Family Rig (2000 XJ in VA)
 

*copied from my intro post a couple weeks ago*

2000 XJ - Previously a county transport vehicle for Augusta Co. VA. Bought it stock 2 years ago, with 4 brand new Goodyear Wrangler 235/75-15 tires and 120K miles. Drove it as a semi-daily ride, hit a few trails, and took it on several family camping trips. I'm extremely impressed with the stock capabilities of it.

Bought for it, but not installed yet, will do VERY soon:

Cobra mini CB
Firestick antennae
2 Hella fog lights (forget the model #)
5 15x8 Cragar soft 8 rims (used)
3" Rough Country stage II lift.
4 BFG Mud Terrain KM2 31x10.50-15

Will update pics or start a build thread when stuff starts to come together.

When I first bought it.
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https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...n102409045.jpg

A little "Stock XJ Flex"
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Goop
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Thank God for outstanding friends, HUGE garages with heat and a lift, and ALL the right tools for the job. Glad those friends are also dumb enough to stick around and help me work.

Paul and I went to the shop where he now puts in his 40hrs and used their tire mounting machine. SO nice to have machines to help. So we mounted the tires, had a hard time inflating them to get the bead to seat, but we finally broke out the "CHEETAH" and that damn thing works like a charm. Blew them up real quick. I used 6oz Dyna Beads easy open bags in each tire to avoid having to balance them every time we hit the trail and knock a weight off the rim.

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...27961066_n.jpg

The "Cheetah" and how it works. Pretty cool new toy.

http://www.purplewaveauction.com/a/2...attan/3983.JPGhttp://www.asedeals.com/sitebuilder/...k2-228x239.jpg

So we put the Heep on the lift, tore into the front. Had the front lift done in about no time. Paul was fighting this nasty chest cold that's going around, so he headed home to rest. I worked on the rear for a bit until my other friend Anthony shows up and helps me knock that out quick too. I've been hearing a dragging noise from my right rear drum for about the last 100 miles and never had time to check it. Turns out the self adjuster spring and clip inside the drum were broken off and just laying in the bottom of the drum. So we're doing front pads, rear shoes, rear wheel cylinders, and rear hardware kit. Upper rear shock bolts broke off, they did the same on Anthony's 93 XJ. We have to finish those up, mount the front sway bar back up, finish the rear brakes, and fix the lug nut issue (old lugs are too short now with new rims/long studs) got some mix/match nuts from the parts house.

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...67092840_n.jpg

Oh yeah, and I found a stray on the side of the road the other day. Brought her home with me. Named her "Soul Hammer, the boyfriend greeter". ;}~

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...87245953_n.jpg

Lift is done! Not the best pic I could have gotten, but it's the only one I've taken time to snap. I'll get some more soon. Hopefully start on my bumper fab, CB install, and fog lights (after bumbers) very soon.

The Dyna Beads balancing works GREAT by the way. ;}~

Had to trim a hair off the bottom corners of the stock front bumper because of tire rub and it wouldn't pass the VA state inspection. Couple minutes with a cut off wheel, a WHOLE LOT of melted plastic pellets covering me head to toe, and no more rub now. Finally inspected and road worthy. :cheers:


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...4aecd4f946.jpg

uhh that was probably used in a murder...............

other than that good looking jeep :)

HA! It will be for the first little sissy pants wearing fruit cake that comes looking for either of my daughters.

:cursing:

This is them a couple years ago when we took our first wheeling trip. As we were leaning almost enough to roll onto the XJ's side in the swamp hole, my youngest daughter looks out the window and says "Uhhh, daddy... I didn't bring my bathing suit!" :laughing:

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Got the build sheet from Chrysler. Not sure what all of it means just yet, but I'll check it out a little more tomorrow.

Sales Code Description
*M5 Cloth High-Back Bucket Seats
-AZ Agate
AA3 SE Value Group
AHT Trailer Tow Group
AJK Convenience Group
AJP Power Convenience Group
APAS Monotone Paint
A20P 4.0L Engine(ERH)/4Sp Auto Trans(DGS
BASS 124 Amp Alternator
BCDS 500 Amp Maintenance Free Battery
BGK 4-Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes
CADP High Back Bucket Seats
CBWS Highline Door Trim Panel
CDBS Reclining Front Seats
CFMS Rear Folding Seat
CGGS Traveling Inboard Seat Belt Buckle
CGWS Next Generation Front Air Bags**
CKAS Carpets - Floor and Cargo Area
CKNS Cargo Compartment Carpet
CKTS Cargo Tie Down Loops
CKXS Midgate Box Access
CSRS Passenger Assist Handles
CSSS Illuminated Rear Assist Handles
CUFS Full Length Floor Console
DGB All 4-Speed Automatic Transmissions
DGSS 4-Speed Automatic AW4 Transmission
DHAP Lock-Up Torque Converter
DHNS Command-Trac Part Time 4WD System
DHSP Floor Mount Automatic Shift Lever
DJKP Dana 30/181MM Front Axle
DMDP 3.55 Rear Axle Ratio
DRMP Dana 35C/194MM Rear Axle
EAAC All Engines
ERH 4.0L I6 Power Tech Engine
GBBS Tinted Windshield Glass
GCBS Front Door Tinted Glass
GEDS Tinted Rr Drs/Qtr/Liftgate Glass
GFAS Rear Window Defroster
GNAS Rear View Day/Night Mirror
GTZP Manual Remote Mirrors
GVBC All Vehicles W/Power Mirrors
HAAP Air Conditioning
HGDS Deluxe Insulation Group
JAY Instrument Cluster w/Tach
JBFS Instrument Panel Black Bezel
JCDS 100 MPH Primary Speedometer
JHAS Var Intermittent Windshield Wipers
JHBP Rear Window Wiper/Washer
JJBS Dual Note Electric Horns
JJJS 12V Auxiliary Power Outlet
JPAP Power Windows
JPBP Power Locks
KDPS STRIPE/BADGE/MOLDING COLOR
KGPS STRIPE/BADGE/MOLDING/COLOR
KRPS STRIPE/BADGE/MOLDING COLOR
KTPS STRIPE/BADGE/MOLDING/COLOR
KYPP STRIPE/BADGE/MOLDING/COLOR
K28S STRIPE/BADGE/MOLDING/DELETE
K3ZS STRIPE/BADGE/MOLDING/COLOR
LAJS Headlamps On Warning Chimes
LCKS Front Dome Lamp
LDBP Cargo Compartment Lamp
LMAS Halogen Headlamps
LPSS CHMSL Lamp
MBJS Black Front Bumper
MBKS Front Brake Duct Bezels
MBNS Black Rear Bumper
MBSS Carbon Front Splitter
MCAS Rear Body Color Applique
MDAP Front License Plate Bracket
MFAS Black Headlamp Bezels
MFFS Black Grille
MHAS Black Windshield Moldings
MMCS Rear Qtr Solid Window Insert
MMGS Belt Moldings
MMKS Hi Black Gloss/Black Mirror Molding
MNAS Black Door Handles
MNJS Black License Plate Brow
MUKS MOPAR Chrome Bodyside Molding
MWGP Roof Rack
NAE California Emissions
NBKS EVAP Control System
NBN Northeastern States Tracking
NBVP Low Emission Vehicle (LEV)
NFAS 20 Gallon Fuel Tank
NHBP Auxiliary Transmission Oil Cooler
NHMP Speed Control
NMCP Heavy Duty Engine Cooling
PS5 Silverstone Metallic Clear Coat
QS5S Silverstone Metallic Clear Coat
RAAC All Radio Equipped Vehicles
RASS AM/FM Cassette Radio
RCRP 4 Speakers
RDDS Fixed Long Mast Antenna
SBAS Power Rack and Pinion Steering
SCGP Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel
SDAS Normal Duty Suspension
SHAS Front Stabilizer Bar
SHCS Front and Rear Stabilizer Bars
SUAP Tilt Steering Column
TBB Full Size Spare Tire
TBLS Inside Mounted Spare Tire
TM6S P215/75R15 BSW Wrangler AP Tires
TZAP Goodyear Brand Tires
WJDS 15X7.0 Styled Steel Wheels
WKBP Matching Spare Wheel
WLYC All Steel Wheels
XJFS Tethered Fuel Filler Cap
XPFS Protective Coating and Remover
YAAS Build To U.S. Mkt. Specifications
2TBA Customer Preferred Package 2TB
26B Customer Preferred Package 26B

So not long after my last post in this thread, my XJ started to slowly become less of a family adventure vehicle and more of a family station wagon. My wife works .5 miles from home, so she started driving it and quickly fell in love with it.

Fast forward a few years and it was still performing daily driver duty flawlessly. We were up to 180,000 on the clock. BFG Mud Terrains were holding up to the newly found pavement abuse quite well. Still took her on an ocassional off road adventure and she still saw lots of snow duty.

Then on 12/30/15 an 18 year old driving his mother's 2008 Toyota Corolla decided our 25 mph residential street looked like a great place to make a late night Fast & Furious test run. His skills proved to be less than capable and he lost control hitting my XJ head on.

Police report says he was doing 25 in a 25, no way. Police didn't tag him for hit and run, even though he immediately fled the scene. He made it to his friends house on the hill at the top of our street. He tried to deny it to the officers at first, but eventually admitted hitting our Jeep, claiming he fell asleep at the wheel since it was so late.

Anyway, his insurance company ended up paying for my damage. The XJ was totalled out, but I bought it back from the insurance company. We got just enough money to go find another bone stock 2000 XJ Sport for my wife to now have her very own family station wagon.

The plan is to hopefully salvage my XJ and finish converting it into the family adventure vehicle I had originally planned on having. The driver front wheel now sits approximately 2" rearward from stock location, but it appears it's just tweaked suspension and steering parts. Body damage is all a fairly straightforward repair.

So I'll be updating my "build thread" as time permits, and I'll start another thread for her XJ which we nicknamed "PA3OTIC" ;)

25 mph my arse! You can see the black tire marks against the curb where it was previously sitting. He knocked it about 5 feet back and up over the curb into our yard.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...4c9610c88f.jpg


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...e4be3288c2.jpg


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...888963649a.jpg


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...31d59cad8d.jpg


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...ee1c27177b.jpg

The replacement. 2000 Patriot Blue Sport for my wife.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...d57993184c.jpg

Bummer!

Yes it is. Super bummed that I can't just hop in my XJ and drive it whenever I want.

However, hopefully it'll work out for the better in the long run. If I can get this one fixed up we will now have 2 XJs in the family.

:)