Thinking about buying an MJ

J

jeepin junkie

NAXJA Forum User
Location
American Fork, UT
Well, I'm just looking for some information from people who own and wheel MJs. Specifically I'm wondering if the wheelbase is going to be too long. I know that a shortbed comanche is 113 " and a longbed is 119". So if you wheel a comanche let me know how it's working for you.. thanks! OH yeah, I live in Utah and I do most of my wheeling in Moab...
 
I wheeled a short bed for about 5 years. Yeah, it was kinda long. It helps if you don't mind using the bed as a pivot point. I also built a "bellyup" skid that covered the tranny and t-case, and was completely flat. I loved it. I curse myself fortnightly for selling it.
 
long beds rule!!

I wheel an MJ long bed, lifted about 5" or so with 33" tires. I haven't gotten real hard core about wheelin but have not had any prolbems so far.
I did a couple of trails over in Panamint Valley CA last weekend and didn't scratch anything. My front and rear bumpers are set up at a minimal drop so my departure and approach angles are better.

Some body tell me how to post a pic and I will.

Wade
 
I like the wheelbase of the comanche- mines a shortbed It'll make a short wheelbase rig look stupid in the right situations. I drag the rear bumper a lot- i mean A LOT so make sure you have a stout rear bumper that wraps around pretty well. I couldnt imagine wheeling a longbed!! Also rocker protection is key. Tight trails will beat the rear corners of the bed. I think im gonna go flatbed pretty soon here. Also like SewerBoss said, you will use your rockers as pivots quite a bit.

Mine works great going uphill due to the front weight bias and the soft coils. Going downhill the rear likes to unwieght itself a little, but its not so bad since it has a long wheelbase. You just have to be easy on the brakes when dropping off ledges one tire at a time going down- just like any other rig im sure....

Nice thing about the comanche is the super soft and way-long rear springs. Spring it over and your pretty much set.

I think a comanche would work great in moab. Seems like its a long wheelbase friendly area. Im going in march -i'll let you know how it works then!

If you want i can email you some pics of my setup- its not the best but it works!
 
MJDAN'S rig
mjdan.jpg
 
OILBURNER said:
I have not seen a 'bobbed' shortbed MJ yet.
That sounds like the ticket for you, or better yet a flat bed :piratefla
Click to expand...

The only shortened MJs I've seen have been shortened behind the cab to shorten the wheel base. Bobbing a short bed would be hard because the rear leaf shackle hanger is way back there, just before the bumper. Now if ya do a rear link setup and ditched the leafs.......................
 
Is there an easy way to identify a LB vs. SB from a photo?Im looking for one but alot of the adds dont say the bed length.Is there something thats obvious to look for?
 
I got a 91 short bed. I absolutely love it. The wheelbase is perfect to me. I have 9" in the rear and D44 w/ radius arms up front, works well and is strong for a relatively light truck. I run 37" swampers and the tire and suspension combo creates an awesome breakover angle and good app/dep angles. Thinking about chopping off the rear of the bed between the spring mounts and the end of the bed to gain a little more dep. angle. Thought about doing a flat bed, not sure though, look good on toyotas, not sure about mj's. Buy one, you'll love it. Make sure to get a 91 or later w/ H.O. 4.0, Aw4 is a good tranny, get a short bed and build from there, good luck, Judd
 
I have wheeled an MJ LWB for a couple seasons...it was fun and the extra length helped a lot of places but the extra overhang got the crap beat out of it in alot of other places. The LWB has approx 2' between the shackles and the stock bumper IIRC (I'd look & compare, but both my SWB and LWB are still at the old house) The driveshaft is really long (and vulnerable) on a LWB!

I like what JnJ said, do links and different type springs, then bob the rear to get rid of ALL that overhang...but then it's into buggy/thing territory and not a real pickup anymore. MJs with a full-uncut bed are versatile for a DD and trail rig...

Nate (SewerBoss) seemed to have a lot of success with his 113" SWB...moreso than I did with my 119" LWB on the same trails. We both went more or less through the same stuff...he just seemed to be having an easier time with his. I don't want to start an XJ vs MJ war here, but I've wheeled a moderately built XJ for the last bit...and I miss my MJ so bad... it isn't that the XJ isn't fun...it's just that I maybe had more fun in the less-top heavy MJ.

I'll prescribe an MJ for most everyone, so ya may not want to listen to the doctor who is addicted to the scrips he's writing :)
 
MUDTRUK said:
I got a 91 short bed. I absolutely love it. The wheelbase is perfect to me. I have 9" in the rear and D44 w/ radius arms up front, works well and is strong for a relatively light truck. I run 37" swampers and the tire and suspension combo creates an awesome breakover angle and good app/dep angles. Thinking about chopping off the rear of the bed between the spring mounts and the end of the bed to gain a little more dep. angle. Thought about doing a flat bed, not sure though, look good on toyotas, not sure about mj's. Buy one, you'll love it. Make sure to get a 91 or later w/ H.O. 4.0, Aw4 is a good tranny, get a short bed and build from there, good luck, Judd
Click to expand...

you have any pictures of it?
 
I loved mine enough to hang on to it after the 2wd Peugeot self-destructed. After 2 years of sitting and 2 years of building (using parts from a 78 Bronco and 99 TJ) I now have this:
34119038.jpg

I apologize for the darkness of the pic, my scanner doesn't wanna work right.
Jeep on!
--Pete
P.S. I just bought my third MJ. It'll eventually be relieved of its 127K mile 4.0L (which is going into the red one) and donated to someone wanting a start for their own MJ buildup, but for the meantime I've got my own little war-party here. :D Careful about these trucks, they can be addictive!!
 
I've already got one drawn up in autocad and am acquiring the materials as we speak. thanks for the offer though- appreciate it!

by the way, your mj is what got me goin on the whole flatbed thing. Major props on the buildup, i really like the way its turning out!
 
Thanks,

I used to be a home builder, not a lot of difference jsut put teh parts together

It is very close to driveable but have been having ot work on other things first, sons car, other MJ took a crap, Alice's lebaron jsut upgraded turbo etc. the (95 xj jsut got new front axle and all new arms to fix problems....yada yada yada...always seems to be on the back burner
 
tube bed

Been wanting an MJ for a while, just have'nt made the jump. That's gonna be one sweet MJ when you finish XJ-nation. I'm gonna have to get serious and take the plunge,it's just that I've got five yr's. invested in my XJ.
 
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