My 9 Year Build So Far.......

[XJ Maki]

Awesome project thread :clapping: Can't wait to see it on the trail, we should get a New England MJ only run together sometime :yes:

 

I miss this one, but it was way worse than the pics show. :(

 

 

I first saw that picture on JU(?) about 4-5 years ago and I've been quietly copying you (minus the fabrication skills) ever since :eek:

 

 

My MJ's now on Q's with a 97+ front clip, center console and buckets (still looking for decent 97+ doors) and my XJ has the billet baja rims now too same as yours. :rotf:

[trapperbb]

hi, when you put the xj seats in did you have to switch the mounts and do they sit any higher than the original ones?

[myold86jeepcomanche]

my god man that's a beauty. great idea taking the Cherokee sport looks amazing best of wishes keep up the good work :cheers:

[oregonman]

i like it man. 37 would work. i run 36.12.50.15;s but no locker up front . the tires hit the outer finders they almost fell off. and i don't have a sway bar front or rear so axle articulate a lot. but i have not broke a axle yet. but i go slow i plan to upgrade my rear axle and get front shafts... but you can get away with 37 tell it breaks lol :wavey:

[jpnjim]

Thanks for all the positive comments. :D :cheers:

 

Hopefully they'll help get me off my a$$ & finish the poor thing. :thumbsup:

 

 

 

As far as the seats, I swapped in the late model floor brace (runs side to side from inner rocker to tranny tunnel),

and bolted the seats to that, using the stock late model brackets (might have had to tweak the rear mounts slightly, but nothing major).

 

In the past, I had ran 1985 XJ buckets in an MJ, and felt like I was sitting 4" higher in the MJ than the XJ.

 

These late model seats don't give me that same feeling.

I never measured from the seat to roof (I have a 98' XJ to compare it to), but since it was brought up, I'm curious to see what it comes out to.

[driverdave]

Looks real good so far, I have to ask you about the exhaust are you keeping that straight pipe or are you going to get one that bends over the axle? The pipe looks like if you stuff that side the pipe will get hit by the axle.

[jpnjim]

The pipe can go tight against the crossmember if needed, but it looks like there's enough room, even with leaving a 1/2", or so clearance to keep the heat off the 'frame'.

 

The bumpstops were removed to paint the 'frame' in this pic,

but when they (stock Up-Country MJ bumps) go back on, they actually hang lower than the pipe does:

 

 

Plus the bumps contact the spring packs (in SOA), instead of the axle tube, so you have to add the height of the spring in there too ( = you end up with a decent amount of room).

 

At first I thought about getting some of that circle-track type Oval exhaust tubing for clearance,

But with the space there, it would've been mostly for looks.

 

 

FWIW, eventually the MJ will be higher again,

the pic is SOA, with MJ main leafs + (flat) XJ leafs underneath.

I want to keep the height down to get the first inspection sticker since being off the road.

[driverdave]

How long did it take you to clean the frame and how? I just started mine and realise I need different tools, my frame is solid but flaking rust.

[jpnjim]

An angle grinder + wire wheel cups worked on the loose spots, and a flap wheel on the grinder for the tougher spots.

 

The topside was easy,

the underside was a PITA.

(get good eye protection)

 

One of those small wire wheel cups would barely get inside the first few inches of the open 'frame' rails, so I used a wire brush to get in a little further.

Probably didn't really help much, but I didn't want to just ignore the rust there.

 

If I was gonna guess how long it took, I'd say it took a Fri afternoon & Saturday grinding, and a Sunday painting the POR.

I also had to do a slight amount of welding too (indent above stock exhaust in X-member needed a patch), but nothing major.

[jpnjim]

Had a little time before it got dark tonight, so I started on cutting down a FSJ tailgate I got from cmelo here on the board :cheers: :

 

 

It's a little banged up, but I didn't want to ruin a perfect one, so it's perfect for this build.

 

I set up the workbench:

 

Measured how much to chop off:

 

Cut:

 

Save the cut-off (gonna need it later):

 

Other side:

 

:thumbsup: :banana:

 

Popped in for a pic:

 

Need to trim for the hardware to fit:

 

Cut skin off cut-off:

 

Cleaned off insert:

 

Popped in place:

 

Did the other side, then game called for darkness (& mosquitoes) :(

No flash night pic shows the dings in the singlewall tailgate panel.

I'm probably in over my head with that part, but in the end, it's a trail truck, so a few dings will just add to the flavor.

[jpnjim]

This was my inspiration,

 

Gonna do something similar with the top (chop it, and add tubing, or top section of MJ tailgate to finish it off)

[jpnjim]

Had a little more time today,

Chopped the extra height off:

 

Then dug out this gem to cut up:

In tough shape:

and mangled:

On both sides:

 

It donated the top strip of sheetmetal (FWIW, much thinner than the FSJ's sheetmetal):

 

 

 

Burned it in:

 

Burned some more, flap wheeled it, primed it...

but then it was too late for a decent pic:

(water was to clean grinding dust off tonneau cover)

[reson46]

Any plans for a handle?

 

Willy

[jpnjim]

No handle,

the 'JEEP' portion of the taillgate is singlewall, and the double wall sections aren't big enough to fit one (it might be possible to get one in the top channel, but it would be a really tight fit).

 

I'm gonna put some kind of a latch on the inside, maybe something that takes a pin, so I can slap a padlock on it if I want.

[reson46]

I'm gonna put some kind of a latch on the inside, maybe something that takes a pin, so I can slap a padlock on it if I want.

 

Cool, I was wondering how you were planning to latch it. :thumbsup:

 

Willy

[500 MJ]

Yeah. :popcorn:

 

 

 

LOOKS GREAT SO FAR!!!!!

[CWLONGSHOT]

I agree with you, Thisd pic:

 

Image Not Found

 

This pic IS INSPIRING!!!

 

Do you by chance know where you saw it or possible have any more pics?

 

I LOVE the look of the J series gate!!

 

CW

[LoTGoD]

Do you by chance know where you saw it or possible have any more pics?

 

I LOVE the look of the J series gate!!

 

CW

 

CW,

This pic is from a build on Pirate by a guy name Tim. He took his XJ and made it in to an MJ'ish truck/RCRocks comp rig.

 

Here is his build thread: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=664135

 

PLENTY of reading in there!

[1990 Pioneer 4x4]

Just got done reading through your build for the first time; nice work! You also seem to always offer solid advice, thanks. :cheers:

[CWLONGSHOT]

CW,

This pic is from a build on Pirate by a guy name Tim. He took his XJ and made it in to an MJ'ish truck/RCRocks comp rig.

 

Here is his build thread: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=664135

 

PLENTY of reading in there!

 

THANK YOU!!

Your spot on, that's a good read!! LOTS of great ideas from his build!! Now there is a guy who can weld!! PURE CANDY!!

 

CW

[habbyjs]

Why don't you get a tj/yj tailgate handle?

 

http://www.cj-8.com/gallery/data/504/TailgateLogo.jpg

[jpnjim]

Why don't you get a tj/yj tailgate handle?

 

http://www.cj-8.com/gallery/data/504/TailgateLogo.jpg

 

There might be enough room for that in what's left of the top channel, but I'd have to modify the bed to accept the raised latchpins.

 

I want to keep the option of using a stock tailgate too, so keeping the latchpin receivers in their stock locations & using some kind of external latch for this tailgate seems like the only way to get away with that. :dunno:

[Blue XJ]

CW,

This pic is from a build on Pirate by a guy name Tim. He took his XJ and made it in to an MJ'ish truck/RCRocks comp rig.

 

Here is his build thread: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=664135

 

PLENTY of reading in there!

 

THANK YOU!!

Your spot on, that's a good read!! LOTS of great ideas from his build!! Now there is a guy who can weld!! PURE CANDY!!

 

CW

 

 

Here is the original version of his build thread, its a VERY long read though, lots of talking along the way, like 61 pages worth. lol

 

http://jeepin.net/forum/showthread.php?t=42186

 

 

Cool guy, I bought my MJ gas tank and skid from him, and his brother used to live a few miles away from me, we wheeled quite a few times together. (me and his brother)

[jpnjim]

I haven't updated this thread in a while, but I have gotten a couple projects finished,

 

there's a couple more shifters poked up through the floor (I still have to figure out a console, and properly finish trimming/bracing the factory X-member)

 

and the seat pedestal/lockbox for the little guy race seat is finally installed:

The seat is a tight fit, and I had to slide the driver's & passenger's seats slightly toward the doors to fit it,

but actually more comfortable to drive than the bench seat in the Grandpa Jeep.

 

 

It's funny, even with true 33's on it (255/85-16's on 9er wheels),

it's only sitting 2" taller than the 1" lifted 2wd Grandpa Jeep on 30's right now. :dunno:

 

 

I'm going to bump it up a little from this pic (probably 2 more inches), once I get an inspection sticker, but I really like it low, with the tallish skinny BFG's. :yes:

[jpnjim]

Sneak preview,

on the (loooong) list of things to do, a WJ knuckle swap should be in the works:

 

 

 

I'm leaning towards keeping the Teves calipers for now (unless they're not serviceable as is), and redrilling the WJ rotors (vs buying Sport-Trac, or Crown Vic rotors).

 

I've got to strip down the axle, see which wheel bearings will work best (most say the 00-01 XJ's are closest, once you add the 1/4" spacers), and figure out what I need to buy/build (minimum, WJ lower ball joints, WJ brake pads, JKS spacers, & drill rotors).

 

It would be easier to do this in two parts (knuckles/brakes first, then steering),

so I'll probably bolt the current XJ steering into the WJ knuckles till the knuckles are completely sorted out.