Hey guys, just wondering how many guys out there have done a SMC swap in their jeeps? I am thinking about doing it and have some good links for info but its a company selling all of the parts that is giving the info "very high priced" wondering if anyone has advice on how to do a good job but not completely break the bank!?

Project - 1998 Jeep Cherokee 4.0, 4x4 going to have 8.5" of lift total and eventually put 35's on it.

Donor Truck - 1998 Chevy Silverado 4x4

Any suggestions or help pointing me in the right direction would be much appreciated!!!

The Website i have and have gotten most of my info from is
http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/xj_swap.htm

Thank you for your time!! Hope i can get this project done some day!!!

 

1. can you weld?
2. can you do wiring?
3. can you modify **** that is probably not going to fit, to fit?
4. Axles? Transmission? Tcase?

 

This.

 

Im a pretty good welder, i have a manufacturing engineering degree so id like to think im pretty good at modifying things. Should i keep with my jeep Tcase and danas or would it be much easier to just basically take all drive train out of the chevy and put it under the jeep? Most likely would need to have drive shafts made the correct length, if it would even be possible in the first place.

 

I'd probably just swap the whole drivetrain.

 

Has anyone done a full swap? If so is there any info on what to do/not to do? Any guesses on what all it would need done? Trying to figure out if i want to buy the silverado or not... trying to justify spending this much money is kinda hard lol.

 

One thing tho.... Aren't 98 Chevys chicken wings (ifs)? Not sure on the pumpkin drop side either. Your kinda opening a big can o worms trying this

 

If it's IFS I wouldn't even attempt it honestly. Not even worth it. The pumpkin drop shouldn't be a huge deal as long as it's the whole drivetrain going in.

 

That's what I'm saying...98=ifs

 

I would swap the transfer case because most likely it's push button unless you can wire up the module for it and all the wiring. It would be neat if it worked though. It is a drivers drop case so that won't be a problem. If it's got a handle, swap away and mod the linkage.

The rear diff would be too wide for a XJ. You can find a Explorer 8.8 and put it in. There are threads here that gives you an idea on how to do it.

Check my build thread in my sig to see mine go together.

 

I concur. It is IFS.

But since you have a donor, why not just purchase the adapters?

 

Here's mine:
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1007477

 

I've been looking into doing this swap for a bit, and it really looks like novak knows what they are doing. I will most likely buy the everything they sell to do the swap to make it as simple and clean as I can.

I want a 383 stroker, aluminum heads, comp cam, block hugger headers, forged internals, and an edelbrock proflo injection kit. Im aiming for 450hp(at least)

 

Ah damn... didn't think about the IFS... I would of realized it about 20 minutes into the chevy tear down lol. Does anyone in the Kansas area on here happen to have a jeep body i can borrow for a while? Cursing myself because i had 2 donor jeeps but sold the land they were on so i scrapped them. Now im in need of a mock up jeep so my Daily isn't out of commission for a long time.

 

That's was a nice build. I now regret selling my 5.3L engine 6 months before I got my xj and it had less than 1000 miles that I installed in my K5. All I have left is the trans/transfer case :'(