• 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.

Bman's XJ Build

BmanXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Lawton, OK
So long time coming. My XJ was my first ride and has survived 4 pcs, multiple dd and here is its story. I am bored sitting at a cq desk with my phone so bare with me...
Started off as a 94 4.0 aw4 231 d30/8.25
Eventually I converted it to front leaves with a waggy 44/8.8 combo and wheeled it
IMG_1150.jpg

IMG_1148.jpg

IMG_1279.jpg

IMG_1459.jpg
 
Well I was young dumb and had no regard for money or safety so I liked the skinny pedal. The eventuality happened.
IMG_1494.jpg

A few weeks later and some long weekends and extreme amounts of help from Timmay. Bud I know we lost touch but I am still super appreciative of all the work you have done for me in the past. End result was this:
IMG_1710Medium.jpg

IMG_1713Medium.jpg

Link to Tim's post
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/jeep...6k-not-chance-2.html#/topics/645250?_k=oerm6b
And I wheeled it
IMG_1733Medium.jpg

That trip took out an 8.8 carrier and shaft while simultaneously grenading a stock 44 shaft
 
The next year saw some upgrades d300 swapped in, 4.5 stroker built. And I wheeled
Picture443.jpg

Picture440.jpg

Picture434.jpg

Picture402.jpg

Picture060.jpg

The last pic is from the last time I was out Dec 2008. Shortly after I joined the Army to get out of a downward spiral I was in. Priorities changed, marriage, deployment and kid happened. But I always lugged the XJ with me.
During those 8 years I built a long arm WJ for the wife which kept the jeep bug at bay. While my toy became a 90 foxbody 5.0 that got head/cam/intake/5spd and refreshed suspension. All the while I collected parts for the next phase of the XJ.
 
I added some lexan, some 3/16 plate and a fresh coat of paint
IMG_2932.jpg


Well while in Afghanistan I was doing the endless Amazon browsing that a deployed Soldier does in their down time and found a deal too good to pass up on some RE 4.5 coils, I think I paid 60, and took it as a sign that its time to start again. When I got back I ordered some Barnes 4wd brackets, eduro joints, heims. That's about the time the wife got pregnant, I had professional development school, and had to move a division headquarters overseas on short notice, coupled with a PCS. It was just the universe's way of telling me wait a little longer.

As luck would have it that PCS was to an instructor position at Ft Sill. It meant 3 years of stability, the first year I spent enjoying the time I had with my family and getting back into fishing pretty heavily.

This past August a Chevy 1500 decided to run a red light and T-bone the WJ so an ambulance could get by... Totaled Jeep later and a few months and the Jeep bug started hitting the wife and I hard again.

For a long time I wasn't sure what my long term plans were for tire/axle combo. I thought about going ton's, I looked for ton's, I bought my DD OBS F350 7.3DI, and had to slap 35's on it to get the clearance I wanted under the axles to go to my fishing spots. I realized than that I really don't want the width of tons, nor do I really want to go into the 40" tire range to get the ground clearance I wanted. So I've opted to remain on 36's and just beef the axles I have.

Fast forward to this past Christmas leave and a New Year's Resolution of finishing projects...

I started my 3 link front build. Custom trans xmember, no bind, upper is flat at ride height.

A70C65A1-E4D8-4C3F-80AF-2E65391FBFB1.jpg


0D9710E6-B77C-4FE9-9467-26A78FE9745E.jpg


E728E0E4-3192-40CC-AAA4-F7E03D5D6B06.jpg


47724294-E6A9-446D-AA2F-32EC1A99FED6.jpg


Exhaust is going to be tight but doable.
06EDB529-216E-436F-89AB-D0CD02ADD7EE.jpg


I made more progress but forgot to snap pics. Its now sitting on coils again, axle brackets are burned on except for the shock brackets and hydro ram mount.

I am not sure I'm happy with the height at the moment so I ordered some 2" spacers to see how that sits.

The front lower shock brackets, I have an idea in my head that I think will work out just fine, not my first choice but with the axle tube/caliper clearance I have available its my only option. I will post up that when they are tacked for opinions.

Plans for the next year include, alloy front shafts but do I do RCV or standard shafts with super joints. I like the ability to easily remove standard shafts but will I really need to remove the RCV with 36's very often?

Replace chipped gears in 8.8.

Tap/Rebuild the spare steering box I have so I can end the slow leak I have on my box.

Wheel once again.
 
Nice rig, I remember the build on jeepin.com, make sure you check out the red river chapter here too, I know there's a few Oklahoma guys
 
Thanks man. It's been a long time since I have posted any build stuff on the Jeep.

How's the wheeling out here? I still got another 1.5 years at FT Sill at least
 
Nice rig. Sounds like you and the XJ have been through a lot. Glad to see you came out on top.
 
We definitely have been. It's helped me to prioritize though. No longer slap it together and hope I don't break. This time I am either going to be mindful of what I am running or beef the crap out of it. Hence wanting to run rcv shafts the 1400 for shafts and slugs is painful though.
 
Last edited:
So after coming off 25 hours of duty I got three hours of sleep. And keep thinking of how I am going to do the lower shock mount. I need to snap a pic in the morning and see what everyone thinks.

Talked to the wife earlier and I think I pretty much sold her on rcv by lifetime warranty.
 
Back
Top