aya! greets and stuff...

been lurking and reading back awhile, have gotten some good info. thanks!
i have a stock '90 laredo w/ 4.0 ax15. dana 30/35. 130k miles. i bought it w/ the intention of building it up to rock condition, but it looks like it's going to be a dd for a bit longer. i plan on taking it camping and on some easy-ish trails this summer, and i had some concerns, most have been addressed from reading past posts. again, thanks, there is a wealth of info in forums that have been much more help than the chiltons/haynes manuals.
the motor has the standard valvetrain noise, but i've read that that's normal and nothing to worry about. when i bought it, i was told it had a new water pump.
i've replaced the radiator w/ a 3 core, and i'm probably going to wire a manual switch for the aux fan.
when it rains, the mech fan cycles on/off about every 15 secs. i hear a click on the passenger side under the dash, and then i get the drag on the motor and noise i hear is common with this fan. the windshield looks like it's been replaced, so i think it's leaking down into the 'electricals' under the dash and is shorting something. it's summer in cali, and since i've not had the problem since it's been dry, i took it thru a car wash, and triggered the same prob. what should i look for?
if i decide to replace the mech fan w/ an electric one, is there a standard junkyard swap? something that i can just bolt/wire in without any major modifications? i can do some mods, but i'm shopless/garageless for the time being, so i can't do anything major.
i think the rear springs/shocks are either worn out or just OE and probably old and weak. the guy i bought it from said it had a tow package, and it has a drawtight hitch, but the rear suspension feels really weak to me. i pull out of parking lots unloaded and it hits the bumpstops. since i'm going to be loading it up with ice chests full of beveragesD) and the such, what should i replace/enhance the rear susp/springs with?
it's got 225/75 r15 stock 5star rims that i'd like to beef up. petersons 4w & OR says i can fit 31x10.50, but that seems like it'd be too big. am i going to have problems if i go with 30x9.50? do i need to get some rims with different backspacing than stock if i do go 30x9.50? i like the stock rims, i'd like to keep it as stock as possible till i rebuild it.
i didn't get the stats on the transfer case and diffs when i bought it, other than i know they're stock. the transfer case is 4 position, 2h, 4h, N, & 4l. from what ive read this is supposed to tell me something, but i've not been able to pin down what that says vs what i think was the other option... 2h, 4h, N, 4l & part-time (? i think?) when i've gone to 4w a light comes on the dash that says part-time, but that's contradictory to what i've read. confusion. im almost 100% sure it has limited slips, but i don't know how to test it other than i've been told i'll know for sure if i put it 4 on pavement and try to turn, i'm not sure what the intent behind that advice was, seemed kinda mean-spirited when it was said, and i don't want to damage anything.
i bought all the necessary red line synthetic oils to change the tranny/TC/differential oil, but when i went to change the diff fluid, i poked my finger in to check out of curiosity, and they were full to the fill holes with clean oil. does diff gear oil need to be changed only when it's dirty?
i know this is probably a lot of questions, i'm pretty good mechanically, i've always worked on my own cars, and i have the chiltons/haynes manuals, but this is my first 4wd, so i'm kinda clueless on some aspects. there's gaps in my tech knowledge so to speak. thanks again for the info i've gleaned from previous posts and i much appreciate any advice you guys could give regarding my questions!

seems i can't edit...

"225/75 r15 stock 5star rims"
should read '225/75 r15 tires on stock 5star rims'

:looser:

wow.... first of all welcome
second.... next time you might want ot place numerous posts addressing differnt issues cause I just got lost in it all (and some belong on oem and some on mod tech).

Ok... in regards to tires. If your rear is sagging you might want to look into a. putting a new leaf pack and while at it, get one which gives anything between 2"~3.5" lift in the rear and put a front new coil and spacer (remember to take care of your shocks and adjust your brake lines accordingly. THen you can fit 31's (with some trimming or limitation of uptravel).

Second.... 4wd part time means that you can use it only on loose roads: do not use it on pavement (unless it's wet or icy) or risk damage to the t-case.

for the ax15 manual tranny do not use anything else then the dealr stuff which is made specifically for the ax15 (it's GL3 spec!!! a GL3-GL5 won't work... it has to be GL3).

For the rest you can use synth if you want to.

DIff.s should be changed periodically

Trac Lok... to test whether it's there, if it's working kind of, raise the whole rear end (make sure you got front wheels secured, and raise the rear only so that both tires get off the ground) and turn one tire only. If the other tire turns in same direction, you got trac lok... if it turns in the opposite, you don't.

Hope this helps
Kejtar
P.S. You can edit only for about 15 minutes after the original post or so....

Kejtar.....

Explain to me why if the spec GL-3 is included in the GL-3 to 5 range then it is not suitable for use?? I do not get that- Have looked into that lube AZ sells and have been assured does not have the zinc additive. The lack of the zinc does no harm to those transmissions that are ok with it. Thanks-

ff....the cycling of the fan when it rains is because you probably have it on Defrost?? Is supposed to cycle the A/C compressor and therefore the elec fan. Does a much better job of removing fog from the windshield using the A/C to help remove moisture from the air. If not, you do have a water infiltration problem either under the dash, or really, located at any relay having to do with the A/C or fan operation.

I think Kejtar effectively addressed the other things-

thanks for the replies and the welcome! the first forum i joined was POR, and i saw what kind of replies people get if they're not asking hardcore questions... i didn't even think about asking there...
i don't want to lift it and deal with all the other issues that involves until i rebuild it. what i'm unsure about is, do i need to add some sort of helper for the rear leafs or is there a shock i can throw in that might stiffen it up sufficiently? the reason i ask- my first rebuild was a 62 ford f-100. old ranch truck, that had the rear susp beefed with a heavy duty shock that had springs. this was almost 8 years ago, and no telling how long the shocks had been on the truck. so that'd seem a good solution to me, but does anyone even make something like that anymore? would the underbody mounting points need to be beefed?
thanks for the lowdown on the diffs/transfer case, i didn't think i should do it...
nothing is on when the fan cycles, when i took it thru the car wash, nothing was on, so i think it's under dash... garcias though!

And it was the well trained, well educated and very knowledgeable people at autozone that told you that the coastal stuff, which is the only one they carry around here that is GL3/4/5 rated, is sulphur free ?? Hmmmm, considering they couldn't get me the correct ignition module for our YJ when we had the old one on the counter, sold me the incorrect oil filter for the 4.2L in the YJ, grabbed the wrong fuel system cleaner off the shelf, YJ's don't normally come with diesels, I just tend to be slightly doubtfull of their wisdom and their ability to master such basics as FRIGGING READING. I have also listened to the local store manager try to explain why the kid with the Neon and a rather small stereo system that he got for xmas needed a yellow top instead of a red top.
Considering that another parts store, custom craft, in my area, called Coastal, talked to their engineering dept and their engineering dept would not commit to a yes or no because it was the first time they had been asked the question, BUT they would get back to them with an answer, that was a month ago, still no answer. I KNOW that the dealer lube works, Mobil-1 Gear Oil has been OK for me but that was before we knew about the GL-3 thing. In all honesty I would feel guilty recommending an unknown product. Now if Coastal had a small notation "Safe and recommended for Asin transmissions requiring GL-3" on the bottle I would have no question, consider that Mobil does not recommend their gear lube in Jeep manual trannies where does that leave Coastal.
Now if you have found another brand GIVE IT UP, we want to know about it. I don't particularly want to spend $17 a quart for the GL3 stuff from the dealer, Come on, you been holding out on us or what

Welcome to the group
Normal operation of the defrosters uses the ac compressor to dry out air that it is blowing thru the defroster vents, thats normal. If you have it turned off and the aux fan still cycles thats not normal. If you suspect water leakage from the windshield seal have the windshield pulled and fixed, not good to have water down there.
Springs, check round on the for sale section for someone who is lifting for their old springs and shocks, find a 97 or newer. There were just a couple of people around LA that did lifts from stock so they may have their old setup left over.
With good springs and shocks you can put up to a 30x9.50 tire under there, I run LT235/75R15 BFG AT KO's on mine with no rubbing and stock suspension.
Try to locate a factory service manual, either on Ebay or from the dealer, new they are around $100 and well worth the price.
Living in a hot area like you do I would do a complete flush, pressure cap, OEM thermostat and new belt at a minimum, one overheat will ruin a brand new thermostat. If it starts to overheat in traffic but is fine on the road replace the fan clutch.
Diff oils generally should be changed when you have had the jeep in water up to it's axles, a hot or warm axle will suck in water thru the axle seals. If you do have a factory trac lock the axle should have a metal tag on it, if you are still not sure then do what kejtar said, jack it up and see what turns. Factory front limited slips, ASFAIK, do not exist but one could have been added later on so check that also.

Whew!!

No way would i rely on the 'expert' advice from the 'highly paid' and 'competent' counter help there at Auto Zone!! I certanly know better than that!! Give me more credit than that for goodness sakes. This information was acquired on line with the manfacturer of the lube AZ sells. Was year before last when i took such time to determine this. Could not tell you more specifically- has been too long and i am getting older and don't rem. I myself would not use Mobile 1 lube. Have a friend who has a Nissan SER who used to use that. Nissan trans's are like these that typically require '3 spec lube and really was messing with shifting qualities, not to mention leaking problems. Since to the switch to this cheapo AZ lube, has been functioning well for 100k miles. So far the trans in my '98 has been doing fine with this 'suspect' gear lube. Does not suffer from the hard-into-second-when-cold problem as most either.

Come on, give it up, what brand is it, Coastal or someone elses
Different AZ's carry different stuff, our local one does not carry Mobil-1 oil filters, the ones 30 mi away in allentown do, however those one's in allentown don't carry K&N oil filters, the local one does, go figure... but I spent an hour reading every bottle of gear lube they had in the place and the coastal brand was the only one who even mentioned GL-3
That cold 1st to 2nd is the main reason 'I' did it and it did fix that problem but I plan on driving mine for many more years to come. The Mobil-1 ATF in the 231TC worked wonders, going into and out of 4 lo hardly required more than a thought, does seep out the rear seal of the TC but all that does is tend to keep the area rust free so what if I have to add a pint every 6 months, nothing rusts.
I was a mite ticked off when they sold me the wrong filter after I got home dropped the oil and pulled the filter, no way was the new one going to fit, much smaller thread and hole, not even close.

Re: Kejtar.....

Judd W. VA said:

Explain to me why if the spec GL-3 is included in the GL-3 to 5 range then it is not suitable for use??

Click to expand...

Judd.... I'm not a specialist and all the chem stuff is beyond me, but I did talk to a buddy of mine a while ago who's a chem engineer and he talked to his dad (also a chemical engineer whio had his PHD in crude oil processing and did a lot of work in that area) and he looked the specifications for me and said that if something is GL5 there is no way that it could fall under GL3. When you get the blend stuff that is GL3 through GL5 it actually is neither. On that note, it is possible that it doesn't have the additives that are in there that are harmful, but the big question is whether it has all the other stuff that's required..... In any case, don't ask me for more explanations as the "chemist talk" is beyond me (my head hurt after that conversation as quite a few compounds were mentioned that I couldn't pronounce.... too many syllables...).

Remi..... I'm lost with chemistry.... Kejtar

RichP said:

Welcome to the group
Normal operation of the defrosters uses the ac compressor to dry out air that it is blowing thru the defroster vents, thats normal. If you have it turned off and the aux fan still cycles thats not normal. If you suspect water leakage from the windshield seal have the windshield pulled and fixed, not good to have water down there.
Springs, check round on the for sale section for someone who is lifting for their old springs and shocks, find a 97 or newer. There were just a couple of people around LA that did lifts from stock so they may have their old setup left over.
With good springs and shocks you can put up to a 30x9.50 tire under there, I run LT235/75R15 BFG AT KO's on mine with no rubbing and stock suspension.

Click to expand...

thanks! i didn't think about picking up someone's newer stock stuff. are the rear leafs a direct bolt in replacement from the newer model cherokee to an older one like mine?
it's not the aux fan cycling, i'm sure it's the mech fan. the guy i bought it from said he'd just put a new fan clutch on, and from what i've read on it, the description fits the mech fan. noisy as hell and a big drag on the motor. i thought it was the aux fan at first, then read up on it and did a bit of testing with the hood up turning the a/c on/off. the aux fan come on with the a/c or around 220 when it's supposed to. i replaced the TS with a 195 when i did the radiator. 3k miles after i replaced the radiator i had it flushed. it's not overheating, but i'm thinking that with it cycling on/off so often it's going to wear the fan clutch out that much faster. not to mention that i can feel the drag on the motor when it cycles even when flying down the freeway. i'm sure it hits my gas mileage. i need to track the wiring and find out if there's a relay or something under the dash on the passenger side that could be getting wet. i've checked the carpet, and if it is leaking, it's not making it's way all the way down...

oh one more thing... I almost forgot.... for replacement of the rear leaves, before you get to it... use PB Blaster (not WD40) to loosen up the bolts so that it will be easier to get them out. Start about a week ahead of time and each night spray very carefully each bolt.

Kejtar

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/electric.html

anyone done this?
*looks like that guy wired his added fan to run w/ his aux? how hard would it be to replace the mech fan with an electric fan that'd be triggered by the same means as the original fan?

Some things to consider.....

Elec fans pull a lot of current. If the demands on your present alt (and wiring) are already high this may be too much for it. You might have to upgrade your alternator, and wiring. I also think it is a good thing to have something constantly pulling some air through the radiator and over the engine on these XJ's. Heat really seems to build on top of these engines due to poor airflow as things are. To help to furher deaden this low airflow i am not sure would be good. Have seen several newer vehicles recently that used to only have elec fans go back to mechanical/elec combination.