Any Jeepers in here?

[Hookeye]

3" and 31's................did that on XJ's too, I'd get new lower C arms.
I also had to do a little trimming on the front.
Decent look.

Even on 3" I dropped the T case. Simple deal and of no real concern.
But I had my spacers welded to the unit body, they never came loose after that (previously they would when wheeling).

 

[Caleb]

Anyone have issue with this lift kit?

Trail Master Part TM3745-40023 - 4.5 Inch Lift Kit with NGS Shocks - Fits 1984 to 2001 Jeep XJ Cherokee - 4 Wheel Parts - $646.99

I know it's on the cheap, but I don't have the proper tools to do it and will have to pay for labor.

Bring me those headlights and I'll install it for ya...lol

 

[Hoosier8]

I plan on going 4.5 long arm lift, maybe Clayton with SYE and driveshaft to keep my transfer case flatter and 33's with trimming. It will be a year or so before I have money for that.

 

[Sgtusmc]

Bring me those headlights and I'll install it for ya...lol

Shoot, I'd be happy as all heck to give you the lights in exchange for an install! I haven't decided on what I really want/need though. The minimum I need done is rear leaf springs, maybe coils, maybe shocks?

 

[Hookeye]

If you go 3" ..............

I would again recommend new lower C arms.

Trac bar will need moved (drill a new hole or get a drop bracket- if getting bracket I'd suggest also welding it to factory axle bracket after bolting it in place).........or you can get an adjustable trac bar.

If you are going to wheel it at all, beef up the steering box area where that bolts on.

Hand tools, and no problems with leaf spring bolts.............6 hr job for a full lift install (reg short arm- lowers only). Kroil bolts for a couple days before attempting suspension parts removal.

 

[lovemachine]

PB Blaster FTW.

 

[Hookeye]

Sorry dude, PB aint in the same league.
Kroil is king.

 

[Principal Skinr]

Check this out, folks: I went LED crazy on my Jeep in a wild attempt to turn night into day! I added a light bar with 100 LED's, producing an advertized 30,000 lumens! I also added Truck-Lite LED headlights, which finally cured the pathetic headlight output on the JK. The Truck-Lites are amazing, but my wallet will be hurting for awhile.

I wired the big LED into a Daystar A-pillar switch pod. I'll next be extending the wiring from the driving lights in front of the winch from an old switch to the new switch pod, too. The LED light bar and mounts all came from Ebay. 34 of the LED's are flood, while the rest are spot. The thing throws a painful amount of light out front. It's probably enough to give someone skin cancer or burn their retinas out. You could almost commit murder with it. It is to off road lights as a train horn is to the horn on a scooter.

I didn't do it for need so much as to cure some winter boredom. The headlights, though, were for need, for sure. I can't believe a modern vehicle would come with such poor headlights from the factory.

What do you think?

 

[Hoosier8]

Nice!

 

[Principal Skinr]

I've got a snorkel sitting in a box in the garage, but I'm not sure i want to cut the hood by the air box. I'm probably going to sit on that one for awhile before making a decision. If I could find a used hood for a reasonable cost, I'd paint it and chop into it. That way, if I didn't like it, I'd still have the original. In fact, I'd be able to add/remove the snorkel just for off-road adventures. Hmmm.

It is fun, but expensive, to watch a Jeep morph over the years. It is pretty significantly different now as compared to original stock condition.

Here's the mods:

Baja Designs Fuego off road driving lights on winch fairlead mount (I believe Poison Spyder mount)
2" AEV lift
33" BFG KM2 tires, 255/80/17 "pizza cutters".
Rough Country winch plate
Engo 10,000lb winch with synthetic rope
Cobra 75wx CB with custom dash mount and quick disconnect
Firestick antenna with custom license plate bracket mount (can't remember who made it)
Chinese 100-LED 52" light bar from Ebay
Eautogrilles (Ebay) windshield mounts for light bar
Daystar upper dash organizer
Daystar A-pillar switch pod and switches
Daystar lower center dash switch pod (going away soon. Manual transmission boot only allows for two of four switches to work)
Little Seats 3rd row rear facing kids' bench seat with shoulder harnesses (removable)
Rugged Ridge oil pan skid plate
Evap cannister skid plate
Rear tube doors (makes kids feel more secure when doorless)
Auxillary A-pillar mirrors for future soft doors (this spring)

...and the snorkel waiting for a decision. It has an AEV dust separator, too, which is kind of cool. I'm not sure the dust separator would fit with the windshield mounts, though.

I'd love to see some post and pics of more Jeeps and mods, new and old. I love all the Jeeps, includng Cherokees, Comanches, Jeepsters, Willys, etc. Post 'em up!

 

[Hoosier8]

Shoot, I'd be happy as all heck to give you the lights in exchange for an install! I haven't decided on what I really want/need though. The minimum I need done is rear leaf springs, maybe coils, maybe shocks?

First question is why a lift? Usually the only reason is to put on bigger tires. If you go above 3" on a Cherokee then you should have an SYE. At 3" it probably would be a good idea to drop the transfer case a bit and most kits come with spacers for that. The higher you go sometimes gives a rougher ride due to stiffer springs in the back and short arms in the front. You can still put on larger tires on a lower lift but then you need to trim the body sheet metal for them. If you like it as a daily driver and just need new springs in the back, then you can do that the quickest and easiest. I never did anything to mine until I retired it as a daily driver and loved it the way it is with 235/75/15 mud tires on it (about 29") and saggy springs. I am lifting mine to take it off road since it will not be my daily driver anymore so I can hack into it all I want.

 

[Hoosier8]

I've got a snorkel sitting in a box in the garage, but I'm not sure i want to cut the hood by the air box. I'm probably going to sit on that one for awhile before making a decision. If I could find a used hood for a reasonable cost, I'd paint it and chop into it. That way, if I didn't like it, I'd still have the original. In fact, I'd be able to add/remove the snorkel just for off-road adventures. Hmmm.

It is fun, but expensive, to watch a Jeep morph over the years. It is pretty significantly different now as compared to original stock condition.

If you did put it on, did you plan on raising all of the air vents like on the axles etc. or just putting it on for looks?

 

[Principal Skinr]

If you did put it on, did you plan on raising all of the air vents like on the axles etc. or just putting it on for looks?

More for dust control, but yes, I've got a parts list for DIY extensions of the breather tubes--front, rear diffs, tranny, and T-case. They tie into the vent tube going into the air box. I'll also seal the holes in the bottom of the air box. I don't intend to go through water that deep, but I've been places that get flash floods, so might as well do it. It is about 30 bucks in parts from a Do It Best store or Ace Hardware.

I avoid deep water because I had a YJ that went through water up to the headlights and ingested a tiny bit into the diffs. It wasn't good. The Hummer H1 that followed me cought a bow wave up and over the hood that made his engine go "POP!" Instant hydrolock. Expensive. That was a stock YJ with 29" tires, too. The Hummer club I was with was blown away that I made it through that water and he didn't. I was LUCKY. The Jeep was beginning to float. The front wheels grabbed, though, with the weight of the engine, and pulled me through. I'm amazed to this day that it didn't do more damage, such as to the engine computer. It was dry as a bone, though. I could see the headlights shining through the water and I got a couple inches up through the drain holes, too. I do miss that YJ!

Another option is for little rubber accordian like bellows that replace the vent tubes. It is an easier, but slighty more expensive option. Suzuki uses these on their quads to great effect.

I went on a hunting safari in Africa last summer and all the vehicles there had snorkels. That's what really inspired it. They said the engines last much longer with them due to the dust. I don't get dust like they do, but when off roading in the summer, or going along gravel county roads in a group, it can get pretty thick.

The looks are more of a problem for me than a benefit. That's why I'm hesitant. Functionally, I want the snorkel. Aesthetically, I don't think I do.

Snorkel or not, I'm going to do one or the other mod to the breathers. With them, the air intake is still nice and high, even without the snorkel. It is as high as it can get under the hood, behind the passenger side headlight and radiator housing.

 

[Principal Skinr]

Here's one of the Landcruisers from South AFrica. They made my Jeep seem modern and refined! They were awesome! Their mileage ranged from 200k to about 350k. Most were diesels, but one was a gas engine. The petrol engine has 250k miles on it. All of them run 95% off road, in dusty conditions. They swear by the effectiveness of the snorkels getting air from above the thickest dust.

Here's another:

 

[Principal Skinr]

My philosophy for mods is to make it more like an expeditionary vehicle than extreme rock crawler or mud buggy. It is set up to get me to and from beautiful places, reliably. It has to function as a daily driver, and it has to be reasonably comfortable going over the highway to get to the good off road trails, such as in Colorado or Moab (hopefully next year!).

I went with a very moderate 2" lift for a variety of reasons, including minimizing stress on the drive train--I didn't want heavy tires/wheels, steep drive line angles, etc. I also loved the Rubicon suspension's ride and handling, so I didn't want to detour too far from it. I didn't want to re-gear, either. It has 4.10 gearing and it is just right with the 33" tires. I also didn't want to add much weight. That's why I kept the stock front bumper and went with a winch plate. I also went with synthetic rope primarily for the few pounds it saves, although there are other big advantages over cable. Finally, I wanted to maintain good suspension articulation. Some of the 4" lifts with 35" tires actually lose articulation. Not to mention, they sometimes bend axles and break U joints. I want to be able to drive home from adventures, not be driven on a flat bed.

This set up gave me a modest ground clearance increase, which wasn't bad with the 32" factory KM's. The breakover angle, though, needed some improvement. The slight improvement I got between the lift and tires reduced my skid plate rubbing dramatically. It really made a huge difference. I don't mind rubbing them, a bit, though. That's what they are for.

This Jeep, with the front and rear locked and the swaybar disconnected is really amazing off road. I think it is more capable than it looks. I don't climb vertical rock faces, or go through headlight deep mud, but it can climb hills like a mountain goat, and is really fun to drive. It even does surprisingly well in sand, considering the narrow tires.

The gas mileage is still reasonable, too. I only dropped about 1 to 1.5 mpg from stock. I'm pretty happy with that, too.

 

[Principal Skinr]

I forgot one minor mod that made a HUGE difference: Wagner Thermoquiet brake pads. The stability control causes the Jeep to eat the hell out of rear brake pads, plus the factory pads produce a thick, soot-type brake dust on the wheels. The Thermoquiets have lasted MUCH longer, and produce almost no brake dust. They never squeak, either, even when they've been off road and covered with dust, submerged, or dipped in mud. I've got 40k miles on them, which is where the rear pads were when they were worn out. These still look new. I'd recommend these pads to anyone, on any vehicle.

 

[Caleb]

Sorry dude, PB aint in the same league.
Kroil is king.

Kroil is the best you can buy, however, ATF and acetone is the best period.

 

[Hoosier8]

Kroil is the best you can buy, however, ATF and acetone is the best period.

So they say. I am going to try it but I also read that they separate so you have to make sure you shake it up before use. I need to pick up some acetone anyway.

 

[Hoosier8]

Another option is for little rubber accordian like bellows that replace the vent tubes. It is an easier, but slighty more expensive option. Suzuki uses these on their quads to great effect.

I hadn't heard of that. I will have to look that up.

 

[Caleb]

So they say. I am going to try it but I also read that they separate so you have to make sure you shake it up before use. I need to pick up some acetone anyway.

Only downside to it....get a spray bottle for it though