never ending jeep build? maybe...
08-25-2010, 03:17 AM
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Year: 1992
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never ending jeep build? maybe...
so. im now starting my build thread, even though its nothing fancy right now...i have big plans over hopefully a couple years.
i got a black 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo with a 4.0LH.O., AW4 tranny, a np242 trans case, and dana 30/35 for my 18th birthday. I recieved it from my grandfather who was sick for several years but still hung on to it to give it to me. He bought it new in 1992 and took extreme care of it, but still used it to its potential. He towed boats, and went hunting. He ran full synthetic motor oil changed regularly. He recently passed march 9, 2010.
When i got it i was so happy i made a video haha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http:...?v=ecupr_UqEJg
after driving it for my senior year in high school, and doing small repairs to keep it running, like replacing a worn out track bar, bad water pump, new battery, and new pro comp es3000 nitro white tube shocks, i got new tires and took off the running boards. now it looked something like this
i then put a cherry bomb on it
then in the summer of 09, i went exploring with my friend in the nj pine barrens. found a jeep club guy, and started wheeling...
alot
then learned what disconnecting the sway bar does!
i also got some springs for free from a guy i met at jeff daniels jeep show in 2009 and the supposidly were off a 96 which he lifted 4 years later...so i took the less used springs and put them on my jeep, which wasnt fun but later helped me anyway. during that spring install i learned how important antiseize is...and how the factory doesnt use it...also how stupid they were for putting the rear leaf spring bolts in from the inside out...because if you have a hitch, you cant get them out w/out removing the hitch. so i cut them and got some regular galvanized bolts from a hardware store. but like i said, this loosened the bolts for my future lift install.
after wheeling all those times with a stock lift, and still needing to get back and fourth to college, i took a break in 2010. i only went twice before i got a rustys 3 inch full spring pack on craigslist for $150...but its seen better days.
also i was looking for wheels that i would like, that are a little bit different then just regular old black d-windows. so i found a pic on cherokeeforum of a guys xj with some wheels i really liked, so i bought some for myself. they are 15x8 with 3.75 inch backspacing. i got them mounted to the tires i had gotten just a year ago.
and i really liked its new, wider stance. so i was now convince that putting the lift on wouldnt look too bad. so i started on cleaning it up and de-rusting the springs and shocks.
i took apart the leaf packs, well one of them, since the other was already apart. and i hit them with a wire wheel and air sander. i then sprayed each leaf with Purple Power De-ruster and let that dry. i then got some new hardware and put teh leaf springs back together.
the look pretty good to me.
i then replaced one of the bushings on the leaf spring which turned out to be alot harder then i expected (isnt everything?)
i ended up burning, hammering, and blasting the bushing out...i drilled a bunch of holes in the rubber part, and cut it up enough to pop out the rubber part...then hammered the crap outta a screw driver and bent up the sleeve that was still in there...till it eventually came out.
got the new one in with some more persuasion with a hammer and oil... decided that the other bushing was in good enough shape where i didnt want to spend another 2 hours changing it.
i got a black 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo with a 4.0LH.O., AW4 tranny, a np242 trans case, and dana 30/35 for my 18th birthday. I recieved it from my grandfather who was sick for several years but still hung on to it to give it to me. He bought it new in 1992 and took extreme care of it, but still used it to its potential. He towed boats, and went hunting. He ran full synthetic motor oil changed regularly. He recently passed march 9, 2010.
When i got it i was so happy i made a video haha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http:...?v=ecupr_UqEJg
after driving it for my senior year in high school, and doing small repairs to keep it running, like replacing a worn out track bar, bad water pump, new battery, and new pro comp es3000 nitro white tube shocks, i got new tires and took off the running boards. now it looked something like this
i then put a cherry bomb on it
then in the summer of 09, i went exploring with my friend in the nj pine barrens. found a jeep club guy, and started wheeling...
alot
then learned what disconnecting the sway bar does!
i also got some springs for free from a guy i met at jeff daniels jeep show in 2009 and the supposidly were off a 96 which he lifted 4 years later...so i took the less used springs and put them on my jeep, which wasnt fun but later helped me anyway. during that spring install i learned how important antiseize is...and how the factory doesnt use it...also how stupid they were for putting the rear leaf spring bolts in from the inside out...because if you have a hitch, you cant get them out w/out removing the hitch. so i cut them and got some regular galvanized bolts from a hardware store. but like i said, this loosened the bolts for my future lift install.
after wheeling all those times with a stock lift, and still needing to get back and fourth to college, i took a break in 2010. i only went twice before i got a rustys 3 inch full spring pack on craigslist for $150...but its seen better days.
also i was looking for wheels that i would like, that are a little bit different then just regular old black d-windows. so i found a pic on cherokeeforum of a guys xj with some wheels i really liked, so i bought some for myself. they are 15x8 with 3.75 inch backspacing. i got them mounted to the tires i had gotten just a year ago.
and i really liked its new, wider stance. so i was now convince that putting the lift on wouldnt look too bad. so i started on cleaning it up and de-rusting the springs and shocks.
i took apart the leaf packs, well one of them, since the other was already apart. and i hit them with a wire wheel and air sander. i then sprayed each leaf with Purple Power De-ruster and let that dry. i then got some new hardware and put teh leaf springs back together.
the look pretty good to me.
i then replaced one of the bushings on the leaf spring which turned out to be alot harder then i expected (isnt everything?)
i ended up burning, hammering, and blasting the bushing out...i drilled a bunch of holes in the rubber part, and cut it up enough to pop out the rubber part...then hammered the crap outta a screw driver and bent up the sleeve that was still in there...till it eventually came out.
got the new one in with some more persuasion with a hammer and oil... decided that the other bushing was in good enough shape where i didnt want to spend another 2 hours changing it.
Last edited by COSXJFAN; 08-25-2010 at 07:16 PM. Reason: picture placement
08-25-2010, 03:17 AM
#2
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Year: 1992
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getting the back installed
i also took out the rear sway bar, what a wasted piece of metal!
backs done, but i ran out of time for the front...looks kinda funny
the next day i started out by cleaning up the shocks... i hit them with a wire wheel then some spray on rust inhibitor.
After............................................. .................................................. ...Before
my custom drying station
front springs are now under, and hooking up the freshly painted shocks
also i replaced the ball joint that connects to the pitman arm.
now finally after waiting for a year and a half, i got a lift on! and really nice wheels...the back was lifted much more then 3 inches.
i know theres alot i missed, and i will add that in later. i need to take some pictures. i did several things between when i got it and when i put the lift on...but ill get to that next post.(tomorrow)
i also took out the rear sway bar, what a wasted piece of metal!
backs done, but i ran out of time for the front...looks kinda funny
the next day i started out by cleaning up the shocks... i hit them with a wire wheel then some spray on rust inhibitor.
After............................................. .................................................. ...Before
my custom drying station
front springs are now under, and hooking up the freshly painted shocks
also i replaced the ball joint that connects to the pitman arm.
now finally after waiting for a year and a half, i got a lift on! and really nice wheels...the back was lifted much more then 3 inches.
i know theres alot i missed, and i will add that in later. i need to take some pictures. i did several things between when i got it and when i put the lift on...but ill get to that next post.(tomorrow)
Last edited by XJ4life92; 08-25-2010 at 10:40 PM. Reason: picture placement
08-25-2010, 01:01 PM
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Year: 1992
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thats now my exhaust and im much happier with the flowmaster. its alittle bit more expensive, but it makes the 4.0 sound beastly. where as the cherry bomb kinda made it sound like an import...i mean more like an import then the flowmaster.
oh and in that picture, notice my custom rear brake line extension bracket?? i like it. cheap and easy, just need a grinder or bolt cutter..or soemething
Last edited by XJ4life92; 08-25-2010 at 02:00 PM.
08-25-2010, 01:03 PM
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08-25-2010, 01:19 PM
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ok, now back to the small things ive done between getting it and putting the wheels/ lift on.
the first thing i did was upgrade the stereo system. the old tape deck left in favor of something alittle bit more modern.
then i replaced teh front and rear speakers. the front was easy, just swapped in some pioneers i got at walmart for $38
the back was alittle bit more interesting. i wanted something with a little more punch then a 5-1/4 so i took the back all apart. i cut the standard speaker mounts away with a sawsall, then cut a piece of plywood in an oval shape. the piece of wood was ment to be a mount for the 6x9s i had laying around. so i screwed the wood into the fiberglass after putting some epoxy around the point where they would enter the fiberglass, and caulked the piece of wood to the fiberglass for some reinforcement. I then went to town on the plastic cover with a jigsaw and the ending product was this.
i then got some subs. kenwood DVC subs, with a Hifonics zues 1008 amp. putting out 500Wrmsx2 @2ohm...so i wired each sub to 2 ohms and hooked it up. and after selling the box i had bought, i made one for the back of the jeep... and then i mounted a sound bar i got from a junkyard in the back, and put another walmart special amp on top to run the 6x9s and soundbar 5-1/4s. (which are the same pioneers that i have in the front).
thats my audio system, although i take the subs out when i go wheeling.
the first thing i did was upgrade the stereo system. the old tape deck left in favor of something alittle bit more modern.
then i replaced teh front and rear speakers. the front was easy, just swapped in some pioneers i got at walmart for $38
the back was alittle bit more interesting. i wanted something with a little more punch then a 5-1/4 so i took the back all apart. i cut the standard speaker mounts away with a sawsall, then cut a piece of plywood in an oval shape. the piece of wood was ment to be a mount for the 6x9s i had laying around. so i screwed the wood into the fiberglass after putting some epoxy around the point where they would enter the fiberglass, and caulked the piece of wood to the fiberglass for some reinforcement. I then went to town on the plastic cover with a jigsaw and the ending product was this.
i then got some subs. kenwood DVC subs, with a Hifonics zues 1008 amp. putting out 500Wrmsx2 @2ohm...so i wired each sub to 2 ohms and hooked it up. and after selling the box i had bought, i made one for the back of the jeep... and then i mounted a sound bar i got from a junkyard in the back, and put another walmart special amp on top to run the 6x9s and soundbar 5-1/4s. (which are the same pioneers that i have in the front).
thats my audio system, although i take the subs out when i go wheeling.
Last edited by COSXJFAN; 08-25-2010 at 07:18 PM.
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08-25-2010, 01:27 PM
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Year: 1993, 1994
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08-25-2010, 01:34 PM
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then after wheeling so much, my rear shocks were taking a beating from all the trails. i got tired of hearing the rattling on every tiny bump, so i got some rustys BPE's. i got rustys because they were cheaper, and in my opinion better then the JKS because the fact that you can weld them on and still change shocks. dont hate my welding too much, i couldnt really clean up the area so it lead to really bad welds, while being scared i was going to burst into flamse because of where the fuel lines are.
this fixed all of the rattling that was going on, and made me very happy.
after that i got an old CB radio my grandfather had, and i put that in...it was a rail PITA to find somewhere that was out of the way...so i compromised and put it on the armrest...not the best idea if you like your funnybone.
i then ran around with a roof magnet antenna but after that fell off many times from hitting trees, i decided to make something alittle bit more permanant.
i went to Radio shack and got some required materials, like a 20 ft cable, and a antenna.
now atleast when it hits off all the trees it doesnt fall off!
then i cheaply made a cold air intake out of a 6 inch piece of 3 inch tubing, a spectre cone filter, and a wall mounted shelf holder thing all bent up.
i drilled a hole in the shelf wall mount, and bent it up to hold the filter up and keep it from bouncing around. i then drilled two holes in the metal pipe for the vacuum lines, and stuck the filter on there. i later realized if i went through a deep puddle, the fans would still spray the filter with water (which is what i was trying to avoid because the stock intake sucks in water) so i spent a few hours taking apart an old trashed microwave for the high voltage transformer (to make a jacobs ladder) and i used the sheet metal to make a heat shield/water shield. not the prettiest but it works really well!
and that pretty much brings you up to date on all the major stuff ive done.
this fixed all of the rattling that was going on, and made me very happy.
after that i got an old CB radio my grandfather had, and i put that in...it was a rail PITA to find somewhere that was out of the way...so i compromised and put it on the armrest...not the best idea if you like your funnybone.
i then ran around with a roof magnet antenna but after that fell off many times from hitting trees, i decided to make something alittle bit more permanant.
i went to Radio shack and got some required materials, like a 20 ft cable, and a antenna.
now atleast when it hits off all the trees it doesnt fall off!
then i cheaply made a cold air intake out of a 6 inch piece of 3 inch tubing, a spectre cone filter, and a wall mounted shelf holder thing all bent up.
i drilled a hole in the shelf wall mount, and bent it up to hold the filter up and keep it from bouncing around. i then drilled two holes in the metal pipe for the vacuum lines, and stuck the filter on there. i later realized if i went through a deep puddle, the fans would still spray the filter with water (which is what i was trying to avoid because the stock intake sucks in water) so i spent a few hours taking apart an old trashed microwave for the high voltage transformer (to make a jacobs ladder) and i used the sheet metal to make a heat shield/water shield. not the prettiest but it works really well!
and that pretty much brings you up to date on all the major stuff ive done.
08-25-2010, 01:36 PM
#10
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08-25-2010, 01:51 PM
#11
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well, i also have some recent stuff ive been battling with. i recently took a 250 mile -each way- trip to a beach house in virginia with my friend. we put 2 kayaks on top, and 2 bikes on the back. now eveybody knows how un-aerodynamic an xj is, well an xj with 2 kayaks and 2 bikes on it is even worse. on the way down it was 92 degrees out...not too hot...but it is to a cherokee going 60 + mph...in the slow lane. so after my temp gague went into the red, we both decided to do a little mod ive seen on the forum before. we stopped at a lowes and got some longer bolts and some spacers. in the parking lot we took my hood off, and re-mounted it with the spacers in. i also replaced the fan clutch about 2 months before this trip, so i know the mech fan is working properly.
that didnt really help, so the rest of the trip was kinda of nail biting, being passed by tractor trailers trying to go slow on a high way.
well the night before we left to come back home, we did another mod. my A/C hasent ever worked...and i dont plan on fixing it, so we took apart the front end with a walmart took kit, and pulled out the condensor which was seriously bnet up and dirty.
no condensor any more!!!
so it ran alot cooler for most of the trip, but it still got very hot when we went over 65 mph for any period of time...also my intermittent torque convert that locks, then unlocks, then locks, then stays unlocked didnt help cause the engine was revved up alittle too much...
well...then about 10 min away from my friends house, it was raining, and my alternator stopped charging! oh boy what fun!
ive known the alt was going for a while, and i know that you can knock it back to working by tapping on it with a hammer, so when we got to his house, i tapped on it with a hammer. look what happened.
the housing broke!
and on top of that, my idler pulley was seized up...haha
strangely the alternator still works, after driving it home and back to the auto store for an idler pulley and new alternator. but on the trip the idler pulley unfroze and started making awesome noises. sounds like i threw a rod, or really bad tap, or like my engine is about to die...well thats cause theres no bearings left on the pully.
so here i am...needing to replace the idler pully and alternator, but ive been lazy and havent yet.
that didnt really help, so the rest of the trip was kinda of nail biting, being passed by tractor trailers trying to go slow on a high way.
well the night before we left to come back home, we did another mod. my A/C hasent ever worked...and i dont plan on fixing it, so we took apart the front end with a walmart took kit, and pulled out the condensor which was seriously bnet up and dirty.
no condensor any more!!!
so it ran alot cooler for most of the trip, but it still got very hot when we went over 65 mph for any period of time...also my intermittent torque convert that locks, then unlocks, then locks, then stays unlocked didnt help cause the engine was revved up alittle too much...
well...then about 10 min away from my friends house, it was raining, and my alternator stopped charging! oh boy what fun!
ive known the alt was going for a while, and i know that you can knock it back to working by tapping on it with a hammer, so when we got to his house, i tapped on it with a hammer. look what happened.
the housing broke!
and on top of that, my idler pulley was seized up...haha
strangely the alternator still works, after driving it home and back to the auto store for an idler pulley and new alternator. but on the trip the idler pulley unfroze and started making awesome noises. sounds like i threw a rod, or really bad tap, or like my engine is about to die...well thats cause theres no bearings left on the pully.
so here i am...needing to replace the idler pully and alternator, but ive been lazy and havent yet.
Last edited by COSXJFAN; 08-25-2010 at 07:20 PM. Reason: picture placement
08-25-2010, 02:08 PM
#12
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oh yea, also forgot i peeled off the stock purple/bubly tint and tinted the rear windows with 5%. heres a pic of the rear window tint.
as i remember stuff ill post it up, not in any sort of real organization....
as i remember stuff ill post it up, not in any sort of real organization....
ol
08-25-2010, 07:22 PM
#14
Do you hear banjos?
OP, please don't put pictures side by side. It makes the page too wide to enjoy without scrolling over. It also helps to double space between pictures, and text, it makes them seem more separated, and easier to view. Great start on your build BTW!!
08-25-2010, 10:41 PM
#15
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Year: 1992
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