Comanche

The Jeep Comanche (designated MJ) was a pickup truck version of the Cherokee compact SUV that was produced from 1986 to 1992. Rear-wheel and four-wheel-drive models were available as well as two cargo box lengths (six and seven feet).


In its method of construction alone, the Comanche was yet one more in the long line of innovative Jeep vehicles. The Comanche was a unibody vehicle, the first true pickup truck made in such a manner (the car-based Volkswagen Rabbit and Dodge Rampage notwithstanding). To reduce development costs, Jeep designers based its body, styling and suspension on that of the Cherokee, which had been introduced to great acclaim for the 1984 model year.

AMC's Jeep engineering staff designed an ingenious subframe that connected to the modified Cherokee UniFrame? unibody structure to support the cargo box. In fact, two such subframes were designed; one for the long-bed model, which appeared first, and a second, shorter version for the short-bed, which debuted for 1987.


The Comanche used the Cherokee's front suspension, with coil springs and upper and lower control arms. The Cherokee and Comanche were the first Jeeps to use this new "Quadra Coil" suspension. Coil springs allowed for greater ride comfort and axle articulation during off-road excursions. A trackbar was used to keep the axle centered under the truck. Modified versions of this same basic suspension system were later used on the Grand Cherokee and the TJ Wrangler.

For the rear suspension, the truck used leaf springs that were considerably longer than on Cherokees, which gave Comanches good load-carrying capacity and a smooth ride. There was also a heavy duty "Big Ton" package available (known as the "Metric Tonne" package outside the U.S.) for long-bed models. The package included heavier-duty leaf springs and wheels, larger tires and an uprated rear axle, which increased stock payload capacity from 1400 pounds to 2205 pounds, well above that of any other pickup of the Comanche's size. In fact, a Big Ton Comanche's payload rating was higher than that of many larger pickups.


Jeep offered the Comanche with a selection of engines, including the popular 4.0 L I6 engine found in many 1980s and 1990s Jeeps.

The inaugural 1986 Comanches could be equipped with the buyer's choice of three engines. The AMC 2.5 L I4, General Motors LR2 2.8 L V6, and Renault 2.1 L I4 turbodiesel were all offered from the start. The V6, which was the same basic unit used in the first generation Chevrolet S-10, distinguished itself by its meager power output and questionable reliability. It actually delivered less horsepower than the base four-cylinder (115 vs. 117 for the four), only slightly more torque, and was equipped with a two-barrel carburetor instead of the four-cylinder's modern electronic fuel injection. In addition, fuel mileage with the V6, particularly in four-wheel drive models, was generally poor.

Changes to the engine lineup happened in the truck's second year on the market, however. For 1987, the 2.8 L V6 was replaced by the new fuel-injected 4.0 L AMC inline-six that delivered 173 hp, nearly 60 more than the V6. The new six-cylinder was also more fuel-efficient. The slow-selling turbodiesel was officially dropped at some point during the model year, as well. It is not known how many were built, but given American buyers' growing aversion to diesels in the mid-1980s, there were probably few Comanches so ordered.

Other changes under the hood occurred in 1991, when Chrysler adopted their own (more reliable) engine control electronics to replace the original Renix (Renault/Bendix) systems used previously. One positive effect of this change was that the 4.0 L engine gained 13 hp (to 190 hp, having already gained 4 hp in 1988), while the 2.5 L engine jumped from 117 hp to 125 hp. In addition, parts for the Chrysler systems are easier to come by, while the Renix system is harder to repair and is well-known for its temperamental nature. This reputation stems from the fact that there are few scan tools around today that can properly "read" the Renix system.

During the production life of the Comanche, a dizzying array of six different transmissions were offered, manufactured by Aisin, Chrysler and Peugeot. Aisin provided the AX4 (four-speed), AX5 and AX15 (five-speed overdrive) manual transmissions, along with the AW4 four-speed automatic that was used beginning in 1987. The AX15 was phased in to replace the Peugeot BA-10 five-speed that had been used from 1987 until mid-1989 behind the 4.0 L engine.

Interestingly, though Chrysler purchased AMC (and, by extension, Jeep) in 1987, only one Chrysler transmission was ever used in the Comanche, and that was prior to the takeover. 1986 models equipped with the 2.8 L V6 were offered with Chrysler's three-speed TorqueFlite? A904 automatic. Throughout the Comanche's production run, Chrysler would continue AMC's practice of purchasing Aisin automatics that began in 1987.


After the Chrysler buyout, the Comanche, like its brother Cherokee, received only minor changes, primarily those that would improve reliability and parts commonality with other Chryslers, but no major design changes. The lack of an extended cab body style, which all other compact trucks were offering by the time of the Comanche's debut, and the fact that the Comanche's prices were, in any given model year, higher than those of the top-selling American compacts (Ford Ranger and Chevrolet S-10), led to lagging sales as customers went elsewhere for roomier trucks.

As sales dropped, the Comanche found itself on the chopping block. Rumors abounded that the Comanche would be replaced by a restyled Dodge Dakota, its body-on-frame sibling from Dodge. Jeep dealers didn't like the idea because the Dakota was generally heavier and less reliable than the Comanche, so the company chose instead to cancel the Comanche at the end of the 1992 model year, after only a few thousand trucks had rolled off the Toledo assembly line.


The Comanche is highly sought after today, in part because of its durable drivetrains and uniqueness, and also in part because of its legacy as the "last Jeep pickup." Even 14 years after the last one was built, Comanches are known as reliable, fun-to-drive little trucks, with rust being the one major problem area, as it is on most Jeep products. Those seeking to purchase a Comanche are well-advised to thoroughly examine the floors, rocker panels and framework for any sign of rust-out before buying.

Jeep Vehicles