WNY-J24 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Anyone with experience know if this front end is salvagable? The rest of the truck is fine. The engine even runs and the truck can go forward and back. 1986 with low miles 2wd Maybe welding replacement front end parts and then new front end panels? Or is this always going to be a big risk after repair? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strokermjcomanche Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Anything can be fixed , but that's bad enough damage that it shouldn't be fixed . You'd be better off finding a rolling shell and transferring everything over . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloride Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Sorry, but that truck is sadly toast. You could fix it, but for a '86, would it be worth your time? The only reason I say that is the position of the steering box. If the front's truck is 12 o'clock position, the steering box is along with the uni-body member its bolted to is pointed at 2 o'clock? Am I seeing that correctly? If the wreck moved the steering box that far, what did it do, if anything, to the motor mount on that side? Unless you have a frame straightener in your garage, I'd part that truck... I know its not what you want to hear, but that truck will never drive the same, not to mention how safe it will be to drive.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yxmj Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 That will buff right out.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WNY-J24 Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 Under 50k miles barn kept. I had to ask. So strip it down it is I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87MJTIM Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 A little body filler and it will be good as new.... Ok, A LOT of filler. :rotfl2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 As has been said, anything can be fixed -- the question is how much work and how many dollars will be needed. The way to repair it would be to buy a parts Cherokee, cut the frame stubs off both cabins, and wend the XJ front assembly onto the MJ cabin. A decent body shop could do that easily, but they have the necessary frame jigs to make it come out straight. The cost would be prohibitive. Trying to do it at home would be a monumental undertaking. Option number two might actually be less work, although it sounds counterintuitive. There was a guy who was very active in NAXJA-NAC in the early years. He had an '86 XJ, and he wanted a 4.0L. But he liked the rest of his vehicle. So his friend, who owned a small used car lot and shop, took an '88 or '89 XJ and sliced it in half just behind the A pillar. He did the same with Earl's '86. Then they grafted the newer front half onto the rear of the '86. You couldn't even tell it had been worked on. And it was plenty solid, because Earl wasn't shy about taking it off-road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 If you wer enot on the wrong coast, I would give you a deal on a rolling chassis MJ. In a way, you are better off without a 2.8L GM engine.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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