XJ Framed
 

Great to see a cherokee specific forum, I gues i'll start out with a build thred, this is an ongoing project for about a year now, i'm trying to get it finished for this summer.

99xj
Ford HP D60
14 Bolt
Fox 16" coilovers
Front and rear triangulated 4-link
39.5" Iroks on 17" rims.
Frame.

Attachment 382986
Attachment 382987
Attachment 382988
the last days of the XJ being off-road
Attachment 382989

ok Lets get to it, this is After chopping the unibody rails off.
Attachment 382990
Attachment 382991
junk
Attachment 382992
cutting and custom fitting a 2x4x3/16" rectangular tube required.
Attachment 382993
Attachment 382994
once the tubes were bent, and fitted I tacked it all together and did a test fit again to make sure it stil fit.
Attachment 382995
Attachment 382996
Attachment 382997
once I was happy with the fittment It was time to weld it all up, added some fish plates for strength and threw it back under the jeep.
Attachment 382998
Attachment 382999
The motor went back in and new motor mounts fabbed up.
Attachment 383000
after final adjustments of where the frame needed to sit and help 1" body mounts were installed.
Attachment 383001
Fitted the D60 to get ready for the long arm build.
Attachment 383002
Attachment 383003


Got the lower links all tacked in. Now working on the upper links, I got the front truss/link mount tube bent up, just need to install it maybe tonight.
Attachment 383004
Attachment 383005
and the 4-link calculator numbers
Attachment 383006

got the upper links finished today.
Attachment 383007
Attachment 383008
Attachment 383009
came to a clerance issue with driveshaft and upper link. I will need a 2" body lift and I will need to raise the uppers about 1" up higher than they are. I ordered some browndog motor mounts which lift the motor up 1" easier than redoing the motor mounts again.
Attachment 383010
Attachment 383011
Attachment 383012
Attachment 383013
lots of tedious work of getting it right.

dont mind the ducktape, something had to hold my drive shaft in place

Looking good, can't wait to see how it turns out. Welcome to the forum!

Very nice!

Welcome to our forum!

Looking good man. Welcome to the forum.

Wow, I must say I clicked on your thread to come in here and tell you how much of a complete dumbass you are for attempting to put a frame under another XJ but you're actually off to a good start.


The only thing I'd be concerned about is the lack of rigidity in the actual body now and the strength of the body mounting points without the unibody.

What do you think?

what do the body mounts attatch to?

Never thought I'd see the day where an xj really had a body lift. I thought this was going to be like the one on pirate where he put the unibody frame on top of a scout? frame... (which looked terrible) this is much cleaner looking

Curious of this myself. Seems the weight of the body being thrown around would yank the bolts out of the thin floor.

That's sick! I envy you guys that are at that level with fab. Love it!

body mounts are a concern if you leave the thin floor stock, it was my concern as well. right now I have 1/8" plates welded where the mounts are. I will take pictures once I get home, i'm in Kenya at the moment. also there will be a cross brace inside the cab to keep it strong and ridgid. its work in progress still, but I will definetly make the floor strong enough to witstand the forces i just need to get the running gear under the jeep first.

They have the enterwebz in Kenya? :dunno:

Right on!!! You've definitely know what's going on here. Props on the build so far. I'm staying tuned for this one. :thumbup1:


Edit.... due to lowrange pointing out the obvious; oops.

dot dot dot

Can we skip to the end, i wanna see this finished :D

Also another thing i noticed.. where is your steering components?

looks like the early stages of something great!