Hi, I just found this forum and registered..
I have an 89 XJ DD that I have owned for a couple of years.. I'm SLOWLY fixing it up...on a very tight budget. Forums are a great way to share ideas and knowledge...I look forward to conversing with my new Prestigious Panel of Experts!
A little about my XJ...'89 Base model 4WD, 4.0 (with 189K mi.), 5-spd, stock alloys replaced the silver slotted steelies w/caps. I just installed a HEAVY custom rear bumper with towball mounting ability (obtained on CraigsList for $20 from a guy parting out his XJ). ...Otherwise pretty much stock.
OK, first question...I obtained a No-Name grill guard/bull bar/ whatever you want to call it off an 87? Comanche from a j/y. The MJ had a stock front bumper. It had been installed complete with tow hooks..(Yep, got them, too!). Apparently, I am missing whatever it takes to mount the bar to the underside of the XJ. Does anybody out there know if the aftermarket front tow hook adapters are what I need for this setup? The bottom mounting holes are horizontal...(Parallel with the ground). I'm hoping I don't have to have any custom fab work done to make this work...THANKS for any advice / ideas!
DA

 

Pictures might help on this one but a commanche is front is the same as a cherokee front so go look at how it was mounted before.

 

Just want to say,


Welcome.

 

welcome. we want pics!!

commanche grill and stuff is the same, but the truck is a full frame truck, and xj is obviously unibody. mounting bumper might be different. and i would almost guarantee mounting tow points will be different, since xj tow hooks have to tie into a unibody, and comanche tow points tie into a frame.

 

Stryker & jpdocdave, Thanks for the responses.
I would love to be able to go back to the j/y and look at the MJ, but I got the guard about a year ago, & the j/y is 150 mi away....I doubt it's still there.
I'll post pix soon....Hopefully somebody will recognize the setup.
I'll also measure the spacing between the mounting holes in both directions.
Aha...Unibody vs. Full Frame....The plot thickens.
Thanks for the help!
DA

 

strykers right the mj and xj are the same beast shold just bolt right up

 

its been a lont time since i've worked on an mj, am i wrong or is it full frame? i've never seen a unibody truck. i do know grill and lots of parts are the same though.

 

It s not a unibody vehicle just the front end pars are the same with same sam frame design up front.

 

i don't want to argue here, but if the pick up is a full frame, how is the frame design the same up front? now i haven't seen the pick up in a long time, so i'm not acting like i know, this is just for conversation sake. i will admit when i'm not sure on something.

i would bet the tow point has to be different for the reasons i've already said.

if the bumper is the same it should mount to the xj, unless the bumper is aftermarket and not designed for xj.

 

I got my other waggies tow hook brackets from an MJ in the junk yard they mounted the same. Frame/unibody what ever they mounted in the same holes.

The bumper also used the same mounting points. IMO the front of a MJ and the front of a XJ are IDENTICAL.

 

cool, they must have used the same holes and patterns just to be able to use the same parts. sounds like he's in business then. i would've lost a bet that they would mount the same on two different frames.

glad someone had actual experience on this. thanks for settin it straight

 

Thanks for the warm welcome and info, folks!
From the discussion, It seems like my XJ must be missing some towhook brackets that come stock with all Cherokees & Comanches?
Are these brackets separate items that mount between the bumper brackets and the unibody?
Are they an integral part of the bumper bracket that happens to be missing in my XJ?....(DAPO?)
I'll take some photos of the underside of the front end today...hopefully that will clear this up.
Thanks again!
DA

 

i don't think the brackets are on every xj. mine didn't have them, so i bought aftermarket tow hooks w/ brackets. mine are the same as stryker's.

 

Here's pix of underside of XJ, and the Brush Guard in question..
Something is definitely missing from the front of the XJ...(Sorry about the pix, I had to lay my camera on the ground to get the XJ shots.)
Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks!

 

Here are the Jeep and its HEAVY rear bumper...