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New Guy Here

M

mailman1119

NAXJA Forum User
Location
New Hampshire
I just joined the forum and wanted to say hello. i have heard great things about everyone on here from some other members.

I recently sold my 2008 JK and i'm looking for a more dedicated trail truck. The xj with it's bulletproof I6, size, and availability of parts is gonna end up getting the purchase and i'msyched.

so what should i be looking for when test driving these other than the obvious, rust and rot that comes with a 10+ year old vehicle?

also, any recommendations for a lift? i would hit some light to moderate trails, nothing too extreme, but also want to keep the jeep comfortable at highway speed, and street legal. i won't need to run anything larger than a 32 or 33" tire at most, probably even with a AT on there.

Thanks for the help. looking forward to learning all about these trucks!
 
Everybody here is gonna tell you to search because almost any subject you can think of has been covered here. The search function basically sucks though so be patient. When you have very specific questions that have not been covered then you will get good answers. Oh BTW welcome to naxja and I hope you get alot out of our community!
 
welcome! good decision on ditching the JK (nothing against them, but you cant really ENJOY yourself in a $15k+ vehicle, the xj tends to be easier to justify abusing)


usually threads like this go nowhere unless you mention the budget, and what kinda wheeling you plan on doing.. budget dictates what you can afford, and goals dictate what you want.

based on your location, my #1 issue would be rust, find the cleanest xj you can find, but dont over pay! save the budget for aftermarket parts, not the initial purchase! (someone coming from an '08 probably wont be jumping into a 1990 era xj, but it could save you a lot of money, allowing you to go straight to nice seats, instead of lolligagging around)

the xj book linked above is good for true-beginners, i wish everyone would read it.`


im just throwing this out there, but go check out other peoples build threads, see what they do that you want to do, and vice versa.
 
xcm said:
welcome! good decision on ditching the JK (nothing against them, but you cant really ENJOY yourself in a $15k+ vehicle, the xj tends to be easier to justify abusing)


usually threads like this go nowhere unless you mention the budget, and what kinda wheeling you plan on doing.. budget dictates what you can afford, and goals dictate what you want.

based on your location, my #1 issue would be rust, find the cleanest xj you can find, but dont over pay! save the budget for aftermarket parts, not the initial purchase! (someone coming from an '08 probably wont be jumping into a 1990 era xj, but it could save you a lot of money, allowing you to go straight to nice seats, instead of lolligagging around)

the xj book linked above is good for true-beginners, i wish everyone would read it.`


im just throwing this out there, but go check out other peoples build threads, see what they do that you want to do, and vice versa.
Click to expand...

yup, i think the jk was great, just didn't feel like pushing it over rocks and through overgrown trails. so this should be cool. my budget for the truck and the mods is pretty low. somewhere between 4-5K. this si gonna be my second car and a toy" so i wanna keep it cheap. but everyone i've talked to says that can put together a pretty sweet xj...

my wheeling is pretty light. i want a truck that is capable everywhere. good in snow, good for ski trips, has some highway manners, but can hit some moderate trails on the weekends as well.

yhanks to everyone for the tips. i just picked up that book too, and looking forward to reading up on thsi suff.
 
You will probably see a lot of nice 2000/2001's. Don't buy one. They have a nasty flaw of having a 0331 (casting #) cylinder head that often cracks. Some '99s also have that head. 00's and 01's also have a low pinion front axle which is more of a minor drawback. The best year is (somewhat) agreed upon to be the '98 although earlier model years have some fanatics. LOL. You should be able to find something pretty good for $3-4k.
 
a +3", with 31 tire's is often considered a 'starter kit', its a good start and withing your budget pretty much regarless of what you pay for the xj.

my 3/31 kit lasted about a year and a half before i wanted MOAR
 
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