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Cool beans! I'd like to pick up another XJ or two and build them up as well. This one is my daily driver. Most of the XJs I see for sale now are just too torn up to bother with. Congrats on finding a stock one!

MolonLabe

Thanks brotha!! I am looking forward to finally getting into the scene and building my version!! Yours will be a huge inspiration.

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I also posted this in the tech area. I'm at wits end and just need to get Serenity back in the game-

First let me say:

I apologize. I know it's a tired subject.

Yes, I've googled the hell out of it.

Yes, I've youtubed the hell out of it.

Yep, searched the forums too!

Here's the problem:

Our 2001 with 165k on the odometer has developed about 5-6" of play in the wheel, with random PSF blows and one boil over.

Driving on the highway is an exercise that'll make you sweat like missing the last church service before Judgement Day. The steering gearbox and pump are OEM from when we bought it new. Yeah, they're worn out.

Currently, Serenity (our XJ) has the Rusty's 6.5" HC Long Arm full kit with a host of other goodies. It has a BEEFY cross piece that goes a long way to stiffening the whole frame/unibody/whatever you want to call it , but that sits back under the transmission.

As far as the steering related stuff goes, she has the 3" drop pitman arm, HD track bar with HD drop bracket, steering stabilizer, and frame brace. HD tie rod, new TRE's, new drag link.

Riding on 33" BF Goodrich KM2s mounted on 15" steel wheels. NO plans on going bigger anytime soon.

Once I replace the steering gearbox and pump I'm installing the new steering box brace from Rusty's. I'll also be replacing all 4 shocks and the stabilizer at the same time.

I've read so much about upgrading the gearbox and pump that I've succeeded in confusing the hell out of myself. I've yet to find a good write up on switching to the Durango or YJ gearbox that runs start to finish so I can tell if it's something I can do.

My google-fu and youtube-fu have failed me.

Reviews vary wildly from those mods being the best thing since sliced bread to wrecking the Jeep. Allot of them gloss over stuff and mention welding. Some mention custom brackets or stacking washers to space the box correctly.

I can't weld, BTW

I also cannot seem to find a NEW steering gearbox for the XJ. Jeep says they can't even order one. Reviews for all the re-manufactured ones out there are not comforting. That seems to be a crap shoot. Sometimes you get a good one, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you get 2 or 3 bad ones in a row that end up smoking that new pump you installed.

Everything on Rockauto is reman, as is the stuff at NAPA. I've already been warned away from autozone AND advance auto by too many guys who say they got 2 or more bad boxes in a row from them.

I've reached the point where I just need the thing to be nice, tight, and predictable so my wife can drive it on days when I need to use the truck. Currently, it scares the crap out of me and I let her drive it a short distance because she really didn't appreciate how bad it's gotten. She won't get back in it except to go to the pond on the back of our property.

So what am I asking?

Can anyone recommend:

A good source for a new, plug and play, bolt in without mods XJ steering gear box?

A good source for a QUALITY re-manufactured steering gear box?

A good source for a QUALITY, plug and play, bolt in without mods power steering pump? Read something about using the pump from a grand cherokee, but they weren't specific about the year/model designation they used.

Reaching out for wisdom from the XJ Sages

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RockAuto.com is running a sweepstakes, giving away a built 2004 LJ!

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Just pulled the trigger and ordered a Durango Steering Gearbox, the C-ROK Cherokee XJ Durango Steering Box Spacer Plate, and an HD Pitman Arm Puller.

Need advice though- looking for a plug and play, direct bolt in Power Steering Pump (with reservoir) since the pump is shot as well.

Suggestions?

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Got it all installed and BAM- no power steering. About to go outside and pull the new pump, replace it with the old one, and see what difference that makes

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Thought I would add an update here-

Swapped the old worn out leaky pump back in and had some power steering. It wasn't very noticeable but it was allot more than the new rebuilt I had just pulled out.

Still working on steering issues, steering issue thread here:

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/pl...estion-231706/

should be putting in the new PSC pump, another rebuilt gearbox today. Hopefully that will solve the problem.

Then new shocks, steering stabilizer, belt, hoses, minor tune up and oil change.

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UPDATE: The power steering is working well. Still get a little whine from the pump but nothing like before. Turning radius with the Durango box is not quite as tight as with the original one but still good.
I didn't replace the transmission cooling lines as several other things in life popped up. I'm about to replace them, do a basic tune up, and see how it runs. This past week, we hard a strange clicking noise when driving it to the house from back on our property. The weird thing is that the sound is directly influenced but engine RPM, but only manifests when in gear. If I'm in drive, the clicking matches the RPM of the engine. If I switch to neutral or park the noise disappears.

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NO BUS

Started the Jeep to head into town to pick up some tune up supplies and the dash went dead. Only thing lit on it was the odometer which displayed the no bus message.Cycled the ignition a few times and it went away. There was no change in the behavior of the engine during this.
It went no bus and dead dash again on my way home, and again, no change in the engine. it "corrected" itself after about 7-10 seconds.
The rattling/knocking sound was louder as well, and now can be heard in park, reverse, neutral, and drive when sitting still. It did go away like last time, but it definitely took allot longer. Fluids all at good levels.

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AAARGH! Swapping out the transmission cooling lines to the radiator. One was leaking severely at higher RPM. Now, I have the new lines connected at the front, but they are NOT matching up to the connections on the transmission! The one in the diagram in the service manual that looks like it is supposed to connect to the rear outlet on the transmission is only long enough to reach the front connection and vice versa. Had to pull the air cleaner box and disconnect the radiator hose just to get the quick connect tool on the line to pop the line loose. I really hate how so many things turn into a CF. Now I'm looking at the diagram and am not sure what line to plug in where.

Ralph77

I can go look at my '00 if you need me to. Despite what this image indicates I could have sworn lower on the radiator was back on the tranny. Was 5 years ago when I replaced the lower tranny line with the radiator though.

This was annoying me so I had to go look. I tried to follow the lines but with my mud shield in the way and nobody up top to wiggle the line for me I can't be sure.

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Thanks Ralph77!

This has turned into a CF, and am now waiting on another replacement line from rockauto.

Ralph77

So is that diagram wrong?

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That diagram is correct. Again, thank you for taking the time to post it.

I have a very similar diagram in the XJ Service Manual (2100 pages long). On the AW4 transmission, the lines are routed as depicted in the diagram you shared. The CF part of this has been a frustratingly large number of cascading issues that began once I started the work.

A few of the highlights include:

I got the correct replacement lines, but they were not bent correctly. Some of the bends were not curved as much as they needed to be, and some were curved more than they should have been. This resulted in great difficulty aligning the tube ends to insert into the quick connects and caused damage requiring additional parts replacement.

This also resulted in the o-rings inside some of the quick connect fittings being forced out of their seats, being torn, twisted, flipped, and/or shoved further into the line. I spent HOURS trying to fish them back into their seats with various improvised tools but had no success. Two very skilled mechanics (mechanics... not techs) that I consulted advised that it is extraordinarily difficult to reseat o-rings inside a fitting and even if successful, the o-rings would likely be damaged in the process thus the best option would be to buy another fitting (or line). ATF is NOT an adequate lubricant to use when inserting the metal tube ends into the quick connect fittings.

The out of tolerance bends in the metal part of the lines also results in great difficulty in securing the lines within their supporting brackets as they end up rather far away from where they are supposed to be. One line was actually resting forcefully against the big bottom pulley on he front of the engine (crankshaft?). It is not very easy to bend them into the shape they are supposed to be without causing crimps in the metal part of the lines. Thankfully, I avoided crimping them, but it did take a long time, allot of stress, and required removing and re-installing one end of the line or the other at various points.

"Quick Connect" is a lie.

I already had quick connect tools in what was listed as the correct size. They didn't work on all of the connections. It seems they come with different "tab" lengths, depending on who made them or what type of line(s) they are intended for. Shorter tabs work on some of the connections, others required longer tabs. Thus, I had to track down a set with "longer" tabs and buy those.

Some of the quick connect fittings released using the 1/2" tool, others with the 3/8" tool.

RockAuto specified that the plastic quick connects that seat the lines into the fittings on the side of the transmission are 1/2". I think I looked it up correctly, but could be mistaken. The correct size is 3/8". The 1/2" replacements would not seat on the line to secure it. They simply slipped past the collar. This added more time and trouble in trying to track down the right size after securing the wrong one.

RockAuto emailed me Saturday 09.01.18 stating my part had been shipped, but tracking today shows it was still only that the label had been printed. The part still has not been picked up by the shipper. Probably due to the Holiday weekend.

I hope to post up a more detailed account as I think it would likely be of some assistance to other people facing the same repair.

Ralph77

Calling that a CF is downplaying that. I did not have any trouble when I replaced the lower tranny line. I was doing a radiator, noticed that the lower tranny line had a notch in the rubber part from rubbing the steering gear box, so said screw it and replaced it. My quick connect disconnect tool worked fine but I did separate the elbow from the radiator so I could clean out all the crap in the quick connect. Also a little Vaseline for the O Ring. I used the Napa one which I am almost positive is just a rebranded Dorman.