"OJ" XJ

I will start a build thread i think. I shall leave all the dull boring stuff out about basically rebuilding the whole thing. Here is the back story in 2 sentences. I wanted an XJ again So i went out and found one for $675 with a tick under 200K on the clock. Long story short i bought a piece of crap and have since replaced so many parts including a nice shiny new Reman I6.

As it sits now: right now i am in the process of overhauling my drums because i had to remove the rear axel shaft to count the splines.....and my drums were so old and rusty they fell apart. so it is just sitting for now. Also on the list A full lift kit to replace the block and leaf setup i have now. I just picked up a set of 5 BFG 33" Mud terrains that i have to stuff onto the XJ. Got them for a steal.

And here I thought "OJ" had a Bronco ...!

Kidding. Bad joke.

Jeep looks good. Those BFGs should really change the appearance!

I apreciate the joke. i have been waiting for someone to make it. I have had a build thread on Cheorkee Forum for a while and no one has made a joke. My sister came up with the name. Since i have the WJ and the XJ calling it the XJ is too dorky for her, calling it the Cherokee is too long so she calls it OJ which means Old Jeep as apposed to the WJ which goes by "THe Blue Jeep" but cant use that abbreviation now can we

Ryan M wrote:And here I thought "OJ" had a Bronco ...!

Kidding. Bad joke.

Jeep looks good. Those BFGs should really change the appearance!

I wish I thought of that

Great build thread Chris, keep up the good work! Are we going to mount those tires on Saturday?

I wish. No way I can fit 4 30" tites on wheels in the wj and 4 33" tires.

Adjust steering stops and install extended bump stops and are probably some of the first things you should do when you put 33s on there.

Most definately. Bump stops are on the list to be ordered fairly soon. I assumed I would also need wheel spacers. If I can get away with out them I would rather that but I really won't know till I get the lift on and check my clearance.

re: Tires, what about the trailer in the picture? Is that still around to lug tires around?

Also, where did you end up getting the rebuilt I6 from? Was it a craigslist deal or from a business?

I wish I owned a trailer. That was a uhaul rental. If I had a real trailer that tow would not have been sketchy. Uhaul car haulers suck. We had to position the jeep as far back on it as we could to keep it from making the wj pop a wheelie. Not only that but we had to throw the winch and any other heavy objects in its trunk to decrees the toung weight. The reman was an eBay item. I forget the company name. It was $1200 + freight. The old engine was toasted from being used as a hauler with out the Xj having a tow package. Which is like using a wrangler as a hauler.

Out with the Old and in with some of the new, waiting for the rest of the new. over the weekend I Mounted and balanced all the new tires, overhauled my rear brake drums and new brake line, removed most of the old suspension components in anticipation of the new ones and today i started mocking up my fenders to see how I want to cut them. I will be upgrading to a 4.5" full leaf kit, adding spacers, and new bump stops.



Here is how it looks right now:

And here is what it would look like after i cut and fold the fenders and remount the flare:

Just wend out and cut the first fender and it went well.


I still have to trim the end of the flare with the bottom of the fender but im having trouble deciding if i want to keep the bumper cap or loose it

Well now my wallet and bank account are mad. just ordered my 4.5" lift and my 1.25" wheel spacers.
Got the 4.5 form Rustys with a 3.5" leaf pack and 1.5" shackles. and my wheel spacers from Qtech. fingers crossed for everything to arrive by friday.

All my parts arrived today and I ,much like an 8 year old, wasted no time in breaking open the boxes.




Saturday is the big day,TinkTink (john) is coming over to lend a hand. the jeep gets almost an entirely new suspension all around, only thins not being replace at this point are upper control arms, tire rod, and drag link.
Down the road i am looking to delete the t-case drop and sub in Tom Woods 242 SYE shaft kit. i might need upper control arms in the front at that point but ill know when i get there

Well its now sitting on its new suspension and almost happy. started at 2:30 pm on saturday and ended at 1:30AM sunday morning There is still a lot of little things to do to make it good and ready but its pretty much ready for the beginning of the season. John came over to lend a hand as did another friend. and between the 3 of us we got it done



Now after this point the front was done but it was getting to dark to continue taking pix so nothing good of the rear end



I have a wicked caster angle now i think it is like 6-10 dereese or something like that that i need to fix ASAP before i destroy my tires. Well please let me know what you guys think and i Look forward to meeting up with everybody at the BBQ and GTD

I'm not an alignment genius, but to the best of my knowledge caster should have no affect on tire wear. It's simply the angle that determines the steering wheel's return to center, and the higher the degree, the better your Jeep's steering/wander/return will be. With the lift, checking to make sure the front axle is center (via an adjustable track bar) would be much more relevant to tire wear.

P.S. it looks badass in that last picture!!!!

AH you are right, thats my bad. I meant to say camber, although i believe that both are off at this point. I am running fixed lower arms but stock uppers so i think that messed with the rotation of my axel. Thanks man, It also kinda looks like it has a really long forehead

Lookin good!

Just food for thought, camber can't be adjusted on a rig with a solid axle. It wont change due to a lift kit, only if the axle tubes/ C's are bent...

Caster could be off but probably not a big deal.

Toe will definitely need to be adjusted. You can do it yourself with a tape measure and a couple wrenches. Want a fat 1/8" toe in or so.

And I really don't think having the axle off center will increase tire wear. Well at least from what I've experienced so far and read online. But you could have rubbage on one side more than the other on control arms at full lock...

I figured out my issue. My toe is WAY off, I need to bring it for a proper alignment and have them fix it. i can only do so much in my drive way. there is a lot i can do, a good real alignment is not one of them. Thanks for the good feed back.

Finally took the jeep out for its first highway run. After fixing the toe proem I took it for a drive. New things I have learned: 1. Wind is now my enemy on the highway 2. I now longer have use of 4th gear 3. BFG mud terrains are a fairly loud tire and last my ability to get waves had gone way up.

I hear you. I swapped my old tires back on yesterday so my old man can use my new ones to pass inspection (FYI everyone, Rubi Moabs fit an '04 Explorer), and on the drive to work this morning I could actually accelerate in fifth instead of it being a second brake pedal. I bet the 4.0 helps things a bit though. Jeep looks great.

Thanks man, Yea even with an automatic 33's suck. my stock 3.55 gears are no help what so ever but regear will have to wait till next year, but i can live with it for now. that is the upside to having a dedicated trail rig. I tried driving on the highway with it in Drive and once it got to that 3ed/4th gear zone it kept upshifting and down shifting rather unhappily. so now i dont use Drive any more the shifter stays in 3.

I am almost done with the doorless mod on the XJ, the passenger front door is being very very difficult. I got a set of Rugged Ridge YJ/CJ body mirrors from Open Box 4X4 for $35 after shipping. I took it for its very first doorless drive and couldnt help but laugh to my self the entire ride. people had no idea what to make of me.

Apparently this is what I get for finally getting around to organizing my Photobucket..... I am currently working on fixing the links. I just have to remember what pic goes where..... Any way small update. I installed some "extended" front brake lines last week. For $15 a piece and a little grinding a set of 95 GMC c1500 2wd lines work awesome. I drilled and tapped two new holes and to mount them, installed them, bleed them and that it. They are roughly 6" longer than stock, YJ front lines also work well as extensions. I can post part numbers if anybody is interested. I also fixed my highly embarrassing oil leak problem. Unfortunately it is not aperminant fix or 100% oil tight. It still leaks but just a few drops after I shut off the engine. Somehow in the process of fixing the oil leak I inexplicably managed to brake not 1 not 2 but 3 of the valve cover bolts. I was no where near cranking on them nor were any of them even at torque spec when the broke so why they broke is beyond me but it gets even better. I drilled out the first bolt and proceeded to run a tap in the hole when, wouldnt you know it, the tap broke, no stress on the tap or anything just sheered, no drilling through tool still with a simple cordless drill so i have to lave it for now. Then on another bolt I was using one of those reverse threaded "easyout" bolt removers and that also broke for no reason. So at this point I had to do a little creative thinking to seal my valve cover until I have the tools, time, and patience to properly fix this. While torqueing down the valve cover is when i broke bolt 3, it just same as the others with out any excessive pressure or even the slightest bit of force broke. It is sealed well enough not to cause an oil tanker like spill like at the BBQ (sorry ryan). I took it on a trip to NH this weekend to brake in the suspension and check how things flex. Everything looks the way it should but i am still waiting on my extended rear bump stops, 2 times in a row now i have placed an order only to be called back the next day to be told that they are sorry but they are out of stock. Once I get those in it should be all set to go for the GTD/Ma Bell trip.

Dang she looks good!

Yeah, I broke 2 on my valve cover bolts when I did mine too. Turns out they're supposed to be at 15 *inch* pounds and not foot. That's like....not even to "snug".