'88 Eliminator... Feb. 2009 - Jan. 2026

[neohic]

34 minutes ago, 89 MJ said:

I have some thoughts on this. Thanks a lot! Now you have me wanting to add a rear sway bar and a bigger front sway bar to my truck

 

I am going to be looking at a 98ish Explorer rear sway bar next week for my truck. I will report back if I have a chance to do that.

I’ve been looking at the rear sway bar that came out of the donor ZJ. In the ZJs, they fit above the upper control arms in a very compact space. I think it’d fit in a similar spot above the axle in an MJ but either moved rearward or turned around backwards from how it mounts in the ZJ. I’m yet to crawl under my truck to see for sure but I know that packaging will be tight being I’d like to continue carrying a spare tire.

[watchamakalit]

This thread may be single handedly responsible for at least 3 mj's getting rear sway bars. I'm patiently waiting in the wings and listening to see where this all goes. 

[neohic]

2 hours ago, watchamakalit said:

This thread may be single handedly responsible for at least 3 mj's getting rear sway bars. I'm patiently waiting in the wings and listening to see where this all goes. 

You kids need a role model. 

[fiatslug87]

4 hours ago, neohic said:

You kids need a role model. 

And that’s why everyone looked at Don’s write-up.

[neohic]

I spent the day cleaning axles. The rear needed all of the brackets cut off, and the front needed some attention too.

 

 

Probably the cleanest Dana 35 on the planet right now. As for the 30, the lower control arm mounts needed to get cut off also. One side was booger welded back on while the other was well on its way to falling off. 
 

 

The story was that the ZJ was a northern rig before it was in Colorado. That checks out with the amount of rust I scaled off and the blown out control arms. Then I popped the cover.

 

 

Poor thing has seen some things! The ZJ came with a pile or receipts for the front axle getting rebuilt. Everything looks and feels good, but obviously the old carrier was kept with the new gears.

 

 

Still waiting on Ruff Stuff brackets. 

[neohic]

I can’t believe the three fan shroud has been in there since 2013, but it came out today. Just going back to simplicity and undoing some wiring that 19 year old me would’ve done even before the fans.

 

 

It never overheated with either fan setup. I cleaned up and kept the harness I added for the fans so I can add an auxiliary again with an override switch. For now, it’s back to basics. 

[neohic]

Came across a later XJ 10 blade electric fan. Of course it just dropped right in but I wired it to the fan harness I added years ago.

 

 

The switches are still on the side of the console. First switch turns on the system. The second is an override if I want to manually turn it on.

 

 

Don’t ask about those extra holes. Keep in mind, this truck has lived a few lives already. 

[JoeLAW]

On 12/14/2025 at 2:16 PM, neohic said:

 

 

 

Just got done reading your whole thread man, and wow, what a bitchin little MJ you got. I'm assuming this is where the ZJ ended up at, is this a shop? I see that badass 2nd gen and seems like a crawler in the background. I has questions!!?? lol Also, I have been dailying Jessica for the 2nd week now ince my daily is down fro now.. and I've been running into those stumbling issues on Jessica.. I've done a whole lot to it, but never ever swapped or even cracked oven the gas tank to check on the pump and sending unit, too scared of it not sealing good again, but I will try the relay trick, hoping maybe that will let it idle better. Thanks for all the posts keep up the good work and can't wait to see the truck in it's sport version now

[neohic]

4 hours ago, JoeLAW said:

 

Just got done reading your whole thread man, and wow, what a bitchin little MJ you got. I'm assuming this is where the ZJ ended up at, is this a shop? I see that badass 2nd gen and seems like a crawler in the background. I has questions!!?? lol Also, I have been dailying Jessica for the 2nd week now ince my daily is down fro now.. and I've been running into those stumbling issues on Jessica.. I've done a whole lot to it, but never ever swapped or even cracked oven the gas tank to check on the pump and sending unit, too scared of it not sealing good again, but I will try the relay trick, hoping maybe that will let it idle better. Thanks for all the posts keep up the good work and can't wait to see the truck in it's sport version now

Thanks dude!  
 

Open your fuel tank!! If you’re stumbling you might have the dreaded rubber line that’s failing.

 

The ZJ came from my buddy’s shop, Pine Metal Fabrication. The Toyota is on tons and 40s. It was originally a 2wd truck and they’re way easier to build into something like this because of the lack of most speed sensors. 

 

 

It’s an awesome truck! Everything that comes out of the shop is super nice. Hoping to have some kind of updates on my truck sooner than later. 

[Smokeyyank]

On 1/1/2026 at 4:59 PM, neohic said:

Still waiting on Ruff Stuff brackets

 

Dude, same.....going on two months almost. Then other places lost stuff in transit.