Matts 98 classic weekend warrior build thread

[Mitchell28]

What's up everybody long time lurker here who decided its time to get my build thread started. Mainly doing this to keep myself up to date with what I have done to this turd and to keep myself motivated by drooling over everyone else's rigs on here. This is my 3rd jeep but first ever Cherokee. I have had her since march 2013 and haven't been the best at tracking my progress so please excuse the somewhat jumping around that may happen at first. So her it goes.... After having to sell my daily driven TJ for something better on gas I was jeep-less for about 3 months and couldn't handle it so I needed a project. I picked up, well AAA picked up this 98 classic with only 90k on the clock for $1400. All I knew was the previous owner told me it had "major brake issues" and could not be drivin....

So in true to myself fashion the next morning after AAA dropped her in my driveway I ripped around my yard for a whopping 3 minutes until the exhaust from the muffler back ripped off and I was high centered/the stock bald tires wouldn't push me anymore..

After some shoveling it was into the garage for the start of the tear down. Started by replacing almost all of the brake lines due to the main line to the rear being cracked, (that was the "major issue") and figured why I was at it I would do a new proportioning valve as well as rebuild the rear drums completely and put on the new front pads that the seller gave me when I bought the jeep. While it was parked in the garage I decided to remove all the carpet and put the new exhaust on.

At this point I had probably had the rig for 2 or so months and was driving it around in stock form trying to work out the kinks. Soon after pulling my rear axle out to clean it up I found a craigslist deal I couldn't refuse in the form of some 33in TSL's with with wheels, which meant it was time to pull the trigger on a lift. I called up DPG off-road and went with an OME HD in the 3.5" flavor with some other goodies, JKS trackbar, shock mounts, blah blah blah....

Cut and folded up my rear fenders and clearly had to see what no lift and 33's looked like. Mall crawler status....

While waiting for the lift to arrive I hacked my front fenders out and made some home brew poor mans style bushwacker cut out flares for the front(rear also done now but no pics yet)

First lift I have ever installed 100% solo with no help and let me tell you some parts were miserable without another set of hands around but I have zero patients and wasn't waiting to get this thing installed. 3.5" OME with cut fenders and 33X12.50's..

Completely necessary front stairs flex test..

Super poser pic but this was 1 of her first trail runs...

 

[Mitchell28]

Re: Matts 98 classic weekend warrior

Probably stayed like this for a few months until I bought some metal and got started on my rockers. Another killer craigslist deal, 20' of 3/16" 3x3 angle iron, 12' of 1/4" 2x6 rectangle stock and 10' of 3/16" 2x2 square stock for $180!!

My take at making some rockers.. I purchased some 1.5"X1.5 angle to weld to the seam of the body so the inside of the rocker would have a solid base to be welded to. Pretty much just followed a few peoples rocker builds on here and got all the info I needed. Still need to tie them in at the front of the door jam and remove to doors to weld a few more hard to reach areas.

First time welding in years

The weapon of choice that I picked up for this project...

Bad pic but here they are tacked in place

Then winter came and since I'm still rocking a 2011 inspection sticker I only drive her in bad snow storms because my FWD car just isn't nearly as fun to drift in. This is just about how the rig sits now minus a few little things here and there, I'm currently working on the frame stiffeners and then will be tying in the rockers with the metal that's taking up space in my garage collecting dust.

 

[Root Moose]

Re: Matts 98 classic weekend warrior

Dig what you did with the fender flares.

 

[moparmansfield]

Re: Matts 98 classic weekend warrior

X2 on the flares, Good job on those. That's my favorite xj color too. Nice find.

 

[MagicNelson]

Re: Matts 98 classic weekend warrior

Great job so far. I also love what you did on the flares. Are those just carriage bolts through the flare bolted to the inside of the fender?

 

[Tony_SS]

Re: Matts 98 classic weekend warrior

Looks really good!

 

[USAF007]

Re: Matts 98 classic weekend warrior

Tagged. Should be finishing my lift this week!!

 

[gyrene]

Re: Matts 98 classic weekend warrior

Looks really good. Interested in your rocker build.

 

[Mitchell28]

Re: Matts 98 classic weekend warrior

Great job so far. I also love what you did on the flares. Are those just carriage bolts through the flare bolted to the inside of the fender?

They are 1/4" toggle bolts that bolt through the flare and into the body panel. If you out some 1/2" PVC between the inside of the flare and the outside of the body panel it helps to keep the flare from squashing in when you tighten the bolt

 

[Mitchell28]

Any of you guys know if it's really worth drilling tons of holes in the frame stiffeners? I'm thinking with the 5 I have now and with welding the seams both top and bottom it should be sufficient. I'm currently searching for people home brewed front and rear stiffeners as that will be my next step. I feel like by doing the only the center section of the frame I am creating weak links elsewhere.

 

[Bjorn86]

This is what I did for my rear stiffeners. Materials:
9' of 1/8"x 4" steel
Angle grinder with cutoff wheel and flap disc
Hand drill and 1/2" bit
Cardboard, marker, scissors

Make template with cardboard, transfer to metal, cut/grind til they fit. I must have test fitted a hundred times. 9' was the perfect amount for both sides with the fishplates for the seams. I'm no engineer so I'm sure they could have been designed better, but I was working with what I had at the time. Really stiffened it up when combined with the mids. Still need to do the front.

 

[Mitchell28]

This is what I did for my rear stiffeners. Materials:
9' of 1/8"x 4" steel
Angle grinder with cutoff wheel and flap disc
Hand drill and 1/2" bit
Cardboard, marker, scissors

Make template with cardboard, transfer to metal, cut/grind til they fit. I must have test fitted a hundred times. 9' was the perfect amount for both sides with the fishplates for the seams. I'm no engineer so I'm sure they could have been designed better, but I was working with what I had at the time. Really stiffened it up when combined with the mids. Still need to do the front.

Thanks this is exactly what I was looking for. Did you plate only the outsides? I know in the front I plan on doing the sides an bottom and inside where the steering box is but I feel like the rear outside only might be enough

 

[Bjorn86]

I only did the outsides for the time being, but plan on also doing the bottom when I get the time. It did make a noticeable difference with just the outside plated, but reading what a lot of the more knowledgable folks have said, plating at least 2 planes is preferred. It was easily one of the best $20 I've spent on the XJ, as far as bang for your buck.