88 Comanche

[partsmj]

Better to wheel than an 89 Cherokee?

 

I have both of these.

The Comanche is a 2.5, AX5, LWB, 2WD.

The Cherokee is a 4.0, AW4, 4.10's.

 

The plan is

Swap in the axles from the Cherokee with a bolt on SOA.

Then swap in the 4.0 with an AX-15 conversion with the external slave cylinder, circa 1994+. Use the transfer case with the 94+ trans.

Bolt on some 33X10.50's.

Go wheelin'.

Possible? Yes.

I also have a 1989 Cherokee with a 4.0 and a BA10. I am sure it would be much easier to swap in this powertrain. Leave in the 4.10 factory 35 in the Comanche and swap in the front axle 4.10.

If it breaks, I'll fix it. Got to start somewhere.

[Pete M]

You'll need to move the perches of the XJ rear axle.

[feerocknok]

I agree. You won't be able to do the bolt-on perches, because the Cherokee perches will be in the way.

 

Sounds like fun!

[Eagle]

Owning and having wheeled both XJs and MJs, I can tell you that a SWB MJ wheels very well ... and so does an XJ. There are a very few types of situations where the MJ is marginally better, and there are situations where the XJ is better. Even the SWB MJ has a longer wheelbase than an XJ, so the breakover angle on the MJ is worse than the XJ (assuming the same ride/lift height). Overall, I think the Cherokee is better and if I were shopping for a vehicle to turn into a dedicated wheeler, I'd be shopping for a Cherokee, not a Comanche. And not just because I think Comanches should be restored rather than wrecked.

 

Personally, knowing how many more XJs there are than MJs, I cringe at the notion of chopping up a decent MJ to make it into a wheeler. I know for some who own an MJ and want to go wheeling it may be the only economically feasible option, but I still don't like it.

 

But when you already have an XJ that's set up with the 4-litre engine and AW4, going to the effort to move all that over to a 4-banger MJ just to go wheeling sounds like a complete effort in futility. The 4-liter AW4 XJ is possibly the finest out-of-the-box wheeling machine you'll ever find. There is NO valid reason to swap that stuff into an MJ and ruin a perfectly good truck.

 

Also, why would you do away with an automatic for wheeling in favor of a 5-speed? I mean, I LOVE 5-speeds -- all my vehicles have 'em except a couple of 4-speed MJs ... and my wife's XK Classic. But even I will admit that the AW4 is superior for wheeling.

 

JMHO -- YMMV

[partsmj]

Thanks. You have saved me a lot of time and money. I will repair the 88 and make that the new commuter Jeep.

[Oizarod115]

i would watch out when matching a 94+ tranny with a 89 t-case... input splines/lengths may differ. i think 90- t-cases were 21spline input.