Accidently Bought an XJ and MJ

Hey all, :wave1:
My name is Austin and i"m new to the Forum and the XJ world. I have a 2 door 94 XJ 5 speed 4x4 that I recently purchased. It is still bone stock, less some engine maintenance i just finished up. I was planning on adding a long arm suspension lift and new wheels and tires, but a turn of events has landed me with a 89 Jeep MJ 2wd 5 speed. The MJ needs some transmission work (shitty Peugeot), and is not driveable currently. I was hoping for a little love from the knowledgeable people that frequent this awesome site. Where do ya'll think I should go with this? My "ignorant" vision of the whole project(s) was to have one trail capable vehicle that would still get me around town, but now that I have the both of them, I'm kinda lost in the possibilities. Since the 4x4 parts from the XJ will bolt on the MJ, should I just make the MJ a mild 4x4 daily driver, and take the XJ to the next level or what?!? Thanks for the advice ahead of time.

BTW, I have owned a lifted Jeep ZJ before and many different cars, along with a little club racing and drag racing background. I know my way around cars, just still learning the Jeeps.

Thanks,
NooB,
Austin

I posted this in the Colorado chapter and still a little unsure how to copy to the main forum, sorry new to this, ya'll can help/rag on me all ya need :laugh2:

I say do up the MJ and part out whats left of the XJ.

jeeperjohn said:

I say do up the MJ and part out whats left of the XJ.

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kinda what i was thinking.

should i go long arm kit for the MJ and bring the front axle, trans, t-case, and shift linkage over from my XJ, because honestly it is in great running condition, the removable body panels are in subpar condition (doors, front fenders), but altogether a good driver, and rust free!! Or should I just find the parts in a salvage yard? I do have access to quite a few yards.

Also, if I'm installing axles onto the MJ, should I just go for a bigger axle in the beginning? Am I really underestimating the work involved with something like that?

Also I am thinking of doing the 97+ front end conversion on the MJ, because I just love that front end on 'em. And the grill on the MJ is cracked and the XJ is nice and perfect. Also the dash on the XJ is cracked and some of the plastic surround is broken, while the MJ's dash is perfect, so I was going the newer interior for the MJ as well. Thoughts?

Thanks again for all the help guys.
-Austin

Figure out what your intended use will be. That will guide your build. Stock axles with some minor upgrades will be good for moderate wheeling. Long arms are always a good choice. Most of the xj front end is the same as mj iirc.

jeeperjohn said:

Figure out what your intended use will be. That will guide your build. Stock axles with some minor upgrades will be good for moderate wheeling. Long arms are always a good choice. Most of the xj front end is the same as mj iirc.

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:thumbup:

i live in Steamboat, Colorado, and my father in law has a JK lifted on 37's that is very off road capable. Mostly mild to intermediate trail crawling, lots of rocks, so clearance is an issue. My main goal would be to break somewhat even, being able to sell parts from one or both vehicles, and to keep up with his jeep off-roading. Long arm for sure, 6.5 inch preferably so that i can run 35's, i drive very short distances across town (~10 miles per day) so highway use is not an issue as much. But in the same regard, I don't want to have to trailer it if i decide to make a 100 mile trip. I will post pictures as soon as i figure out how (do you have to use a hosting site, picasa, photobucket, etc.?)

Yes

here's the mj

and the xj

I would go with the xj because it's a two door but I'm a little biased. Now if it was a short bed comanche it would be a different story.

Empty_Pockets said:

I would go with the xj because it's a two door but I'm a little biased. Now if it was a short bed comanche it would be a different story.

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completely agree with the SWB. But I was wondering how hard it would be, or rather what dimensions i would be left with if i bobbed the frame and fabricated a flat bed? without actually changing a lot...

this is why the "possibilities" are more confusing than anything. Really I would love to keep both, mild and wild, just wondering essentially if that was the direction i went, where should i start? should i try and find the parts to make the MJ 4x4 first then go from there? or just build a lift kit and just add the parts in I need (axel, t-case, trans)? Am i heading into a realm of ridiculous money? Or should i start by making it a stock 4x4? Thanks again. :wstupid:

Razorado said:

completely agree with the SWB. But I was wondercomanche hard it would be, or rather what dimensions i would be left with if i bobbed the frame and fabricated a flat bed? without actually changing a lot...

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At that point I think it would be easier to chop the xj into a hard body comanche.

Honestly if you are wanting to go 35's I would go hpd44/9" for axles. I know some people get away with the d30 on 35's but I think you are really pushing it reliability wise. Depending on you capability, tools, and knowledge I would either cut up the MJ, shorten the wheel base, and build it. I made the mistake and built a long bed MJ and will never do one again, it was just to long for the type of stuff in my area. If you do not or cannot weld or have a welder I would just build the xj.

I'd build the XJ and restore the MJ to factory. Those are getting harder and harder to find.

I would do the XJ not as much down time so you could hit the trails and have fun. The MJ long bed unibody will probably flex to much on the rocks and thus cause you to reinforce it Ina big way creating more work and more money. Looks like you have a trailer so I would think you don't need the MJ to haul stuff.

What is with all the MJ hate? Frame stiffening of sorts should be done to both vehicles, especially if wheeled.
If you do not want to bother with the MJ, you can donate it to me. Haha.
Should not be hard to find/swap an ax-15 or NV3500 into the MJ, heck if you can find a 4wd version with a t-case, you can swap that and use a shorter drive shaft and drive it like that til you swap in a 4wd front end. Or do it all at once.

Johnnie Walker said:

What is with all the MJ hate? Frame stiffening of sorts should be done to both vehicles, especially if wheeled.
If you do not want to bother with the MJ, you can donate it to me. Haha.
Should not be hard to find/swap an ax-15 or NV3500 into the MJ, heck if you can find a 4wd version with a t-case, you can swap that and use a shorter drive shaft and drive it like that til you swap in a 4wd front end. Or do it all at once.

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No hate on MJ's love the short beds just think the long bed is not a great choice for off road. I would say the long bed would be a good every day 4WD that is used for snow but if you want to keep up with a JK on the rocks it is going to cost you more than it is worth. The XJ 2 door would be a better suitable rock crawler to keep up with a JK on 37's and would not put him in the hole as much $ wise that is. As much as I love projects I love to wheel more and thought that the XJ would get him to the trail faster and having fun. Besides he can take more than one person and have room in back to store his camping gear out of the elements of the Colorado weather. Take the Dana 44 off the MJ cut off the spring plates weld on new plates bolt it to your XJ. Take the rear axle off the XJ cut and flip the spring plates bolt it to the MJ fix the tranny on the MJ and sell it.

Johnnie Walker said:

What is with all the MJ hate? Frame stiffening of sorts should be done to both vehicles, especially if wheeled.
If you do not want to bother with the MJ, you can donate it to me. Haha.
Should not be hard to find/swap an ax-15 or NV3500 into the MJ, heck if you can find a 4wd version with a t-case, you can swap that and use a shorter drive shaft and drive it like that til you swap in a 4wd front end. Or do it all at once.

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No mj hate, the xj is just an easier starting point, especially with his plans of bobbing it and making a flat bed. At that point he's better off chopping the back of the xj off because at that point it's a bobbed mj...plus the xj has a 4.0ho and ax15 instead of the renix and pukegoat trans.
Fix and flip the mj, chop up the xj, less work and $ in the end.