I've been lurking on this site for a while gathering information and getting ideas for a build. I've wanted to build a Cherokee for several years but didn't have the opportunity. I sold my last 4x4 in 2013 and have been itching to pick up a an XJ ever since. I finally purchased a 1998 a few weeks ago.

The engine runs great, and the heat and AC work.
I was hoping to get one with the Chrysler 8.25 but it has the Dana 35 with LSD.

The interior has a couple of cosmetic issues that will need to be addressed at some point. The driver seat is torn, the headliner sags and the carpet is stained. I'm going to wait until later in spring to work on these.

Right now I'm going to focus on the sagging suspension, pitted wheels and dry rotted tires.

Here's a pic of it the day I bought it.





As you can see in the picture, the springs are completely shot.

The XJ will be used primarily as a camping vehicle for my wife and I, so it will need to haul our kayaks, mountain bikes, and all of our other gear. I have a full size roof rack from my old 4x4 that I'll modify to fit the Cherokee. In the meantime we'll use some Thule load bars for the kayaks.
I had a 3" RC Series II lift installed with a full leafpack. I forgot to take any measurements before the lift but with all the sag I'd say it's probably closer to 4.5". I drove it home about 70 miles and had zero vibrations. I got it up to 80mph just to make sure. So far it seems fine. I had both difs serviced as well.





I've got a set of 31" All terrains on order as well as some 15x8 rims with 3.75" of back spacing. I read on here somewhere that's what's needed for a 3" lift.

The tires are in and the wheels are supposed to arrive tomorrow, so if all goes well they should be mounted by Saturday.

 

I think you defiantly scored with your XJ, Welcome to the site.

 

Thank you. The guy that put the lift on said it's rust free and very solid.

 

What type of lift? Mine is a Rusty's short arm and sits at about 4.5 inches front and back. I like the way yours is sitting. It is perfect for going camping and mild wheeling.

 

It's the Rough Country Series II Llift with new control arms, full leaf pack, coil spring, sway bar drop bracket, and 2.0 shocks.
So far it rides good.
I have some of issue when turning left from a stop. It's like there's something popping. Going to investigate it more tonight when I get home.
Also, the steering wheel is now off center. Will an adjustable trac bar correct the off center steering wheel?

 

I got the wheels and tires mounted. I went with the Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs in 31x10.50x15 mounted on MB Razor 15x8 3.75 BS in mat black

I really love the stance with this set up. I've only driven about a dozen miles since the wheels and tires were mounted but so far so good.
I've got about a 100 mile round trip planned for tomorrow so I'll get to test it on the freeway and gage the speedometer variance and power loss.






I've used the steel rock crawler rims in the past but since this vehicle will be seeing more highway than trails I went with the lighter aluminum wheels. I'm hoping they will help offset the heavier tires a little.





If the rain stops I may start working on the rack this weekend.

 

I think you are going in the right direction with your XJ. The rims and tires are off the hook. Are you making a roof rack? I put one together for my sons' XJ. We took two metal futon frames and cut them to the size rack he wanted. It turned out pretty nice. He wants me to build one for my XJ, but to be honest I really like the stock roof rails and don't want to add weight up there.

After I get my steering re-done I am planning on fabricating a bumper/tire carrier that will have the same lines/style as the front bumper does. Keep posting your progress. Your rig is looking great.

 

Thanks for the encouragement.

I have an aluminum rack made by Surco. It was 50"x60" when I bought it so I lengthened it to fit my old Trooper. It's now 50"x89".
I set it on top of the XJ this evening for a test fit. It's about 6" too long so I'll cut it down to fit the roof. I made some low profile gutter mounts for it several years ago, and may try to tweak and re-use them.

I'd like to get a rear bumper with a tire carrier at some point, but there's a couple of mechanical issues that need attention.
I've got a list of mods,repairs, and upgrades a mile long.
Post up the tire carrier when you start working on it.

 

Worked on the rack tonight. I cut about 9" total from the length.
I had to modify my old gutter mounts slightly to fit the Cherokee. It mounted up nice and secure. It could really use a new powder coat.
I've got a fork mount bike carrier fitted to the front crossbar, and I'll be adding the kayak carriers a little later.





I've haven't weighed the rack but I'm guessing it's around 40lbs empty. It works well for my needs and fits the roof nicely. The dimensions are 50x80.5".

 

Rig looks awesome! I really like the full length rack. What part of TN are you in?

 

Looking good!

 

Thanks guys. I'm about 30 miles south of Nashville.
I'm hoping to hit a few trails this weekend but it's looking a little iffy at the moment.

 

Good lookin Jeep you got there. Super similar to mine. And I'm about 30 miles south of Nashville too. Hit me up sometime if you wanna take it out for a little mild wheeling.

 

Nice Jeep! The steering wheel off center is due to the lift, you just need to get an alignment. I've had problems with the popping noise while turning before, and it was due to the track bar not being adjusted properly. If you get an adjustable track bar, and have it set correctly, that should take care of it.

 

Thanks man. I definitely want to get it on some trails soon. You have a spot we can hit?