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great forum and glad i found it as i just purchased a Cherokee and looking to do some basic off roads mods without going crazy money wise. the Cherokee is a 2001 with 130,000 miles in great shape from what i can tell so far.
initially i want to get tires, lights, skid plates, recovery points an maybe a basket on top along with a 3'' lift kit for starters. is there anything else i can do to improve off road handling ?
First mod I did before getting offroad was to add recovery points front and rear. Most Cherokees don't come with them stock and the last thing you want when you get stuck is to be stranded with zero points to hook a strap or winch up to.
Nice looking XJ. You are on the other side of the country so I couldn't begin to guess what you will want or need. You can probably find some out of the way spots to explore and decide what you need or want most. I'd suggest taking it out as it is and enjoying it.
The build threads that I really enjoy reading are when someone such as yourself gets a jeep and wheels it. Makes a change and wheels it some more. I had a little '84 4 banger and was really impressed with it even stock.
Enjoy it and take pictures of where you are, some poser shots too, and of course post up changes as you make them.
Congrats on your purchase, and welcome to the forum. The first thing I'm going to suggest is to get all of your basic maintenance done first before starting any mods. You'll get to know your new ride better, and have a solid base to work from. It will also give you the chance to figure out what things need more attention than others...So, fluids and filter services, tune up, and a general inspection of wear items, brakes, ball joints, steering and suspension, etc....then start on your mods. Focus on recovery points and body protection as others have said. Then start doing the fun stuff. Have fun!
For your 3" Lift have a look at the one from Rustys Off Road 3" full leaf/spring kit they have AG quality springs and leafs American made that hold up well over time. Those are what your paying for in any entry level lift kit and the most important ones.
If you will do a small amount of trimming you can run 33x12:50x15" tires on 15x8" wheels with 3 /3/4-4" of BS.
Here is my 99 with 3" lift and 33" tires.
For recovery points have a look at these low cost high quality bumpers with them roxolidtrailarmor,com .
Then plan on a rocker sliders a must for off road use to save on your rocker panels.
Her is mine with a 4 1/2" lift with the sliders.
Last edited by Fred/N0AZZ; 11-04-2014 at 10:05 AM.
Welcome to the circus. I think the first questions you should ask yourself are what exactly you're looking to do with it, what size tires you want to run, and how much you're willing to spend (roughly). You could dump a lot of money into it, or make a decent rig for cheap money.
My recommendations for first upgrades:
1-Ditch the rear swaybar and buy disconnects for the front
2-trailer hitch for rear recovery point
3-front tow hooks or d rings
Depending on your laws and how you feel about cutting fenders will determine what tire size/ lift you should run.
If you don't mind the tires poking out then you can cut your fenders out and run 31's at stock height, or 33's on a 3" lift. Without trimming 3" lift and 31's is a common setup.
If I could start over again I would cut my fenders and run a 2" lift with 31s or 32s.
Welcome to the circus. I think the first questions you should ask yourself are what exactly you're looking to do with it,
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As far as ''use'' goes i could be best described as a ''casual'' off roader with a HEAVY jeep personality.. i just seem to find a hill or dirt road no matter where i go so i'd like to have the capibility on hand.
As far as ''use'' goes i could be best described as a ''casual'' off roader with a HEAVY jeep personality.. i just seem to find a hill or dirt road no matter where i go so i'd like to have the capibility on hand.
Well Welcome to CF! Another kit to consider is the Rubicon Express 3.5" series. You can put a common set of 31x10.50's on without going crazy. Also a good adjustable track bar as well.
How did you come up with your screen name there?
Well Welcome to CF! Another kit to consider is the Rubicon Express 3.5" series. You can put a common set of 31x10.50's on without going crazy. Also a good adjustable track bar as well.
How did you come up with your screen name there?
Generic SN that ive been using over the years so i can remember it
As far as recovery is concerned, I've been very happy with my stuff from Detours ( http://detoursusa.com ). Knucklebone tire carrier out back with the alternative C3R recovery point. And just installed a Backbone winch plate/recovery system. Beefy, well made and well priced.
As far as recovery is concerned, I've been very happy with my stuff from Detours ( http://detoursusa.com ). Knucklebone tire carrier out back with the alternative C3R recovery point. And just installed a Backbone winch plate/recovery system. Beefy, well made and well priced.
that is a really cool front recovery setup im going to look into that myself
11-04-2014, 08:45 AM
Beginner Off road MODS
