cdg123
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Wickenburg/Flagstaff, AZ
OK so I am posting this hoping for thoughts and opinions.
A good friend of mine has a Jeep Cherokee 2.1 automatic that was involved in a bad collision. The drivers side of the jeep is almost totally wiped out. The subframe was so badly bent in that it popped the driveshaft and most likely damaged the transmission output shaft.
Miraculously, the engine still ran. This was a few months back. The owner came back and got the axles off it to use in another project. Now the old crunched Jeep sits in my buddy's dad's yard. His offer to me is that if I tear the steering column out of this one, I can haul the rest away - as long as he never has to see it again...
Now... I am interested in a mechanical challege. This XJ is too crunched to ever ride again. I wouldn't even try to take it into a frame shop to get it straightened even if they said there was a snowball's chance in he11 that it would drive straight again.
As far as swapping goes, I'm thinking I willl look for an early model Cherokee. My understanding is that the automatic used in the Renault diesel is the 30RH - the early 3 speed. Can anybody confirm this?
I would try for a maunal conversion but as hard as parts are to find I doubt that a new flexplate would be possible to find. I want to keep it as an automatic for myself to drive around town locally and maybe get some decent mileage while turning a few heads.
I will be hopefully posting updates as I take measurements and try to figure on the feasibility of such a swap. The ultimate goal here is NOT a rock crawler. I have researched this engine extensively. Seems it is both a joy and a nightmare to work with. My hope is to effectively make a functional jeep from an early model (preferably non running) and the hulk that sits in this dude's yard...
Any additional help with a Renault swap - if anybody has done it (and I don't think anybody has here) is appreciated. I will try to document this one for others to see.
Any thoughts, advice, or cries of support?
My 1992 Cherokee 4.0 is running strong still. Screw cash for clunkers - I just rolled 90k miles on this baby and it runs and rides amazing. I will be trying to track down new leaf springs for it soon though as the rear springs have become badly arched in recent months...
A good friend of mine has a Jeep Cherokee 2.1 automatic that was involved in a bad collision. The drivers side of the jeep is almost totally wiped out. The subframe was so badly bent in that it popped the driveshaft and most likely damaged the transmission output shaft.
Miraculously, the engine still ran. This was a few months back. The owner came back and got the axles off it to use in another project. Now the old crunched Jeep sits in my buddy's dad's yard. His offer to me is that if I tear the steering column out of this one, I can haul the rest away - as long as he never has to see it again...
Now... I am interested in a mechanical challege. This XJ is too crunched to ever ride again. I wouldn't even try to take it into a frame shop to get it straightened even if they said there was a snowball's chance in he11 that it would drive straight again.
As far as swapping goes, I'm thinking I willl look for an early model Cherokee. My understanding is that the automatic used in the Renault diesel is the 30RH - the early 3 speed. Can anybody confirm this?
I would try for a maunal conversion but as hard as parts are to find I doubt that a new flexplate would be possible to find. I want to keep it as an automatic for myself to drive around town locally and maybe get some decent mileage while turning a few heads.
I will be hopefully posting updates as I take measurements and try to figure on the feasibility of such a swap. The ultimate goal here is NOT a rock crawler. I have researched this engine extensively. Seems it is both a joy and a nightmare to work with. My hope is to effectively make a functional jeep from an early model (preferably non running) and the hulk that sits in this dude's yard...
Any additional help with a Renault swap - if anybody has done it (and I don't think anybody has here) is appreciated. I will try to document this one for others to see.
Any thoughts, advice, or cries of support?
My 1992 Cherokee 4.0 is running strong still. Screw cash for clunkers - I just rolled 90k miles on this baby and it runs and rides amazing. I will be trying to track down new leaf springs for it soon though as the rear springs have become badly arched in recent months...
