I'm trying to be a little more organized, to I have started moving front the back to the front on rust work. I'm done with the rear quarters and cargo area floor. I welded in a new piece where the gas filler neck goes through the frame.



It's not pretty, but it will work. I notice there is a huge gap, should I be worried about dirt and water ingress? This is way up beside the gas tank, and there in also the factory skid plate going over it.

I cleaned up the surface rust underneath with my new die grinder and it immediately became my favorite tool ever. I coated everything with Fluid Film including inside the frame rails in the rear.



The black stuff it the factory undercoating. I also have no rear sway bar, factory skid plates, and recovery hooks. Does anyone know if this means I have the "Upcountry" package? I've heard of it, but I don't really know what it means.

It could and I am going with you do.
Tough to tell for sure but your bump stops look longer which they are with the Up Country Suspension.
But the real tell is see that bracket between the bump stop and the uni-body?
Those are only found on Up Country Suspension Jeeps.
Now there is always a chance that somebody was real thorough in duplicating one but.....

Thanks for the insight, Ralph. It makes me wonder if I should just replace the worn out leaf and coil Springs with the OEM heavy duty parts rather than doing a lift kit.

Couple questions: Does anyone know the part numbers or where I can buy leaf springs and coils that will give me that 1 inch of lift that the upcountry option had? Or specs, like spring rate and free arch? Also, what is the largest tire you can fit without interference with the upcountry set up?
Thank you all for reading and for the help.

I bought my upcountry springs and coils on amazon cause they seemed to be the best price. The leaf springs were the Dorman 97-547 and the coils were MOOG CC782. Both seem to be holding up well... The rear springs seem to be giving me a little over an inch of lift though.. maybe it's cause they haven't settled yet? I don't mind the slight rake though as it helps with gas mileage. Tire wise I reckon you could probably fit 30s on that setup... if you wanna be extra safe though you could go with 29s. I have 31s on my 2 inch lift and it only rubs some of the plastic on the front a little.

I don't know if they are still available but I was able to purchase some a few years back that I just got on the Jeep this year.
My '00 is not an Up Country one and I haven't done the front yet.
They were pretty expensive and they don't come with bushings on top of that.

And I bought all Mopar parts for everything else back there too.

As far as the coils I have read that they really don't take a beating.
And when you think about it when was the last time you saw an XJ sagging in the front.
I am betting you do the rear and be good to go.
While I would like to be all official and have real Up Country coils up front I am going to probably use a spacer if I ever get to it.
Buddy of mine duplicated one on his wife's Jeep using Crown parts and said a 1.75" spacer leveled her out nicely.
And since my Jeep is a DD....
I do have a reproduction of an Up Country Suspension sticker on my Jeep though.
LOL.

Is the suspension the same in the pre-97' models? Can I purchase the same parts for my 89 that you guys are using? I know that when I shop for lift kits they all say good for 84'-01'. I'm guessing it is the same for these parts?

I believe so but I would call the manufacturer (Dorman and MOOG for example)... give them the part number and your Jeep specs and they should be able to tell you if they fit. It's probably on their websites as well.

I am pretty sure they are all the same and checking my '88 to '90 parts catalog I found this:

5200 2392 Heavy Duty, Coded LT
Been my experience that the letters at the end don't mean anything and I think are more a year designation then anything else.
The only time that I know of where it does matter is with cruise control switches in '97 and up.
Part numbers are the same, letters are different, and the forums are littered with posts that '97 ad '98 won't work in '99 to '01.
And vice versa.
Something about ohms I believe.

Ok, cool. I think I am going to go with the Dorman 97547 packs for the rear.
I have a set of new variable rate coils that came with the Jeep I think I'll use. No idea if they are heavy duty, but I guess I'll just install them and see.
The Jeep also has new shocks installed just before I bought it. It seems to make sense just to get the leaf springs and not waste a perfectly good set of coils and shocks. It will also save me $1,500 on getting a lift kit.

I can always upgrade in the future if I have the money and want to.

You are doing a great job and your welds look fine. Your goal should be strength and sealing, not a beauty contest!
I went through the same process on my 94 Country 4 door. It has all held up well. I did have to do partial rocker replacements too.
I have a 2 door in the queue that will get the same treatment. they are great vehicles. The biggest battle with lifts is defeating any wheel wobble at speed. Some lifts decrease caster and cause problems.
Good luck and keep it up!
Seabee

Thank you! I really appreciate the encouragement.
Yeah, if I did a lift I would want to do it right. I'm not interested in doing a budget boost or anything like that. I want this thing to gain value as I work on it not lose value. I would get OME with adjustable track bar, control arms, etc. Right now I think it's better to focus on other stuff and save the $1500.

I installed the fuel tank today. I had to remove and reinstall the fuel pump because the previous owner didn’t install it correctly causing it to leak. I cleaned up the outside with a wire brush and coated the entire thing with fluid film. Hopefully that will help it to last a little longer.

Attaching the filler neck was a bit of a bear. The original one wasn’t dry cracked so I reused it.

Too bad you don't have the plastic skid for it. Whole Jeep is coming together well though. Keep it up!

I actually have a metal one. I will post a picture of it when I get home. My Jeep came with the rear gas tank skid plate and the front engine skid plate. I believe it has the UpCountry package.

I think I made a pretty good score with this particular cherokee. It has all the options. Power doors and windows. All chrome. Up country suspension package. Rear vent windows. It even came with the OEM bumper mounted spare tire carrier which I am restoring. I will post pictures when I am done with it.

Can anyone help me interpret this build sheet I received from Jeep? I'm not sure what a lot of this means and I have some questions.
It does confirm that I have the Upcountry suspension group.
It also says I have remote keyless entry. I definitely don't have a remote for it. Does anyone know if there's any way I can get one?

What is the HD electrical group?
What is the power equipment group?
What is the performance and data video recorder?

Can anyone tell me what leaf springs I have from this sheet? It says somewhere neat the bottom, "Rear Spring Group I".

It also mentions HD shocks. Are these still available? Does anyone know where I can buy them? Thanks.

Sales Code Description
*Q7 CLOTH LOW-BACK BUCKET SEATS
-SA DESC NOT FOUND
ADH HEAVY DUTY ELECTRICAL GROUP
ADLP SKID PLATE GROUP
ALR GTS INTERIOR PACKAGE
APAS MONOTONE PAINT
ARC RUBICON X
AWE UP COUNTRY SUSPENSION GROUP(97-2-26)
AWHA POWER EQUIPMENT GROUP
BA1P DESC NOT FOUND
BCYP DESC NOT FOUND
BGAS POWER FRONT DISC/REAR DRUM BRAKES
BJAS DESC NOT FOUND
BKPS 10X2.5 REAR DRUM BRAKES
CACP LOW BACK BUCKET SEATS
CDBS RECLINING FRONT SEATS
CKBS FLOOR CARPET
CKNP CARGO COMPARTMENT CARPET
CKTP CARGO TIE DOWN LOOPS
CKVS CARGO AREA STORAGE
CLES FRONT & REAR FLOOR MATS
CSAS SPARE TIRE COVER
CSCS CARGO COMPARTMENT COVER
CSRS PASSENGER ASSIST HANDLES
CUFS FULL LENGTH FLOOR CONSOLE
DBBC ALL MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS
DDQ 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION
DHNS COMMAND-TRAC PART TIME 4WD SYSTEM
DJHS DANA M30/181MM FRONT AXLE
DMMS 3.07 REAR AXLE RATIO
DRJS 175MM REAR AXLE
EAAC ALL ENGINES
EAFC DESC NOT FOUND
ERB DESC NOT FOUND
GACS TINTED GLASS WINDOWS
GBBS TINTED WINDSHIELD GLASS
GCBS FRONT DOOR TINTED GLASS
GECS FRONT LEFT SIDE SLIDING WINDOW
GEGS DEEP TINT SUNSCREEN GLASS
GFAS REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER
GNAS REAR VIEW DAY/NIGHT MIRROR
GNBS DRIVER SIDE ILLUMINATED SUN VISOR
GRJP LEFT POWER CHROME MIRROR
GSJP RIGHT POWER CHROME MIRROR
GTJ POWER MIRRORS
GVBC ALL VEHICLES W/POWER MIRRORS
GXMP REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY
HAAA AIR CONDITIONING
HGAS HOOD INSULATION
JAAS INSTRUMENT PANEL
JAYS DO NOT USE - SEE JP, KA CLASSES
JBES ALUMINUM INTERIOR BEZEL W/ WOOD LOOK
JCAS 85 MPH PRIMARY SPEEDOMETER
JGBS PERFORMANCE DATA & VIDEO RECORDER
JHAS VAR INTERMITTENT WINDSHIELD WIPERS
JHBS REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER
JJAS CIGAR LIGHTER
JKBS MOPAR HOOD LOCK
JPAP POWER WINDOWS
JPBP POWER LOCKS
KKES DESC NOT FOUND
K3SS DESC NOT FOUND
LAFS SEAT BELT ALERT-DRIVER SEAT ONLY
LAJS HEADLAMPS ON WARNING CHIMES
LAPS SHIFT INDICATOR WARNING LAMP
LBBS COURTESY LAMPS
LBCS GLOVE BOX LAMP
LBDS ASH TRAY LAMP
LBES IP LED AMBIENT LIGHT PIPE
LCDS MAP/DOME READING LAMPS
LDBS CARGO COMPARTMENT LAMP
LDHS U/HOOD, REMOVABLE/RECHARGEABLE LAMP
LHDS HEADLAMP OFF TIME DELAY
LMAS HALOGEN HEADLAMPS
LNJA FRONT FOG LAMPS
MB3S Body Color/Bright Front Fascia
MB7S Bright Rear Bumper w/Accent Color
MCAS Rear Body Color Applique
MCBS Bronze Fascia Applique
MDAP Front License Plate Bracket
MFMS Grille-Black/Bright
MHBS Bright Windshield Moldings
MMCS Rear Door Solid Window Insert
MMGS Belt Moldings
MMJS DESC NOT FOUND
MMPS DESC NOT FOUND
MTAS Rear Fascia Skid Plate Applique
MWAS Roof Rack
NAAS Federal Emissions
NBAS DESC NOT FOUND
NBKS EVAP Control System
NDAS Catalytic Converter
NFAS 20 Gallon Fuel Tank
NHMA Speed Control
NMCP Heavy Duty Engine Cooling
PQ9 DESC NOT FOUND
QQ9S DESC NOT FOUND
RAAC All Radio Equipped Vehicles
RAFA AM/FM Cassette Radio
RCGP 6 Speakers
RDCP Power Antenna
SBAS Power Rack and Pinion Steering
SCGS Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel
SFDP Front Extra HD Shock Absorbers
SGDP Rear Extra HD Shock Absorbers
SUA Tilt Steering Column
TAAC All Tires
TAEP DESC NOT FOUND
TBBP Full Size Spare Tire
TBLS Inside Mounted Spare Tire
TRNA P225/75R15 OWL Wrangler AT Tires
WJMS 15X7.0 Chrome Wheels
XEAP Tow Hooks
XEEP Fuel Tank Skid Plate Shield
XEFP Transfer Case Skid Plate Shield
XEUP Front Suspension Skid Plate
XFAS -35F Protection Anti-Freeze
YAAS Build To U.S. Mkt. Specifications
YGBA 1 Additional Gallons of Gas
YGGA 9 Additional Gallons of Gas
Z01P Rear Spring Group I
Z5AS GVW/Payload Rating
Z57P Left Front Spring Group Vii
Z77P Right Front Spring Group VII
1AAS U.S. Dealer Retail
132S Zone 32-New York
5APA Airport Connection
5KRA Midland Corporation