RockRod

Been into Jeeps for a little over 10 years now, I’be had an 01 Limited(gone), an 89 MJ 2wd 4.0 Pioneer long bed(sold), this 96, an 89 MJ 2wd 2.5 Sportruck, an 89 MJ 2wd 4.0 short bed Pioneer.

I’ve had this Jeep about 5 years now, bought it as a fairly unmolested 96 XJ, 2 door, Sport, power windows and locks, vent windows, Up Country Suspension, 4.0L, AW4, NP231, HP30, 8.25. The best part? I picked it up for a grand. It had it's areas that was outstanding condition, and not so much in others, the interior was pretty gross. The body had several dents and dings down low(a result of one of the POs wheeling it I'm sure).

I’ve spent the last 5 years picking away at modifications big and small, had several trial and error redesigns like the headlight harness upgrade and electric fan conversion, but there’s also been stuff I’ve known I wanted to do from the start/very early(Synergy Supernsion components, 33’s, prerunner). I didn’t build it with the intention of being wheeled hard and often, but it would perform well when I did(which sadly hasn’t been as often as I’d like).

I stalled a little bit about a year ago when I bought my new DD(new job, no time to work on it, none of my old wheeling buddies where wheeling much anymore), and even toyed with selling it or trading it for an old full-size Cherokee, but after finally finishing the 3 link, replacing rusty floor pans, and a few of my wheeling buddies deciding to kind of start over with fresh “budget” builds, I’m getting excited about it again.

Anywho, here is about everything I can think I’ve done to date:

Modifications:
4" Currie progressive rate coils
OME 3.5" leaf springs, Rusty’s shackle boxes, Core 4x4 shackles
Synergy Suspension leaf spring hangers
Synergy Suspension track bar/bracket/brace
PureJeep belly pan trimmed to fit with Synergy Suspension long arm brackets
Custom LCAs with Currie Johnny Joints, MetalCloak aluminum UCA with Duroflex Joints(also have a spare set of Johnny Joints), Ruff Stuff axle side UCA bracket
IRO front BPEs
JKS Quicker Disconnects
Rancho 5000 shocks(plan to measure for Bilstein once I get the long arms sorted out)
JB Conversions SYE
33x12.5 BFG All Terrains
15x8 American Racing Outlaws
Hannemann fiberglass fenders
Specter cowl intake
DirtBound Off-Road 3-10" fan shroud with 10" Perma-Cool 2300 CFM fans, Volvo fan controller, BMW temp switch(switching to a Dakota Didgital controller soon
2x4-1/8" wall rocker-sliders
New floor pans with beefed up seat mounts tied into frame rail, rocker sliders, long arm brackets, and leaf spring hangers, using 1x3 1/8" box tube frenched into frame rail(rear seat mount), and 2x2 1/8" box tube(front mount)
T&M Fab door frame and hinge braces(hinge braces not installed yet)
LeBaron hood vents
Custom headlight harness, Autopal headlight housings, Hella H4 xenon bulbs, LED brake, turn, and side maker lights, XJ Wagoneer tail light housings
Oldsmobile Aurora reverse lights with LED flood light inserts
Pioneer multi-media head unit with Bluetooth(no CD), factory in-dash tweeters, Pioneer 5 1/4" door, sound bar, and hatch speakers, 900 watt Kenwood amp, low-profile sub/amp combo
Bully remote start/keyless entry
Custom gas tank skid
Factory Mopar front skid
External transmission cooler w/stainless braided collet lines(long story)
Azzy's Design works gauges with LED back lights
Prime 4x4 gauge/switch panel with B&M trans temp gauge
Died interior panels grey/black from factory tan
01 Cherokee Sport front leather/vinyl seats
Dirt Bound Off-road Mojave DIY rear bumper

Modified Maintanance:
Moog steering with IRO tie rod
Upgraded ground/charging/starting cables to 2ga welding wire with 4/0 from the battery to the engine compartment
Die Hard Platinum Marine battery w/Ruff Stuff box, relocated to the rear
136 amp alternator, relocated using ZJ A/C bracket, new Gates belt
Dynomax mandrel bent tail pipe with 2.5" Magnaflow spun-cat and muffler
PSC power steering pump with cooler and in-line magnetic filter
Neon 4 hole injectors, heat insulated
New radiator and hoses w/in-line coolant heater
Hesco water pump and t-stat housing
Relocated universal coolant tank
97+ washer reservoir

Thanks to Photobucket, I’m having trouble getting some of my build pictures, but I’ll do what I can, and maybe add more later as I can get them.

RockRod

Found a factory tire carrier in the junkyard, but the brass bushings/bearings were toast and couldn’t find a replacement, so I took it off.
Shake down run, The weekend after installing the the lift
I swore at the beginning of the day I wasn’t going to play in the rocks......

RockRod

Fiberglass and new front clip on

RockRod

Dirt Bound fan shroud
One fan does plenty to keep the Jeep temp at 194*, only in the dead of summer, sitting in a drive through, with a car in front of me blowing hot exhaust across my radiator, does it creep up. Never needed all three fans.
ZJ alternator/AC bracket w/136A alternator(no trimming/grinding required), Hesco water pump and thermostat housing
Relay block I built for the headlight harness, LED lights, and #3 fan I keep for manual control just incase.

The engine bay with relocated battery, coolant and anti-freeze reservoir, Spectre cowl intake, A/C and EVAP delete.

RockRod

Pulled the carpet to run the new 4/0 battery cables and found a bunch of rot
Ruff Stuff battery box
4/0 to the firewall
And I ran 2 gauge welding wire inside the engine compartment

RockRod

Seats out of an 01 Sport, that have a lot better side bolstering, and were a LOT cleaner than the ones I pulled out

Reupholstered headliner
Added the overhead console at the same time
Duplicolor interior paint, gets rid of the tan

RockRod

In preparation for the coming floor pan repairs

RockRod

89limited_hero

Any battery clearance issues with the am a/c , alt bracket? Or is that why you move it to the rear?

RockRod

I actually moved the battery to the rear about a year before I did the ZJ bracket, the pictures aren’t exactly in chronological order, but more shows end result.

RockRod

RockRod

Where I’m at currently, everything painted with POR15, easier to get to all the nooks and crannies before the floor pan goes in, just grind the spots the I know I’ll end up welding to.

RockRod

RockRod

RockRod