My 1987 Jeep Comanche

Well, what's left anyway.

So what it is.

1987 Jeep Comanche
4 Litre motor
5 Sp (AX-15, not the french one)
New Process 231 T-Case

Frankensteined Dana 30 up front, Lockright locker
Ford 8.8 in the back, disc brakes, spooled.


Here's what it looked like on the car dealers lot. No, I did not pay $3K for it, walked away after tax and title for $1500.


body by nsjames805, on Flickr


tail by nsjames805, on Flickr


interior by nsjames805, on Flickr

is that what it looks like now? thats really good condition especially for a 23 year old car

So I wheeled it like that for a while, street tires and all.

This was lifted 3" on the 31" street tires:




THen I found a great deal on some 34x9.5 TSLs with wheels, and started cutting up the body.



They just don't quite fit.....


A grinder fixes that:




So this left me with this:


I wheeled it for another year or two with a full body. That took it's toll on te shettmetal. Here's a picture in Tellico circa 2007ish


You can see all of the body damage.

Nice jeep man! I heard the 5-speed 4.0L were the best! Very long wheelbase though.. so I see what you mean by land yacht.

So I got tired of driving a land yacht and decided that all of the crap behind the cab needed to go. By this time it was no longer a DD and much more "toy"



I built this cut down bed using the factory bed header and floor in my garage. I also bobbed the rear frame rails about 13" and made a new crossmember that tied a 2" receiver into the frame for recovery.

I put the spool and locker in as well:

it went to Moab, Utah like that and rocked out for a week.

moab 101 by nsjames805, on Flickr

Then I killed the fuel tank on a big ledge, literally ripped it out from under the Jeep and left it behind.

That led to some real expensive fuel system stuff:



RCI 18 Gallon fuel cell/sender, Aeromotive Fuel pump, I tied it in to the stock injection system and sized the new pump to be compatible with the stock FPR. I like keeping things simple.

I thrashed on it some more in Harlan, KY






Some video:


That led to some pretty serious suspension damage:

Some bent shocks, some more bent leafsprings and a shackle mount torn from the frame.

So currently it's in the garage getting new axles geared 4.56 (to stop all that stalling bull****) and a new rear suspnsion. likely using some chevy half ton leafs and custom mounts, because Jeep Comanche leaf packs are unobtanuim.

I'll post up pictures of the progress this weekend when I get back into the garage.

Russianred said:

Nice jeep man! I heard the 5-speed 4.0L were the best! Very long wheelbase though.. so I see what you mean by land yacht.

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Yeah, it is a longbed chassis, so 118" WB and a 7 foot bed wewre killing me. Part of the suspension rebuild in the rear is shortening the wheelbase about 6", I need a new driveshaft anyway since mine is bent, again, Harlan.

That place is rough.

i think it needs moar loar

haha but that thing is beast, but i think my accord on stock suspension could take it

2000BlackCoupe said:

i think it needs moar loar

haha but that thing is beast, but i think my accord on stock suspension could take it

Click to expand...

When I was still driving it daily and it had the armor on it I tattooed the rear quarter of a Chevy Malibu. Lady was backing out of a driveway and backed right in front of me.

I'm pretty sure I totaled it. Jeep drove away and I spraypainted the paint transfer marks on my front bumper. She flipped out and called the police, and then her husband showed up and started screaming at her about wrecking ANOTHER car. I lol'd.

If gas wasn't heading towards $4 a gallon I would not have sold the matching 1987 Cherokee I had and I would still be DD'ing that. It also had armor. Needless to say adapting to a new driving style was difficult when I switched to cars, I was used to driving a tank.

The accord is alot like a tank... except its more agial, crupples easier, and sits lower... okay maybe more like a wanna be F1 car...

Now that's a pickup truck. Looks like fun times.