Just got an XJ, looking for advice and suggestions...

Hi all, I am new here and to the Jeep world. I have always been more into fast cars and such but as I have gotten older have realized that wheelin is a lot of fun and you aren't gonna get arrested for doing it.

Anyway, I picked up this 1988 Cherokee Limited (with sunroof) today for $800. It also came with a safari style roofrack and a full size spare. Looking for some advice. The front end has the death wobble going on, looks like the front control arms need to be changed to adjustables or something as you can see the spring is curling back toward the cab. I falso can not tell or do not know how to tell is the drag link and such are the larger better one.

I would like to swap the rear axle assembly out for a large unit but looking for something that is a direct bolt in or as close as possible. I do not have access to a welder so I need to be able to build it with parts.

Any other advice would be great.

Thanks,
Brian

holy massive pictures batman!

D44 from an older XJ
29 spline chrysler 8.25

What can I pull the 8.25 out of? I would like to get a F&R at the same time if possible, 4.10s would be even better.

The 29 spline 8.25 is from newer XJ's. I wanna say 97+ but I'm not 100% on that. It'll be tough to find one with 4.10's already in it.

I think some manual trans XJ's with tow packages came with bigger gears but not sure what years those may include.

I commented on how horribly bent your springs were and how you needed longer control arms...then I realized my browser is whack and I needed to scroll way right to read all of your text. Sorry.

That looks like gobs of lift. What size tires? longarms.

Ben

I bought the Jeep from a guy that knew nothing about it. From what I have found it is a 6" lift with 33x12.50.

I am going to order a set of control arm drop brackets and adjustable arms to fix the spring and arm deal. Then tighten up everything check out all the front end then have it aligned. Then start saving my pennies so I can swap in some bigger axles.

I would check your tie rod ends, ball joints, and unit bearings. The end at the pitman arm looks maxed out. With seeing the coils like that, I'm guessing steering geometry wasn't high on the to do list.

Doublestack00 said:

I bought the Jeep from a guy that knew nothing about it. From what I have found it is a 6" lift with 33x12.50.

I am going to order a set of control arm drop brackets and adjustable arms to fix the spring and arm deal. Then tighten up everything check out all the front end then have it aligned. Then start saving my pennies so I can swap in some bigger axles.

Click to expand...

Damn. That's a ton of lift. Looks way tall even with 33s. Drop brackets are a good idea, but might look at losing some of that lift, depending on what your plans are.

Ben

I may, I am new to this whole deal. I am gonna throw on the drop brackets tighten/check out the front end then go from there. I need a front sway bar to, might swing by pull-a-part and try and get a complete one.

Doublestack00 said:

I need a front sway bar to, might swing by pull-a-part and try and get a complete one.

Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with that track bar / steering stabilizer relocation bracket thing you've got on there (the yellow zinc piece), but it appears that it is occupying the hole you would need to use in order to bolt up a sway bar.

I am not sure about it either, I am wondering if I should swap it out with something.

fyrfytr1717 said:

I'm not familiar with that track bar / steering stabilizer relocation bracket thing you've got on there (the yellow zinc piece), but it appears that it is occupying the hole you would need to use in order to bolt up a sway bar.

Click to expand...

Good eye! Definitely not getting a stock swaybar on with that there.

Ben

You have the factory steering equipment on there. There's nothing beefy about that. A cheap upgrade is the V8 ZJ (93-98 Grand Cherokee) steering. I grabbed the tierod and draglink for $30 at a local bone-yard.

The XJ D44 and Chryco 8.25 are excellent axles to swap out in place of your D35 as dewidge said. They will be bolt in provided they are the same gear ratio. If you have the 4.0 and AW4, you will have 3.55 gears. Like said before, a Chryco 8.25 is difficult to find in 4.10. Especially the later 29 spline models. The 29 spline 8.25s were found in 97+ and the 27 spline was found in the XJ from 91-96 IIRC. 27 spline 8.25s can be easier found with 4.10 gears. Nice thing about the 8.25 is the carrier is the same. There's little needing to be changed to go to a 29 spline swap and the break for when you would be changing carriers for 4.10 gears is wicked low...something like 2.73.

The D30 you have in front is a good axle. I've seen people run up to 36s on the D30 (though I wouldn't do it). It will certainly hold up to some abuse compared to the 35. To get 4.10 gears in a D30, you have to swap carriers. Unless it came from a ZJ that came with 3.73 gears. The carrier break on the 30 is 3.73. If you found a relatively low mileage XJ with a 4cyl, you could swap the whole front axle out and have an easy 4.10 front axle. But the likelihood of finding the 8.25 out back is slim.

I see your trackbar is adjustable, but it's not in the factory location on the frame side. It's bolted up to that brass tab that is bolted to your sway bar link mount. I also see the steering stabilizer bolted there too, for the life of me, I don't know why. I'd try to get that stuff back to factory location and gain the benefit of not having some misunderstood part on there while being able to bolt your sway bar back on.

Death wobble (DW) is almost always caused by a loose component. It's fairly simple to figure out what it is. If you have a buddy rock the steering wheel back and forth while you peep the steering components, you should find it. Though the bushings in the control arms have been known to cause this too (there was a TSB for certain years, not certain which ones). Usually a TRE or trackbar though.

And yeah, the drop brackets will definitely help out with your control arm length, caster and straightening out your coils. To paraphrase a signature I once saw: "Every time someone drives with 5.5"+ lift on short arms without drop brackets, baby Jesus cries." Or something like that... Rough Country has some nice lowers and also some nice drop brackets. I wouldn't want to wheel on stock lowers with 33s.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Josh! That is the kinda post I was looking for.

So really for just basic use like I plan on the front axles is good, just need to swap the rear out. Sounds like I need to find a Chry rear axle with a 3.55 to start.

I just ordered the RC drop brackets, gonna put them on this weekend. After that I might run by pull-a-part and get the beefier steering parts. Is the stabilizer I have on there good for anything?

Also should I go back with the stock XJ swap bar or get one of off something else?

Some people will say the stabilizer is useless, though I will always run one until mine is trailered everywhere. Sticking with the stock sway bar will be fine. I would suggest getting disconnects though. If you're planning to go off-road, and you are or else you wouldn't have bought such a modified XJ, you can take the disconnects off and gain the articulation and have them connected for on-road driving.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!!

Make sure you budget for a new track bar when you install that sway bar. The adjustable one you have looks pretty decent, but even if you can adjust it long enough to reach the stock mounting hole under the axle, I think the shape of it is going to cause interference with the mounting bracket on the axle. If not at ride height, then definitely when your driver side front tire droops. A stock one from the junkyard won't be an option either with 6" of lift so you're going to have to go aftermarket.

I went by Pull-A-Part today. Got the sway bar, end links, both suspension arms and new roof rack brackets for $60.

Gonna put it all on with new bushing tomorrow when my drop brackets get here.