300blk

hey guys I am looking to get rid of my prostreet mustang and buy my first xj! any advice on what to look for and what to avoid would be greatly appreciated. I would like to start with a budget of around 5k for my purchase and work my way up. the car will mainly be used for trails with soft sand in az. thanks for any help and putting up with a newbie!

helmut

I say get one thats already built. But many people think thats stupid. I wish thats what I did. Depends on a person. 2000 and 2001 have a 0331 head that might crack (mine did). Best year is 1997-1999 as it has high pinion d30 thats stronger up front. Look at the rear axle to make sure its a 8.25 not a d35. Besides that its the usuall. Check for rust.

300blk

thank you, I have considered doing exactly what you said and buying built. I also considered a v8 swap ( I have a few built already) but am is that overkill?

helmut

That I dont know anything about.

Ianf406

I personally would rather buy a stock one and build it myself. 1- to gain the hands on in case something breaks. 2- To know how it all went together in case something breaks. 3- I beat mine up quite a bit.. just not on the surface.. more than likely a built one has been as well. 4- You get to choose the parts that fit you best. 5- To me it's an integral part of owning a Jeep. But to each their own.

Like Helmut said, look for rust- especially in the floorboard area. I think 99 is the best year- more HP than its predecessors and still has the high pinion dana 30/reliable head. I've had a few now and the old renix are harder to track down problems (for me) the new interior is better.

Plenty of people do V8 swaps, have seen a couple diesel swaps, there are super-charger/turbo kits. I personally have a stroker. Part of that choosing what fits you best

300blk

who has a good stroker kit? my lil mustang has a 418 strokern great way to make torque. if I start from stock who has the best budget friendly suspension kit? thanks for all the info!

Ianf406

Many on this forum bash their design but Ive ran an Iron Rock Offroad lift for along time- Almost 5 years/150,000 miles. Granted most of the miles have been on the road but with it Ive done most of the trails at Moab and countless trips here in MT/WY. I'm not easy on it and have yet to have a problem with it. Check out the link in my signature for some other options. Definitely spend the cash to get a long arm whatever you do. Keep in mind, most of us have built ours over many years. With a lift comes tires/bigger axles/lockers/gears/armor etc. Just Empty Every Pocket (Jeep). Buying a built one may be cheaper upfront until you have to replace everything.

If you want to build your own Stroker, I'm not sure on those kits. I bought a built one from Golen as I didn't want any Hassel/wanted a warranty. Bolted right in no problem. I'm very happy with it despite the cost. Check out www.jeepstrokers.com There are tons of ways to stroke the 4.0 and some are pretty cheap
(like the "poor mans Stroker" on there)

andrewmp6

I would look for a 91-99 stock as you can find it and look for rust in it.Or if you want a v8 jeep suv have you thought about the jeep grand wagoneer?1991 was the last year for them,But its on a frame its a v8 already and has a pretty big aftermarket.

93_xjcherokee

I got mine already built Cuz I couldn't afford to build one but I don't know exactly what it has done to it. If you can afford it I say get a stock 4x4 4 door and build it yourself that way you know exactly what's in it

300blk

i wwas curious about running a v8 only because i have a few laying around. i wasn't sure if the extra weight and heat would be an issue..

Fred/N0AZZ

As far as yrs. go a 97-99 would be the best choice and I would look for a nice stock one where you can see how its been treated in the past.

I been racing for over 40 yrs. and have lots of spare parts around and 2 complete engines still in the shop. I consider a swap but decided the 4.0 was all that was needed for the XJ and leave the V8's for something else. I have a spare 4.0 now that I'm having rebuilt to a race spec by my race engine builder back to stock only better.

300blk

frame any frame braces anyone can recomend? brands prices etc. ?

Ianf406

If you're talking about the uni-body as far as over flexing/denting etc, I went with the TNT Customs upper and lower stiffeners. They are super stout but I had to drill holes all through them so that I was not welding the thin unibody in two straight lines across its total length.

Here are some for ya to check out. The two favorites seem to be ruffstuff and Dirtbound. Both are forum vendors I believe so you could get a discount.

https://www.tntcustoms.com/jeep_part...iffeners_xj_an
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/XJRAIL.html
http://www.dirtboundoffroad.com/fron...erokee-xj.html - They also have a complete set.
http://hdoffroadengineering.myshopif...-stiffener-set
https://liquidironindustries.com/XJ-...ating-kit.html

CanXJ

Don't let the doom and gloom anti 2000, 2001 guys scare you. I have a 01 and it doesn't have a cracked head. Have it checked out by a good mechanic you trust. There is nothing wrong with the ones that have been properly maintained.

Fred/N0AZZ

On the 00-01's they came with a lot of different things like added EPA things doubled emissions sensors, coil packs along with the LD30 front differential instead of the HD30 in the yrs. up to 99's added clearance and most people swap them out for a HD30 if they wheel a lot.

The 4.0 0331 head on the 00/01 models have issues with heat and cracking that is well documented here and other Jeep sites as well, just one of those facts it seems.