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'88 MJ Restification (lots of pictures):


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Still waiting for few parts I have on order, and still have a few more 12 hour days to work.:mad:... I did manage to finish the brakes and lines. Finished grinding down the last brake line and cleaned them both up...

 

 

Installed...

 

 

Still looking into the parking brake cables, but they can be installed after the diff is in place.

 

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After my 8 day stretch at work, I ended up with just two days off before heading back this morning. I did get the rest of my parts together for my rear diff. Even managed to find some e-brake cables at the Pull a Part. So far the biggest PITA has turned out to be the rear shackles. They really did not want to come out. Ready to install:

 

 

I narrowed my diff cover choices down to either Ruff Stuff Specialties or Riddler Manufacturing.

 

 

I got the Riddler. The cover came unfinished, so I painted it the same cast coat gray as the front and highlighted the logo:

 

 

I like the way it turned out:

 

 

With the exception of the parking brake cables, all done and waiting for a day off to install. Later this week I hope.

 

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I spent today putting in rear diff, other than the cold it went pretty good. I intended to pressure wash the wheel wells and the underside of the bed etc., but 35 degrees and water don't go well together. I did the wheel wells and revised my build plans. The new plan is to get the Jeep back together enough to drive it into the basement then finish up the rear in there and out of the weather.

 

Before...

 

 

After...

 

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I spent today buttoning up stuff on the MJ so I can move it inside. I got the tires and wheels on and got a chance to take at the stance. It sits a little higher in the back, but it's a truck.

 

 

The 32's are looking kinda small...

 

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  • 1 month later...

Man, what an excellent thread, you guys on this forum are unbelievable.i can't believe the detail you guys go to.

i think horsepower tv extreme 4x4 some of them shows should come grab you guys and make a tv show.

you just made a unbelievable looking truck and your basic parts supplier was a junk yard. and you did it step by step

making it understandable to the common guy. unlike on the tv where they skip like 20 steps. guys like you and willie are my hereos. someone should grab you 2 and make a tv show for every one. GREAT JOB.

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got to say very nice job

 

couple questions for you if you don't mind

 

do you have a lift in those leaf springs ??

and if so why didn't you go with a SOA instead ??

 

other question why did you chose to go with a 8.8 instead of a dana44 wich i think is more common??

 

 

thx for your answers

 

 

by the way did I mentioned NICE WORK :clapping:

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other question why did you chose to go with a 8.8 instead of a dana44 wich i think is more common??

 

That's a Chrysler 8.25, not a Ford 8.8. Both the XJ 8.25 and the Explorer 8.8 are much more common than an XJ/MJ D44.

 

Willy

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  • 2 weeks later...
other question why did you chose to go with a 8.8 instead of a dana44 wich i think is more common??

 

That's a Chrysler 8.25, not a Ford 8.8. Both the XJ 8.25 and the Explorer 8.8 are much more common than an XJ/MJ D44.

 

Willy

 

100% correct. plus KJ discs are a direct bolt on.

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got to say very nice job

 

couple questions for you if you don't mind

 

do you have a lift in those leaf springs ??

 

Thanks, the springs are Hell Creek 4.5".

 

and if so why didn't you go with a SOA instead ??

 

 

I wanted a smaller lift, and I already had most of the parts to make it come together.

 

 

other question why did you chose to go with a 8.8 instead of a dana44 wich i think is more common??

 

 

8.25 I used had just over 50k on it the D44 had 200k+. Ease of disc brakes etc. etc.

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Been a while since I updated not a whole lot going on, but here it is to date...

 

12/17/09

 

Today was cold early, but it warmed up later and managed to got a little done today. I took my boys to breakfast and afterward we hit my favorite haunt. The Pull a Part.:thumbsup: They've been open a while now, and they are starting to get some nicer stuff in. Today's haul included a left D35C axle, a '87 3 row radiator (for my '89 XJ) and a '99 WJ booster and master cylinder (for the MJ) got it all for the grand total of $57.32. Sweet. The booster/MC...

 

 

When I got home I bleed the brakes and installed the drive shaft and after charging the battery she fired off like a champ. I decided I'd drive it around the neighborhood to check the brakes etc. I zip tied the rear load sensing valve wide open for 50/50 proportioning. The brakes are awesome. Nice flat strong stopping, even on the old single diaphram booster. That's where the good ends. A couple of loud pops and a bang, then the bad starts...

 

 

The u joint straps I though were tight apparently weren't, sheared off 3 of the 4 bolts. I pulled the DS slid it in 4WD, limped back home and tucked it away in the basement. To add to my aggravation the water leak I thought I had put to bed months ago is back, the LF power window regulator quit, the front diff cover is leaking and two of the studs for the seat sheared off.

 

I never understood why people named their cars, but I think this one has earned all the names it was called today. Too bad I can't write them down here. I'm really burned out on it right now, It can sit in the basement til after Christmas. I'm done fighting it for a while.

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12/18/09

 

Snow, pretty rare stuff round here...

 

 

 

1/19/10

 

I took a little time off from the MJ due to my work schedule and the holidays, but starting today I've got the next 10+ days or so to devote to it. I've got a nice little list of stuff to do-we'll see how much I can get done. One item on the list is the rear shocks which came in today...

 

 

1/21/10

 

I spent today on a creeper with the pressure washer cleaning the bottom of the bed.

 

 

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1/29/10

 

OK kids been kind of busy for the past few days. I pulled the jumble of lines and the rear load sensing valve...

 

 

I fixed the broken bolts in the 8.25 yoke. My friend Mark at work drilled the holes out and I went with 1/4" grade 8's and some lock nuts....

 

 

Then I spent the better part of two days wallowing around under the back end with the pressure washer wand and a multitude of every imaginable spray cleaners. About half way there...

 

 

Then, no less than 6 cans of Semi Gloss Black and 2 cans of spray undercoating later...

 

 

I moved the bracket for the rear brake hose forward of the 'X' member XJ style, and installed the ZJ parking brake cables I picked up. The left side is kind of tight and I'm probably going to have to replace it.

 

 

The shocks are Bilstein 5125's. The bump stops are Prothane 4.5" and I picked them up from Jegs.com. I used Jegs when I built my '68 Mustang years ago, and they always had excellent service. Speaking of excellent I ordered them Thursday night online and got them Friday afternoon...:thumbsup:

 

 

My "high tech" $6.99 breather hose and the new brake line location...

 

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1/29/10 cont...

 

Some random shots, ignore the rusty tail pipe, the exhaust will be replaced next.

 

 

Left side...

 

 

I'm going to pull the bed when I have it painted and I'll hit everything I couldn't get too then. Right side...

 

 

Next, we explore proportioning valve hell and the WJ booster/master cylinder install...

 

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1/30/10

 

I ditched the original line for the rear brakes and I'm just using the old bypass line. My first thought on a PV was to simply use the old MJ splitter, and block off the bypass port. There are a lot of opinions on this, but I really like the idea of a working PV.

 

 

My first choice was an XJ PV, I installed one from a '92 and couldn't get any pressure to the rear brakes.

 

 

I pulled the PV apart, and the black cup/o-ring had come apart and was apparently blocking pressure to the rear wheels. I reassembled the PV without the cup and I had pressure to the rear wheels. The thing is without the cup in place the PV functions basically as a splitter. Not what I wanted. I found this article ZJ Proportioning Valve and I picked up a ZJ PV from a 95 with 4 wheel discs. The article explains the needed minor mods. The end result...

 

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1/31/10

 

I pulled the old booster and master cylinder last night. The new WJ booster and the old MJ one...

 

 

 

Today I installed the PV ...

 

 

New booster with spacer and gaskets...

 

 

Booster and M/C installed...

 

 

 

The new hard lines, showing off my less than stellar tube bending skills.

 

 

Pretty straight forward stuff. I didn't modify the booster rod the way some of the write-ups describe...XJ Cherokee Conversion to WJ Front Brakes & Steering...Instead of going back with the old style brake light switch...

 

 

I picked up a Renix era cruise control bracket, and I'm going to run a latter model switch. It'll look like this...

 

 

An parting outside shot, and more snow...

 

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