SW86 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 damn. can't believe i never thought of that! might give that one a go for sure also you could of grabbed the disc brakes off that same ZJ. good swap for the rear depending on what axle you have. i love mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 damn. can't believe i never thought of that! might give that one a go for sure also you could of grabbed the disc brakes off that same ZJ. good swap for the rear depending on what axle you have. i love mine. I did the ZJ rear swap on my '97 XJ. This little truck stopped like a champ before I tore it apart, so I left it alone. It has a D44 rear axle, so I'd have to have a spacer made to do the install. I'll probably end up swapping to discs before it is all said & done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted April 24, 2012 Author Share Posted April 24, 2012 I mounted my Ravines (no tires on them yet) so that I could measure and adjust my toe setting. If anyone decides to run a ZJ tire rod installed like I did, and if you have 15" wheels, you will need to double check and make sure the grease fitting on the outer tie rod on the driver's side isn't rubbing on the inside surface of the wheel. Mine was making contact, so I removed the grease zerk and installed a plug, like the one on most lower ball joints. I figure that I'll grease the tie rods every time I rotate my tires. With the wheel off, I can remove the plug, install a grease fitting, grease it and the reinstall the plug. I also did the same plug install on the other end of the tie rod. The fitting was barely hitting the face of the stabilizer bracket just before the steering stop hit the knuckle. Again, I'll have to remove the plug and temporarily screw in a grease fitting every time it needs to be greased. Even still, it's a pretty cheap and easy way to get a much stronger tie rod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted April 29, 2012 Author Share Posted April 29, 2012 Almost on the road! :cheers: Today I was able to center the front axle and finish the alignment. After that, I installed the new clutch slave cylinder, braided clutch line line and bled the system. The clutch works as it should. For the 1st time in almost 4 months, I fired it up today. It came to life on the 2nd crank and runs as smooth as silk. The only problem is that I have a check engine light. While it was apart, I did install a new JBA header and all new exhaust including a Magnaflow cat converter, reman 703 injectors and a Bosch O2 sensor. I didn't get a chance to check the code yet, but I am wondering if it isn't 1 of 2 things. (1) Was the O2 sensor bad right out of the box? The guy at the parts store warned me that he's had bad luck with them, but that was the only one he had in stock, or...(2) Could I be running a little lean because of the header, high flow cat & 703 injectors? If so, would an adjustable fuel pressure regulator help fix the problem? I went through the computer reset procedure. At no time did it ever smell rich, stumble, die, miss or anything else. Aside from the CEL, I am stoked. I won't get a chance tomorrow, but Tuesday evening, I should be able to get it on the road for a test drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 Checked the code using the key on-off-on-off-on method. It turned out to be a code 12 which is just telling me that the computer had been disconnected. Well, it did sit for almost 4 months with the battery disconnected. Anyway, after reading the code, I started it and the check engine light did not come back on...all is well and I don't have to spend any more $$. I can't wait to drive this thing. Tomorrow, I'll swap my XJ wheels & 33x12.50 cooper STT's onto the MJ and drive it for a few days. I'd do it tonight, but I have to take my kids to preschool tomorrow and I have to have the XJ. Pics coming with tires mounted soon! :banana: ...sorry, but I love the little dancing banana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Congratulations on the progress. Its a good feeling isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 Congratulations on the progress. Its a good feeling isn't it? It does feel great. I'm so close. Tomorrow night will be it's maiden voyage. I've felt under the gun the last bit because I'll be leaving for vacation this Friday, and having it up and running before leaving was kind of my goal. Tonight I installed the sway bar and JKS disconnects that used to be on my XJ. You would think 4 bolts and toss it up in there would be a 10 min project. Almost 2 hours later it was all wrapped up...nothing ever goes as planned. Tapping holes, missing bolts, removing the miserable factory studs from the stock sway bar brackets on the axle, etc. I know that the sway bar studs changed over the years and don't know exactly when they did, but on my '97 XJ and the '96 XJ front axle that now resides in my MJ, both were splined studs that pressed into the sway bar brackets, even though they had torx heads. You can twist the heads all day long, but they aren't goings anywhere. I cut the torx head off and used a big socket extra thick washer and nut on the onboard side to pull the stud/bolt out. It was actually easy compared to the first time on my '97 when I had no idea that it wasn't a true bolt that would thread out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 I finally got it on the road last night. It drives like a champ! I just can't get over how well this little truck drives, both now and when it was stock. In the end I am really happy with how 4.56 gears and 33's work with the manual transmission. It pulls really strong in all five gears. Long uphill grades in 5th gear are no problem and it isn't turning excessive rpms. The tires rubbed the ends of the flares so I cut them a little with a cutoff wheel on a grinder. It's a little sloppy, but they are coming off soon anyway. The wheels are temporary, as they are off my daily driver XJ, but I wanted to see how it would work with 33's before I ordered new tires for the MJ. The Comanche will be running hyper-black Ravines and spacers. I think I'll try to get 1.25" spacers for the rear and 1" spacers for the front. As much as I like the tires sticking out beyond the flares on my XJ, I'd prefer a little less tire sticking out on the truck. Here is how it sits now with 4.5" Hell Creek springs in the rear and RE 4.5" coils in the front. The rear axle sits a little further forward than I would like, so I plan to move it back about .75" or so. The plate I am going to make will go between the axle and leaf, and since I am spring under, it will lower the rear about 1/4". I'm ok with that as it currently has a fair amount of rake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 More good news...my new seats showed up today. I ended up going with the Corbeau Moabs in charcoal vinyl. The quality seems really nice and they seem to be very comfortable. I may be able to mount them tomorrow after work, but if not, they'll have to wait for a week while I go on vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camjeep3 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 truck looks great. seems to clear the tires very well for 4.5 coils! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 truck looks great. seems to clear the tires very well for 4.5 coils! Yeah...the 4.5" coils netted me more like 5.5"...even after it somewhat settled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 That looks fantastic! I think you're hyper black Ravines will look great, but I am partial to having the tires stick out some. Either way, you've done a great job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 After seeing the truck w/33's and 3.75" backspacing, I have decided to run the Ravines (5.5" backspacing) with 1.5" spacers in the rear and 1.25" spacers in the front. With '97 up front fenders and an aftermarket front bumper, I am confident that I can keep it from rubing in the front. It may require some bump stops and steering stop adjustment. In the end, I want the tires to be spaced out a little, but not as much as my XJ. This week, I am in Destin, playing on the beach with my kids, but I'll probably go ahead and order my tires, spacers and a set of rock sliders. I am axious for this project to pick up a litle speed. BTW, anyone have a tire preference? I have pretty much decided on either Cooper STT's (which I have already used 3 separate times in the past) and Mickey Thompson MTZ's. I'm leaning toward the MTZ's just to use something different, but the STT's are an incredibly versatile tire and I have ben very pleased with them in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 BTW, anyone have a tire preference? I have pretty much decided on either Cooper STT's (which I have already used 3 separate times in the past) and Mickey Thompson MTZ's. I'm leaning toward the MTZ's just to use something different, but the STT's are an incredibly versatile tire and I have ben very pleased with them in the past. I used to be all BFG, but I have been extremely happy with my Duratracs. They are fairly aggressive for an all terrain and they very quiet on road. I've never heard anyone who wasn't happy with the MTRs either. I guess it depends on what you plan to use them for. I was happy with my KM2s as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hick92 Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 i kinda love the road noise of a aggressive m/t i got some mastercraft courser m/t's on the jimmy and i love them in the mud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 I definitely want to go with a mud-terrain. My Coopers have been very quiet...for a mud tire. They are great in the mud and I think they look good, too. I've had tons of compliments on their appearance and it's nice to have something a little different. It's funny, but I have seen very little press on the STT's and they are usually not included in tire comparisons when the big publications to their tire shootouts. Maybe Cooper doesn't lay out enough $$ when it comes to advertising time. Regardless, I made my initial decision to buy a set for my XJ after reading as much as I could on forums. I was looking for a versatile mud tire that was livable on the street. They also needed to look good. They haven't disappointed. ...ugh. I don't know. Every time I buy tires I end up in the same spot. It would be nice to try something different, but I know the STT's work well for how I use them. ...but then again, the MTZ's sure are pretty. From what I understand, Cooper manufactures the Mickey Thompson tires now. The dimensions are identical. They are probably the same tire with slightly different tread & sidebiter design. This decision will definitly require a few more beers to help me get my thoughts straight :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted May 17, 2012 Author Share Posted May 17, 2012 Got my new tires today! Spacers should be here tomorrow so I can get hem installed. I decided to got withe the Mickey Thompson MTZ's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 That is a great looking wheel and tire combo! I can't wait to see them on you truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Comanche4x4 Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Curious why you stayed SUA ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted May 18, 2012 Author Share Posted May 18, 2012 Curious why you stayed SUA ? Several reasons... I was concerned with axle-wrap. I know it gets debated a lot and don't want to knock anyone else build, but the factory spring was engineered to be used in a spring under fashion. If you think about how the moment of torque is applied to the axle to spring mount point, the higher that the perch is from the ground, the more stress at that point. So, two axles at the same height from the ground, one spring under and one spring over, the axle with spring over will be a lot more likely to experience axle wrap and damage the spring. You take that, and magnify low range gearing, high traction and/or high wheel speed that grabs traction all at once and it is a real concern. I know that plenty of heavy duty full size trucks are spring over, but the spring was engineered to work in that fashion. I was not comfortable taking the spring that was in my truck and converting it to spring over. A lot of folks will say that the Cherokee came spring over, but it's different, too. The Cherokee spring is much shorter than a Comanche spring. All else being equal, the Comanche spring would see more potential of axle wrap due to the length, like it's easier to bend a long piece of metal than a shorter one. Another thing was that the factory spring had very little arch...who knows, maybe it was fatigued. Regardless, even if it were changed to spring over and gave the perfect amount of lift, it would not have articulated very well. A more highly arched spring will compress better...assuming adequate shackle length and proper shackle angle. Also, I was only looking for 4.5" to 5" of lift and spring overs usually give more lift than that. I read a ton and heard really good things about the Hell Creek springs and decided to give them a shot. I have only put about 100 miles on the suspension, but so far am really please with how well it rides. Anyway, those are my reasons...I am sure others have good reasons for doing something different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrawombat Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Hmmm...logic and reasoning was used to make an informed decision rather than just following the crowd and assuming things will work. I applaud you, sir. Oh, I like the build, too and I especially like your rim/tire combo choice. I'm a sucker for stock components. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 Oh, I like the build, too and I especially like your rim/tire combo choice. I'm a sucker for stock components. I can't take credit for the wheel choice completely. I saw them on Rymanrph's rescue green truck and decided that I had to have a set. With any luck, I'll be driving it today or tomorrow with my new wheels & tires installed. The spacers should be here today, but I still need to finish moving my rear axle back about 1.25". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 OK, here is how it sits now. I moved the rear axle back exactly 1.25" and am happy with how much better it is centered. The Ravines with 5.5" backspacing and wheel spacers gave me the look I was shooting for. They stick out beyond the flares slightly, but less than my XJ with 3.75" of backspacing. I used 1.25" spacers in the front and 1.5" spacers in the rear, giving a total of 4.25" of backspacing in the front and 4" in the rear. It still has a slight rake and I'm good with that. It would drive me crazy on the XJ, but to me, trucks look better with a slightly higher rear. I had to cut the front fenders and flares to eliminate rubbing. I hope to order a JCR Offroad Crusader front bumper today, but for now, I'll leave the stock bumper in place like you see in the pics. With the extra real estate in front of the tires, I'll probably move the front axle forward .5" to .75" to give a little more clearance at the back of the front tire. It doesn't rub now, but it's a little tight. If necessary, I can trim more material from the fender and flare to keep it from rubbing on the front of the tire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 That looks great! I am a fan :clapping: I really like the hyper black finish on your wheels. Those would look great on my truck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 I showed the truck to my wife when I got home last night and she wanted to know why I have some guys name written on my tires... :doh: ...ugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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