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New to forum, also new to Jeep

P

poorboy_616

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Vancouver, WA
I am new here, as the title says, I am also new to Jeep in general.

I currently own a 1987 2dr. XJ, 4.0L, AW4 (was a 5spd at one point), Command-Trac t-case, Trac-loc Rear diff.

I will be posting TONS of questions, so be aware, be very aware.....

Here are a few Pics of the beast:


3024245_1_full.jpg


3024245_4_full.jpg


3024245_2_full.jpg


3024245_3_full.jpg

The pics above were taken at my parents house just after I bought it. All below were taken at home in Long Beach, Wa.

I replaced the broken matching seats with those from an 89 2dr. I wil most likely re-upholster these with a more matching color later...
3024245_12_full.jpg


3024245_13_full.jpg


3024245_14_full.jpg

Nothing says it's Daddies Cherokee like a carseat!!

3024245_11_full.jpg

And the Mystery sticker....
Located to the left of the pressure bottle, on the firewall. It says Property if USNPS. I googled it and found it be US National Park Service. This would explain the plugs in the roof and "A" Pillar.


3024245_22_full.jpg

It seems to be drooling a little...Do you think its rabid???

I have a carfax report on the way, so maybe I can actually get full confirmation of the use by USNPs.
 
Last edited:
Nice! Which rear axle? Most of the 87-89 forestry service and park service XJ's around here have the D-44.

Now what you need to do is spend all of your extra money and time on it right up to the point that your wife is ready to file divorce papers.....then you will be like the rest of us!

I found that my wife's threshold for spending on a new rig is 2k. I found that out on the last rig, I'm at $2500 on the new rig and she hasn't balanced the check book lately, it may get interesting!

Your Jeep has the RENIX fuel injection system on it which I really like but it does require slightly more mechanical knowledge to diagnose/repair. There are some folks on here that are RENIX experts so post up if you need any help.
 
This one is the D30. For what I want to do with it, the D30 is just fine.

My schooling (10-11 years old now) is mostly old school, not much was as tightly ECM controlled 10-11 years ago. Plus, I am familiar with the technology required to do the testing, so it should be easy to work with. For me at least....

I am roughly (including Purchase price) into the Jeep about 900 Bucks.
I bought it for 600, and have put little minor things into it. Mainly Brake Master cylinder and fluids. Oh yeah, the coolant bottle too....
 
poorboy_616 said:
This one is the D30. For what I want to do with it, the D30 is just fine.

My schooling (10-11 years old now) is mostly old school, not much was as tightly ECM controlled 10-11 years ago. Plus, I am familiar with the technology required to do the testing, so it should be easy to work with. For me at least....

I am roughly (including Purchase price) into the Jeep about 900 Bucks.
I bought it for 600, and have put little minor things into it. Mainly Brake Master cylinder and fluids. Oh yeah, the coolant bottle too....
Click to expand...

He was refering to your rear axle. Which is most likely the much coveted xj Dana 44. Lucky man...:us:
 
poorboy_616 said:
ooops, I may have meant D-35, though I think the D35 is the front, though I am new to Jeeps, so I could have been wrong....
Click to expand...
The D-30 is the only front axle ever available in the XJ, yours is a vacuum disconnect axle(unless it has been swapped or if it had a np242 T-case from the factory)

Your rear axle choices for your year model are the D-35 or the D-44.

The D-35 has a "ovaled" cover and will be smooth under the diff. The top axle pictured is a D-35 in this photo(the bottom axle is a 29 spline 8.25)
axleswap6me8.jpg


The D-44 will look like the one in my JK.
newjeep6az6.jpg
 
It is a Dana 44. Pointy bottom and all. It also does have the Trac-loc, if I didn't mention that earlier....

The tag on the lower right bolt says "limited Slip Lube Only".

Definately works too....

Does two legged donuts really well in the sand.....

I will have pictures here soon, It's raining and it's parked at a bad angle, so getting under is a PITA.....
 
brandonj2k7 said:
whats up with those mirrors
Click to expand...

Government fleet model, no frills.....Not even the better looking mirrors.....

BTW, a pic of the VERY dirty Dana 44 thats under my 87 XJ.

3024245_28_full.jpg


And excuse my stupidity...What is this going to do for me?? Is it stronger or more common or what??

I am friggin ASE certified and should know the answer.....I've been out of school too long.....
 
brandonj2k7 said:
yea i was at pinchot state park and i realised that one was the same way and it had a winch with a stock bumper
Click to expand...

???

You must have posted just a second or two before I did.....

I have no clue what the above statment is for....

The mirrors or just another base XJ....

This one had some sort of push bar on the front bumber. It's full of nicely drilled holes....
 
poorboy_616 said:
And excuse my stupidity...What is this going to do for me?? Is it stronger or more common or what??

I am friggin ASE certified and should know the answer.....I've been out of school too long.....
Click to expand...

Very rare to find them under XJ's. Extremely strong axle, basically will not break unless you do something outrageous like put 40's while locked/welded.

Basically, that axle will laugh at anything you do to it. :)
 
Thank you for the clarification!! I doubt the previous owners ever had a clue that it was molested....

I doubt they had any clue that it was as beefy as it is....

I like strength, If I haven't busted it by now, I don't think I will any time soon.....

Even trying my hardest on the sand of my home town of Long Beach, Wa. I couldn't get it stuck.....As soon as I dropped in 4HI it popped right out.....

I can pull stumps in 4LO, trust me, I KNOW!! I've done it!!!
 
That rear axle in a junk yard will go for about what you paid for your whole Jeep around here. Most of the local yards have a waiting list for XJ D-44's.

They go for 600-800 if the yard knows what it has.

The mirrors are the same as on the MJ(Commanche) truck. The fact that they had the D-44, hitch and mirrors, it was probably used for towing a small trailer of some sort. It most likely has lower gears as well. I'll bet 3.73 and if you are real lucky, 4.10's.
 
I forgot to add that the tranny was swapped from 5spd to auto most likely due to the fact that the Puegot 5spd wasn't holding up to what they were towing and the AW4 auto is a beast of a tranny. The only way you will kill a AW4 is if you over-heat it, run it dry or never service it. The D-44 is a great rear axle, you have the beginnings of a nice trail rig.
 
I likely won't be on the rock crawls with it, but it will see plenty of sand.

I live in Long Beach Washigton, with 28 Miles of beach to drive on, it should be fun....

I have already tried (stated earlier) to get it stuck. No avail. Pops right out....

It's always fun to pull up next to a (buried to the axles) lifted rig, ask them if they need a pull, hook up to them, and pull them right out, using a bone stock rig.....

Lots of red faces......
 
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