XJ project MORTY

[Mr_Miyagisan]

Hello everyone

My Name is Emerson and I am from north central Indiana. Wanted to create a thread to keep track of my project jeep for future reference

So we'll start off with the XJ. Its a 2001 Cherokee sport white w/ tan interior. Bone stock with 192k miles on the clock, the jeep spent 12 years being used by a local fire department and has a pretty solid history. Having owned a few jeeps this 4.0 is the quietest I think I have ever heard lol seriously thought something was wrong with it.

Stock XJ by Emerson Bowling, on Flickr
Very little rust (found some later on)

I had sold my TJ to switch to a XJ for the extra space. Was lucky enough to get $5000 out of my hunk of junk wrangler so that gave me good budget for the beginning of this XJ build

We'll call this stage 1:


Lift
Flares
Wheels & Tires

Having gone the cheap route with my TJ lift I didn't want to do that with the XJ, especially with the intentions of a road trip/overland vehicle. After a little research I went with a lift from Old Man Emu/JKS kit from Dirk at DPG, to keep this XJ usable its only getting a 2.5 inch lift, over 3 inches and you can get some issues with these vehicles.

OME Lift by Emerson Bowling, on Flickr

Flares are Bushwacker flat flares, I've been really lazy on getting these done having only trimmed the rear fenders

and now Wheels & Tires
I knew I wanted goodyear duratracs, having run them before on my wrangler. But that created a problem. In a 15 inch wheel they only carried a 31x10.5r15. Not wanting to run a 10.5 I decided to go to a 16 inch wheel to open up more options. Which brought me to these mammoth wheels, cheap but good reviews. Went for it for $99/ea for a 16x8.
This allowed me to run my ideal size. 245/75r16
Here is a before and after shot. The jeep is lifted 2.5 in the front but no fender trimming yet. The rear is somewhat trimmed but no lift installed yet. I'm lazy haha

Before and after by Emerson Bowling, on Flickr

 

[Eaglefreek]

Welcome. Looking forward to your build.

 

[mtbxj87]

Nice wheels

 

[Mr_Miyagisan]

Fighting rust.

Midwest jeeps will be the death of me

 

[2drx4]

Did you get that bolt out without breaking the nut free, or tearing the threads out of it?

I've gone in from the floor to fix those more times than I would like.

 

[Mr_Miyagisan]

I THINK I got it without busting anything. Id heat that wall up in hopes that the heat would transfer to the nut and pray as I turned with the breaker bar. from what I can tell im out of the nut but NOW the bolt is seized in the bushing itself same with the back, nut came off but the bolt is seized to the leaf spring bushing. Fun times haha
Spent about 8hrs on the back on Sunday and really have nothing to show for it

 

[2drx4]

You can slip an angle grinder in and cut the bolt off at both ends. Just jam a prybar or something into the pocket to spread it a bit. It's the easiest thing to do at this point, IMHO, as the bolt isn't likely worth saving. Just be careful, it's easy to mess things up.

If you have a slidehammer you can try pulling it with that if you're scared to cut it.

 

[AZXJ]

Wheels and tires look really good


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mr_Miyagisan]

Terrible at updating this but its finally lifted and been driving it for about 2 weeks now. Love the OME lift, rides really smooth for a leaf spring rear.
The past few weeks has been just updating some little cosmetic things and cleaning up loose ends.

-Installed clear marker and running light lenses, a much better look IMHO. Also red tented the turn signal markers in the tail light. I cant stand the orange yellow color on a white vehicle lol its an eye sore
-Installed Hella E-Code headlights with a 80/100w bulb, have a upgraded headlight wiring harness waiting to be installed along with it.
-Reconditioned the bumper plastics with a heat gun, first time I've done this and it crazy how it brings the color right back
-Installed a Azzy Design Works transfer case linkage setup. This gets rid of the prone to disengaging stock linkage and replaces it with a simple one linkage setup with no body mount.
-New Kenwood stereo to replace my old aftermarket radio that was stuck on a Rush Limbaugh AM talk radio station.
-Installed SOLID front and rear differential covers and did a fluid change

Waiting to be installed is a pair of Hella 500ff driving lights. Those will be installed when my Dirtbound Offroad front bumper gets here. I went with their Mojave bumper, I like the design look of it and the fact that has a receiver up front. I've chosen to run a removable winch setup, when I do buy a winch, for the fact that its deadweight when not in use. Which will be 90% of the time for this XJ.

After the bumper goes on I think im going to start my interior cargo build of shelving and drawers.



Now pictures!


Showing the extra space the tires get after the Bushwacker flares go in place
Fender Trim W/ Bushwackers by Emerson Bowling, on Flickr
First time it saw sunlight in 4 months
First time out of the garage in months by Emerson Bowling, on Flickr

Favorite picture of the pig right now
First Pic After Lift by Emerson Bowling, on Flickr

 

[szfofa]

are those the 2930 or 2931 coils?

 

[Mr_Miyagisan]

are those the 2930 or 2931 coils?

I wouldn't be about to tell you off the top off my head, ill have to check to see if the tag is still on them.
Just looked, they are 2930 coils

 

[szfofa]

Nice thats what im running too, but I hear the 2931 gives a little more lift. I was debating with myself to swap or not, but probably will just keep the 2930. I love em.

 

[AggieOE]

Man, every time I see an XJ... I want one. Wheel & Tire combo looks awesome.

 

[Mr_Miyagisan]

Nice thats what im running too, but I hear the 2931 gives a little more lift. I was debating with myself to swap or not, but probably will just keep the 2930. I love em.

I googled the specs on both cause you had me wondering the difference, seems like the 2931 coils are taller but the spring rate is a little softer. So I feel like if you started loading down both coils the 2931 are going to sag more, I think lol that's how I look at at it. once I get my bumper and winch setup im probably going toe have to run another coil pad to get some of my height back

Man, every time I see an XJ... I want one. Wheel & Tire combo looks awesome.

Thanks! I love me some XJ lol I originally had a TJ and after we grew out of that I wanted to get into a JK but couldn't justify the cost. So XJ it was, use to hate them but its grown on me big time.

 

[szfofa]

Yeah, spacer is probably the route i will take, I just put in the RB leaf packs and it has given me like 3.25" in the rear and my 2930's have me at 1.75" up front. Though maybe the leaf packs havent settled.