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So I figured since I have been so gun hoe about my build lately I might want to start a build thread to give everyone an insight of what I'm doing. So here it is.
The way she was when we bought her. (Spoiler! 2DR Power Lock and Window XJ 134,xxx Miles with 4.6 stroker and already geared. And I did the work prior to it being this way, somehow found it years later for sale. The Jeep missed me I guess :P)
This is what happen shortly after getting her. Inspection of the Horribly swaying suspension.
On this pic if you can figure out whats not right, you have the mechanics eye ;P
Next replaced all the junk with new shiny. (Process was not photographed....)
Leafs were a little much. for height.
Parked in its usual spot.
Crazy Rear Height.
So in went the No-Lift Shackle Relocation Bracket.
Instantly better.
Then the 27 spline 8.25 was crying a river, so I yanked it out. It didn't go easily. I somehow stuck itself on the leafs.
Here lays the dirty 29 spline 8.25 I pulled, waiting to go in once the blasted 8.25 would come off the guide pins for the leafs.
Put in quick disconnects and some rubicon express mono shocks as well along with extended brake lines. Also by the lugs you can tell I bought some new 33" Cooper STT's for it but for the life of me I don't have any pix yet of it with the new tires but it looks pretty much the same.
The old 33" Coopers STT's were looking a little rough.
Then I prettied up the plastic in the front.
Then sold my Currie Steering to KevinC506 and bought me some Smexy Serious Offroad UTK insert kit.
Then had a oops while driving down the highway 50 miles freshly after installing and some how it sheared the cotter pin and almost came loose. Ended up fixing it real quick and have been battling it since but this is due to my horrible drilling of the holes for the inserts but I have replacement knuckles ready for it.
Thats what I can think of right now so I will ramble off all my parts I have stocked and waiting for a good time to go in.
New 3 Row Radiator - Going in soon
New Tranny Cooler - Going in soon
New Power doors that aren't crunched in. (I have 2 sets)
New Rear Hatch
New Front Fenders
New Rear Quarter Panels
New Floor pans Front to Rear.
New Seats, Front and Rear
Interior out of a 2000 XJ 2dr (Basically all the plastic, not the dash or center console)
New Side Glass.
2x6 Rockers
Ford 8.8 with mounts ready for install
Ford 8.8 C-Clip Eliminator and Crush Sleeve Eliminator.
New Gears front D30 and Rear 8.8. (Currently is geared already but I'm not happy with it) A diamond in the rough find. Bought a scrap XJ and it had a 4.9 Stroker, Fresh rebuilt AW4, Fresh 231 SYE. Vehicle was a Auction for wrecked insurance claims. I bought the XJ for $1000. It should do nicely since I planned to take out my stroked 4.6 engine and tranny to rebuild them since the kid that owned this jeep trashed it before I owned it again. So now it gives me an excuse to build another Jeep in the future Shhhh don't tell the misses
But more too come, slow and steady. I have had this jeep and done all this so far on it in about a years time so hopefully this summer I will have it repainted and sexy again.
Radiator and Tranny Cooler are getting delivered today.
Also forgot to mention I have Brown Dog motor mounts that are going in, also a knock off Banks Revolver Header from Crown that actually looks beefier than the real deal. I bought from Performance-Curve the 2.5" Hi Flow Cat 400 hole. I am torn about doing a glass pack or just straight piping it. Don't kill me for this idea but I want to do dual outlet, tucked under the fender and dumping out at an angle on both sides like this fine gentlemen has it
. Unsure about the tips, either dual tips on both sides or 3" single tips. Extra smooth surface so It doesn't bark when letting off of it. That should be done within the next month or 2.
Last edited by Codenamefa; 04-09-2015 at 02:10 PM.
Well the radiator and the tranny cooler go in today.
Das Radiator!!
Trans Cooler mounted in place.
Notice the white screws that attache the Trans Cooler, Those holes were stock, I may have bought a legit trans cooler off ebay and the guy didn't realize it was actually stock.
Picture of pre-fitment since Champion is known to need a notched radiator support.
She Scrapes Captain!!
Notch. Check.
Tranny line removal with the bird salute.
Everything seems to be coming along nicely.
Hmmm Good line layout. Remember boys and girls tranny out goes in the bottom so you fill the cooler and it flows out the top.
Re-assemble. Check for leaks.
Guess what leaked???? BLASTED THERMOSTAT HOUSING!!!! *$%(&$#... Lucky for me thats the only thing I cracked lol. *Correction also broke off a bolt on the radiator support for mounting which was surprising that it just snapped that easy it was less torque than what I put on the AW4 tranny pan bolts.
After a nice test drive.... well lets be realistic.. I beat the living hell out of it to see if the lines held and temps stayed in good range.
A/C running and just after ripping thru the gears up to 85 mph. Also I used a 180F thermostat. Also was 82F today.
Also Due to this being an aluminum radiator and every vehicle that I have ever run a true aluminum radiator in used the green stuff and it corroded from the inside out and started leaking after about 2 years, I decided to give the Orange stuff a run for its money. And yes I did flush the system with the old radiator in it and also drained the block 3 times, hence the hose under the jeep lol. So no green can possibly be contaminating the orange and it should be a boss.
Also I used Valvoline MaxLife Dexron/Merc for the tranny refill since I took the time to drain it and drop the pan to replace the gasket since I was putting in the new tranny cooler. Might as well have fresh happy fluid in there, and a not so leaky AW4 lol.
And I just realized we have put on 20,000 miles since we brought her home.
Anyways thats all for today folks
Also its freaking storming now and hailing.
Last edited by Codenamefa; 04-12-2015 at 07:40 PM.
Figured I would update this thing since I have been collecting parts as of late.
Current Inventory of parts.
Both NEW Front Fenders. $35 a piece
NEW Header Panel. $45
2 hoods to Create a steel cowl hood.
3 Sets of Jeep Cherokee 2 door doors.
New Rear hatch.
Full Front Floor Pan.
Full Rear Floor Pan.
New Rear Fenders. (yes you read right)
Custom HID projector headlights. (Ebay $365)
Flowkooler Water Pump.
RobertShaw High flow thermostat 195*
Replacement 3 row Champion Radiator(First one was defective) 3 Fan and shroud and relay kit.
Brown dog mounts that I yet to install
Crown's Fake Banks Revolver Header.
Performance-Curve the 2.5" Hi Flow Cat 400 hole
New Steering Knuckles to fix my insert issue.
New 1 ton TRE's to fix what the spinning inserts messed up.
Clayton Long arm upgrade with belly pan.
Artec Dana 30 Truss with Johnny Joints.
Nitro Dana 30 Chromo Axles 27 spline Axles
Ten Factory HD 8.25 29 spline Axles.
Liberty Rear Brake Conversion kit. Slotted and drilled rotors.
Synergy Rear spring mounts.
new Boomerang shackles.
U-Bolt Eliminator. No Lift. My machinist made it for me for cheap.
Gaskets Galore - Anything Jeep Gasket related lol.
Ya I have alot of stuff sitting around waiting to go on.
I finally will be trying to cut that list down here on October 18th thru 22nd. 5 Days of freedom.
Lots of pix hopefully.
Last edited by Codenamefa; 10-09-2015 at 04:28 PM.
Just a little update as to what I have been doing and what is done so far.
Replacement radiator and 3 fan and shroud fitted and ready for final install. (Modifications required to make it fit properly with the power steering gearbox and the top brace.)
High Flow Thermostat Housing and RobertShaw Thermostat.
Brown Dog Motor Mounts installed
Comparison to the old Motor mount that was allowing the motor to do a ganster lean when you got on it.
My fenders came in correct but my Header panel was some engine splash shield for a 2014 Cherokee. Surprisingly enough the company that I bought from is letting me keep the splash shield which retails at like $200 bucks so win for me lol I should have the header panel on Tuesday.
The 4.9 Stroker motor that I got out of the wrecked jeep for cheap ended up being a cash cow and I sold to some local guy for $3500 and got to keep the fresh rebuilt tranny and the transfer case. So I ended up Buying the Titan 4.8 kit which I have put together but will be over at Harry Heads getting tuned and possibly balanced depending if I go turbo or if I stay naturally aspirated. I changed the valve train a little bit on it, I put a Voodoo Cam into it. Hopefully here soon I'll have my current 4.6ish stroker out and have that rebuilt and then possibly someone on here might get it unless I find another Cherokee 2 door.
Also.... Doors.... Lots....
I think I have a door problem lol I have more doors then I have jeep. And they are all power doors And if you look close to the bottom and the bottom right you see my new Tie Rods and a portion of a knuckle with the insert sticking out of it. Those are going in probably Sunday or Monday. Not sure. Also the header I bought goes on either one of those days.
More pictures to come.
Also to add note. I sold my 8.8 with the perches and the chomo c-clip eliminator since I decided if I go bigger that I'm going to go full on JK Rubicon D44 front and rear, Seems more cost effective since my resources to find a JK Rubicon D44 has become almost an unlimited supply for decent price.
Anyways, good night all.
Last edited by Codenamefa; 10-23-2015 at 12:40 AM.
Just a little update. Got everything completely sorted out. Header is in. Fans work awesome. Not sure how effective they are but it does certainly seem like it pulls alot more air at low speeds compared to the mechanical fan with the aux fan.
Header. Crown version of Banks Revolver.
Clearance from the fans to the pulleys
How much has to be cut in order for the fill cap to clear when you have the 3 row radiator and 3 fan shroud attached.
Relay's and wiring Laid out.
I plan to make all my wires water tight but for now it should do for a week or so.
Also for those with the sharp eye, Yes I bought one of those 2 x 3/8 in-line tubes for my switches and I have my middle fan run at a different temp then the outside fans. If memory serves, 176 on 161 off for the middle fan and 185 on 165 off on the other fans. Also have a override put in place but not attached in the dash yet so if I plan to offroad it is running all the time. Funny enough the 185 switch doesn't actually kick on till about 200 and the 176 kicks on right at exactly 176. Odd but I won't argue with it.
Also for those of you that are wondering if the Flowkooler High Flow Water pump and High flow housing and a Robert Shaw thermostat is a good match up.
The answer. Yes... very much so.... without the fans I didn't ever get past 210.
And as for the Crown vs Banks. Honestly I don't see the difference, but I will have my exhaust done here soon so you can hear the tones of 2.5 collector to 2.5 down pipe to 2.5 high flow cat then to 3" all the way to back. Possibly dual exit both sides as I play the redneck card alot at work lol.
For a motor that has been thru hell and back it certainly is happy with all the upgrades and repairs.
Just to throw some useful information out their. Recently built a Honda cr250, those being all aluminum you haft to use silicate free coolant or else pump seals get eaten away, and the jug, and radiators corrode . The only known silicate free coolant I could find was peak coolant. Blue jug, red cap.
So I have put almost a 1000 miles on this cooling system and so far I am impressed, it runs smooth, keeps cool, and with the new header installed and the bored throttle body with what exhaust I had on there prior which if memory serves was a turbo muffler and a basic cat it is pretty beefy sounding and feels like it has regained some old momentum. Next spring tho I pull this motor out and I slap in my stroker motor which I will be taking pictures of hopefully soon.
I swapped in my new knuckles, the replacement tie rods for my serious offroad kit, new wheel bearings. And my axles nitro front and Ten Factory rear. Got my Rear Disc Conversion from a Liberty put on. This thing stops on a dime now! Also have my Clayton long arm laid out and ready for install. I might do that next week or its going to have to be some time in December.
Anyways I didn't get any pictures of the process but I will get some pictures of everything when I get the long arm on.
Left on the list to put on.
Both NEW Front Fenders. $35 a piece - Waiting for spring
NEW Header Panel. $45 - Waiting for spring
2 hoods to Create a steel cowl hood. - Building thru the winter then installing in the spring
3 Sets of Jeep Cherokee 2 door doors. - Getting installed hopefully next weekend
New Rear hatch. - Next weekend hopefully.
Full Front Floor Pan. - Spring
Full Rear Floor Pan. - Spring
New Rear Fenders. (yes you read right) - Spring
Custom HID projector headlights. (Ebay $365) - Hopefully this weekend.
Performance-Curve the 2.5" Hi Flow Cat 400 hole
Clayton Long arm upgrade with belly pan. - Very Soon
Artec Dana 30 Truss with Johnny Joints. - During the winter
Synergy Rear spring mounts. - Spring with the floor pans
new Boomerang shackles. - Whenever I decide I want the rear to sit 1 more inch lower to match the front.
U-Bolt Eliminator. No Lift. My machinist made it for me for cheap. - during this winter.
Gaskets Galore - Anything Jeep Gasket related lol. - Whenever it needs one
Done so far. Flowkooler Water Pump.
RobertShaw High flow thermostat 195*
Replacement 3 row Champion Radiator(First one was defective) 3 Fan and shroud and relay kit.
Brown dog mounts that I yet to install
Crown's Fake Banks Revolver Header.
New Steering Knuckles to fix my insert issue.
New 1 ton TRE's to fix what the spinning inserts messed up.
Wheel Bearings
Nitro Dana 30 Chromo Axles 27 spline Axles
Ten Factory HD 8.25 29 spline Axles.
Liberty Rear Brake Conversion kit. Slotted and drilled rotors.
Also awaiting on delivery of a few new items
SYE -$100 off Craigslist. Guy never installed it. His loss my gain. Also have a front driveshaft laying around that will work for the task.
Napier Fender flares should be delivered soon as well.
And as for the Crown vs Banks. Honestly I don't see the difference, but I will have my exhaust done here soon so you can hear the tones of 2.5 collector to 2.5 down pipe to 2.5 high flow cat then to 3" all the way to back.
Where did you get/order this Crown header? How much?
04-09-2015, 03:50 AM
Silver Streak 2DR XJ Build/Restore
4.9 Stroker
, Fresh rebuilt AW4, Fresh 231 SYE. Vehicle was a Auction for wrecked insurance claims. I bought the XJ for $1000. It should do nicely since I planned to take out my stroked 4.6 engine and tranny to rebuild them since the kid that owned this jeep trashed it before I owned it again. So now it gives me an excuse to build another Jeep in the future 
Shhhh don't tell the misses 
