BIGHEEP

Well, I got a 1996 red header panel off craigslist so I threw it on this morning. I forgot the earlier XJ/MJs use a different bezel for the lights and the early bezels won't fit the later header panels. I just happened to have on later model bezel. I will have to either modify the old bezel or pick up another. One thing I did learn by putting on the new header panel is that the front of the truck is more tweaked then I thought. I guess this will never be a show truck. :) Check out those gaps.

I love the street sign table. I may have to make one for my man cave. Really great work on all the projects. :thumbsup:

So have we! That truck is awesome.

I have only got a few things done on the MJ in the last few months. Straightened the front frame rails enough to hang a bumper. I added a push button for starting the Jeep. I will end up drilling and mounting it on the dash but for now it is easier than jumping the starter with a screw driver. I was bored so I mounted light bar off my old XJ on the roof. I will be replacing the old rusty lights with something a little more low profile. I also got new loaded caliper and rotors for the D30 from Rock Auto along with a Dakota rear brake hose. I should also be picking up a red header panel this week. I will hopefully finally be tearing into this truck in the next few weeks.

A Comanche with a utility bed..... Nice! I want one.

Looks like you need to adjust out those arms out a bit. Your axle is shifted way back.

I did the hood, headlight trim and tops of the fenders on my YJ. I plan on painting them to match the rest of the Jeep but until them I wanted the Jeep to look a little more presentable. It has been on a few months and has held up ok. If you are going to stay on the pavement I think it would be fine. It is now peeling from the leading edge of my hood from contact with branches while wheeling.

First let me say I really like the "your other ongoing projects" section of the forum. It is really cool to see what other cars/Jeeps...errr beds that other people are into. For me I have a few Jeeps but my YJ is my main project. The problem is I have a big thread on another forum for it and honestly I don't really feel like making another. Not to mention it is "built" for the most part. I was thinking that maybe we could have a pinned spot for members to post their "other Jeeps". I was thinking a few pics and a list of specs. Just so we can share our other passions without having to document every little thing we did to them over the years.

I removed the front bumper and cracked header panel today so I could get a better look at the front end damage. There doesn't seem to be much of any damage past the bumper mounting locations on the frame rail. Now I just need to straighten it out enough to hang a bumper. I may plate the front section of the uniframe to stiffen things up a bit. I snapped a couple pics but they don't show the damage very well.

Fired up the Comanche today to move it. I have to use a screw driver to jump the starter. My old XJ did the same thing. It was the ignition switch and I ended up just installing a push button for the starter. I am thinking I will do the same on this one. When I fired it up last weekend the gas gauge was on empty so I threw a couple of gallons of fresh gas in it. Today I noticed an strong odder of gas coming from the truck. It is leaking gas from the rear. This truck is not overly rusty so I don't think the tank is rusted through. I will have to wait till I get it in the driveway to find out where it is coming from. On another note today I was going through a box of Jeep stuff my buddy gave me when he sold his TJ and found a pair of sway bar disconnects. If I remember correctly they are Full Traction and suck but hey, they are free and better than nothing. I will probably replace them with some JKS in the future. I also found some 97+ fenders, header panel, wiring and doors for sale locally. One fender is dented and the header panel has a crack but they are red and dirt cheap so I am going to grab them.

It doesn't matter the t case housing is the same.

Well, last weekend I finally fired up the truck and drove it around the yard. That is all it took to get me going on building this thing again. So I started searching Craigslist for a front axle. After going back and forth via text messages with a guy that lived one town over from my work I finally picked up my new to me D30 today. It is a HP, non disconnect out of a 96 XJ. It has 3.55 gears to match the current rear axle in my truck. It came out of a registered and NH safety inspected XJ and has new u-joints, a new upper ball joint and 2 new unit bearings. The only thing it will need is brakes. I am going to swap in the axle with the lift. Then once I have all the parts ready (need a front driveshaft and a few other things) I will swap in the 4WD AW4 and NP231.

Yep, the 5.9 was only available in the 98 Limited. All other v8 ZJs came with the 5.2.

Cool, let us know how it looks. Here is a pic of my 56.

Snap off the bolts. Pop them out with an air chisel. Put bolts in from the back side with a lock washer. There is enough room to get behind with a wrench. This is also a good time to upgrade to BPEs and be done.

It's not as heavy duty as it looks. It is a twin traction beam axle not a solid axle. It is a variant of IFS with CV shafts. It looks so big because it is actually part of the suspension system.

It is a strange two piece Dana 35 axle that is designed to work in that truck with its suspension design. It would take a huge amount of work to make it fit. The D35 is not exactly known for their strength. XJ D30 axles are cheap and common. Save yourself a headache.

I have a 1988 SWB AW4 2WD Comanche that I am planning on going SOA with. A 4WD convertion is in it's future but can I get away with running the stock driveshaft for occasional street use for now until I do the swap? Maybe with a YJ yoke to give me a bit more spline engagement?

I agree it would be a dog. And to think he put ARBs in with those gears. The guy at ARB must have been like "Hey, clean the dust off that ARB for a model 20 with a 2.73 carrier. We finally have a buyer!"

Not if it is stock gearing. That was the standard gearing with the 258.

Ever head up towards NH? I don't need a tailgate but it never hurts to have a spare.

I have no doubt that links made for a one ton Ford would work fine on a truck that weighs half as much. Just because something doesn't have a fancy aftermarket companys name on it doesn't mean it is inferior. With that being said I do agree with JeepcoMJ about the suspention of this MJ. Spring boosters are unsafe. Nothing is holding them in there but pressure. They have been known to get loose and fall out while you are driving. Those rear shackles are scarey as well. They are thin, way to long, have no bracing and from the pics look like they are not even installed correctly because they are not designed to fit a Comanche. If you do go mudding I am suprised you have not folded them over yet. I understand not having a lot of cash to spend but just slapping a few cheap parts on your truck to make it higher is not smart or safe and in the long run is just throwing your money away. Lifting a truck correctly cost money and is not cheap..... period. It is kind of a package deal type of thing. You can not just throw in one piece without addressing others like the length of your brake lines, control arms, track bar and end links. My advice would be take those scary parts off your Jeep and just wait till you have the money to lift it safely. Also stick with this forum and learn all you can. You will learn low dollar upgrades and the knowledge to do things to your Jeep correctly and safely.

For only 2" of lift I would go with a RE1600 track bar. It does not come with the HD bracket but for under $120 through Amazon it is a bargain. I ran one in my XJ, put it in a MJ for a bit then sold it to a friend who is still running it in his TJ. I originally bought it over ten years ago and it is still in use today.

You are close to the limits of the stock steering. A pitman arm with a bit of drop would help take some stress off the joint. If you are going to wheel your MJ you might want to upgrade to something stronger like ZJ steering.

When I adjust it will it put the steering wheel out of wack or will I be able to keep it centered without playing with the other tie rods? Put the wheels straight, center the steering box and adjust the drag link adjuster until the TRE seats in the pitman arm. That should get you close. If the truck sees lots of street use it will need an alignment. Remember to maintain close to equal amounts of thread on both sides of the adjuster