88mj building at last

[88stroker]

well i bought this truck last year for a comuter........at least that is what i told the wife. 88 eliminator 2wd regular cab short bed.

 

i also have an 89 wagoneer that will be donating its axles(h.p. 30 and 44 l.s.) also auto tranny and tcase.

 

started work on my stroker when the head gasket let go at 220'000. my littl emanche could outrun a v8 silverado from light to light. it was FUN

 

so what now? i have to finish the engine but that is under control what i have questions about is the dana 44. disk brakes i have read the writeups and its not clicking. i can't get the picture in my head of what press work is done. i have worked on a wj axle but i guess not enough to pick up on what the idea is. is it a ....oh thats what they meant type of thing once i get into it?

 

i just built my map adjuster last week and it went smooth.

 

 

iguess I'm excited about it and this post is really just to share my excitement with my fellow jeepers.

 

 

one real question though if this was your build what would you do?

 

just looking for cool ideas. i saw 500$mj's write up and i really like it but I'm gonna stay with red paint. but i like how his sits on the tires....as far as ride height.

 

anyways sisint mean to ramble just enjoying the new forum for uni body/frame jeepers

 

i lookk forward to your ideas.

[89eliminator]

first of all, welcome to the site

 

second, if this was my build, i would build it for what i plan on using it for. if you are going to wheel it, then lift it, lock it, armor it and pound on it. if its a dd/fun vehicle, then build it for that. it all depends on what you are going to use it for.

 

third :needpics:

[88stroker]

glad to post pics........just tell me how

 

now is there an easy way to swap in my 44? i know the perches arent the same width and so/su but i plan on the swap to spring over being part of the lift so is it necessary to weld on new perches......or is there a way to widen them .....ie weld on another perch next to it.

 

this may seem like a dumb question but trust me i have had some bad experiences with the old torch and so i avoid it like the plague if possible.

[89eliminator]

to post pics, join a free photo uploading site. i use picturetrail.com. Upload your pics onto that site and when you put a pic on here use the "Img" button. highlight the whole url and click the img button. it should work out for you.

 

for the 44. if you plan on going SOA, then your going to have to weld perches on anyhow.

[88stroker]

the axle is out of an xj so its already spring over with the 3.73 gearing it should be about right of rht etires i am going to run.

 

just curious if its possible to do it easier

 

guess not.

 

thanks for the info on pics will take some tomorrow when its light and post them up ;)

[JeepcoMJ]

front and rear gears need to match if you're going to 4wd.

[Rokhound]

glad to post pics........just tell me how

 

here read this its really easy:

http://www.justjeepsofomaha.net/forums/ ... ?f=7&t=114

[Pete M]

the axle is out of an xj so its already spring over with

 

The XJ perches aren't in the right spot for an MJ. They're close, but not close enough.

 

 

Also, questions should really be put in the TECH forum since a lot of guys don't frequent the projects forum and that way more eyes will see them.

[88stroker]

not lcose enough.....dang i think its more that I'm lazy and didnt want to do it if there was a way around it.

 

as far as the tech section......ok my bad but it was easier with this post already up.

 

gonna take some pics today when wife gets home with camera.

[88stroker]

this is the 4.2 donor for the stroker all stripped down

couple pics of the the manche in front of house

 

here's a pic of my three link and winch holder just waiting to .....go on some day

 

and here's a pic of all the 4.0 stuff ive pulled so far

[500 MJ]

To answer some of your questions on the D44 disc brake setup... I followed a similar procedure as what is found here www.madxj.com. Navigating the site, it can be found under "Technical" and then under "Brakes" - The first article.

 

It was pretty well put together. I did not have access to a machine shop so making the spacer and re-drilling the caliper brackets took me some time. I used a dremel to widen the holes on the ZJ brackets (the guy at the parts store and I determined that mine were off of a '98 Dana 35 ZJ rear - I bought them from another Jeeper who had planned to do the swap so I didnt know the year). The spacers can all be done with a drill press and a hole saw kit. The spacers don't need to be exact. I think I used a 2.75" saw and a 3" saw to cut the rings. When I bolted it all together I made sure they were centered though... if you have access to a machine shop, you should go that route.

 

Also, you will need a press to get the new bearings on. I cut the old ones off with a cut off wheel on my dremel. Everything goes back together the same way, just with the spacers on the axle to give the seal the proper riding surface.

 

I reused my perches. I don't torch them off, I cut them with a grinder and then hit them off with a hammer to avoid damaging the axle tube. I have cut into the axle tube at times this way but I always fill it back up with the welder and grind the filled area back flush.

 

If you have any more questions - don't hesitate to ask - page 6 of my build thread is where I have some pics of the disc break stuff installed...

 

http://www.comancheclub.com/forums/view ... c&start=75

 

- Brent

[88stroker]

thanks 500mj ill look at that for sure. i really appreciate the info.

 

500mj do you have any pictures of your lower control arm brackets from you lift? rk won't sell me just the brackets :headpop: so I'm gonna have to fab something up. my buddy owns a laser cutting business so its not that big a deal i just wanna see how they make em. I'm thinking of doinga big plate like a belly skid. then i will reinforce the frame rails with some angle iron and bolt the belly skid to that and have the long arms tied to the belly skid.

[500 MJ]

Wow, sorry I never responded to your post...

 

I used a Clayton Long Arm kit on my truck. It was made for a XJ so I had to Cut the arms down a little bit to allow them to fit on my MJ. I don't know why but they were too long and I needed to shorten them up a smudge.

 

Its a good setup, it incorporates the crossmember into the new bracket for the lower control arms. Pretty slick setup considering that it can all be unbolted easily to allow the trans to be pulled... I got mine USED for a few years for $300 from a friend, I had to put about $150 into it for new rubber bushings and a whole new arm for the upper passenger side. You can buy just parts from Clayton, at least they let me do it last summer... you might try that... just make sure they will work with your kit...

 

Again, sorry it took so long, good luck...