Some advices about handling please

[tardin]

Hello everyone, I have Cherokee XJ 1992 4.0l. After a long time I finally bagan to rebuild it. Now Jeep is in workshop, welding body, then it will go to paint. And I have first problems appeared. I want to build some kind of city car with good driving behavior. For my engine I've fount a thread about building turbo engine… But… I know that on stock suspension my Jeep was not very good at turning, handling etc… So I've decided to put wider and bigger wheels on low-profile tires, change cushions and change brakes. But I can't find any information about this.
So I ask you:
1. How can I install wider and bigger wheels?
-Shoud i replace stock axle?
-Should I get my fenders wider?
-Maybe I just need to install spacers to install bigger wheels?
2. How can I low my Jeep and improve steering?
3. How can I install more effective brakes?

Thank you for answers, sorry for my bad english…

 

[WB9YZU]

The XJ was designed to be a street vehicle with Off-Road capability.
As such, there isn't much you can do to a Chreokee to make it handle that is easy to do. The fixed beam suspension doesn't lend itself to cornering be use as you turn,caster and camber change.

With good shocks, springs, and increasing the size of the F/R Anti-Sway bar the XJ handles pretty well.

There is a fellow around here who went full on autocross and the changes he made to make it work well were a tad more than lowering the Jeep and slapping rubber bands over large rims. There was some serious refabrication of the front axle and both suspension systems.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

-Ron

 

[Dr. Dyno]

Urethane suspension bushings particularly to the front (and rear if equipped) anti-sway bars will help reduce body roll when cornering and make the Jeep feel more agile.
Lower profile tires also help by reducing sidewall flex so you could go for a larger diameter set of rims e.g. 17" and fit 225/60R17 or 245/55R17 tires to maintain near-stock wheel diameter.

 

[Talyn]

So I've decided to put wider and bigger wheels on low-profile tires,

sounds like a shit plan. Add weight, kill gas mileage, increase stopping distances. 0 gain.

-Shoud i replace stock axle?

why?

-Should I get my fenders wider?

why?

Better handling & steering:
1) replace those POS stock from control arms with some tubular aftermarket arms. They don't have to be adjustable, but just the correct length.
2) Install front and rear Addco sway bars
3) Install performance shocks.
4) Poly bushings if you want to go that route.
5) Replace the tie rod with heavy duty after aftermarket unit.
6) make sure all joints are up to spec with no play.
7) quick ratio steering box from PSC

Going with the WJ brakes will upgrade the front brakes and take care of the steering as well. Use ZJ rear discs for the rear.

 

[tardin]

Thanks for your answers!
Some more questions...
1. About brakes.
For my everyday car I use subaru wrx and on that car stock brakes doesn't work as well as I want. I found that lot of wry owners install a little adapted brakes from Porsche cayenne. So, my question is: will your advice about WJ brakes to front and ZJ brakes to rear stop my car really efficiently? Or maybe there are more efficient alternatives?
2. About wheels.
I thought that right choice of tyres and disk size will increase driving abilities of my car. What kind of wheel size can you recommend me?

P. S. My car is old and lots of units aren't in good condition, so I can change, and I'm preparing that I will change almost everything. My ideas of changing axels, etc. was in that way....


Thanks again.

 

[souske]

You can fit the wj brakes with the teeves calipers on a 15" steel wheel.
If you want the better akebono calipers, you will need 16" wheels.

My 96 came with a 25.5mm swaybar, whereas the 87 was around 20. Might be.worth looking into

 

[jbeintherockies]

You can fit the wj brakes with the teeves calipers on a 15" steel wheel.
If you want the better akebono calipers, you will need 16" wheels.

My 96 came with a 25.5mm swaybar, whereas the 87 was around 20. Might be.worth looking into

I was surprised to learn that the front sway bar on my 2000 Limited was also 25-26mm (25.5mm perhaps). I have read that the Limited XJs had the "bigger" front sway bar, which I incorrectly thought was the 28mm front sway bar.

 

[Root Moose]

IIRC the ZJ Limited or some other variant had a 28mm front bar. Search for clarification.

 

[Talyn]

So, my question is: will your advice about WJ brakes to front and ZJ brakes to rear stop my car really efficiently? Or maybe there are more efficient alternatives?

Yes, the WJ setup is worth it. There is also a company in Australia that offers brake kits for the XJ as well as a few others.

I thought that right choice of tyres and disk size will increase driving abilities of my car. What kind of wheel size can you recommend me?

I wouldn't go anything larger than a 18" wheel and keep the tire the same OD as stock. Personally I would go with a 17" wheel. Dodge/Chrysler 300/charger/challenger/magnum wheels fit the XJ.

My ideas of changing axels, etc. was in that way....

Given what you are wanting to do I see no reason to change axles.

 

[blenny]

After doing all the work of a wj swap on a dana 30 (spacers, clearancing, improvising steering, new unit bearings, ect) I kinda wondered if I was going to do a 2wd xj, lemons or similar, why not swap in a junk yard wj fromt 2wd beam and burn some purchases into a wj dana44hd and call it done. You would get bigger front and rear discs and not have to worry about making everything fit. Also there are tons of 5x5 take offs available in 16&17 for almost nothing on craigslist. Where is my thinking wrong?

 

[Talyn]

why not swap in a junk yard wj fromt 2wd beam and burn some purchases into a wj dana44hd and call it done.

The WJ D30 won't bolt in and would require welding. The WJ D44 is an aluminum center section turd anyhow.

 

[blenny]

Not a front 30, I know no one uses them because of the shafts available, the 2wd beam, but I would assume required fab would be similar as far a 44 turd, I figured it would hold up to heavy street use.

 

[Talyn]

the 2wd beam,

Yeah, that is what I meant. I'm just use to calling the front axle a D30. Still, fab would be necessary for the spring perches. Its probably more feasible than a D44a install as far as reliability. Those D44As are known to whine when new.