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Mild Xj Build With Take Offs And Jy Parts


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I picked up this 89' XJ on a trade for a bone stock AR.  Its a 4.0 renix, 231, D30/D35.  I had 900 bucks in the gun and it came with brand new 30" Cooper STT mud tires, that's almost $700 in tires alone so I figured it would be a good candidate for a mild family wheeler.  The goal was to give it a small lift with the spares I've got floating around my garage.

 

Its got a lot issues though.  Needs a rear main seal and it has blow by pretty bad.  Also, it has excessively high oil pressure.  It hovers around 60 psi and settles down to about 40 psi when warm and pretty much stays there on the highway and street driving.  Good thing is the heat and AC works nice.  Looks to still be on R12. 

 

Also needs a headliner, weather stripping and some other color beside rustoleum yellow.  It has electric windows, but I think the rear doors need bushings or new window motors, they're real slow and one side needs help to go back up.  I should've picked a better candidate to flip but this one won't be too bad when I'm done.  I think I'm going to give it a military paint job like on my MJ.

 

PO's pics...

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First thing was to dump the grey instrument panel, I've got a handful of the fake wood grain country panels, I like them better.  Then added one of my extra radios and a set of door speakers.  Someone put a non-cruise column in it...so finding a grey cruise column is on the list too.

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I made friends with a guy that works at the local LKQ, now he keeps me updated on any jeeps that come in the yard...he dropped this XJ right on the end of the row for me.  My buddy helped me pull its lift components.  4" coils and 4x Pro comp ES3000 shocks, the rear had 3" blocks and helper springs.  Also had 4 1.5" spacers....good score.  My JY buddy is gonna be dropping a ZJ with a 6" lift and adjustable CAs next week...I plan to get those too.

 

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I also helped a guy put a SUA lift on his YJ which had a SOA lift.  I got to keep the take offs, 4 more procomp shocks,,,longer than the JY XJ, stock YJ springs and some perches and other odds and ends.

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Whoever did the lift on his YJ couldn't weld at all, the perches just knocked off and the welds on the rear were already broken.  He'd been driving around like that for some time.

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Went and pulled a headliner board and every piece of weather stripping from a 99' XJ...the weatherstripping on the 89' was just shot.

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I like the built in speaker mounts in the 97' and up XJs. 

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lots of little things to fix under the hood...

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Brakes were poop, so it got new pads, rotors and calipers.  Also gonna get a ZJ dual diaphragm booster and MC I've got in the garage.

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Rear hatch cover was held on by deck screws and there was one pioneer 4x6 speaker and a bunch of crappy wiring.  I may just go get another hatch from the JY.

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back panel was poop too, picked a new one.

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Putting the front lift on...it got the 4" springs, RE tubular LCAs, shocks, V8 ZJ sway bar and steering linkages.

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With the front lift on.

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Got the rear lift on today.  It got the longer YJ procomp shocks using the rear sway brackets as a BPE,and an MJ/XJ bastard pack.  Its the main XJ leaf and the others are MJ leafs including the overload spring.  The front is a little higher compared to the back, I may cut the coils down or throw on some MJ shackles...I think some longer shackles are the way to go, should flex a little better than the shorter XJ shackles.

 

So far it handles pretty good, corners well without much roll at all with the bigger sway bar up front.  It is a little stiff but that's fine with me.

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The headliner and exterior paint are next.

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Yeah, this was supposed to be a "One day XJ" build.  I had everything for it but was disappointed at having to buy brakes.

 

But its gotta be safe to drive,,,,better safe than sorry.  ;)

 

I'm also thinking of making a roof rack outta HF ATV cargo baskets.  Something like this:

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Last two days I pulled a set of 3/4 ton axles from a 77.5' F250.  An HP D44/D60 combo with open carriers, .10" gears. I'm debating saving them for my MJ or throwing them under this XJ...wasn't really planning on going this route with the XJ but these were "get em when you see em" items in the JY, so I got em.  Not sure what I'll do with em yet.  

 

Three of the four 315 AT KOs still hold air too. 

 

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Thanks, did a little work on it today.  Cleaned the TB and set the TPS and idle.  Seems to run a bit better. 

 

Also swapped the LCAs...the flex joints were just a little too worn so I got a pair of Zone Offroad lowers from a local club member,

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Found a few little parts for it.  I may go back and get the spare tire holder.  Its got a key lock lug nut on the tire but I think I can chisel it off or use an extractor.

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Few more easy grabs, and possibly one of the last remaining undamaged fan shrouds left in N. America.  :)

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The carpet is fairly clean, the cargo mat almost makes it look worse.  :doh:

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This one was practically free though :).

 

Been doing a little bit of work lately...

 

Cruiser's valve cover mod.  Seems to be working so far.   I did clean it up a little better before I installed it.  I swear it hasn't been off since new.  There were some small carbon deposits on the rockers under the two grommets but it wasn't bad at all.  Everything looked good.

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Almost got the grey column in before it got dark.

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