87Warrior Posted May 23, 2015 Author Share Posted May 23, 2015 Great thread! Just read the entire thing. When you put the XJ seats in did you use the XJ floor mounts or custom mount them? I used all 99 XJ parts. Seat, Bracket and floor brace. I cut the floor brace out of the XJ and mounted it in the MJ then simply bolted the seat bracket to the brace/reinforced floor. The seat is quite comfortable although the floor for the MJ does tilt the seat bottom a little forward. Love the LWB Brett and great work. Need to ask you a question about your rear Explorer disks. I have the same setup on my D44 including the spacers. Have you tried to pull the rotors yet? I picked up a new pair of cross-drilled rotors in trade, and went to remove the old Explorer rotors. They wouldn't budge, stuck tighter than snot on a hot oven door. Tried everything and wore out two hammers. I'm at a loss................ I have not tried to remove the newly installed rotor. However, I do recall the worn out rotors that came on the axle were a bear to remove. The worn out parking brake shoe was snagging on a lip wore into the rotor hat. The rust was also not helping. I used a MAPP torch to heat up the rotor face and hammered the rotor off with a mini sledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 I have not tried to remove the newly installed rotor. However, I do recall the worn out rotors that came on the axle were a bear to remove. The worn out parking brake shoe was snagging on a lip wore into the rotor hat. The rust was also not helping. I used a MAPP torch to heat up the rotor face and hammered the rotor off with a mini sledge. Yes I adjusted the shoes all the way in so it's not that, or rust. Guess I'll have to join an Explorer forum to find the easy way to get them off. :yes: Sorry for the hijack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 I have not tried to remove the newly installed rotor. However, I do recall the worn out rotors that came on the axle were a bear to remove. The worn out parking brake shoe was snagging on a lip wore into the rotor hat. The rust was also not helping. I used a MAPP torch to heat up the rotor face and hammered the rotor off with a mini sledge. Yes I adjusted the shoes all the way in so it's not that, or rust. Guess I'll have to join an Explorer forum to find the easy way to get them off. :yes: Sorry for the hijack. Air hammer with blunt bit. Short burps around the rotor in different spots. It'll come right off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 It was time to pick up rocks for more landscaping at the house today. I may have exceeded the maximum trailer weight for an MJ today. Braking wasn't an issue, but maintaining forward momentum was as was traction. I had to put it in low range to get up two hills on the road to my house. Don't try this with a D35! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiscoXJ Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 I love your truck man. perfect example of a build that is functional yet practical Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted June 19, 2015 Author Share Posted June 19, 2015 On 6/19/2015 at 9:26 AM, WiscoXJ said: I love your truck man. perfect example of a build that is functional yet practical Thank you for the kind words! This past week I heard my wife accidentally admit to liking my truck. Then again, maybe it was because the truck allowed her to finish a closet remodel while raining outside. I had to give the cap some attention. The lift struts were shot when I bought the truck. I typed the part number from the strut into amazon and two days later it was fixed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 It is official. The rusty truck is headed to Colorado for some scenic wheeling. I hope the stars align correctly and the Renix TBI system runs well at elevation and the 182k mile 2.5 doesn't hate me too much for it. In order to better prepare the truck, I stopped by my tire guy and picked up another 265/75r15 AT3 for the spare. These tires are about the same as a 31x10.5 so I suspected it would fit under the bed. The spare tire winch on this truck had failed before I acquired it. Not knowing if I would like the tire under the bed, I fabbed a mount out of some threaded rod, scrap steel and a little heat. The tire is flat against the frame, yet it seems to hang pretty low. I will see if the location needs reworked after my trip. I then attached the interior light for the topper to the previous owners power supply. Apparently they tapped power from the driver side tail light, but the light still works! I also discovered I probably have a corrosion/ground issue in the passenger side tail light.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted July 7, 2015 Author Share Posted July 7, 2015 I took this truck to Colorado over the weekend of the 4th. It ran great and even rode smoother than my TJ on the trails. It did struggle starting above 11,000' but never failed to do so. Here I am on Mt. Antero at 13,200'. I did not climb to the very top as a thunderstorm was rolling in. Another noteworthy location was reaching the top of American Flag Mountain at 12,700'. Fitting for the 4th of July weekend. We did clear a 24" diameter 60' pine from the road on the Cement Creek side of the Reno Divide road. Don't worry USFS, the Kansans did your job! I need to get a NP231 tcase. This dang 207 whines like a cat with its tail in a blender while in 4lo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 Another trip to Colorado in the MJ? You bet. A quick teaser of the 'lead truck' heading up Black Bear Pass in the San Juan mountains. Since I was here last year I hadn't planned on driving this far through Colorado, but due to recent news coming out of San Miguel County about a possible closure of my favorite pass, I had to make a special trip. A more detailed trip report will come once I get a chance to process my photos. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustyinthedirt Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 where did the sticker on the bumper come from?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 Another trip to Colorado in the MJ? You bet. A quick teaser of the 'lead truck' heading up Black Bear Pass in the San Juan mountains. Since I was here last year I hadn't planned on driving this far through Colorado, but due to recent news coming out of San Miguel County about a possible closure of my favorite pass, I had to make a special trip. A more detailed trip report will come once I get a chance to process my photos. :) Beast!!! One day I'll make out there...one day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysteed Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Great build. Any further plans for the truck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Follow the link to view my trip report to Colorado. I am ready to go back! http://comancheclub.com/index.php?/topic/48008-Ouray,-Tincup,-Salida-|-August-2015 Great build. Any further plans for the truck?Thanks for the kind words. I do plan to keep improving the truck. It developed a power steering fluid leak while in Colorado that I need to address. The next step is to replace the NP207 transfer case with a NP231. I already have the 231 but need to locate a mechanical speedometer tail shaft to replace the electronic sender. I would also like to get a winch bumper up front so I have a place to mount the winch I bought sometime ago. At that time I'd also like to upgrade the battery, alternator and battery cables. I also want to pull the head to repair the broken exhaust manifold stud and have it rebuilt. At 184k miles the motor still doesn't show any signs of giving up. Lastly, I really think the truck would benefit from new Metric Ton leaf springs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 While in Colorado, I noticed my front differential housing was getting coated in a mystery fluid. Upon closer inspection, I determined the power steering pump was leaking behind the pulley, around the shaft and dripping onto the axle housing. I ordered a power steering pump with the reservoir from Napa (I really didn't want to fight that) and a new high pressure line from Gates. Before installing the new pump, I flushed out the gearbox until new fluid would come of of the return hose. It took 2 gallons of power steering fluid to flush the gearbox. I am guessing it had never been done before. Swapped the pulley and mounting studs to the new pump assembly and installed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 It had been awhile since the ol' girl stretched her legs, so I decided to take the MJ to the local ORV park. As always, the truck never ceases to amaze me. The Cooper AT3's are proving themselves as my favorite all around tire. A good friend and myself took our rigs to the park. And my buddy's XJ. It was his first time at the park with his XJ. I've been helping him build it and provide parts recommendations for awhile and was pleased everything worked so well. Short of the small tires, it did awesome. Now that the truck has been running the new power steering pump for awhile, I noticed the actual gear box is now leaking. Ahh, another project for another day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted September 12, 2017 Author Share Posted September 12, 2017 Wow, it has been just short of two years since my last update with the MJ. I guess that is a good thing, it hasn't been giving me any trouble :) She now has 193k miles, 30k of those mine! A couple of weeks ago I decided to tackle a project I've been putting off since I bought this MJ, a leaky exhaust manifold. Upon a close inspection I could see the manifold was cracked, the gasket was blown out and the rear stud in the head appeared to have rusted off. Since I knew I'd need to remove the head to replace that rear stud I planned to drop it off at the machine shop who had built two 4.0's for me. The MJ came apart quite easily and I made sure to keep everything in order. While the head was getting a makeover, I cleaned every part I pulled out of the truck. With the intake cleaned up, I made a EGR block off plate. The EGR valve was frozen when I bought the truck and had been bypassed for many years. My biggest concern about this project was uncovering the bottom end of the motor. I expected to see scored cylinder walls and discoloration. Instead, all I found were smooth cylinder walls and a little carbon build up. Not bad for almost 200k miles, but it would have been awesome if there was still cross hatching on the walls. I had the head pressure checked and then rebuilt. No surprise, it needed new exhaust valves since a leak at the exhaust manifold can burn up exhaust valves. I was surprised that the valve springs and rocker arms were okay. The head work cost was more than I originally paid for the truck! This little stud was the sole reason for all of this work. The stud is from a Dorman manifold bolt kit for a 4.0. I also used a Felpro head bolt kit for a 4.0 to secure the head. I did not want to trust the 31 year old head bolts being torqued to 110/100ft-lbs. Since the old exhaust manifold was cracked at the EGR bung it needed a new manifold. I decided to try out the cheap ATP Graywerks unit. The manifold did have some extra casting I had to clean up, but it wasn't to bad. I did have to buy a new thermostat housing. The old 2.5 housing was so corroded the last time I changed the thermostat that I had to apply silicon to the gasket. The new housing is obviously for a 4.0 and has the coolant temperature sensor port. I plugged the hole with an extra renix coolant temperature sender. I will extend the wiring so that I can use this sensor for the coolant temperature to see if there is any difference in drive-ability. The MJ fired right up after the work was done. It is much more pleasant to drive without 3 big exhaust leaks right in front of me. I am anxious to see if my fuel economy improves with the sealed exhaust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted September 13, 2017 Share Posted September 13, 2017 Awesome truck, dude. Seeing updates on this really takes me back to the rust of MN. I dig it! Let me know when you're coming back to CO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted September 13, 2017 Author Share Posted September 13, 2017 1 hour ago, neohic said: Awesome truck, dude. Seeing updates on this really takes me back to the rust of MN. I dig it! Let me know when you're coming back to CO. Thanks Ben! I am not a fan of rust, but for some reason I smile about it on this truck. Sadly, I discovered how much the cancer has spread since I bought it after rebuilding the pictures in this thread. I may be in Salida this weekend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbuch96 Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 On 9/15/2014 at 10:48 PM, 87Warrior said: I drug this home today: 8.8 from a 98 Explorer, limited slip and 4.10's. Time to order some swap parts! I have always seen people to SOA, what made you do SUA? Also how is the truck driving on highways with 4.10s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted September 28, 2017 Author Share Posted September 28, 2017 I have always seen people to SOA, what made you do SUA? Also how is the truck driving on highways with 4.10s? I stayed SUA simply because I didn't want 6" of lift on this truck. It has about 2.5" of lift and sits nicely with the 265/75r15 tires under it. With the larger than stock tires, it feels a little under-geared in 5th on the highway. The ol' 2.5 will maintain 70mph without complaining, but the long grades and winds in the Kansas Flint Hills do make me search for 4th. Luckily I rarely need to get on interstate and the truck does just fine at 55mph, even with a load. She did struggle in Colorado with a load driving the highway passes, but even my 4.0 TJ with 5.13 gears struggles out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbuch96 Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 Very understandable, I wouldn't what that much of a lift either. I also wanted to ask since you added an extra leaf to your spring packs, will that increase your load capacity?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted September 29, 2017 Author Share Posted September 29, 2017 In theory yes, an AAL would increase your load capacity. I can say that it takes a lot of weight to make this truck squat. I often carry my ATV in the MJ and I notice it doesn't squat nearly as much as my 92 did with stock springs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalBman Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Do you have any plans to go to Kansas Rocks or anywhere else in the near future?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 8 hours ago, DigitalBman said: Do you have any plans to go to Kansas Rocks or anywhere else in the near future?? I don't have any immediate plans to hit a local park, but that is because I've lost touch with my old wheeling buddies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Great progress! I see that your plugged the egr valve... what plug did you use for the bottom part of it? Mine has been frozen since I’ve gotten mine and the exhaust hose that plugs into the intake has plenty holes in it and the fumes are at times overbearing in stop and go traffic... i plan to get a later model manifold but didn’t know what to do with the bottom part of the egr.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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