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Before I get into this build I want to give a little background. I've been using cherokeeforums since 14 years old and these are all ive ever owned. My first jeep was a 98 sport that had a locked up engine so I got it for $250, I had an uncle that rolled his jeep but had a solid running engine in it that I also got for $250. So for my first jeep and first car ever I only spent $500, I had never worked on cars before so I was just learning as I go. I was only 15 years old working under the table making very little money so everything about the jeep was done as cheap as possible. Ended up with 3.5" pro comp lift coil springs, S10 blazer leaf packs and some shocks I got off a lifted wrangler at a pick n pull.
I actually started a build thread you can find here - https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f46/20...ud-rat-188524/ . Although I will apologize in advance as you can tell in the pictures and how I was talking that I was obviously a kid. I'm now 22 and on my third jeep. I totaled the jeep going to fast on a rainy day cause my tires were super bald, hit the breaks and didnt stop, smacked a power line pole behind the drivers door and bent the main frame beyond repair. I can't find any pictures of the damage but if i do I will post them later. The day I wrecked it was a Friday, which was pay day so I was planning on buying some d windows and 32 x 11.50 kenda kevlars (man did I feel like an idiot). Anyway, this was my only way to school so I was super rushed finding my next jeep. Ended up with a 98 2wd classic? seemed like it used to be a state vehicle or something of the sort, I say this because it was very basic, no tint on any windows and a speed tracking device that I cut out, no decals, everything manual. I didnt get any pics of the build process but ended up using the 3" coil springs off the old jeep, and added a 3" add-a-leaf, rancho shocks, bedlined the whole underside, new calipers, newer year rounded intake manifold, upgraded injectors and a lot of other small upgrades.
So I found the jeep on facebook marketplace, the only description the lady gave was "engine rebuilt, doesn't run, transmission issues." She was asking $1500 and I figured I could talk her down to around $1200, ended paying $1300 for it. I had been keeping my eye out for a new jeep for the past 2 months and noticed the prices are going way up lately, with this having no dents and pretty good paint, and oh my gosh the interior... I jumped on it. I already have a transmission with only 80k miles on it in the garage and I've changed out the transmission in these jeeps 5-6 times already so I wasn't worried about transmission issues and I was prepared to put a while new engine in it if I had to. While talking to the lady she told me they were driving it around and the belt snapped off, she drove it home(around the block) without the water pump running so she assumed it was something major wrong. I got it home and tried spinning the water pump by hand and noticed it didn't budge, I had just changed my water pump on my current DD in the parking lot of a restaurant a couple months back so I knew that wasnt a super hard task so I would start there.
Went and picked up my goody box from advanced auto!
Got the new water pump, new thermostat, and new belt put on, broke the end of the heater intlet tube but put it back on good enough for a test run. I had to jump it of course but it fired right up!
Gave it a bath and pulled in into its new home for the next for the next few weeks. Also noticed when I have it in drive and start to pull away it seems like its having trouble grabbing first gear but once I get moving it does fine shifting into all the other gears.
This is going to be a weird build for this forum, most people are chopping them up and making rock crawlers out of them. That is not my plan at all, Im building this to be a clean reliable smooth riding daily driver that can haul a trailer and all my tools around while working on houses. It won't be seeing too much off-road, just snow and gravel for the most part.
So heres the goal- 2" pucks and new coil springs, 2" lift shackles and new leaf springs, Bilstein shocks, gonna switch over the new stock rims I just put on the white jeep and get a new set of 31x10.50 all terrains, 1.5" wheel spacers, double din touch screen radio with a back up camera, fresh paint job(the same color) and blacked pillars between the windows, and of course other small upgrades -head lights, tail lights, track bar, etc.
I got the jeep turned around, and back in the garage. When I started it up I noticed the ac condensor was wet after, I was already planning on replacing the radiator so I figured I would replace that while im in there so I started pulling the front end apart while waiting for parts to arrive.
The radiator and ac condensor arrived, the install for those went smooth, I forgot to take any pics of the process. Started breaking the front suspension while waiting for parts.
Before:
After:
I actually already had a new set of wheel bearings because I was going to replace them on my current jeep but since I found this one just before I started that process I decided to just put them on here so I installed those.
Before I get into this build I want to give a little background. I've been using cherokeeforums since 14 years old and these are all ive ever owned. My first jeep was a 98 sport that had a locked up engine so I got it for $250, I had an uncle that rolled his jeep but had a solid running engine in it that I also got for $250. So for my first jeep and first car ever I only spent $500, I had never worked on cars before so I was just learning as I go. I was only 15 years old working under the table making very little money so everything about the jeep was done as cheap as possible. Ended up with 3.5" pro comp lift coil springs, S10 blazer leaf packs and some shocks I got off a lifted wrangler at a pick n pull.
I actually started a build thread you can find here - https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f46/20...ud-rat-188524/ . Although I will apologize in advance as you can tell in the pictures and how I was talking that I was obviously a kid. I'm now 22 and on my third jeep. I totaled the jeep going to fast on a rainy day cause my tires were super bald, hit the breaks and didnt stop, smacked a power line pole behind the drivers door and bent the main frame beyond repair. I can't find any pictures of the damage but if i do I will post them later. The day I wrecked it was a Friday, which was pay day so I was planning on buying some d windows and 32 x 11.50 kenda kevlars (man did I feel like an idiot). Anyway, this was my only way to school so I was super rushed finding my next jeep. Ended up with a 98 2wd classic? seemed like it used to be a state vehicle or something of the sort, I say this because it was very basic, no tint on any windows and a speed tracking device that I cut out, no decals, everything manual. I didnt get any pics of the build process but ended up using the 3" coil springs off the old jeep, and added a 3" add-a-leaf, rancho shocks, bedlined the whole underside, new calipers, newer year rounded intake manifold, upgraded injectors and a lot of other small upgrades.
Gonna get started posting the new build tomorrow.
I got the same jeep, '99 2 door 2.5L 2WD in white with the deer strike hood option. Bought it for $600 with a blown head gasket, rebuilt the engine then used it to kill a deer. Am going the same route, will eventually swap in a 4.0 and 4WD.
I got the same jeep, '99 2 door 2.5L 2WD in white with the deer strike hood option. Bought it for $600 with a blown head gasket, rebuilt the engine then used it to kill a deer. Am going the same route, will eventually swap in a 4.0 and 4WD.
Sounds like a fun project, You have a build thread?
Started to attack the rear lift and realized the bushings for the leaf springs need to be pressed in with a hydraulic press, I was back and forth between switching to polyurethane after local shops were giving me the run around but didnt wanna deal with the squeaking later on, eventually got a shop to do it for $60. Went ahead and got the rear end pulled apart while waiting to get the leafs back
Got the leafs back
Got lucky with the shocks on this one, no rusted bolts or anything (had to cut through the floors on my first xj) so finishing up the rear lift was pretty smooth. Everything all finished up -
Also forgot to mention, While waiting for parts to arrive for the lift I installed new wires, plugs, ignition distributor (twice - getting the timing right), rotor button and cap, new sway bar bushings and bedlined the sway bar and the windshield wipers cause they were faded almost white.
Pulled off the cowl panel cause it was cracked really bad from the previous owner never fixing an issue with the hood opening
Clean 98 limited edition DD - 3rd times a charm!
