JeepcoMJ

first, have you verified that the front frame rails are straight, and that the front axle is on track? I ask that because I notice a distinct lack of passenger inner fender... second, you will need fenders from a '97-01 and header panel as well. as for what is broken/missing in the front passenger engine bay, same years apply. windshield can be '95-01 air bags (if deployed) will work from '97-01, but keep in mind that the '97-'98 non-cruse steering wheel air bag is different from the '97-01 cruise air bag, and that '99-01 use the same air bag no matter what (cruise/non-cruise)

thanks for the pics. cause i couldn't understand the writing. but congrats on the buy!

so, if we have a mass suicide, does that mean the 2012 jeep comanche will come out? :hmm: I'll do it. but you guys go first. :rotf:

pick a date. I'll take off work when I know, but I need to know 2 weeks in advance. want to carpool rob? or just do a caravan trip?

yep. we're the best.

well here is an :idea: just get a few solar panels to provide you juice and get some electric blankets so that you have a heated floor under the jeep a layer of vinyl over the blanket in case of spills then cover the rest of the bottom open areas with a shower curtain and magnets to limit the cold air from getting under vehicle and the temp should rise to about workable conditions. All is needed is a few batteries, power inverter and some additional solar panels heck with the money gets good get wind power too :nuts: but it just might work :cheers: then I'd have to sweep/shovel the roof, since it's the only thing around the shop that gets direct sunlight. next...

neener neener :P

Wear layers. I'm sure the winters get much colder than here in NJ, but I was out in my shop all winter without any heat, but I invested in some good thermal underwear a while back and it has been worth every penny. Got it from Eastern Mountain Sports and it's generally used for outdoor winter activities. I got the heaviest stuff they had. I also use a radiant propane heater and will use it to warm my hands and body up every 15 minutes or so, but it got pretty expensive filling that tank up every couple weeks or so. Problem is, with a REAL job, you won't have the time to come home and work on that CRD MJ. I'm in this position now. I have a 40-hour/week job and a steady income, but no time to do the things I want to do. Get home around 6PM, eat dinner, feed dog, and I'm lucky to get down to my shop by 7. Get a couple hours of work in there and then head back home to shower, sleep, and wake up for work the next day. I don't really enjoy my job all that much either. I have a very loose grasp on the concepts that my company specializes in and I never really contribute any good ideas to improve upon existing designs of the products we engineer. I get very disinterested in the work and am constantly put into uncomfortable situations with clients where I cannot come up with the right answer because I don't have the knowledge or experience, but because my company is so small and our resources are stretched so thin, I'm forced to do things and pretend like I know what I'm doing. I'm currently dithering quite a bit on voluntarily leaving my job to pursue a different career path. One thing I have found is that if I truly enjoy doing something (design and prototyping, for example), I'll put in 110% and the end result is something that I'm proud of. I don't get that satisfaction whatsoever with my current job. I took it because I was running out of money and they made me a decent offer, but I knew from the very beginning that I wasn't going to be a good fit. -10 degrees was common this past winter at my house, I have a 40x80 pole barn to heat, that's un-insulated and gravel. I rent, landlord won't allow me to put concrete and/or walls in unless I do it at my dime. I won't do it on my dime because I don't own the house. I'd own the house if he was realistic on value of the house. regardless...yes, I have underarmor pants, shirt, even gloves and socks...with the walmart brand coveralls, it's still not warm enough for me to wrench on something. I draw the line when I can gouge a chunk out of my skin and not feel it....i won't work in that. And I feel you on disinterest in your job. I build semi trucks out of wrecks that no other company would touch. I don't give a @#$% about them, or my job...if not simply because when I ask what to do, I get yelled at...and if I do something without asking...I get yelled at. it's hard to be happy in a lose-lose situation.

i know how you feel. This I picked up to fix and flip. I'm going to go bail my ex-room mate out and pick up his jeep out of impound for impound and tow costs...keep it off his credit, gives me another lifted 97 to fix quick and sell. I'm honestly thinking of quitting my job to do this...I hate my job, I like working on jeeps. if I can get myself ahead of the game, it may pan out. the problem here is winters....need heated concreted garage to work on stuff in the winter, and I don't have that...

lol... I seem to find these once or twice a month. I just wish I could afford to buy some of the deals that I find. Jim, I have 14 vehicles on my property...

under 200k. I honestly didn't even care, since it was under 200k. I think 156,000

bought another '97...this one with no body damage, minimal rust (needs driver's floor pan), bent front axle, but good control arms (mounts are bent on passenger side...axle tubes are straight) 4.0/auto. has cruise. aside from the front axle, it needs a muffler, speakers, stereo, rear hatch latch fixed, new driver's door handle, and a windshield. I'll get it fixed for under $1000, going to put my JCR stage 4 and rusty's rear bumper on it, budget boost to make look agressive, aftermarket rims, and a set of 31's I have laying around. I figure on getting around $2500 out of it when I'm done. another day in paradise -Pat

I have never once seen torx bolts on the frame side of the UCA. actually, other than the body side UCA, on late model xj's, I've never seen a torx bolt other than the sway bar links. but what do I know...I've only owned 27 or 28 comanches.

it gives you pretty much the same end result if you put it in a vehicle.

nice...but I fail to see what a torx bit has to do with the front axle...other than the sway bar links. and the heads are so accessible that you can hold it with a vice grips. don't let the little things hold you up...keep up the progress, this will be a nice truck (so long as you don't jump it :P)

Thats what I'm hoping, is that just switching stock for stock I can keep the nice wear pattern. Ya I can imagine yours was harder to pull, that thing was BENT. I think I'm going to try cutting it out tomorrow, grinder and earplug time man. I could have pulled it IF it was a non-disconnect, and I could grab the ears and pull. but I had the problem you're having...could not push from the opposite side with a punch, couldn't get it any other way. grinder will take awhile...you don't have a torch to chop it out? that took only a few minutes... Nope, and I can't justify buying a plasma cutter just for this. I don't have any ears to pull on, since this is a WJ shaft its a CV, so there are no ears to pull, just a splined shaft after I ripped the CV joint off of it. I'm really starting to hate CV's. I can do some neat things with an oxy/acedaline torch that the average joe can easily do with a plasma cutter.... and you can get a small backpack torch fairly cheap. they're extremely nice to have around...love mine, and I can cut as thin as 1/8" wide lines through 1" steel with it, if I take my time and let the torch do the work. just pointing out that a plasma cutter capable of cutting through something as thick as an axle tube really is overkill, and there are cheaper options...

Thats what I'm hoping, is that just switching stock for stock I can keep the nice wear pattern. Ya I can imagine yours was harder to pull, that thing was BENT. I think I'm going to try cutting it out tomorrow, grinder and earplug time man. I could have pulled it IF it was a non-disconnect, and I could grab the ears and pull. but I had the problem you're having...could not push from the opposite side with a punch, couldn't get it any other way. grinder will take awhile...you don't have a torch to chop it out? that took only a few minutes...

are you trying to save the 3.55 axle itself, or put the gears into the 3.73 axle? should be a pretty close wear pattern between the two. When I bent my d30, I had to torch the axle tube out between the UCA mounts dead center of the axle. once the tube was torched, I was able to remove the shaft, and remove the carrier and pinion. the gears had a nice pattern when they went in the new housing...almost perfect.

week and flimsy. I'm going to clone that for the 3800, using a '97 front bumper...but stronger brackets. and you're damn right that wouldn't hold up. try a side pull with the fair lead running through that flimsy stamped sheet metal bumper...

:rotf: :rotfl2: I should make a movie called "Grumpy Young Men"...

I'm another birthday boy. 24 today. can't wait for car insurance drop next year.... birthdays go downhill when there's nothing to look forward to. 16, you can drive. 18, you now have rights. 21, you can drink. 25, your car insurance gets cheaper, and you can rent cars. my next mile mark after 25 will be 65. right when I start to go senile, but am still lucid enough to have fun with it....

if it's traditional, and it's been in the fraternity's posession for an extended time, driven around for this that and another....point out all of that to the judge, and say simply "this is the first time we've had an issue with it, we use it like this in parades, and this is the first time anyone has brought up any issue with using the vehicle as it was designed to be used" and point out that the max speed on that thing is extremely low compared to today's standards, and that it does indeed take awhile to get there...those things aren't quick by any means.

I have to ask...what is the point either way? it's a fraternity...not a transportation service, not a fire department, and not the campus shop class. It's a cool truck...I just think that it defeated it's purpose by simply belonging to a fraternity. seems there are better things to put your guy's money into...

Keep in mind that the torque curve and hp curve meet at just over 3200rpm in an amc 2.5 liter and that is where out will have it's best performance. I got 24mpg interstate at 70 mph with my four cylinder 86 cherokee running 3200rpm

you guys will want to plan this awhile off...I was there sunday 4/3 and they had maybe 7 jeeps all told, 4 of which were grands, 3 of which were xj's...and the xj's were pretty much stripped.