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4wd swap in trade for J4000


JeepcoMJ
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how much would you charge to do a complete 4wd swap on a comanche?

 

a friend / the operator of the local jeep dealership just got a 91 2wd sport that's pretty nice and wants it converted to 4wd. it's a 4.0/auto.

 

I supply parts (trans, t-case, axle, front d.s., shift linkage) and he pays for all new parts to rebuild said parts, as well as an OEM 4wd swb rear driveshaft for said comanche (he tracked one down and bought it).

 

I'm wondering how much my charge should be? it would be quite a bit of time involved (he also wants me to repair the 1 small rust hole on the floor, and one side of the bed has some surface rust that needs attention). he'd have it painted by the guy who does paint at his shop.

 

he collects J-trucks but has too many, and quite a few rust-free ones. we came to a sort of agreement that I would do it in trade for a J-truck (so he could get the wife off his back) with a v8. would that seem like a good deal? it's practically rust free and the front fenders are his own fiberglass ones (he had molds made) that need respray. I believe it's an 81. there's quite a few more to chose from as well...

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looking at his collection...he has my dad's old j-truck (dad never got around to building it) it's an 82 with a razor grille, shortbed from california so no rust. there's no motor and 2 complete matching interiors. he has a 6.5 turbo diesel chevy van that's been chopped in the back over there too...maybe I should try for that one. a diesel j10 would be nice, but I don't need another project :roll:

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but I am not fond of the 80's year Jeeps they have a lot of little issues and problem with them. If you are going to do a full resto-sort of mod just get the cleanest body. But I think that is a pretty fair trade.

 

If not for price. Well it will take you how many hours and how much is your time worth?? That is the trade off for him. Is this guy gonna help you do it? It takes a while to do the whole drivetrain swap. I think that is the most time consuming part. Also the whole hookup for transfer case was pretty tough for me. If I did it again I would have got the one that just mounts and comes off the TCASE instead of trying to do it like stock. The axle doesn't take long at all. But that is a pretty time consuming knuckly bashing work.

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wade, yep. still workin out details.

 

 

i can do a front axle in less than 5 hours...including removal of the old one. obviously it'd take a couple more to do the joints etc.

 

tranny removal and install takes less than 7 hours.

 

so I figure round 20 hours of work on it, plus supplying the parts (already have everything if I part out my 90 cherokee). and you're riht, I'd build a custom bracket so i don't have to remove the carpet to install the shifter...or if I have to pull the carpet anyways I'd just install the bracket the stock way.

 

all that and I probably wouldn't have to supply any of the new parts as he gets them through work...

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Wel you shouldn't have thaqt much in parts in it.. Most part Xj's are less then 500, I refuse to pay more than 300 for one myself. As for time involved... I would say less then 15 Hrs.. butr with complications maybe 20. The body work is where it gets tricky. I value my time.. and to do a even small hole in the floor requires removing interior, and making or cutting out a panel to fit. Then you have to seal it and prevent future rust.. Thats is going to be a 5-10 hr job.. if you include running to the store to buy stuff.

 

The Bed hole.. WOW thats a 10hr minimum job. The reason why I say that. is cause you have to prime and remove paint on both sides... make apatch (or cut one from a vehicle you have) the weld in place, finish the panel... then mask the vehicle off for paint.

 

FSJ around where I live are kinda easy to find.. all in varying degrees of repair. Most in price range from 500 to 4000 for a nice running rust free one.

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pay MONEY for a parts xj??? they come up free on craigs every other day...well up here anyway

 

I traded a rusty 95 2 door 4.0 auto xj for my 86 4 cyl xj, a 90 rustbox 4.0 auto xj, and an 85 4 cyl xj wagoneer.

 

the 90 will be the donor...it has newer ball joints and wheel bearings, just needs 1 bushing and both ujoints, then the trans is ready to go too...

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alright well the deal is a GO

 

...but for a 1973 J4000 with Turbo 400 trans, and dana 20 t-case. quadratrac tho....

 

 

anyways, it's missing the spacer/adapter between the trans and t-case....so he's throwing another complete trans and t-case unit in with it.

 

:D

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dude you just scored bigtime! An I mean bigtime!

 

 

Its not a QT truck.

 

a QT truck has a BW 13-39 case, fulltime with optional lo/hi. 1974 was the first year for QT. 1979 was the last year for them. Any wag after that got a 'Quadra-trac' NP 219/229 case. Full-time, limited slip viscous coupler.

 

A Dana20 is a Part time case, AFAIK the shifter is on the pass side of the trans hump. Fully geared. Awesome case. Front axle is a D-44, you possibly have closed knuckles. Should also have a D-60 rear, full floaty. You've got a helluva rig in its own. The 360 with a Turbo-400 coupled to a D-20 and some good axles makes this truck a great hauler.

 

 

Check out IFSJA again, good stuff on there.

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that just sealed the deal...after research, I know it's not a quadratrac.

 

 

I agreed to it, I honestly don't even care what kind of condition the bed is in, I have a fullsize flatbed at a buddie's place that I can put on it with dump action.

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  • 1 month later...

I had gotten pics of it the other day

 

here they are

 

n69205416_32716976_2465.jpg

n69205416_32716977_2830.jpg

n69205416_32716978_3113.jpg

n69205416_32716979_3384.jpg

n69205416_32716980_3653.jpg

n69205416_32716981_3925.jpg

 

 

it has 11,473 original miles on it. the floors have surface rust, but no rust through was apparent. frame has surface rust, but no rust through.

 

the driver's side fender is dented and did have a hole from a gouge, and rust-through. the piece behind the front bumper is solid except at the seam to the fenders. the rear right quarter panel has small amount of rust at seams, plus small (quarter-sized) hole above it and on the back lower portion of the bed below the tail light. some rust on tailgate, not rust-through.

 

it's a half ton. so, it's dana 44 front and rear. the seat is in pretty good shape with just a couple tears. interior is complete, headliner is mint. original radio.

 

it's a custom cab edition. means lotsa chrome jamminz.gif

 

anyways, done deal. he gets an auto/np242 tranny with a front axle and associated hardware installed, and floors replaced, in his 1991 shortbed MJ, and I get the j4000. the 91 shortbed has some rust and could use a paint job, but really not terrible. oh, and factory rollbar :brows:

 

lucky guy.

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