Need Opinions...

[Kittrell]

Alright, so I did not want to let the cat out of the bag so soon, because this is a long ways off. And I can't stand people who lay out their grand plans for a project; then 3 years down the road not much has changed. But I need help working some things out if this project is even going happen. I want to build a "two door" Comanche. That is, I would like to take 2 door XJ doors and fit them to a MJ. Essentially stretching it for a larger cab. I am 6'2", used to XJs, and the MJ's cab makes me feel claustrophobic..... :yes:

 

So, problems I am running in to. The 2 door XJ have 9" longer doors. With the shortbed I have, that puts you at 122". Thats a long truck. I think you can reasonably bob the rear of the bed 5". But that does nothing for your WB obviously. If you take 9" out of the front of the bed, can you still fit the stock fuel tank? I am thinking no, but I have not really crawled under to measure as of yet. An option that was brought to my attention would be to have a in bed tool box with the bottom as a built in fuel cell. But with the bed already being cut down to 5'10", usable space is at a premium. I remember that red 4 door version on ebay that had a very shortened bed. But the details of that build were lacking, and I didn't gather much intel from the craptacular picture. Here is the finished product I have envisioned. Different color, but it works for show n tell.

 

 

Here it is with the rear bob, but 122" WB

 

[Pete M]

I guess the fuel tank dilemma all depends on precisely how you extend the cab backwards. It might not have to extend down below the upper framerail surface between the rails. Maybe the baby tank from the longbed will work in it's place? :dunno:

 

 

What I mean is, make a flat floor between the tops of the frame rails as you push the back wall rearward.

[Kittrell]

Extending the cab won't effect the bed frame at all. I've worked it out where it will all be under the cab. What I haven't worked out at all, is how you would section the frame to bring it forward 9"........... :ack:

 

MJ newb here, whats the difference between the lwb and swb tanks?

[Kittrell]

Alright, did a little digging. Looks like there are a lot of 13.5 capacity tanks out there?

[Pete M]

Wait, why are you cutting up the frame? :hmm: I thought you were talking about extending the cab and then shortening the bed, but leaving the frame unmolested.

[88 Beast]

I guess I should consider myself lucky with a 18 gal. tank in my SWB. It would suck to have only 13.5 gals. of fuel. I drive 64 mi. a day to and from work. I'd spent most of my time at the gas station :fs1:

[Kittrell]

With the frame starting to curve up, what 5" after the back of the cab? I can't see how you could just slide the cab back to allow for the 9" needed to add the longer door.

[Pete M]

I would leave the frame alone and notch the cab to work around it if there's interference. But that's just me. The frame is only sheetmetal and I've never been comfortable with the idea of hacking it up and piecing it back together.

[Kittrell]

Never considered that. I suppose you could take the fuel neck cover out of a few XJs and cover the rails if it protruded into the cab. Is the cab easy enough to remove from the rails? Just spot welds per usual?

[Pete M]

The cab is integral with the frame. It's a uni-frame. I would leave as much of the floor area intact as possible. Other guys might be more trusting in their sheetmetal skills.

[Kittrell]

Okay, thats what I thought. So, I must be a bit slow here. How would one slide the cab back on the frame if it's actually part of it. Or are you suggesting that you cut the cab off the top of the rails and slide it back.

[Pete M]

There are a few other guys working on extensive modding of the body so they might be able to give more details of their work, but I (in all of my inexperience) would cut the back wall and side walls (behind the doors) free from the truck, slide them back into the position they need to be to work with the new door, then weld in the missing sheetmetal. Then shrink the bed to match. Sounds fairly easy in my head. :D Reality might prove otherwise. I've been working (in my head) with a similar conundrum concerning my idea of stretching a fullsize Cherokee to give it another foot of wheelbase.

[Eagle]

Okay, thats what I thought. So, I must be a bit slow here. How would one slide the cab back on the frame if it's actually part of it. Or are you suggesting that you cut the cab off the top of the rails and slide it back.

Do it the easy way. Sometimes approaching something directly has advantages.

 

You want bigger doors -- section the body through the door openings, splice in a 9" filler, and put it back together. Or take two MJs (GOD how it pains me to even think this!), section both but at different points so when Nose 'A' is mated to Tail 'B' the result is doors 9" longer.

 

Several years ago a friend of mine had an 86 XJ V6 that he wanted to make into a 4.0L. After a lot of research, he and the shop he had the work done at decided the easiest route was to chop the entire nose off his '86, through the A pillars, cut the front of an 89 at the same place, then graft the 89 nose onto his 86. That's what they did, and he's been wheeling it that way for about ten years now. Hasn't broken yet (at least, not there).

 

I'd leave the bed alone, at least until you see how it all works out. You can always section the frame and bed later if you find the truck is too long with the extended cab -- but it won't be any worse than a LWB Comanche.

[Kittrell]

Do it the easy way. Sometimes approaching something directly has advantages.

 

You want bigger doors -- section the body through the door openings, splice in a 9" filler, and put it back together. Or take two MJs (GOD how it pains me to even think this!), section both but at different points so when Nose 'A' is mated to Tail 'B' the result is doors 9" longer.

 

This was the original plan. But obviously involves cutting the rig in half and putting it back together. This leaves you with two seams all around the truck. Your second idea was the current plan. Except I would never toast another MJ to accomplish this. I would use a XJ, obviously much easier to come by. But then, it's not really a Comanche anymore. It did however seem to be the easiest route. That only leaves you with one seam, but offset on the doors and frame, so its a little more sturdy. And the added benefit of using a newer XJ, and not having to swap the entire contents of a XJ over into the Comanche. As you could get away with just dropping the tcase and stripping the interior from the seats back. Now Pete offers an interesting option, but tacks back on the work of completely gutting a XJ for the MJ drivetrain and interior.

 

I'd leave the bed alone, at least until you see how it all works out. You can always section the frame and bed later if you find the truck is too long with the extended cab -- but it won't be any worse than a LWB Comanche.

 

This doesn't seem to be an option in my mind. This rig will be built to suit my favorite and most frequent type of wheeling. Which pretty much makes it a mountain pass cruiser. One of my favorite trails is riddled with switch backs. Its 2-3 point turns in an XJ. I can't imagine trying to swing around, essentially, a long bed MJ. Another trail I frequent has a section that 7" and 33s on my XJ just barely clear on the underside. The BOA on a LB equals failure there.

 

P.S. You still have that uber low mileage XJ?

[Pete M]

This is where I would cut. Even with a photo I find it hard to explain. :hmm: But bottom line I would leave the structural integrity of the frame and floors alone and move the outer sheetmetal only. Then fill in the rockers, roof, and new floor area with the appropriate sheetmetal. A problem might arise at the fuel filler door. The leading edge is just about 9" from the front of the bed.

 

 

 

 

Now ya got me wanting to do this. :shake:

[Kittrell]

Yeah, I get what you mean. Cut the back of the cab off, just like people do when they rob them for XJs. just a little more forward to retain the back of the door jamb. Fill in your 9" of roof/rocker/floor pan.

[TNT]

This sounds kind of familiar to me. :D

 

We parted out a rusted out MJ so I cut the cab in half and brought the back half home with me. I'm going to cut the back of my cab off and extend it 8.75" to fit the 2dr doors I have.

 

Then I'm going to cut 2" off the back of the cab and weld 6" of the original back of the cab back on. This will make the cab a total of 12.75" longer. I muight use some XJ rear door fixed windows in the cab sides.

 

I'm going to move the rear axle back 2" by redrilling the spring perches. My box sides are rusted out so I'm just going to move the box back, cut a 18" section out in the rear of the box leaving the last 6" to be reused.

 

This will bob the box. Then I'll cut the frame off right at the rear shackle mounts so when its all put back together the box and frame will end just after the shackle mounts.

 

I'm also going to make my own wheelwells and inner box sides. The outer box sides will be comp cut starting right from front edge of the wheelwell just below the first bodyline and run all the way to the end of the box.

 

The box will also be dovetailed so the inner edge of box ends at the edge of the frame. Then I'll weld the rear 6" of the box back on the end so it has the upper box corners, the tail gate mounts and the nice rear edge of the bed back on it. Then the tailgate will be narrowed to fit back on it.

 

I'll be using some door skins to replace the rusted out areas of the box sides.

 

I have a XJ 20 gallon tank I'm going to mount in the bed using a a XJ skid plate and I'll build a cover for it. There will be a storage box for spare parts and tools mounted on top of it. There will also be a hi-lift jack mounted in the bed and my spare tire.

 

I have a panel flanger the make joining the cab and box repair pieces easy to weld on.

 

It would be done already but I had some back surgury done.

 

:cheers:

[Kittrell]

You might appreciate this one then................... :chillin:

 

[TNT]

I have that one. I'll have a extended cab different then that one has.

 

I like the X-Cab short box but with 2dr doors. I'll have the bed bobed, dovetailed and with comp cut fenders.

 

Here are some other ones.

 

Image Not Found

[Kittrell]

Here are my crew cabs for $#!&s and grins............... :drool:

 

 

 

[Eagle]

P.S. You still have that uber low mileage XJ?

Ummm ... that depends. Were you looking for one to cut the nose off of?

[500 MJ]

As much as I like the idea and looks of them. Neither of mine will get cut up to modify the Cab/Interior Space. :thumbsup: That being said. My thoughts:

 

It seems to me that you could use an XJ roof when you do this to the MJ and it would make things much much easier. If you could find a two door XJ somewhere and buy it to sacrifice for this project you would get your doors, seats, roof with the correct "Door Jamb" spacing and many other usable parts. However, If I am not mistaken, the heights and slopes of an XJ roof and MJ roof are different. The MJ one has more of a slope to it if I remember correctly. So you would either have to trim down the top of the back of the cab to make the XJ one work or come across some other means of resolving this problem.

 

Next thing is that when I cut the truck in half at the floor boards, I would make the LONGEST cut possible, Diagonal, Zig Zag, whatever. This allows you to (spend more time welding it back up) but also have a stronger joint at that part of the "chassis" than one that just goes straight across.

 

Lastly, I think that I would cut out the frame rails from under the vehicle say a foot in each direction of the cut. Then I would weld in a new single piece to fill that distance of the "new" gap that is left.

 

As far as the bed goes, I think you will have to end up bobbing the front AND rear of it to accomplish what you want to do, also the frame will need to be shortened somehow if you do things as I described above.

 

Why not just buy an MJ bed from a yard somewhere and hack up an XJ? Seems easier. I hate to say it, but once you hack the MJ up, it loses its "MJ ness" in my mind and becomes a "Cheromanche" :dunce:

[Kittrell]

It seems to me that you could use an XJ roof when you do this to the MJ and it would make things much much easier. If you could find a two door XJ somewhere and buy it to sacrifice for this project you would get your doors, seats, roof with the correct "Door Jamb" spacing and many other usable parts. However, If I am not mistaken, the heights and slopes of an XJ roof and MJ roof are different. The MJ one has more of a slWhy not just buy an MJ bed from a yard somewhere and hack up an XJ? Seems easier. I hate to say it, but once you hack the MJ up, it loses its "MJ ness" in my mind and becomes a "Cheromanche" :dunce:

 

A Cherokee with the cab thrown on the back is a Cheromanche. The difference between them is if it still has the "frame" under the bed, then it's still pretty much a Comanche. You are modifying a Comanche slighty, but it's still a truck. Almost every single piece of the truck is still there. You still register it as a Comanche............ :thumbsup:

[Kittrell]

P.S. You still have that uber low mileage XJ?

Ummm ... that depends. Were you looking for one to cut the nose off of?

 

Ha, no, I couldn't trash such a gem. Was just curious if it was still around.

[mfpdm]

One thing to think about, which may not be a big deal, but it's what popped up in my head with all the cutting and hacking talk. Which ever way you go, you will have to fab up some interior panels to work with all your ideas. Would hate to see you go to all the trouble of making a nice extend cab just to open the doors and see bare metal or worse yet, wood paneling like the old panel vans. :ack:

 

:cheers: