• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Expedition Build: Yellow Jeep XJ

WTF do you need that much cutlery for?
If you need more than a 4" folding knife and a hatchet, you're doing it wrong. Come to think of it, I've spent an ass-ton of time in the woods and I'm doubtful you need the hatchet.

I've got one of those as well.
I agree, they are quite handy.
Though clearing a trail can be a difficult task for a 4" lock blade.
This vehicle is intended to be self sufficient in any environment for extended periods of time. As such the Jeep is equipped with various tools with multiple purposes to help achieve this goal.
 
OP, is your shackle angle REALLY that turrable?
Unfortunately yes. My rear shackle angle is not optimum.
Going to get a rear shackle relocation kit to get my angle to 45 degrees.
This is my angle as it sits now.

Rear Shackle Angle
IMG_0713_zpstxy5cbyd.jpg

 
Re-gear: 4.56

Decided to re-gear to 4.56 on the front Dana 30 and rear Dana 35.
Added some "Solid" Differential Covers as well.
I had a shop do the re-gear as I have no prior experience re-gearing axles.

Re-gearing the Dana 35, while not my first choice was something that will at least hold me over until I can get my Rear Ford 8.8 swap next year.
The Dana 30/35 combo has held up well on a cross country road trip that included hitting trails across the U.S. in places such as Moab and Sedona with no issues.
While I am aware that the Dana 35 could be the Jeep's "Achilles Heel",
it has proved to not be nearly as fragile as some may say.
The Dana 35 has it's limitations, but in my experience if driven with control it will perform just fine under load and on trails.
That being said I am running 33" tires and open/open.
If I was running 35" tires and locked it might be a different story.

Solid Differential Covers

354_zpskv0rfhpy.jpg



351_zpsp75wnwrm.jpg

 
Wow. I'd shoot myself if I wasted that much on a dana turdy5. I understand and am not bashing you... but ouch.
And don't sweat having more than a few blades. It never hurts to have one handy and if its more than one you can pick the one best suited for the task at hand.
 
Wow. I'd shoot myself if I wasted that much on a dana turdy5. I understand and am not bashing you... but ouch.
And don't sweat having more than a few blades. It never hurts to have one handy and if its more than one you can pick the one best suited for the task at hand.

Trust me, it was my last option.
It was a judgment call I had to make with a limited time frame before a cross country expedition. Couldn't find a clean axle in my area at all, I looked. One of the draw backs to living in New England. So I worked with what I had.
My axle was clean, it was there, so I made a choice.
I will be putting in an 8.8 next year.
At that point I can sell my re-geared clean axles and make my money back easy up here, or start another project... hopefully
 
Have you been driving it with the new gears? I'm just getting my 410s to match running stock JK rubicon take offs. Curious if 456 is to much gear for 33s. What's highway rps looking like?
 
Have you been driving it with the new gears? I'm just getting my 410s to match running stock JK rubicon take offs. Curious if 456 is to much gear for 33s. What's highway rps looking like?

4.56 is perfect for a jeep with 33's in my opinion. Rpm's were fine, like driving stock. Drove it on a month long cross country trip. From 80mph on the interstate; to trails in the Rockies, Moab, Mojave and Sedona just to name a few, fully loaded with gear.
I was averaging 16mpg.

Personally I am going to upgrade to 4.88 when I do my axle swap.
4.56 was as deep as I could safely go on my present axles, front LP Dana 30 and Rear Dana 35. I have a lot of added weight due to bumpers, spare tire, sliders, skid plates, armor and gear. Digging deeper to 4.88 will help compensate for the weight and hill climbs.
 
I went 4.88 due to auto and to compensate for added weight. I went from 12/14mpg to 16/18 mpg by going 4.88 and from BFG M/T tires to BFG A/T tires. I woukdnt have been happy with 4.56. Works perfectly on the trails and impressed me on my last outing.

I do have an HPD30 and D44.
 
Good to hear ya'lls gear choices are working out well. I'm gonna run the 410s for a while with the 255/70r17s and see how they do. I know once I finish the rear drawers, add the fridge and gear, I'll probably need to go deeper for better all around drivability. Pretty sure the 8.8 won't care about 488s but the 30 may be at its limit at 456. Guess we'll see...
Funny how the right gears make a huge difference, especially when we start making our jeeps feel like us after thanksgiving dinner. :)
 
Rear Cargo Area MOLLE Gear Attachment Mod

I wanted to open up my cargo area for my gear and maximize space.
So I felt some MOLLE attachment points on the sides of the interior rear cargo area would be beneficial.
Looked up a couple of forums and found some walkthroughs from people that had already done this mod.
As there is already in-depth tutorials available, I will be brief.
So I got some supplies and got to work.

Tip:
Pull back the sound dampening insulation on the back side of trim before drilling.
Otherwise it will gum up your drill bit.

Removed Rear Quarter Interior Cargo Panel

037_zpsn3j5x0sd.jpg



Drill Holes 2 Inches Apart

041_zps7kckrvdd.jpg



Attach nylon straps with round head machine screws and washers

054_zpsvpbpznxm.jpg



Secure bolts with Wingnuts

055_zpsvxqx7pja.jpg



Leave slack between screws in order to fit MOLLE gear straps through.


066_zpsucw5rlnb.jpg



Final Result:


086_zpswmitakuk.jpg

 
Hood Louvers Installation

Addressing some cooling issues.
The XJ would remain at 210F, it would boil over under heavy load.
(Long Steep hill climbs, extended low gear 4wd off-roading, etc.)

Previously replaced radiator, water pump, thermostat and hosing, inlet tube and a hose.
And a very thorough coolant flush.
Ran a lot better and was under 210 for the first time ever.
Hood and engine bay still had a lot of heat trapped in there though.
I was going to be leaving New England to travel across country, and had expeditions planned in high temp places such the Mojave Desert.
So we decided to take extra measures to ensure air flow in higher temp environments.
It was time to carve into the hood and let some of that heat out.

My buddy Mike carved up the passenger side. I chopped up the drivers side, then we compared cuts cause we're competitive like that.
The end result was pretty good. We chose a placement that will hopefully promote better airflow at both low and high speeds.
Definitely made a noticeable difference. This will hold me over until I get a Cowl Induction Hood next year.

Genright Hood Louvers mock up:

171_zpspwki7s98.jpg


Mike making the cut


254_zps4qtjbpyp.jpg


End result:

316_zpsmp4bhcbn.jpg
 
Maximize Space in Cargo Area

Removed the back seat to maximize use of space. Kept the back rest and flipped down to use as platform for crates, as well as store a few things under it.
Recovery gear is kept under seat backing for easy access.
(jack, snatch block, straps etc)
We now have enough space to sleep in cargo area of vehicle if conditions are not optimum for camping.

All expedition gear will be organized in cases and containers.
Room still available for cooler and personal gear.
Cargo area consists of 4 Plano crates, 1 bug out bag and MOLLE gear on passenger side rear.
Space still available for various items.
Cases are heavy duty, impact and water resistant.
All containers will be marked for easy identification.
Automotive, Camp, Food and Sleep supplies all have corresponding numbers.

Gear will be kept pre-packed in containers at all times. All that is needed to pack for a trip is to load containers, 1 personal gear bag, and cooler.
Vehicle can be loaded, turn key and out of driveway in minutes; with enough gear and non perishable food to sustain 2 people for weeks.


Bench Seat Removed

341_zpsygdlvdsp.jpg




Small Plano Hardcase for sensitive equipment




Large Plano crates for expedition equipment and gear




Gear Loaded mock up

159_zpso9jqbarc.jpg



Number Designation

340_zpspl70qz7t.jpg


Update:

We ran this setup on a month long road trip on both roads and trails.
Stress tested this hard on some rugged trails, as well as stop and go city driving. No issues with shifting gear whatsoever.
There was even an incident in Centralia where the Jeep got airborn. Girlfriend wasn't impressed, but the gear was fine.

Pros:
Organized, secure, rugged, water/dust resistant, removable storage system, light weight.

Cons:
Decreased driving visibility, decreased quick accessibility to bottom row crates, increased weight when overpacked,

Drawback: blindspots.
This setup does hamper side/rear visibility to an extant.
Rearview mirror becomes useless, and visibility looking to the side/back to check blind spots in windows is decreased.
Must rely solely on side mirrors and side windows.
Not so much an issue on trails, but merging in traffic on cities and interstates requires more caution than normal.

Drawback: Weight.
Weight is a double edged sword. These Plano Crates weigh next to nothing, so it is far lighter than an integrated rack or platform system. But having crates can lead to filling them with more equipment, essentially overpacking and adding more weight in the process.

In the future I may build a floor rack platform with drawers no more than 6" in height, and downsize from four rear crates to two.
Gear would then be level with windows, keeping visibility.
This would also promote the need to prioritize gear for the sake of weight reduction, thus reducing the probability of overpacking.

 
Looking good sir! On mine I decided since I'm the only one expoing (is that a word? Haha) with maybe the wife rarely riding shotgun, I have no need ever for the rear seat. One thought I had was to strip the rear seat back to its frame and use it to mount stuff via molle or other means. Losing the cover gains a few inches under it when folded down. Not sure where your end goal is but I thought I'd share the idea. :)
 
Maybe make some kind of rail/rack setup to run across the cargo area to separate upper and lower containers. That way you would have easier access to them.
 
Looking good sir! On mine I decided since I'm the only one expoing (is that a word? Haha) with maybe the wife rarely riding shotgun, I have no need ever for the rear seat. One thought I had was to strip the rear seat back to its frame and use it to mount stuff via molle or other means. Losing the cover gains a few inches under it when folded down. Not sure where your end goal is but I thought I'd share the idea. :)

That's a good idea actually. I don't think it will work in my particular build, but I like it. I am curious how level it would be without the upholstery.

I need for the entire cargo area to lay flat, yet utilize the space under the seat.
I took the seat out, but left the back rest so that it could still lay down as a level platform in the cargo area. Don't want to alter the existing seat as I may need it in the future. I was thinking of taking the backrest out and making a flip up storage compartment in it's place that stays level with the rest of the cargo are when down.

I may make a sliding drawer box rack system that breaks where the rear seat would, then attach a flip up addition from that point on where the rear seat used to be.
 
Maybe make some kind of rail/rack setup to run across the cargo area to separate upper and lower containers. That way you would have easier access to them.

That is definitely an alternative.
While I like it, my only issue would be more things to take out if I want to use the cargo area for sleeping or what not. I am trying to maximize space use while also attempting to simplifying the complete packing/unpacking process and time spent. It's a balancing act in regards to storage capacity vs efficiency, while remaining easily removable.
 
FWIW, here is what that seat back looks like stripped of its foam and cover. Shouldn't be hard to make it do what you want.
784cb876ecf5ac70fa1b7a2b271807fb.jpg


And here are a couple of my favorite ideas...
a8d15982791a3e6685631c9bd0a67075.jpg
0016b856224b4f2d0b106e2114a4f493.jpg
b87eee60aa7f11e11496131dad9190c3.jpg
d80e579275a001eb57189d90f53d43b7.jpg


If you need more ideas try googling xj cargo mods or visit the expedition portal, storage solutions section, sticky, "post up your drawer slides".
 
Next up: Bolt On 101

This will finish the XJ's air intake and exhaust upgrade for now.
Since the intake and exhaust manifolds would be out that we decided it would be a good time to upgrade the motor mounts while we had access to them.
Also decided to install new sensors as they looked a little tired.
It was "bolt on" fever.

Parts List:

AEM Brute Force High Flow Air Intake
Bored Out Throttle Body 63mm from StrokedJeep
Banks High Flow Torque Tube Exhaust Manifold
784 Fuel Injectors
New I.A.C., M.A.P., and T.P.S.
Brown Dog Ultra Flex Motor Mounts
And my final differential fluid change needed for my recent regear to 4.56

Parts
356_zpsgronmtht.jpg
 
Back
Top