92tanMJ Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I'm just posting this to subscribe to your thread...can't wait for some updates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 Any new updates? Or wheeling pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 Any new updates? Or wheeling pics? I wish. The truck has taken a back burner to my Barracudas that I've been working on (and the '97 TJ that I fixed up and sold). I got an outlet installed in my garage this weekend for my welder, so at some point I'm going to be looking at building some armor for the Comanche. It's probably going to be a while though because the Barracuda I'm keeping is taking up most of the garage right now in pieces. I would like to go wheeling again sometime this summer though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted June 3, 2013 Share Posted June 3, 2013 Ok cool...I wish I could go wheeling...it's been raining a lot out here in south Florida but got tired of the mudding scene I actually want to try out some rocks...even though I've got a mild lift maybe try a road trip up north if anything....hope everything goes good with the cuda love the way they look! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bornindesert Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Great thread and overall sweet Comanche. The color selection makes it look almost 2010 ish! I think you would up with 33's and 4.56:1 in the axles, are you happy with the combination? Also, I have the 242 Full-time Xfr case in my '88 Comanche and it's sitting about on 5-6" in the back - so, you went with a hybrid driveshaft, Cardon and U-joints and no mods to the Xfr case. Would you recommend this style of custom Driveshaft? It's one of the last things I need to square away and liked what they cooked up for you. Was just not sure how adding the Cardon fixes geometry for the opposing U-joints. Did they tell you why this works when the input/output shafts are not parallel? Looking forward to some welding projects on your MJ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted June 11, 2013 Author Share Posted June 11, 2013 Great thread and overall sweet Comanche. The color selection makes it look almost 2010 ish! I think you would up with 33's and 4.56:1 in the axles, are you happy with the combination? Also, I have the 242 Full-time Xfr case in my '88 Comanche and it's sitting about on 5-6" in the back - so, you went with a hybrid driveshaft, Cardon and U-joints and no mods to the Xfr case. Would you recommend this style of custom Driveshaft? It's one of the last things I need to square away and liked what they cooked up for you. Was just not sure how adding the Cardon fixes geometry for the opposing U-joints. Did they tell you why this works when the input/output shafts are not parallel? Looking forward to some welding projects on your MJ! The 33s and 4.56 gears are a good combination. I wish I had a little more power on the road, but I blame the extra weight of the tires and a motor with 207k miles on it. I've only taken it off road once, but it performed well. My gas mileage certainly took a hit, but that was to be expected. When I first swapped in the 3.55 gears and 31s (I still had the 2wd AX-15 installed) I got 21 mpg on a trip back from the mountains. With the 4wd AW4, 4.56 gears and 33s, I'm happy to get 14 mpg. The output shaft and the axle yoke should still be roughly parallel save a couple degrees. The shop that welded up my perches just kinda guessed apparently. I added some shims, but the angle of the shaft is still a little steep. Had I used a regular 231 case instead of the 242, I would have done the SYE kit and CV shaft, but I was just not happy with the options for the 242 and the one that I could live with was just crazy expensive. Typically, you would move the slip to the shaft and have the double joint at the TC output. Leaving the slip yoke at the transfer case while still having the double joint on the shaft is somewhat of a compromise, but its worked very well for me and it was certainly cheaper. I'm sure there is someone on here that could explain it better than I, but I've not run into any problems with this setup. I see you're working on a couple late '60s GTOs. I must say I favor the '67 body style more than the '69. Good luck; I'm working on two '68 Barracuda notchbacks at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted July 18, 2013 Author Share Posted July 18, 2013 Just ordered two of these to replace the lousy ProComp lights on my bar. I found a deal I just couldn't pass up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bornindesert Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I see you're working on a couple late '60s GTOs. I must say I favor the '67 body style more than the '69. Good luck; I'm working on two '68 Barracuda notchbacks at the moment. Sorry I missed this last month...my final drive angles turned out good after I removed some rear shims. I'm really close to putting some road miles on the '88 Comanche build and will see how well it all works together (lift, tires, gearing, suspension). I have some wheel hop driving around the dirt in the yard but haven't installed the rear shocks yet. I've got a big shackle out back too which I'm not sure will stay in it's current configuration. The 67 GTO is a beast and agree has great lines and grill. The 69 is much more vanilla but is very fun to drive. Love the Cuda's too, grew up with a friend that had the pistal grip 440 :bowdown: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 The lights came in this week. Here you can see a comparison between the old and the new: Its really a shame that the old lights are less than a year and a half old and the finish is completely gone. I picked up some new pins and seals for my weather pack connectors so my goal is to get them swapped out this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted July 27, 2013 Author Share Posted July 27, 2013 Install went pretty easy since I've already done it before. I bought some new pins for the weather pack connectors, fed the wires through and hooked them up. I'm happy with the size compared to what I had before. They are pretty dang bright in the daylight, so I'm curious to see what they'll look like in the dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knever3 Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Lookin good Ryan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 For what I paid, I hoped that these lights would be significantly better than what I had and honestly, I'm amazed. I took some pictures, but they really don't capture just how bright these guys are. Here are my poorly aimed high beams (these are the aftermarket Autopal housings with H4s and upgraded wiring): And with the new Oracle's: This just looks cool When I flipped them on for the first time going down the back road to my house I was just blown away. I've very satisfied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 Anyone have any brake upgrade recommendations? When I've driven the truck I wasn't that impressed with the stopping ability, but I just attributed it to the bigger tires. Both my dad and brother drove my truck recently and said that they thought something was wrong. My dad almost rear ended his own truck just parking it. Its not dangerous to drive, but it could stand to be better. I installed new stock calipers and rotors upfront when I did the 4wd conversion back in the winter of 2010 (less than 15k miles). I'm pretty sure I swapped out the shoes in the 8.25 last summer, but I don't remember. Its possible that I didn't bleed the lines well enough and still have a little air trapped. My inspection is due by the end of the year, maybe I'll just have the shop re-bleed the brakes just to make sure. Otherwise, I might consider something with a little more bite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockdrummer93 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 are the drums adjusted properly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guanaco.13 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Your truck keep getting better and better. :bowdown: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92tanMJ Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Dude... :drool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted August 28, 2013 Author Share Posted August 28, 2013 are the drums adjusted properly? I believe so, but I guess it could be anything at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockdrummer93 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 That would be the first thing I checked.. I lock the wheel up with the adjuster then back it off a few turns.. Ill lock a set of 35s up in the rear before the front on my XJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 It seems a lot of guys like the WJ brake conversion. I have never driven a rig with WJ brakes so I cannot comment. I would suggest looking into these two options. Black Magic pads and Centric rotors: http://shop.blackmagicbrakes.com/Front-Black-Magic-Pads-with-Centric-Zinc-Plated-Front-Calipers-477-14258021-14258022.htm Or the Vanco big brake kit: http://shop.blackmagicbrakes.com/VANCO-15-Big-Brake-Kit-w-BMB-Pads-Fits-97-06-Jeep-TJ-LJ-VANCO-15.htm I have the Vanco kit on my TJ and my father has the BM pads and Centric rotors on his. Both resulted in major braking improvements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockdrummer93 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 It seems a lot of guys like the WJ brake conversion. I have never driven a rig with WJ brakes so I cannot comment. I have the Vanco kit on my TJ and my father has the BM pads and Centric rotors on his. Both resulted in major braking improvements. That seems to be throwing money at it while not knowing the true issue. He's only running 33s. It shouldnt be as bad as he says. I run 35s on factory brakes on my XJ and I can lock them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalob Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I did both...upgraded to Grand Cherokee booster and master cylinder and went with the AEV big brake kit for a TJ. Both had a significant improvement in braking night and day to be exact..... The parts for the Big brake kit by American expedition vehicles while top notch and well built are very pricey. (paid more for the front brake set up that I did the MJ from Troy) The rotors are so much bigger that you will need to go up in wheel diameter to 17's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted October 26, 2013 Author Share Posted October 26, 2013 I hadn't driven the truck in about a week and when I went to drive it last night, the brake pedal practically went to the floor. It was firm with the vehicle off, but as soon as I started the truck, it got soft. When I checked this morning, the reservoir was empty. So, I obviously have a leak somewhere, but I can't find any indications of a leak. All the lines appear dry, the front calipers and bleeders are dry. The bleeders in the back are dry too, but I haven't have a chance to take the drums off to inspect the cylinders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my96z Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Take the master cylinder off the brake booster you might find that it is full of brake fluid. If that is the case you need a new master cylinder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted November 2, 2013 Author Share Posted November 2, 2013 Take the master cylinder off the brake booster you might find that it is full of brake fluid. If that is the case you need a new master cylinder. Well, I do have brake fluid in the booster. I read somewhere that when that happens, the booster will go bad. Is there anyway to test the booster by itself? I'd rather save the $85 on the booster, but I don't want to have to bleed the brakes twice either. Edit: I just decided to replace the booster as well. Its got over 200k miles on it and my time is worth something so if that means I only have to bleed the brakes once, that makes me happy. I hate having to do the same work twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knever3 Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Good decision. I too replaced my booster, upgraded to a '96 XJ unit with the new master cylinder. That brake fluid is like thermite plasma, it melts through almost anything!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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