mj advice...

hey guys, im new to this forum. ive got an 86 mj and need advice from some people that have experience with the mj's. i would like to get around 8" of lift and fit 35's. with 8" and fender trimming can i fit 37's? whats the best way to get that kind of lift, being as how the biggest kit ive seen is 5.5"? would the easiest way be to move the hanger and shackle locations and use cherokee stuff to lift it. i would like it to be a dedicated trail rig, but want it to be street legal. also if it helps, its a long bed. any advice and sources/sites would be much appreciated. i am doing this myself as a project vehicle with help from some experienced fabricators, being as how im still learning fab skills. thanks again for all the help...

-cam

on another note, the interior has been completely gutted, full cage is in the works, but thinking about an exo cage. it has the 2.8 l v-6, but that WILL be swapped. not sure what motor yet but i do want manual tranny, im up to suggestions.

My 89 LWB got a springover (44 with RE pads) which took that end to 5-6". I removed the short/thick AAL but left the long, thinner one, and kept the MJ shackles. It worked really well with 33s & no trimming at all.

I'd advise keeping the MJ leafpack vs a shorter XJ pack...but better results may be found with other leafs mixed in (S10?Dakota)

Up front, same lift mods as XJs will do... I won't get into who's 6"+ stuff is best... My MJ did fine @ 4.5" with stock CAs, lots of trimming... My XJ at 6"+- could use LCA drop brackets. I'll go out on a limb and say that a beefier front axe (44-9"-60) is probably a smart investment if you are going straight from stock to 37" tires

As for the chassis/body...The 119" WB is kinda long, and has LOTS of overhang... but it gets better with bigger tires. If it's for sure trail-only, I'd look at removing the bed before it gets hammered (looks nice in the pic) and bobbing the tail WAY off...The springover is pretty cheap to do, but Zen might be in a 1/4 elliptic, 4-link with coils/shocks or coilovers (in order of $ness)

1st thing (if you care about the body) is rocker guards.

HTH

How about building it up as a restored tow rig and finding a beater to bang on? Yours looks too nice to hack up (uh-oh, Eagle is rubbing off on me!)

Agreed......my knees got weak when I saw those rust free wheelwells on the bed
Good luck, and welcome. Good to see more MJ'ers out there!
Jeff

Clutch, I noticed that you said you want it to be street legal. Better check your motor vehicle regulations, because I seriously doubt that an MJ with an 8" lift and 37" tires is going to be legal.

You may get away with running it for awhile -- maybe even a long while -- but if it's not a legal configuration, if you get stopped for anything like speeding or running a stop sign, it gives the officer a lot of fodder for the ticket gun if you cop an attitude and he/she wants to throw the book at you.

Dunno about Texas ... here in Connecticut the law is maximum of 4" lift (frame and suspension combined, although obviously the frame part doesn't apply).

You may get away with running it for awhile -- maybe even a long while -- but if it's not a legal configuration, if you get stopped for anything like speeding or running a stop sign, it gives the officer a lot of fodder for the ticket gun if you cop an attitude and he/she wants to throw the book at you.

Click to expand...

Hey this is the wild west, My DD was 6.5"...hehehe...I dont believe that there is a limit in most western states....its called FREEDOM, you eastern boys should try it.......LOL....My neighbor's chebbie is lifted 12" on his DD. I believe Texas is the same as AZ

MJs have some of the best leafs ever (long, flexy and a good amount of arch), so your best bet for 8"s in the rear is a spring-over with a 3" Add-A-Leaf mixed in. Don't forget to think about a traction-bar too. The front is open to all sorts of possibilities, but if your goal is 37s, then it's highly advised that you search out a heavier-duty set of axles. My personal favorite would be a set from a solid-axle Ford F-250 (with the 8-bolt wheel pattern) as they are nice and strong (HD Dana-44 and a Dana-60) and it's a cinch to slice off the leaf pads and start from scratch for a new suspension. 8 inch kits are out there (remember that the front suspension is identical to the Cherokee) and if you can live with 35s, than your front axle can survive if you can control use of the happy pedal. You rear Dana 35 on the other hand, well, I'd look into an axle swap there. Either an MJ/XJ Dana-44 or the 95+ Ford 8.8 from a v8 Explorer. car-part.com may help track down some parts.
If you've got some fabbin' buddies, look into making a custom flatbed that ends at the rear shackles. You can integrate your rollbar/cage into it. I just read that fuel cells are not DOT-approved so you might want to stick with the original tank. Rocker protection is a must. Your best choice of engine will most likely be the 3.1/3.4L Chevy engines found in late 80s and early 90s Camaros and Firebirds. It bolts into your truck with only a couple minor adjustments and makes good power. You don't want too much power though if you plan on keeping the tranny and t-case. If the whole drivetrain can go, then the possibilities are limited only to how much cooling you can give the engine (the stock 86 radiator space is rather puny).
If I remember right, Texas lift laws only state that the headlights have to be below like 52" or something like that. Just be sure to add some removable big ol' mudflaps for on the street. It's a courtesy to others, and at the very least it makes it *look* like you care about legality. ;-)
You can check out the pics of my MJ project at the addy below. It's not as drastic as what you seem to be planning, but you might pick up some cool ideas. And don't forget to take lots of pics during the build-up so you can share it with the rest of the Jeepin' world!
Jeep on!
--Pete

thanx for all the help and advice. i just found a 91 cherokee i might buy from one of my girlfriends friends to project out. as far as the tow vehicle, ive already got one (89 chevy 1/2 ton extended cab p/u). the whole thing with the comanche started cuz i havent seen hardly any built up nice. i dont really wanty 37's, it was just a question. i want 35's for sure. does anyone have experience with messing with the leaf packs? or the add-a-leafs? will cherokee shackles work for part of the lift in the rear? definitely looking for drivetrain swap. swap options:
#1. 91-93 4.0 l I-6
#2. chevy 4.3 v-6/305/350
#3. ford 302 v-8
#4. any suggestions

im thinking dana 44's at both ends for axles.

eagle, thats funny, i was thinking about lifting the chevy about 10" on a straight front axle before pursuing the "project mj" thing. it also wont be a DD or see the road much, but it has to be registered and insured for me to be able to register it to drive on base here (im air force).

thanks again guys,
-cam

Cherokee shackles are shorter. We use MJ shackles to get a 1/2" lift in XJs

Being an MJ afficionado and intent on preserving as many as possible, I can't really condone what you seem to be planning. However, if your mind is made up, start with changing the rear to spring-over, that should be good for at least 5" right there.