frijolee
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Big Island, HI
Hi y’all.
I’m a SoCal resident and professional engineer but I’m still a little new to the world of Jeeps in general and XJ’s in particular… That’s just my way of asking forgiveness up front if some of this build comes across intelligent and some of it is pretty ignorant. I’ve been lurking on here for a while now and I’ve been reading a lot. Figured it was time to get a thread started... I would have put this into advanced fab and engineering but as a newbie apparently I don't have rights yet, we'll see if I'm worthy after this gets going.
Step one: Find a vehicle that I can use to:
-Serve as back-up vehicle when my daily is under the knife
-Carry 4 people in relative comfort (family man)
-Take camping / throw a mtn bike in the back
-Haul a car trailer in a pinch
-Build some cool *ish and take it wheeling, but keep it looking nice enough to be respectable
-Find something interesting so I won’t regret selling my motorcycle (again family man)
Winner: 1999 XJ, black on black on black…
Paid a little more than the typical going rate, but it was built very close to exactly what I wanted, 96+ meant it had the slightly more modern styling, and it was in stellar condition inside and out. I was also glad it’d had a lot of routine service done because I have enough projects that I didn’t feel like chasing oil leaks and the like. Finally, from what I read, ‘99 is the money year to have: something about head cracking issues on the 00/01s due to different castings with a coil on plug setup?
Dig the Rigid bumpers:
Now that’s a clean interior!
Obligatory engine bay and suspension shots:
Full specs as purchased:
Year: 1999
Model: XJ Cherokee Sport 4x4
Black with black interior
Power windows and locks
Cruise w/ steering wheel controls
Cold AC
Tinted windows
Drivetrain:
- 4.0 L L6 motor, 170,000 - Amsoil full synthetic oil
M.O.R.E. "BombProof" motor mounts
New rear main seal and oil pan gasket, no leaks anywhere
New serpentine belt
New idler pulley
New auxiliary cooling fan
New exhaust manifold
Mopar cap, rotor, wires, plugs
K&N filter
Interstate battery
- AW-4 automatic transmission - Amsoil synthetic
Auxiliary transmission cooler
- NP231 Part-time transfer case - Amsoil synthetic
SYE w/ CV Tom Wood's driveshaft
- HP D30 front axle
Solid diff cover
Yukon 4.10's
Yukon master install kits with Timken bearings
Spartan locker
Spicer 5-760X U-joints
Moog balljoints
New unit bearings, both sides
New pads and rotors
Rugged ridge crossover steering
Gusseted and plated control arm mounts
Amsoil Severe Gear oil
- Chrysler C8.25 rear axle
Rockcrusher diff cover
Yukon 4.10's
Yukon master install kit with Timken bearings
Detroit Truetrac
New shoes, drums, hardware, wheel cylinders, wheel seals
Lift:
BDS 4.5" longarm with full leaf packs
BDS monotube shocks
Bar pin elimnators
Armor:
BDS transfer case skid
Rigid front winch bumper
Smittybilt XRC8 winch
Rocker replacement sliders
Rigid rear bumper with cut rear quarters
Wheels/Tires:
32x11.5x15 BFG KM2's
15x8 M/T Sidebiters
Full size spare
Other:
M.O.R.E. steering brace
Polyurethane swaybar bushings
Alpine Cd player
Pioneer speakers
Bought the car in Iowa on the return from a business trip and drove it straight out to Cali. I almost went straight through and ended up driving 26 hours in a 30 hour period, slept in the back for a couple hours (and froze my tail off somewhere in the Rockies.)
13 mpg on the freeway, yikes, wonder what it gets in the rocks. All that for a lousy 190 hp? Ugh… If the I-6 ever lets go I’m yanking that lump and finding an alum v8. Mine has some miles so it’s a real possibility, unfortunately the more I read the harder it looks to kill these things.
Given the build specs above anyone have any obvious recommendations?
FWIW I’m already a big fan of LS1’s. Here’s the daily driver:
A last note:
If anyone wads up a built XJ and has a matching set of hardcore axles to sell I’m interested, particularly if you’re also in SoCal. Presently debating whether I lightly polish the dana 30 turd, or just save the money for a d60/d60 setup that I could throw some HP at someday.
Bought the Jeep about a year and a half ago. All the stuff I’ve done since comes next…
I’m a SoCal resident and professional engineer but I’m still a little new to the world of Jeeps in general and XJ’s in particular… That’s just my way of asking forgiveness up front if some of this build comes across intelligent and some of it is pretty ignorant. I’ve been lurking on here for a while now and I’ve been reading a lot. Figured it was time to get a thread started... I would have put this into advanced fab and engineering but as a newbie apparently I don't have rights yet, we'll see if I'm worthy after this gets going.
Step one: Find a vehicle that I can use to:
-Serve as back-up vehicle when my daily is under the knife
-Carry 4 people in relative comfort (family man)
-Take camping / throw a mtn bike in the back
-Haul a car trailer in a pinch
-Build some cool *ish and take it wheeling, but keep it looking nice enough to be respectable
-Find something interesting so I won’t regret selling my motorcycle (again family man)
Winner: 1999 XJ, black on black on black…
![IMG_1114.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Ffrijoleels1fc%2FIMG_1114.jpg&hash=c6696c3c8f346a918813d541a16a3352)
Paid a little more than the typical going rate, but it was built very close to exactly what I wanted, 96+ meant it had the slightly more modern styling, and it was in stellar condition inside and out. I was also glad it’d had a lot of routine service done because I have enough projects that I didn’t feel like chasing oil leaks and the like. Finally, from what I read, ‘99 is the money year to have: something about head cracking issues on the 00/01s due to different castings with a coil on plug setup?
Dig the Rigid bumpers:
![IMG_1144.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Ffrijoleels1fc%2FIMG_1144.jpg&hash=5f56e8111face91993576419a6548efa)
![IMG_1127.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Ffrijoleels1fc%2FIMG_1127.jpg&hash=32c8df94afb11323d8e17cdafc9367a3)
Now that’s a clean interior!
![IMG_1133.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Ffrijoleels1fc%2FIMG_1133.jpg&hash=287002ff811733b98d63865276fe9b9c)
![IMG_1142.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Ffrijoleels1fc%2FIMG_1142.jpg&hash=eb7dbcfd88f0de2a8a2281cc40f39f9e)
![IMG_1132.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Ffrijoleels1fc%2FIMG_1132.jpg&hash=ad2525a82d9309f8e1b5aced10eeff3e)
Obligatory engine bay and suspension shots:
![IMG_1136.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Ffrijoleels1fc%2FIMG_1136.jpg&hash=f118a3272d7e350ca50c66121770eaf4)
![IMG_1128.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Ffrijoleels1fc%2FIMG_1128.jpg&hash=3db24d3002636b12b1bf3175fee6b8dd)
![IMG_0688.jpg](/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Ffrijoleels1fc%2FIMG_0688.jpg&hash=422abdc4b1f342b3daf01de078310b5e)
Full specs as purchased:
Year: 1999
Model: XJ Cherokee Sport 4x4
Black with black interior
Power windows and locks
Cruise w/ steering wheel controls
Cold AC
Tinted windows
Drivetrain:
- 4.0 L L6 motor, 170,000 - Amsoil full synthetic oil
M.O.R.E. "BombProof" motor mounts
New rear main seal and oil pan gasket, no leaks anywhere
New serpentine belt
New idler pulley
New auxiliary cooling fan
New exhaust manifold
Mopar cap, rotor, wires, plugs
K&N filter
Interstate battery
- AW-4 automatic transmission - Amsoil synthetic
Auxiliary transmission cooler
- NP231 Part-time transfer case - Amsoil synthetic
SYE w/ CV Tom Wood's driveshaft
- HP D30 front axle
Solid diff cover
Yukon 4.10's
Yukon master install kits with Timken bearings
Spartan locker
Spicer 5-760X U-joints
Moog balljoints
New unit bearings, both sides
New pads and rotors
Rugged ridge crossover steering
Gusseted and plated control arm mounts
Amsoil Severe Gear oil
- Chrysler C8.25 rear axle
Rockcrusher diff cover
Yukon 4.10's
Yukon master install kit with Timken bearings
Detroit Truetrac
New shoes, drums, hardware, wheel cylinders, wheel seals
Lift:
BDS 4.5" longarm with full leaf packs
BDS monotube shocks
Bar pin elimnators
Armor:
BDS transfer case skid
Rigid front winch bumper
Smittybilt XRC8 winch
Rocker replacement sliders
Rigid rear bumper with cut rear quarters
Wheels/Tires:
32x11.5x15 BFG KM2's
15x8 M/T Sidebiters
Full size spare
Other:
M.O.R.E. steering brace
Polyurethane swaybar bushings
Alpine Cd player
Pioneer speakers
Bought the car in Iowa on the return from a business trip and drove it straight out to Cali. I almost went straight through and ended up driving 26 hours in a 30 hour period, slept in the back for a couple hours (and froze my tail off somewhere in the Rockies.)
13 mpg on the freeway, yikes, wonder what it gets in the rocks. All that for a lousy 190 hp? Ugh… If the I-6 ever lets go I’m yanking that lump and finding an alum v8. Mine has some miles so it’s a real possibility, unfortunately the more I read the harder it looks to kill these things.
Given the build specs above anyone have any obvious recommendations?
FWIW I’m already a big fan of LS1’s. Here’s the daily driver:
![img3375s.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Ffrijoleels1fc%2Fimg3375s.jpg&hash=c9f092c89576b1d918ca32d9cc3e3e06)
A last note:
If anyone wads up a built XJ and has a matching set of hardcore axles to sell I’m interested, particularly if you’re also in SoCal. Presently debating whether I lightly polish the dana 30 turd, or just save the money for a d60/d60 setup that I could throw some HP at someday.
Bought the Jeep about a year and a half ago. All the stuff I’ve done since comes next…
Last edited: