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Help ID desert roll over

53A1

53A1

Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2008
I was way out in the El Pasos on my dirt bike this morning and found a few vehicles. I don't know much about the later Jeep products. Can anyone ID the appropriate year and axles? Looks like a d44 and d30. Wish I got better photos.
 

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Looks like a ZJ to me.
A live-axle GC.

1773616957103.png
30 front.
I believe that's not a 44, maybe a 35.
4.0L, 318, rare 360.
I'm sure the 4.0L in the WJ (later model) got a 35 rear.
Not sure if that applies to the ZJ as well.
Some of them got a 44 with an aluminum center section - maybe that's why it looks different from a regular 44.
Magnet.
 
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There is usually an emissions sticker either on the front bulkhead or on the front of the hood. That will have the year and engine model on it. It'll look something like this
1773682657990.png
 
Thinking about it, I don't think it was a roll over. I think someone turned it on it's side for easy pickings. Of course the Cat was missing. That's a pretty slick idea if you want to pull parts from the bottom.
 
It doesn't look like a rollover to me. The luggage rack on the roof is not damaged and the hood doesn't appear to be damaged either. Also, the ground looks fairly flat so I'm wondering if if it did rollover was it there? Do people just abandon their vehicles out there?
 
It's way out in the CA desert in the El Pasos and I just stumbled on it. I imagine someone broke down or it was stolen? It's not common to find vehicles but I do find weird stuff occasionally and you have to be careful. I've had confrontations just accidently ending up on someone's squat or claim. It's the wild west so you go at you're own risk.
 
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Seems unlikely it was abandoned.
The ZJ has a following, and I expect someone would want it if only for the parts.
New enough '93-98 that someone could have been so frustrated with emissions that it was abandoned, maybe.
Joy ride?
Stolen for parts?
Missing just the transmission and transfer case seems suspicious.
 
Revisiting my old posting. I have a '69 budget build going and the folks here concluded I need to track down a new carrier and gears to convert my salvage yard d30 from 3.31 to 3.73. I was thinking of this wreck sitting in the desert. Google mentioned the ZJ v8s have 3.73 gears. Does this sound correct?
 
53A1 said:
Revisiting my old posting. I have a '69 budget build going and the folks here concluded I need to track down a new carrier and gears to convert my salvage yard d30 from 3.31 to 3.73. I was thinking of this wreck sitting in the desert. Google mentioned the ZJ v8s have 3.73 gears. Does this sound correct?
Click to expand...

Sure is. It likely has 3.73s but could have 3.55s also. My Comanche has axles from a V8 ZJ and they have 3.73s.
 
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Thanks for the quick response. I was looking for a reason to take my dirt bike out there again. If it's still there I'll probably bring my oxy-acet setup and cut it out at the springs. I have a dirt bike hitch ramp and I can haul it out in my jeep.
 
i know nothing about the newer jeeps, but assuming its a low pinion 30 (it looks like it is in the picture), then gears should be good as long as you are re-gearing a low pinion 30.
high pinion gears are reverse cut and will not work in a low pinion housing.
 
Good question. I just read the laws for this. Even if it checks out as unstolen at the DVM you still can't pick from it. I guess I'll stick to the junk yard. What a shame.
 
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