XJ Buggy or Tube Buggy

foxwood

Active Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2009
Location
Fort Mill
Looking for Pros and Cons of both routes
Currently I have a 00 XJ 44/9 full width locked f/r with 4.88s and RE longarms on 35s but looking at going to 37 or 39s. The crossroads I'm at is I would like to put a cage and links in.

Now I could cut her to pieces and tube the back half and go from there.

Or go ahead and just build or have built a tube chassis and swap my entire drive train over.
What do yall think?
 
Go tube buggy
 
I've been at that stage twice. Same axle configuration and tire size. Speaking from experience you're probably at the best all around and most capable stage you'll ever have (within reason). Xjs are NOT good to build into a buggy. Sorry but its not. It was hard for me to admit too. My last rig had a 44/9 w/4.88 and 35-36s, chop topped and dovetailed, interior caged and I could still put doors on and drive it down the highway at 80 and use it on the weekends hauling kayaks around and the whole lot. Keep it streetable, keep it comfortable and enjoy it.
 
If you have the option of building a tube buggy you will be better off doing that in the long run.
Xj,s make great rigs BUT in the long run you will have a pile of scrap metal when its done with.
Tube buggy chassis if built correctly and taken care of will still be in good condition and may return some investment later down the road.

Buckeye Performance Inc.
offroad fabrication
drivetrain/differential service
828-779-2242
 
there are two thoughts here..

do you want to be able to drive it on the street to the trails and not have to tow it on a trailer or do you want a rig that has to be trailer to every trail and every event?

if you make that decision then that should help you decide if you want to keep an XJ and build it or not.

yes you can build a bad ass XJ that can run larger tires and still drive on the street. will you need to reinforce frame etc.. YES, will you need a good cage internal and some external bars. YES if you want it to stay together and last. can you link it front and rear, YES but you will more then likely be cutting into rear area behind rear seat..

xj's are very capable rigs and can be made bad ass but if you want a rig you can just romp on and beat the living crap out of then build a tube buggy.. but dont forget you will be trailer it everywhere and you cant legally drive it to some trail systems on the roads or back to camp
 
If you decide to keep building your XJ for capability and safety based on what you have, there's a few more steps you can take that won't really effect the handling/streetablility factor and won't really push the built-beyond-reason envelope. A good interior cage wether its a full custom or prebent DIY cage (like T&J performance) will make a more enjoyable wheeler knowing it's safer and not really hinder it's comfort level. Keep the doors. A cage will strengthen the entire Jeep also and steel rockers are nice too. 2x3" or 2x4" is good. If you want to get crazy, chop the back off and relocate the fuel tank. Cheap and easy to do once you have a cage and it mixes things up a little.

This is what my last rig looked like. Linked in the front, caged, d300 swapped, dovetailed, full width and still had all the creature comforts to make for a good DD that I could drive to any trail I wanted and walk up obstacles in a fashion that used to baffle folks.
ai552.photobucket.com_albums_jj335_jrhxj1_photobucket_6912_1321194672753.jpg

You still have room to grow on your rig but keep it within reason. Check out Bruiser's rig too. There's plenty that have been built by members on this board that flat out work! But if you plan on running larger than 37's then go 1 tons and tube chassis. That IMHO is beyond the limits of a unibody.
 
Living in SC I'm hoping either route I can keep tags on it. I know there is a lot of legal issues varying state to state on what I can drive down the street. Just like the legality of full hydro steering and beadlocks on the street. As it is now I drive the XJ to work once every two weeks or so and the rest of the time she sits waiting to go wheeling.

The biggest things holding me back from a full tube buggy is I havent found a truck yet to haul with yet. (Not for lack of looking) and I would have to start selling off parts off the XJ. Which would stop my wheeling for a good while. Picture is from Windrock last year.
photo.JPG
 
Good looking jeep! I too live in south Carolina. Thing is I've never been messed with about any of that. Beadlocks, heim steering, hydro assist, tube, etc.. Figured out if you don't act like an ass, they won't bother ya.
 
I was in the same situation with my toyota a couple months ago. I decided to build a buggy with my drivetrain it just got to the point where the chassis and stock frame were holding me back and I didn't use the truck for anything other than crawling rocks
 
If your wanting to go bigger then you will want a buggy, I pulled my xj on 33's on a trailer everywhere I went no matter how far or the extremes of the wheeling. Why? My thought is anything can happen if you drive your xj to a park and you cut a tire then what? Your alternator goes out and runs the battery down, then what? My point is if you wheel then you will break so why drive the rig to the park and have to rely on it to get back, just pull it and you won't be stranded. With that said my buggy is going to be tagged once I make it to the DMV office I will probably drive it around if its a nice day and I want to cruise but I wont be driving it to the trail. Build a buggy and be happy, if you build the xj you will wish you had just started fresh with a buggy.
 
Back
Top