Need some input on building a Weekend Warrior WJ on $4 grand budget

[lacofdfireman]

So right now I have a Stock 03 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ Limited. It has the 4.0 and the Quadra Trac ll transfer case. I would like to build this WJ for taking my boys out and doing some fun routes and seeing the Country. I'd like to do the different Back Country Discovery Routes that are being Mapped through some of the various states. as of know I know Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washinton routes are already done. I've been wanting to do this on my Motorcycle but my kids are to young and I'd love to take them along.

So in my head I think I need a 6" lift rolling on 35's. But then reality hits me and I realize that's not really the kind of build I need because for starters I don't have the cash to do this type of setup right to make it reliable. So I'm looking for advice on what people think I would need to get the job done that I want to do. I've never built an off-road vehicle so I'm very new to this and will learn as I go. I also want this to be able to tow a small off road type trailer on these expeditions. Nothing big but something like the old Military trailers. My Jeep at this time is in need of new tires so I'm thinking Jeep take offs if I can find a good deal. One more thing. I want to build this to be capable of running some of the trails in Moab. Trails like Hells Revenge and 7 mile. I don't need anything more crazy than those. I don't need a full on crawler.

So my concern is this. After reading for hours and hours and days upon days I wonder if I even have the right vehicle to modify. Seems like the Jeep WJ is a very worth vehicle but besides the 4.0 the rest of my vehicle is wrong. Wrong Transfer case and wrong axles. I believe I have the Dana 35 rear and Dana 30 front axles. So one of my questions is am I going to be disappointed building on this platform? I have considered selling and buying a WJ with the right stuff but my $4k budget will be gone right away before I can even start to build. Mines paid for and I can start lifting etc right away.

So my questions are:

1. What size and brand of lift
2. What size tires and wheels without being to big for my axles and causing issues
3. What Under Armor should I get and do I need?
4. Front bumper and Winch and rear bumper with tire carrier. Thinking of building a Flatland 4x4 from there drawings.

Like I said I want reliability and the ability to have fun out on the trails without being crazy. And be able to pull a small trailer.

So I have $4k to spend to get the ball rolling. Help me know what to buy and in what order. I'll keep this updated as I start my build.

Here is what I have to work with:

 

[Weeds]

I had a 97 Grand Cherokee. I did the 2" Tuff Country lift and 33" BFG KO. I added a gas tank skid plate from Rusty's and the front cross member replacement from Kevin's off road. We were able to do White Rim Trail and other off road routes. The only thing I would do different is the BFGs did not work in the Washington mud. I would go with the Goodyear Duratracs now. I also added a trailer hitch to the back for a tow hook point.

Good luck with the modifications.

 

[lacofdfireman]

Thanks Weeds for the input. I'd love to do 33's but worry about my axles and transfer case. Do you think that would be to much for what I have?

Also considering 4" long arm lift. Is that going to be overkill for what I want to do?

 

[jeep-N-montero]

So right now I have a Stock 03 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ Limited. It has the 4.0 and the Quadra Trac ll transfer case. I would like to build this WJ for taking my boys out and doing some fun routes and seeing the Country. I'd like to do the different Back Country Discovery Routes that are being Mapped through some of the various states. as of know I know Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washinton routes are already done. I've been wanting to do this on my Motorcycle but my kids are to young and I'd love to take them along.

So in my head I think I need a 6" lift rolling on 35's. But then reality hits me and I realize that's not really the kind of build I need because for starters I don't have the cash to do this type of setup right to make it reliable. So I'm looking for advice on what people think I would need to get the job done that I want to do. I've never built an off-road vehicle so I'm very new to this and will learn as I go. I also want this to be able to tow a small off road type trailer on these expeditions. Nothing big but something like the old Military trailers. My Jeep at this time is in need of new tires so I'm thinking Jeep take offs if I can find a good deal. One more thing. I want to build this to be capable of running some of the trails in Moab. Trails like Hells Revenge and 7 mile. I don't need anything more crazy than those. I don't need a full on crawler.

So my concern is this. After reading for hours and hours and days upon days I wonder if I even have the right vehicle to modify. Seems like the Jeep WJ is a very worth vehicle but besides the 4.0 the rest of my vehicle is wrong. Wrong Transfer case and wrong axles. I believe I have the Dana 35 rear and Dana 30 front axles. So one of my questions is am I going to be disappointed building on this platform? I have considered selling and buying a WJ with the right stuff but my $4k budget will be gone right away before I can even start to build. Mines paid for and I can start lifting etc right away.

So my questions are:

1. What size and brand of lift
2. What size tires and wheels without being to big for my axles and causing issues
3. What Under Armor should I get and do I need?
4. Front bumper and Winch and rear bumper with tire carrier. Thinking of building a Flatland 4x4 from there drawings.

Like I said I want reliability and the ability to have fun out on the trails without being crazy. And be able to pull a small trailer.

So I have $4k to spend to get the ball rolling. Help me know what to buy and in what order. I'll keep this updated as I start my build.

Here is what I have to work with:

A WJ running an Old Man Emu lift with 235/85r16 tires and ARB front bumper will easily cover 95% of the trails in Utah and surrounding states. And there is nothing wrong with that 4.0, it's a superior engine to the 4.7 v8 even if it isn't as powerful. Axles will be just fine with the 235's.

 

[BigDaveZJ]

A WJ running an Old Man Emu lift with 235/85r16 tires and ARB front bumper will easily cover 95% of the trails in Utah and surrounding states. And there is nothing wrong with that 4.0, it's a superior engine to the 4.7 v8 even if it isn't as powerful. Axles will be just fine with the 235's.

Agreed. With the smaller tires you can keep your D35 intact as well, and not have to worry about regearing. That will save you a ton of money right off the bat.

If you want to check out a bunch of other WJ's, check out Grand Slam West in Moab this June, really neat event with Grands from all over the country.

 

[lacofdfireman]

Thanks for the replies. Looking into the 3" OME Lift. I hadn't really considered that one. The ones I have been looking at have been the Rough Country and the Iron Rock Off-road 4" Long arms. How th you think that the OME 3" compares to the 4" long arms I'm considering? And what's the max tire size I should consider? Could I get away with 33's with some cutting of the fenders or is it just going to be to much for my TC and axles?

 

[tommudd]

Agree with above you can go smaller lift than what you mentioned in your first post.
235-85-16 tires would be a great choice as well
check out www.jeepinbyal.com for OME lifts etc for the WJ
Has some great products, well built

 

[1stDeuce]

That is a REALLY nice looking WJ!!!

So in my head I think I need a 6" lift rolling on 35's. But then reality hits me and I realize that's not really the kind of build I need because for starters I don't have the cash to do this type of setup right to make it reliable.

I will agree, you're thinking WAY overborad for what you're intending to do with this Jeep. I'd shop for some new tires and go. It looks to me like it's already got about a 2" lift on it... That should be plenty to get you into most places you'd want to go with kids riding along.

So my questions are:

1. What size and brand of lift
2. What size tires and wheels without being to big for my axles and causing issues
3. What Under Armor should I get and do I need?
4. Front bumper and Winch and rear bumper with tire carrier. Thinking of building a Flatland 4x4 from there drawings.

1. As I said above, you've already got lift as far as I can tell. Leave it alone if you like the ride. If not, OME would be my first choice for springs, and Bilstein for shocks. Keep it simple.

2. Unless you want to re-gear, keeping the tire size reasonable is your best bet. You really don't need a ton of tire to do the things you're talking about. Take-off JK Rubicon wheels and tires are everywhere right now, and they will bolt right on, and fit pretty well with about 2" of lift, and are about 32" tall. They're 255/75R17, and that would be a great size for you to look at, even if you keep your factory 17x7.5" wheels.

3. It's not an IFS Toyota, and you're not rock crawling, you're exploring back roads. That low hanging exhaust crossover will get destroyed before anything else, and you can't shield it at all, really. If you must spend money, I'd guard the trans pan first, and engine oil pan next. The t-case is fairly protected by the crossmember, and the fuel tank will take a pretty good dragging on rocks without much other than some scuffing. If you're dragging the tank, you're also dragging the muffler, rockers, etc. That is not what you want to be doing with such a nice Jeep. Learn your vehicle. What clears, what doesn't. If you want to rock crawl over rocks bigger than you have clearance, you need a rock buggy, not a GC.

4. I have an ARB bumper on my truck. I just picked up another for my friend's WK. They make nice bumpers, and they test them to work with the airbag. You'll not find a lighter full bumper, and IMO, a bumper needs to be PART of the crush if you do wreck. Putting a mongo 1/4" plate or 4" schedule 80 pipe bumper on a modern vehicle is really pretty stupid. As for the rear, if you stick to a reasonable tire size, you may be able to keep the tire in it's stock location and forego the rear carrier. That would be the best option, IMO. Rear carriers seem to me to be always in the way.

I think you'll be fine on the axles you have, especially if your rear axle has a limited slip. If it doesn't, see if you can find a vari-loc rear axle out of a GC with QuadraDrive and swap that in. Most JY's don't mark them up over a standard axle... OR swap both axles so you have them fr&rr if you can find them. Might as well get the QD badges too, since you already have the 247 t-case that's also used in QD version. (Vari-lok in high range, locked in low...) Just know that QD axles require a bit of wheel slip to lock up... You need to use steady throttle, and be ready to back out a bit as you start moving.

In summary, I think the hype of needing big tires and huge lift and re-gearing and bla-de-bla-de-bla is just that... Hype. Keep it as close to stock as you can, and you'll enjoy the trip much more!!

So what to spend money on besides tires and perhaps shocks? Well, a good bumper and a winch with a red "W" on it will set you back. Add synthetic line to keep the weight down and make use easier. A rear bumper if you must, might mean you don't need a hitch if you don't already have one... You've already got a basket on the roof rack... How about a nice small 12v fridge to keep your trail food frosty... (You do live in the desert, after all!)

Spend the rest on camping gear, food, and gas!!!

 

[1stDeuce]

View attachment 332101

Whatever those red wires are hanging down by the driveshaft, you need to fix that ASAP!!! Looks like it's already scorched where it rubs??? Eeeek.

 

[BCobe]

I had the 4.7 on a 6.5 IRO Long Arm with 35s. Loves it but I wish I would have went with a Clayton.

I would do like everyone esle is saying. Keep it small and go with an OME lift and possibly try and score some rubi takeoffs. Use whatever you have left for gas money and recovery gear.

 

[lacofdfireman]

Whatever those red wires are hanging down by the driveshaft, you need to fix that ASAP!!! Looks like it's already scorched where it rubs??? Eeeek.

Yep. Soon as I get off duty at the Fire Dept I'll have to take a look at that. And thanks for all the suggestions.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestion.

 

[kojackJKU]

Keep it simple, you will be much happier. I would use it as is right now....and see where you NEED updating. I would probably add some sort of recovery and armor...that's about it. It looks like the wheel size itself is big, 18 or better? not positive on that, but dial back to a smaller wheel to get more rubber between it and the ground and a good AT tire and you should be very surprised!

 

[HiPERnx]

In my opinion it's best to keep it simple. I have BDS 2" lift with additional 0.75" spacers in the front and a 10mm spacer in the rear to compensate for the rear bumper.
I run 265/75R16 (~32") with some minor trimming. This set-up works grate!
However i have also upgraded my short arms to IRO HD short-arms in the front. And i do have plans for 4" BDS coils with a front only clayton long-arm kit.
If you have the full skid-plate kit from factory you will be fine, i have smashed mine around and had no problems. Otherwise get the factory transfercase and front skid from a scrapyard.

I have no opinions about a upgraded front bumper, i want one but don't need one. I have a Metalpasja rear tire carrier + winch bumper. If you go over 265/70R16 the spare won't fit in the spare tire location and will take a lot of space in the the boot!
With a tire carrier you have more space inside and can also use the old spare tire location for a secondary battery.

The Dana 35 is not the strongest axle, do you know if you have 3.55 or 3.73 gearing?
If you have 3.55, 32" is the largest i would run tire wise. And 33" max for the D35 if you want some reliability.

 

[lacofdfireman]

So I got a phone call from Nick aka Kolak and this is what we came up with and I placed my order. No going back now.

OME Springs
10mm spacers
Bilstein 5100 Series Shocks
IRO Front Adjustable Trackbar
JKS front sway bar discos
IRO rear extended swaybar
New Spring Isolaters all around
Moog Super Trail Boss Steering Stabilizer
Moog HD Tie Rod Ends
Powertrax No-Slip for my Dana 35

Nick said I should have everything within the next few weeks. Should keep me busy for awhile. Now I just need to find some Armor and some Jeep JK take offs. Also ordered Plans to build a front bumper with winch and rear bumper with tire carrier from Flatland 4x4 and hoping to get started on that also.

Any suggestions on a winch?

 

[lacofdfireman]

What type of Recovery gear does everyone suggest? I need to get some of that also.