Project Utility Comanche
10-24-2010, 07:51 PM
#1
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Project Utility Comanche
so, I'm taking my ol' wheeler and doing a new thing with it.
old thread
http://comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9967
so here's what it is going to be.
1987 bed and uniframe/cab
comanche open dana 44 with 3.55's in the rear...it will get a locker at some point. (already installed)
metric tonne rear mj springs (already installed)
3.5" front lift, using my RE track bar and RC control arms plus whatever coils I find, and a set of shocks picked up from Tim (TNT) here on the forums
3.55 front dana 30 from a '96 4.0 xj
my current front bumper (made by TNT)
new custom rear bumper made by me
factory front skid and gas tank skid
31x10.50R15 dayton timberlines on my nice set of cragar soft 8's (15x8/3.75"bs)
'97 front end
'97 wiring conversion (doing this solely to gain OBDII)
'97 dash
'97 doors with full power
it will remain automatic with the aw4, I sold the SYE 231 but swapped to a sealed output np231. I may get a sealed output np242 for it, though.
4.0 HO that has 10k miles, mild bore, mild cam, 2001 intake, borla header, mustang 5.0 injectors, 62mm throttle body
dual optima batteries...one in stock location, one in the bed, with a custom dual setup for it to jumpstart itself if need be.
winch at some point to go on the front bumper
keeping my older style seats and the tuffy lock box center console. going with a tan interior still, removing all camo, new headliner and new carpet.
I'm removing the roll bar, going with a full on york compressor system for on board air, relocating the peterbuilt air tank for it (or making a custom air tank to go where the factory spare would go)
building a cross between a contractor's ladder rack/safari roof rack/topper, which will have a pneumatic extending boom permanently mounted in the center hanging from the rack, with a geared down hand crank winch on the end of it for lifting engines and axles, thens liding them into the bed.
that rack will have four 6" hella fogs on the front, mounted on a pivoting cross bar with brush guards built into it, with a smaller pneumatic ram on it to control angles (doing this just for *****s and giggles, plus more switches). I have sliding side windows from a topper that will be mounted to aluminum side panels, so I can easily remove the sides of the "topper" to expose it. the roof will be permanent, the roof rack mounted above that.
final thing will be a new paint job once I finish the body work and fixing the rear flare mounts. it will be in black primer before winter...I need the black base to make the dark cherry/burgundy color I've chosen as dark as possible.
I'll post the new pics as it progresses. currently the rear axle is in, the front is gone since I sold it today.
The point of the project isn't a wheeler. it is to have an armored and capable comanche built for utilitarian/light offroad use.
old thread
http://comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9967
so here's what it is going to be.
1987 bed and uniframe/cab
comanche open dana 44 with 3.55's in the rear...it will get a locker at some point. (already installed)
metric tonne rear mj springs (already installed)
3.5" front lift, using my RE track bar and RC control arms plus whatever coils I find, and a set of shocks picked up from Tim (TNT) here on the forums
3.55 front dana 30 from a '96 4.0 xj
my current front bumper (made by TNT)
new custom rear bumper made by me
factory front skid and gas tank skid
31x10.50R15 dayton timberlines on my nice set of cragar soft 8's (15x8/3.75"bs)
'97 front end
'97 wiring conversion (doing this solely to gain OBDII)
'97 dash
'97 doors with full power
it will remain automatic with the aw4, I sold the SYE 231 but swapped to a sealed output np231. I may get a sealed output np242 for it, though.
4.0 HO that has 10k miles, mild bore, mild cam, 2001 intake, borla header, mustang 5.0 injectors, 62mm throttle body
dual optima batteries...one in stock location, one in the bed, with a custom dual setup for it to jumpstart itself if need be.
winch at some point to go on the front bumper
keeping my older style seats and the tuffy lock box center console. going with a tan interior still, removing all camo, new headliner and new carpet.
I'm removing the roll bar, going with a full on york compressor system for on board air, relocating the peterbuilt air tank for it (or making a custom air tank to go where the factory spare would go)
building a cross between a contractor's ladder rack/safari roof rack/topper, which will have a pneumatic extending boom permanently mounted in the center hanging from the rack, with a geared down hand crank winch on the end of it for lifting engines and axles, thens liding them into the bed.
that rack will have four 6" hella fogs on the front, mounted on a pivoting cross bar with brush guards built into it, with a smaller pneumatic ram on it to control angles (doing this just for *****s and giggles, plus more switches). I have sliding side windows from a topper that will be mounted to aluminum side panels, so I can easily remove the sides of the "topper" to expose it. the roof will be permanent, the roof rack mounted above that.
final thing will be a new paint job once I finish the body work and fixing the rear flare mounts. it will be in black primer before winter...I need the black base to make the dark cherry/burgundy color I've chosen as dark as possible.
I'll post the new pics as it progresses. currently the rear axle is in, the front is gone since I sold it today.
The point of the project isn't a wheeler. it is to have an armored and capable comanche built for utilitarian/light offroad use.
10-25-2010, 07:19 PM
#2
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
stage 1:
bought a '96 xj 3.55 geared high pinion d30 from the junkyard today. jeep had a reciept in the glove box for new wheel bearings, brakes, ujoints, and ball joints in it 3,000 miles previously. cost me $250, complete end to end.
went to the next junk yard down the row that had an xj in it with a lift kit...someone bought the axle, and left the shocks and coils. I just grabbed the coils since there's no way in hell I am running Rancho shocks. coils cost $20/each
got home, compared coils, they're 2.5" shorter than my 6.5" coils, and bigger diameter. painted them black, adjusted my control arms to 4" lift specs, tossed them in with the "new" axle.
just need to install my steering, and adjust the uppers to 1/4" longer to correct the pinion angle and set the castor (or camber...whichever) properly, then raise the brake line mounts to stock location so the YJ hoses aren't too long, connect them to the '96 calipers, and put the other shocks, stabilizer, and breather hose in it. then the front axle is done, and I can move on to the wiring/interior/door swap.
pics.
and I also picked up a parts xj today
http://comancheclub.com/forums/viewt...267630#p267630
bought a '96 xj 3.55 geared high pinion d30 from the junkyard today. jeep had a reciept in the glove box for new wheel bearings, brakes, ujoints, and ball joints in it 3,000 miles previously. cost me $250, complete end to end.
went to the next junk yard down the row that had an xj in it with a lift kit...someone bought the axle, and left the shocks and coils. I just grabbed the coils since there's no way in hell I am running Rancho shocks. coils cost $20/each
got home, compared coils, they're 2.5" shorter than my 6.5" coils, and bigger diameter. painted them black, adjusted my control arms to 4" lift specs, tossed them in with the "new" axle.
just need to install my steering, and adjust the uppers to 1/4" longer to correct the pinion angle and set the castor (or camber...whichever) properly, then raise the brake line mounts to stock location so the YJ hoses aren't too long, connect them to the '96 calipers, and put the other shocks, stabilizer, and breather hose in it. then the front axle is done, and I can move on to the wiring/interior/door swap.
pics.
and I also picked up a parts xj today
http://comancheclub.com/forums/viewt...267630#p267630
10-26-2010, 05:19 PM
#3
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
tore the tan dash out of the donor xj. I was going to run my '98 dash and harness with the '99 dash covers, but I discovered that this harness is in very very nice shape, so I'll be using this complete setup.
tan dash pieces
dash and dash wiring (main harness)
bad pics, but you can see the frame contacting the oil filter here
again, bad pic, but you can somewhat see how the motor mount twisted on the body side...
engine/wiring
it is EXTREMELY bent...
driver's side firewall
complete dashless firewall. need to pull the heater box in order to get the rest of the wiring out (it's pinched pretty bad inside, I don't want to tear the wiring if I can avoid it)0
this is how bent the door is
over all decent progress.
tan dash pieces
dash and dash wiring (main harness)
bad pics, but you can see the frame contacting the oil filter here
again, bad pic, but you can somewhat see how the motor mount twisted on the body side...
engine/wiring
it is EXTREMELY bent...
driver's side firewall
complete dashless firewall. need to pull the heater box in order to get the rest of the wiring out (it's pinched pretty bad inside, I don't want to tear the wiring if I can avoid it)0
this is how bent the door is
over all decent progress.
10-27-2010, 12:39 AM
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Realistic facts are that it's almost a bolt-in conversion.
Sure, you have to drill a few holes in the firewall, but the hardest thing is crossing the mj tail harness to the xj dash harness. Only real required thing is the H.O mj sending unit and pump....which I have several of.
I'll post a pin to pin diagram saying which wires go to which when I'm done with this.
My deadline to finish to DD condition is this weekend. So it'll be posted soon.
-Pat
Sure, you have to drill a few holes in the firewall, but the hardest thing is crossing the mj tail harness to the xj dash harness. Only real required thing is the H.O mj sending unit and pump....which I have several of.
I'll post a pin to pin diagram saying which wires go to which when I'm done with this.
My deadline to finish to DD condition is this weekend. So it'll be posted soon.
-Pat
Last edited by JeepCoMJ; 10-27-2010 at 01:11 AM. Reason: mis-spelled because I was drunk. corrected while still drunk.
10-27-2010, 07:00 PM
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
old dash and dash supports are gone, the column/pedal support is installed. I put the dash together and popped it in place so I could see what it's gonna look like/how it's gonna fit.
the old heater box and firewall padding is also out. have to install all of that tomorrow, after I figure out how to mount this damn thing...
the old heater box and firewall padding is also out. have to install all of that tomorrow, after I figure out how to mount this damn thing...
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10-27-2010, 11:34 PM
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
lol, thanks.
I just decided I'm sticking with grey xj limited wing backs in this thing, too. the one picture shows me just how close that dark grey leather is to the "agate" color on the dash....I'll make a full center console from steel, using the tuffy lock box, and paint those agate so it will look nice.
I just decided I'm sticking with grey xj limited wing backs in this thing, too. the one picture shows me just how close that dark grey leather is to the "agate" color on the dash....I'll make a full center console from steel, using the tuffy lock box, and paint those agate so it will look nice.
10-28-2010, 08:15 PM
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
on the firewall, I cut the hole for the steering column up higher, then used the scraps to weld in the old hole. for the engine to dash harness hole (where the fuse box used to be), I cut the '99 firewall out, made a small square from it, and welded it in, then siliconed the engine bay side of it.
For the upper dash mounts, I bought a 4' chunk of aluminum 1/8" angle iron, bent it further, cut it, trimmed it, and screwed it in both on the firewall, and through the factory '87 holes.
I had to drill the farthest passenger side hole for the heater box, as that's in a different spot, and I drilled the hole for the part of the engine harness that comes from the passenger side.
I had already drilled the new shifter cable hole for the '95 conversion, so that was easy enough.
the heater box, column support, and other bracketry for dash related stuff is installed. the dash is now in, and all i have to do is get some more zip screws to finish screwing the top of it in.
then I need to swap the complete engine harness etc. out
For the upper dash mounts, I bought a 4' chunk of aluminum 1/8" angle iron, bent it further, cut it, trimmed it, and screwed it in both on the firewall, and through the factory '87 holes.
I had to drill the farthest passenger side hole for the heater box, as that's in a different spot, and I drilled the hole for the part of the engine harness that comes from the passenger side.
I had already drilled the new shifter cable hole for the '95 conversion, so that was easy enough.
the heater box, column support, and other bracketry for dash related stuff is installed. the dash is now in, and all i have to do is get some more zip screws to finish screwing the top of it in.
then I need to swap the complete engine harness etc. out
10-29-2010, 01:30 PM
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
well, the engine harness is out. I had modified the driver's inner fender in the past for bigger tires...so I grabbed one I had saved from a parts xj, cut mine out, and welded this one back in. ran out of gas for the welder, so I gotta grab more in order to finish it.
old on the left, new on the right
old on the left, new on the right
10-29-2010, 07:25 PM
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Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Nice MJ, I read through the whole previous thread and that thing has had a lot of work done to it. Looks awesome. Nice work.
11-04-2010, 10:02 PM
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Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
thanks a ton!
.I had one HEIL of a haul today...
$300 takes anything I want....here's the list...
complete harness, front to rear.
ECU
TCU
heater box
all 5 doors (ALL MINT!..well...maybe a small dent one the pass. front door, but nothing too bad...)
both fenders
hood
valence/cowl
front clip
rear factory tint side windows
complete dash (charcoal)
charcoal kick-panel pieces
keyless wiring
all engine sensors and electronics
'99+ intake manifold
floor shifter
front carpet
front seats
rear seat
rear carpet
e-fan
1,000 mile reman np242 (sealed output) with shifter ***'y
NEW radiator
NEW plugs
NEW alternator
NEW power steering pump
front and rear driveshafts
factory CD player (works good)
all that for $300.
I didn't have room in the truck for the rear doors, rear hatch, rear glass, rear carpet, all seats, and the np242. going back monday to grab them (and I know he won't screw me on them).
pics...
