Metal fuel tank for 2000 XJ?

Is there one available?

Long story short, My 74 year old mom does not want a plastic fuel tank in her 2000 XJ she is buying from me.

She has read somewhere that there have been some firery rear enders with the XJ's and plastic tanks. This is news to me but this is my mom I'm dealing with, she reads too much on the internet.

I can see her point though, she has been rear ended in her 95XJ twice in the last six months

The 96- tank won't work from what I have read

You can buy an aftermarket metal tank. I saw an article in JP magazine where they installed one....might be cheaper to just find a stock gas tank skid and cover it that way if that will give her enough piece of mind.

akelts said:

You can buy an aftermarket metal tank. I saw an article in JP magazine where they installed one....might be cheaper to just find a stock gas tank skid and cover it that way if that will give her enough piece of mind.

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I was just thinking that also. I have a few of the stock tank skids in my Jeep barn. Of course her argument will be, "But the tank is still plastic?"

I showed her the tank skid on my trail rig and the gouges that are in the 1/4" steel from rock hits and that my tank is just fine underneath there but I don't think she understands the concept that the tank is well protected no matter the material its made of.

The tanks that are in question are on the 93-04 ZJ/WJ but like most folks my mom doesn't know the difference between the Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee. They are all Cherokees to her, she just thinks the body is different. You know how old folk are LOL!

I just looked up the metal tank mentioned. Its the 30gal Genright, its only $900 LOL!

Well not all firey deaths were in the Grands, In Winchester,this summer a family of 4 were killed when a drunk driver smashed into them.They were stopped at light. He was at 60mph+,,,,,,,,fire ensued...
Steel gas tank did not save them......
I would add the skid plate and up-grade the rear bumper,, I know how mothers can be,,..... Priceless....

Rusted tank skid is on sale this month.

Id be willing to bet you could put the skid on and tell her it's a new tank

Wayne Sihler said:

Well not all firey deaths were in the Grands, In Winchester,this summer a family of 4 were killed when a drunk driver smashed into them.They were stopped at light. He was at 60mph+,,,,,,,,fire ensued...
Steel gas tank did not save them......
I would add the skid plate and up-grade the rear bumper,, I know how mothers can be,,..... Priceless....

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Good idea on the rear bumper but with it being a 2k and the bumper being part of the flares she is gonna hate that. Maybe one of Marks(Detours) Tail Bones would suffice. I think she will go for the tank skid if i find her one more substantial than those thin gauge stock skids. They are okay for a factory skid but not much for any hard abuse.

IslanderOffRoad said:

Rusted tank skid is on sale this month.

Id be willing to bet you could put the skid on and tell her it's a new tank

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I never lie to my mom(well at least now that I'm a 46 year old adult LOL!)

I'll check the Rusty's skid out but me and Rusty have never had much luck doing business together

I'm running an old Tomken on my trail rig that has been nailed so many times I can't believe its still protecting but its in really good shape considering what i run it through.

If Mark is still building the Tail Bone system you would like it. Mine has been used to yank several rigs out and it has not budged. Never been rear ended with it but I would be willing to bet it would take an impact test equally well.

I have a JCR tank skid it's super strong looking and I dropped the jeep on it a few times w no denting.

it covers the whole tank and is way thicker than a metal tank wall anyday.

I have never dealt w rustys but likely never will with their reputation

Find a new buyer for your XJ ?

bimmerjeeper said:

Find a new buyer for your XJ ?

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Nope, my mom's 95 is on its last leg and she wants a newer lower mileage XJ. We are swapping since I do not like the 97+ body style. I will either part out the 95 or rebuild it.

Problems with the plastic tanks are exaggerated by the sensationalist media. They're actually safer than the metal tanks because they can't produce a spark if punctured. The fires that occurred would have happened with any gas tank, metal or plastic, in the same circumstances and degree of damage.

Kevin108 said:

Problems with the plastic tanks are exaggerated by the sensationalist media. They're actually safer than the metal tanks because they can't produce a spark if punctured. The fires that occurred would have happened with any gas tank, metal or plastic, in the same circumstances and degree of damage.

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I know this but I can't convince my 74 year old mom that the tank is fine. Just trying to make the old folks happy.

A few options.

96 fuel tank and pump/sender/hangar assembly - will work with some wire and hose splicing plus adding a fuel filter (which is built into the pump assembly on the 97+.) Will probably make the evap control system flip out if you aren't careful about how you hook the vent/evap system lines up. Fuel gauge will not work without some electronics wizardry.
95 and down tank and pump/sender/hangar assembly - will work with some wire and hose splicing, also you will need to swap to the 91-95 fuel rail and add a return line, vac line for the fuel pressure regulator, fuel filter, etc. Evap system may flip out (CEL), fuel gauge will not work properly.

Or put a skid on it... or give up, she will think what she will think and no one will change it.

PS, all these modifications will likely make you liable both morally and legally if she gets rearended and it causes a problem. Not trying to guilt trip you here, but it's really not a good idea.

Maybe pics of the old plastic tank I swapped into my 96 years ago, covered in rock scars and slashes and still not leaking, would change her mind. Wish I still had it, that thing had some real battle scars on it. On the other hand I've seen plenty of the metal tanks get punctured or crushed in by rocks.

I think I will just skid it LOL!

Thanks everyone for the replies and great ideas.

Tell her if she can find a metal tank for it, you'd be happy to install it. Show her the $900 one. If she wants it that bad, let her pay for it. A ZJ skidplate will fit as well. That's what I'm running, with about 2" trimmed off for the trailer hitch.

Kevin108 said:

Tell her if she can find a metal tank for it, you'd be happy to install it. Show her the $900 one. If she wants it that bad, let her pay for it. A ZJ skidplate will fit as well. That's what I'm running, with about 2" trimmed off for the trailer hitch.

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It turns out that she is okay with the plastic tank but her husband(not my dad) is paranoid about plastic tanks. "We" are doing this to shut him up basically.

I've wheeled my XJ longer than I've had a gas tank skid. I have slammed that plastic tank between the body and the trail a million times. I squished it so hard I had to replace the O-ring for the fuel pump once but I've never had any problems with it. They're pretty damn sturdy and they're nice and light when you have to drop them. There's a lot of parts on the 97+ XJs that aren't up to par but the plastic gas tank isn't one of them.

xjtrailrider said:

It turns out that she is okay with the plastic tank but her husband(not my dad) is paranoid about plastic tanks. "We" are doing this to shut him up basically.

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No Problema--lie to your stepdad! LOL!