What have I done!!!!!!!

[daytripper]

Well the neighbor and I were talking at his place and I was looking at his 79 wagoneer. Runs great, wheels great ,so I bought it for 200 bucks. I mentioned that It would be cool to put all the running gear on my xj. I always wanted full width axles! Next thing you know we have decided to just strip all the running gear off my xj and mount the body to the Wagoneer frame. So we figure that with a spring over and revolvers I should be able to run 35's or bigger(the xj unibody frame rails should act like a body lift), have decent flex, everything close to stock on the suspension. Well its well on its way, already got the body off and the xj stripped.


OH I love experimentation!!

[XJEEPER04]

holy crap man thats awesome never even heard of anyone doing that....you should post some pics

[daytripper]

NO problem, will do.....

[daytripper]

Ok, heres the before shots...

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/bc706a99/bc/Modifications/rearflares.jpg?bcvMLN_AOP3c7_wM

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/bc706a99/bc/Modifications/flares.jpg?bcvMLN_AMx12cFEH

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/users/bc706a99/bc/jeepin+pics/XJ35s.jpg?bcvMLN_Afp9H4gd7

[Amund2]

Not to put you down or anything, but... won't this be extremely heavy? You're actually ending up with a rig with TWO frames... ? I think your first idea was better! (Axles and stuff -> xj)

[Lucas]

There was a XJ on a ford bronco frame on Ebay and everyone here pretty much concluded that it sucked.very heavy Are you going to bob the frame at all? A FSJ is much much longer than an XJ too.

Actually, All the cab and glass off the FSJ may be a lot heavier and you may end up being lighter in the end, but itll look goofy. I agree with the above post, as this is exactly what I will do If my XJ ever becomes trail only.

Buy a FSJ w/dual 44s and build the axles, or perhaps force int the entire transmission. BTW, what xfercase does it have, and does it have manually locking hubs?

[daytripper]

Well I am cutting the unibody "frame" off today, and gonna have to shorten the frame of the FSJ a bit. THe front axle appears to be a d44( it is considerably larger than than a d35). The front axle has manual locking hubs. The engine is an amc 327 with a Torqueflight 727 tranny. Still trying figure out the model of xfer case. I think that with the unibody "frame" gone it shouldn't look goofy. I also can vouch(at least my back can) that the FSJ body is considerably heavier than the XJ body. I am at the point of no return now! I should also note that this is not a daily driver by any means. At least I am keeping it in the family(Wagoneerokee), come awn an XJ on a bronco.......

[Goatman]

We all do projects that we like, it's all for fun anyway. Sometimes it's fun to wheel something different, but different does not mean that it will work better. I've never seen an FSJ out wheel an XJ, in any configuration.

Personally, I wouldn't give up the EFI and the overdrive tranny. Also, those axles are not full width, they are within an inch of the XJ axles, a touch wider in the front and a touch narrower in the rear. Those axles would have worked better under the XJ than they ever worked under the Waggoneer.

Have fun...... :)

[yellowxj]

Lots of sj's sprung over do great. Kick ass v8 xj. No ripping the unibody anymore. excellent. It'll look better than the cj-7 on full size frame machine I saw in tellico. Had like 2 feet of frame sticking out past the tub. Funny....hmmm....

[whoozey1953]

Originally posted by daytripper
Well I am cutting the unibody "frame" off today, and gonna have to shorten the frame of the FSJ a bit. THe front axle appears to be a d44( it is considerably larger than than a d35). The front axle has manual locking hubs. The engine is an amc 327 with a Torqueflight 727 tranny. Still trying figure out the model of xfer case. I think that with the unibody "frame" gone it shouldn't look goofy. I also can vouch(at least my back can) that the FSJ body is considerably heavier than the XJ body. I am at the point of no return now! I should also note that this is not a daily driver by any means. At least I am keeping it in the family(Wagoneerokee), come awn an XJ on a bronco.......

You cut any part of the "frame" (though it doesn't have one) off the XJ, you might as well cut the whole thing up and throw it in the trash. A unibody means the whole chassis is the frame, all the parts compliment each other to keep it in shape.

[daytripper]

Well I am gonna make ribs and tie the XJ body into the FSJ frame. The body of the XJ once on wont be supporting the force of the suspension. From now on its just a body like a CJ body, with the frame it will no longer be a unibody.

[daytripper]

Hey yellowxj, was that cj on like a k5 blazer frame??

[daytripper]

"Personally, I wouldn't give up the EFI and the overdrive tranny. Also, those axles are not full width, they are within an inch of the XJ axles, a touch wider in the front and a touch narrower in the rear. Those axles would have worked better under the XJ than they ever worked under the Waggoneer"

Goatman

My XJ is an 85 with a blown 2.8 and a shaky tranny, np207 xfer case, and itty bitty little D35 in the rear. Not really losing anything here..... LOL!!!

[JeepFreak21]

Originally posted by daytripper
...I always wanted full width axles!...

I don't know if it's been mentioned, and I don't want to burst your bubble, but those Waggy axles are no wider than your Cherokee axles :o

[daytripper]

Well no wider, no big deal. But they sure look a heck of alot beefier. Do you have an opinion on waggy axles?? if so can you share???

[Goatman]

Originally posted by daytripper
"Personally, I wouldn't give up the EFI and the overdrive tranny. Also, those axles are not full width, they are within an inch of the XJ axles, a touch wider in the front and a touch narrower in the rear. Those axles would have worked better under the XJ than they ever worked under the Waggoneer"

Goatman

My XJ is an 85 with a blown 2.8 and a shaky tranny, np207 xfer case, and itty bitty little D35 in the rear. Not really losing anything here..... LOL!!!

Ahhh! Now I understand. :)

Good luck with your project.

[Lucas]

I had a waggy with front and read 44s and that beast was unstoppable! How exactly are you grafting the unibody on the the frame? You intend to put in any type of cage or bar?
PICS PICS PICS!!!

[daytripper]

Well I'm sorta using the "graft as you go technique right now". Got the Xj body suspended by a 8 ton picker and just lift and lower, lift and lower, and take notes. I'll try and keep good running photos so I can do a write up on it. And I'll be here for questions (and probobly hazing too). I mean this wagoneer has everything I want on it, it seems very do-able, I'm not a genious like eagle and I don't have Beezils mom around. Plus this is just plain fun!

[yellowxj]

cj on k-5? coulda been. looked like it would work great just no show queen like mine.

[Georgia Mike]

Are you talking about the CJ with the 8 foot long hood? It was on a Ford F/S frame/running gear. They stretched the hood to almost twice the length of the original CJ hood and it still wasn't long enough!

[LRRH]

well I'm excited!!!

79 Wag = Dual 44's. If it's auto it's Quadratrac, if it's manual it's a Dana20.

I can't wait to see what you end up with. You will need to shorten the frame and reenforce the body.

Sounds killer. Nay sayyers suck.

[yellowxj]

no the frame stuck out the rear. crazy tough looking. musta been 3/4 gear on it with a v8

[Economos]

Cool project, but may I make a suggestion?

Host your pics somewhere else besides Yahoo... like Imagestation. Yahoo blows for pic hosting.

[Lucas]

any word on this project?

[Eagle]

Well I am cutting the unibody "frame" off today, and gonna have to shorten the frame of the FSJ a bit. THe front axle appears to be a d44( it is considerably larger than than a d35). The front axle has manual locking hubs. The engine is an amc 327 with a Torqueflight 727 tranny. Still trying figure out the model of xfer case. I think that with the unibody "frame" gone it shouldn't look goofy. I also can vouch(at least my back can) that the FSJ body is considerably heavier than the XJ body. I am at the point of no return now! I should also note that this is not a daily driver by any means. At least I am keeping it in the family(Wagoneerokee), come awn an XJ on a bronco.......

What engine and what year?

Jeep did use the AMC 327 for a few years, but that engine went away in the mid-60s. A 1979 Wagoneer should have an AMC 360 -- that's what was in my '78. Look on the sides of the block -- the displacement is cast right onto the sides.