dunerunner

Hello fellow jeepmates!

As my profile probably shows, I'm a newbie to the Jeep community - but don't run away just yet. I've spent anywhere from 3-4 hrs every day the last 3 weeks or so reading the literal crap out of these forums in an attempt to educate myself and get familiar with the community. I know most of the lingo now and have a pretty good understanding of what I want to do.

My conversion story for your reading pleasure:

I run a Resort in hot, sunny, Southern Utah -- home of the beautiful red rocks and one of the many meccas for rock crawling. Despite the scenery, I never considered building a machine to crawl them.

I recently decided I needed a utility truck to use instead of beating up my sports car to haul things around the Resort so I canvased classifieds with a $4,000 budget in cash to dump on a hauler. I almost bought a couple pickups, and then I found her - a little silver Jeep Cherokee. 120,000 miles, 2001, cherry interior, bone-stock and fairly well maintained.

And that, that, is when the temptress took over. I have been obsessed with what the future may hold for my new money pit and have spent countless hours trying to make decisions.

My head is literally tied in knots, and I am stuck between two tectonic plates of fear.

You see, I had no idea what I was buying. I bought a 2001 XJ. Bad. Dana35. Bad. And has the NP242. Very bad. There were also other things about my DS that were less desirable for lifting but I can't remember them all. I kept finding threads where someone would say "glad I don't have a ------", and then it turns out that's what I had. At the end of the day, it turns out I quite literally have the most difficult Jeep to lift. And by difficult, I mean the hardest to iron out after a lift. From all my reading it seems very likely I'm doomed to rattle all my bolts out if I go for so much as 2" of lift on both my front DS and my rear.

I was really hoping to do 4.5" with 33's. Adjustable UCA, LCA and new sway bar. Longer brake lines and then likely and HnT SYE (or TW machined HnT) in the future.

I'm stuck at an impasse. I can lower my risk with a 3" with 31's and maybe have less vibes. But the money to do that is so close to just going where I want to eventually, and I may have vibes at 3" anyway, so why not just do it and then see?

In the end, it's just my utility truck and weekend warrior. I will not be flexing very hard and I'm not gonna push her. I'll be carrying my wife and daughter most of the time off road. I want to crawl up sandstone hills and dig up beach sand at Sand Hollow (a local lake and dune locale). I like to the look of 4.5 and 33's WAY more than 3" and 31s. It currently has 29.5s so it wouldn't be much of a change or worth the cash.

But I'm literally terrified of just throwing $1,500 down a disposal. I fear that no matter what I do, it'll vibe like nuts without any measure of adjusting afterward to save it.

Can anyway here relate to this? Does anyone else have the worst possible combo that I have and found success? I have found very, very few accounts so far of people with my combo, and luck with a lift. Lots have 2001s, but have a 231. Or they have a NP242, but in an older Jeep. I have all the wrong cards.

If I had known, I may have held out for a different year, or at least a different TC.

I'm begging anyone out there for advice, comfort, or a solemn song of doom. I just need an answer of some kind in order to put an end to the misery or get freaking started on this puppy.

Endless thanks!

dunerunner

I don't mean to be impatient; I've noticed over 100 views but no comments. Am I really that screwed? No one here has any advice or experience with these specs?

Yikes.

Someone put me out of my misery and tell it to me straight...

RedStar

I've always heard the 8.25 is much better than the D35 alternative it could have come with.

dunerunner

Thanks RedStar. I was beginning to think I was yelling into the ether...

I had another look at my diff. I guess I was wrong. The seller gave me a spec sheet he had put together because he was gonna lift it (that was the inception for me). I guess it's entirely possible he was an idiot. Or, they are just that hard to tell apart.

I took a pic. I'm now 99% sure it's the D35. Hilarious how I thought 8.25 was bad, and now that I know reality, the D35 is less desirable and that's what I actually have. This place feels familiar...

I'm positive it's a 2001 and an NP242 though - I have 4wd part and full.

My largest concerns are still around the fact that later XJ models are more likely to vibe on the rear, and combine that with the NP242, both DSs can vibe unacceptably.


99% sure it's a Dana 35. *****.

unidentifiedbomb

NP242 (good or bad, your preference), LP 30 and D35 both bad.

RedStar

The 242 isn't "bad," it's just less desirable. As far as the D35, I don't think it's as bad as people say. It's not the strongest, but you're not going to break it unless you're doing something extreme anyway. For what it sounds like you're doing, it should be fine.

The worst thing about your model (and mine) is the likelihood of a cracked head, especially since you live in a hot, arid environment.

dunerunner

Thanks for the added input unidentified.

What is it specifically that's so terrible?

I know it's not as strong and that the gearing makes highway racing hard... (and that's totally why I bought an old Jeep!) but I'm not planning on anything more than a 10 min drive @ 50mph to the dunes and then some mulling around soft sand/sandstone.

Do you think I'll kill my diff even if I manage to miraculously eliminate vibes?

I'm overly worried about vibes and it looks like maybe I should be worried about other things?

dunerunner

Yeah, that's the general feeling i've discovered. I said 'bad' simply because it wasn't necessarily 'good'

I can't seem to see much on your XJ. Is it a 01 as well? What T-Case do you have? I see a few pics with lifts on your profile but can't tell if they are all yours. Did you manage to lift without rattling your teeth out?

RedStar

Mines a 2000. I've got a 231 and an 8.25. I've got a 3" Rough Country lift which I always see being blasted on here as the worst, but it rides better now than it did before I lifted. I'd love to go 4.5" with 32" tires but it's so much $$$ and so much work for what you get out of it.

MoparNJeep

For your intended goal of 4.5" lift and 33" tires and mild wheeling axles are fine. If your worried about vibes get adjustable upper and lower control arms with whatever kit you get and vibes in the front at that height should not be an issue. As for the rear I would go the hack in tap route and use another stock front drive shaft for the rear. Get some 4° leaf shims for the rear and you'll be good to go. I would not get a transfer case drop personally but for dunes and daily driving it wouldn't hurt your approach angle but again probably not needed. I would invest in a aftermarket head and swap that first. Look for a tupy casting head as they are improved version of your head and direct bolt on. And only other thing I would recommend would be upgrade your Cooling system with a good aftermarket aux fan.

dunerunner

Hey Mopar,

Thanks for the suggestions. Many of these are the tips I've gathered around the forum; I appreciate you putting them together in tandem. The suggestions about the head are new though. That's a pricey upgrade to consider adding to the mix. I haven't even yet read about folks upgrading it; I've been so consumed with the lift and vibes. Is that a suggestion based on dry climates if you're gonna lift? (the fan makes perfect sense here...) Or is it just because so many with my year model have the cracked heads?

Some have had luck with a NP242 front vibes by adjusting the control arms, but not all. I suppose most who don't vibe, probably don't get on a forum just to broadcast to the world how lucky they were... which is why most stories are of folks who can't fix the vibes.

I think I read somewhere that my year, in conjunction with my TC made a front DS too short for the rear? Or maybe it was too long? Darn. I can't remember.

I've driven myself nearly to the therapist trying to make sense of all the possible combinations my particular Jeep had that can spell trouble.

I have also seen folks who took advice based on someone else build, not realizing all the differences in the Jeeps and how drastically that can affect the result. I appreciate all of you so far for your help. You all rock!

dunerunner

Nice! While I enjoy the part-time and full-time 4wd, it's not really needed here in the desert. Snow is different than sand!

I wish I had the 231. It's SO much better supported.

I also now wish it had the 8.25. I'm realizing more and more, that this could be a very deep money bag...

I have been getting so stoked to do some major mods like suspension and tires, then do little things like a rack and interior mods. But it's almost not worth any of it, if I can't have fun with the lift and wheels.

BTW; how do I include two quotes so I can answer two replies at once? And, how the crap do I delete a post? I can't find the option in the Edit frame. I'm a freaking developer and I can't figure out the forum tools..

RedStar

You have ADD don't you? I do and when I start on a project I'm passionate about ,I can't stop obsessing until I figure it out haha.

dunerunner

Don't know about ADD, but I definitely have OCD.

I HATE limbo. I either want to get it started, or sell the thing so I can stop sobbing when I think of all the things that could be...

It really boils down to the fear of the mods being impossible to live with because of vibes and wearing out everything else, and by so doing, figuratively wasting my money. I have no problem spending money, but I hate wasting it.

I could easily sell the Jeep today for more than I paid. But as soon as I start dumping cash, that margin closes really fast. And I really don't want to sell it. I've grown fond of it the last few weeks. But I can't stand it being stock. It drives me bonkers.

unidentifiedbomb

I'm just saying the d35 is bad compared to the 29 spline 8.25. I have a D35 and do moderate wheeling with it on 31s with no issues, looking to go 33s at somepoint but still in limbo on either swapping out for a 8.25 or build the 35. I have the np242 and love it for being in western pa winters, worst thing I've found about the 242 is that if you put a lunchbox locker in the front axle you can't use full-time anymore on the road so limited slip or selectable lockers are the only way to go with them.