2001 xj build (I know nothing)

Hi All,

I bought my cherokee 4 months ago with:
4.5 inch lift (rustys)
Slip yoke eliminator
drive shafts.
Quick disconnect sway-bar
K&N air filter
Front bumper
Rock sliders
Rear bumper
Winch
Braided brake lines
Viper alarm

I have added:
Battery and cables
Gas tank skid
Transfer case skid
JKS shackles
ZJ steering
784 injectors
Header (flow daddy)
Hood vents (i'm looking for lebaron vents)
PCM (mine was fried)
Goodyear duratracs
Roof rack (cheese)

Things I'm saving for.
Long arms
New front axle
Rancho 9000 shocks
Lockers (ARB)
Swing away tire carrier.

I bought it fairly built because I know nothing. My dad has an xj that he did dana 44 in the rear an arb in the front and an upgraded np231.

I'm starting this thread because we are going to do our first fab project. We both want long arms and we are going to try and build them. I hope to make them like the Curry Radius arm system.

Any advice drawings or links would be great.

Thank you.

Nate

I will use this for where the lower ties in to the axle. http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BUSHDOM

We have some square 2" with .25 walls for the arms.

We are looking for a good flex joint for where the arm ties to the frame and where the upper arm ties to the lower arm.

This is going to take for every. I have just started thinking about parts.

I'm going to try to make it similar to the clayton. I'm not sure about the cross member.
http://claytonoffroad.com/product_info.php?cPath=18_68&products_id=110

Lowers
64 inches of 2" by .25 square
$25ea 2 http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/product.aspx?id=2789

$42ea 2 http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/Product.aspx?id=2629

$16.5ea 2 http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BUSHDOM the 2 5/8ths

$4 ea 4 http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Axle-tube-shock-tabs-flat-bottom_p_1446.html

Uppers
I want to make the uppers look like this.
http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/Product.aspx?id=1164

Looks like its gonna be a decent project for ya. Check out jeepfreaks on the main page, reminds me of how he started.

Best bet would be start with a good crossmember/ link mount combo, plate the unibody around where you want to mount the arms/ new crossmember. on a radius arm you cant really mess it up, if your going with the stock axle you already know the separation (distance between upper link and lower link on the axle side), from there you would just want to know your arm length which depends on where you mount it... on crossmember, bottom of the frame rail, inside the frame rail...

Ive honestly only helped build one radius arm setup, and it was minor help at that. But If I had the time for myself Id feel comfortable building them in a heart beat...

Ive already got plans to plate the straight section of unibody rail, remount my stock x-member and build link mounts just forward of the x-member, to make a "mid arm" setup, which will consist of a radius arm on the drivers side and only a lower link on the passenger side. It should work well for what I do and will cost me about 2/3 of a long arm kit, plus have the added benefits of beefed up "frame" rails

go wheel the darn thing.



looks good. :cheers:

I'm starting to like it. Too many problems to start with.

I'm planing on doing the Rubicon in July and I got it stuck in a creek deer hunting in October and I got to use the winch. Then I bent the stock tie rod like a pretzel the day after Thanksgiving.

The axle before for.




I heated it up to hot to touch and welded an inch at a time. Did all the tubes and a little truss and skids for the control arms.





I started another thread and i should have posted here.
dana 30 all taken apart from a 1988 disconnect axle. I'm going to replace the pinion stuff with this is kit.
Is this the right kit -> http://www.summitracing.com/parts/RAT-320K/

Does anyone have the a link or part number for the axle seals? I have the carrier out and I would like to replace them.

The dana 30 was 3.07 gears and i'm going to replace with 3.55. I'm planning on replacing the bearings and shims on the pinion but not messing with the ones on the carrier. Is that ok?

gird123 said:

The dana 30 was 3.07 gears and i'm going to replace with 3.55. I'm planning on replacing the bearings and shims on the pinion but not messing with the ones on the carrier. Is that ok?

Click to expand...

no... gears are like snowflakes. they are all completely different. youll need to completely reset them.

you would have been better off doing all that work to an axle that already have 3.55s and an open diff, and swapping your lunchbox over.

would be a good time to get some even lower gears. you did not mention tire size, but did say a 4.5" lift. what size tire are you planning to run?

I'm running 33"

I got the axle for free with the locker after a little horse trading. I was told it was 3.55's which would match my current rear axle. So I pulled the carrier to weld the housing and noticed it was not 3.55. My dad has a set of 3.55 gears from an 89 I can have for free. I would love to go to 4.10s or 4.56s but i cant afford it right now.

My dad did his first dana 30 gear 4.56 gears last year so i think i will buy the kit and the seals and try with his help to install them and run that until i can afford to re-gear front and rear.

I think these are the seals National 710068 http://www.autopartstomorrow.com/part_numbers/277689-front-axle-seal

Started building my long arms.

You're gonna do more than just the factory 4 crossmember bolts, right?

I will be doing frame stiffeners and welding to that. Those holes are just to hold it in place while I weld.

I bought the daystar 84-01 xj control arm bushing kit. I feel like i'm missing something. they are a little to small. Is there a sleeve i'm supposed to order?

I'm almost done with the control arms and i started on shackle relocation brackets.

Nate

do i use the sleeve from the old bushing?

that is it. I need to remove the rubber bushing and then install the daystar.

Re: 2001 xj build (I Learned a lot)

I have not posted all my progress.

outline

I bought the jeep in august of 2011 had quick disco sway bar, 4.5 rusty's lift rock sliders and other little things.
New battery and connectors.
Flowdaddy headers.
Fried PCM replaced
Injectors
moved the controls for the winch inside the cab.
gass tank and transfer case skid
All steering components replaced to fix death wobble
New good year duratracs 33s.
Driver side u joint
Hood vents.

I bought a parts jeep with a spartan locker. Pulled the font axle and transfer case and sold the jeep for about what i paid for it.



Decided i wanted 4:10 or 4.56 gears
Found a Dana 30 and an 8.25 with 4.10 for 325.00
I trussed and welded the tubes, and installed the locker in the dana 30
I shaved about 3/4 off the housing and raised the shock mounts 1.5 inches on the 8.25.

I build shackle relocation brackets and installed jks shackles.

So last week i swapped in the new axles and installed the home made long arms.





Things i still want to do:
roof rack
e-fan override switch
transmission skid
I ordered a teraflexplus oil pan skid for 25$ free shipping from ebay
replace front seats
CB radio
New shocks

All in all i'm pretty happy. I have never built anything before and it rides so much better on the high way and the flex is incredible. Very fun to do something new and feel like it is a success. A little stressful welding critical components though. Since it is my daily driver at times i had to rush the final detail like paint, I wish i could have taken a little more time on the details.

Nice build... what hood vents did you use? Any pics or details? I've got an '01 XJ and need to vent some of the heat on mine during slow drives.