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Ultimate Jeep Project

XTrmXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Alb. NM
This project is not intended for the Trails but can do off roading... The purpose of this project is I love my XJ but there are times that I would like to have a good size bed and I love my Long bed MJ but there just isnt enough room for the many road trips that I do... I also like the idea of chopping an XJ and having an ultra short Bed but I cant really put any of my other offroad toys in the back.... The Idea also came around for when I use my MJ to tow my XJ on a trailer and carry all of my toys but no comfortable room for two in the cab.... So my Idea is to mate a XJ and a Short bed/ long Bed MJ together ( dont know how long I want the bed).. I would leave the XJ intack but pull the rear axel out and put sheet metal over the wheelwell, and chopping into the frame of the XJ and would reinforce the frame with rectange tubing and join it into the rear half of the MJ bed and chasis.. On the XJ half I would leave the rear hatch alone so that way it can still open up for even more compartment room or for what ever reason and or put a 3rd row of seats in... I know that I would have to beef up the frame and what not but truely thats not an issue at this time because I already know ho to do this, the frame will have an internal support and I will also be plating it on the outside, bolted and welded together.. The rear axle would be replaced with a D60 or bigger, I would like to put a Duelly axle under it and run duel tires on the rear and also upgrade the front with a D44.. Of course there would be gear changes depending on the tire size but not bigger than 33" (4.88? ) and I also would like to throw a diesel S6 with a bigger drivetrain to match... The suspension will be replaced with a super duty leaf set up that I have already have from an older F-350, and it will put a lift or roughly 5-6 inches, the front suspension will also come from the F-350... I have been putting a lot of thought into this (6 months) and doing a lot of drawing and configering, and this project with be taking a long time to build as I will want to be changing things up or do to other circumstanses with work/traveling.... All and All I think that this would be a great accomplishment and perform as a Bada$$ Tow Rig/Show Toy... Any inputs or advise will be sorted though and taken into thought and if all works well I will be putting peoples names on the rig for insight/ crew of builders..
I know some are thinking "just go down to the dealership and buy a new big Truck" Well I dont like the Idea of the prices of a big duelly rig $50,000+ and your stuck with the regular configure as everone else... I have more pride building somthing to my specs and when growing up me and my father always built everthing for the farm instead of paying for parts that would give out down the road or not work properly... Plus I think that this will be more of a Monument for all of the XJ/MJ owners.. You can also pick up older XJ/MJ really cheap from stupid people that have know Ideas what they have...
 
XTrmXJ said:
You can also pick up older XJ/MJ really cheap from stupid people that have know Ideas what they have...
I sell them all the time for $500 to a $1000...I know what I have, a mass produce jeep/station wagon, that no one wants to pay much for.
How about this for an idea....buy an older powerstroke,crew cab dually(got about 6 grand in mine) and put a stretched xj body on it...less work and probably less cash by the time the dust has settled....Good Luck.
 
buy an older powerstroke,crew cab dually(got about 6 grand in mine) and put a stretched xj body on it.

Thats a good Idea, but in a way that takes the purpose away of making a pure Jeep and then I would just have a Ford as a tow rig... Im trying to keep this as close to a purebread as possible but with a challage.. I know that sounds wierd but who else would have thought of the idea...
 
Sounds really fun, cool, time consuming, etc... my .02.

I like the idea in general, but I would cut the bed off the MJ and cut the rear off the XJ and mate them together. Kind of like quad cab MJ, that way you don't have to go to huge axles (D44 F&R would be fine) you would be adding 6' of bed to the XJ all you would be adding is about 2'. All you would have to do is add new front mounts for the shackles. You could also use the back part of the MJ cab like (hinkly) and the them did to close the cab. well enough of what I would do...

GL
 
One of the other reasons that I discibed it the way I did is because my father has alot of the parts that I can use sitting around the farm back in Indiana that is used as parts vehicals and or equipment that we pick up at auctions.... And with the chopping of the XJ behind the rear doors still doesnt seem like there would be enough room inside for anything that I wouldnt want to get wet on road trips, thats one of the reasons why I want to keep the XJ intact, Plus I can use the xtra space to camp in on road trips and stuff to save on lodging costs... I also want to do the duelly thing because I want to beable to pull a 5th wheel or a large trailer so that way I can through my XJ on... I know that the older Ford duelly fairings will fit with minor trimming to fit...
 
Thats a hard one to envision. I think it would be too narrow for that long of wheelbase. I like the thought just dont think it would be very feasible adding 6 feet to the back of a cherokee and exprect it to not have any structural issues.

Rabbit
 
D60 + 33s = Bulldozing.




My Ultimated Jeep Project would closely resemble Dan Starc's rig. :agree: :D
 
Thats a hard one to envision. I think it would be too narrow for that long of wheelbase. I like the thought just dont think it would be very feasible adding 6 feet to the back of a cherokee and exprect it to not have any structural issues.

Thats why I was going to insert a piece of 4-1 1/2 rectangle x 1/4 steel into the frame of both and have the overall frame plated with more metal, bolted and welded...
 
My Ultimated Jeep Project would closely resemble Dan Starc's rig. :agree:


What does it look like???
 
XTrmXJ I also want to do the duelly thing because I want to beable to pull a 5th wheel or a large trailer so that way I can through my XJ on... I know that the older Ford duelly fairings will fit with minor trimming to fit...[/QUOTE said:
Now that would be interesting to see, but , you will need to basically build a one ton sub frame under your xj to support all the weight, I don't think a unibody is gonna like a 5th wheel dumped on top of it. So....back to the powerstroke or f350 frame at least....
 
scroll back up and you will see the ideas on the the frame....
 
Thats why I was going to insert a piece of 4-1 1/2 rectangle x 1/4 steel into the frame of both and have the overall frame plated with more metal, bolted and welded...
 
Maybe use a J-10 or J-20 frame and drop the front half of an XJ and an MJ bed right on it.
 
Sounds wild. I agree with ryurabbit though, I just banged up a photoshop version of what you described to see roughly what it would look like, and with a longbed, its just plain too long. You would be sporting a sixteen foot vehicle that's only 6 feet wide! I think it would look odd, but that's just my two cents. I like more what Shanbo44's getting at, maybe just a short bed on the back of the full XJ, that way, if you need more bed space, you just open up the hatch!

PS when its done PM me and I'll go to Moab with you and my double width XJ :D
 
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I say do it, if it busts in half when you put the fifth wheel on it so be it.
 
Thanks for the support guys I have been taking everything into planning and I will do more planning on the idea... I think that I would probably use a short bed or maybe bob the bed if I feel the need to.. I wont be hauling a 5th wheel all the time (need to buy one first) as for right now it will only be a car hauler (Uhaul) for my XJ.. I would still like to be able to carry my 4wheeler or dirt bike in the back though, just for fun ... I have also thought of another idea for the frame, my father has a graintruck that he has used as parts, all thats left of it is the cab drivetrain, suspension, and the front axle.. The frame would be long enough, maybe to long (have to measure when I go to Indiana in June)... I still want to look into my original Idea by putting steel beams in the unibody frame and plating... By the way I will be running full with axels.....
Does anyone know by chance what the biggest size Diesel engine and matching drivetrain most power, and duribility will fit in the DogHouse

I just banged up a photoshop version of what you described to see roughly what it would look like, and with a longbed, its just plain too long.

Please post this if you are able, Im also looking for atleast 6 inches with the suspension configur...

Quote:
Originally Posted by XTrmXJ
What does it look like???



http://www.wagoneers.com/XJ/rigs/Da...J/ALL2-pix.html

Doesnt work... Please try it again..
 
I got the idea from my friends truck that he built.. It started as a wrecked 4 door short box bed and now its this..
eta_truck_1.jpg

Trust me the truck goes sideways in 3rd gear from a standstill

Also I probably wont start on this project for another year because I am about to do a lot of traveling with the military... Plus I want to take my time with the planning of this and I like to have all of the parts and pieces before I start with the build...
 
XTrmXJ said:
... I have also thought of another idea for the frame, my father has a graintruck that he has used as parts, all thats left of it is the cab drivetrain, suspension, and the front axle.. The frame would be long enough, maybe to long (have to measure when I go to Indiana in June)... I still want to look into my original Idea by putting steel beams in the unibody frame and plating...
If its a tandem graintruck the frame alone should weigh about the same as your XJ!
I think it might be bit to much iron for your needs.... I grew up on a farm and have built my share of "farm toys" from old tractors, trucks and cars over the years. But unless you are building a tank, I think you might want to consider something a bit lighter.
Buck :canada:
 
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