XJ rear end parts to MJ

[Sevik]

Hello guys, 

 

First of all, greetings, I am new here. I've been reading this forum for a while, even registered earlier. Though, I am not much of a chatting person, more interested in tech. 

 

For some reasons, I thought the topic I need an answer to has already been covered, but search doesn't answer many details. Here is the question I wanted to ask: I got 1999 XJ, which I will use as a DD until I fix up the body of the 1988 MJ (has major rust issues), so a year or two. Then I plan to swap entire interior, engine, transmission (still debating about this one as it needs to be re-built while MJs works perfectly). However, until this time, I want to upgrade Cherokee with some off-road parts. As the front end will go without any major problems, the rear end is somewhat worries me. The axle in particular. I want to add a truss bar on it and a locker. 

 

Will I be able to swap the rear axle into MJ assuming SOA setup? What kind of a lift I need to put on XJ to have MJ leveled later? Other than a spring perch, does it need any other modifications? Will it clear other parts of the XJ axle and a truss bar? I will put all new leaf springs but planning to re-use XJ shocks (from a lift kit), are they the same? 

 

Thank you very much! 

[Jackrabbit41]

The spring perches and shock mounts will have to be moved on the Cherokee rear axle to for the comanche

[87MJTIM]

What's in the MJ and XJ - engine, trans, 2wd or 4wd?

[Eagle]

Rear shocks are not the same, and if you will be welding your own shock mounts to the axle when you swap it to the MJ, then the only frame of reference you'll have will be your own measurements.

 

Stock XJ rear shocks, fully extended, are about one inch too short to go into a stock-height MJ. (And, of course, the upper mounts are different -- open eye on the MJ, bar pin on the XJ.)

 

I must have missed something -- what axle is under the XJ? Yes, I saw that it's a 1999 -- but not all 1999 XJs had Chrysler axles.

[Sevik]

Rear shocks are not the same, and if you will be welding your own shock mounts to the axle when you swap it to the MJ, then the only frame of reference you'll have will be your own measurements.

 

Stock XJ rear shocks, fully extended, are about one inch too short to go into a stock-height MJ. (And, of course, the upper mounts are different -- open eye on the MJ, bar pin on the XJ.)

 

I must have missed something -- what axle is under the XJ? Yes, I saw that it's a 1999 -- but not all 1999 XJs had Chrysler axles.

Both D35, that's why I want to add a truss bar.

Alrighty, so I will need shocks too. Thanks! 

I will take a closer look, maybe it won't be worth it to move axle around, just swap the locker. 

 

What's in the MJ and XJ - engine, trans, 2wd or 4wd?

Both 4L, auto, 4x4 (231)

The major difference in layout is the location of a transmission shifter, it's on a steering wheel on MJ 

 

The spring perches and shock mounts will have to be moved on the Cherokee rear axle to for the comanche

thanks! 

[Eagle]

Both D35, that's why I want to add a truss bar.

 

Don't waste the effort. Definitely not worth any investment whatsoever. Find a 97+ Chrysler 8.25 out of a Cherokee, or a Ford 8.8, and put a eal axle under your truck.

 

The Dana 35 is fine for street driving and light wheeling, but once you're into a lift and large tires, it won't cut it.

[DirtyComanche]

What Eagle says, listen to him.

[Sevik]

 

Both D35, that's why I want to add a truss bar.

 

Don't waste the effort. Definitely not worth any investment whatsoever. Find a 97+ Chrysler 8.25 out of a Cherokee, or a Ford 8.8, and put a eal axle under your truck.

 

The Dana 35 is fine for street driving and light wheeling, but once you're into a lift and large tires, it won't cut it.

 

After some thought, I agree. Is D44 worth getting? I saw nice aftermarket ones (G2) but again, it has all Cherokee connections. 

 

 

edit: Actually, I am going to get that XJ delivered tomorrow morning and will take a closer look at the axle. Could be 8.25 or D44 there, the truck has all bells and whistles, so may have an upgraded axle as well. 

[DirtyComanche]

A 1999 won't have a D44 from the factory.  There is a high probability that it is an 8.25" though.

[Eagle]

Could be 8.25 or D44 there, the truck has all bells and whistles, so may have an upgraded axle as well. 

 

No, It could not be a Dana 44. It could be a Dana 35 or a Chrysler 8.25.

 

General rule of thumb: W/o ABS ==> Chrysler 8/25

 

W/ ABS ==> Dana 35

[Sevik]

A 1999 won't have a D44 from the factory.  There is a high probability that it is an 8.25" though.

 

 

 

Could be 8.25 or D44 there, the truck has all bells and whistles, so may have an upgraded axle as well. 

 

No, It could not be a Dana 44. It could be a Dana 35 or a Chrysler 8.25.

 

General rule of thumb: W/o ABS ==> Chrysler 8/25

 

W/ ABS ==> Dana 35

 

Got it, thanks! Will post an update tomorrow! 

[Sevik]

Good news - it has 8.25 :) So I guess there are write ups on how to make a swap, no more questions then. 

 

Bad news - no ABS, but oh well. 

[gogmorgo]

If you know how to use a brake pedal, that's not what most of us would call bad news.

[mikekaz1]

personally I can't stand ABS, I unplug it on any vehicle that has it.

[Eagle]

Bad news - no ABS, but oh well. 

 

I'm having difficulty comprehending why this might be construed as bad news ...

[Sevik]

I got spoiled by good new cars hahaha and also live in Canada, lots of snow on a winter time. ABS helps a lot. But then most of my vehicles didn't have it and I sure can live without it. Or retrofit one from another Jeep

[DirtyComanche]

I'm not sure if it works on those anyways. I had a 97 with ABS. It never did a thing. I know that era of Dodge 3/4 ton trucks it doesn't do anything either.

[HOrnbrod]

One good thing (and probably the only one) about early 91-95 XJ's w. ABS is that the front u-joints were bigger.

[Eagle]

We used to have snow here in Connecticut. I hate ABS. If I could have gotten it for my daughter I think it would have been a good idea, because she couldn't figure out how to pump the peddle or apply the brakes carefully -- or steer out of a skid. For people who know how to drive? Horrible.

[mikekaz1]

We used to have snow here in Connecticut. I hate ABS. If I could have gotten it for my daughter I think it would have been a good idea, because she couldn't figure out how to pump the peddle or apply the brakes carefully -- or steer out of a skid. For people who know how to drive? Horrible.

Nailed it!

[Chucktheduck333]

The 2nd Gen dodge 3/4 tons had abs but only rear abs... makes no sense but oh well

[DirtyComanche]

The 2nd Gen dodge 3/4 tons had abs but only rear abs... makes no sense but oh well

 

Some had 4 wheel ABS.  One of my 99s does.  The other 99 is only rear.  My 94 was only rear.  What they all have in common?  None of them have ever worked.

[Rockfrog]

The whole idea of rear ABS was to increase braking, but still allow the rear wheels to spin a bit to keep the vehicle tracking straight. Did it really work, not so much as most people rarely get in and adjust the drum brakes making them all but ineffective.

ABS is part of the dumbing down of driving so even the simplest person can drive safer. The generations of drivers that survived the pre-90's and learned to actually drive are slowly dwindling. To be replaced with automatic braking, automatic stability (aka "fix that dumb thing I did while texting at 120km/h" system) and even automatic parking (the giant facepalm just doesn't cut it). Sure it makes the vehicle safer, but makes the future driver dumber, and unable to cope with conditions should anything fail (like a simple lack of maintenance).

I'll stay with standard brakes and my own decision making thanks, I don't need a quality safety system sending me into a divider because it thought I was turning inappropriately when a brake pad stuck for a second on a poorly design caliper design.

OK, sorry, I'm done. Just been on the receiving end of crappy "safety systems" too long. My simple, pre-historic MJ is far safer than my old 08 JK with all its safety systems ever was. And far more predictable.

 

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[gogmorgo]

The modern driver education system in North America also doesn't help any, what with only focusing on teaching the driving rules, and not on vehicle operation. Telling someone not to panic and steer into the skid and look in the direction they want to go isn't going to help them any if the first time they have to do it is when they're sliding sideways towards a pole at 50mph because they didn't even realize they were sliding until it was too late. The "avoid sliding because there's no way to recover" approach I got in driver's ed wasn't exactly helpful either.

[Eagle]

^^^ Too true.

 

When I first got my driver's license, my grandfather encouraged me to go out in the first snow storm, find an empty parking lot, and intentionally create skids so I could learn how to handle them. Good advice. Nothing succeeds like success -- for many years thereafter I made it a practice after the first couple of snow storms to head off to a parking lot for a skid recovery refresher. It has definitely saved my posterior more than twice.