Brandonrcm

Bleh, Well here goes at this. Nothing else to do on this snowy tuesday night so lets make a build thread!

The name of the build "Wheat Thins" comes from my buddies saying I rolled my old jeep in the Jewel parking lot on my way to get some wheat thins


This will be for my 97 Jeep Cherokee 4.0 SE, but first let's start back to around 6 months ago. This all started with me rolling my red jeep, (99 4.0 Classic) I bought it prelifted with bad terrains, no rockers, rotted out quarter panel and a lot of wiring issues and needed some love.

How it looked when I got it


How it looked about 3 months later
(Built rock sliders, Cut and folded fenders, Replaced driver rear quarter, herculined a bit of it, added front bumper, light bar, fixed alot of issues, overall it was my baby.


Wheeled it A LOT..... Until this happened




I was out at a field party one night, was going around mudding having fun what not, had the jeep full of people, was going thru a big-*** set of ruts around a bend trying to use speed to make up for bald tires... Didn't work out in my favor right onto roof. Stinger held front end off the ground I might not have walked out of it without any damage if it wasnt for that. (not intended use of stinger ftw) Me and my 4 passengers came out scratch free luckily
Any-woo hatch didn't line up, roof was messed up, quarters got messed up pretty bad, dented everywhere, doors done, didn't want to try and fix it as it was my daily driver.

Later the day of the roll one of my XJ buddies stopped by told me his brother was planning on selling his 97 SE in a few weeks. I looked at it, and wanted it.

Fastforward 2 weeks I picked up this badboy for $1250 on september 2nd.


1997 Cherokee SE 4.0 4x4, 110k miles, tinted windows, minimal rust, and my favorite part, Pre-97 Door hinges, manual windows, manual locks, and manual mirrors. (doorless gunna be so easy this time around) And not much rust besides a small spot on floor and some surface rust on rockers. It just would die out sometimes while driving.



It had one of those dummy light clusters, Got lucky grabbed a full cluster from junkyard that had 114k miles (only 4k more then jeep had) Put that in and found out check engine light was burned out. Had a code on for CPS and o2 sensor. Swapped CPS out of red jeep, and repaired a wire on o2 sensor and it ran like new again!.

Jeeps got to hang out for a bit, I tried fixing the roof on the red one with a portapower but gave up and said screw it parts swap. I ended up doing the parts swap over the 17-18-19-20 of september which I had requested off before I even rolled the other one for my birthday.


Swapped my ares fab stinger bumper over the week after I got it (So goofy looking stock)


Week of PB blasting both jeeps and the swap started. First day nothing got done because I was hung over from birthday (hah) All that got done was leafs out of red jeep...

I don't have many pics of the swap but it was a cluster F.... I'd like to thank my Buddies Tim & Kyle. They helped a tremendous amount and it wouldn't of been possible without them.
Front end from red jeep went to blue jeep, rear from red jeep to buddies red jeep, Random rearend from Emptypockets into red jeep, Blue jeep Front end to my buddies white jeep which I later bought, and White jeep front end to red jeep. Got it? Nope i still dont either.


Few days later, Bam Blue jeep was lifted but still waiting on my double sheer trackbar from IRO



Red jeep was returned to stock height (very crappily), parts stripped, then sold to emptypockets for Motor trans and T case.

New parts when I lifted it include
IRO Front & rear shocks
IRO doublesheer track bar
IRO Hack N tap and front XJ driveshaft
Chevy front brake lines/dakota rear
and a lot of small stuff.

Bam, you had it I now had another lifted xj... But a few problems..



Few days later I trimmed the fenders, cut and folded lower quarters, added 6degree leaf shims and finally started driving it.

Brandonrcm

At this point I was just testing it out seeing how it was. Well it has a slightly off color passenger fender and hatch. I never looked much into it just figured light accident, jeep always sat level thought to myself oh it couldnt of been a bad accident. I never unstood while it had a trailer hitch wiring but no trailer hitch... Until I lifted it I found out.

It had to have been rearended with a hitch. The unibody is a bit kinked, somehow it didnt mess up the quarters though. My driver side would lean about 2". I solved this by adding an extended shackle to driverside. before hand it leaned and would bottom out on even the smallest of bumps.

I plan on adding stiffeners, HDoffroad no lift relocators soon I'll try and pull it out first and hopefully solve my issues. Heres picture of the one longer shackle.


Finally sat even and didn't bottom out. YESSSSSS

Next I got to work on fabbing up a rear bumper. I had a bad lands trip coming up and had no rear tow points. I didnt have the money for a rear bumper so I made one that I ended up loving.

it looks rough to begin but its pretty decent. 2x4 3/16 tubing, 3 Bolt unibody tie ins on each side, along with 4 bolts on each side from stock bumper, D ring shackle mounts, and cut and fold protection.
















I still need to add tail light filler gaps to it, and possibly a hitch spot.

Brandonrcm

Around this time, I also started 2 new jobs. Things were pretty hectic. Badlands trip was around a week away. Boss at my one job (waterjet operator at machine shop) told me to go practice driving the forklift. Naturally I went outside and decided to flex the jeep out. Well He ended up coming out and telling me to stop before I was able to max it out







He knew I rolled a jeep and he said he didn't want a repeat. Hah. It's a sweet job though I'm the only employee besides him (The owner).

Well 2 days later from that was badlands trip. Jeep was all ready to go so i started packing.

Cooler full of hamms (mhmmm....) Tools in back seat, nice 80 degree weekend in indiana during last week of october It was a great time!

Was enjoying it. Was kinda worried through out hole trip of rolling though, (This was my first time wheeling since roll over) Didn't try as many things as I wanted to but the 2nd day I was alot more comfortable but still quite off.



I let my buddy drive for 5 minutes and he blew up my alt and clogged my radiator with mud (Insert homer simpson DO'H)



Hood ended up coming off from overheating, luckily I had a spare alt. (I call this race car mode)





Just Chuggin along in some mud.







Thats it for photos. I didnt really do anything crazy

Cruising down 41 at 80mph on a strangly warm october night.. Jeep did good I was proud

Brandonrcm

After that I pulled my interior, patched a spot on driver floor, and did a coat of bedliner that took forever to dry in 30 degree weather and i plan on redoing it during spring. Threw my carpet back in and called it a day...



Got the interior back in Saturday at like 9pm... Just in time for the Northern IL meet and greet on sunday.



I had the wheeling itch again. Me and a buddy went to a local spot, he was fooling around in traffic.



Got stuck... Dang bald tires..



CAKED



Funs nearly over...


Buddy and me kept taking turns getting stuck kinda bad. Then I took a wrong turn and ended up doing 4500 rpms barely moving couldnt stop or id be dead stuck. Ooops burried my front axle buddies jeep couldnt get me out.

I ended up calling my best friend (Timmy51193 on here) he came out tried to winch me but his charging system cant support his winch that well. He ended up pulling me from behind and blowing up his radiator (oh he was mad but 17 years of friendship out of 21 years alive made it not matter) I bought him a new radiator and ended up having to tow strap him home 10 miles.

Week later still never cleaned the jeep. Parking like a moron at work



AH FINALLY! I bought some new tires. Went with 33x12.5r15 Cooper Disocverer STT. I freaking love them havent got a chance to try them offroad though.



Dat stance LOVEEEEEE



Got my old light bar back that I had on my red jeep from my buddy with the silver jeep...



Added some cool stickers.



Bought the white jeep my blue jeeps front axle went in off my buddy for cheap with bad death wobble and a lot of rust ($500) Came with a set of like new all terrains, 6.5" lift, and set of thornturds...


They hung out of a bit


Fixed the death wobble (Ball joints and trackbar bushing)
Realized how bad the rust was, put a crappy floor in it then sold it to my buddy who wanted it..




Back to one jeep life...

At work (my main job) With my buddy (Timmy51193)




Replaced ball joints, Wheel hubs, U joints, Diff fluid, Zj tierod... Ready to go again!

Brandonrcm

Got a little snow... Had to take some pics..







Picked up an aussie locker off a member on here..



Removed my factory roof rails.



Did a bit of mall crawling lol...


Little bit o flex


Picked up a riddler d30 diff cover and some jks miniskids



Got some of the good stuff to do an oil change...


painted the diff cover



Locker installed



Cover on!



Crawled up a random snow pile





This leads us up to 2 days ago. We got 18" inch of snow here in chicago. I was out in it the whole time. I Personally liked the front locker for driving in snow, just need to slow down on turns and your fine....


Heres a video from sunday (2/1/15) of me pulling Timmy51193 around with the jeep



Current list of Parts I've put on the jeep since I got it (9/14 and now its 2/15
97 Cherokee SE 4x4

4.5" Rustys Coils
4.5" Rustys Leafs
Chevy Lowering Shackles
6" IRO White Body Shocks
IRO Double Sheer Adj Trackbar
IRO Hack n Tap SYE
6 Degree Leaf Shims
Rustys Fixed Lowers
Stock Uppers
15x8 3.25 B/S Eagle Alloys
33x12.5r15 Cooper Discoverer STT
Stock Gas Tank Skid & Front Skid
ZJ V8 Heavy-Duty Tierod & Ends
Aussie Front Dana 30 Locker
Aresfab Front Stinger Bumper & Tie-In Brackets
Homemade Cut & Fold Rear Bumper & Tie-In Brackets
24" Front Led Light Bar
Cobra CB & FireStick Antenna
Sony Radio & Apline/Pioneer Speakers
Rugged Ridge Floor Mats
94 Chevy 1500 2WD Front Soft Lines
96 Dakota Rear Soft Line
Rear BPE
33x12.5 Spare tire on D-Window offset rim
48" Hi-Lift Jack
30,000 LB Smittybuilt Recovery Strap

Other new stuff

Fel-Pro Valve cover gasket
Advance Auto Alternator
Advance Auto Waterpump
Advance Auto Thermostat
Advance Auto Serpentine belt
Advance Auto Wheel Hubs
Timken D30 Pinion Bearing
Front Driveshaft U-Joints & CV Ball
Front axle Moog U-Joints
Rear Driveshaft U-Joints
Stock Replacement Ball-Joints
Locking Lugnuts
Ebay Neutral Safety Switch
Master-Back Rear Hard Brake Line
Both Rear Brake Hard Lines
Tail-Lights
Rear Back Glass
Windshield


Right now I'm prepping for NAXJA Winterfest, and waiting for my w2s to get here so I can file my tax return and get some moar parts, I'm thinking B.Lee Offroad 3 link, Aresfab 1 Ton steering, HDOffroad Mainframe stiffeners & No lift relocators.

emptypockets

Looking good man! Your old Jeep is still living the good life in the barn!

Brandonrcm

Thanks Anthony. It is sure living the good life. It's getting the love it needed hahaha

Basslicks

Sorry to hear about what happened to the red jeep... but it's good that you were able to pick it up right where you left off in the blue one. I like that deep blue color better anyway. You planning on bedlining the quarters?

Brandonrcm

It's ok about the red jeep, it's done and over with now on to bigger and better things. I've been told by a lot of my friends they like the blue better, I had a thing for the red but the blue grows on me every day. The quarters aren't getting bedlined right now, but I plan on adding aresfab quarter armor with rub rails & light boxes sometime over this year, and at that point they will be.

Scott'sXJ

I'm actually jealous of the snow.
I've been living in S. FL for so long, I can't remember what snow is even like anymore.


Nice Jeep, glad no one got hurt in the roll over.

JeepaholicNinja

You won't be jealous after you spend Christmas morning and the 2 days before Christmas without power...

Brandonrcm

Come take the snow! I'm tired of it, I just want to not have the inside of my windshield iced up every morning and having to use a torpedo heater to work in the garage

Brandonrcm

Opinions on overly obnoxious sticker I just added? It was supposed to be smaller when I ordered it. Idk

JeepaholicNinja

Seems fine to me. I have a huge jimmy page sticker on my rear windshield, the ZOSO logo and it's like 10". And then I have almost 2 of the same "Eat lobster, wear...Grundens" and "Eat fish, wear...Grundens" and nobody ever says anything negative

Brandonrcm

It's stayin, atleast for now. Tried to get some garage time in today to re attach my rear driver shock. I don't even want to talk about that right now. I couldnt route the bolts through the unibody like many guides show even using mechanics wire. I think I might just make a rear shock cross member and relocate my axle side brackets. Didn't even get anything i wanted done I was tired of water and salt leaking on me the whole time.