92 Comanche - Dream Truck!

[James92]

 

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🛠️ 1992 Jeep Comanche Build Thread
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🚙 Model: 1992 Jeep Comanche (Base) | Built: 01/23/92

🛞 Drivetrain: 4.0L | AX-15 | 4x4 | Short Bed | Dana 44 rear

 

📖 Background:

Hey all! I've been meaning to start this for a little while to document the progress on my Comanche.

 

Growing up in New York, my family always had Jeeps — a 1995 ZJ 5.2, 1998 ZJ 5.9, 2002 WJ Overland 4.7HO, 2007 WK 4.7, and now a 2018 WK2 Hemi. While the Grand Cherokees are great family trucks, I was always obsessed with the boxy styling of the XJ. And as a big fan of small pickup trucks, the Comanche was the obvious dream rig.

 

Unfortunately, in NY, MJs have been off the road since long before I had a driver's license. You just don’t see them - rust and time took almost all of them (as most of you are very familiar with). I looked on and off for a few years but eventually gave up.

 

Then I moved to California. The cars here are incredible. No rust, clean frames, and original paint everywhere. How is that possible? People out here don’t know how lucky they are. With new hope (and a better climate), the MJ search began again.

 

I’ve had too many project cars I was only half-invested in because they weren’t exactly what I wanted. This time, I promised myself I’d hold out for the right one, something I could build and keep long-term. The target: a 1991-92 Comanche short bed, 4x4, 4.0L, 5-speed.

Turns out that spec is rarer than hen’s teeth. Once again, I figured it wasn’t going to happen.

 

Then one random Sunday evening, I opened Facebook Marketplace, and there it was. The exact truck I’d been dreaming of. I couldn’t believe it. I messaged the seller immediately, and by Monday afternoon I was there with cash in hand. One quick test drive later, I was totally sold.

 

 

It's a base model MJ that I picked up in very solid shape. It's almost completely original and very clean. It even still has the factory rubber plate under the engine bay! There isn't any major body damage, the worst thing is a couple minor door dings. The Carfax shows it never left a 20 minute drive from the town it was sold in! The original owner checked off some great options, especially the factory Dana 44, 3.07 LSD, and A/C. My plan is to keep it reliable, useable, clean, and enjoy it. It's been a blast to drive so far. I took it up the Sonora pass (pictured above) at 9600' elevation and it didn't skip a beat. The 3.07s are great for highway driving, and the truck cruises easily at 70. 

 

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📅 Completed Work
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✅ Krustyballer Tow Hitch powder coated and installed  
✅ Rear bumper straightened + powder coated  
✅ Spare tire carrier installed
✅ Single DIN Android Auto head unit with backup camera
✅ Replaced bent up front bumper with junkyard unit
✅ Rear main seal replaced (fun...) 

✅ New sway bar end links and bushings 
✅ Fixed play in tilt column 

✅ New cat-back exhaust with SS Magnaflow muffler

 

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🔧 In the Pipeline
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🧰 Fix seat mounting brackets  
🧰 Coolant flush  
🧰 Transmission fluid change  
🧰 Transfer case fluid change

🧰 Front & Rear axle fluid change

🧰 Replace leaky/cracked exhaust manifold 

🧰 Fix broken odometer

🧰 Redo headliner

🧰 Fix water leaks in cab

🧰 Install carpeting

🧰 Replace transfer case output shaft seal

🧰 Replace cracked rear fender flare

 

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🙌 Thanks for Reading!
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I'll try to keep this thread updated as I knock stuff off the list and I'll be posting more pictures below. Any advice or suggestions is greatly appreciated!

[89 MJ]

Looks like a super nice truck!

[James92]

On 6/13/2025 at 12:09 PM, 89 MJ said:

Looks like a super nice truck!

Thanks!

 

This weekend I had to fix my seat bracket. The previous owner did a really hack job installing the XJ buckets, which I didn't notice until I sat down the other day and the seat was very loose. They had cut off the stock mounting bolts and drilled a hole next to the OEM one to put a threaded rod through it. Since there wasn't any room, they just put a threaded rod through the hole with some washers and a nut. The washers had tilted and the nut ended up clamping against the brake line!! I don't have a good picture of it, but this is the threaded rod, and you can see a little bit of wear on the brake line where the washers had worn against the brake line...

 

 

I ended up drilling out the factory threaded rod and tapping the stock welded nut. I filled the hole that the PO drilled with JBWeld StickWeld. I know this isn't ideal, but the brake lines are RIGHT there, so I couldn't weld it closed.

 

   

 

For the other side, I got some threaded rod, cut it to length, then welded a washer to it.

 

 

Then, I welded the washer to the floor pans in the stock location. I know my welds aren't great, but I'm working with what I got! It'll hold for now.

 

 

I grinded down the welds and painted it so it wouldn't rust. Again, I know the red looks terrible, but it was what I had on the shelf. It'll eventually be under sound deadening and carpet, so I don't really care. 

 

 

Bolted down the seat with Krustyballer's seat bracket and now it's not loose anymore! Much better.

 

[watchamakalit]

I would recommend treating the rest of the floors with some rust stop. The surface rust that is there won't get any better under carpet. 

[James92]

On 6/15/2025 at 5:20 AM, watchamakalit said:

I would recommend treating the rest of the floors with some rust stop. The surface rust that is there won't get any better under carpet. 

Thanks, I'll definitely be cleaning up the floors before I put in the sound deadening and carpet. Not sure if I'm going to paint with POR15 or just grind down the rust and repaint red, but we'll see. 

 

I'm in Minnesota now visiting a friend and we swung by the junkyard. There was a really sweet loaded maroon on maroon 92 XJ there. 

 

 

 

I pulled a few parts that I should be able to fit in my luggage or ship back. I got a spare gauge cluster (to hopefully fix my odometer issue), the dual note horns, cruise control(!), the brackets to mount the center console, and an underhood light. I wish I was local, I would've pulled the power seats and interior. Maroon is sweet! The original chrome grill and headlight surrounds were in great shape too, and the chrome door handles. But I think I prefer the black plastic look personally. Hopefully someone else can grab them and make good use of them. 

[ghetdjc320]

On 6/21/2025 at 2:24 AM, James92 said:

Thanks, I'll definitely be cleaning up the floors before I put in the sound deadening and carpet. Not sure if I'm going to paint with POR15 or just grind down the rust and repaint red, but we'll see. 

You can still paint the red over the POR15 if you want to keep a factory look. The por15 will really be your friend here if you want to preserve as much as possible

[pizzaman09]

Absolutely awesome find.  Extremely similar story to mine, where the original owner checked the same awesome options and it never left the town it was purchased in.

 

AX-15, 4x4, 4.0L, Dana 44 with LSD is the dream drivetrain.