Bought the Cherokee last year to get me back and forth to the drill rig, we have some nasty locations we have to get to sometimes, just had to have a Jeep.

97 XJ 4.0L AX-15
So far the only thing I've got to do is bypass the A/C (Completely gutted everything A/C related)
Now it's time for sum lift and wheels, purchased these 04 Raner 16" Wheels and a 3" Lift Kit of Craigslist yesterday, got the wheels put on for now with sum 235-70-16's I had layin around.
Gonna try tomorrow and get the lift put on along with sum 265-75-16 M/T's

Before

Smacked a deer a few months back, got tired of looking at a black whole, so went and picked up some gutter guard and cut to fit until I can grab me a fender and header panel.


New wheels installed, dnt think they look bad for O.E. Ford wheels:



hopefully 3" higher tomorrow

 

So what are your long term goals for this thing?

 

After the lift and tires, probaly bumpers and a winch. Tryin to keep it streetable, Sometimes I have to drive 50mile to a locations sometimes its in BFE West Virginia or Kentucky, it's never the same. I'd love a all out krawler but this is a work rig. I drill for natural gas 14 days on with 7 days off.

I haven't got stuck out on a location yet, but you never know. Last location in WV the loggers (who measure our holes) had a brand new F350 on 35's, when I left that morning the dozer was having to pull him out of the location, kinda made me feel pround that me and the driller (only two with jeeps) was the only ones that made it out with out the help from the dozer.

 

Look forward to seeing the lift but I cant say I like the ford wheels but hey i guess they work.

 

I dnt like ford myself but cnt afford the M/T Classic 2's I want right now and I've never seen a XJ with that style wheel on it, figured it'd be something different.