MayerMR

Hey fellas,

Wanted to document my first build/refresh of a Jeep XJ. It's not my first Cherokee, but it is my first four door. After selling my immaculate two-door to my folks so they could have a good little winter truck I purchased and restored a '75 International Scout II. It was a fun truck and I really enjoyed it, but the parts are quite expensive and since it didn't have AC, summer time in Dallas was less enjoyable. Not only that but it was a manual and rocking it in stop & go traffic with that heavy traffic clutch meant that I drove it less than I would have liked. Anyway, I decided to get back into the Cherokee world for a few reasons; 1) huge aftermarket, 2) very reliable and affordable, and 3) they're just great.

When looking for a new XJ I decided I wanted something a bit more than the average Cherokee so I decided to look for a Wagoneer; ya know, I just had to ensure that *some parts* were considerably more expensive and hard to find. I did come from a Scout after all

I found this specimen in New Jersey after a long Craigslist search. 146,xxx miles, owned by the same family since new, and overall in really good shape. The exterior is in need of some lovin' but overall, I think it will be a good project.

MayerMR

So I've been traveling through the middle east recently on business, but I've been buying a number of parts for my upcoming build. So far the list of "to-be-installed" is:

1. Old Man EMU 1.75'' springs
2. Barely used XJ rear springs that I've had for years
3. 1.5'' wheel spacers
4. BF Goodrich 31x10.5x15 K0s running on black steelies
5. StopTech Slotted Rotors
6. Centric Drums
7. Centric Shoes
8. New brake hardware kits & brake cylinders
9. Brake pads
10. Wheelskins new matching leather cover
11. WLS Headliner kit
12. 2'' lift shackles
13. four new headlights (found sealed beams on clearance!)
14. New head unit (original is burnt out)

My wife is getting pissed about all the boxes coming in, but I'm secretly

When I get back, I'm going to want to do some fluid changes to get a "baseline" - I personally like to change the fluids, though this truck was supposedly well taken care of. I'll have to look it over and make an assessment.

Looking forward to posting some updates soon!

MayerMR

Hey fellas,

Pretty basic updates so far, but needed nonetheless.

I was able to fix the headliner; that was such a terrible annoyance. Very glad to get the new one up.



Also fixed the world's most annoying broken chair. Not only was the weld on the mount cracked, but the up/down function was broken. A couple of taps with the hammer fixed the up/down issue and my local muffler shop was happy to fix the seat for me.




I also installed new front brakes. I ended up having to replace both front calipers as well because the front passenger side was seized up. I actually think it was seized pinching the rotor a bit because it was a ***** to get off. While I was changing the brakes I also changed out the extremely dry rotted brake hoses as well. Since I'll shortly be adding a small lift, I decided to use some mid-90's chevy truck hoses that are about 3'' longer than the stock ones. They bolted right up and when I install the new springs I'll get a bit more play. Plus they were like a $1 cheaper each...makes no sense, but hey, $2 in my wallet still.


Lastly, changed out the spark plugs and the fuel filter so thus far. Next on the docket is a new exhaust system since the current one is rusted to absolute hell. I've actually noticed an improvement in the "peppiness" of the Jeep so far. I ran a tank with seafoam and now I'm doing a tank with Techron. No assurances that this actually makes a difference. But, that said, I've been noticing improvement in the engine. It's starting faster and is running quite well.

Again, next up is the exhaust. After that, I'll install the lift and the new shocks, but that'll have to wait until January!

S/F,

-Matt