$200 ZJ Build
 

Decided to make a build thread for my 1998 Grand Cherokee Laredo 4.0, i picked it up last march from a friend of a friend for $200. It had 270k miles on the clock and a blown up Np242, shortly after purchasing the jeep i ran to the junkyard to find a replacement np242 and later that same day i installed the new to me 242 and had a running a driving jeep for a total cost of $260 :) from that time till about a few months ago i had just planned to keep it stock and daily it to keep mileage off of my 2001 Trans am which had been my daily. But recently i have lifted it slightly consisting of 2" spacers up front and some V8 zj front coils in the rear and found a decent used set of Cooper Discover AT3s which i mounted on brand new pro comp steel wheels. I plan to keep the jeep as my daily but i also plan to make it a very capable rig off road, so any mods that i do im going to keep street friendly . .

List of modifications i have done so far:

- Upgraded tie rod to V8 tie rod
- Stock tcase skid and warn skid on dana 35
- Added Trailer Hitch for recovery, shackle hitch and tow strap
- 2" BB up front, V8 coils back
- Zone Shocks
- IRO Adjustable Control Arms
- 31x10.5x15 Cooper Discover AT3
- CB Radio and Antenna
- Trimmed front bumper
- Painted grill/ dash/ rockers satin black and debaged

Some near future modifications that i have are:

- Swap out dana 35 to ford 8.8 (Dana 35 is on its way out so i plan to do this very soon)
- Level front suspension to rear (3.5" coils should do the trick)
- Lock dana 30
- Swap out front seats for WJ seats (current seats are shot)
- Redo falling headliner
- 33s

This is the jeep the day i bought it . .

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The bad tcase :icon_eek:

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And here is how it currently sits . .

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And one of my trans am :)
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Some pics of what ive done already . .

Skids, Hitch, Shocks, F>R Coils, 31" AT3s
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Tj gas bezel, CB antenna
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Painted wood grain black, Sony headunit
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Cobra CB under dash
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Some wheeling pics from last weekend

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Nice, Id add some sway bar dqs to your list. cheap and easy

Thanks! i forgot to mention the rear has no sway bar and the front i may brew up some DIY disconnects, for now i just unbolt the links lol . . i really need to extend bump stops in the front as well

Nice i too got my ZJ for $200 but it needed a trans. I also have a link to my build thread in my signature lol.

Haha nice! i just checked out your build, i see you are swapping in an 8.8 so ill be following haha i think im going to go the same route with the IRO kit, im debating now if i pull an 8.8 with 3.55s and run it and worry about regearing down the road or if i pull an 8.8 with 4.10s and just regear the front of swap in a d30 with 4.10s . . . hmmmm

i am keeping mine at 3.73 for now because it wont be driven on the road. if i step up to 35's i'll regear to 4.56 or 4.88.

Yea i think im gona find one with 3.55s and LSD and run it until i go with bigger tires then ill worry about re gearing

good luck, the axle code your looking is D4.

Not a big update but took some time today to mount a maglite in the jeep and also added a mount for the cb mic

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Nice!! Love seeing those cheap builds.

Haha thanks!

So tomorrow i plan to pull the 8.8 for the zj, decided i will pull one with 3.73s and LSD, for the front axle ill be pulling a 93-95 ZJ d30 with matching 3.73s as they are plentiful at the junkyard . . Although last time i was at the junkyard i found a few XJs with the v6 auto, does anyone know off hand what gear ratios were commonly found in the v6 cherokees?