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First XJ, need some input on the build

jdjohnson

jdjohnson

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Yuma
Not new to fabricating or offroad but i need some ideas on my first jeep build. I picked up a "slightly" used 1988 4.0l manual 4x4 last week and i see lots of potential just need to be steered in the right direction.

I live in yuma so this will see more speed and woops at the dunes then trails or rocks. I already know that i want long arms and seeing dune season is right around the corner i need to decide and start building ASAP if i want to make opener this halloween. My issue is that after lurking through many forums i cant seem to find definitive proof that any kit is better then the rest. Its all opinionated with goods and bads on every kit. Either way im pretty confident that i have it narrowed down to two different kits that seem like they would fit the bill. Full Tractions 6in and Rustys 6in but with the true competition 4 link not that y link stuff. Add in some 2.0 external resi shocks, steering upgrades and a decent set of 33s and that should be good enough to get me through this season. I will worry about unibody stiffening, deavers, rear shock location in the bed, cage, and fiberglass after i get some enjoyment out of it and find its limitations this year.

As i said at the beginning this is my first time messing with a jeep so if im off the mark please let me know. I would hate to drop 3k in this thing to find out it was all wrong (been there before with my other prerunner projects).

Also if there are mods that are must haves throw them out there. Im most certainly up for suggestions and input.

Thanks for your time,
Josh
 
If you are considering Rusty's, you didn't research enough.

Check out the Poly Performance, BDS, and Clayton 3/4-link front suspension kits as well.

Full traction might be right up your alley though.
 
sunburned said:
If you are considering Rusty's, you didn't research enough.

Check out the Poly Performance, BDS, and Clayton 3/4-link front suspension kits as well.

Full traction might be right up your alley though.
Click to expand...

So I'm curious what I missed about rustys. Is it just the kits or?? What I was finding is that a lot of the previous issues had been resolved ie the quality and the joints. Maybe i missed something. Thanks for the input
 
What I go by is this: guys who run their junk fast (racers, even) recommend Full Traction more than anything else. Synergy's long arm kit, too.
Rusty's if probably "fine", but even for another $400, I'd take the FT kit or Synergy kit.
Reading Rusty's instructions, there are self tapping bolts involved. The overall strength could be fine or even great - it uses thru-floor mounting plates, too - but... self tappers + long arms...
EDIT: OK, I read FT's instructions... they have self tappers as well. So, buy what you want and don't listen to me :)
 
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I would think uni-body stiffeners should be priority #1 if you're gonna be getting up to speed and possibly jumping this thing. I'd vote for Claytons 4-link. Weld it to the stiffeners and be done.
 
philagony94xj said:
I would think uni-body stiffeners should be priority #1 if you're gonna be getting up to speed and possibly jumping this thing. I'd vote for Claytons 4-link. Weld it to the stiffeners and be done.
Click to expand...

I will not be jumping this thing. I have seen too many things break because of it. I guess I should have clarified more in my initial post. This Xj won't see speed anywhere near my old prerunner. I don't want to turn this thing into a long term constantly broke project from my prerunning days. After talking with some friends I'm almost leaning towards FTs 3.5in long arm kit and then build in some proper bumpstops. It's a thought at least.
 
jdjohnson said:
I'm almost leaning towards FTs 3.5in long arm kit and then build in some proper bumpstops. It's a thought at least.
Click to expand...

With quality shocks, that should get you fast enough to cause a smile without constantly fixing things. Knock on wood.
 
Why everyone still lifts their nose when rustys is brought up I don't know! Yeah their 'stock' steering upgrade sucks, and their track bars that use the ball joint type ends suck (but so does every other non 'double shear' track bar) but they have lots of good parts. Including long arm options. I would take a rustys long arm over iron rock any day (I've ran both) or even over a RC long arm (which I've also ran). They are a great setup for most, if your doing high speed or jeep speed stuff then your gonna want something else more than likely.

That said, full traction, poly, clayton, tnt, bds are good options too, as is rustys. I'd be looking in the 3.5-4.5" range and fender 'trimming' with some good shocks your on the right track
 
Jbh97009 said:
Why everyone still lifts their nose when rustys is brought up I don't know! Yeah their 'stock' steering upgrade sucks, and their track bars that use the ball joint type ends suck (but so does every other non 'double shear' track bar) but they have lots of good parts. Including long arm options. I would take a rustys long arm over iron rock any day (I've ran both) or even over a RC long arm (which I've also ran). They are a great setup for most, if your doing high speed or jeep speed stuff then your gonna want something else more than likely.

That said, full traction, poly, clayton, tnt, bds are good options too, as is rustys. I'd be looking in the 3.5-4.5" range and fender 'trimming' with some good shocks your on the right track
Click to expand...

HA.. I knew i wasnt the only one noticing that certain manufacturers bring up heated debates. Its almost a crap shoot trying to figure out what will best suit my needs because of it but i had to post up before i possibly made the wrong decision.

Speaking of decisions, for what im looking for do i need to worry about the uni plating or stiffeners? That seems to be an interesting debate as well. I would hate to crack it but past experiences have shown me that even with plating cracks happen.
 
Well i guess now that the suspension stuff is kind of figured out i can share my newest more pertinent issue. my oil pressure dropped to almost nothing a couple days ago so for sh*ts and giggles i pulled the valve cover to see how the top end looked. my findings of a totally dry top end were not a happy sight. I have since parked it and found a new motor from an 89 commanche with 150k that i will be picking up this weekend. while i swap them and have an empty engine bay is there anything i should pay attention to or should be doing? Cosmetically i will clean it up and repaint it but im more curious on the mechanical aspect. I would hate to put it all back together to later find out that i should have done something.
 
Being in Yuma, I'll go out on a limb and say you don't have any rust to deal with while you are in there.
All that occurs to me is clean it, paint it & run cooling system cleaner through it before you fill it back up with antifreeze. Then again... Yuma. Do you even run antifreeze? I think it was like 86* at night when I was there last October... real pretty countryside, though.
 
yossarian19 said:
Being in Yuma, I'll go out on a limb and say you don't have any rust to deal with while you are in there.
All that occurs to me is clean it, paint it & run cooling system cleaner through it before you fill it back up with antifreeze. Then again... Yuma. Do you even run antifreeze? I think it was like 86* at night when I was there last October... real pretty countryside, though.
Click to expand...

Nope no rust down here. Cooling problems are a constant down here so i was going to replace all of that anyway. I run antifreeze even though i dont really need to. I am pretty mechanically inclined so i was more concerned with any specific to older jeeps type stuff. Im assuming that its the same as any other vehicle just wanted to know if anything in perticular that needs special attention such as the steering box cracks.
 
jdjohnson said:
Speaking of decisions, for what im looking for do i need to worry about the uni plating or stiffeners? That seems to be an interesting debate as well. I would hate to crack it but past experiences have shown me that even with plating cracks happen.
Click to expand...

yes. front to rear. do it before you lift the vehicle.

it doesnt look cool, and no one at the mall is going to notice. but youll thank yourself and be protecting your investment for doing it. my unibody is starting to come apart just from mild crawling, and rust isnt a contributing factor. running around in the desert, even if its just leisurely, will destroy a unibody quickly.

check out brian's stuff at HD offroad. he can hook you up front to rear with stiffeners and even has a new 3 link system on the market.
 
JD, I'm currently on my 3rd XJ and have been building and wheeling them since 1996 (18yrs) and the 2000 model that I now run is a culmination of much of what I've learned about the XJ over that timeframe. I have a build thread here http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=913774&page=2 which you can check out for ideas on your build and I hope it helps you with your decisions.

This rig just works and I do not regret starting my build by beefing up the unibody first, before installing a single lift component or using the rig offroad.

It's still tight and rattle-free, even after some occasional airborne antics at the dunes and bombing two-tracks. Brian's HD offroad kits are a great way to go, which weren't available in a complete kit when I plated my rig from tip to tail. Their shackle relocation kits are nice as well, which allow the lifted leaf to function much better than the stock position.

Welcome to the XJ scene and I look forward to seeing more of your build.
 
A properly designed cage (internal or exo) will keep you (and your XJ) safe and also correct any flex problems. Spend some time integrating that into your project and any suspension you choose will perform much better. Make sure to keep all your drive line components matched to the suspension and your maximum potential abuse. That will prevent many future failures. Planning is the most important thing to save time and money. Do it once and do it right.
 
Awesome!! thanks everyone for the information and ideas. The motor will be coming out tomorrow and more then likely getting rebuilt seeing the seller is being a flake. I will order up the plates once i get the motor figured out. I will order the nicer motor mounts as well. good thing i read this before i ordered the ones that i thought would work.

The engine overheating and low oil pressure issues should be fun to diagnose. Especially the oil pressure seeing it shows 40 when i first fire it up and then slowly drops to nill once warm. Hopefully its just the pump and not clogged oil passages. only time will tell i guess.
 
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