Jeeptech's SAK (swiss army knife) XJ build FINALLY 4X4

[it usually runs fine]

I would just add sum triangular ends to it similiar to common tj bumpers. I like simple bumpers.

[AgitatedPancake]

Nice welds man! I like that bumper alot, simple and to the point. I agree from personal experience though, you definately want some protection for your headlights/corner. When the header panel is the first thing to hit an object it doesn't usually end purdy....ask me how I know haha.

[Jeeptech01]

Thanks for the input guys. It will def get some paint and some ends soon. Im kicking some ideas around in my head for how to finish it out so it looks different than other bumpers I've seen. We'll see how it turns out. I need to do something soon since of course it has rained like every day since I threw it on in bare steel.. Figures.

[Jeeptech01]

Ok update. I cut the front fenders and relief cut and folded the rear quarters. I also finished up the bumper and sprayed it with the rustoleum bedliner which IMO is waaay better than the duplicolor stuff FWIW.

With the cutting I did there should be plenty of room for 33's but I think 35's would be pushing it. The tires on there are 29.4 or something like that. Im gonna cut up some cardboard and make some 35's to get a better idea.

So next up is tires and then the 8.8 followed by frame stiffeners and some type of rocker protection/cutouts to tie in the rockers to the uniframe. Theeeeen an LS motor )))

Oh and Im gonna fix the header panel and some other body uglies. My neighbor did such a great job buffing it out it would be a shame to leave these few things unfixed. Even if it is gonna get all beat up anyway.

Pics:

Notice how Chrysler saved money on paint by not spraying the lower 1/4 since they were covered by trim

[IndyZJ]

The trimming looks really clean. You should trim the bottom quarters while you're at it - it gives a ton of extra clearance back there and doesn't look bad IMO (better than primer cheap bastards).

Think the wounded 4.0 will survive with bigger tires?

edit: Like this: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/c...t-way-1007865/

Pretty good writeup.

Tire wise, would 35s really benefit you offroad? If you could get away with 33s, it'd make for a nicer DD and allow an extra 1.5" uptravel.

[Jeeptech01]

Yea I may just stick with 33's for now. The rear wheelwells just wont physically fit anything larger without cutting further than I have or rediculous bumpstopping. I really didnt care for how the cut and fold looked but with the bumper wrapped around it is pretty cool. It is convenient that that is the bumper design I intended to mock next LOL. With my own subtle changes of course

ed: I hope the motor will hold out. Honestly 33x11.5 with 4.10 should be pretty close to the 29.4 with 3.55 I have now though. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Plus this lift needs some unsprung weight. It tends to feel a bit like Im driving a pogo stick at times.

[Jeeptech01]

I built a cardboard 33.3" (size Im planning on running) tire this morning to get a visual idea of what the XJ well will hold and honestly even with the cutting I did I still wont be able to max out the tire into the top of the wheel arch. I'll take a pic or two tomorrow for illustration purposes. Hopefully If I offset the wheel right it will tuck into the wheelwell and allow for more uptravel. At least I have some good practice from the WJ in this area.

I have also decided to move ahead on my powertrain issue and replace the 4.0 and aw4 with an ls engine and 4lXXe trans following some preparation work to the XJ that I feel is necessary before installing this powertrain. I have been doing copious amounts of research on the swap and slowly answering all my questions. Heres a link to a very well done swap that details alot of the same parts I plan to use.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthrea...1033464&page=4

[1fox2go]

Are you going with 16s?

what size tires are you thinking about getting? 285s would probably be best but they are a shade under 33

305s are almost exactly 33x12.0 at least thats what the Firestone Destanation A/Ts measure on my truck

[downtowncb]

It may be easier on mine since I had the coil tower not the dizzy? Come to think of it that would be how the diesel WJ was set up too. HMM....

What is a coil tower and a dizzy?

[Jeeptech01]

Fox I was planning on the 285 75 16's from treadwright. They measure 33.2 or 33.3 in the MT. Or possibly a 255 85 16 Maxxis which is 33.3".

Downtown I was referring to the long coil pack used on the newer 4.0 engines vs the distributor used on older motors. Thats what I get for trying to be hip I guess..

[it usually runs fine]

Fox I was planning on the 285 75 16's from treadwright. They measure 33.2 or 33.3 in the MT. Or possibly a 255 85 16 Maxxis which is 33.3".

Downtown I was referring to the long coil pack used on the newer 4.0 engines vs the distributor used on older motors. Thats what I get for trying to be hip I guess..

Your projects always go along smoothly.............Until it's time to buy tires.

[1fox2go]

For what its worth


Thats 4.5 inch and trimmed fenders about as much as you have now and 285 BFG muds. I sold those and went to 33x12.50 TSLs and had to trim the front fenders up to where the tire would contact the inner fender before it would rub the sheet metal. Does that make sense?

As for the rear:


Possibly the same amount as you have now, when i went to the swampers I then had to cut out even more.
Trimming the rear sucks, but if you take your time it can be done and look decent

So in the end compairing to your Jeep, I cut out an addition 2 inches on the front. To where I had ~1 inch of sheet metal before where the fender has that lip. However, yours is newer so the fantastic washer fluid reservoir is in your way. Unless you remove/relocate it or dont care if it is visible

[Jeeptech01]

RunsFine I know exactly what you mean. Same thing happened with the wj when it was time to buy tires the money always disappeared.

Fox It looks like Im trimmed exactly where yours was thanks for posting that. Allthough you had a bit more bs than my stock wheels do. Im gonna go with the 33x11.5 for now since there are alot of other things to do. I do plan on doing the cut and fold to the lowers soon and later I will go back and get surgical on the quarters so I can stuff 35's. I'll want it to look good so It will be time consuming.

As far as cutting the front higher goes I started off small since my other jeep looked odd when I cut it to the flare line. Oh and the washer bottle is long gone. Once I get the tires I'll stuff em and see what else needs to be cut and measure for bumpstops.

My old XJ I miss it.

[DJJordache]

the trim job looks really clean!

[it usually runs fine]

NO WONDER YOUR BROKE!!!!! Check out that neighborhood They wouldn't even let me park my sorry ass heep near that place. lol

[Jeeptech01]

Tks DJ the quarters rippled a bit from the folding which was disappointing but these jeeps werent exactly beauty queens from the factory either LOL. Gonna get some fine line tape and spray some bedliner on the rear fender lips.

Runs fine my wife and I wanted a nice new house to raise our kids in. So we got a nice new house in our price range but we commute 30-45 min each way to work. Good thing I like my Jeep. Tks for the compliment btw. Id let you park in my driveway (no pun intended)

So heres my cardboard tires. They measure in at 33.3" with 2" cut off the bottom so they sit as they will in the wheelwell when installed. It will be nice to get 2" of lift once the tires go on. Plus another 5/8 or so from the larger tubes of the 8.8 once the swap is done.





Is it just me or does that shit look huge?!! I measured it like 3 times it is 33 and 3/8 dia!! Im at a hair over 3" probably 3.25" lift. Im not sure why my white xj didnt look this way. Those were 33 12.5 mall terrains and were pretty new too.

[it usually runs fine]

Well my brand new 33" maxxis bighorns with 30 psi only measured out to 31.5, if that makes you feel any better. My Mickey thomp 35"s measure to 34"

[downtowncb]

After reading through that LS2 XJ thread, the only thing I can think of that Novak did to the cluster is somehow control the tach needle directly. So the chevy tach signal is probably sent straight to the cluster and adapted or scaled (whatever) to proportionately control the needle. I'll have to take make cluster apart and figure out how the needles are controlled, i.e. dc voltage, pwm, etc... Then I can program a simple cheap microcontroller to drive the needle from the chevy tach signal directly, completely bypassing the CCD bus.

I would ask how it's hooked up on there but I'm not a paid member and don't feel like becoming one just to ask one question.

[Jeeptech01]

Runsfine That sounds about right if you are measuring with the weight of the vehicle on the tire. You'll usually loose 5/8 to 1" depending on tire psi and load range. Rim width will also play in to the overall installed height as well. I've done a rediculous amount of research on the subject.

Since I have 4 adj arms with jj's Im not too worried about the front. I'll make the tires fall right where I want. I bet I may even be able to tuck the tires If I play it right. We'll see!

Downtown I thought I remembered reading that the cluster gets sent out to redline gauges. Of course Novak doesnt want you to know that. Hell maybe you could just send yours out? Of course then you wont have the satisfaction of doing it yourself. Novak also mentioned a wiring guide on their site for the swap. I'll have to see what kind of a mint they want for that once I get a bit closer to pulling the trigger. It may be worth it to have it all laid out how to wire it though so there is no guesswork involved.

[downtowncb]

I'm going to pull it apart this afternoon and see what I can figure out, hell a couple of the bulbs are burnt out anyways. Should be pretty easy to figure out what signal is used to control the gauges and replicate it.

[H60Mech]

Looks good Chris!

[Jeeptech01]

Downtown keep me posted. Inquiring cheap minds want to know.

Thanks Mark. It is slowly getting there.

[H60Mech]

Let me know if you need any help, even if you need a tool bitch! lol.

[Jeeptech01]

10-4

Just finished cutting and folding one quarter. Super happy with the results but it took alot of patience and time. Now I gotta do the other side.. Also removed the nasty smelling carpet ( My Jeeps have all had water leaks?? I would expect it from a wrangler) from all the rain we've had lately as well as all the tar like sound deadener stuff.

Indy tks for posting that link. It was very helpful!!

[LouisianaZJ]

I just did the lower quarters as well. It was alot easier the second time around and I just sealed with spray foam, lol. The first XJ I did it on was already hacked to shit by the P/O with a sawzall which made it a challenge.

http://a.imageshack.us/img534/5789/p7060004.jpg