New to CC.com and new to me 1988 MJ Eliminator

[JACKED88]

First let me say hello to all tha members of CC.com and fellow MJ owners. :waving: Here's a little about myself. My name is Robert. I live in Katy, Texas and have done so all my life. (52 years) That aughta do for now, Lets talk COMANCHE!!!

 

I reckon tha best place to start would be at the beginning of my Jeep history. (if you can call it that) Throughout tha past 15 or so years my family has owned about 6-7 Cherokee's and grand Cherokee's at one time or another. Most were 4x4 and all were bone stock. With that said, my recent purchase of a 88 Comanche Eliminator wasnt by accident considering I've been wanting one for a long time.

Two weeks ago a local man put one up on craigslist and I couldnt pass it up. Tha truck has a near perfect body having NO rust what so ever. I went over evey inch. Notta!!! Although tha paint is faided you'd have a hard time finding anything wrong with tha trucks body. (including the inside of tha bed) The interior is in what I considerd exceptional condition although it could use a good cleaning. It has NO rips, tears or worn spots. There's no crack in tha dash and door panels are in perfect condition. Basicly its a nice truck that wouldnt require any body work to be repainted and look new again. Oh, it has 156,xxx miles on it. I'll post some pics of it in tha next couple of days.

Now for tha running gear. This is where it will some work. Tha truck started out as a 2x4 until recently when the previous second owner decided to convert it to a 4x4. He installed front and rear dana difs out of a 88 4x4 Cherokee under it. Now consider tha Cherokee's spring pads are on top of tha axle unlike tha Comanche he attempted to lift it by putting tha rear dif under tha springs on tha original Cherokee pads. I'm not sure he didnt put some different shackles under it as well. It sits up pretty high. When I got tha truck he was driving it without any rear shocks due to tha shock mounts on an XJ being staggered front and rear again unlike tha MJ's rearward mounts. I've already cut and rewelded the right mount to except the shocks he had for it. With that being done and tha shock mounted, its not so much tha rear of tha truck I'm so concerned about right now.

This is where he screwed up and where I'll need to ask for some of yalls advice on how to correct it. He had bought some 3 inch springs but claimed they didnt lift tha front enough to level tha truck consider what he had done to tha rear. So ....... he had some guy put a piar of F-250 4x4 truck springs under it along with a couple of solid steal 1 inch spacers on each side. Yeah, it rides rough. Other than tha springs, he didnt replace any other front end parts. If I had to guess I'd say its lifted about 6 inches. Needless to say I'm looking for some springs and all tha parts required to correct tha lift. to be honest, i don't know what all I'll need. I've looked at lift kits and what they come with but again to be honest I can't afford to buy a complete kit. Unfortuneately I'll have to pc it togather or find somebodies take off's. (anybody ???)

As if thats not enough he also never installed tha 4x4 auto trans or t/c. It's currently runnin on the original 2x4 tranny. I'm looking for an auto tranny and t/c including the t/c shifter and linkage for a bucket seat w/console setup.

I reckon thats it. Yeah, I've got my work cut out for me but in tha end this is gonna be a nice truck. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

More later.

Robert

[BlueXJ]

Welcome Robert. I live a ways south of you in the valley. I have a 89 that needs to be converted as well. I have been gathering the needed parts. Pretty close to having it all real soon. Mine is a 5 speed though.

I have a couple of AW-4 autos as spares for my Renix XJ. I also have a few transfercases. All f them will require rebuilds though. I am not offering my spare for sale, just pointing out that the required parts are out there, you just need to search.

Good luck and when you get a few minutes you should post up some pics of this pristine bodied MJ.

Blue

[JACKED88]

Welcome Robert. I live a ways south of you in the valley. I have a 89 that needs to be converted as well. I have been gathering the needed parts. Pretty close to having it all real soon. Mine is a 5 speed though.

I have a couple of AW-4 autos as spares for my Renix XJ. I also have a few transfercases. All f them will require rebuilds though. I am not offering my spare for sale, just pointing out that the required parts are out there, you just need to search.

Good luck and when you get a few minutes you should post up some pics of this pristine bodied MJ.

Blue

Yeah, yeah I know ...... :needpics: Damn, I musta done a pretty good job on discribing this thing for its status to have gone up tha scale to PRISTINE already. LOL!!! Pristine may be a little extream considering its faided paint. I'll give her a bath and git some pics posted tomorrow.

 

Parts shouldnt be too hard to find. I live just outside of Houston where there's more than plenty of j/y's. (across town :roll: ) Maybe you can help me out by giving me an idea what a good price would be for a working auto tranny and t/c?

 

L8R!!!

Robert

[JACKED88]

You wanted pics? You got um.

 

What ya think??? Those pics really don't do the interior justice. Other than a little seat and carpet cleaning, you'd have a hard time finding a nicer interior in an unrestored 21 year old truck.

 

 

First on tha list of things to do is getting the front end set up right. I'm lookin for all tha parts needed for a 5 inch lift. (at least I think 5" is right) Took a few measurement and I'm pretty sure 5" will work. One measurement was from tha center of tha hub to the bottom edge of tha fender flare. It measured 23 1/2" with worn 33" tires. Read someplace that 17 1/2 was stock. Taking away for tha bigger tires, I think that puts it lifted about 4 1/2". The other measurement was from the top of tha front axle to tha frame. It measured 12 1/2". By that method, I read 7 3/4" was stock. That would make it havin a 4 3/4" lift. don't think it'll hurt me to go up another 1/4"-1/2". Lookin at tha truck from tha side, I think tha front needs to come up just a hair anyway.

 

Gonna post a "parts needed" in tha classifieds. Hopefully I'll git some responces.

 

More later.

Robert

[Pete M]

I think they mean you need to post the pics here. we're far to lazy to click links. :D

 

[JACKED88]

I would have if I coulda figured out how. :dunno: Reckon I better learn.

 

Thanks for postin tha pic. :thumbsup: Aint she purdy??? I'm pretty proud of it. Now I just need to git it mechanicly sound by gittin a proper front lift installed correctly and a 4x4 tranny in it.

 

Robert

[Darren]

we're far to lazy to click links. :D

 

..............or read.

[JACKED88]

we're far to lazy to click links. :D

 

..............or read.

Took a quick glance at your "Mistress Moneypit" thread. Nice truck. Thanks for tha link. I'll go through it and see what all I can pick up on when I have more time.

Ya got any spare front end parts for a 6" lift? Like everything??? :roll:

[Dave Stark]

Very sharp truck! :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: That doesn't look like the original interior (only because it is so clean), do you know if its been replaced??

 

:cheers:

[JACKED88]

Very sharp truck! :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: That doesn't look like the original interior (only because it is so clean), do you know if its been replaced??

 

:cheers:

Thanks!!! The only part of the interior that I know of thats has been replaced is tha headliner. To my knowledge the rest is original. As much as I hate the idea of tearing it apart, I'm gonna take the advise I 've read here on CC.com and pull up tha carpet enough to check for floor boards rust. I don't think I'm gonna find any but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 

Thanks again.

Robert