Wilderness XJ Build
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 336
Likes: 59
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6L
Greetings from an east-coast mountain man (live 20 minutes from Mt Washington, highest peak in the northeast but small compared to your Rockies).
Nice clean functional non-hacked up build! As so many have also said, I'm building a similar style DD I but went in a different direction regarding the flares. I have to have the tires covered (state law) and didn't want to cut the body (yet) so I opted to use OEM wheels and retain the stock flares. Only problem with the 3" lift is that 31's rub the back flares when I'm out in the wilderness. So now I'm thinking about dropping to 30x9.5x15's. I'll be interested to see yours after you put 32's on. May have to go that route eventually or just go back to 31's. Also like seeing the photos of the flat flares on a 3" lift with 31's.
And that Detours winch mount looks great. I have his Tailbone swing away rear bumper (not installed yet).
Keep up the awesome work and the build thread.
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: NH (White Mountain region)
Year: 1997
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 I6
Thanks for the mountain man greetings! I like the stock flares, but the biggest reason I went to the Bushwackers is because of rubbing only when flexing as you experience. I like them more now that I have them and they definitely keep the tires covered with my back spacing. I'll update this thread with my tire changes in about 50-60k miles.
I'm also jealous of your location. I was north of Steamboat Springs near the WY border a couple years ago and it's definitely awesome terrain. I love our NH mountains but they don't compare to the Rockies. Ever been up to Banff in Alberta?
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 336
Likes: 59
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6L
50-60k before a tire update...not sure I'm going to wait that long. But after looking at your setup I am rethinking my tire/wheel/flare options.
I'm also jealous of your location. I was north of Steamboat Springs near the WY border a couple years ago and it's definitely awesome terrain. I love our NH mountains but they don't compare to the Rockies. Ever been up to Banff in Alberta?
I'm also jealous of your location. I was north of Steamboat Springs near the WY border a couple years ago and it's definitely awesome terrain. I love our NH mountains but they don't compare to the Rockies. Ever been up to Banff in Alberta?
I love the Rockies and don't think I can leave them. Banff is very high on my hit list and I've been wanting to go there for the past several years now. I just want to go for more than a few days.
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 336
Likes: 59
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6L
Thanks! I'm a neat-freak (except for when it comes to my desk) and I've always paid attention to details - no matter what I'm doing.
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 336
Likes: 59
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6L
So I put the new battery in and ***** still won't start. Thankfully I parked on the hilly part of our driveway so I could pop start it. Runs fine. I went to town to drop off my old battery to get my core charge back and had them test the new one - it passed all tests. So, that means my starter went bad, too. When it rains, it poors I guess.
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
I ran out of zip ties to hold my swaybar and disconnects when on trail. I've been wanting to come up with a way of securing securing them that doesn't involve a bungee cord or zip ties. So, a couple of friends came over for the day and we came up with a way to use the JKS posts that supposedly can only be used on TJs or Cherokees if you have the stock skidplate. Since I have neither, we made a way for them to work.
Bottom view looking up:
It was really quite simple. There was already a threaded hole in the frame at the right spot. I have no idea what it was designed to hold, but we commandeered it. We tapped it for a 3/8 16 thread and bought a 1-inch bolt for it. Bought a 1/4 20 eye-bolt that was 3-inches long. Ran a nut all the way to the end of the threads of the eye-bolt and then ran the eye-bolt through the post and secured it with a nut inside the post. That keeps the post from falling off. Next, we put a 1/2-inch spacer and grommet inside the eye and ran the bolt through a washer and then the spacer and into the threaded holes.
Here's a bottom view looking up at the mounted posted:
We used a spacer so the eye-bolt can swing around the bolt without the bolt coming out. This allowed the post to be out of the way of the swaybar when connected:
The rubber grommet keeps the eye-bolt from freely spinning around the bolt when driving. It adds just enough pressure to keep it all in place.
Now disconnecting the JKS links are just as easy as they were when I had my TJ!
Bottom view looking up:
It was really quite simple. There was already a threaded hole in the frame at the right spot. I have no idea what it was designed to hold, but we commandeered it. We tapped it for a 3/8 16 thread and bought a 1-inch bolt for it. Bought a 1/4 20 eye-bolt that was 3-inches long. Ran a nut all the way to the end of the threads of the eye-bolt and then ran the eye-bolt through the post and secured it with a nut inside the post. That keeps the post from falling off. Next, we put a 1/2-inch spacer and grommet inside the eye and ran the bolt through a washer and then the spacer and into the threaded holes.
Here's a bottom view looking up at the mounted posted:
We used a spacer so the eye-bolt can swing around the bolt without the bolt coming out. This allowed the post to be out of the way of the swaybar when connected:
The rubber grommet keeps the eye-bolt from freely spinning around the bolt when driving. It adds just enough pressure to keep it all in place.
Now disconnecting the JKS links are just as easy as they were when I had my TJ!
where can i buy that bracket for the track bar?!?!
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 336
Likes: 59
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6L
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 336
Likes: 59
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6L
I replaced my starter today - got an after market imported one with a lifetime warranty for $65 at the auto parts store rather than an OEM one from the dealer for $190 with a one year warranty. Thought I would change my leaky oil filter adapter gasket while I was there, but didn't have a torx that would fit a wrench so that'll have to wait.
Last edited by WillyXJ; Oct 13, 2013 at 06:55 PM.
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: North Dakota
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Just bought my first Cherokee chili pepper red also looking to do a build like yours looks awesome, is yours the aal or full packs
Last edited by Ksawyer; Jun 10, 2013 at 08:51 PM. Reason: Asked a question
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 336
Likes: 59
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6L
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 336
Likes: 59
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6L
Wow. It's been more than a year already since my last post. Lots changed in life, but not much for *****. We ended up moving to the city and another job change which all put this build on hold. But, now that Labor Day weekend has come and gone, I'm now jazzed to get back to the build. So, I put some 3" lower bump stops on to keep me from rubbing some more. And here's a couple of pictures of ***** in his natural environment.
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 336
Likes: 59
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Golen 4.6L
Nice! You beat me to the lights. The LED light bars seem to becoming more popular these days for their low draw and high output. I'd like to have a mixture of long range and flood lights up top, but I'm not sure if the light bars can do that. Since you have one, does it output the same or is there a mixture between flood and long range?
CF Veteran
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 9,897
Likes: 2
From: shawnee,ks
Year: 1993
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Most companies offer combo pattern bars, check out our selection.
http://olympusoffroad.3dcartstores.c...ting_c_12.html
http://olympusoffroad.3dcartstores.c...ting_c_12.html