Shadow, the salvaged XJ
 

well, to start, my name is Grant and I'm currently 18, living in northeast ohio. I've had my jeep for a little over a year now. its a black, 1999 XJ Cherokee with a salvaged title. originally shadow was a sport, but the shop that fixed it just made it a classic because they had to order a new front bumper and end caps; so they got the painted rather than the plastic. here it what it looked like the day we got it.
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with it being a salvaged title, it had to go to the state highway patrol to make sure the guys who fixed it didn't use stolen parts, etc. so i had to wait about four weeks until i actually got it. that was the longest wait of my life. but here is when i FINALLY got it home.
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so being 17 when i first got my cherokee, i wasn't making a lot of money and had to start small. i got the clear turn signals to start.
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than i decided i liked the look of ravines on cherokees so i started looking and i found a set on craigslist. i bought them even though the 30s on them were bald. after all i just wanted the wheels.
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this was the only wheel i got on that day. i wanted to get them all and take it around the block to see what it was like with oversized (kinda) tires. but lug nuts were being a PITA! i bent my stock lug wrench and another one my dad happened to have that happened to fit. and i broke the four-way! we couldn't get those things off. i had to take it to my auto shop at school where my friend got them out with the impact. but there was one that had to get burned off...
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shortly after that, i had my first accident...
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and i was also able to get those wheels on. but since they were bald i couldn't leave them. but my solution to that accident was to just get rid of it.
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i hated those corners and was happy to get rid of them anyways.
well after about ten months i had finally saved enough money for the lift. i decided on a three inch rough country with full leaf packs; and 31x10.5 firestone destination a/ts. i had read about so many threads on here about the best 3in lift and cheapest, etc. and also read how rough country road rough and a lot of people said it was a bad lift. but it came in
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and i stared at it close to two months because my dad and i didn't have the tools and were in the process of getting them. well he ended up paying to get it put on as a graduation present. i got the tires the next day and here is my cherokee as it sits now:
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i love my rough country lift! it is not "rough." it rides just like it did stock. and I'm very happy with it.

i have since decided i want my wheels to stick out of the wheel wells more, so I'm selling my ravines and will most likely get soft 8s with 3.75" of backspacing. there was also another brand i liked but now i cannot remember what they were...

and yesterday, i ordered a bumper from Nates 4x4 and I'm expecting it in the mail thursday or friday! very excited for that!

if you want to keep those wheels, you could always get spacers

looks good. i picked up the rough country 4.5". I think it rides a little rougher than stock. but not to bad.

like the post above says, you can get spacers and bring those wheels out an inch or more. i'd spend my money on something more functional though, lockers or gears perhaps.

Looks good man, Keep us posted.

yeah I looked at spacers when I first got the Jeep. I had a talk with my brother who has a WK and we talked about how safe they are and everything. we figured they wouldn't sell them if they weren't safe but that's an extra 20 lug nuts to worry about. it just a hassle I don't want haha. I love my ravines but I suppose I'm open to something new.


I agree with spending on something more functional. right now I'm taking care of recovery. I got the front from nate's but I need to do rear next. I don't just want to do a class III hitch though.

My friend had spacers on an f150 and never had issues but the tire shops wont touch a vehicle with spacers on. We had to take them off in the parking lot befor they would mount his new wheels. Nice jeep anyhow

yeah they just make me nervous. but thanks for the compliment!

I didn't see this on the app, but thank you! I will keep this going. I like the idea of it because if I come to a problem I can post it here rather than start a new thread.

Yeah I hear ya, you get good flex with the lift and tire combo?

truth be told I havent really flexed it. I haven't had a chance to go out on trails yet. and nothing around the house really to flex it on. I've only got to play around in some mud.

just realized i never stated why its salvaged. well two people have owned the jeep before me, the first didn't do any damage. but the second owner managed to hit a deer, than a car, than another deer. the second deer is what totaled the jeep. as far as I'm concerned, its in great shape! i don't believe there is any frame damage or anything. but if you guys know of anything i should check out associated with front end damage, let me know!

well the Nates 4x4 bumper should be here monday. i didn't order it with light tabs but he called and said they accidentally put them on. so i get free light tabs :thumbup:

got the bumper today, hopefully I can get it primed and painted tonight.

I'm loving the bumper who makes it?