Fixable as a trail rig?

I picked this up on Saturday with the intention of replacing the front axle, cutting the doors off, and using it as a basis for a dedicated trail rig. Now that I've had afew days to mull it over. I'm considering possibly just parting it.

Right now, I have a 97 XJ SE, and I just got this 98 XJ Sport. That's why I'm on the fence. I could move alot of these parts over to my 97 and have some nice upgrades to my DD, or build the 98 out as a pretty cool trail rig and not risk losing my DD to a trail accident. The engine, trans, and transfer case all seem to run great, and the odo shows 170K.

Random Body Pics:







Three Things I'm Super Excited about:

mmmmm...Gas Tank Skid


Already in my 97 XJ.




mmmmm...Factory Fogs (also going on my 97 XJ).

Now for the fly in the ointment:

Looks like the knuckle is bent. I 'm trying to figure out if it'd be easier to replace the knuckle or the whole axle.

I got a look at it today on the flatbed and it looked like the LCA mount on the passenger side may have been tweaked. I dunno if I can persuade it with a some come alongs to see my point of view or not. It's still possible I'll be parting this beast, or I have an offer for the Jeep for close to double what I currently have invested.

Here's the gallery of the Jeep, pages 3 through 5 are pics from today.
http://tim.midwestlost.com/gallery/98cherokee

Something else to consider is that before I got the 98, I had gotten 4 used 31's, a set of v8 ZJ coils, and an extra set of XJ leafs. I've pretty much got what I need to turn either the 97 or the 98 into a decent mild trail rig.

Any suggestions?

All that could easly be fixed. With time and effort it would even be a DD again.

My vote is either trail rig, or repair and sell for $ to invest in your current xj.

anything is fixable...
but thats tore back...

If you want my opinion you should part it and save for one that hasn't been thrashed.

hell yea! its perfect for a trail rig! check some of the ones i used to have out!

got this one for a couple hundred bucks...it was a rolled 89 limited...put on some parts i had lyin around and beat the punk out of it...had a GREAT time in this thing...and it walked all over people with nice ass rigs....



then, later on, got this one (was involved in a police chace in a Meth bust) for a few hundred, put some extra parts in it, and did the same thing...worked great!




anyways, that jeep of yours is a freakin cadillac compared to what these looked like to begin with and they worked great as trail rigs..........the cheapest rigs are always the most fun!!!!!

cj8rckcrlr....more pics of that exploder!!

veedubshafer said:

cj8rckcrlr....more pics of that exploder!!

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PM him, don't hijack this thread and take it off topic with pictures of an Explorer.

i would make it a project. not quite the "Part out" rig.. IMO

I say project. Shut, put a door on it and fender and JY front axle and its just about a DD. The quarter panel could probably be pushed out from the inside with very little work.
Cardboard

cardboard said:

I say project. Shut, put a door on it and fender and JY front axle and its just about a DD. The quarter panel could probably be pushed out from the inside with very little work.
Cardboard

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Thats what i was thinking. Slap a new axle under that puppy and drive the wheels off of it.

If you decide to part it out I'll take the passenger mirror if it isn't broke!

FlexdXJ said:

Thats what i was thinking. Slap a new axle under that puppy and drive the wheels off of it.

If you decide to part it out I'll take the passenger mirror if it isn't broke!

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I'm still not sure if the LCA mount is bent. I'm gonna try to get it back on the road. I've got a 97 XJ as a DD, so this would be a dedicated trail rig.

As for the mirror's. I pulled the mirrors today, drop me a PM and we can work something out.

I say put a long arm kit on it chop the doors off lift it and wheel the piss outta it... My current 96 has some damage to the drivers side A pillar. I am DDing it right now and loving the heck outta it. Im actually getting ready to look for a L/A kit. I may have two lined up. But man that would make an awesome wheeler...

Thanks guys, I've given myself until the end of this week to decide. I discovered today that it has an LSD rear end.

shoot! if i had another rig at all from a place that has no rust... i would cut the fenders as much as possible. and make it bullet proof so when i roll it i just roll it back over and keep going

This is what mine looked like when i first got it almost a year ago...

And this is now..

dagr8tim said:

I'm still not sure if the LCA mount is bent.

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It looks ok to me.

The LCA mount should be the least of your problems, the inner c is bent too. just make a trip to the junkyard and grab another D30, a fender and a door or two.

LCA Mount:



LCA:


Here's the whole gallery of pics of the Jeep.
http://tim.midwestlost.com/gallery/98cherokee

dagr8tim said:

LCA Mount:

LCA:

Here's the whole gallery of pics of the Jeep.
http://tim.midwestlost.com/gallery/98cherokee

Click to expand...

seeing the axle mount and LCA i'd say its straight. Is this on the pass side where the axle is bent the most?

FlexdXJ said:

seeing the axle mount and LCA i'd say its straight. Is this on the pass side where the axle is bent the most?

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X2 looks fine to me.