can the unibody body handle a small block v8?

 

how much are you going to dogg it?

Id beef up the frame first..

 

well its not really a frame, but the "frame" .........you know what i mean

 

i was thinking 350 edlebrock but unibody is my main concern
idk if the trans could handle it either
i have a 5.2 liter i can put in but its not as narrow as the 350
i dont beat the **** out of the truck though

 

like i said, id beef up the frame.. and if you r worried about the trans, just upgrade it too?

 

true ,thats alot of fab work id love to have a small block but the stroker kit seems like a better choice all the way around.
how do you like the 8.8? i really want to get my hands on one and rebuild it. 4:10 gears disk breaks ect. any tips?

 

well, go to a junk yard and tell em you want a rear end off of a explorer 96 or newer.. They are pretty much a bolt in fit, and the junk yard will warantee the axle for like 90 days or so..

the 9's are cool, but not for my budget

 

cool man thanks. whats a decent price for one ive seen a few on ebay here and there for 500$ or so is that about right?
i got a place near me ,im gonna hit it as soon as it getts a littler warmer.i dont have a garage

 

well a bud of mine said up north they are around 800 bucks, and thats a f****d up one.. down here they are like 250 bucks, cuz people want the 9's not the "sissy 8.8's" but the disc brakes are cool. for a DD too

 

you will have to redo the shock mounts on the 8.8 its not just a direct swap

 

a kid at school shoe-horned a GM 350 in his cherokee. There was barely enough room so clear the exhaust manifold. He got 8 mpgs

 

I don't think it is a swap worth doing. Take the 4.0L and stroke it. A 4.7L stroker is plenty enough for a XJ, without an modifications to fit it in.

 

the cherokee has more of a unibody rail design than my old '70 duster and my '67 dart gt. both had 340's and the dart had a tunnel ram and dual quads pushing 400hp.

i think the xj would handle it with the correct drivetrain. hell, do the stiffeners and a full cage, then no worries.

as for the 8.8, it's more than a bolt in, you have to relocate the spring perches and the shock mounts. then you have to hook up the e-brake cable. easy tho.
trucks did an 8.8 on the cheap cherokee last weekend.


but yeah, i second the stroker. mmmmm stroker

 

so the 8.8 is alot of cutting and welding?

 

yes