97' XJ

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Got a few new updates with the old jeep.
Threw some new Hell Baja Spotlights that i was about to mount on the roof rack,
Took some metal tabs and bolted them up on the rack.

Mounted up

Lighted up


Next, decided to two tone the jeep..
I bought some 3M bedliner, auto Primer and a clearcoat

I taped off the few areas that i wanted to paint..
View attachment ai40.tinypic.com_2hnt0zb.jpg

finish product..

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Wasn't getting the greatest gas milage due to a wonderful crack in my exhaust manifold..
so, i was able to pick up some used headers from a friend and mounted them up.

Crack...

Pulled it out

New one is in..

After installing these, i finally can go to the pump and atleast save a little gas!
Plus, i dont have the annoying exhaust leak noise that came with it!
Now she's got her nice flowmaster growl back!

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

I have a few more updates on the jeep..
Got myself a Rubicon Express adjustable trac bar with a drop bracket
Got that installed, and aligned.
Along with some New drive works hubs & dana spicer ball joints.

Will post pics soon.

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Adding a few things here..

A new 4'' Drop pitman arm to make the drag link & trac-bar sit evenly together..

Rubicon Express Trac-bar & Drop bracket

New driveworks hub assembly & Dana-Spicer ball joints

Also added Rough Country adjustable LCA's but i have not
taken a picture of them installed...

got all these new parts to help with the bigger lift, and help with the death
wobble. Seemed to cure it 85% of the way but still had a little shimmy..

took her to Uwharrie this past weekend (April 13-15) to play around
with the 4WD club and she did surpringly well with all the new parts
& got to wheel her pretty hard..

Sadly, coming home from Uwharrie.. the death wobble is now back.
Just about as bad as before.. Back to the drawing board.. /:

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Latest URE trip with the club, 919.4x4

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Time to finally step up... and get myself a decent set of axles..
After researching around, and talking to a few buddies i was able to make up my mind
on the most affordable/Daily Driver friendly axles.

Ford 8.8 for the rear...
I searched all over craigslist, NC4x4, and a few junkyards when i finally came across
a Ford 8.8 Open Diff, 4.10s & disc Brakes out of a 96' Ford Explorer.
Got it for a killer price, $135.00 out the door from a local junk yard.

Opened it up.. Ring & Pinion looked great.. but the spider gears have a little wear to them.

Diff Tag (4.10s!)

Still have some work to do for it, Cutting off the old perches,
Brakes, Welding new perches and it should be good to go!

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Got some work done today (May 9,2012) on the ford 8.8 axle..

Went down to the local auto part store and picked up some Wearever Rotors..
and some cutting wheels for out grinder... then went to work!!

Cutting off Sway bar Mounts

My buddy taylor helping me, cutting off old leaf perch.

Finally got the old Perches & Sway-bar mounts off.

Here they are...All cut off

Lastly, sanding down the axle a bit..
Getting it all smooth & ready for the Jeep Perches.

After all this work we got done today.. we decided to go ahead & give it a break.
Hopefully tomorrow we will be heading to our local junkyard to pick up some Calipers &
The Leaf Spring plate.

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

The following day we started to get the axle ready to go under the jeep temporarly until we can get it towed to
4 wheel parts.. So i started by sealed it up and adding diff fluid.

Now that was all ready to go, we mounted up the Calipers & rotors to prepare for the axle swap.
Took us about 30-45 mins to get the old 8.25 out and ready for the 8.8 to go in.

Finally got it out

Now we took the old perches that we cut off and flipped them around that way we can temporaly mount
the 8.8 in the jeep so that it is ready to get towed off.
Got it in there, mounted it up, and lightly tightened down the U-bolts.

She's sitting in there!

Tires mounted up, you can see the caliper and rotor in there! Feels good to have some disc brakes back there!

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Took a break for the weekend, and got right back to it on monday..
Took a ride up to my local 4 wheel parts and bought myself the Warrior products
Leaf spring Perches & the shocks mounts..

After getting those, i was able to set up a time to get my jeep into
4 wheel parts so that they could help me do all the welding, pinion angle,
and axle adjustments.

Tuesday Rolls around, and i get the old jeep towed up to 4 wheel parts!

Got it towed up there, rolled her in..
Put her up on the lift and it was time to start working!

We removed the axle from the jeep and i had to sand the entire thing down that
way we can set it up for the welding.

Got that done, moved the axle back under the jeep.
and it was time to set the axle in the jeep straight,
lined up with the leaf springs and had the perches tac-welded in.
Again, dropped the axle to finish the welds on the perches..

Tac-welding the perches up in there.

After that was welded in there and the pinion angle was set
we went to shock mounts and had those welded in.
Along with the brake lines temporally put in

Pinion angle

Lastly, after everything we setup in there ready to go
we went over everything with the last few welds.
Set up & bled the brakes and she was good to go.

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Wasn't sure if i had space in that last post to keep on typing..
but anyways.

The axle was good to go, in the jeep, and ready to drive home.
Ran into a few problems, my flowmaster muffler was rubbing the driveshaft so we had
to rachet strap it out of the way in order for me to get my jeep home & one of the junkyard calipers
i had pulled, the bleeder line was siezed so we had to bleed it from the banjo bolt.

now that i have gotten all those problems in my head i am going to try and redo my exhaust
and as soon as possible buy myself new Calipers/Pads so that i can have entire new braking system in the
rear.

Instead of leaving off on a bad note, i was able to pick up (5) 33x12.50 R15 KM1's for the jeep
you can seein the last picture of him welding, the new tires. Two of them have around 75-80% Tread
While the other three have around 45-50% Can't beat that when i only paid 180 for all 5!!

Heres a pic of them, after being mounted on.

Lastly, I will post pictures of the axle painted up and cleaned up under the jeep
when i have the time to get to it!

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

So finally, almost a month or so later... I came across a Dana 30 w/ 4.10s!!
After searching nc4x4, craigslist, and the junkyards i stumbled across an
old 86' 2 door cherokee with the 2.8L GM v6!!

Pulled the axle within a few hours (Junkyards SUCK) and got it home..
It is a vacuum-disco axle and i will be doing the conversion tomorrow with my
97' XJ Shafts, and the conversion seal.

Will post pics here soon!

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Well, the start of my conversion.... wasn't fun.. Couldn't find a seal ANYWHERE. I had to special order it from O'rielly's and they got it in just in time!So, this is what i had to do.

** Note - I had already removed both axle shafts at the junkyard**

1. Remove Diff cover, Drain fluid, clean it out.
2. Unbolt bearing caps, and Small Retaining clip, then remove the Carrier
3. Unbolt the Vaccum plate and remove the Shift fork & Collar

4. With the Diff cover and carrier removed you can push the small inner shaft out of the axle tube. That way the entire axle itself cleared out.

5. Take a long pry-bar and push both Driver and passenger side seals out.
6. Take that same pry-bar and shove a rag in the tubes and push them out. Cleaning the axle out from any dirt, grease, grime, etc.
7. Now take ALL the socket extensions you have and put them on a 32MM Socket so you can press the DRIVER SIDE SEAL in first... Do this by sliding your extensions in from the passenger side then connect the socket to the end of those extenstions. Make sure the seal is nice and snug along the socket. Then take a small hammer and start knocking the seal in slowly and evenly. You will know the seal is install evenly by running your finger in the inner tube and making sure the seal & the tube are flush.

8. After that you will install the Passenger side seal, this being the conversion seal( National Seal - P# 471763) Coming from inside the axle housing and putting the 32mm socket inside the area where the vacuum actuator was, you will be placing the seal in the far side of the passenger axle tube.

** Sorry for the poor picture, i wasn't able to get a good shot of the seal being place or isntalled in the axle **

9. Re-install your carrier, along with the bearing caps, and bolt that down.
You will no longer need the inner retaining clip because now you have a SINGLE piece shaft.

10. Before installing the shafts, you will need to take a 3M Brisol pad, clean the shafts off real well and grease the inner seals that way you don't rip them when you install the shafts.

11. Lastly, you will take the new conversion block off plate (Simple plate that covers the area where the vacuum was) RTV around it and bolt it down.

You should be done!
Bolt up and drive shaft and play!

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Finally, got some adjustable upper control arms from a user on the site..
I believe they are tera-flex arms, slighly used, bushings were good & threaded nice a smooth.

 

[GotWood]

How is the inner axel seal holding up? Could you not just swap the carrier w/410's into the original d30?

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

so far so good, i haven't had any problems lately.. and i like my older axle, i have cast iron upper mounts. they are soild not tiny sheet metal.

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Went down to LKQ yesterday, and snagged my self a second Aux-fan..
Took place of the old crank fan,and wired it up to a switch.
Helps keep cool on and off the trail, with the press of a button.

got her in and running!

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Shes up for sale, if anyone is interested.

4500 obo

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Well, good thing i hadn't sold her just yet..
A few days after i posted it the head gasket went out randomly..
i would've felt bad selling a jeep with a motor about to go out.

Well, anyways.. i guess i had to man up and go into the motor and see what
was up. Got to the heads, and figured out that the head gasket went into 2 different pieces,
the 3rd cylinder was done. the walls were scared up and the top of the piston looked like a oval.

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

with that being said and done..
i guess it was time for a new motor, i pulled out the cherry picker and got the old blown motor out.
while i had the old motor out i went ahead a got new motor mounts and got a really good deal on a set of 35s from
a friend.. so i went ahead and install those.

and it was time to hit the junkyard. I had been going a few times before i found one that wasn't tore up to badly..
alot of people come in there and either ruin the motors or take lots of parts which makes the motor really sketchy.

Came across, my year Xj, with the TC removed and looked like the motor was barely messed with so i decided to pull it
and hope for the best.

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

The old and new motor mounts...
and the jeep sitting on 35s...

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Worked on getting this new donor motor into the jeep yesterday..
me and a few buddies got it in and bolted to the tranny..

We came across a few issues while installing, my alternator was cracked from whatever reason
and the power steering pump resivor had damage too.
Also my water pump needs the hard line piece that comes out to the heater core area and i need to get a oil
filter. I purchased a new radiator and a few new lines.. just need to get everything installed and we will pray
that the motor turns over and runs!

 

[NC919.4x4_XJ]

Well, sadly... this motor has got the same issue as the old one.
blown head gasket...

we got it to turn over, ran rough and under 210 for a little..
me and the neighbor got the timing right..
with new spark plugs, wires and a distributor cap.
adjusted everything, got it right and it was running smoothly.

i have two e-fans wired to switches and i had them both running, with new coolant, radiator and a thermostat
and the temp shot up to 260, started to roll out white smoke and she cut off.
so that was that... she was done. i was afraid to turn her over again and i was quite upset, but i guess it happens for a reason.
i needed her out of the driveway, and needed the space back at the house soo sadly
i posted her up for sale and she was picked up yesterday (10/6/2012) by a few guys in asheville
for a pretty decent price of $1860.00. hoping to keep in touch with the new owner, i will see if she will continue
to run and continue to be built!

Best of luck!