ChesterJeeper

Hello All. I've been hovering around Cherokee forum since 2008 just adding to my knowledge and learning how to build my xj the way I want. I must say without this site, and help from friends, along with reading multi write-ups multiple times has brought me where I am today in my build and love for Cherokee's . I currently own two XJ's a '94 Sport with 117K in nearly mint shape from down south Maryland, & our feature presentation a '97 Sport with 180k from up north her whole life. I purchase her of my brother back in early '08, when she was bone stock with only 141k. Thankfully he kept her well maintained. When purchase it had a Dana-Turdy Five that had bad backlash from the get-go . I started modding her quick.

The rockers started to go so I cut them out , trimmed the wheel wells, and removed all the moldings and bumpers along with the carpet where I fixed a rust hole in the floor and herculined 75% of the floor, with the exception of under the rear seat and cargo area where I still need to finish.
*Pics In Next Post*

ChesterJeeper

Pictures of the first few mods I did to her. Including half truck bed coated because I was stupid and scrapped a guardrail one night Live to learn, and have never done it since

ChesterJeeper

I drove her this way for almost 3 years, multiple abs problems in winter, drivers windows switch stopped working mid winter with the windows down, Tps went, and that's just what I can remember, the list could go on. I fixed almost all problems it had myself and slowly learned how to wrench. Febuary-ish 2011 I finally had a parts jeep with a lift that I paid $300 for. It was the begging of me really learning how to work on Cherokee's More indepth. Below are some pics of the parts jeep after I removed the lift, axles and driveline along with everything else salvageable, The Floors were gone and the motor im assuming was givin' a mercy killing cause it only had 146k on it and that's nothing for the goold ol 4.0.

ChesterJeeper

After the parts heep was torn down and the lift was off I started with new shocks, and iron rock offroad double shear tbar and bracket, a v8 ZJ steering, a drop pitman arm and Iron Man Fab adjustable upper and lower control arms, instead of using the cheapo ones in the photo below..

So I parked Bonedeth, and started to strip her down. Needless to say almost all suspension bolts had to be cut out with a saws-zall....

superbee1970440

Looks like a good start!

ChesterJeeper

Thanks man, I'm glad I did it myself, it sucks though all I had where hand tools and map gas along with an angle grinder and sawzall. Needless to say I learned allot of new swear words

ChesterJeeper

When I had the D30 out I had all the seals replaced along with adding Alloy outer axle seals, replacing the bearings, and reinforcing the trackbar mount on the axle side.

I ditched the Dana 35, and put in place the rear axle out of the parts heep, that turned out to be a not so good replacement other than the fact it was a 27 spline 8.25. I went with a Dana 44 Rear out of a 1979 IH Scout II. Swapped that in and all was good, other than the fact im still pushing 3.55's That will be changing in the near future.

I swapped in the 231j out of the parts jeep and when I had it out did and sye. Got a front driveshaft and threw it in the back. At first I had it shimmed for a better pinion angle but when I swapped in the 44 I welded the perches at a perfect angle.
I also did an all new exhaust as my previous was shot. Replaced everything but the cat & manifold.

Once I had the axles back I started piecing her back together, I don't have as many pics but here are few..

ChesterJeeper

Its was the nearing winter time, and I was a bit concerned if id have to work threw the winter but I ended up finishing the day before thanksgiving last year, I was very happy to have her planted back on her own weight after 8 months of being on jackstands ( Would have only taken two months had the person I had rebuilding my axles didn't take his sweet ***** time.) Of course the alternator had seized and the cps took a dump on me. Once I fixed both of those problems she fired right up. The rest was just tweaking the control arms, tightening everything up, and getting her some new shoes 33x10.5 BFG Mud Terrains.

ChesterJeeper

And that basically gets me up to date. I have Installed a Transmission cooler , front BPE's, and just maintain her with all new fluids and such. Steering is still a bit fun. I'm running under the knuckle y steering still so I know that would be a place to start. I also belive my upper control arm mount on the passenger side might have something to do with it. No death wobble though, almost all frontend parts (Other than balljoints) are new.

On the to-Do list Include:
-Rebuilding a Ford 9' (5.13,35-spline, locker)
-Rebuilding Dana 44HP (5.13, Locker, Unsure of spline count yet)
-Reinforce frame rails
-Hybrid Exo-Cage
-2x6 Rockers
-Fuel Cell,
-Wheelbase stretch ( Flip leafs)
- Cut quarters to body line and bend in creating massive clearance
-More to come...