Started this project with a pretty typical 2000 cherokee sport, 4.0L AW4 NP231. Locked F/R with RK longarm and 6" springs and 35's. Wheeled pretty hard but became clear that once i finished college, got a career and shop, and quit driving it that it would soon get out of control.

Was originally planning on going with 44/60 and 39's, but neh, got a smoking deal on this trailer load

Looked like i was committed now so the torch bottles were filled and this was bought

The reason i call this thing bolt on bruiser is because of the original brackets on the 404's. The majority of my axle mounts are bolted on with 8 5/8's bolts on each corner. Brackets started falling off of the sheet of 1/4"

 

and in a weekend i had this.


The cali lean was getting out of hand so the next weekend i slung the rear under it


Ended up a shade to tall so i lowered it to 4" of lift and was finally satisfied for now, the new tires should make it look a little more appropriate


Had always planned on stretching it so i flipped the rear springs around and was left with this

Two cut off wheels later and the rubbing issue was addressed

Axle wrap was laughable to say the least so i threw this together to get me by, more on that later


Threw together some flange adapters using a mix of old torque tube, stock cherokee drive shafts, and stock unimog shafts so i could move it under its own power

 

Played on some trails i cut behind the house to take the edge off until my new tires and rims arrived

To pass more time i installed the cage i bought from motion offroad. Not the end all cage but definately a good affordable starting point to keep this taco from folding

Tires finally arrived, i managed to find a set of 43" TSL Sx's, definately a difficult item to track down 3 months ago.


Next the trailworthy fab rims arrived, pvc inserts, bare metal, backspaced enough to clear the massive drum brakes.

All put together and WIDE!


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Could not even begin to turn the tires with the temporary steering setup, so installed the psc orbital valve and single ended ram. I'm using the stock ps pump for now with a massive cooler, turns great albeit slow, and no overheating issues so far.



So anyways here's how it sits now awaiting the 1 1/4" heims to redo the crappy RK upper link and the limiting straps. FLAME ON!! :flipoff2:

 

lowered the jeep 4", i challenge someone to get a cherokee lower with stock unimog housings. I have 3" uptravel and then the stupid motor gets in the way.





I personally love the stance. 90" wide and 74" to 75" to the drip rail depending on tire pressure. For those keeping count i also have 20" + clearance to the lowest part on the difs.

As it sits, 3" lift coils, stock cherokee leaves flipped with 1.5" add a leaf and 1.5" lift shackles.

 

To achieve this height the exhaust had to be dealt with. For those with an older cherokee (singe down pipe from manifold) this should be cake. I have two and shortening/turning it sucked out loud. I will illustrate what was done with pictures.

Here is the reworked manifold, kicked forwards and around the oil pan ala TJ

Comin in hot back down and around the passenger side of the oil pan

Here it crosses up around and over the reworked traction bar crossmember

Up to a Thrush welded laid up were the gas tank used to be, it kicks over to the drivers side after a flex coupling and....

Over and out through the stock hole in the unibody were the stock fuel filler ran. Sounds pretty good and is out of the way of everything. At the time it seemed impossible, now it was totally worth the effort. Relocated O2 sensor bungs and everything is running as it should.

 

Had the machine shop work up my seals for the pinion adapters out of the stock torque tubes. Turned out pretty slick i think.



Also took it out to play some and on very steep climbs the front end unloaded like a big dog

Enter the suck down winch, it is a badlands 3000lb from harbor freight. It is mounted on the passenger side, with a pulley on the middle of the axle and the hook hung in the track bar mount.


I mounted the controller on my windshield wiper stick and i think it turned out slick as hell, very easy to find without looking and the winch will easily pull the front end down the final 3" to the bumpstops.

 

As can be seen above in the suck down winch pictures, i also reworked my upper link. It is now 1 1/4" heims from ruffstuff (great product and vendor) with 2" .250" wall link material. Here it is on the axle

The frame side is a stock upper rockkrawler mount widened, plated on all planes with 1/4" plate. The inner unibody is plated with 1/4" a foot in both directions. Four 1/2" bolts still hold it on with the 3/4" bolt coming up through the drivers floorboard. I can now watch the mount and it has withstood some pretty stupid manuevers without flexing, time will tell.

I am also currently working on my driveshafts. Unimog stuff is pretty beefy, the shaft on bottom is stock unimog torque tube u joint, the upper is 1350, there really is no comparison and i'm not sure at this venture which way to go. Mog is stronger but virtualy impossible to find without a hellacious lead time.

 

Finally took this pig wheelin, had a good day, nothing broke but a few issues reared their heads (namely brakes). Only damage was on the rock garden (see final few pics), smashed crossmember, removed exhaust, and trashed a krawler joint. Enjoy








Made it through everything without winching or much drama. Getting geared up for a clayton trip this fall. Suckdown winch worked flawlessly as well.

 

.... i just $h!t myself after looking through all this! Sick build

 

x2

if mine weren't a DD I'd love to do something like that. Loved the skinny (unimog?) tires too, would've been awesome for the snow.

 

dude this is pretty freaking awsome. Nice score on those axles too!!!. I am no doubt jealous. Nice wheelin pics too

 

Def different. But I like it. Nice looking rig man

 

Thanks for the props guys, I grew tired of not being on the hardest trails with the best rigs, I'm there now. I'm in east Texas btw and have a shop, can fab pretty much anything, any local cherocars are welcome to check it out. Any criticism is welcome, I need ideas on what to do next (besides rear steer, that'll be on very soon)

 

Also recently installed two odyssey batteries in the back as well as my starting battery to help run winches, lights, and Taurus cooling fans, no more mechanical fan, electric fans on everything (radiator, trans cooler, power steering cooler)