SayBye Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 I bought an 86 lwb over the weekend with a solid body, striaght for the most part with a few dings. Two years ago I sold a 91 lwb metric ton package truck and that owner still owns it. It's been beat to gel since then. I would eventually like to have a clean lwb truck. Do you guys thinks it's worth the time of swapping everything off the 86 to the 91? The 91 has 154k on it. I'd post some pics but I'll have to host them and can't do it from my phone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omega_rugal Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 why do you want the 86 guts on the 91? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 wait, are you talking about putting the guts of the 91 into the 86? or the guts of the 86 into the 91? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SayBye Posted February 28, 2017 Author Share Posted February 28, 2017 I am talking about taking all the panels off the 91 except obviously for the cab, and replacing them with everything off the 86. Bed, fenders, doors, etc. I haven't decided if I'm gonna go with a 97-up front clip yet, I kinda dig the old style headlights and grill myself. The 91 is beat all to hell now. Itll take some time but I think its worth saving. One thing I was wondering is do the unibodys on these trucks twist/flex as bad as the XJ's do? That's the only thing that worries me is taking all the old stuff off and none of the 86 stuff lining up due to the 91 being taken offroad so much. Ill upload some pics of both the trucks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SayBye Posted February 28, 2017 Author Share Posted February 28, 2017 here's the 91 now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SayBye Posted February 28, 2017 Author Share Posted February 28, 2017 the day I sold the 91 to them 2 years ago... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SayBye Posted February 28, 2017 Author Share Posted February 28, 2017 and here is the 86 I bought to use as the donor truck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 From the looks of the pictures you're prolly better using the 91 as a beater truck and just fixing up the 86 as a nice truck. It will be a lot of work to fix everything on the 91. The way I look at it is there could be 1 nice and 1 beater mj on the road or just 1 nice mj if you chop up the 86. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SayBye Posted February 28, 2017 Author Share Posted February 28, 2017 From the looks of the pictures you're prolly better using the 91 as a beater truck and just fixing up the 86 as a nice truck. It will be a lot of work to fix everything on the 91. The way I look at it is there could be 1 nice and 1 beater mj on the road or just 1 nice mj if you chop up the 86. I would agree and that's def not out of the question. The 86 is an auto, I'm assuming its an AW4 or were they making AW4's that far back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 The 86 is an auto, I'm assuming its an AW4 or were they making AW4's that far back?IIRC the MJs and XJ autos were always aw4 but I could be wrong. Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 aw4 came about in 87. before that was a non-overdrive somethin-somethin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuit Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 An 86 auto would have one of them there Chrysler Torqueflites in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne Janitor Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Is the damage to the 91 just sheet metal or is the frame/unibody damaged? My 89 MJ looked like your 91 when I first got it, not a straight piece of sheet metal on it. I've swapped the fenders, header panels, passenger door, and cowl from a 97 XJ and I'm about to do the hood. The problem I ran into is that my MJ was involved in a collision so the front section of the "frame" is damaged. I haven't fixed all of it but I've definitely made good use of body hammers, dollies, winch, and a BFH. If there's no damage to the frame then essentially you're just swapping body panels, doors, and a bed right? Not that bad of a job with a friend. I'd take a 4.0L over a 2.5 or 2.8 any day. Get a headlamp and a creeper and inspect the frame over the 91, pay close attention to the rocker areas and the front and rear bumper mounting points. Look under the hood for any damage to the inner fenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 ^^^ Agree. If the 91 has been "beat to gel" as you say, get under it and really go over the unibody, frame, and suspension components. Sheet metal is easy to replace; repairing undercarriage problems isn't. And if you do decide to repair the 91, please lose the stupid front bumper and light bar on the hood. That stuff is okay on a Renix, but not an HO. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose_XJ88 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 86 MJ is not going to have the same front skin. 84-86 XJ and (assuming) 86 MJ had a shorter engine bay and thus had shorter hood and fenders. Also the header panels don't attach to the fenders the same as Renix and HO models from what I have heard. Now, I have not had the need or desire to test this in person as I stay away from anything older than 87 Cherokee based Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 fenders are the same across all years of MJ. hoods are all the same length too. minor changes happened to the header panel but as a unit they are swappable. and the 86 MJs are considered Renix era as the 86 4banger is identical to the 87 4banger in the block and the TBI system. 84-85 XJs had a carbed 4banger. the radiator mounts, the hood latches and the dent in the firewall are the only real changes in the engine bay. both were modded to accommodate the 4.0 radiator but the overall engine bay is the same size 84-01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SayBye Posted March 1, 2017 Author Share Posted March 1, 2017 Is the damage to the 91 just sheet metal or is the frame/unibody damaged? My 89 MJ looked like your 91 when I first got it, not a straight piece of sheet metal on it. I've swapped the fenders, header panels, passenger door, and cowl from a 97 XJ and I'm about to do the hood. The problem I ran into is that my MJ was involved in a collision so the front section of the "frame" is damaged. I haven't fixed all of it but I've definitely made good use of body hammers, dollies, winch, and a BFH. If there's no damage to the frame then essentially you're just swapping body panels, doors, and a bed right? Not that bad of a job with a friend. I'd take a 4.0L over a 2.5 or 2.8 any day. Get a headlamp and a creeper and inspect the frame over the 91, pay close attention to the rocker areas and the front and rear bumper mounting points. Look under the hood for any damage to the inner fenders. That's correct, it would be basically just swapping sheet metal from one MJ to the other. As far as the 91 frame goes, it should be good (it was when I owned it.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SayBye Posted March 1, 2017 Author Share Posted March 1, 2017 ^^^ Agree. If the 91 has been "beat to gel" as you say, get under it and really go over the unibody, frame, and suspension components. Sheet metal is easy to replace; repairing undercarriage problems isn't. And if you do decide to repair the 91, please lose the stupid front bumper and light bar on the hood. That stuff is okay on a Renix, but not an HO. :thumbsup: hahaha trust me the light and the front bumper will be the first things to go once its in my hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SayBye Posted March 1, 2017 Author Share Posted March 1, 2017 86 MJ is not going to have the same front skin. 84-86 XJ and (assuming) 86 MJ had a shorter engine bay and thus had shorter hood and fenders. Also the header panels don't attach to the fenders the same as Renix and HO models from what I have heard. Now, I have not had the need or desire to test this in person as I stay away from anything older than 87 Cherokee based They should all be the same, I'm pretty sure.... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 the hood latch was a single center mount in 86, then a double outer corner moutns in 87. can't for the life of me remember if they can be directly swapped. same size hoods, but the brackets for the hood mounts might be very different. no longer have my 86 to run out and check. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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