I have never posted a thread before but I figured since I was documenting this build with photo's I might as well post it.
I have an 88' Cherokee (Limited Edition) which I purchase 10 years ago for $500 with a blown motor. The 87' Cherokee I had at the time was put through the Rubicon 8 times and the firewall finally split from upper control arm to upper control arm. Unfortunately it was so long ago I don't have the photo but it was spectacular. So I took all of my old chassis parts out of the 87' and put it in the 88' along with a new crate 4.0 motor. Well over the years I didn't go to the Rubicon much anymore, mostly due to the money it cost in repairs, and I spent more time going to the desert for 4-5 days at a time. The desert is much easier on vehicles and I enjoy the wide open spaces with new scenery almost every time I go. A couple years ago I inherited an LT1 out of a 95' Buick Roadmaster and began brainstorming how I was going to put this in my Cherokee. During my research I learned a few things but more importantly that I should reinforce the frame. Reinforcing the frame was also a thought since I had split the firewall in my last Cherokee and putting more horsepower and torque in the vehicle would obviously cause more twisting. With all that said, I wanted to build a desert vehicle adding the least amount of weight possible, still making it strong enough to withstand the desert climate and rough terrain yet increasing gas mileage and therefore distance I could travel. Yes this was a lot to accomplish and I decided to do most of the work myself in order to keep the cost down to a minimum. So I will start this documentation by saying goodbye to the old 4.0 and hello to a new project.
I was able to pull out the motor, tranny and transfer case all at once. I was able to sell the motor but I still have the transmission for sale. I had already modified the transfer case with a slip yoke eliminator years ago and wanted to keep it for the conversion.
I have an 88' Cherokee (Limited Edition) which I purchase 10 years ago for $500 with a blown motor. The 87' Cherokee I had at the time was put through the Rubicon 8 times and the firewall finally split from upper control arm to upper control arm. Unfortunately it was so long ago I don't have the photo but it was spectacular. So I took all of my old chassis parts out of the 87' and put it in the 88' along with a new crate 4.0 motor. Well over the years I didn't go to the Rubicon much anymore, mostly due to the money it cost in repairs, and I spent more time going to the desert for 4-5 days at a time. The desert is much easier on vehicles and I enjoy the wide open spaces with new scenery almost every time I go. A couple years ago I inherited an LT1 out of a 95' Buick Roadmaster and began brainstorming how I was going to put this in my Cherokee. During my research I learned a few things but more importantly that I should reinforce the frame. Reinforcing the frame was also a thought since I had split the firewall in my last Cherokee and putting more horsepower and torque in the vehicle would obviously cause more twisting. With all that said, I wanted to build a desert vehicle adding the least amount of weight possible, still making it strong enough to withstand the desert climate and rough terrain yet increasing gas mileage and therefore distance I could travel. Yes this was a lot to accomplish and I decided to do most of the work myself in order to keep the cost down to a minimum. So I will start this documentation by saying goodbye to the old 4.0 and hello to a new project.
I was able to pull out the motor, tranny and transfer case all at once. I was able to sell the motor but I still have the transmission for sale. I had already modified the transfer case with a slip yoke eliminator years ago and wanted to keep it for the conversion.
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