neohic

Gentlemen... every month I have the joy of writing the MJOTM thread. Each month I get to shine the spotlight in a different direction and each month is cool for its own reason. Sometimes though... sometimes I look forward to another month well in advance. Think of it like being a kid waiting for a day to go to the amusement park. You have a tough time sleeping the night before. The morning of you get up way earlier than you need to just to make sure you get there before anyone else. You're on your way to get there, it takes what seems like forever to park, and you go in. You smile at the first sight of the roller coaster but can't help but feel intimidated when you're waiting in line. "Keep your hands and feet in the ride at all times... stay seated at all times..." that whole thing. The rides starts and all the sudden the anxious wait is 100% worth it. The comparison? Just imagine what it'd be to go on this ride! jbain's '88 Chief!!! YEAR/MODEL ●1988 Comanche Chief ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ● Stock 1994 4.0 H.O. DRIVETRAIN ● AW4 Automatic Transmission 1979 F250 Dana 44 Narrowed to waggy width, Detroit Locker, Homebrew Truss with RCV Axles Ford 8.8 rear, welded tubes with disk brakes and Spartan Lunchbox Locker 4.88 gearing on both ends COOLING ● Stock radiator ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ● 91 Wiring Harness Swap SUSPENSION/STEERING ● 5.5" Extreme Duty Rubicon Express Longarm with SOA swap in the rear Rubicon Express Adjustable Trackbar JCR Steering Dakota Steering Box Waggy Dropped Pitman Arm Hockey Puck Bumpstops front and rear Front Limiting Straps INTERIOR ● 2004 Grand Seats Cobra CB Cooler (trail lunchbox) Center Console Roll Cage BRAKES ● Ford F150 up Front Ford Explorer Disk out back 1995 Brake Booster and Master Cylinder Swap LIGHTING ● Trailer Lights Replace the Factory Taillights Stock Up front EXTERIOR ● Home Brew Tube Doors Lexan Rear Glass Factory Front Skid Bedside Skid Rails Home Brew Front and Rear Bumpers Bed Cage Bed Bobbed 6 inches 8k Winch Home Brew Rock Rails Hood Vents CO2 Bottle WHEELS/TIRES ● Stock Ford Rims with DIY Beadlocks 38.5 Super Swamper SX’s MISCELLANEOUS ● Like many of you I started in an XJ but always wanted a Comanche…. especially a Chief. I finally found the perfect truck so I started parting out my XJ to come up with the money. I’m really lucky to be part of a local club that really helps each other out. Work is often traded for work and this is how most of my truck got to where it is today. Most of the parts are secondhand from Craigslist or build from scratch. BUILD THREAD Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ● It was my best day…. it was my worse day. When I started this project it was getting a new paint job, a cowl hood and a lot of custom graphics. However, I quickly realized that the Comanche I wanted to build was completely different than the Comanche I wanted to wheel. I didn’t want an EXO… I wanted an inside cage… but an inside cage meant body damage or green trails. Fast Forward 6 months and I’m wheeling with a group of Crawlers and buggies that were running a real tough trail. I knew better than to attempt it but I was sure my MJ could make it. Long story short I completed the trail and did it without taking the hook…. but my drivers B Pillar and bedside would never be the same. As I climbed a nearly vertical embankment into the access road I felt a flood of pride and relief for completing a trail I had no business attempting. As I assessed the damage a sick feeling grew in the pit of my stomach when I realized my MJ would never be what I originally planned. Today my MJ (aka Chief) has dents on almost every panel ….. but he wears them with pride. CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ● Like-minded people in pursuit of the perfect project all in one place….. what could be more awesome. ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Holy $#!&, Jerry. Your Chief is something special now isn't it? Completely purpose built and built amazingly well! With the thread going on right now about an Eastern Pow Wow I know I'll be trying to be there with one of the main reasons of riding shotgun (or driving? :D ) this truck. Whether it be the diamond in the rough or the gem in the goats @$$, I think it's perfect. Beautiful job. Wouldn't change a thing... except more dents. -Ben Click here to view the article

Damn dude! Sorry to see that. :(

There's a lot of misinformation out there on that, I decided to see for myself. I'll get the diff out tomorrow and post some pictures up. I kept the 27 spline side gears and I'll compare the two... :popcorn:

I lust lit up when I saw this picture. :) That seat looks gorgeous! As for the axle, can't you just swap the spider gears to make the current carrier a 29 spline?

Nice! You, sir, deserve a beer for your efforts. Better crack one open and pretend it's on me. Thanks, Jay!

The hole spacing is 4.5"x2.5"? What about the maximum size the plate can be? :bowdown: PM sent.

Does anyone have dimensions for the rear bumper brackets on a Cherokee? There's four bolts on each side holding the bumper on. When removed, it'll look like this... I need to throw together a bumper for a Cherokee friend but I'm trying to do this with a limited time window. Hoping to have all my ducks in a row before the main event, so to speak. Can someone help me out? Pretty much looking for dimensions on hole spacing and height/width tolerances if I were to make up a couple plates like these... Any help is much appreciated. Thanks, dudes! :cheers:

It's a terrifying thought, but we do not in MN. nothing here in MI either. I for one am happy about it though... I wish that there was at least some kind of inspection... even if it were only when every few years. I think it'd keep a bunch of the scary crap off the roads. When I was working in repair you wouldn't believe the vehicles that some people would drive up in! :eek:

Ha! I sure hope he doesn't plan on making one good MJ out of these two. Hell, probably not even enough good steel left between the two of them to make one good one! :laughin:

It's a terrifying thought, but we do not in MN.

I was thinking more along the lines as a trail rig. I mean... check that articulation, right? :D

Meh... I would've ran that. :dunno:

Fingers crossed for next weekend now. Got a few things done this weekend anyhow. Been working quit a bit on my shop lately trying to freshen it up but also threw some time at this. Ever since I painted it I never put any rear speakers in it. Found the 6x9s I had intended to use so many years ago and cleaned them up. They fit perfectly behind the seats as the boxes are very low profile. While I was checking things over I found that my CB crapped out. Not too surprised with that... that one got passed around a few vehicles of mine over the past twelve years to so. Replaced the cheap-o Cobra DX III with a DX IX... so it's a huge upgrade. While I was taking pictures I shot one of the alternator for those who don't know what they look like. Still trying to get a few more miles on it before the snow flies too. :crossfingers:

Looks nice Do the backs tilt forward for access behind the seat? Now if they came in a nice gray leather.... They do not. Hasn't been an issue though. I'm sure it'd be nice if they did but I just don't like leaving stuff behind the seats to rattle around anyhow.

:( ... or maybe next weekend. My buddy bailed on me.

Where in MN are you planning on calling home?

Anybody know what this is?... In MN you need to have an OHV registration and sticker to be allowed on state trails. You know what that means? That means that this little truck is going to see some trails for the first time in six or seven years! :eek: Well over due to say the least. The last time this was really offroad I wasn't even a member here... that's a friggen long time ago!!! So I went over the whole truck today in planning for this weekend. A friend and I are going down to Appleton, MN. Not an overly exciting park at all so I'm hoping that this is the spark that'll get me interested in dirt again. Never checked for bump stops before. Everything bottomed out just fine without any tire/fender contact but I think the shocks are a little too short all around. Ah well... I know... I know... barely even a poser shot but I also swapped in a new alternator this afternoon and was out on a test drive. Forgot I had the camera in the truck so this was really all I got. Threw together a small recovery bag and strapped in my small CO2 bottle. Added some more sticker power just for good measure too. Hoping for a good weekend.

I used seats from a 2004 Ford Escape. They are roughly the same width as the stock seats so they fit very well. Really nice to have some lumbar support in the driver's seat too! ... really old picture. They have since been thoroughly cleaned. I used the stock seat rails and made up some adapter mounts to put the Ford stuff on the Jeep stuff.

I kind of like the looks of the heavy duty Liberty bumper on the front. Matches the lines pretty good.

I love this truck. Every time you update this thread, the first thought in my head is always...

That's amazing. Just imagine the attachment that couple had to that old Merc... The whole story is a real dream. :)

So goes the snowball effect. :nuts:

Awe, shucks... :oops: :D

I thought you had that Chevy somethin'-or-other for a plow truck?... what about that rusty truck? :hmm:

Judging from your pictures I would have a blast with that!