Project Great White - 97 XJ Build Thread

I bought a 1997 XJ with 190xxx miles on it two summers with the intentions of building a serious trail rig. I wanted something I could pay cash for and then build as I go. I used to have a 2001 TJ that we owed a lot on and I dumped 8k into it with the lift, suspension, winch, bumpers, sliders, yada yada yada only to sell it a year later for what I owed on it. Didn't want to make that mistake again...

So here it goes.

This is the rig as I bought it stock a two summers ago.



Here's how it sits now...



Parts List to Date:

- (1) Rusty's 8" Hi-Clearance Long Arm Lift Kit
- Rusty's Builder Fab Coil Buckets
- Rusty's Builder Fab Lower Control Arm Mounts
- Rusty's Builder Fab Universal Shock Mounts
- (2) Dana 44 LP axles out of 89 Wagoneer (front and rear)
- TSM Disc Brake Conversion Kit for Dana 44 for rear axle
- New front rotors, pads and calipers
- Extended braided steel brake lines in all four corners
- (5) 36x13.50 R15 Irok tires
- (5) 15x10 with 6 lug Crager Soft 8 steel wheels
- (1) NP231J 23 spline transfer case
- Tom Woods drive shafts
- TeraLow 4:1 Kit
- TeraLow 2LO kit
- 23 Spline AW4 Auto transmission
- Aluminum Novak Shifter
- (2) Ox Lockers for Dana 44 for front and rear with aluminum shifters
- (2) 100 inch Ox Locker Cables
- (2) Yukon 4.88 ring and pinion sets
- (2) Yukon master install kits for gears
- (4) Bilstein 5150 12" travel remote resevoir shocks
- New Water pump from Advanced Auto Parts
- Rockhard 4x4 rear bumper with tire carrier
- AJ's Offroad Armor super rock rail sliders
- Custom built stinger winch front bumper
- Skidrow modified gas tank skid
- Custom 1.25 DOM .360 wall, Steering by 505 Performance with 5/8th rod-ends and heim joints
- Husky Liner Molded Floor Mats, Front, Rear and Cargo Area
- Tom Woods Super Flex 1310 u-joint for front drive shaft (adds 10* of flex)

Future Plans Include:

- Roll Cage
- Super Winch EPI 9.0 Winch
- New Seats with 5 point Harnesses
- On Board Air
- Ready Welder
- Sound System
- Latch Down System for spare axle shafts
- Tube Fenders

Tools that I've picked up so far to assist in the build:

- Miller 180 MIG welder
- JD2 Model 3 Tube Bender
- Harbor Frieght Tube Notcher
- Harbor Freight electric band saw
- 2 Ryobi Grinders (one with a cutoff wheel, one with a sanding pad)

Right now I'm working on getting a new e-brake setup on the XJ. Since I swapped in the Waggy 44 in the rear, I lost my e-brake setup.





It will be similar to a pinion brake like you see on the larger Rockwell axles but done at the output shaft of the transfer case on the yoke. I'll have to change a flange on the drive shaft this week too.



Steve and Billy from Xtreme Offroad are helping me out with this one as I'm just too busy to get to it before our next wheelin trip.

I swapped in an NP231 with the Tera 4:1 low kit in it. They had to change out the input gear from a 21 spline to 23 spline as it had the wrong one. Now I have to get the gear machined down this week to match the OEM gear.

She did pretty well on the trail after the first round of mods...

When I first got my bumper I rushed to get it on for a trip without doing it right. Here's how I hacked it up the first time around to try and get ready in time... shame on me!



So Billy at Xtreme offroad decided to make it much more accepting for a winch and even has a place to weld my tube fenders to when I do them...



Finished Product in prep for my tube fenders

Here's how I decided to mount my Ox locker shifters in the center console.



I made a cardboard template and then cut it out with some thin stock and the plasma cutter.



I primed it and got it ready for paint.



Mounted them in the cab and labeled front and rear in case I have um... well a few pops along the way!

Well today a little more progress was made on the Jeep...

The transfer case input gear was machined down to spec and the transfer case put back together. Now I'll have the Tera 4:1 LOW kit in, the Tera 2LOW kit too and a snazzy Novak shifter that will match the Ox locker shifters.

I should have the the Jeep back in my garage on Wednesday. Then I can finish up a few things as well.

looking real good!

Impressive!