For huntin', fishin', and campin' huh??? Now that generally means no SERIOUS off-roading...Any XJ can be a potential rig....watch out for rusted floor pans..very common on older rigs...windshields, and cowl seams were prone to leaking down the firewall into the floors...Unless you are a diehard gearhead stay away from the earlier (84-85) carbed 2.5 and 2.8 rigs....and most likely they will have the afore mentioned floorpan rust issues...otherwise, they are cheap and servicable....nothing wrong with a Renix...there are many that believe the Renix system is more adaptable than the MPI systems...the best performance will be with a '91-'95 4.0 HO....they have the best flowing stock heads...as for rear axles...unless you are a CSSM (clutch side-stepping moron) the 35 is fine for "huntin', fishin', campin'....(Be sure to understand that in my feeble old mind that huntin', fishin' and campin' does not include rock crawlin', drag racin', or mall parking lot burnout competitions)...besides anything can be broken if you really put your mind to it...if your new rig has an auto trans...the axle becomes even less of an issue....besides, you can always upgrade to a 8.8...that will fix the "weakness" issue and get you rear disc in one shot. A non-disco front axle is a good idea so you don't have to worry about the fussy vacuum operated disconnect. In short, find a rig in good shape and enjoy...
