new and need some help

[SaharaTJ]

I am not new to the Jeep world but am new to jeep trucks. I have wanted one for as long as i can remember. But I am looking at buying a 87 mj 2.5L 5 speed 4x4. I know the 2.5L can be a mule in the long run, and should have better mpg than my 4.0L pushin 33's. The Mj does have some rust about 6 spots the biggest being about a 6 inch spot. easy fix for me. I will sometime down the line swap out the Dana 35 custom rear for a 44 or something along the lines, do ford 8.8's fit like they do for the tj? I have been reading this site for about 2-3 days now and trying to figure out if there are any main problems the mj's have. But what should i really look for when I go look at this mj? Thanks in advance for the help

[87manche]

ford 8.8 is a very popular swap, even easier than the TJ, no swaybar or trackbar mounts, just spring perches.

2.5L is a horse, takes a lot to kill it.

When checking for rust the popular areas are cab corners and floorpans. I'd poke the floorpan with a screwdriver from underneath before I bought it.

[DirtyComanche]

Watch for the general rust issue, in and out of the unibody. Make sure the glass in the back of the cab is intact (it's discontinued). See if the cab leaks, it's annoying and rusts out the floors. Otherwise, if it runs, what the heck... Might want to throw it up on a lift and take a look at the unibody while you're at it. And the gas tank, they're pricey things to replace. The 2.5 will do okay in 4lo, but the rest of the time it blows. Oh, check all the doors/windows and any power options, etc and see what doesn't work. At least you can use them to bargin with, and soem of thsoe thigns can be a pain to fix.

 

 

The 8.8 is a good and easy swap. You will need spacers on it, or ulta low backspacing rims, as it is a little narrow.

 

 

Oh yeah, check that all the right fluids are in the right places. That can happen...

[Pete M]

Welcome! :wavey:

What are your plans for the MJ?

[SaharaTJ]

Well I know the engine in it does not run but He is giving me a 2.5 from his parts truck that does run. The guy got a really good deal on a near perfect 89 new paint and all for cheap so hes selling this one. Rust is no problem for me since i do body work almost all week long. glass is all intact no cracks unless osmething happend in the past week. My plans for now will be to get it running and fix the rust make it my dd. my future plans will be rear axle, 5.5 w/ soa lift, some baja claws, a little fender trimming, hmm maybe a 4.0 or 4.8 or bigger maybe a 5.2 swap if i can cram it in there.

 

Oh here is another quesiton what is the basic backspacing on rims for mjs?

[pingpong]

Pretty much most of the same lift and back spacing rules for the Xj's apply to the Mj's. I think stock is 5" or a lil more. Most ppl will agree that with 3.5, or 3.75 you can run a 8" rim, with a 12.5 tire, with only slight rub at full turn and stuff.

 

BTW rusty MJ's make great truggy's, and rust free ones make better ones in my opinion :evil:

[SaharaTJ]

Pretty much most of the same lift and back spacing rules for the Xj's apply to the Mj's. I think stock is 5" or a lil more. Most ppl will agree that with 3.5, or 3.75 you can run a 8" rim, with a 12.5 tire, with only slight rub at full turn and stuff.

 

BTW rusty MJ's make great truggy's, and rust free ones make better ones in my opinion :evil:

 

I was asking about the backspacing because i got the stock rims from my tj the grizzlys(5 round spoked) that are 15x7 and have like 5-1/4 backspacing i think. would the control arms form my tj work on the mj?

[DirtyComanche]

The 10-spoke aluminum rims were 5.25BS, I think. Your's will fit. But anything larger than a LT225/75R15 will rub the LCAs at full lock.

 

 

 

And, AFAIK, the tj 5-link is identical to the XJ/MJ one. So yeah, the control arms should be good.

[SaharaTJ]

does the ax-5 and 231 combo sound right for a 87?

[Stumpy]

does the ax-5 and 231 combo sound right for a 87?

 

i believe so...

 

welcome to the addiction of MJ's ..lol

[SaharaTJ]

here is an odd question... what size is the stock radio? I think i may still have my stock radio from my tj and wanted to know if it fits. I can't remember the size of the tj radio but i am trying to find it so i can check but i don't know the size of the mj slot. also what size are the speakers?

[DirtyComanche]

What's the standard size for a radio? I have an aftermarket deck (clarion or some BS, it plays MP3 CDs :bowdown: ) and it fit with only moderate cussing and a bit of bloodshead.

 

 

Speakers in the doors are 4". The speakers behind the doors were probably 4x6 stock. I'm not sure. Something I ment to do but never bothered.

 

 

And an 87 would be a 2.5/AX5/NP231.

[SaharaTJ]

ya my tj has a aiwa mp3 player and I'm short on cash and i think i still have my stock tj radio that is better than nothing! 4" aren't to bad but once you said 4x6 I'm rethinking the mj thing. jk.. but my hatred for 4x6 is almost that much

 

but if they are 4x6 i may buy some adaptors to put some 5-1/4's in

[pingpong]

You don't need no stinking radio :brows: That will only drowned out that noise you should be checking out :nuts:

[SaharaTJ]

You don't need no stinking radio :brows: That will only drowned out that noise you should be checking out :nuts:

 

Ya i have adhd so when I'm driving i need something in the background going like a radio or i go insane and start playing destuction derby! haha well not really but anything over a mile with no radio i do start to worry about myself and start not paying attention

[DirtyComanche]

I've got a peugeot, without a radio it's ANNOYING. *Whir whir whir* *Click* *Thump* *Buzzzzzzzzzzzit* *Whir whir whir* And I'm in second gear just like that.

[Stumpy]

i don't have a radio either but i enjoy the talks me and myself have on the drives....lol :razz: plus the tire hum and exhaust rumble is louder than the cheap speakers would be. hehe

[pingpong]

The only time I wish I had a radio in my rig is.... when I don't want to listen to the piss poor spotting I am getting :nuts: Then I just want to blast some seek and destroy, or some wherever I may roam, or some other classic metallica tune and get in the zone as I destroy what ever is in my way

[SaharaTJ]

Ok so i found my stock tj radio with tape deck oh ya... but now if someone could give me the dimensions for the size of the mj radio slot i will find out if will work or not.

[Pete M]

MJs have a single DIN size radio like most aftermarket units. The TJ came with a 1.5 DIN radio from the factory.

[SaharaTJ]

ya um whats DIN? so will my tj stereo not work in the mj?

[DirtyComanche]

I think that he's getting at that it won't fit.

[SaharaTJ]

hmm i wonder if i custom build a box for the radio and just rewire the wires to the radio.... hmm that will give me something to build as long as the radio will work

[Pete M]

Any radio can be wired up (if you're willing to cut/splice wires), but there is not enough room in an MJ dash for the larger sizes of radios.

I forget what it stands for, but a "DIN" is the size of a standard radio. Roughly 2"x7". A 1.5 DIN would be 3x7, half-DIN would be 1 x7 and 1/4 DIN is 1x3.5". My little eqalizer is a 1/4" DIN size.

[SaharaTJ]

Any radio can be wired up (if you're willing to cut/splice wires), but there is not enough room in an MJ dash for the larger sizes of radios.

I forget what it stands for, but a "DIN" is the size of a standard radio. Roughly 2"x7". A 1.5 DIN would be 3x7, half-DIN would be 1 x7 and 1/4 DIN is 1x3.5". My little eqalizer is a 1/4" DIN size.

 

ya then my tj one won't come close to fit since it is 3"x8" yikes ... I will just build me a nice little custom box and route the wires somehow. hmm now just to pick my mj up... i just need a truck and trailer and it wouldn't so hard, i just have to wait for my budyd to have a free day off.