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Lately I’ve been taking after my father jpnjim and learning all I can about Comanches, I’ve been to this forum multiple times over the past few years and just recently decided to join and post. If you are not familiar with this truck I’ll tell you about it. Its a 1989 pioneer short bed 2wd and column shift auto and the bulletproof 4.0 it is a manual window, no ac, low option low mileage truck currently having about 53k miles. The interior is nearly perfect and the exterior just needs a little work to be spot on. It’s a great truck. My dad had put on 97+ mirrors, a bed liner, and a tonneau cover along with the non idiot light gauge pack. Also adding a metric ton leaf setup in the back and some sagged 3” coils on the front and some 29” snow tires to make it movable in the snow up here. I proceeded to sometime around last year bring the truck out of its parking spot where it was for a few years, and get it ready for when I got my license. I washed, polished, and cleaned it up just in time to get my license. And recently I’ve started modifying by removing the bed liner and putting on the oldstyle mirrors along with painting the inside of the bed. Below I’ll post some before and after shots. Edit: 2023 For better cover Photo Page 1: Cb Radio, Fire extinguisher, Journey to Chrome Page 2: 21slot, Air horn, Limited seats, Visor Page 3: Enclosed Trailer, Chrome Ravines Page 4: Page 5: Page 6:

So I plan on doing the 4wd conversion to my 1989 2wd automatic 4.0L MJ. I obviously want the cheapest route and don't mind the work needed. I guess my question is, if i found another xj within the years 87-90 (renix) does everything swap right in? besides the rear driveshaft (I know that would have to be re-sized). I also have an automatic tranny right now and keeping it would be less costly and less work than getting a manual trans but would my ax4 be a good match up for a transfer case? Or would I have to swap the trans from a donor with a 4x4 auto? This is my first big project for me so help would be appreciated! :thumbsup:

New here, 88 mj 2wd swb - been working on upgrades and dependability. it’s still a work in progress, so don’t mind the mess. then vs now a little clip of the cam idle IMG_9799.MOV

Hey Guys! I'm down in South Florida, just snagged a 88' Comanche Pioneer for cheap last week! I'm super excited, I'm a big fan of Comanche's. Can't wait for the journey. 88 Comanche Pioneer -2wd Aw4 (doesn't catch in drive, gotta start on 1st) -Floor pan rust (both sides) -Toolbox -Headliner needs work -Dash cracked -Orignal rims -Back window seal leak I'm excited to get to work honestly. I'm taking baby steps and doing it right. Gonna restore, weld, drill and paint my way into a restored Comanche!

1988, Comanche, Pioneer 4.0 L / 2WD / Long Wheelbase Build date: Sticker Un-Readable Current Location: South East, Georgia, Atlanta Status: Still on the road - no rust - Work in Process Notes: I purchased this from a guy who had 3 Jeeps - Cherokee and 2 Comanches. I own two 95 YJs that I have tinkered with that my kids now drive. I wanted a truck and something else to tinker with so, I thought this would be a good option for me. The previous owner did a ton of mechanical work on the truck. I have stripped down the doors and windows and replaced all the rubber and fixed the vent windows, Replaced the big front bumper with a stock one. Had the Jeep painted. I am currently working on the stock flares and brackets.... you know the drill and plan to get the front window frame powder coated - the paint I tried did not work well. What's Next... Replace Carpet Lettering on Tailgate Rear Shocks - The Jeep has a 4 1/2" Rubicon lift but has the stock shocks on the rear which are topped out. Idle Sensor Tinker with a starting issue. Doesn't crank on the first try - much prefers the second turn of the crank. Bed Liner Hitch or Rear Bumper w/ Hitch A/C has a slow leak Spare Tire Holder Cabin Lights Reverse Lights Emergency Brake Tool Box and what ever else comes up or I think is necessary or desirable... Mostly - Just have fun. :cheers: This forum has been AWESOME. There are some very talented folks and the information that is shared really helps us weekend tinkerers. A BIG "Thank You" to everyone who shares.

VIN: 1JTHS6417JT136370 YEAR: 1988 MAKE: JEEP MODEL: COMANCHE MILES: 167,499.3 COMPRESSION RATIO: 9.2-1 ENGINE: 2.4L 4 CYL TBI TRANS: MANUAL TRANSFERCASE: 2WD FUEL SYSTEM: THROTTLE BODY FUEL INJECTION BED: 6FT WHEEL BASE: 113INCH OVERALL WIDTH: 71.7INCHES OVERALL LENGTH: 179.3 INCHES OVERALL HEIGHT: 63.7 INCHES GROSS WEIGHT: 4,001 - 5,000 LBS EXTERIOR: RED WITH SPORTRUCK DECAL INTERIOR: GREY WITH VINYL BENCH SEAT BUILD DATE: FEBRUARY 18TH 1988 ASSEMBLY PLANT: TOLEDO, OH., U.S.A. COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURER: UNITED STATES MANUFACTURED: JEEP CORPORATION CURRENT LOCATION: WEST BRANCH, MICHIGAN STATUS: 2ND OWNER, STORED SAFELY, CLEANED REGULARLY, IN PROCESS OF OVERHAUL FROM ROAD WORTHY TO SHOW WORTHY UNIQUE TOUCHES: CUSTOM TOPPER

Sorry for the late one this month, but here it is! December 2019-The Sleigh Santa Wanted-eaglescout526’s 1988 (Little Red Wagon) YEAR/MODEL ● 1988 Comanche Pioneer. Equipped with mostly factory equipment and has been kept stock with a touch of personalization. ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ● 150 CID 2.5L TBI Renix. Factory with "American Air dealer installed AC" setup, cruise control and power steering. AMC logo hard plastic valve cover is on too. No C101 delete. DRIVETRAIN ● 5-speed Aisin AX5 trans. Second trans. COOLING ● Factory standard cooling with OEM radiator and water pump. ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ● Renix Factory ICM and distributor with Mopar cap, rotor and wires. SUSPENSION/STEERING ● Factory suspension with JK shocks on the front and rear. Factory steering set up. INTERIOR ● Factory charcoal color interior panels with custom tweed headliner and door panels, Full '87 Blue Face Cluster, charcoal bench seat with Native American design blanket as a seat cover, 3-spoke leather wrapped sport type steering wheel, Renix era horn button, black with silver dash bezel and vents, custom charcoal dashmat with Comanche stitched in on the glove box fabric and chrome trim are around the handles and arm rests. All panels except dash have been repainted to their factory color. BRAKES ● Factory front discs and rear drums with operational height sensing valve. Operational factory E-brake. LIGHTING ● Factory lamps all around(with recommended headlight harness), cargo light and NOS fog lamps from Sears and Roebuck. LED light strip under hood that's hooked up to a factory rocker switch and a factory under hood retractable lamp. Factory style replacement Euramtec dome lights, courtesy lights, ash tray light and cigar lighter trim ring light are installed for the interior lighting. EXTERIOR ● Factory Colorado Red BE paint with Pioneer package trim level with factory running boards, factory remote control mirrors, AMC Jeep mud flaps, rear FEY bumper with factory front bumper, 21 slot grill for 80's Jeep awesomness, factory bed mat and tailgate liner with chrome wrap over and a AMC Jeep front plate with Renix plate mount to distinguish from the Mopars. 4 pane sliding rear window and cargo light. Mopar wheel locks are on the wheels to deter theft. Spare tire carrier is a GM carrier with the OEM carrier used as brackets to hold the GM carrier in place. WHEELS/TIRES ● Jeep five spoke rim with "Jeep" engraved. Toyo Extensas A/S 215/75R15 tires with white walls. MISCELLANEOUS ● Club is used, driving gloves and hat are equipped on driver when driving. For now she has a Pioneer stereo head and four speaker but will get a factory one RX-141. Intermittent wipers are equipped. To be equipped in the near future are a OEM vanity mirror, RX-141 radio, tow hooks and front skid plate. Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ● I swear I have the most boring time in Little Red, so i’ll share some experiences. One time I was driving home on the freeway and the trans exploded from all the poly bushings vibrations. Then another MJ owner saw me pulled over and stopped to chat and told me to hop on here. Still don't know who that member is to this day. One time I was driving home and an XJ owner pulled up and gave me a thumbs up of approval. Another time I was driving home from my grandparents and a guy in a Mercedes rolled down his window and chatted about my truck and his 86 XJ till the light changed. My favorite story though is when Pirate and I finally met up and hung out at AMC salvage. Pulling parts and teaching him how to do some basic things. That was a real fun day we had, talkin Jeeps and hanging out. Me on the left and Pirate on the right with Graham Cracker.(Old picture, duh) We also met up at Jeep Jam and our MJ's stole the show, that was awesome! CC is Awsome!... Tell us why● This club is pretty awesome! Probably unlike any other car club out there. We all have knowledge and trucks to share, jokes and stories to tell by the fire and coveted NOS parts to treasure. If I hadn't known about the clubs existence by using search terms with "Comanche" in them, I would have probably not had Little Red for as long as I have. I appreciate all of you and could very well consider you guys family away from family as this place makes everyone feel welcome, no matter how simple or difficult the question we all may have. That's why CC is awesome! Build Thread here: I would also like to extend a huge thank you to @eaglescout526 for all of the work he has done with the NOS parts that he lists for sale and all of the help he has done with the registry! Have a Happy Holiday and New Year! Edit: WE NOW HAS PICS WITH NEW GRAPHICS!!!! I might need to get some stripes for mine now...

This is my first attempt at completely rebuilding/restoring a vehicle. I have no previous mechanic experience. I was curious if anyone would give me some advice on the process. What needs to be done first? I have drained most of the fluids. Removing the gas tank is next. But after that, do I just clear everything out underneath the hood? How do I check to see if I need to replace my engine (supposedly it has a cracked head gasket; and if its not terrible I should be able to replace it, correct?). I am open to any suggestions. I am flying blind on this one. I have checked YouTube for help, and found a few videos; but nothing showing the entire process of rebuilding and restoring. Any direction to a website or video would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Well, I guess this is the start to my build thread! won't really be a build just the progress of my daily. I’ve had her for like 2 months now and so far ive: Replaced both window regulators Fixed a lower radiator hose leak Got a steal on new taillights Did front breaks New tires Window tint Right now I'm working on chasing down a TCU problem. My trans isnt shifting on its own so I have to go 1-3-4. I’ve got some big plans for this truck in the future its just a matter of saving up! If you want to follow the build closer follow my insta @ DannyD815 I will add more photos when I can!

Looking at the RC 4.5 Lift for my 1989 MJ 2WD. My question is, Can i use it on my 2WD MJ or is it only for 4WD MJs

Ok so I have an 89 jeep comanche 2wd with the 4.0 inline 6 automatic trans. I am thinking of buying this 86 jeep comanche 4wd with Gm 2.8l v6 automatic trans! Will the transfer out of that bolt up to my tans or no!

Well, this is my intro post and the start of my build thread. My name is Brent and I'm a jeepaholic. I'm not new to jeeps as this is my 3rd that I've owned and the 4th in the family. First jeep was owned by my father back in the early 2000's. It was a 1992 XJ 2wd 4door. It had around 250,000 miles when the speedo quit, therefor the odometer stopped working and we had no idea how many miles it actually had after that. We kept it for a while then regretfully sold it. Second jeep was a 1999 XJ 4wd 4door. I still have this one, it's my crawler/trail beater/trailer queen. I'll post more about it later. Third was a 2005 WK 5.7hemi. I bought it to tow my XJ with and for a DD. It was a fantastic vehicle to the motor gave up at 136,000... Sold. Now we have the MJ. I purchased this beast on Sep 6th 2015 from a guy about an hour away from me. Plans are to treat it with respect and restore and clean the truck to use as a DD. I have no plans to lift and offroad it due to I have the XJ for that and I need a solid DD. Specs: 1988 4.0 183,000miles 5speed 2wd shortbed Most everything on the truck is factory although I have noticed somethings have been replaced. I'm not sure what # owner I am but I think either 3rd or 4th. The truck had some issues when purchased of course, first thing I noticed was surging at idle until it was drove and warmed up, second was an oil leak from the pan (according to the PO) that dripped on the exhaust, then there were the obvious things, paint is crap, couple dents and holes in the body, underside was covered in grime from the oil leak, headliner had been taken out and carpet was long gone... On the plus side, It has a new valve cover gasket, battery, cables and starter. New radiator for a newer model xj (according to PO) and an updated cooling system (according to PO). Floor pans have had the rust cut out and has been patched by the PO and rolled with what looks to be cheap bedliner. Bluetooth radio with some crap speakers behind the seat and a decent set of rubbers. Black interior with a freshly reupholstered bench seat in naugahyde. So far I have eliminated the c101 connector, freshened up the grounds (i have cable and stuff to replace some of them and do the standard ground add-on's), replaced the oil pan gasket (which made the leak alot worse), went through all the plugs under the hood and truck and cleaned and greased, gave it a well needed bath, changed oil and filter, inspected the entire thing from top to bottom, greased all the zerk fittings, and cleaned the interior. I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff but if you are still reading at this point, you either have no life or are a true champion. I will be posting pictures when I have the chance although I have come to find out that posting pictures to this site is a pain to say the least. Some will be with my phone and some with my camera. but for now you only get a couple outside pictures. I'll post more tomorrow.

I got a 2000 XJ as my first car, I bought it from my neighbor who had served in the marines stationed on the Hawaiian islands. Three years later, after spending endless time, money, sweat, and blood on it. Someone rear-ended me, totaled the Jeep and bent the uni-frame out of shape. I had always liked comanches and cherokees, so I decided I would find an MJ to transfer my XJ's heart, soul, and skin on to. I found a 1989 Eliminator in Lake Havasu City, Arizona with 130,000 miles, rust free, and a clean title. It was too good to let go. After an 8 hour drive through a ton of desert and Las vegas at rush hour, in a Jeep held together by prayers, I finally had it home. Little did I know that this MJ had spent time in Hawaii too :thumbsup:

Ok,so I'm very new to Comanches. So new in fact, I had no idea what they were up until a couple months ago when I was forwarded a post of one for sale. Well I bought it and I love it. I think it would be very cool to convert it to 4wd and from what I could figure out, that should be as easy as finding a doner cherokee and switch the trans and axles. Then I know upgrading to the 4.0 would be really cool as well. Unfortunately that's a much larger job than I could do on my own and since this is my daily driver, I can't be without it too long. I guess what I'm looking for is some quick and fun mods I can do with it now. I'll look more into the big boy mods later when I have the resources and the money. Please feel free to tell me anything, I look forward to learning from this awesome community and help me keep this gem on the road (or off it lol)

I'm looking to buy a fairly clean 2wd comanche, must have 4.0l motor and automatic transmission. Please contact me with any info. thanks

Hi guys, I'm new to this forum so sorry if this has already been covered/asked elsewhere in these forums, but I'm still kinda learning how to navigate. But anyways I've got a 1992 4x4 cherokee loredo, and am in the market looking for a comanche, and I've came across quite a few comanches, but they are all pre-1991 and was wondering what would need to be done (modifications, fabrications, etc) and how hard it would be to swap in EVERYTHING from the cherokee (wiring, harnesses, transmission, t-case, H.O. motor) into the comanche?

HOWDY ALL! So I've been lurking around here for a while researching MJ's and making the decision to buy my first one. I've got an XJ already, but really wanted a long-bed to use for camping on forest roads and as a ski chalet in the winter. Ultimately, I'd like to do a full 4wd (maybe auto) HO swap with 97+ facelift (lmk your opinions on that one), 3" lift and all the comforts of home inside a nice topper. I'm going to try to make this a fun to read thread with lots of updates. I'm making my posts in blue so it's easy to follow. Thanks for reading! Being married, our budget is small; so I had to be frugal and wait until an exactly right MJ came around. Requirements were: It had to be 4.0L, long-bed with bench seat. I determined that they are all difficult swaps to manage if you don't already have a MJ with it from the factory. Thanks Craigslist: 1988 Pioneer longbox, 4.0L, 2WD, 5speed, with bench seat. $700 and a 255 mile mad dash to be the first one to it. There's no shortage of things wrong with it, but it drove home at 60+mph ignoring ominous u-joint vibration while managing a stunning 255 MILES ON LESS THAN 15 GALLONS. Thinking of U-joint noise. I'm sure it has something to do with this mess of a XJ SOA swap with serious pinion angle issues: Floors aren't too bad though-- should clean right up: The bed and panels have some big dents but the cab and rockers are clean and the panel gaps look straight, so I'm willing to overlook them and wait for replacement: The driver door was almost ripped off in some sort of reverse over-opening snafu. I'm super familiar with this damage because both myself and my brother have done it. Go figure. I really enjoy the PO's charming bathroom door sliding bolt lock: My first thought was that I can easily re-position the door and get it to close. Then I saw this: "Dude, where's my striker?" Further investigation reveals someone was learning to weld while attempting to repair the oh-so-common MJ/XJ hinge issue. More to come! Loaner topper to keep parts dry: JAN 2015 STATUS: Replaced/New parts (excluding basic maintenance stuff)- D44 with Tracloc 3" Lift Open cooing system Fuse box and 100% of the interior wiring. Steering column Dashboard and all interior panels swapped to black Vinyl floor w jute padding and POR-15 Headliner Full gauges Refurbished damper box Foam firewall pad Front brush guard Brake prop. valve Brake front calipers, rear cylinders and some lines Pedal assembly U-joints Wheel bearings Wheels & tires Bed (w topper) Exhaust Doors (w broken hinge repair on d. side and missing striker pin replacement) Windshield Rear Glass Wiper motor & mechanism 91+ Lighting harness Probably a million little things that I forgot!

90k miles (less than 100 on rebuild). No rust (faded paint) striaght Clean title I kind of like the fact that it has never been wheeling. I want to convert this bad boy to 4wd. I have never taken on a project like this. But I want to make this my project rig i'll work on for years to come. Not having worked on cars much, would I be getting myself in over my head to convert it to 4x4?

So why is it that 2wd rear driveshafts are like 5 or 6 inches in diameter and the 4x4s are like 2 1/2? Are they physically stronger? Weaker? Just curious.

Hey guys i have been a jeep owner for quite awhile ive one wj and 2 xj s I'm new to the mj but i love it so far plan to make it a drift truck/ drag since its 2wd here's what i plan to do Convert rear suspension to independent Weld diff Mpfi conversion Cai Exhaust here's what ive got goin on so far Drove it from seattle died out dead cell battery Replaced battery and terminals wouldnt start Full throttled it got it to sputter and die out replaced fuel filter cap rotor wires plugs now runs under throttle Un hooked vacume line that ran from some sensor by the vapor jug now holds rough rough idle Drove the crap out of it drifting in dirt and now it runs fine still full throttle ti start what could this be?

Looking for a NICE 2wd Comanche (any year), must be automatic, long bed preferred, up to $5K. Must be with 250 miles of Greenville, South Carolina!! Or arrange to meet within reasonable distance. E-mail: earlhjr@yahoo.com with "Comanche" in the subject line

Hey Hey guys I am back after an absence of a couple years. I have found another Comanche, in much better condition than my current one, that is being used to hold down 4 patches of dirt under its tires haha. Any ways this one will be mine as of tmrw! Plans in the works/pipe dreams are to swap in a 4wd system, a new back bumper, new front bumper, lights, some stereo equip, lights, random tweaking of stuff lol. For the 4wd swap I will have to check out what my tranny is and compatibility issues and model and what I will have to get for the swap. After the 4wd is in I want to put a bit bigger tires on, but this is going to be a "capable utility truck" so 98% on road. So that means Extremely light new front bumper and rear, thinking building my own custom tube bumper? Anyone have experience with that? If I feel really rich I may be inclined to throw some lockers in depending on what I will be riding on for axles. Floor boards are clean frame is clean, somewhere along the lines this has had a undercoating sprayed on it, corner cab surface rust starting, I will deal with that immediately. Bench Seat is coming out, getting some buckets from somewhere not sure yet, I felt like I was going to sink while I was Test Driving it. Has an aftermarket exhaust system that sounds awesome :P All in all this is probably the cleanest Comanche I have ever seen this far north the price tag was $2000 Canadian, it may seem steep but I see more corvettes up here than I do Comanches as most have long ago rotted away.

go out to start my red jeep keep cranking it no start. check for fuel, spark and compression. have fuel, spark is weak, and low compression 1 ,2,3.having the coil and ICM check out tomarrow, but beside that what could be my issue? :hmm: 125K on the moter.

Hey guys, I am finishing up a engine & transmission swap with a 87 i6 with a 2wd aw4 that went into into an 89 lwb mj that originally had a ba10. I can see that my old driveshaft is too long to use now. The Aw4 is longer than the ba10. Can anyone tell me the difference in length between lwb automatic aw4 and lwb manual ba10 driveshafts? :hmm: :dunno: :hmm: Any help would be greatly appreciated.