kgm

Got a 99 Sport Cherokee auto 4.0L this spring... Highway friendly is the key. I spend most of my money on mountain bikes so this is a budget build that I can still take on some tamer off road stuff. It's my daily driver but I want to do doughnuts in gravel lots with it.

Taken in July:

kgm

Grabbed these 3" Iron Rock Offroad lift front coils. 4" for JK, but I lose an inch from that. Cheap and fresh.


Looking for 3" lift overall or so, and decent ride quality and support for my bike rack/bikes

I've been spraying down my connection points for months now so I hope I don't get too many issues. Only thing I am worried about is the front spring & shock combo. 2" extra shock but 3" extra spring may give me some worrisome top out effects but I am not going to be offroading right away so I have time to fix it if it gives me funky results. I am going to add some washers on the top of the shock to extend the shock down a little, then bump stop them to not explode the shocks on bottom out.

Next I need to find some relocation brackets for my rear shackles. It'd be nice to just chop the stock ones off, and not try to get them out from 15 years of rust.

Going to check my flexplate today (I have some idle noise) & linkage up front to make sure nothing is gonna give me death shimmy that is TOO obvious. Also need to adjust my transfer case linkage as it has to be slammed into 2wd once I go to 4wd.

kgm

1 set of Rubicon JK rear shocks & 1 front set of Bilstein 5100 are in the mail as we speak. I couldn't afford a 4-set and I will be riding w/ a hitch/rack so I hope the cheaper and stiff Rubi shocks keep the rear end solid without bouncing from junk damping. We shall see

Also picked up some new to me after market control arms in 16.25" length to help my front end with the new lift. I hope all this doesn't ruin my ride too much. My plan for next summer is to replace the leaf pack I'm installing with a Full RE 3.5" kit, shackle relocation box from HD Offroad, and possibly replacement shackles. I don't want more than a few inches lift in the rear, so I hope the new springs & box wouldn't put me TOO high. 30" tires or so, possibly 31. I don't want to stress my rear axle too much.

kgm

Look what showed up today. Crispy new Bilstein fronts, and some JK rears.



Figured out I need a few more deep sockets, and I can get the job rolling. Getting the last of the PB soak on every connection point

kgm

I said #$@^ it, and picked up a new pack of RE 3.5" rear leafs, and Bilstein 5100s for the rear too. Going to try to sell the wrangler shocks on craigslist for some lunch money. I didn't want to install some old leaf pack that will only last 6 months, especially since I don't have my own garage space. Wish I had the loot to do shackles and such, but mine are in okay condition.





After this I'll be good for the winter! Except maybe a few other things IRO Dbl Shear Trackbar is in the future too.

XJBear

Lookin' good kgm. Hurry up and finish so we can break it!

kgm

Thanks. I can't break it though, it's my only ride! ha ha. It's got a D35 rear anyways, so I won't be testing its limits. And my front diff seals are shot, so it will leak if it gets crooked ha. That's on the list for next season though. Hopefully I'll just find a bag of cash to throw at this thing, and let someone else do some of the work, ha.



You! Get out of here! Go! Now!

Have to track down a 5/8" drill bit to size up my spring perches. Didn't realize the center pin on the RE springs are bigger until I already had one installed & was shifting the axle to fit. Doh.

kgm

I got the rear on. Hit some spraypaint on the u bolts and spring perches to clean them up after some wire wheeling, and had to drill out the spring perches to 5/8". Torqued it all up, and doing the front tomorrow.

XJBear

Nice drag Jeep! looks good though man hopefully the weather is nice enough tomorrow so you can tackle the front.

kgm

Finished up the lift today. I will snap some more photos tomorrow in the light, but with no further notice:



I had to try to remove the sway bar links to fit the coil, as axle wouldn't droop far enough. Turns out the sway links were ruined, and both snapped off at the head! Picked up some Pro Comp links for 3" lifts, and buttoned them.



Drove without front or rear sway bar for the first time ever. No thanks! I picked up some spring compressors and got the coil on. Bilstein dampers on all 4 corners...



These are the 3" lift coils. Bigger diameter wire, and tighter coil and taller. Should give me a good lifetime.



This one wasn't behaving, and I had to wait on a friend for a ride to the auto store for spring compressors so I got this old one out of the way...



As she sits now. I broke 1 out of 8 nut strip locations when reinstalling my hitch, but I only ever use a bike rack w/ 2 bikes on it, so I'm not worried. Vibrations around 25 & 40mph so far. Also a deceleration vibration...

Going to drive it around a bit tomorrow with a torque wrench to let everything settle. Also a driveway alignment at the very least. I will probably take it somewhere.

Future:
Rattlecan my wheels
Replace shackles and or shackle relocation
Tires/wheels
IRO HD Track bar
Replace ball joints on front
Rear disc conversion someday

kgm

Ordering a Tatton driveshaft with double cardan shaft. Parts **** coming soon. Did the math and I'd end up paying the same for a brand new shaft as refurbishing a junk yard shaft & installing an SYE, but with no labor!

kgm

Updates:

-3x Drain & Fill on the AW4. 6 new quarts of fluid in the trans is giving me much nicer shifting, and actually (somewhat) red fluid on the last drain. I have 2 more qts to do, but I'm going to put some miles on it before doing that.

-Tatton Driveshaft is in process right now. It was my gift to myself for the year. I'm going back to school soon, and because everyone loves to trample each other on Black Friday, I ordered a rad custom MUSA driveshaft.

-New headlight wiring harness & H4 bulbs/housings are en route so I can actually drive at night.

xzombiex

Subed liking where this is going I have a ways to go before I can lift mine I might start compiling the parts soon..looking good though keep up the good work

kgm

Cool. it's going to be slow going as money is tight and the weather is cold. BUT these just showed up today:



To be installed when its not 15 degrees and dumping snow.

kgm

Next warm day I'll put the lights and this driveshaft in. Then I have to shim the axle. Might do a u joint conversion to the rear yoke too.