everything work. The only thing left to do with the wiring is to take a look at why the dome lights aren't working (maybe) and to figure out some reverse lights as the aftermarket boxes don't have room. I'm sure it'll end up in the rear bumper when that time comes... hell, it'll probably get another hand-me-down from the Eliminator! Next weekend I'd like to craw under the rear again. I retorqued the u-bolts already but I think it should get the same attention as the front. I've got a set of ZJ disks that'll probably make their way on. The front brakes need to be freshened up as well. Until then, I'm still trying to figure out where everything is on the dash of these darn '97+ XJs! :laughin:

Is there anything near a factory fresh condition trade with you? :idea:

Okie doke... So yesterday Austin and I made a bit of a trade. My green '91 was a mixture of two of his old trucks. He was getting itchy to move around some of his vehicles and after seeing the grin on his face while driving it, it was pretty clear that it was time to let his truck go back home. Now that leaves me with my half of the deal... and it's kind of a turd. :D Pirate? It talks like one... Baboon? Well... Overall first impressions? She's needs some lovin'... I think the trade went okay. He's happy and now I've got something new to look at. It's been way too long since I've had a scrappy Jeep that I can go out and play with and not worry about... and that was really what I was looking for! While it does look pretty beat (thanks to Austin :shake: ) it's got some pretty good parts. 4.56 gears, Bilsteins, decent 33s... and so on. No lockers but the rear is welded. That'll need to get sorted out being that this is my new winter driver for when the wife and I can't drive into town together. Overall, I'm just about as indifferent about it as I was the green truck. Expect to see not much of a build up as it already is. What it needs is to be gone through and made road worthy again. Probably a bunch of little projects along the way too. Seems strange... this is the newest Jeep I've ever had! Stay tuned. :wrench:

I found it amusing when you were loading it up and talking about the dents. The cracked shifter knob... the cracked windshield... This truck is like a yearbook for you, man! Now on to "Long John Rafiki" to get that turd road worthy. :laughin:

:( x2. Sorry to hear that, dude.

... more on that later.

Funny how some things come full circle...

:(

I rotated mine 90* when I rebuilt years ago without any issues of clearance using the original RENIX filter adapter. It's a little tight getting the filter out from the top but I've always just gone through the bottom anyhow. That reminds me of how it's always been difficult to get a filter started in that truck. Pretty sure the threads are a little crossed towards the top... I should probably do the swap to standard threads.

And here I was expecting to see Hound from the old cartoon.

Is a rear bumper on that list yet? :D

Thanks for updating... love this truck. :thumbsup:

Link?

Never thought of that. Details... details...

Been looking around off and on at real estate sites trying not to get excited about things... then I found this today. :) http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/371-Raven-Dr_Idaho-Springs_CO_80452_M28153-72303?row=16 Been on and off the market for a while now. Maybe it'll still be available when the time comes to at least have a look at. :crossfingers:

Made up a set of bumpers for Austin (xjrev10) and I decided to toss the front on to get some wheels turning. Not really sure what to think. I like it... but I'm not in love with it. It's pretty easy to make up a bumper for these things but it's getting difficult to make one that stands out, ya know? Seems like the majority of the aftermarket and DIY kits out there pretty much all look alike. Hmm... I don't know yet. Maybe it just needs a little something more. Might just be the thought of seeing something else on there. As much as I didn't like that winch bumper it's just the look that the truck grew into over the years. I've got another week to look at it before Austin comes down to get it. On another note, I've been tripping over a set of 33x14.50 Boggers for a while now and of course I had to move them again. I turned around and one rolled just about in line with the front left... almost as if saying, "bolt me on!"... :rotf: Had a good laugh at it but... uh... no. :ack:

The guy is from MN and Austin (xjrev10) knows him. I would bet he would know a thing or two about it also.

I live on a state highway and it seems like every other time I back something out of the garage it end up with someone at least stopping along the shoulder to have a look.

I think I know yer secret..... :peek:

It was an unfortunate end to what once was a nice MJ. :fs2:

:laughin: Something like that... what a train.

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-12-31/15-things-back-to-the-future-told-us-wed-have-by-2015

Thanks, dude! The kill switch was tied to the battery a while back. I was having a problem that I'd let the battery sit overnight and I'd come back to it being completely dead. Wanting to get the truck on the road, this was my temporary solution. I've since found the issue but it seems like every other year or so I'm finding something else electrical to fix. See, when I got the truck it had already been broken into a couple times and stolen once. The dash wiring is a mess to the radio and used to pop fused quite a bit, and the under hood wiring could use a refresh as well. Not sure what the long term plans are for this truck but a total rewire from the cab forward is definitely a must. :(

Happy 2015, Comanche Club! What a unique group we are... did you know that? Have a look into the depths of so many forum sites around and you'll find that what we share is very special. The members are pleasant, everybody gets along (for the most part, anyhow), and we can proudly say that what binds us all together also binds us all together AROUND THE WORLD! How about that, eh?! To start the year off right, lets have a look at one such truck from the old country. The very first Comanche to shine in the spotlight of MJOTM, 2015 is... TGCJ’s ’91 PIONEER YEAR/MODEL ● 1991 Pioneer ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ● 4.0 HO DRIVETRAIN ● AX15 manual 5speed transmission, NP231J (upgraded by me, original it was a 2wd), axles from a 2.5TD with 3.73 gears and complete overhaul COOLING ● Stock ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ● Stock SUSPENSION/STEERING ● 4" Trailmaster coils, Rubicon Express adjustable Trackbar, Rubicon Express Disconnects INTERIOR ● Stock with a cool steering wheel BRAKES ● Stock LIGHTING ● Stock with roof lights added EXTERIOR ● Complete rust free body with grey vinyl and black accents WHEELS/TIRES ● Alcoa aluminium wheels in 7x15 at the front and 8x15 in the back. 31x10.5 R15 BFGoodrich All Terrain T/As MISCELLANEOUS ● Self made front bumper with the help of Comanche Club, truck bed with aluminium plates, self made HiLift bracket, Flowmaster 44 exhaust system Pre-wrap: During: Post-wrap: Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ● I was searching for parts for my CJ7 and found this Manche. 2 days later it was mine. The car sat about 6 years because of the transmission broke. So I got it very cheap. 2 weeks later i found a transmission with transfer case and one week more 2 axles from a 2.5TD. Then all the small parts for the brakes and the engine. So me and my friend get into the workshop and three days later it runs like new. The next three months I do all the small things and the vinyl wrapping with another friend. And about 5 months after I had bought it, it runs legal on the German streets again. Some things are still to do, but there is enough time. Big thanks to Matze and Denis and my wife!!! CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ● CC is awesome because I get and found so many informations to get this great car back to street. It's so a great community with lot's of information and great guys. Thank you all! ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Thorben, I love the look of this truck! The color is perfect and that matte finish really sets it apart. Simple lift... oversized tires... 4x4 swap... everything you've done with the truck makes sense when building a very usable and unique MJ. I totally dig it! A big tip of the hut, sir! -Ben Click here to view the article

Hell of a story! :thumbsup: