Cherokee trailer

[prepmech]

If I put the axle back over the springs it will sit level when empty, but sag quite a bit when loaded. I would need to extend the bumpstops quite a bit to keep the tires from rubbing. The bushwackers make a little more room for the tires, but not much.

The problem is the spring rate, the springs aren't compressed at all when sitting empty. It has the same range of travel as the jeep right now, where if I put the axle back over the springs it would need to sit at the top of its travel to sit level. I'm really starting to think that I just need to remove a leaf from the pack. I hate to loose any load capacity, but the more I think of it the trailer isn't supporting the load of the cab so if I remove a leaf to account for that, I should still have the same capacity. The springs don't do much work right now, so taking a leaf out will let them flex more. I'm going to take a leaf out of the middle, and keep the overload leaf in place.

I just need to find a happy medium where it sits a little higher than the jeep when empty and just a little lower when loaded.

Measured the jeep this morning and it sags about 2" in the rear, the springs on it have been used pretty hard and it sits uneven side to side in the rear too. It doesn't look too bad when sitting by itself, but it is really obvious when the trailer is hooked up. The new rear springs will fix those problems and bring it up to where the trailer should be. I'm going to wheel it one last time at the end of the month with the old springs, then put the new ones on.

Measuring to the upper body line, the trailer sits 5" taller than the jeep. If I raise the back of the jeep 2", then I just need to lower the trailer 2" to get it to sit 1" taller empty.

I'm going to take it one step at a time.

1. New rear springs for the jeep.
2. Add bumper and tounge box to trailer.
3. Remove leaf from trailer springs.

Of course, I'll probably change my mind on how to do it five times between now and then.

 

[Lawn Cher']

Wow, that's huge! I have some XJ shackles you can try.

Hey, take the old tongue jack and attach it to a receiver insert and there's your rear jack solution for parking unattached in camp. That's one of those small fab projects that I like to do, start to finish in one afternoon.

 

[prepmech]

Looks like you have some prime real estate to mount a water tank under the bed.

There is a ton of room for a tank there, and it would keep the weight in front of the axle where it is needed.

I'd like to see a pic attached to the Jeep now, if you can get it out of the garage.

Yeah, that is a little bit of an issue right now. If any of my buddies come over yet this weekend I'll see if I can get them to help take the topper off so it will fit out the door and get some pics.

 

[prepmech]

Wow, that's huge! I have some XJ shackles you can try, but I am starting to agree with the SUA crowd.

Hey, take the old tongue jack and attach it to a receiver insert and there's your rear jack solution for parking unattached in camp.

I was thinking about making a removable step to go into the receiver to help get into the bed.

The shocks are almost at the top of their travel, the springs haven't even started to compress. I am really starting to think I need to take out a leaf to adjust the spring rate.

 

[Lawn Cher']

I was thinking about making a removable step to go into the receiver to help get into the bed.

The shocks are almost at the top of their travel, the springs haven't even started to compress. I am really starting to think I need to take out a leaf to adjust the spring rate.

You could move that leaf to your XJ's springs.

And make that step have an attachment point for the jack. I wanna make it! I'm sure I have enough material sitting around here to make something neat.

 

[prepmech]

You could move that leaf to your XJ's springs.

Very true, with the way my suspension and axles are set up, along with the ton of extra weight I have in back, I really need a little more spring rate than a normal cherokee.

And make that step have an attachment point for the jack. I wanna make it! I'm sure I have enough material sitting around here to make something neat.

Heck yeah! We need to put a boot scrubber on it too to clean off muddy boots. It will be like the swiss army knife of hitch inserts.

 

[Lawn Cher']

Very true, with the way my suspension and axles are set up, along with the ton of extra weight I have in back, I really need a little more spring rate than a normal cherokee.

Ya know, I still have those overload helper springs that came off my MJ awhile back... you're welcome to them if that is an approach that'll work for you.

Heck yeah! We need to put a boot scrubber on it too to clean off muddy boots. It will be like the swiss army knife of hitch inserts.

Put an expanded metal grate on it and you have a grilling surface too.

 

[prepmech]

Ya know, I still have those overload helper springs that came off my MJ awhile back... you're welcome to them if that is an approach that'll work for you.

I worry those won't flex nearly as well as just adding a leaf, I'll try replacing my worn out springs first and go from there.

Put an expanded metal grate on it and you have a grilling surface too.

:xxrotflma

 

[IllianaXJ]

Gotta put a bottle opener on it somewhere too


Could you swap the MJ shackles to the XJ, or do you already have extended shackles on the Jeep?

 

[prepmech]

Gotta put a bottle opener on it somewhere too


Could you swap the MJ shackles to the XJ, or do you already have extended shackles on the Jeep?

I've got extended shackles on the jeep already. There is a bottle opener gusset sitting on my workbench that is definately going to find a home on the trailer.

 

[prepmech]

Bushwacker flares for the trailer came in today. Going to make them removable like they are on my cherokee so I can take them off if I am ever worried about hitting a tree with them.

I have the wiring harness for the stock lights now too.

Had to get it out of my garage, and of course it was too tall to make it out the door. I ran a ratchet strap from the axle to the frame and cinched it down. It looked great behind the jeep when it was sitting lower. I have decided to pull a leaf out of the spring pack and see where that puts it.

Ran into a little problem with the jeep, broke an axle shaft and the detroit locker in the ford 9" axle I've got in the back. Have to put it back together to make room in the garage to start doing the body work and paint the trailer.

Silverstone metallic, the color of the jeep, isn't available in a single stage acrylic enamel so I'm going to have to spend a bit more time and money to spray it with a base coat/clear.

Pondering some more ideas like mounting an awning to the topper, and adding some rub rails to keep it away from trees.

 

[prepmech]

I can't wait to get this thing done!

Took my jeep wheeling at the Badlands offroad park in Attica, IN and wished I had it with me the whole time. Instead, I trailered the jeep behind my dad's motorhome, which was a major ordeal. I had to take the wheels and tires off of my jeep and put on a set borrowed from one of my dad's trucks just to get it to fit on the trailer. Then I had to have Mark haul my tires on his trailer with his rig because there wasn't room on mine. The motorhome was big, slow, and got 5mpg.

It was there that I broke my rear axle. It was a weak link that I knew needed to be upgraded. I am replacing the shafts with alloy shafts. I shouldn't have any further problems with it. That should be one of the last of the weak links to fix before it is ready to stay off the traier. I also have some more body panels that I want protect, and will be addressing that issue soon.

One problem with I see with driving to and from the trails is needing on-board air to reinflate tires. I now have a nitrogen tank that was built to run air tools, air up tires, and seat tire beads. It has a regulator that is adjustable from 25-500 psi, and hoses rated to 500 psi so it can be cranked up to seat stubborn beads. I was told that nitrogen doesn't freeze up as easy as CO2 does. The price was right on this system, and if I decide I don't want to use it on the cherokee I can use it to adjust the air shocks on my buggy.

 

[OverlandZJ]

Pondering some more ideas like mounting an awning to the topper, and adding some rub rails to keep it away from trees.

IIRC Mario from AT (elcoyote here) has a Fiamma on his MJ's topper. But i cant seem to recall if it's directly on the topper or a rack.

Either way i bet you and Mark can come up with a mounting bracket to attach it to.

Sorry to hear about the axle.

 

[IH8RDS]

One problem with I see with driving to and from the trails is needing on-board air to reinflate tires. I now have a nitrogen tank that was built to run air tools, air up tires, and seat tire beads. It has a regulator that is adjustable from 25-500 psi, and hoses rated to 500 psi so it can be cranked up to seat stubborn beads. I was told that nitrogen doesn't freeze up as easy as CO2 does. The price was right on this system, and if I decide I don't want to use it on the cherokee I can use it to adjust the air shocks on my buggy.

Nitrogen does not have any moisture and is very dry. That is why we use it on our aircraft. Did you put nitrogen in your Co2 tank? Are they the same tanks? I'm curios because I was considering it. I already run Co2, but my tank is empty.

 

[prepmech]

Nitrogen does not have any moisture and is very dry. That is why we use it on our aircraft. Did you put nitrogen in your Co2 tank? Are they the same tanks? I'm curios because I was considering it. I already run Co2, but my tank is empty.

The nitrogen tank seems to be much thicker than the CO2 tanks powertank uses, it came from a welding supply store. It fits in the powertank mounting bracket.