Man you have a great looking rig, well done. Will follow along.

 

It was a tough decision for me between the flat fenders and pocket style. I am really glad I went with flat fenders as I think it compliments the "boxy" lines of the XJ nicely

Very cool! 4 Peaks had some decent snow fall

On flat highway cruising, theres no real difference. I am still running 3:55 gears and can cruise 75mph easily. However, on mountain grades I did notice on my last trip that it struggled a little more with the extra cargo. I am planning on regearing to 4:56 gears soon which should take care of that issue. I must say I am happy with the AFE intake. Its all metal construction (besides the silicone elbow by the throttle body) and is very sturdy in the engine bay.

Many thanks!

 

I know I have looked through your thread before, but sometimes when I get a up-date From lack of memory I end up starting from the beginning. This build is worthy of that! If I ever start a new build perferably a '98 w/auto would be where I would like to start. And just copy your lead☺.
(I am so tired of shifting) Cheers!

 

This thing is so clean and has all the right looks about it...drool every time.

 

I agree.

adriaanvn99 what headlights are those and how do you like them?

 

Thank you! It has come a long way the last 2 years and still has a few small things to be done, but I enjoy every second of it.

They are actually specials. I am stuck between going with the Truck Lites or the JW Speaker, so I decided to try out these cheaper ones which are a similar look to the JW Speaker headlights before I make a few hundred dollar investment. These particular ones are much better than stock, and have a very good cut off line which doesn't blind oncoming traffic. They have a very nice white light, which combined with the Rigid lights in the bumper work really well.

 

I just looked through this whole thread. Awesome build so far!

 

What new upgrades do you plan on doing this 2019?

 

Thank you!

 

I have quite a few plans. Besides addressing some of the smaller stuff, some of the bigger stuff will include:

1. Rear axle swap - I have a Chrysler 8.25 rear axle with a factory LSD. This will be a major upgrade over the rear Dana 35
2. Axle regear - After all the added weight of racks and bumpers, the stock 3:55 gearing is struggling on the inclines
3. Rear bumper - I have modified my stock bumper and have a factory tow hitch, but I am leaning towards the JCR Crusader rear bumper
4. Rock sliders - I haven't had a problem yet with damaging my sliders but having that insurance of sliders is great. It also act as a step for accessing the roof rack
5. Rear storage/drawer system - I want to incorporate a rear storage system that will be able to mount a 12v fridge and have some space for storage

I also need to address the engine issues. I will be doing an engine rebuild, but still not exactly sure which direction to go with. Either a standard a 4.0 rebuild or a 4.6 stroker build

 

I guess you will have your work cut out for you. Which gearing are you planning on getting?
Rock sliders are a must. There have been many times where I have been high centered and the sliders helped.
With a fridge you'll probably need a converter, I'm guessing. Are you going to run another battery also?

 

I decided on 4.56 gearing. That should be more than good enough for my current setup.

For the fridge, I will be going with a 12v setup such as the ARB camping fridge, or Dometic portable fridge/freezer. As far as battery setup, I think if I go with an Optima main battery it should be good, but will ultimately decide once I get there. A dual battery setup would be nice!

 

I have been DD'ing the XJ the past few weeks and noticed that my rear Dana 35 is losing diff oil at a pretty substantial rate. It seems like it is coming out of the breather hose and being splattered on the rear driver side wheel well and unibody. I have a Chrysler 8.25 with a factory LSD that I am busy rebuilding and will be swapping in ASAP. I also replaced my front window since my previous one was cracked and pitted quite badly.

In the meantime, I have been on the hunt for another XJ. I was not in a rush to buy anything, so I was searching local classifieds high and low to find a good deal. This one finally popped up and I decided to go for it. It is a 2001 Cherokee Sport, 2WD with 190 000 miles. I picked it up for $1500, which I think was a really good deal. The most important part for me was having a decent exterior with no rust and a good interior. The interior on this particular one is absolutely flawless, with all seats being perfectly in tact and no tears. The 2WD does not bother me too much, as I would've swapped out the LP Dana 30 out anyways, and finding a transfer case with a transmission is not too difficult. I will be starting a build thread for this one too...


Back to daily duties

Day I viewed it

After a wash and wax

Engine before

Engine after first clean!

 

How did you clean your engine, if I may ask?

 

That is funny cause I was thinking along the same lines when I saw the shot of your engine bay. Of course my first thought was would you come detail mine. LOL.
That being said I would not mind knowing how you handle yours. About all mine ever gets is a quick wipe down.