Roadtrip XJ prep

Ok guys so last night at my friends birthday i decided i need to take a long trip with my XJ, and would like to go to Moab or somewhere similar out west(live in Chicago). So far it has a 3" RC lift, bastard pack which ill be replacing this spring, sway bar drop bracket and 235/75/15 Destination ATs. I am trying to put together a list of mods i need to do before i go. I dont plan on doing anything hardcore, but id like to go through a few nice trails with a friend well off the highway. So far im planning to add:
- 31x10.5 Treadwright Guard dog tires(old MTR tread)
-Rough Country quick disconnect sway bar links, -Warn rear 1-1/4 shackle reciever,
-front IRO Tow hook mount
-new Leaf Springs(need help on what brand)
-hi-lift jack
-full size spare(possibly used AT tire)

What else do you guys think i could need to be ready for some mild trails? This will be most likely a 1000 mile one way trip on my daily driver so id like to keep it road friendly, and i will be camping my way most likely.

need-a-bow said:

Ok guys so last night at my friends birthday i decided i need to take a long trip with my XJ, and would like to go to Moab

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Many nice trails, in southern Utah, can be run in a stock Cherokee. More trails than you could run in several vacations, maybe a lifetime.
In addition to your list, skids on the gas tank, transfer case and mini skid in the lower control arms would be good additions.
I would concentrate on making sure the mechanicals are in top shape, you can get a long ways from anything in Utah and you don't want to walk out. Gas up every chance you can.
Carry food, water, extra clothing and sleeping bags, along with a good selection of tools and spare parts.
You cannot count on your cell phone helping to get you out of a jam.
Have a great time, you will love it.

how you want to wheel, what modifications you want, and what your comfortable with is all up to you (and your group i suppose). but dont forget to factor in regular maintenance. youll likely want an oil change before heading out, and one after wheeling for an extended period of time, likely before you head home. be sure to do a thorough inspection of all fluids and wear parts before the trip, before wheeling, after wheeling, before you head home, and when you get home... and anytime in between. you get the idea. i usually have full fluid changes on me at all times. routine check up and maintenance on all wear parts is very important on any long trip, especially a wheeling trip.

you should also take a minute to compile what i call a "crash box" of consumables that you may likely (unlikely?) need on the trail. i have spares of everything from lugs to sensors. while ive been lucky enough to offer them as help to others on the trail more often than use them myself, its better to have these things and not need them than need them and not have them. with that said... it can be hard to think of everything you need, and even harder to justify the cost. its taken me years to figure out what i must have on me, what i can leave at camp, and what i can wheel accordingly without. a big help comes when you know your wheeling buddies well, you can all collaborate, who has what, and everyone can pack a little lighter.

If you're going bigger tires, i would also do a gear change for that long of a drive. Trust me you'll be glad you did. 32's are a good tire for a DD and WW, a little taller and wider. bigger foot helps some times.

My spare parts are pretty slim right now, will be getting some spare u joints and ball joints just in case, care a handfull of lugnuts all the time, along with a basic Blue Point tool kit(sockets and wrenches) along with a couple of clamps, breaker bar and 1/2 deep well sockets, tow straps, spare quart of all fluids(tranny, oil, brake, power steering, starting fluid for searing beads), and hopefully will add an on board air compressor to air up between rides. 32" tires look great, but ive run them and have very little flex unless i really hack up the body, and id need different rims as ive run them before and had contact well before full turn. As far as underbelly protection, i think ill do LCA skid plates, but as far as gas tank and t case, cash might not afford them. Im hinting the JY, but a winch seems to be higher in the list. Is a winch needed often on the rocks? Here in Illinois its usually tree filled trails

need-a-bow said:

Ok guys so last night at my friends birthday i decided i need to take a long trip with my XJ, and would like to go to Moab or somewhere similar out west(live in Chicago). So far it has a 3" RC lift, bastard pack which ill be replacing this spring, sway bar drop bracket and 235/75/15 Destination ATs. I am trying to put together a list of mods i need to do before i go. I dont plan on doing anything hardcore, but id like to go through a few nice trails with a friend well off the highway. So far im planning to add:
- 31x10.5 Treadwright Guard dog tires(old MTR tread)
-Rough Country quick disconnect sway bar links, -Warn rear 1-1/4 shackle reciever,
-front IRO Tow hook mount
-new Leaf Springs(need help on what brand)
-hi-lift jack
-full size spare(possibly used AT tire)

What else do you guys think i could need to be ready for some mild trails? This will be most likely a 1000 mile one way trip on my daily driver so id like to keep it road friendly, and i will be camping my way most likely.

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I did a Moab roadtrip with almost exactly the same setup as you, except driving from NC. Have to say, the other comments so far are spot on. 31's and open diffs got me way more places than I ever figured it would go. You won't be short trails, in four days wheeling I only scratched the surface. Basic maintenance is the biggest issue. Skidplate the T-case and the gas tank for insurance. Then grab a few spares of things like the CPS that could strand you. Spare fluids. Etcetera. I'd also suggest a radio setup of some kind. Maybe not a permanent CB setup if it isn't in your budget, but cell phones won't be much help in the boonies.

scottmcneal said:

If you're going bigger tires, i would also do a gear change for that long of a drive. Trust me you'll be glad you did. 32's are a good tire for a DD and WW, a little taller and wider. bigger foot helps some times.

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Agree with this. On my 31s I ran an AX15 and changed the gears from stock 3.08 with 3.55's from an auto, and this was barely tolerable going through the mountains in Colorado. I assume you have an auto. You can run your stock 3.55s with 31s but you'll notice the difference stepping up from 235s.

need-a-bow said:

My spare parts are pretty slim right now, will be getting some spare u joints and ball joints just in case, care a handfull of lugnuts all the time, along with a basic Blue Point tool kit(sockets and wrenches) along with a couple of clamps, breaker bar and 1/2 deep well sockets, tow straps, spare quart of all fluids(tranny, oil, brake, power steering, starting fluid for searing beads), and hopefully will add an on board air compressor to air up between rides. 32" tires look great, but ive run them and have very little flex unless i really hack up the body, and id need different rims as ive run them before and had contact well before full turn. As far as underbelly protection, i think ill do LCA skid plates, but as far as gas tank and t case, cash might not afford them. Im hinting the JY, but a winch seems to be higher in the list. Is a winch needed often on the rocks? Here in Illinois its usually tree filled trails

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A winch is of little use if your fuel tank doesn't hold liquid, or if your t case splits open. I'd also opt for protecting vital parts before stocking up on spare parts, hard to carry a spare t case and gas tank.
The LCA skids are the last skids I would put on, and really can be made from 4 dollars worth of steel and 15 minutes with a 110v welder.

Make sure the jeep is running in tip top shape. check all the fluids, clean all the mud and bugs from the rad, make sure the coolant is clean still. Air filter. Etc.

Winch is always handy. Hopefully at least one in your group has one.
Make sure you pull strap is a proper one with some nice stretch in it.
Make sure you have some good pull points front and rear.

A CB radio is cheap and nice to have in a group.

Im running 3:55 gears, and although i could regear to 4:10 it would most likely set me back $600+ and have my DD down for a few days since id be doing the work myself. I have thought of how itll do in the mountains, its barely getting broken in this spring with all the mods im doing, so far ive gotten rid of the death wobble and now am hunting down wiring gremlins in the doors and rattle in the dash. As far as skid plates, economically my only option will likely be JY skid plates or possibly rustys, but that would cut funds for other things. I believe i have a CB somewhere in the garage, we always wheel with handheld radios so theyve never gotten installed. All filters just got changed, including tranny filter and shift selenoids. Would a roof rack be a good idea? Seems like the best way to mount lights, hi lift jack and a possibly a gas can(kinda iffy on the gas can though). Id like to pack everything in a way i can sleep in my car if needed.

ive taken a few decent roadtrips in my xj, and im currently preparing for an 8 day camping trip/road trip/offroad trip where im doing the Mojave Road trail and going to King of the Hammers in the same trip.

I find its best to adopt a "better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it" mentality. whatever you interpret that as, is up to you.

Shafts front and rear are manditory spares. I have fronts with ujoints and wheel bearings installed. I've only caught a handle of egged out ears before losing a joint. On stock shafts, this can result in spitting a cap, then destroying a shaft. If not caught early enough, then you run the risk of blowing ball joints. If you run lunchbox lockers, keep your spiders just in case. Fluids.... Remember, 36mm socket.

I usually have a spare oil change and filter on me. Spare thermostat and coolant. ATF for the case, fluid for the trans of you have a manual like me. Power steering fluid. Brake fluid air filter. I also carry O2s, IAC, TPS, CPS, etc... Steering components. Tire plugs. Blah blah blah...

Protect the t case. But a beefy skid will destroy a stock trans crossmember with a good hit. I got by for years without a gas tank skid, but am much happier now having one.

Like I said, partnering with your buddies and inventorying who has what can limit the load you carry in one vehicle.

I have done 2 Maine to Moab (and back) trips. I did some wheeling, but it wasn't the entire focus of the trip. Skids take ;priority over a winch for me. I also chose my trails keeping in mind that I needed to get home. The most challenging trip I did was over Elephant hill in Canyonlands for camping. I had tools and small parts, but with open diffs and 265/75/r16 tires I dont carry axle shafts.
before the trip I spent a good amount of time under my jeep greasing and inspecting things. I focused on making the 2000+ mile drive as comfortable as possible and that prepared things for wheeling as well.
part of my strategy (and this may not apply to you) was to squeeze more enjoyment out of less wheeling. We would wheel A trail, then walk one or wheel to a camp site. Wity only one vehicle I had to be a little more careful than a group.
if I was spending a whole week on difficult slickrock trails I would want 2-low. I hate the feeling of binding everything up in 4 low to make a tight turn.

Preventative maintenance.
I have run extended periods in dirt and rock with a stock Cherokee.
You don't need mods, you need reliability.

Oh
And good headlights / brakes

Jeepingben, i think my goal os closest to you. Girlfriend will most likely come along, so some hiking will ensue. I might not make it exactly to Moab, but it will be in Utah or Colorado for sure. I run open diffs(although might get a rear LSD swapped in), and have learned not to push your rig hard if your driving home. We learned the hard way when my family got the off road bug. Once out of 5 jeeps we had 2 able to drive 2 hrs. Home. Needless to say now we tow if we are wheeling hard

Get your ham license, and pick up a baofeng

Not sure what a baofeng is....

Although i was looking at costs of regearing, and considering regearing the rear is probably gonna run me around $300, so could swapping in an 8.8 with disc brakes and an LSD, 4:10 gears be worth it? Then id only regear the front

Are you going by yourself, or with a group? Has anyone in your group wheeled in rocks? This is not midwest mud we're talking about. Last time I lived in Chicago there wasn't much for wheeling. What's your experience level? If you're trying to make a bomb proof XJ, keep the tires 33" or smaller. Alloy shafts, and do periodic maintenance. As for gearing, 4.56's are the best, but 4.10's and 31's considering you don't have any hills where 90% of your driving is should work out ok. The Baofeng is a hand held amateur radio. You're in chicagoland so there are plenty of ham radio swap meets and whatnot in your area. Get your license.

Its looking like i might make the trip alone, aiming towards the Jeep Easter Safari. Ive wheeled in the Sierra in northern Mexico on very old cattle and mining trails, definetly rocks vs the mud we wheel here near Chicago. Ill be wheeling only light trails. Im not extremely experienced, and i wont be pushing my XJ hard as Moab is only part of the trip. 31" is my limit on tires die to gearing, and only having 3" of lift

Brakes and brake lines!

I have used this book to pick trails: http://www.funtreks.com/index.php?I...t&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=6

My Jeep has ~32 inch tires and stock gears (3.55). I'm sure taller gears would be nice sometimes, but It is doable. If you have to choose between skids and gears, I would choose the skids. I used mine all the time, but not by bashing them against rocks. The skids meant I could drive over stuff without getting out and checking every time or getting gray hair thinking I might take out my gas tank on something.

After a trip into Big Bend Ranch state park in Texas (was supposed to be Big Bend Natl Park, but the government decided to shut down) I added a second battery. This keeps me from getting nervous when charging laptops or whatever when alone at a remote campsite.
For this trip, we were ~20 miles from pavement with only 1 vehicle and we cooked dinner set up tents using the headlights.

The first time I went to Moab, I drove through Rocky Mountain National Park over Trail-Ridge road. It is paved, but is still a fun drive.

If you are planning a road trip that includes wheeling instead of planning a wheeling trip, check out expeditionportal.