virginia_jeeper
Craft Beer Explorer
Pretty nifty. I love 2 door cherokee's just not pre 97's...
1995 Two Door Cherokee "Last of the Old Breed"
- Thread starter Sherman134
- Start date
Sherman134
Observer
Found the forestry service maps for Ocala National Forest
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3829924.pdf
Id recommend referencing a Google earth image of ONF while looking at the trail maps to get a better idea of where things are.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3829924.pdf
Id recommend referencing a Google earth image of ONF while looking at the trail maps to get a better idea of where things are.
Van_Homan
Adventurer
"Moving forward, does anyone have any recommendations for mods in the $50 to $100 dollar range?"
How about some body armor?
http://www.jcroffroad.com/product/X...F1t51OKPn7UfSuFV889wpKBcYBiYfXBy88hoCpbXw_wcB
How about some body armor?
http://www.jcroffroad.com/product/X...F1t51OKPn7UfSuFV889wpKBcYBiYfXBy88hoCpbXw_wcB
Sherman134
Observer
I'm liking the direction; however, I would feel strange having armored quarter panes and no Rock sliders. Also, since I live in Florida, my biggest concern regarding body damage would be side-sloping into a tree, and the lower portions of the Cherokee tuck inward behind the tires and are pretty well protected by the other protruding bits of body work. So, regarding armor, Ill just save up and get some sliders.
I have however, been looking into upgrading my SE (bare bones) interior with some of the trim pieces from Cherokee country (wood grain dash/ new door handles etc.), to hopefully freshen up the interior a little. Any opinions?
I am also looking into a three day camping trip over spring break. It wont be a long overland journey, just a fun trip to test out my setup. Other than that, she has been primarily on Daily driver duty, hoping to remedy that with this trip. :smiley_drive:
WrenchMonkey
Mechanical Animal
Really nice rig!
If you haven't figured it out yet, your GPS signal should work anywhere on the planet that you've got a decent view of the sky. It will eat up your phone's battery though.
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BackCountry Navigator is an awesome app that lets you preload satellite and topography while you've got a data signal, save it, and bring it up when you're out in the woods. (Yes, that sounds like a commercial. No, I'm not affiliated! Just really happy with mine...)
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As for your $50-100 ideas, you could try a set of sway bar disconnects. If you haven't tried it yet, you'll be amazed at the difference wheeling. (Disclaimer: I always had a helluva time getting them reconnected. Now I run no sway bar at all, and don't miss it a bit. You'll have to try it n see if you like it...)
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Or, a good charger to keep up with that GPS. The cheap ones may not cut it.
If you haven't figured it out yet, your GPS signal should work anywhere on the planet that you've got a decent view of the sky. It will eat up your phone's battery though.
.
BackCountry Navigator is an awesome app that lets you preload satellite and topography while you've got a data signal, save it, and bring it up when you're out in the woods. (Yes, that sounds like a commercial. No, I'm not affiliated! Just really happy with mine...)
.
As for your $50-100 ideas, you could try a set of sway bar disconnects. If you haven't tried it yet, you'll be amazed at the difference wheeling. (Disclaimer: I always had a helluva time getting them reconnected. Now I run no sway bar at all, and don't miss it a bit. You'll have to try it n see if you like it...)
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Or, a good charger to keep up with that GPS. The cheap ones may not cut it.
WrenchMonkey
Mechanical Animal
Oh, and my 89, nowhere near as pretty as yours:
Sherman134
Observer
Thanks I appreciate it!
I did not know that my Phones gps would continue to work, my main concern was losing data connection, and thus loosing the satellite images of my area. Ill look into that app as it sounds like a pretty solid solution, regardless of what signals my phone is able to receive.
I have disconnected my sway-bars before and it was an amazing difference! So much wheel travel even with my small lift! Since im going to need to be able to drive highway, removing the sway-bar is not an option. I have looked into a set of sway-bar disconnects, but JKS is the only company which makes disconnects for any lift under 3". I was looking into RE's disconnects which are good for 3" and up since my lift is identical in height to a rough country 3 inch lift, i think they would work. Sadly, the cheapest option, rough country, doesn't offer disconnects for anything under 4.5 inches. So Ill have to do some research into what works with my setup.
Regarding the charger, I recently dismantled my previously non-working 12v power outlet and cleaned the contacts, the speed with which I can charge my phone now is amazing! (and occasionally worrying...)
AWESOME! That thing looks like it has some stories to tell!
WrenchMonkey
Mechanical Animal
Every rig, and every driver, is different. But I've daily driven mine, including 65+, for ten years with no swaybar. My stiffer aftermarket springs help, but your low lift will help you too.
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I can't tell you that you'll like it without, but you might. Try it (carefully) and see...
I don't think those sizes are really exact fit. A 3-4" extended link will work fine on your 2-3" lift.
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Another cheap-mod idea: An on-board air compressor. You won't get a great one for that price, but you'll do better than a walmart cheapie.
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As much as the SB disco helps your flex, airing down to ~12psi will do double for your traction. And the compressor will let you air back up to hit the road.
Cheap mods:
- Gas hood struts for easier accessing the engine bay (e.g.: http://bonnet-damper.com/shop/en/)
- Raingler net ( http://www.raingler.com/#!product/prd1/1968464315/patriot,-xj-zj-wj-wk,-02-07-lib-cargo-dividernet )
- Wiring harness with relais for brighter headlights (e.g. http://www.headlightservices.com/Jeep.html )
Many more ideas: http://jeep-xj.info/
Markus
- Gas hood struts for easier accessing the engine bay (e.g.: http://bonnet-damper.com/shop/en/)
- Raingler net ( http://www.raingler.com/#!product/prd1/1968464315/patriot,-xj-zj-wj-wk,-02-07-lib-cargo-dividernet )
- Wiring harness with relais for brighter headlights (e.g. http://www.headlightservices.com/Jeep.html )
Many more ideas: http://jeep-xj.info/
Markus
Sherman134
Observer
This past weekend we went out for some tent camping at Anastasia state park. We had been searching for a campsite for about three weeks and had previously been unsuccessful. Then,on the night before the start of spring break we found a site available from Saturday to Monday. This trip turned out to be an excellent shake-down run for the Jeep and brought up quite a few deficiencies in my setup.
First, while my CB radio can receive signals from very far way, it can only transmit approximately 100 yards or so. I believe it is my grounding, however, I'm not sure how to fix that without drilling into the body of the Jeep. My current mount is a piece of garage door basketry bolted to the top taillight bolt, and will not ground to the body. I found an SWR meter at a local goodwill, however, the calibration dial was busted resulting in false readings. I used another portable CB radio that has already been tuned to test the accuracy of the meter and it was quite a bit off. When i tested it with my system it spiked out every time I tested it. ( the meter subsequently died off completely for no reason and refuses to work with either system.)
Second, my next major purchase will be a Roof basket. while we were first planning this trip, it was looking like we were gong to have to pack four people, a dog, and all of our camping gear into the Jeep. While this may not be a frequently occuring issue for those of you who travel solo, very few of my friends have 4X4's. If I plan on traveling anywhere harsher than a dirt road with them, They'll have to ride with me; Therefore, extra storage is a must. Most importantly though ,I can finally add this Emoji in my signature:safari-rig:since
Anyway, here are some pictures of the trip.
The park rangers drove a newer XJ, sadly, i never got a picture parked next to them.
My sleeping arrangements inside the Jeep, had I gone alone this would have been everything I needed.
Loaded Down
Ill post up a more detailed report of the trip on the Adventure thread later today
First, while my CB radio can receive signals from very far way, it can only transmit approximately 100 yards or so. I believe it is my grounding, however, I'm not sure how to fix that without drilling into the body of the Jeep. My current mount is a piece of garage door basketry bolted to the top taillight bolt, and will not ground to the body. I found an SWR meter at a local goodwill, however, the calibration dial was busted resulting in false readings. I used another portable CB radio that has already been tuned to test the accuracy of the meter and it was quite a bit off. When i tested it with my system it spiked out every time I tested it. ( the meter subsequently died off completely for no reason and refuses to work with either system.)
Second, my next major purchase will be a Roof basket. while we were first planning this trip, it was looking like we were gong to have to pack four people, a dog, and all of our camping gear into the Jeep. While this may not be a frequently occuring issue for those of you who travel solo, very few of my friends have 4X4's. If I plan on traveling anywhere harsher than a dirt road with them, They'll have to ride with me; Therefore, extra storage is a must. Most importantly though ,I can finally add this Emoji in my signature:safari-rig:since
Anyway, here are some pictures of the trip.
The park rangers drove a newer XJ, sadly, i never got a picture parked next to them.
My sleeping arrangements inside the Jeep, had I gone alone this would have been everything I needed.
Loaded Down
Ill post up a more detailed report of the trip on the Adventure thread later today
If you decide to get a long aal do not get the RE 2.5 leaf. It put mine at over 3" and didn't settle, rode like crap and caused driveline problems. I took it out and installed a BDS 2" long aal and it rides like stock, also true to its lift height. The RE leaf doesn't taper out at the ends like the leafs should. Just my $.02,
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Sherman134
Observer
Thanks for the advice, I had previously looked into getting the long AAL Before I realized how resistant the RE leafs are to sagging, in my opinion the short 2 inch add a leaf I have now is an excellent compromise between height and ride quality. Even while fully loaded it only settled about an inch. Unloaded with a full tank of gas I am sitting at an even 2.5 inches all around providing a very good looking forward rake, and extremely subtle and sporadic drive line vibrations. The Rubicon express shocks are a nice pairing with the stiff short add a leaf. Regarding the sagging, my short aal has only sagged half an inch since installed.