Nice man. You'll like those Ravines. Lightweight too.

 

Thanks man! I actually got them from a guy in PDX(saw them on CL) and had my girlfriend go pick them up for me. The guy said they were just on his Jeep that pretty much got towed behind an RV. I'm looking forward to getting them put on.

 

Well got some bad news yesterday regarding the Jeep...Was crawling around underneath so I could tally what I needed to get done this Spring and found some presents. Found out that the rear quarters are rusting out, to the point I can look through holes and see the other side. The bottom lip of the passenger door is rusting really bad. Wherever this Jeep came from, they obviously had some pretty rough winters. I'm seriously getting tired of the whole rust thing and am looking down the road on what I want to do. It may be one of those things where I go ahead and sell it and start over with something clean. I'm pretty sure I could get 4000 out of it in our local market and start over with something else. Potentially this thread could come to a stop very soon, but what is everybody's thoughts on this one? I want something I can keep for awhile that I won't be fighting the entire time, and that's all I feel like I have been doing with this. I have had 2 cherokees, and wouldn't mind giving the TJ thing a try.

 

i sell her for as much as possible and start putting it towards an older one, the older one's run just as good as the newer ones do. Just a choice of what do you want. I hear the Renix eras can handle more modification with less electrical work, but these have a lot of vacuum to deal with and less after market support for the engine. I'd go 92-96, those seem to be pretty golden.

 

If I were to do a XJ again, it would be in the 98-99 range again. I had a '92 and I liked it, just not as much as this one. I like the upgraded interiors as they are more comfortable in my opinion and I like the more modern interior look. I'm not sure if I want another XJ though. Has anybody had a TJ and what is there take on TJ versus XJ?

 

I have a few friends that have TJs, and to be honest, if they didn't cost a whole lot more, I'd have one. Being able to take the top down is an awesome thing(I live in Cali, so it might be different for you). They don't have as much cargo room, but who buys a jeep for storage? They pretty much all have the same driveline as the late model XJs. The Wheel Base is a bit shorter, and thats the only downside that I see to them. It is easier to stuff bigger tires, and there are more fender options. From my perspective you really can't go wrong with either one. A cherokee might be a bit cheaper though.

Another thing to consider, you can find late model XJs with high pinion D30s and 8.25 axles. I believe TJs came with low pinion D30s and a D35 rear, unless you go with an 2003 and up for the rubicon model. I could be wrong on that year, but I believe the first rubicon model was 02 or 03

 

Yeah thats one reason I never got a TJ was due to the lack of room. But thinking about it, I think I have put stuff in the back of my XJ and filled it up has been maybe twice. And as far as passengers, usually just me and my girlfriend, and typically we drive her toyata tercel that gets 40 MPG and I just put gas in it But if I were to get one it would be a 03-06 Rubicon so I would be good to go as far as axles and such..I just have really enjoyed driving XJ's, as its the only thing I have owned. It just may be that time to try something new hah Just trying to weigh my options right now

 

Ya, I hear ya. Theres something special about XJs... Your lucky you get to drive around in that 40mpg car... I hate paying $70+ to fill up my tank! But if you find a decent 04-06 rubicon unlimited (LJ) DONT EVER LET IT GO!!! They have the same wheelbase as XJs, and all the awesomeness of the rubicons(4.10s, 4:1 TC, lockers, ect...) Best of both worlds IMHO, even in stock trim. And the longer rear might give you the extra storage you need...

No matter what you decide to do, the Cherokee community will miss your red jeep. I enjoyed reading the build thread.

 

Ok, after some thinking the past couple weeks regarding the XJ, I have finally made a decision and done something about it..........I'm going to keep it! Not sure what I was thinking, but for now, I love this thing! This week, I pulled off the rear end cap and took a look and I believe it is fixable, but not sure the best way to go about it yet. Since its summer time, and we get like zero moisture during the summer here, I have some time before winter to get it fixed! I did a complete inspection of the Jeep and have only found 2 rust spots that need fixed, the rest are just surface that can be wire wheeled off and painted. Keeping the XJ is financially the smartest choice since I'm still in school for another year. If I decide I want a TJ after I graduate next May, ill just buy one outright and keep the XJ. So the plans are still on for everything!


Here are the pictures of the few rust spots I have, what do you guys think is the best way to fix these? Weld in new metal (I have a welder) or use bondo?









Also, my birthday was last week (spent the week in Vegas for the 21st ) so my parents helped me get new tires! Decided to stick with the idea of 31 BFG All Terrains mounted on my new Ravines. I really like look of the Ravines and the tires ride SO much better than the previous tires I had; made a world of difference.







And then, the same day, I installed the Dynomax catback I got from Christmas. Everything went smooth until it came time to pull the old muffler off the cat (what a PITA). It has a nice low tone and nothing too loud, which I want since I travel 20 miles to school everyday.





My short term plans for the Jeep are:
remove side trim
paint fenders and end caps
install cb setup (need ideas for antenna taillight mount)

 

For a little update to those of you reading, if nobody, well it at least gives me something to look back on in the future

Ended up getting an internship (more of a real job) for our local highway district doing cost estimating with a little bit of design. Not only am I making more, but work full time Monday through Friday. Took advantage of my first weekend off last weekend and loaded the Jeep up and took off for camping. Got it dirty, and did some hiking. Overall, it was a blast! Now that I have weekends off, I'm planning on doing more camping where I can get the Jeep out.

On our way to our campsite





Pictures from our hike. Hiked 12 miles into wilderness area and gained nearly 3000 feet of elevation in a single day.









Then went on a nice little drive on a forest service road through an aspen grove that was miles long

 

Awesome! Way to get out there man and explore the back country. Those BFGs look great and your Jeep, as always, is coming along nicely. What's next for the ChiliPepper?

 

For the rust, I had the same and said screw it and cut and folded it

 

Would you mind sharing where this was? I'm new to Idaho, currently in Twin Falls, and looking for places like this to explore... Actually hoping to head out later this afternoon or for sure tomorrow for the day. Thanks for any info!

 

Definitely! Idaho has some hidden treasures that are awesome! I have at least three more camping trips planned for the next month and a half up there so pictures shall be coming by the dozens! So far, I love the BFG's. I was expecting a huge drop in gas mileage, but it has stayed the same if not got higher since I did the exhaust the same day.

Next on the list is a CB setup (I'm still looking for an idea for a mount, I would like to make a taillight mount), new Quadratec floor mats all around (I want a rear cargo also but not sure which to get), and then some maintenance...That is the plan for now

The cut and fold would work to eliminate the rust, but I want to keep the stock look with the rear end caps so I'm not sure that is an option for me.

This was in Stanley, about 3 hours from Boise. Not much wheeling to be done near the Sawtooths, but plenty to the north of them! These pictures were taking up 4th of July creek and Iron creek..both about 15 minutes from Stanley...Gorgeous place!

 

AWESOME!!! Stanley is exactly where I am headed to this afternoon or tomorrow!! Any maps or links to either of those trails? I'm heading to Google right after I type this... [sorry to junk up your build thread - feel free to PM if you'd prefer ]