Trucks Tv Xj build on Spike TV Sunday

Hey guys,

Ryan from TRUCKS! TV here. I wanted to post and let people know that we are doing a Cherokee build on the show. The first of the shows will air this weekend (on Spike). Its nothing too hard core as we are going for a dual purpose XJ but its still going to be a tough DD/weekend wheeler. We are starting w/ an almost free, crashed out '88 and trying to spend money wisely (and avoid spending if we can). Just wanted let you :: guys know. Thanks.

Ryan

I saw it. I liked the door hinge fix.

Nice job Stump. At least it wasn't totally erased. Someone post this to you tube yet? Satellite went down with the last storm I had. 10" of snow and iceuke:

Sweet! I'll be sure to set my DVR to record it.

out of curiosity you guys replaced both fenders. what was wrong with the drivers side? It looked like it was in pretty good shape. I really liked the fact you guys are getting junkyard stuff to do your build instead of going with 3 or 4 thousand dollar axle setups. I really liked das bronco, rebuilding stock parts and making due with what you have and I hope this project goes in the same direction. Keep up the good work guys!

This is one build that I am defintely going to learn from....

someone already rewelded the door hinge on the drivers door of my 87...

Should be fun to see what they do with it......

vegeta said:

out of curiosity you guys replaced both fenders. what was wrong with the drivers side? It looked like it was in pretty good shape. I really liked the fact you guys are getting junkyard stuff to do your build instead of going with 3 or 4 thousand dollar axle setups. I really liked das bronco, rebuilding stock parts and making due with what you have and I hope this project goes in the same direction. Keep up the good work guys!

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Well, just from the show....I saw a 97+ header panel.....so I am imagining the full front update is what they are after!

vegeta said:

out of curiosity you guys replaced both fenders. what was wrong with the drivers side? It looked like it was in pretty good shape. I really liked the fact you guys are getting junkyard stuff to do your build instead of going with 3 or 4 thousand dollar axle setups. I really liked das bronco, rebuilding stock parts and making due with what you have and I hope this project goes in the same direction. Keep up the good work guys!

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Just so you know, Stump isn't Ryan. He just posted a cut and paste of another thread here.

Ryan said:

We are starting w/ an almost free, crashed out '88 and trying to spend money wisely (and avoid spending if we can)

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See, that got me excited. But I just watched my dvr, and I'm a little disappointed.

First, they rolled out the $2000 frame puller, complete with anchor points embedded in the shop floor. I said "Okay, so much for cheap, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do..."

But then they threw two perfectly usable fenders in the trash, and slapped on a full, brand new 97+ doghouse. You can't possibly claim that was for anything but "pretty." And that's $300-400 (looking at q-tec, real quick). On a real-world budget, $400 is a sye and driveshaft, not a facelift.

Which made me realize, even though the premise of the project was a "Cheep Cherokee," they never even mentioned what they were spending, either on tools or on parts...

I guess it's par-for-the-course for TV, but it bugs me that they sold it as a "little-to-no-budget" project...

Maybe I'm too easily bugged...

Robert

Edit: The more I think about it, the less "necessary" the frame-straightening seems. It was only the first 4-6" that was crumpled, so the suspension mounts weren't affected. There had to be a cheap/free way to get the core support pulled away from the fan. You'd have to improvise a little when fabbing the bumper mounts, but that's the sort of "make-it-work" I was hoping for...

Oh well...

wheres the tech? if your gonna complain about someone elses build at least do it in off topic...

xcm said:

wheres the tech? if your gonna complain about someone elses build at least do it in off topic...

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Well, in off-topic they're debating the club politics of whether and where Ryan should have been able to post...

I was at least "complaining" about the project itself and the work being done. I was talking about where my priorities would be in a low-buck buildup, and about what will and won't work.

Robert

I would have deemed the frame puller over-kill, unless it's a tool that was previously purchased, as it seems that one was....

Now as for the front clip, that was something that could have been left out....

Also the reasont they used the frame puller was to get the frame rail out of the tire. However they could have used a come-along (with hooks and what-not) and another anchor point to gently pull it out.

And, yes I have done that.....

I had a similar problem with an XJ I bought recently as salvage. It was hit front right.



I just cut out the bad part to just behind the sqaure hole part in the inner fenderand straightened the rest with a Hi-Lift and hammer & dolly. Then I welded in a piece cut out of an XJ that was hit in the rear.



Now THAT is little to no budget!

i was excited to see the show, until I realized how much time and money they used to basically BEGIN their build with an '88 cherokee with a pretty face. I understand a lot of people buy salvage jeeps, but most of them will either have a shop straighten it, or do like ABN82MP and already know how to do it themselves. Hence they wasted an entire episode on some cosmetic stuff. the whole time I was watching it, I kept saying they just cut the front clip off and rebuild the front end and core support with some square stock like the guy did in the advanced fab section. that would have been cheap.

Robert 771 said:

Edit: The more I think about it, the less "necessary" the frame-straightening seems. It was only the first 4-6" that was crumpled, so the suspension mounts weren't affected. There had to be a cheap/free way to get the core support pulled away from the fan. You'd have to improvise a little when fabbing the bumper mounts, but that's the sort of "make-it-work" I was hoping for...

Oh well...

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Well it Is Trucks TV......
I bet Stacey David wouldn't have been worried too much about the frame.He would've been itchin' to wheel it too much!!!

im wonder how big a "dual purpose XJ" is. im guessing 6.5in with some 33's. I was really hoping for a bejing 2500 front clip, 8in long arms, and some big meats.

it reminds me of mine when i got it, a two door with busted hinges and front end damage. when i saw the 97+ front clip, it changed my mind about thinking how it was going to be a budget build.

xtimmax said:

it reminds me of mine when i got it, a two door with busted hinges and front end damage. when i saw the 97+ front clip, it changed my mind about thinking how it was going to be a budget build.

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Those guys are good. I was allways told to steer clear of an XJ with bad hing mount cracks but now I know better.

i saw the ep and it was ok but the whole buying another axle like its nothing is what i wasnt happy with (but i do live in eastern oregon where cars and car parts cost bout 1 and a half time what theyre worth)

Stumpalump said:

Those guys are good. I was allways told to steer clear of an XJ with bad hing mount cracks but now I know better.

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the way they fixed it was really cool. I just plated the area and then welded the hinges over it. The door opens and closes smoothly, but i wish i had known about that way before i did it.