My First Jeep / Comanche Resurection

Hi I'm Dan, I'm from Jersey, and I've always been a car guy. Was a Chevy guy in my teens, then I got heavy into VWs, then I relaxed it and just worked on cars for a while and didn't try to do anything fancy to my own. This is my first Jeep. It's a 91 Comanche 4.0 AT 4WD with a Dana 35 rear. It's not very pretty right now but the bones look good to me. I got it in Pennsylvania where it would not pass state inspection so it sat at the PO's house forever before I saw it. I'm a pro tech but I don't know how to weld yet, guess it's time I do.

The good:

- Clean title

- It runs and drives and can keep up with highway traffic

- It has a little bit of lift and came with plenty of 31s

- It has a full console with beverage holders

The bad: - Rotted out rockers and bed

- Tailgate handle is missing, tailgate isn't in good condition

- The steering is crap

- The existing lift doesn't look well done and the back end is way too low

- The blower doesn't work and was disassembled by the PO

- The engine does not appear to reach operating temp during normal driving

- The engine is running really rich, probably due to the cooling issue

- Fuel level gauge is crap

- Exhaust leaks

- 4WD doesn't work as well as I'd like it to

- Bunch of missing interior bits

- Stereo doesn't work

- Junkyards around North Jersey haven't been very good for my other vehicles but maybe they'll be good for Jeeps

- Rear bumper doesn't fit and it's rotting out

- Doors are missing limiters, not very good condition doors in general

The plan, in order of importance, I guess:

- Fix the blower and change the T-stat and WP if necessary

- Fix the exhaust bare minimum so it stays out of the cab. New exhaust later

- Fix the tailgate or find a new one

- TJ Rubicon flares, cut out the bed rot, fix the bumper as much as necessary right now

- Remove rocker rot and fix the cab

- Remove carpet, repair floor if necessary, fit new carpet and headliner

- Get the ignition cylinder replaced before it leaves me stranded

- Fix the lift and steering. SOA conversion probably. New springs definitely. Like to get a better axle in there

- Dye interior black, recover dash top with vinyl, install nicer seats, probably MkV Jetta vinyl

- Need to get a new fuel tank because the anti-slosh is crap. Doesn't leak right now but it's on its way out

- New wheels and tires. Highly likely it'll be JK 17s with 2in spacers and 33s unless somebody can talk me out of it

- Transfer case has angered Jobu, so it will need attention. Would like the later Cherokee full time switchable box if that's not crap. I'm sure someone will let me know.

- Doors need attention, like to update them to late model with power windows, locks and mirrors

- Late model front end update and a new rear bumper with late model endcaps

- New paint, probably white

- Stereo fixed sometime in there

- Somewhere in there I'd like to fit a Chevy V8 and new trans in

- Also if a rollbar finds its way into my lap I wouldn't turn it down

- Needs LED lighting everywhere

Everybody has to start from somewhere! I'm trying to get a friends 91 pioneer LWB 4x4 4.0 and auto. I'll probably end up being in the same state as what your in......... Rockers and cab corners are gone but I can't complain about the amount of parts that come with it. I hope everything works out with you and your comanche!! I'll be watching

I didn't have a lot of time to work on the Jeep today. I wanted to try to fix the tailgate but it came to my attention that the tail lights are crap. One was out so I went to do the bulb, but I was damn near horrified to find house wire nuts used by the PO to repair existing wiring.

So that's got to go. Fortunately I have a brand new pair of wiring harnesses from a late model Silverado that I got for nothing. They have two brake/turn bulbs and one reverse, all 3047. I was saving these for my Monte Carlo, but it has perfectly good lighting and I need these now. New from the dealer these harnesses are about $40 if you were to buy two of the cheap side 25906854.

I know what you're thinking. "Dan, those bulbs won't fit." And you're right. This required minor modification of the bulb receptacles in each lamp. 90 seconds with a Dremel tool and they fit. About 1/8in needed to be taken out of one tab slot for each bulb and the ground wires needed to be extended between the bulbs. I think older GM harnesses with the reverse on bottom would probably require less wire modification, but these were free to me. I chose to modify the plastic lamp to fit because it's much easier this way than modifying the bulb sockets. I think the stock bulb sockets would still engage, but it doesn't really matter. I have no intention of selling these lamps. If I ever buy new lamps, I'll just modify those again. The trimmed areas are marked in white.

So far this has worked brilliantly. I've now got three bulbs per tail lamp and I need to join four wires per side. Total cost: about $0.50 worth of solder, heat shrink and tape, and ten minutes. Not so fast though. These lamps have been thru the last 23 years and it shows. All the mounting tabs are cracked or broken. So tomorrow I'll be going to the store for some supplies. I'll split the lamps, reinforce the mounting tabs by plastic welding some metal lock washers and replacement plastic in. The lens has a bit of cracking, so that will be addressed. Tomorrow is another day.

I separated the lens from the housing on my lamps with a heat gun, and I strongly recommend against this for anyone else who tries to save broken lamps. The polyester housings do not take heat well and deform extremely easily. If I were to go thru this again, I'd cut them instead. Now I've got quite a bit of work to straighten the housings before I even begin to fill in the missing plastic and reinforce the lamp mounting areas.

On the bright side, I picked up a set of TJ Rubicon flares today, and I'm very exited about that.

I'm trying to get my taxes done so no real progress today. I mocked up the TJ flares with green tape and they look boss. Taillights are still looking pretty sad. Harmonic balancer is shot so I ordered that. I remembered I have a stock JK towing harness so I decided to use that with the Silverado harness to re-do the tail light harness. Keeping a list in MS OneNote of all the stuff I do to this truck so it has some accounting.

Nice truck!

Need more pics...

Finally got around to working on the Jeep again. Haven't got a lot done really. Took off the bumpers because they both need to be adjusted now, replaced later. I need to take off the badges on the fenders because the TJ flares need the space and the front fenders aren't long for the world anyway. I was thinking about putting fresh ones on the door after it gets painted. A Facebook friend found tail lamps for me so those are on the way. I haven't given up on my original lamps but also haven't had time to sit with the heat gun and fix them. I'm thinking about welding a receiver hitch to my rear bumper temporarily, until I build a better bumper.

Looks like a good base for a project truck.  I would almost bet that the rear suspension lift was a cheap Add a leaf kit that sagged.  Or maybe the rear is fine and they went too far the other direction trying to level out the suspension by lifting the front.  When I first got my truck the rear end sat level with the nose and tilted to the drivers side.  I first thought it was just normal, because the PO was a large fellow.  Turned out the drivers rear leaf pack had a broken middle leaf on it.

Now with new rear leaf springs and old saggy fronts, it sits like this! (yes, this picture sucks lol)

Didn't get a lot done again today. Cleaned the PO dirt out of the cab this morning and the parts I ordered started to trickle in. New taillights arrived from my Facebook buddy. I ground off the parts of the JK hitch I don't need so I can weld the receiver to my bumper. Went with my bro to Autozone and picked up a cheap Grant steering wheel and some hard mud flaps since they're required by law, or at least it used to be that way. Took the tailgate handle assy off so I can start to make a new one. I'm going to cut it out of sheetmetal and bend it up, should be pretty simple. I just need to make a paper template out of the rotted out remains.

This weekend, hope to have these parts in:

Harmonic balancer

Hella #3389 license plate lamp fixtures. These are nice and big, come stock on Sprinter chassis cabs. They take a 97 bulb like stock.

Dorman hood release cable - because mine feels like it's ready to fail and I'm not going to try to save $20 by not replacing it

GM flasher button - because mine is just a rusty drywall screw

Toyota roof mounted rear view mirror and dome light - tell you why I wanted it later

Air & fuel filters, and wiper blades

And I really, really need to re-hang the doors. Each is only attached with two bolts and there are parts missing.

I know it's not a lot but this is a budget build and I don't really want to splurge on anything yet. Even the Grant wheel was a bit of a stretch right now, it's not necessary but the stock wheel is in my lap. I absolutely need to take the carpet out soon. I don't want to do anything about the lift until I decide what I'm going to do about my axles. I'm seriously considering WJ axles. They're a little wider and I was planning on 5x5 wheels anyway so it makes sense in my head. If I do anything before I change axles, it's just going to be an add-a-leaf and shackles since that will come in under $100.

My next purchases really need to be tools though. I need to buy a welder, sheet metal brake, some body tools and probably a bead roller kit. I need to make some slip plates so I can adjust the alignment, I need to buy a bigger jack, etc.

Good that you're not letting it overwhelm you.  These trucks are easy builds really. 

For the rear or front light harnesses, look at grabbing some JY ZJ rear and front light harnesses.  The locking tabs to twist them into the lamps are the same mostly.  I just added the ZJ 3157 sockets to the front signal lights of my 89' XJ, much brighter, and MJ will be the same.  They twist in just like the old sockets...should be the same for the rear if your old MJ sockets are rotted out.

Looks like a good base also you probably have the best username I have seen!

Good that you're not letting it overwhelm you.  These trucks are easy builds really. 

 

For the rear or front light harnesses, look at grabbing some JY ZJ rear and front light harnesses.  The locking tabs to twist them into the lamps are the same mostly.  I just added the ZJ 3157 sockets to the front signal lights of my 89' XJ, much brighter, and MJ will be the same.  They twist in just like the old sockets...should be the same for the rear if your old MJ sockets are rotted out.

I am really pleased with how my 3157 type lamp harness upgrade went. I have some junkyard 3157 harnesses in a box somewhere but working with the brand new ones from GM was nice. They're all uniform and not brittle or rotted like junkyard plastics tend to be around here. I might change the front when one eventually blows out or if l get ambitious when I relocate the side marker to the TJ flare 194 socket location. I haven't thought about  how to make the fender  mounted lamp accessible yet, but that's why we're blessed with hole saws and wacky tape.

Looks like a good base also you probably have the best username I have seen!

Thanks!

Good project there, Dan.  I just replaced my harmonic balancer last weekend with the Dorman part, so far so good. I'll be keeping an eye on this build!

It's raining and the weatherman says it's going to be cold and rainy all day, so that seems as good a reason as any to buy a welder. I just ordered my first welder, and no it's not an Eastwood like my VW buddies said to get. I ordered from farmandfleet.com a genuine Made in USA Millermatic 130 kit, now labeled Hobart Auto-Arc 130. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing.

It's raining and the weatherman says it's going to be cold and rainy all day, so that seems as good a reason as any to buy a welder. I just ordered my first welder, and no it's not an Eastwood like my VW buddies said to get. I ordered from farmandfleet.com a genuine Made in USA Millermatic 130 kit, now labeled Hobart Auto-Arc 130. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing.

Funny you say that, because I have an Eastwood 175 Mig welder.  Something you don't know, is that it shares a majority of its components with the sub 200 amp, 230v, Miller/Hobart welders (which, if you didn't know, The Millermatics ,and most low end Hobards, are only assembled here, most of its parts still come from overseas).  I had to replace my gun due to my own stupidity, and i bet you can't guess where my replacement came from for $50.  FWIW, I've been using my Eastwood unit for the better part of 3 years, and not lightly,  I have yet to have one problem with it.  In fact, one feature I love about it is the infinite adjustment knobs on wire speed and amps.  In any case, you have a good little welder.

I don't have anything against Eastwood. I use their fender roller all the time. I actually wound up saving $20 over the equivalent Eastwood kit by going with Hobart, and the warranty is two years longer, and it came with a (cheap $20) helmet too. I know I probably should have bought a bigger welder, but I'm sure this will be adequate to build bumpers, fix the body, put new axles in, etc. Almost everyone I talked to before I sat down to do my own research told me to get an Eastwood though.

They are about equivalent, and that little 130 will be more than enough to do almost anything you plan on doing.  Even my 175amp 230V won't go welding 1/4 inch plate, and I don't plan on trying lol.  Does that little welder at least come with hookups for a tank if you wanted to run gas?  Flux core does well enough, but I have never been a fan of it when I can use shielding gas.

As far as a welding helmet goes, My buddies and I discovered a little hidden gem that is the Northern Tool "Wel-Bilt" brand Auto darkening helmet.  Works really damned good for a $50 helmet, and the light mode is way better than the helmet that I got with my Eastwood welder.  

I bought some Chinese auto darkening helmet on Amazon for under $50, it came next day; tested it in the sun around the house corner yesterday and it gets dark quick. I'll know if it sucks right away. I got the starter kit with the cart, regulator, helmet and welder all in one box. I should have it by next weekend. I can't remember where the 240v outlet went in my garage. I know that sounds dumb, but I thought it was between the doors and it's not there. So I went with a 120v setup. I have to rewire and relight the garage anyway, so I'll find that outlet soon enough.

Once it gets light out today or maybe tomorrow, I'll put up a photo of my Jeep progress. I won't have a lot of further progress on the Jeep this coming week. Now that the safety stuff is more or less out of the way, I have to get back to my Chevy. The motor has been out of it forever and it's taking up garage space. Not really a big deal, just a day or so of work but I have to find the remaining parts, torque stuff, go to the DMV, stand in line all day to get it registered, drive it for monitors, try not to get a ticket because my inspection was due in 2009... it's going to suck up my whole week.

I haven't posted here in a while. I haven't really got a lot done. I cleaned up the truck a bit, put a crappy cargo net in place of the tailgate, removed some dead brake lines, got rid of the spare tire carrier, changed the tires for some that are slightly less terrible, tore off the stock flares and tore out the inner fenders, took the dead stereo wires out of the doors so I can make the doors properly removable... and then I went out and got it dirty a couple times. That's what it's really all about anyway. I damn near ripped off my rear bumper - I have a longbed and a crappy aftermarket bumper - so I was thinking I might want to chop that bed and frame at the spring shackle. Or I might not. I don't know yet.

I really need to get axles though. The lower arm mount on my front axle is pretty rotten. That's the next thing, I guess.

I fixed my tailgate today. When I bought my Jeep, the tailgate handle was rotted off and I had originally intended to rebuild the handle with new bushings on the functional assembly and fabricate my own release handle with a sheet metal brake. I just hadn't made it a priority. So I was at the parts store the other day to pick up CV axles for one of my VWs, and I decided to take the broken Jeep handle with me so I could compare it to their aftermarket handles. Turns out a 88-98 Chevy C/K tailgate handle is about the same size, but the bolt pattern is different and the rods connect at the bottom instead of the top. I decided that was good enough for me, so I took it home. Dorman 77077 - $21 with tax. This component is a really easy install. I had to trim away a little metal inside the tailgate handle hole to fit the new tailgate handle through, but other than that it's just three holes drilled and done. The whole project was about 20 minutes. I'm happy with it so far.

EDIT: I just wanted to note that the tailgate handle was not modified in any way for this install. My goal was to use an off the shelf part as-is so if it fails it can be cheaply, easily and quickly replaced. The tailgate cutout was not modified except for trimming on the backside at the top. The hole is not enlarged to use the Chevy handle.

I haven't posted an update in a while. I recently got new wheels and tires, refinished those wheels, and de-chromed my badges.

But this weekend's project is a little more extensive: all new suspension.

My Jeep came with 4.5in lift coils and no other lift components installed. It was a little unpleasant. I decided to get rid of almost everything and start fresh. The only thing I kept were the leaf springs; they're not broken and I'm not ready to bob the bed yet but when I do, I'll replace them.

In the front, Upcountry coils and Energy Suspension spacers should net me about 2.5in over stock height up front. Daystar TJ bump stops will keep it in line. WJ lower arms and XJ upper arms with new upper bushings on the axle will keep the front planted with a new track bar. Extended sway bar links will prevent rubbing. The old ones rubbed on my coils all the time. Monroe extended shocks should smooth out the bumps.

Out back, the leaf springs get augmented with a Superlift add-a-leaf, 7in adjustable shackles and Daystar poly bushings. Monroe coil-overs should make it nicer to actually use the bed. New stock bump stops and parking brake cables for safety. My Jeep didn't have any when I got it. Extended brake lines all around and that's everything.

Cool Build Dan, Would like to see it at The North Jersey Jeep Club Meeting Aug 19th

Cool Build Dan, Would like to see it at The North Jersey Jeep Club Meeting Aug 19th

I've been hoping to make it out to Warnock. I'll try my best to be there in August.

I haven't posted anything in a while. Just finished basic fab on my new bumper.