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Build your ultimate XJ daily driver

upandovr

NAXJA Forum User
Location
springboro, OH
Help me design an xj that will wheel with the best of them and yet still let me drive 700 plus miles at 75/80 every other month in comfort and get resonable gas milage.

My thoughts were RE 5.5, slip yoke kit, 285/75/16 (33") mtr's I pulled off the excursion, 4.56's, lockrights. I bought a 96 sport with an aw4.
 
A DVD player and a massage seat back, and your set. :rolleyes:
 
Well, I am building one that I think will do well on all acounts, I hope. I am going with the 5.5 RE lift with at some point 32's or 33's. I have a Borla exhaust (header and catback) and a high flow cat. They increased my miliage by about 3 mpg highway and even better in city. My current set up is great for the street (Trailmaster 4" lift w/ 31's), but off road is another story. It is good, but can't touch the flex of the RE that I ordered.

I am going with a hack and tap, not a SYE. I was told that is all I need for my '96. 4.56's may be a bit much if you want to run that fast. I am not sure though.

Curt
 
5.JPG


Once the Clayton Long Arms go on in a few eeks things will be a lil nicer on the street....

But I wheel the bejesus out of this pig all the time...long weekends and weeklong trips far from everything...Not an extreme Rockcrawler, but it does lots really well.

HI5.jpg


PS, the Cut and Tap is 100% an SYE...SYE stands for Slip Yoke Eliminator...and that is excatly what it does. In fact most of the Non- Heavy-Duty kits out there actually use the same parts for the SYE's they sell, they just include an already cut stock shaft...the Cut and Tap just has you caut and tap the shaft.
 
they just include an already cut stock shaft...the Cut and Tap just has you caut and tap the shaft.

They're usually a much larger diamter shaft with more splines and more resistance to failure than a cut and tapped stock shaft.

regards
 
IThe main thing I'd change is the hack and tap. spend the exrtra and make ssure you'll get home. I've seen many of the stock 231 out put shafts brake and its not worth the time and bs and still have a weak link that that hard to replace and costly. get a HD kit and if you need a fuse in your system run 1310 joints and hope fully they break before any thing else dose.
 
You are the one!:D


I have never heard of anyone breaking the Stock XJ tailshaft running a cut and tap...ESPECIALLY running just 32 or 33's.

The kit is quality. It's the install that can go bad.

In fact there are a few threads on here that actually ask who has seen a cut and Tap fail, no one fessed up and said they had. Always someones brothers roomate's cousin....

I have seen and heard of Installs going bad...I have also see two installs that went bad and they guys forced the Flange on causing the splines to clearance (things were fine for a while and then the flange and shaft wore out...)

We usually just heat the flanges in the oven for 20 minutes and they slide right on.

The Fact that I have been abusing mine with 32" TSL's amd FARMERMATT has been abusing his with 35's gives me confidence in the product.

Is the HD shaft a better unit? Hell yeah, while you're in there do the HD chain too....but if you are competent with tools you can do the Cut and Tap with no ill effects.
 
You wanna see it? Click the sig baby...

upandovr said:
Help me design an xj that will wheel with the best of them and yet still let me drive 700 plus miles at 75/80 every other month in comfort and get resonable gas milage.

My thoughts were RE 5.5, slip yoke kit, 285/75/16 (33") mtr's I pulled off the excursion, 4.56's, lockrights. I bought a 96 sport with an aw4.
 
My daily, I'm runnin 35's, custom long arms, rear locker, 8-9 inches lift and she loves it....although quick discos are a must.

rob1.jpg


On another note this was rolled on the road by my old man 4 days before christmas when she had 33's and 6" lift.....heance the cage an 5 points.....lol

Rob
 
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REDXJ4FUN said:
IThe main thing I'd change is the hack and tap. spend the exrtra and make ssure you'll get home. I've seen many of the stock 231 out put shafts brake and its not worth the time and bs and still have a weak link that that hard to replace and costly. get a HD kit and if you need a fuse in your system run 1310 joints and hope fully they break before any thing else dose.

if you need "HD" you don't need a 231.

HD SYE is just polishing a turd
 
Unless you really need 33's you could always go with a milder lift and use 31's. you probably won't need a SYE then. My Cherokee is my DD but it sees some wheeling here and there. I'm going to 2" BB it and run my 30x9.50 buckshots. quick disco the front sway bar, ditch the rear sway bar, and maybe get a rear locker. That set up will be more than enouph to get me to remote camping locations and just the daily wandering around in the woods.

Building a DD and trail rig is all about comprimise. A good idea would be to figure out what your going to be wheeling most of the time and build to that terrian. If you over build you may find yourself getting bored.

Have fun
Brian D.
 
Mines a DD as well.... but rarely sees any long hwy time. When I do drive on the hwy I cruise at about 70 and it's pushing it around 2600-2700 RPMs...

If I were going to do it for more of a hwy friendly ride, I'd go with 32s a 4.5" lift and 4.10s..... or less

You can see most of the stuff I've done on my site ... needs updating since I bashed it up last weekend and threw in some new stuff:D

DSCF0117rc.JPG
 
TOZOVR said:
PS, the Cut and Tap is 100% an SYE...SYE stands for Slip Yoke Eliminator...and that is excatly what it does. In fact most of the Non- Heavy-Duty kits out there actually use the same parts for the SYE's they sell, they just include an already cut stock shaft...the Cut and Tap just has you caut and tap the shaft. [/B]

Thanks for that info. I was told that the cut and tap is fine and plenty for my Jeep. I will be running 33's most likely and if I was going to run real hard I would have to change the whole drive train really. Only have dana 35c's in the rear and a 5sp. I do most of my 4 wheeling in the snow. It would be a waste of money to do a heavy duty with a stock drive train IMHO.

I like that ARB front bumper. It is a lot heavier than stock, right? Do you have to add to the front springs when you add that front with the winch?
Curt
 
Not sure about the ARB, but I can tell you I added about 1.75" up front to my RE5.5" kit for my BPI bumper & Warn Hs9500 ....
 
No one that I see has asked what rear axle he is running if its the D35 don't expect to wheel with the best of them untill you replace that . As for the hack and tap I have seen one fail the tail shaft on the 231 bent real good and could not run with the rear d/s in due to the amount of vibes. HTH
DIG IT
 
upandovr said:
Rear axle is a 8.25 and I never said anything about a hack and tap. This thread has turned into a mess how about everyones lift and tire thoughts.

upandovr said:
Help me design an xj that will wheel with the best of them and yet still let me drive 700 plus miles at 75/80 every other month in comfort and get resonable gas milage.
 
upandover,

When I set to building my jeep cherokee out I wanted to find that fine line as well. I think I am leaning a little to off-road but I do think I found it.

Keep in mind building a capable on-off road vehicle will be MORE expense (more time than not) than one or the other. You want to:

1)Think Selectablility - electric/ air lockers, Adjustable shocks, etc.

2) Concentrate on your drivetrain. Again you are trying to be able to have highway capabilities AND off road. Don't skimp. Drivelines, SYE, etc.

3) Tires and lift as much as needed. I run 4.5 lift and 32's. I put a few armor plates on the bottom to compensate for the smaller tires and less clearance.

4) 4.10 gears and nothing more. You will not enjoy 700 plus miles on anything else. At this point you will be stuck with 32's so make sure this is as high as you want you XJ to be.

--After saying all of this I still can't get my steering dialed in for some reason so maybe I am not the best person to speak to.;)
 
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