Hello all, since I like posting pictures I figured I would start one of these. This will also be a good way to get input from the Cherokee crowd on build direction… So comments are encouraged!

Back-story: I’ve owned tons of fun money pit cars… 93’ Mustang 5.0, 82’ Monte Carlo SS, 325is, A4, 944, and more recently I’ve been turning wrenches on turbocharged Subaru‘s. I have owned one 4x4 a 4-Runner and my girlfriend for the last 6 years had/has a 95 XJ… can I blame her for the money I spend on this build?

The Build: The 96 XJ I picked up for $500... somehow this jeep is on its 3rd engine and that made the previous owners quite fed up with the jeep, so I offered to take it off their hands. The engine is only 2 years old but somehow it leaks oil from everywhere, the stock suspension was shot, tires were bald, but other than that it was solid.

1996 Cherokee SE (4.0, AW4, 231, d30/d35)





Then I put on the 4.5” Rustys kit with some 33” Duratrac’s







Some poser shots... that's full stuff, better get to trimming



The lift install took me 10 hours, I’ve also put on a Rustys steering box brace, swapped out the dummy light cluster for a standard one, and done a lot of regular maintenance type stuff. Oh and sooner or later I'll be fixing the numerous oil leaks.

Immediate plans are to get rid of weak rear-end, recovery points, trim up the fenders, SYE, get upper control arms, and a bunch of cheap fixes like BPE’s… I’m sure I’m forgetting something so please chime in with suggestions and experience.

Future plans are long arms, regearing, lockers, armor, winch, cosmetics, and other non-necessity toys.

 

Looks really goood

 

Very nice build so far. Any rubbing when flexing and turning with the 33's?

 

Wish new Jersey had nice views like that. There's nowhere rewarding in Jersey. BTW, does that one picture happen to be in front of a ski slope, or an odd mountain?
Oh, and Good Luck with the build

 

Thanks!

Before I even got out of the garage I had to sawzall off about an inch behind the front tire to turn. So yes. I will need to ditch the flares and trim some metal before hitting any trail.

That mountain is Sugarbowl Resort, where I work and live... we get retarded amounts of snow as you can tell from the 20ft snowbank. I came out here from the east coast and never turned back.

 

Thanks for the info. I thought you would.

I live just down the road in the foothills and we got dumped on this year too. Truckee got crazy snow this year that there might be a little more tomorrow too. The lifts will be open until the 4th of July this year.

 

More snow than we've had for almost 30 years and about another foot on it's way tonight and tomorrow... We just extended our closing date till May 1st.

I want it all gone so I can go wheeling and camping!

 

Help me out! I'm looking at bumpers to solve my recovery point problem. I like nates4x4 front bumper and the jcr stage 2. Anyone have any sugestions for bumpers around that price range? 300-400 shipped?

 

I am all over the Backbone Bumper System http://detoursusa.com/xjbackbone.php as I just ordered one after looking for a few months (well I did not have any money so I looked) and I thnk it is the best deal and you keep you stock bumper too. Mark is easy to work with.

Check it out and let us all know what you think.

 

I looked at that and I like it... The problem is I wanted to get rid of the stock bumper. I think I'm sold on jcr I'm just waiting for another sale.

 

Trimmed up one of my wheel wells today... took me about 2 hours to get my passenger rear done. I think I could have been more meticulous but it turned out fine, after all I'll just throw fender flairs over them sooner or later.

Before and after



Flex test confirmed, lots more room


I'll have to touch up the paint/bedliner as soon as its warmer, it was kinda a waste of time doing it today. You can see it pealing in that last picture... oh well.

 

It's going to be warm by the end of the week so that might help. Plenty of room in the back now man. You going to put the stock flares back on when you are done cutting?

 

Yeah I'm really missing the flairs... I liked the stock body and large tire look. But in the end I'll take function over beauty. Maybe I'll stick my stock ones back on and see how they look, I've really only seen one person do a clean job of mounting stock ones higher. Aftermarket flairs might be in my distant future.

The weather is suppose to warm up... I'm stoked!

 

how much did you pay for your tires and lift kit?(if you dont mind me asking im trying to gather money so i will get it done right when i do mine)

 

This plus size to the Detours stuff, is that it gives you a great base to build off of. If you do a little search around on the forum here, you can find a lot of ideas. You can make your bumper the way you want it. Plus its a cheaper way to have a winch mount/recovery point on the cheap until you decide what is best for you.