Went to the strip

Went to the drag strip for the first time saturday to see what the xj would do. It's a stock 99, 4.0 auto 4x4 with 140k. It was the first test-n-tune of the season, so the place was busy.

First thing I leard was: clean the mud off first! They don't want you dropping chunks of mud on the track.

After using my ice scraper to clean the chunks of mud off I got in line. Drove around the water box, slowed down and punched it to dust off the tire. No break stall, just punch it on green. Didn't notice any tire spin.

60': 2.598
1/4: 17.699
mph: 75.74

I wasn't sure where the finish line was so I may have let off early. At least that's what I told myself when I got the time slip.

2nd run I skipped the burnout and I decided to try a light break stall. When I launched I fried the right rear and decided not to lift just to see what happens. I smoked it half way down the track. It didn't hook until I was going 60 and the time slipped showed 56.9 in the 1/8! :laugh:

60': 3.040
1/4: 19.948
mph: 74.48

Ok, so that was fun but very slow. Time for one last run. A couple of breakages shut things down for a while, so the jeep cooled off. I dusted the tire off and decided not the break stall. It still broke the tire loose so I feathered the throttle to get it to hook up, and I made sure to stay in it past the finish line.

60': 2.648
1/4: 17.478
mph: 76.90

Not what I was hoping for . But I guess it's about average. I was hoping for high 16s. I guess that leaves plenty of room for improvement!
But this boxy pig ain't gonna be too fast without major changes. I was hoping to get it to be faster than a coworker's FJ cruiser, but those things run 15.7s stock, and he has a CAI and cat-back. The XJ would need major work to beat that, so I'll just have to focus on making it wheel better!

Sprayed some rubber over the mud!



A coworker got my last run on video, I'll see if I can't post it tomorrow.

srimes said:

so I'll just have to focus on making it wheel better!

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good idea

rofl, a good start might be better street tires. The best I got out of my 97 2wd 4.0 was 16.2 at 84mph. That was with exhaust and cai.

Yeah sometimes I wonder where Motor trend and all them come up with 0-60 of 8.2 sec and 1/4 in 16.2 i think? My best was high 16's (it was hot and I had a couple issues but still).

MY Friends 97 XJ with a 2" lift and 30" tires went 16.02 two years ago. At the same track even .

BlueCuda said:

MY Friends 97 XJ with a 2" lift and 30" tires went 16.02 two years ago. At the same track even .

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Was it stock and 4wd?

you should have dropped it into 4hi so you had traction.

it's ok to run the part time box in 4hi if you're going in a straight line and your tires are the same size all the way round.

Are we really talking about 4wd XJ's racing at the 1/4 track??? ***Pinches self to make sure awake*** Yup, ok...just checking to see if this was real. I haven't really ventured into the sub-forum before...now I know why.

I second the focusing on making it wheel better statement.

BruceB83 said:

Are we really talking about 4wd XJ's racing at the 1/4 track??? ***Pinches self to make sure awake*** Yup, ok...just checking to see if this was real. I haven't really ventured into the sub-forum before...now I know why.

I second the focusing on making it wheel better statement.

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why not, until GM came out with the Cyclone the XJ was the fastest production SUV on the planet.
it's a 3000Lb shell with a 200 HP straight six with gobs of torque, why can't it go fast?
I'm more for wheeling, but for those that want to go fast, I've got nothing bad to say.

My 99 ran an 18.55 @ 75 mph.

But that was on a hot summer day in Pueblo, Co. (4000 feet of elevation).

It pretty much squashed my interest in making my Jeep faster. (at least with measly bolt ons)

But I have plenty of part throttle torque for driving in deep snow, climbing hills and slinging mud (which last time I checked is what a Jeep is meant to do...)

As I grow older I learn many new things. One thing I've learned is that vehicles do what they were designed to do best, with almost no exceptions.

A Jeep is out of place on the dragstrip in the very same way a race car is out of place in Moab....

Just something to think about.

87manche said:

why not, until GM came out with the Cyclone the XJ was the fastest production SUV on the planet.
it's a 3000Lb shell with a 200 HP straight six with gobs of torque, why can't it go fast?
I'm more for wheeling, but for those that want to go fast, I've got nothing bad to say.

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THANK YOU. I mean it's one thing to think that XJ's have no potential to go fast, but to demean those who do is just ignorant. It's light vehicle with a stout motor, it'll go fast. Most people however would rather wheel than drag-race but that doesn't give anybody the right to badmouth the people out there buildin fast jeeps. Each to their own. Not that a lot of you have copped an attitude about people tryin to make their XJ's fast but a few have and it's annoying.http://www.dragtimes.com/AMC-Gremlin-Timeslip-7209.html

87manche said:

why not, until GM came out with the Cyclone the XJ was the fastest production SUV on the planet.
it's a 3000Lb shell with a 200 HP straight six with gobs of torque, why can't it go fast?
I'm more for wheeling, but for those that want to go fast, I've got nothing bad to say.

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PurpleCherokee said:

THANK YOU. I mean it's one thing to think that XJ's have no potential to go fast, but to demean those who do is just ignorant. It's light vehicle with a stout motor, it'll go fast. Most people however would rather wheel than drag-race but that doesn't give anybody the right to badmouth the people out there buildin fast jeeps. Each to their own. Not that a lot of you have copped an attitude about people tryin to make their XJ's fast but a few have and it's annoying.http://www.dragtimes.com/AMC-Gremlin-Timeslip-7209.html

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Calm down fuzzy little man peaches. Lol. I wasn't saying anybody was ignorant for want to go fast in an XJ...don't put words in my mouth. I used to be into 1/4 mile and going fast too...I had a Mustang and a 2003 Suby WRX so seeing 17's as a 1/4 mile time is just funny to me. It just makes me chuckle a little bit...that's all. Each to his own....honestly, to me, you wanting to make your XJ go fast is no different from someone wanting to make their Civic go fast. Neither one were designed to do so, you're just taking it where it wasn't designed to go...which is cool...that's the attracting part about it. It's also one of my favorite parts about wheelin. The people who created the XJ probably never envisioned half the crazy stuff we do with ours now.

Drag on fellas...drag on!

BruceB83 said:

Calm down fuzzy little man peaches. Lol. I wasn't saying anybody was ignorant for want to go fast in an XJ...don't put words in my mouth. I used to be into 1/4 mile and going fast too...I had a Mustang and a 2003 Suby WRX so seeing 17's as a 1/4 mile time is just funny to me. It just makes me chuckle a little bit...that's all. Each to his own....honestly, to me, you wanting to make your XJ go fast is no different from someone wanting to make their Civic go fast. Neither one were designed to do so, you're just taking it where it wasn't designed to go...which is cool...that's the attracting part about it. It's also one of my favorite parts about wheelin. The people who created the XJ probably never envisioned half the crazy stuff we do with ours now.

Drag on fellas...drag on!

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Thanks buddy... only one thing... PLEASE don't compare an XJ to a civic! Haha, I understand the analogy, but it's disturbing lol. IMO, XJ's beat the brakes off of civics

87manche said:

you should have dropped it into 4hi so you had traction.

it's ok to run the part time box in 4hi if you're going in a straight line and your tires are the same size all the way round.

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Been there done that, slower times....by a good half second too. You lose more whp in 4wd than in 2wd so unless you just can't control it (try a lighter foot) then it's not going to help. And on top of that, those time I got that were a half sec slower included shifting out of 4wd at the end of 1st gear. Picture it as a 10-15hp loss, if not more.

j99xj said:

My 99 ran an 18.55 @ 75 mph.

But that was on a hot summer day in Pueblo, Co. (4000 feet of elevation).

It pretty much squashed my interest in making my Jeep faster. (at least with measly bolt ons)

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x2, and every now and then you'll see some new minivan on the highway flyin by and you realize you can't keep up :bawl:

srimes said:

Was it stock and 4wd?

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Sorry but pretty much. IIRC it did have a flowmaster 2 chamber on it, but stock otherwise.

Him and another friend got to shit talking about who's daily driver was faster, Kurts XJ or Randalls Astro Van. So since we used to all damn near live at the track they raced. The XJ won but you might watch out for astro vans IIRC it was in the high 16s.

I need to get my XJ out there. I would like to see a 16.0 or so out of it, it does have gears and a stroker but its a good 1000lbs or so over stock most likely. Bumpers, Sliders, 8.8(much heavier than D35) and larger wheels and tires.

BlueCuda said:

Sorry but pretty much. IIRC it did have a flowmaster 2 chamber on it, but stock otherwise.
.

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Well then maybe there is hope. If mine isn't running quite right, then getting it to run good plus a couple of mods could help a lot. It'll never be fast, but I'd like to be able to dust any stock or mild civic. Not like that's setting the bar high or anything.

Here's the video of my last race, next to a camero w/ slicks that ran 13 flat.

http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s26/srimes/trip%20to%20the%20track/?action=view&current=MOV09913.flv

Did you buy chance see what this ran?



He has a shop downtown I used to deliver to all the time, great guy. Also a good place to take anything to be worked on if you needed it.

BlueCuda said:

Did you buy chance see what this ran?

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Nope, didn't even see that car there. The pics and video were taken by a coworker. I spent most of my time waiting in line to run, and didn't see that car, so I don't even know if it ran or just came out to show. Sweet looking ride though.