92 xj trail rig build
 

Well I'm going to give my first go at a build thread. It won't be anything special, nothing that's ever been done before but if your all like me, I like looking at everyones build threads. I'm a 22 year old welder/fabricator and am not new to jeeps. This one I picked up last week and is a 92 xj, 4.0 auto with a hp30 and a 8.25 rear.
My first set of goals hopefully will set me up for bigger plans in the future and will keep me having a good time wheeling over summer. They go as follows:
-ironrock offroad 5.5 inch long arm lift
-33s with beadlocks,
-build bumpers and rock sliders
-hybrid cage with new seats and some 4 point harness
-after the cage I'll do front tube fenders and rear compcut with tube and sheet metal work
-need some sort of sound system and a cb set up.
-repaint the jeep
This the basics of what I want to do over the next couple months as I wheel it throughout. Now here are some pics of when I got it and the couple things I've done so far.
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Now first thing I did was fix the leaky valve covet gasket. Along with tank the valver cover and threw some fresh paint on it. The keep had a fresh oil pan gasket and other than the valve cover doesn't leak much of anything else.
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Now all the carpet has been taken out other then the rear, which was disgusting so today I pulled the carpet and started cleaning the inside out. Found some rust but isn't to terrible. I'll be bedlinding the inside with a none gritty bed liner once the cage is done.
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Now I haven't accomplished much yet. Hopefully towards the end of the week I can get some metal and start on the bumpers and maybe start painting the jeep. But this is it for now. Other than this last picture. On the way home from buying the jeep I noticed it was swaying a lot. Then realized that it had some homemade sway bar disconnects hahah. Good thing there coming off anyway.
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Looks like a good start. Not sure if you know this or not but you have the weak 27 spline 8.25. You can swap over to the 29 spline axles and carrier if you ever go with a full carrier locker or swap the entire axle with a '97+ model. I'm 22 as well and there's always something to work on the jeep but eventually it becomes more fun then hard work lol. Looking forward to the build.

Yes I know it does have the 27 spline axles in the rear. Iv already been considering an 8.8 swap in the rear and re gearing the front to 4:10s. Undecided as of now. With almost every build im sure money comes into play. Its one of those things that I don't know if I want to dump money into stock axles or just play till they break then upgrade lol. We will see. Thank you for the input though. I always like checking out build threads so I figured id throw one up even if itll be slow for a little while. I think bumpers and paint are definatly going to be next.

I have a build you can see in my signatures. Either way you're going to pay something for a gear change unless you find a Dana 30 with 4.10s for the 8.8. I personally am too cheap to dump that much money into mine as a Sunday Sunday vehicle lol but I am driving around with swapped newer model axles 3.55 gearing and 33x10.50s without any issues in the flat state of Delaware.

Well mine wont ever be on the road. It will be trailered everywhere. A gear change up front won't cost me to much if I go that route. My buddy is a mechanic, and has all the tools to change and set up gears. He wouldn't charge me. But like I said I'm undecided on what I'll do with axles yet. I'll wheel them like they are till I get more of an idea or money to go to that part of the build lol. I'm always keeping my eye out for a set of 60's for a steal. My last xj I swapped a Dana 44 and 9 inch in on 37s but had more lift than I would of liked. So we will have to see where this one goes. The last one it as torn apart and never got to wheel it before I traded it. This one I want to wheel as I build it.

If it's going to be a hardcore wheeler why so high of a lift with just 33s if you don't mind me asking? I'm trimmed with 4"s and 33s and could easily fit 35s if I wanted.

Eventually. I'd like to run 37's again in the future. But obviously not on stock axles. But since I don't have the money right now to swap axles to be Dana 60s or even a 44 and a 60. So I'm working my way towards that. I know I could achieve it off of 4. But if I feel its to high I can always take it back down.