The Jeep Comanche, designated MJ, is the pickup version of the Cherokee compact SUV, built and sold by Jeep from 1986 to 1992. It came with rear- or four-wheel drive and with a six-foot or seven-foot cargo bed. Behind the cab it used a body-on-frame layout, but the front half kept the Cherokee’s unibody construction, a mixture Jeep called a Uniframe.
Jeep Comanche at a glance
| Maker | American Motors, then Chrysler (Jeep) |
|---|---|
| Production | 1986–1992 |
| Based on | Jeep Cherokee XJ |
| Body | unibody front half, boxed frame under the bed |
| Drive | rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive |
| Bed lengths | 6 ft (1.83 m) from 1987, 7 ft (2.13 m) from 1986 |
| Base price, 1986 | $7,049, the cheapest Jeep of the year |
| Engines | 2.5 L four, 2.8 L GM V6, 2.1 L Renault turbodiesel; 4.0 L six from 1987 |
| Gearboxes | four- and five-speed manual, three-speed automatic |
| Grille | ten slots to 1987, eight slots from 1988 |
| Payload | 1,400 lb; 2,205 lb with the Metric Ton package |
| Introduced | mid-August 1985, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas |
History of the Jeep Comanche
A pickup to keep AMC alive
In the mid-1980s American Motors was short of cash as it prepared a new line of mid-size sedans, and its most valuable asset was Jeep. A compact pickup was expected to help: the Comanche was introduced in mid-August 1985 at a launch for more than 1,500 North American dealers in the ballroom of the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, and it went on sale as a 1986 model. The two-wheel-drive version started at $7,049, which made it the least expensive Jeep of the year. AMC even included Chinese officials in the event, hoping to build and sell Comanches through the Beijing Jeep joint venture.
A Cherokee with a bed
Jeep designers based the Comanche’s body, styling and powertrain on the XJ Cherokee of 1984. Behind the cab the truck used a more conventional layout with a removable cargo box, but the front half kept the Cherokee’s unibody. The frame under the bed, which Jeep called a Uniframe, was fully boxed with a large X-shaped structure over the rear axle, and its rails were over eight inches deep — far deeper than the 6.75 inches of the full-size Jeep J-10 frame. The seven-foot bed came first in 1986, the six-foot bed in 1987. The grille had ten slots until 1987 and eight from 1988, matching the Cherokee, and four-wheel-drive trucks wore a “4×4” badge on the rear of the box.
Suspension, engines and the Chrysler years
The front suspension was the Cherokee’s Quadralink, with coil springs and control arms on a solid axle; at the rear the Comanche used long leaf springs mounted under the axle instead of over it, which gave good load capacity without a harsh ride. A Metric Ton package for long-bed models added heavier springs, larger tyres and a Dana 44 axle, raising payload from 1,400 to 2,205 lb. The 1986 range offered AMC’s 2.5 litre four as standard, a GM 2.8 litre V6 or a Renault 2.1 litre turbodiesel; in 1987 the V6 was replaced by AMC’s fuel-injected 4.0 litre straight-six. Chrysler bought American Motors in March 1987 for $1.5 billion, and the Comanche, like the Cherokee, received only minor changes afterwards, mainly to improve reliability and parts sharing.
Design and features
- Uniframe chassis: boxed rails over eight inches deep with an X structure above the rear axle.
- Two bed lengths: seven feet from 1986, six feet from 1987.
- Quadralink front end: coil springs and a track bar on a solid axle.
- Metric Ton package: heavier springs and a Dana 44 axle for 2,205 lb of payload.
- Cheap entry: at $7,049 in 1986 it was the least expensive Jeep on sale.
Jeep Comanche versions
- Comanche (1986–1992): the standard pickup in rear- or four-wheel drive.
- Long bed (1986) and short bed (1987): the two cargo box lengths.
- Metric Ton: heavy-duty long-bed package with a Dana 44 axle.
- Eliminator: the sporty trim with the 4.0 litre six.
- Diesel: the Renault 2.1 turbodiesel, available only with the five-speed manual.
The Comanche is the pickup version of the Cherokee and replaced the CJ-8 Scrambler in effect; its modern successor is the Gladiator. More models are in the Jeep collection.
Sources
- Jeep Comanche, English Wikipedia: introduction, chassis, suspension, engines, prices
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