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Actually, yes lol.  I'll have to update this pretty soon, but just to name a few things that have been done since February:

 

I've swapped in bucket seats from a 4-door XJ (I know these aren't the preferred seat, but it's what I have for now till 2-door buckets can be had).

I have a front drive shaft in my possession.  Unfortunately, it has a flange adapter on the CV end that I'll need to figure out how to swap out.
Also have a CB radio to install.  Just recently, the high-pressure hose for the power steering got replaced since the old one busted at the crimped end.  I'm sure there's a few things I'm forgetting, but this is just the stuff off the top of my head.

 

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  • 8 months later...

I'm in the middle of this swap now. I'm using a 95 XJ 4.0 and ax15. i cut the firewall to be able to slide the engine in but i noticed the driver side motor mount on the frame needed to be moved forward about 2 inches. I was wondering if you ran into the same issue and what you did to fix it. thanks

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I'm in the middle of this swap now. I'm using a 95 XJ 4.0 and ax15. i cut the firewall to be able to slide the engine in but i noticed the driver side motor mount on the frame needed to be moved forward about 2 inches. I was wondering if you ran into the same issue and what you did to fix it. thanks

Did you use the 4.0 frame side bracket ?

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I'm in the middle of this swap now. I'm using a 95 XJ 4.0 and ax15. i cut the firewall to be able to slide the engine in but i noticed the driver side motor mount on the frame needed to be moved forward about 2 inches. I was wondering if you ran into the same issue and what you did to fix it. thanks

Did you use the 4.0 frame side bracket ?

 

^This.

 

I had to swap the DS mount from my donor.

 

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  • 8 months later...

Been quite some time since my last update here... Wow!

Anyway, I've decided that I want to lift the MJ afterall. Plans are to do an 8.8 rear with 4.10 gears, SOA swap. RE 4.5" springs, Rocky-Road Outfitters MJ control arm drop brackets and swap in a D30 with 4.10 gears. I've sourced both my axles for the project, and literally just finished my 8.8 about an hour ago after months of slow progress on it. Here she is:
80-20151030_210939_zps6d919uam_6b02af699

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Your comanche build is coming along nicely!   I should move my build thread over here too...

 

Just a quick FYI, I was running a 242 in my 5-speed TJ for several years, and I'll probably put it back in soon...    You'll find that in "full time" mode, there's a lot of bucking when you turn because of the front axle u-joints not transmitting rotation at a constant velocity.   With an auto, you don't really notice it much, but with the manual, it can get pretty severe.  

I ended up changing to ZJ CV style front axle shafts.   I'm never going back to U-joints.   :)   With the wheels straight, the CV is about as strong as a U-joint.  With the wheels turned to lock, the U-joint is about 40% of it's original strength, and the CV is still at 100%.   I've not broken one yet, in almost 10 years of wheeling.  I run a front truetrac, and I stand on the brake pedal at times to get it to lock up. 

 

I HIGHLY recommend swapping shafts if you have the opportunity.  I got them from one of the big auto parts stores for $50 each back when I did it.  Wait for a sale on CV shafts and then go get a set.  :)    They also keep the tire from yanking at the steering wheel if you spin it with the wheel turned.   Very smooth!!  :)

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Your comanche build is coming along nicely!   I should move my build thread over here too...

 

Just a quick FYI, I was running a 242 in my 5-speed TJ for several years, and I'll probably put it back in soon...    You'll find that in "full time" mode, there's a lot of bucking when you turn because of the front axle u-joints not transmitting rotation at a constant velocity.   With an auto, you don't really notice it much, but with the manual, it can get pretty severe.  

I ended up changing to ZJ CV style front axle shafts.   I'm never going back to U-joints.   :)   With the wheels straight, the CV is about as strong as a U-joint.  With the wheels turned to lock, the U-joint is about 40% of it's original strength, and the CV is still at 100%.   I've not broken one yet, in almost 10 years of wheeling.  I run a front truetrac, and I stand on the brake pedal at times to get it to lock up. 

 

I HIGHLY recommend swapping shafts if you have the opportunity.  I got them from one of the big auto parts stores for $50 each back when I did it.  Wait for a sale on CV shafts and then go get a set.  :)    They also keep the tire from yanking at the steering wheel if you spin it with the wheel turned.   Very smooth!!  :)

 

Sweet, thanks for the tip man!

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  • 5 months later...

That would be true, although unless you want to run mismatched wheels front/rear, they'll make the front stick out negating the aesthetic advantage of the offset.

I'm running a pretty high offset wheel already and the fronts stick out more than the rears do. I think our trucks are wider out back than they are in the front.

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How'd you measure the spring perch spacing on your 8.8? I'm about to drop mine in, but I keep getting cold feet.

 

I measured them based off the old axle.  Simply put the 8.8 on saw-bucks with the stock Explorer perches flat and level on the saw-bucks, then put my new Barnes4x4 perches on the top side, spaced them where the needed to be based on my measurements from the old axle, made sure they were perfectly parallel to the old perches, then I tacked them in place and triple checked everything.  Once I confirmed my placement was dead on, I welded it inside and out.  THEN, I cut the old perches off.  If I were to do it again, I'd probably put a 2 or 4 degree tilt to the new perches just because after bolting in the axle, it looks like it's not perfectly pointing inline with the drive shaft, but nothing worth worrying about.

 

I welded on the shock mounts after I swapped the axle in.  Best part of doing that that way was, I got them welded in a place on the 8.8 where my factory length shocks can be reused without any additional length needed.

 

 

 

 

That would be true, although unless you want to run mismatched wheels front/rear, they'll make the front stick out negating the aesthetic advantage of the offset.

I'm running a pretty high offset wheel already and the fronts stick out more than the rears do. I think our trucks are wider out back than they are in the front.

 

 

I think the fact that the front of the MJs and XJs narrow down slightly in the front makes it looks like the tires are sticking out further.  In all actuality though, the 8.8 is roughly ½" shorter on each side than a standard 35 or 44, so its subtle difference would go unnoticed to most anyone. 

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