What Next....

First off, i have a 87 cherokee chief 4.0L. I made my own roof rack and have a hi lift and shovel mounted up there and as soon as i get a spare of my other cherokee it will go up there. I have Rocky Road rock rails, front diff guard and a 2" BB. Im askin what to do next...Im on a budget, as im sure most 16 year olds are. I was thinkin wheels and tires... but what does everyone recommend? I know i need to get some recovery points for the front, and untill i can get a buddy on another forum to fab a bumper i was thinking just custom4x4s stuff. basically what would be the next best mod??

first off, I would keep the tire off the roof. there's plenty of space for a 30 inch or smaller tire in the back. having it on the roof will kill some gas mileage and power, and will make it a little more top-heavy. I speak from experience.

you've got a good start, don't go too big too soon, learn to wheel what you have. Here's what i would reccomend next:

-front tow-points and rear hitch, for sure, and a strap
-gas tank and t-case skids
-swaybar disconnects
-lockright for the rear axle


have you checked if you have the D44 rear axle? some 87s have it and it's much better than the D35.

I would say some kind of on board air. Make sure you have a full compliment of the needed tools, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and all of that kind of stuff.

Also look for diff guards and a front skid plate...it WILL save your tie rod!

Fergie

he mentioned a front diff-guard, which is definitely the more important one. with small lifts the front skid can be beneficial, but personally I would just beef up the tie-rod by welding some thick angle too it.

good call on the on-board-air, airing down your tires will make a huge difference in offroad traction. if you don't have air conditioning, or don't mind giving it up, it's pretty easy to convert the A/C compressor for OBA.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER!!!!

i can't believe i forgot that, that is the VERY FIRST thing anyone should get. just ask Phil Weeks (R.I.P. blue long-bed).

Brett,(hey thats my name too!!!) I was super pissed i didnt have the D44 the guy i bought it from had a new axle put in(or at least thats the way it sounds) So i think whoever did the work mighta gone cheaper and when for the 35, is there anyway to really know for sure whether i had one ever with the VIN or something? I do have rear hitch and used an old tow thing and took the ball out and have a 7/8th shackle that goes into it. I was thinking about getting an aussie locker but for the front? Lockright is just a lunchbox type right? as for the quick discos i made my own out of a 7/16th pin and some washers and a key or whatever to hold it in.


Ok i had thought about OBA and all the things you can do converting your ac compressor and stuff, but since it gets hotter than hell in sacramento during the summer i figured AC would be nice(althought its messed up right now) So instead of some sorta cylinder for air i just bought a cheap 12V DC 300 psi compressor. Down the line i was thinking of using a scuba tank...ok since im new the tie rod is what is actually used to stear right, goes from right passenger side frame to the driver side on the U joint??

The tie rod goes from the drivers side steering knuckle to the draglink. The draglink connects the the passenger steering knuckle to the pitman arm. The tie rod is hit VERY easily on the trail. If you beef it up, go for a ZJ V8 tierod, and the front skid helps a bunch, and you can even make spacers for it when you go higher.

A front hitch or a tow hook set from C4x4 is a good option for the front.

You might also want to think about getting the kit for the hi-lift so you can use it as a winch, 7000 lb rating I beleive.

I dont know if it an issue with your's yet, but even at 2", my brakelines were almost at their max. Check your's to see if they limit your flex, and then go and purchase some YJ ones.

As for OBA, try www.beveragesupply.com
They are a homebrew outfit, and the CO2 bottles they sell are cheaper than any place I have seen. I wouldnt go the SCUBA route because the walls are super thick, to withstand the depths, and most are steel. You can get an awesome OBA setup for under $200. And if I recall, there is someone on the main Utah board that is sellin his setup.

Fergie

the lockright is a lunchbox locker, the aussie is just as good or better. but don't run a locker in a D35 with tires bigger than 30". When you go bigger than that, you can sell the locker when you get a better axle. Lockers are best in the rear.

the 12V compressor will work fine, just take forever. when you get tired of waiting a modified scuba tank is a great choice. I live near Auburn and I know what you mean about the heat, i have my AC compressor setup as OBA and just take my door off.

The draglink connects from the pitman arm (attatched to the steering box on the frame) to the passenger side steering knuckle. The tie-rod connects from the draglink to the driver's side steering knuckle. some companies make heavy-duty tie-rods, but welding some thick angle steel to it is the easiest/cheapest.

if you're in Sacramento, keep an eye on the Sierra Chapter board here (if you haven't already) and come to some of the Meet N Greets or a trail ride.

Fergie said:

The tie rod goes from the drivers side steering knuckle to the draglink. The draglink connects the the passenger steering knuckle to the pitman arm. The tie rod is hit VERY easily on the trail. If you beef it up, go for a ZJ V8 tierod, and the front skid helps a bunch, and you can even make spacers for it when you go higher.

A front hitch or a tow hook set from C4x4 is a good option for the front.

You might also want to think about getting the kit for the hi-lift so you can use it as a winch, 7000 lb rating I beleive.

I dont know if it an issue with your's yet, but even at 2", my brakelines were almost at their max. Check your's to see if they limit your flex, and then go and purchase some YJ ones.

Fergie

Click to expand...

when i had a 4" lift on my old XJ (that seems like forever ago!) just moving the hardlines down was enough, but yes, YJ lines work well too.

ok fergie, the zj tierod will fit without any modification? as for the hi lift kit, isnt it just basically a tree saver, shackle and choker chain? I had actually bookmarked the beverage supply place because i had seen the CO2 tanks. I will prob end up doing that after the 12v compressor craps out or i cant wait

Brett, so you dont recommend a locker in the 35 with bigger than 30's?? ive never really heard that before. as for takin off the doors i would love to do that, how did you got about it, did you make some sort of bracket or buy one? and if you purchased one where from? i will keep my eye out on the sierra chapter board...unfortunatly for me i got sorta screwd and still need to get that. but ill have that by this time next month, after then ill prob check those out.

my personal recommendation would be 30" max on a locked D35. if you know one day you'll go bigger, start looking for an XJ D44 now. re-sale on lockrights is pretty decent, so i wouldn't hesitate to put one in the rear for now.

for the doors, I knocked out the roll pin, then cut the bottom part of the hinge off, replaced the roll pin with a 1/4" grade 8 bolt tackwelded in. now i just open the door and lift it off. you also need a little wiring harness to disconnect the wires. there have been several writeups with pictures on doing this.

could you take some pics showing how you did your doors...i sorta understand but pics would be [email protected]

here's a decent writeup: http://www.projectxj.com/mods/doorless.htm

thanks for the site, that helps alot!

EDIT: oh yea what are the laws about fender flares in CA? Do i have to worry if im running flareless??

CA fender flare laws are extremely vague. it's CVC 27600. basically it's gonna depend on if the cop got enough donuts that morning. I've been driving around NorCal for a couple years flareless with 33s sticking out several inches, and I had one cop mention it while he had me pulled over for something else, but other than that, nothing.