Cyriac

So here I am... stoked to go lift my diesel XJ at a friend's garage.

I have been waiting months for my RC lift to arrive from the US and this morning I head to out to finally install it!

But then bam! The alternator seizes up on me at a red light... I try to free it up by banging on the fan with a rod but after several attempts (and turning it slowly for 30 mins) the belt snapped off.

I cursed and now I'm depressed, I drove back on the battery and now my XJ is sitting in my garage with a semi-seized up alt, missing a belt, leaking oil between the engine bloc and tranny, a bent frame from a previous collision, a broken clutch fan...

I'm fed up and tired that my XJ is in this state and I'm thinking about selling it for parts, selling the lift kit and just sending all this crap to hell...

But I have such mixed feelings, I love driving it when it has no problems... It's my first car and look at him! He's just asking for fun!



This is such a bad day. :-(

my89xj

Think on it for awhile, we all go through this. My xj is lifted and everything is breaking, but hey it should go out in style.

jeepboy4life

if your gunna see it...how much for the bull bar?

Xj88

If you sell it youll go through serious depression, and become a borderline alcoholic..I did.. But then I bought another a day later and im a new man!

Anthony'90XJ

On another note, how do you like the Silverstone tires? When my Boggers wear out I'm going to be looking for a cheaper alternative tire.

Cyriac

A couple YouTube videos make me want to have a lifted XJ for sure... But wouldn't I be better off with a less damaged XJ? I'd only be able to afford another XJ by making money off this one... but it's 180k miles old (290,000 km) and the frame is bent.

I rang up a Jeep parts shop and they (obviously) aren't interested seeing it's age and mileage and told me to sell it for parts on ebay or dump it in a Junkyard...

Well, I love the bull bar, I'd keep it for the next XJ! Even if I wanted to sell it, would you be willing to pay for the trans-Atlantic shipping fees??? haha

You became depressive and a borderline alcoholic overnight? I can understand... Happy that you went through that quickly, though I'm sure that like any good Jeeper, you're still a borderline alcoholic!!! ;-)

--

I can't stand losing this XJ, it's my first car and has huge sentimental value to me. I'm even wondering if another XJ would be as good as this one (handling, sounds, etc) !! But fixing it is just going to be too expensive! The price of a fan clutch and an alternator alone is half that of a stock XJ here...

Could it be the end of my XJ's adventures? :-(


They're not Silverstones! They're actually cheap Spanish Fedima tires, the "Sirocco" model... ;-) I'll be keeping those for the next XJ, they're really good! I haven't had a chance to test them in very deep mud yet though.

jeepboy4life

Yes, i have been searching for one for a year now and have not found one, i have the ability to design one but idk how they mount. They dont make or sell them over here for XJ's

jeepboy4life

Never mind on that trans-Atlantic shipping, i did not realize that it would cost me some where are 700 dollars

Mace350

Mmmmmm diesel XJ
I would fix it, its not that hard to do by yourself and you will have a better bond with it.

sthon

How bent is the unibody? If it's bad don't even bother lifting it. Take what you can off it and find a new body.

DieselD

One thing you have to consider in your situation (I was there in February when I got hit) is that IF you sell it off and buy another there's a strong possibility that IT will have its own problems. Could be better could be worse.

I want a diesel xj

Cyriac

They are mounted onto the bottom bumper bolts with a bent sheet metal bracket. The top is mounted in between the bumper and grille but I haven't looked into how exactly it is mounted inside...

Perhaps, replacing an alt or fan clutch is surely accessible, but fixing a tranny leak? I think I'd do it if I had the money, tools, time and knowledge, but then again there's the frame...

It's bad, the rear end got bent when I hit a tree backwards and the hitch bent the left frame rail down... It can't be fixed. This of course lowered the left shackle support bracket and the stock leaf spring compensated for that. Therefore I'm afraid that with the new leafs the XJ will be tilted to the side...

It's true. I think that there are XJs out there in better shape though...

Diesel XJs are much more popular here, actually it's the 4.0s that are rare. 5-speed 4.0s are even rarer. I have only found 2 on a website in France in 1 year's of searching...


I should start a diesel XJ export business!

DirtRoadXJ

Drop in a new alternator and put that lift on. You will be happy afterward. Its easy to stop caring when **** keeps breaking. But you will regret it afterwards.

Anthony'90XJ

Amen

Mace350

It's really not that hard to fix a tranny leak or a rear main leak with basic tools but if the frame is too bad then find a used body with a blown motor and put in yours...gas or diesel doesn't matter because you have everything you need. If your not up for it then part it out and wait till another comes along. I assumed you were driving it bent and it was not bad? Personally I would pull the tranny and put a new front trans seal, and put a new rear main seal in as well. Then again I would fab a custom shackle to level the rear, as long as its straight. Pull the alt apart and buy new bushings.