Project XJ

[commando14]

I've been wanting to get something for wheeling with a backseat since we have a kid now and another on the way. I bought a '95 Cherokee from my cousin a few years back, (he bought it on Craigslist from YJ2XJ I believe), 4.0L/aw4, it was lifted but everything else was stock. Had thought about selling it and looking for something already built but couldn't decide what to do. Then on Craigslist I found the perfect parts rig, a 87 Cherokee with an 8.8 rear, 4.88's and detroit locker, NP231 with Tera low 4:1 kit, winch, 37"'s etc.. It's kind of a beater but I took it up on one snow run and mobbed the hell out of it .

So now the plan is to build the '95 Cherokee, swapping several parts from the '87 Cherokee parts rig. I also have a parts Comanche that I might use the rear cab or bed to skin the rear of the Cherokee.. not sure on that yet. Last week I scored a set of 37x12.50" Goodyear MTR's on Craigslist, all 4 brand new never mounted and spare at 95% for $1000.


Here's the '95 cherokee:





And the '87 cherokee parts rig.




Took it up to Ahtanum last month. I paid $2800 for it, wheeled it once and already re-sold the tires for $800 on Craiglist. Did not like the Toyo's in the snow.





Last weekend I decided to tear into it and started on the rear ends:




I had an extra set of comanche springs that I picked up at PAW a few years back so I decided to use those for the rear. They are about 5" longer than the Cherokee springs and they moved the rear end back at least 3". I slapped a fresh coat of Rustoleum on the 8.8 and bolted it it. Had do some trimming in the rear to clear the tire, have more trimming to do still. I'll probably need to move the rear shackle mount back a few inches as well.

I got my 37"s mounted yesterday on some wheels that I had laying around(my cousin found these too on Craigslist a few years ago, brand new 15x8" steelies for $40 ).

It's starting to look better already!

[Lurch]

I saw those 37's on craigslist. Hell of a deal!!

[commando14]

I saw those 37's on craigslist. Hell of a deal!!

Yea I emailed the guy and told him I would take them, he called me that day and said I was the first one to email him, he was busy and was supposed to call me back when he had time to dig them out of his garage. Well I didn't hear anything for several days so I kind of gave up on them thinking he sold them to someone else or something but he finally called me back about a week later. He had bought them for a Jeep project but never used them, they still had the stickers on them dated 2003.

[I'm not so bright]

Looks like the 37s fit real nice under it. that's the same color choice I have White/gray So is it a stick or a auto?

Nice to see that your shop is spotless with nothing on the floor and not a tool out of place! It took me 5 weeks to clean mine last time and only 2 weeks to have trails again !

[Roman]

Holy shackle angle Bat Man!

[YJ 2 XJ]

you have no idea how much I miss that xj. I am now slowly building another yj.


but damn...... oh im loving the build so far! please pist some more!

[Beep Beep]

Very cool build!

[Optiskate]

What ever happened to your green comanchee? And you have kids now? lol I guess I haven't seen you in a long time.

[YJ 2 XJ]

still waiting........more build....

btw. I want that thing back. lol

[colemancooler]

looking good!

[commando14]

Haven't done much work to it lately... but I haven't posted any pics yet since I put the bumper on. I'd like to get it ready enough for a spring snow run.. but we'll see.

[Danny]

Awesome, white....I'm lov'n it. So we had a bunch of white YJ's for a while and now it looks like we're building up a bunch of white Cherokee's....sweet!

[commando14]

So at first I put Comanche leaf springs under the XJ... then I decided to put to put the XJ springs back in reversed to stretch it even more, but once I got them under the jeep I discovered the gas tank was going to hit the diff. I thought about raising the gas tank but instead picked up a set of 3 leaf Ranger springs at PAW today and put them in.. 3rd time is the charm Looks like they are a perfect fit for the 37's.

Also I bought a HD Fabrication shackle relocation kit http://www.hdoffroadengineering.com/products/xj-shackle-relocation-kit. It's the most heavy duty shackle relo kit you can buy for a Cherokee.. it also mounts to the hitch bolts in the frame rail. I highly recommend it.. lets you adjust your stock shackle angle and/or use longer springs.

Now I just need to figure out shock mounts in the rear, fix up the brake lines, and get the drive-line shortened and the rear end should be done. Hope to have it ready for Camp schamp.

[White trash]

Either cut down another main and add it in or replace that main with one from an f150. The ranger/broncoII springs are pretty flexible but thin and the main leaf will bend where the second leaf ends guaranteed. Been there, bent that twice.

[commando14]

Either cut down another main and add it in or replace that main with one from an f150. The ranger/broncoII springs are pretty flexible but thin and the main leaf will bend where the second leaf ends guaranteed. Been there, bent that twice.

I wondered about that... these are pretty flexy and bouncy just like my Comanche springs which I've bent the main leaf twice in the same spot you're talking about. My thought is this is caused by too much compression on the spring, my Comanche has no bumpstops and nothing to limit the compression other than the srings themselves. So my plan is to add bump stops on the XJ to limit the upward travel and I hope that helps prevent the springs from bending at that spot. I might check into an F150 main for my Comanche.. one of the main leafs is bent again and I need to swap it out, kind of worried about it breaking where it's bent.

[White trash]

Bumpstops set to keep the leaf pack from going negative arch will keep the whole pack alive but do little for the main leaf. It WILL bend at the front from axle wrap. I have bent 3 sets and both of my friends running them have bent a couple pair themselves. Once I started switching everyone out to f series mains and adding a longer leaf to support it the issue went away.

[OldGreen]

For $60 Deaver makes a 1/2 leaf that goes on top of the main leaf to prevent this. Not sure that it will fit on a stock pack, but it might be worth a call to them.

[SquirrelCrusher]

A year later, but I saw pictures of this cherokee on the recent snow run. How it is running?

I'm curious about the rear leafs that you have. I installed a set of shakle brackets like yours and really want to run some longer leafs. What combination are you running now and how much lift did it give you? By using the cherokee leafs and moving the axle back, it that mess with your shocks?

[OldGreen]

It don't matter to David. . .he's got the gift son. . .

[commando14]

I picked up a set of 3 leaf Ford Ranger springs from Pasco Auto Wrecking.. they are about 5" longer overall than the stock Cherokee springs.. moves the axle back a few inches. I noticed the main leaf was starting to bend upon compression like White Trash said would happen so I picked up a set of F150 springs and added the 2nd F150 leaf into the Ranger pack to give the main leaf more support, so the 4 leafs seem to work pretty good now.

I'm not sure if the stock shock mounts would still work ok.. probably. I had swapped in a 8.8 at the same time and had to fab up some shock mounts on the 8.8 housing.. but I'm still using the stock shock mounts on the unibody.

This is a good site for looking up the dimensions of various leaf springs: http://www.generalspringkc.com/Leaf_Springs_Ford_Ranger_s/1879.htm