BIGHEEP Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Yesterday me and a buddy loaded up my trailer behind his Durango and headed south to Darien, CT to pick up my new to me 1988 Comanche. It is a short bed, 2WD, 4.0L, auto with only 116K miles. The good, it has a set of American Racing D hole rims, a fiberglass tonneau cover and the floors have been replaced. The bad is it has a few rust spots, it has some front end damage from someone backing into it hard and it runs rough. I can't really complain for the $500.00 asking price. It is really a solid little truck.Here is a pick from the tow home. The entire trip including stops, a flat trailer tire and the truck not starting when we arived, took us around 12 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted November 25, 2012 Author Share Posted November 25, 2012 Here are a couple more pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpnjim Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 Awesome! I love starting brand new projects! (It's finishing old ones that's the killer) Glad to see you back in an MJ Jon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 This has to be one fine MJ seeing it sports a Bosox sticker on the fuel filler door. :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted November 26, 2012 Author Share Posted November 26, 2012 This has to be one fine MJ seeing it sports a Bosox sticker on the fuel filler door. :cheers: And one on the back window. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Ellis fan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 A little update. Last December I got the truck home but didn't have much time to work on it. I did put a plate on it and took it to the dump one day and lets just say it has some issues. The brakes are pretty soft, the rear shocks are shot and it runs like crap. The first issue to address was that the truck idled and ran poorly. I checked for vacuum leaks and replaced a couple questionable lines. The truck was said to have had a recent tune up. The wires looked new but the cap and rotor were corroaded so I picked up new ones, a can of carb cleaner and ordered a new throttle body gasket. Two days before Christmas I had a spare couple hours so I tore into it. First I replaced the cap and rotor. I tried unplugging the O2 sensor and it really did not do much of anything. Seeing I have a low mileage rebuilt 88 4.0L sitting in my garage I swapped out the O2 from that engine. Next I started testing the EGR. It too didn't seem to be working properly so I swapped that out too. It seemed everything I did helped it run a bit better. Next was the TPS. I had picked up the new throttle body gasket so I pulled the TB and cleaned it. Filed down all the rough casting on it and polished it up, I reinstalled the TB and started it up and wow the throttle responce was much improved. Not knowing where my multi meter was at the time I adjusted the TPS by ear. That is about the time I ran out of daylight. After all that the truck runs much better but not 100% and I still need to set the TPS properly. The next morning, Christmas eve I had to move the truck out of the driveway to the backyard to make room for parking. Well, on a hill in the backyard I got it stuck. About an hour later it stated snowing and well...... lets just say it was a long, snowy winter. Today the snow has finally melted enough to get the truck out. Due to some medical issues I am unable to work on the truck right now but I am gathering parts. The original plan was to lower the truck and eventually drop a V8 into it but plans have changed. I am still planning on a V8 swap in the future but i use a truck as a truck. Lowering it really isn't practical for me. I still have a RRO rear SOA kit from one of my old MJs and seeing this thing needs shocks I decided to go higher rather then lower. So here is the new for now plan. SOA in the rear. I ordered ap some RE 5.5 front coils, RE control arm drop brackets, and a RE HD track bar w/ mount. I have a newish pair of Rancho shocks coming off the front of my YJ that with some bar pin eliminators should be the right lenght for the front of the MJ. The YJ will also be giving up its sway bar links and its set of GrizzIy rims with 31" tires. For now it will stay 2WD seeing I already have a wheeling rig. A 4wd conversion is in its future so I figured why replace parts with new parts that I will just end up replacing anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted September 27, 2013 Author Share Posted September 27, 2013 Well, last weekend I finally fired up the truck and drove it around the yard. That is all it took to get me going on building this thing again. So I started searching Craigslist for a front axle. After going back and forth via text messages with a guy that lived one town over from my work I finally picked up my new to me D30 today. It is a HP, non disconnect out of a 96 XJ. It has 3.55 gears to match the current rear axle in my truck. It came out of a registered and NH safety inspected XJ and has new u-joints, a new upper ball joint and 2 new unit bearings. The only thing it will need is brakes. I am going to swap in the axle with the lift. Then once I have all the parts ready (need a front driveshaft and a few other things) I will swap in the 4WD AW4 and NP231. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted September 29, 2013 Author Share Posted September 29, 2013 Fired up the Comanche today to move it. I have to use a screw driver to jump the starter. My old XJ did the same thing. It was the ignition switch and I ended up just installing a push button for the starter. I am thinking I will do the same on this one. When I fired it up last weekend the gas gauge was on empty so I threw a couple of gallons of fresh gas in it. Today I noticed an strong odder of gas coming from the truck. It is leaking gas from the rear. This truck is not overly rusty so I don't think the tank is rusted through. I will have to wait till I get it in the driveway to find out where it is coming from. On another note today I was going through a box of Jeep stuff my buddy gave me when he sold his TJ and found a pair of sway bar disconnects. If I remember correctly they are Full Traction and suck but hey, they are free and better than nothing. I will probably replace them with some JKS in the future. I also found some 97+ fenders, header panel, wiring and doors for sale locally. One fender is dented and the header panel has a crack but they are red and dirt cheap so I am going to grab them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted September 29, 2013 Author Share Posted September 29, 2013 I removed the front bumper and cracked header panel today so I could get a better look at the front end damage. There doesn't seem to be much of any damage past the bumper mounting locations on the frame rail. Now I just need to straighten it out enough to hang a bumper. I may plate the front section of the uniframe to stiffen things up a bit. I snapped a couple pics but they don't show the damage very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctxj93 Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 There's a seal for the fuel sender on the tank that gets kind of crusty and can leak. Also there's a little seal for a fuel line that runs into the sender plate that can spring leaks too (at least in my case). Both are easy fixes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted November 10, 2013 Author Share Posted November 10, 2013 I have only got a few things done on the MJ in the last few months. Straightened the front frame rails enough to hang a bumper.I added a push button for starting the Jeep. I will end up drilling and mounting it on the dash but for now it is easier than jumping the starter with a screw driver.I was bored so I mounted light bar off my old XJ on the roof. I will be replacing the old rusty lights with something a little more low profile. I also got new loaded caliper and rotors for the D30 from Rock Auto along with a Dakota rear brake hose. I should also be picking up a red header panel this week. I will hopefully finally be tearing into this truck in the next few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 Well, I got a 1996 red header panel off craigslist so I threw it on this morning. I forgot the earlier XJ/MJs use a different bezel for the lights and the early bezels won't fit the later header panels. I just happened to have on later model bezel. I will have to either modify the old bezel or pick up another. One thing I did learn by putting on the new header panel is that the front of the truck is more tweaked then I thought. I guess this will never be a show truck. :) Check out those gaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 But you can adjust that fender more to the left...just loosen the screws so that you can close those gaps...I have to do my hood which has that similar gap you have.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 But you can adjust that fender more to the left...just loosen the screws so that you can close those gaps...I have to do my hood which has that similar gap you have.... Actually the fender is adjusted in all the way and the hood forward all the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted November 16, 2013 Share Posted November 16, 2013 Oh that sucks....sorry to hear that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted September 1, 2014 Author Share Posted September 1, 2014 So this truck has pretty much sat since last fall. This spring I patched the brake lines and replaced the rear shocks only to have the brake lines blow out a week later. Then today this happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted September 1, 2014 Author Share Posted September 1, 2014 Well, it's all out. All in all everything came out without a problem. I found the right outer tie rod was smoked and the front inner doesn't have much life left. Looks like I will be upgrading to V8 ZJ steering while I am at it. I am at a stand still at the moment because the drivers upper control arm was really rusty and thin. I need to pick one up to replace it. The only thing left that needs to come off is the lower control arm alignment shims then I will be ready to install the RE drop brackets and the 5.5" lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 I am still waiting on steering and suspension parts to show up so today I decided to pull out the old bench seat. It doesn't look that bad except for the stitching coming apart on the drivers side. But it is hiding a secret underneath. No wonder the seat bottom felt like I was riding on a board....... I was! Decided to pull the rubber mat while I was at it. I knew the previous owner had patched the floors and it looks like he did a nice job. I should only need to hit it the floors with a wire wheel and a coat of POR 15. I do need to figure out where water is still leaking in from. My guess is the aftermarket sunroof. Once I fix up the floors I am going to be throwing it the old bench seat out of NHMJXJ's 1990 MJ that he was kind enough to give me when he went to bucket seats. It is cloth, much better shape then mine and the headrests will add a bit more safety to the truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 More parts arrived today. I now have all my ZJ steering parts as well as shock adapters and bar pin eliminators. I also ordered new vacuum lines to replace the dried and cracked old ones. Before it got dark tonight I was able to install the RE drop brackets and track bar.mount as well as mock up the shock adapters. It has also become obvious that the camera on my Iphone can no longer take a clear picture. :doh: With any luck I should have the Dragon back on its wheels this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHMJXJ Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 It's not a race, so get'r done as you can. :rock on: You may want to hang onto that board from your old seat, 'cause the bench from my truck was a little soft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 I have been plugging away a little every night checking things off my mental list. Tonight i wire wheel and sanded the floor. Then painted it with a coat of Chassis Coat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 It's not a race, so get'r done as you can. :rock on: You may want to hang onto that board from your old seat, 'cause the bench from my truck was a little soft. Honestly the bench seat will probably only be temporary. I plan on swapping in a nice set of leather Grand Cherokee buckets at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 Well, it has an axle..... kind of. It is in but I thought I might be able to sneak the RE 5.5 coils in without spring compressors. No dice. I will have to hit up Autozone in the morning and hopefully I will have the Jeep on it's tires by noon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 If you disconnect the lower control arms on the axle side you should be able to slide them in there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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