OldGreen wrote:So. . .question:
What is the logic behind doing this at all? I've toyed with this one, the Mercedes diesel, and even a TDI just for the cool factor, but none of them end up being very practical when you consider just how good the 4.0 is. I'm all for doing something just for fun, but without a serious frame/cage structure, the combination of the weight and torque of a 4BT is opening up a can of worms that will ultimately defeat the purpose of what the XJ is good for:
Lightweight, Cheap, and highly capable.
I'm seriously not trying to be negative, but when I ran the math on this one, it appeared as though you would end up with a boat anchor that needs 40" tires and 1+ton running gear and a 1000lb rear bumper. Not that any of that is a bad thing, but the XJ platform is so weak to begin with that it just seems like a lot of trouble.
Simple answer.
I wanted to. No logic or anything at all. Just a want for a cummins in a Cherokee.
As for the uni body, it will be re-enforced.
Who said anything about a 1000 rear bumper? with the amount of $h!t that I carry in my jeep any way most of it in the rear, I don't see a problem with the type of wheeling that I normally prefer any way.
1 ton axles, no, I doubt that I will have/need those.
40" tires, nope 35" is good enough.
Its just a toy and unlike some "jeep people", I enjoy working on my rig and "improving" it.
Working on your rig is like a really great date: you start out expecting it to be something simple and straightforward; four hours later you're laying under her, panting and cursing, and things are a lot more complicated than you ever wanted.