school me on XJ's

cj5walt

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Location
mooresville, nc
Thinking of getting one as my next project. 2-door, 35's, minimal lift, roof rack (for rtt or camping gear) winch:

Was wondering what are some common problems with them

Are there any severe points of stress that need to be issued befor wheeling? (i.e. weak points in frame etc.)

And whats with everyone venting the hood?
 
They don't have frames, they are unibodies...
If it's older than a 90 model(iirc) then you will want to upgrade to a late model radiator so it is no longer a closed loop system.
 
well from what ive seen in magazines you can run 35s on a 4.5 inch lift but thats cuttin the fender wells out an like snappy said the older ones have the crappy closed loop system which mine has an they tend to over heat easier you will want to throw some frame stiffners on if ur gonna do alot of crawlin cuz it can twist the body which skids an a cage could solve that issue an they vent the hoods to let some of the heat out i spaced the rear of my hood up an inch an it helps out alot
 
Forgot to add that for about $160 you can convert a closed loop to open system at Autozone, we did this at the ECORS race in Harlan...
 
i know they are unibodies, mistyped. do they have issues tearing any bracketry from unibody or stress points in particular that crack or tear when crawling. btw this will probably only be a two inch lift with 35's . i know extreme amounts of trimming will be required, but i have some pretty cool ideas as far as triming tube work goes
 
2 doors are CONSIDERABLY harder to find than 4 doors it seems... i've been on the hunt for a 2-door ax15 for a while now, might have one...just waiting to hear back from the guy though
 
GSRswapandslow said:
2 doors are CONSIDERABLY harder to find than 4 doors it seems... i've been on the hunt for a 2-door ax15 for a while now, might have one...just waiting to hear back from the guy though
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ive noticed this also, but with what im wanting to do a two door will make a much nicer finishe product, good luck on yours
 
Like mentioned earlier, you should look into a steering box frame stiffener. And even a steering box brace. You dont wanna be stranded with your steering box ripped out of the frame.
 
2" and 35's.....get the popcorn....dont think youll gt that done not in any way that will flex at all...

Ill definitely be interested in seeing it though

its not like a full frame where pride is your only limitation with the swazall there are parts of he XJ you simply cant cut without destroying the structural integrity if you are concerned about such things....or you will also cut into the cab
 
userbmx1315 said:
some people have problems with the stock trac bar mount on the driver frame.
the d35 axle is a P.O.S.
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when this comes about i will source out a dana44 for it here lately i see a bunch floatng around

SkyHiK5 said:
2" and 35's.....get the popcorn....dont think youll gt that done not in any way that will flex at all...

Ill definitely be interested in seeing it though

its not like a full frame where pride is your only limitation with the swazall there are parts of he XJ you simply cant cut without destroying the structural integrity if you are concerned about such things....or you will also cut into the cab
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i know flex will be at minimal, i am looking to try and have a good amount of droop to compensate for it some. i know i've got to watch the strutural integrity since i will be trimming a little lol but i thik i have some good ideas on how to sure things up a bit.

this project may be a little ways off. maybe next year sometime. (the cj5 is top of the list) but i figure starting the research early is going to save me some trouble when its time to build
 
after i get my parts for my full width i'll be selling my axles (lil modded d30 d44)
i had an extra d44 for sale but its called for.


but for the right price i'd prob be willing to sell my axles out from under my xj. (pm me if interested that way it wont get off topic)


the d44 is supposed to be a pretty rare axle. if you can get one for cheap then do it. you can always make your $$$ back out of it
 
snappy said:
They don't have frames, they are unibodies...
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Unibodies suck....they are a pain to work on.:mad:

You will break the shock bolts off in the rear when you change the shocks.

Also get yourself a good pickle fork( tre fork) for the track bar if you change it.
 
XJ's are great...but I'm just a little biased. They will take a really good beating if you armor them right. The only issues I've heard from the 2 doors, is that since they have one less set of pillars, the bodies do tend to flex more and can cause some issues.

You can pick up a 91+ Xj for around a grand if you look around. It will have the better cooling, better front axle (non disco) and if you are lucky, an 8.25 in the rear.
 
87xjcherokee said:
the older ones have the crappy closed loop system which mine has an they tend to over heat easier you will want to throw some frame stiffners on if ur gonna do alot of crawlin cuz it can twist the body which skids an a cage could solve that issue an they vent the hoods to let some of the heat out i spaced the rear of my hood up an inch an it helps out alot
Click to expand...

Actually the closed loop system is more effiecient, but more maintenance is required due to being under more pressure than an open loop system.

99ncxj said:
XJ's are great...but I'm just a little biased. They will take a really good beating if you armor them right. The only issues I've heard from the 2 doors, is that since they have one less set of pillars, the bodies do tend to flex more and can cause some issues.
You can pick up a 91+ Xj for around a grand if you look around. It will have the better cooling, better front axle (non disco) and if you are lucky, an 8.25 in the rear.
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Yeah I like my 2 door xj. It's been beat pretty good with no major issues.

I say with 35's max the 8.25 axle and D30 combo with alloys will be fine. No need for a swap. If you go bigger you'll need to swap to bigger axles.

Get the HDengineering full frame stiffeners. That'll take care of most of your tearing flexing issues.

http://www.hdoffroadengineering.com/

I'd go with a '91 + due more power and non-disco front axle. Cooling is a mute point.

Get good bumpers and skids and you'll be fine.
 
hadfield4wd said:
Actually the closed loop system is more effiecient, but more maintenance is required due to being under more pressure than an open loop system.



Yeah I like my 2 door xj. It's been beat pretty good with no major issues.

I say with 35's max the 8.25 axle and D30 combo with alloys will be fine. No need for a swap. If you go bigger you'll need to swap to bigger axles.

Get the HDengineering full frame stiffeners. That'll take care of most of your tearing flexing issues.

http://www.hdoffroadengineering.com/

I'd go with a '91 + due more power and non-disco front axle. Cooling is a mute point.

Get good bumpers and skids and you'll be fine.
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yepp 35s will be max on it at initial build (may open the wheel wells just right to clear 40's when the cash for rock jock60s comes along :rolleyes:). i will be fabing the bumpers for it. what are good sources for skids?
 
cj5walt said:
i will be fabing the bumpers for it. what are good sources for skids?
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Skids are easy to make if you can do bumpers. If you have a hitch this is a gas skid that is really easy.

ai85.photobucket.com_albums_k51_hadfield4wd_Other_20Jeeps_20type_20pics_terryskid3.jpg


ai85.photobucket.com_albums_k51_hadfield4wd_Other_20Jeeps_20type_20pics_terryskid1.jpg


HaPtOAD said:
Two door models doors are bigger and heavier but use the same hinges as four door models. Thing to look for or at.
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You mean the doors are bigger and heavier. My doors were power windows and weighed 70lbs each.
 
hadfield4wd said:
You mean the doors are bigger and heavier. My doors were power windows and weighed 70lbs each.
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Yeah. They are bigger but they still use the same hinges. I have seen it where a four door model door rips the hinge off the jeep and with a bigger door its more leverage on them. So check the hinges out.
 
Crankshaft position sensor are a common issue.
I've had to clean my NSS(neutral safety switch), but they are easy to bypass if needed.
Stock brakes suck.
Exhaust manifolds like to crack.


Nice gas tank skid hadfield4wd!!
 
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