jakepurkey Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Hey everyone I'm new to the site and new to the Comanche world also. I just inherited my father’s 1990 Jeep Comanche and I hope to start a rebuild on it. The problem is I don't really know a lot about Comanches or where I can find parts so I thought I would come to the brain trust of Comanche knowledge. This is mostly a nostalgia project. I grew up in this Jeep and I hope to keep it around for awhile. The biggest problem I'm having right now is finding a set or front and rear differentials. I want to swap out the old ones for Dana 44s. I'm also going to do a swap on the Inline 6 which has been having some problems as of late and probably switch out the tranny too. I'm sure you guys have run into plenty of issues with your jeeps and if there is anything you would recommend I look into I'm open to ideas. I'm here to soak up the Comanche knowlege so if you know any places where I can find parts or have any ideas for my build (such as what you would do if someone just gave you the keys to a Comanche) lay them on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Welcome! A rear Comanche Dana 44 isn't easy to come by. You can get one from an older Cherokee, but they are not easy to come by either. The other option is to get a 8.25 from a Cherokee which isn't quite as strong, but not bad. If you any axle from a Cherokee, you will have to relocate the spring perches. A Dana 44 was never offered in the front of a Comanche or Cherokee. They were offered in the front of the '03-'06 TJ Wrangler Rubicons, but I'm not sure if they'll bolt in or not. If they do, be prepared to spend a hefty chunk of change on it. You mention swapping the transmission; which trans do you have now - AW4 auto or AX-15 manual? Its great that you get to rebuild the truck you grew up in. Throw up some pictures of it if you have any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadinator Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Jake, Rymanrph speaks the truth. I will add, that you should give us all the details on your truck. Which tranny, what the symptoms are that you think you need to replace the engine/tranny? Pictures are always welcome. We like pictures. The front axle should be a dana 30. It's a pretty good piece unless you are doing some serious wheeling. The biggest complaint with our vintage is the CAD on it. It can be bypassed pretty easily, though. Your rear axle is most likely the dana 35. It's pretty weak as you know, but not quite as bad as some make it out to be. If you wheel a lot, it will become a weak link, but if you're mostly street driving and only light wheeling, it may be fine. Anything from the front half of a Cherokee will swap. The rear is pretty unique to the Comanche, though. Give us details and we'll try to point you in the right direction. And Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakepurkey Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 Rymanrph, I have the manual transmission and the I6. I guess it would probably help to give you guys an idea of what I'm going to be doing with the Jeep. I probably will just be hitting the trails on the weekends and maybe the occasional mudding but no serious rock crawling. With that being said I probably don't necessarily need Dana 44s but I still want something of decent strength. What would be best for a weekend warrior? I will try to get some pictures up soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam518 Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I have the manual transmission and the I6. I guess it would probably help to give you guys an idea of what I'm going to be doing with the Jeep. I probably will just be hitting the trails on the weekends and maybe the occasional mudding but no serious rock crawling. With that being said I probably don't necessarily need Dana 44s but I still want something of decent strength. What would be best for a weekend warrior? I will try to get some pictures up soon. A TJ front D44 is a direct swap into the MJ, but it really isn't worth it unless you get a good deal. The TJ D44 has the same outer knuckles as the D30, which is the weak link in both axles, so you're not really gaining a whole lot in strength. If you plan to pick up a D30 for the front, get one from a 1996-1999 Cherokee. They made the u-joints larger in 1996 and 1999 was the last year that they were high pinion. The high pinion D30's are both stronger and have better ground clearance than a low pinion out of a 2000-2001 Cherokee or any of the TJ's. For the rear, toss the D35...it's a turd. The 3 most popular options would be a Ford 8.8, a Chrysler 8.25 & a Dana 44. If you can dig up a Comanche D44, you are golden. It is a direct swap. If you can find a Cherokee D44, you will have to weld perches. Either the Ford 8.8 or Chrysler 8.25 would require perches to be welded. Ford 8.8's can be found with 4.10 gears frequently and they will generally have disc brakes. The Chrysler 8.25 would be an easy find. They were in TONS on Cherokees throughout the 90's. In 1997, they Chrysler 8.25 went from 27 splines to 29 splines. The 29 spline 8.25 is actually a really decent axle and can be bought cheap. The vast majority of the Cherokees were I6 autos and they mostly came with 3.55 gears. You don't have as much aftermarket support for the 8.25 as you would a 8.8 or D44, but most popular lockers are now available and gear selection has gotten pretty good. I was lucky when I got my MJ b/c it already had a D44 swapped in. If it didn't, I would probably have gone the 8.25 route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Is your truck 2wd now or 4wd? The AX-15 in your '90 is a pretty good transmission. It has an internal slave cylinder (which you can convert to external if you want) that can be annoying at times, but I've driven several Jeep manual transmissions and its my favorite. Are you having any specific problems? A new transmission won't be inexpensive even from a junk yard. Unless you have major issues, a properly bled and functioning slave and good clutch should be the most it needs. If you're 2wd and want to convert to 4wd, I suggest getting an AX-15 (and matching NP231) from a '95+ XJ. They have the external slave setup. At the very least, you could get a bell housing from one of those years. That's what I did originally with my 2wd '90. Adam is right about the axle information. I looked for a Dana 44 for mine, but it was going to cost three times as much as the 8.25 that I have, but its no where near three times as good. Where are you located? Maybe a nearby member can help you track down the parts you need or even help you figure out what you need/want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakepurkey Posted September 28, 2012 Author Share Posted September 28, 2012 Rymanrph, My comanche is a 4x4. I'm not having any real specific probems with the transmission but my engine is shot and I'm replacing it so I figured while I'm in there I might as well switch it out. I'm from Chattanooga TN and that's where my Jeep is but I go to school in New York and I don't get a lot of time off so I want something that will be bolt on. Is the 8.25 bolt on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Chief Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 You have to relocate spring perches on a 8.25 but another good swap is a ford 8.8 a little more work but some say its as powerful as a d44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadinator Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 Nothing is a bolt on in the rear end except an MJ rear end. The spring perches will have to be cut off and new ones welded in if you go any other rear axle. Front is XJ, but rear is MJ specific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Why do you say the engine is shot? Tell us what the symptoms are, we'll guide you through the fix. 4.0s will do 200K without popping the hood, then go farther after that. What's the compression? Is there blow-by (oil on the air filter)? Does it start and run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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