Project Croc Hunter '92 MJ

[gaucho919]

Hello, my friend convinced to start a thread on my MJ. I've been working on it for a few weeks now, collecting parts. My goal is to build a Jeep Comanche similar to Steve Irwin's Toyota Ute. He was my childhood hero, and an exemplar human being, I am doing this in memory of him. It is gonna be slow, but gotta start somewhere.

The truck:

'92 MJ 4.0, 2wd, manual ax-15

 

The plan is:

White or Tan paint

'96 4.0 engine from an XJ with 70k miles

NV3550(from '04 TJ with 90k)

Ford 8.8

Dana 30 HP

4.10:1 gears

3 or 4" lift

31's or 33x10.50s(undecided)

ARB snorkel

Ute bed

Metric Tonne springs

 

Day of purchase

 

Initial teardown

 

'96 4.0

 

Final goal

Thanks for looking gents

[Automan2164]

Nice truck, whats the build date on the drivers door?

 

Rob L. :cheers:

[gaucho919]

thanks, build date is 4-92

[88pioneer]

I'm begging you not to tear the bed off, you have one of the last MJ's built.

[terrawombat]

I'm begging you not to tear the bed off, you have one of the last MJ's built.

 

But if you do, I may know another '92MJ that would love to have it :D

 

Oh, and welcome!

[Automan2164]

Being that the build is that late, do you have the VIN handy? Even the last 6 digits will tell us where you fall.

 

Rob L.

[gaucho919]

Thanks gents, I'm 99% certain the bed is coming off, its a decent bed, has 2 main rust spots, one near the gas filler and the other on the passenger side fender flare. The VIN is 1J7FT26S2NL225254, I knew that it was the last year built but not that it was one of the last built. The PO wasn't very nice to it, the engine had 2 quarts of oil in it and no air filter. leaked oil everywhere, completely neglected but still ran like a top. Jeep had 186k miles so I pulled a nice leak free 70k mile '96 XJ motor from the local Junkyard.

[Automan2164]

Serial number shows that you are the latest build MJ among those registered here. Congratulations. There is a 5-3-92 I've ran, and he's a member, but its not in our system.

 

Its a keeper... Might want to keep it whole. You are 2nd to last known.

Rob L.

[gaucho919]

That's awesome! I would've never known, Thanks Rob!

[Automan2164]

Please keep me in mind if you ever decide to sell.

 

I'll call the dealer with your VIN tomorrow and check the day. Please enter your truck into our registry for us to keep track of the last few survivors.

Rob L. :cheers:

[gaucho919]

Thanks Rob, Today I cleaned up the engine. Going to pick up some paint tomorrow, the coolant passages look nasty. My buddy is driving the NV3550 up from Florida this weekend and hopefully I can start making some progress on the drivetrain. Looking for a 23 spline long input shaft np231, the local Junkyard just crushed like half the yard so only 2 cherokees left.

[gaucho919]

UPDATE

The truck is coming slow and steady, so much to do!

 

got the engine bay pressure washed

 

The engine cleaned and painted

 

Tranny cleaned

 

New intake manifold/clean water pump and oil pan

[Paul Bruchal]

Did a great job cleaning and painting, looks bran new :cheers:

I really need to do the same thing with mine. :oops:

[Automan2164]

How/what did you use to degrease and paint the engine?

 

Rob :cheers:

[gaucho919]

The engine was mostly clean, I use purple power to degrease. The tranny definitely was greasy from a bad rear main in the donor. Purple power works great! Used barbecue paint for the oil pan.

[Paul Bruchal]

:agree: PurplePower is the greatest thing ever invented... well besides the MJ....

I have like 10 bottles on my tool box!!!

[gaucho919]

hello gents I've made enough progress to deserve an update

 

-primed/painted the engine bay

 

-Got the engine/tranny hooked up and in the truck(still need a t-case from the junkyard)

 

-got the 8.8 mocked up in the rear

 

-Still undecided on whether I should get a slip yoke eliminator or not(so I can't weld the spring perches on yet)

 

I think the spring over looks pretty good, both my main leafs are sagging, rest of the leafs looks ok. Might order some metric tonne springs from hellcreek along with some XJ shackles to bring it down a bit.

for the front I'm thinking old man emu 4" springs with some 3/4" spring spacers

 

[knever3]

Looks great so far!

[gaucho919]

Thanks!

it got dark on me so I couldn't take pictures but the motor RUNS!!!

 

I am still undecided on the front suspension, looking for ~4.5 of lift, thinking about OME934 coils and 1.75" spacers, and either clayton long arms or RC control arm drop brackets. price is a big thing bc I have so many parts to buy still, shocks are pretty expensive too. what are y'alls experiences with drop brackets?

[mnkyboy]

Drop brackets work great, the only issue with the RC brackets is that they are for an XJ so they won't fit without modification to your truck.

 

 

I ran OME 934s with 2" spacers,it worked ok. I ended up going to 6.5" coils so the truck sat level and the 934s now live in my XJ as a 3" lift.

[ryno56]

Drop brackets work great, the only issue with the RC brackets is that they are for an XJ so they won't fit without modification to your truck.

 

 

I ran OME 934s with 2" spacers,it worked ok. I ended up going to 6.5" coils so the truck sat level and the 934s now live in my XJ as a 3" lift.

 

The RC brackets fit fine but the braces they use don't, I just put a set on mine. I'm not a hardcore wheeler so I might just leave the braces off. RE sells their brackets and braces separately (or did before their recent troubles) so they may not be entirely necessary.

[gaucho919]

Update...

 

-Pulled an np231 off a 2000 XJ from the junkyard on Saturday, not bad for $60. It is no contacting the body with the TJ nv3550, it is just about 1/4" away from it in one spot (might need to fix that with a hammer).

 

-Also pulled a clutch master and slave cylinder with the hydraulic line attached from a 94 XJ, $10 for all of it, not bad

 

-Got my ARB bullbar yesterday

 

-Ordered my Clayton long arms about 10 minutes ago

 

-Ran out of money haha

 

I'll post some pictures tonight when I get off work

[mnkyboy]

Drop brackets work great, the only issue with the RC brackets is that they are for an XJ so they won't fit without modification to your truck.

 

 

I ran OME 934s with 2" spacers,it worked ok. I ended up going to 6.5" coils so the truck sat level and the 934s now live in my XJ as a 3" lift.

 

The RC brackets fit fine but the braces they use don't, I just put a set on mine. I'm not a hardcore wheeler so I might just leave the braces off. RE sells their brackets and braces separately (or did before their recent troubles) so they may not be entirely necessary.

 

They may be less necessary on an MJ with the extra factory bracing but without the braces they are gonna get hung up on stuff.

 

I have seen drop Brackets with no braces get ripped off of XJs,I just looked at one that ripped the entire drivers side factory arm mount off leaving a huge hole in the frame.

[gaucho919]

as promised

some progress

 

 

The T-case/body clearance with the TJ NV3550

 

 

Some Aussie accents

 

 

decided to go for the Clayton long arms, figured I'd just go with a quality product and be done with it, gotta wait for the snorkel bc funds are running low, next are the OME934s and OME shocks, does anyone have a part # for some OME shocks for the rear spring over 6" lift? Thanks gents hope You like it

[gaucho919]

My long arms came in today, these things are BEEFY!! Clayton makes a great product. Now I'm just waiting on my OME934s and I'll be installing the front suspension soon!