Hey everybody, I'm new to this forum, and I've got a few questions that maybe yall can answer. I had an Cherokee for a bit, I had to seel it for school. Now tht I'm out, I want to build another like it. I have 3 main questions. These questions are based around the idea of a weekend warrior, maybe drive it to work a few times, nothing hard-core or rock crawling.

1) Can I run the Dana 44's from a TJ Rubicon on a cherokee without much involved in the transfer, or driveshaft alignment?

2) I had a 6-inch supension lift beofre, while running 33's. Its been a few years, so my question, who offers the best 6-ich suspension lift, and it there alot of work if I tryed to match it up the the d-44's from the previous question. Also, whats a good ratio running gear, 4.56, 4.88, etc?

3) I had planned on finding on with the 4.0l I-6. I wanted to use the existing motor and trans, will the stock t-case hold up if I had gears changed out, or should I buy an after market t-case and use that. If so, what t-case should I use.

As of right now I havnt bought a cherokee yet, I'm still shopping around for a good buy thats still in good shape. Is there a certain year I should look for in particular?

Thanks again, I certainly do appreciate it.

 

the front "dana 44" will bolt in end of story..why i added the " "s is because it isnt truly a dana 44, it has a dana 44 centersection and dana 30 everything else for the most part. its a less than ideal hybrid, though it does have a locker in it...they will cost u some moolah. the rear will not bolt in as the TJs are coil sprung and such in rear, but it can be made to work with changing of the perches. you can find other options for dana 44s (albeit not totally bolt-in) from other trucks like jeep grand Wagoneers (i mention those because the width is just about identical). their 44s are also both true-on D44s, so that would be more wise/common than a TJ rubicon swap in

a good running gear for 33s is typically 4.56 all around. 6" is a lot for 33" tires IMO and you can get away with much less if you dont mind trimming it a little, center of gravity is good to keep in check (unless you only do mud or whatever)

as far as the stock t-case, its definitely up to the task

generally speaking 97-99 cherokees are the ideal years for a bunch of reasons. if youre swapping axles though, thatll get rid of a lot of the negatives of other years, so id say basically anything post 91. You want the cherokees with the high output 4.0 engine (which is what that year mark entails)

 

stick with the 97-99 preferably 99 as heavymetal states. for the lift check out the RE 4.5" lift with some 33's. this will be the most complete 4.5" lift hands down.

-Kyle

 

With the Wagonneers, does the center pumpkin line up with the t-case, or no?

 

you are all set as far as alignment goes with wagoneer pinions

 

you will need a waggy axle from 1980-1992 without vacuum disconnect.

and you must know how to weld and measure.

and kyle,what is so different about a 97/98 xj that makes it not as good as a 99?

 

not that there much different (they have there minor differences) but generally with the newer year you have less wear and tare less milage etc. i mean with a 97 you have 2 more years of use then a 99.

-Kyle

 

I think anything 91-99. I bought my 96 with 182000, but you couldnt tell. The only flaws were a tear on the driver seat and very minor rust on fenders. Other then that everything was perfect. The engine was replaced at 150000. I bought it for 3200. Just look around. There are alot of good ones out there if you shop around.

 

91 with 100k miles driven by little old lady > 1999 with 175k driven by a middle aged woman then handed down to her teenage son.

 

yes i would agree with you there. a lot of it depends on who was the driver and how it was maintained. but generally speaking newer the better.

-Kyle

 

If you get a '97 or newer with the Chrysler 8.25", there's really no reason at all to replace either of the axles. Just install a 4.5" lift, regear to 4.56, trim, and you're good to go as far as running 33's goes.

If you get one with the D35, just swap it for an XJ D44 rear (found in some 1987-1989, '87 being the most common year), late model XJ 8.25" (1997+) or get a Ford 8.8" out of a Ford Explorer and have the spring perches and shock mounts redone to fit your XJ. The nice thing about the Exploder rear end is it'll have disc brakes already on it.

For reference, we're running 35's on both our Jeeps, with a D30 front and factory D44 rear. The D44 rear in my XJ is out of an '87 XJ. Both Jeeps are locked front and rear, our XJ has 4.56s and our TJ has 4.88s. My XJ is only running about 5-5.5" of lift too.