I sold my '04 Rubicon Dec '10, when we found out we were having a little one. About 3 weeks after he was born i bought this little guy.

'97 Cherokee Sport with 160k on the clock. Bone stock except the Sony stereo and speakers:
Day 1->Today



a month or so later it got its first make over:

F-150 coils with a 1.5" spacer, Dakota bastard pack with JKS shackles, chopped transfer case output yoke P/N 3103-27CV from Driveline Service of Fresno, 4wd XJ cherokee front driveshaft used as a rear, S10 rear shocks, YJ rear brake line, and mix-n-matched 31s.

How it sits today:

33" MTRs, trimmed up fenders, 2" extended bump stops plus hockey pucks on the coil buckets , 4.10s, and Bilstein 5100s

Current Projects:
Front bumper is in work

1/4" Bumper mounts and winch plate/table
3/16" Fairlead/front cover plate, and bumper "cosmetics"
1/2" thick Eyelets with 1-1/8" hole from Ruff Stuff

 

Made a little progress on the bumper today, had some issues with the mounting bolts.

 

Interesting. How do the F150 coils ride?

 

They actually ride pretty well, they are stiff though. I rode in another lifted cherokee with a set of Rusty's 4.5" coils and that had noticeably softer ride then the F-150 coils

 

Thats what I've heard. I bought a front axle with some F150 coils still attached (don't ask), and they seemed like it would feel like its solid attached, no spring.

I would imagine flex isn't as good as it could be, though. How is flex?

 

It'll tuck the front pretty easily.


issue i have isn't so much of the front flex lol

 

finished the front bumper up

 

Its been a while since i updated this. Not much has changed except the 35s are sitting at the house waiting for me to get home and put them on. The 4.56 gears and install kits are on the way to the house. I have all the DOM tubing and heims for my steering sitting at the house. Also, last but not least, the long arm tubing, flex joints and brackets are sitting at the house. Should be an interesting mid-tour

 

I'd say!

Haha, at least there is someone else out there like myself. I'm moving just as slow on my project XJ.

 

Yea Korea has put a damper on my project lol. Mid-tour should make up for it though!

 

I had a great time in Korea, but I was way down south in Pusan. Camp Hialeah is now closed though. 4th QM DET (ABN) has moved to Alaska. (I was a parachute rigger.) Having said that, the North Korean leader now is quite a bit more unstable than when I was there in 1999-2000. Good luck and thanks for serving.

 

We haven't changed much out of our normal day to day routine. I'm just looking forward to my midtour and then move back to Alaska in Sept.

 

Been a while since i updated this. Had my mid-tour back in May and this is what ensued

New 35s and more cutting of fenders.

Before:


After:


Rub check




Also started planning out for a rear bumper. Spent a little time drafting up an idea for a little form and function.

I plan to make it out of 2"x6"x3/16 wall rectangle with an integrated 2" receiver. I will also be welding recovery tabs through the bumper at both ends near the actual "frame" mounts.

 

Looks good man, that front bumper looks great.

 

Thanks! It came out ok for a first time bumper project. However, it has a few imperfections that i want to fix, but functions as required. I might look into building another bumper this winter, but first i have to move back. Then find out the going price for plate and some tube in the Anchorage/Eagle River area.