descisions- what vehicle?
- Thread starter 1968jeepthing
- Start date
with that budget in mind, go with a high mileage XJ Cherokee, Get a 1992. I saw one the other day for 2k. It has the higher horse power FI 4.0 and usually come with automatics. True, they are expensive to lift, but after some serious research as of late, you could do a spring over in the front with YJ leaf springs, swap in some junk yard axles for a tall and pretty cheap lift. Ford 9" and a 44 from a 79 bronco for $300. I think if I had to do it all over again, I would go for a cherokee. It has more room than a wrangler, which is nice with a family. Most come with AC also.....
1968jeepthing
American All The Way
yeah the M-715 is an incredibly cool truck. i love my truck. i would so love to keep it but i just dont have anyplace to work on it and i dont have the money to buy 38's and a nice 350 to equip it with. i've actually had people salute me and stuff. Its really cool. i hate to sell it.
as for the toyota axles, they seem pretty good. i guess im a little closer to choosing the land cruiser.
as for the toyota axles, they seem pretty good. i guess im a little closer to choosing the land cruiser.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Land Criuser axles are diffrent than the P/U axles...... weaker too. Sorry!
1968jeepthing
American All The Way
oh well, now about the cherokee, the uni-body doesnt seem too great, but a lot of people seem to think that its the way to go. what do people do about the rear window smashing out?
Alright even though I voted for FJ-40 because I want one so bad i'm gonna give you my .02 anyway
Alright you seem pretty hung up on a cherokee, well let me give you the opinion of someone who has had both chermut and Toy-pick up.
I loved my cherokee, great to drive on and off-road. But as has already been brought up VERY expensive to lift, never had the money to do mine, but from what I understand 4.5 just to clear 32's. They do wheel very good though, with sway bars disconnected 2 inch blocks in the rear and a pop-right in the front. I did 4 rated trails no prob. The only thing was I drug on everything because there so low. Mine was an 88 which still had the first generation 242 4.0. Good motor strong but I had to rebuild at 110k.
I loved my cherokee but I love my Mini Truck more. Drives fine on the road drive fine off road. Doing the same thing Greg did for lift picked up a set of waggy's $100 set of 3/4 ton Chev's $80 walla I can run 37's. Right now still stock with moderate fender triming I'm running 33's. And also did 4 rated trails stock (before the 33's i might add) with no problem. It currently has 157k no sign of a rebuild yet (knock on wood) and most people I know get well over 200k outa there motor before they need a rebuild.
If you want a budget DD/rockcrawler I can't see any other way to go i'm into my truck about $4000 right now 33's 5.29's Detroit lift (not on yet) parts of my crossover and soon to be top less with a cage.
I dunno my .02 worth
BTW just picked me up and 85 EFI Runner for my DD
Alright you seem pretty hung up on a cherokee, well let me give you the opinion of someone who has had both chermut and Toy-pick up.
I loved my cherokee, great to drive on and off-road. But as has already been brought up VERY expensive to lift, never had the money to do mine, but from what I understand 4.5 just to clear 32's. They do wheel very good though, with sway bars disconnected 2 inch blocks in the rear and a pop-right in the front. I did 4 rated trails no prob. The only thing was I drug on everything because there so low. Mine was an 88 which still had the first generation 242 4.0. Good motor strong but I had to rebuild at 110k.
I loved my cherokee but I love my Mini Truck more. Drives fine on the road drive fine off road. Doing the same thing Greg did for lift picked up a set of waggy's $100 set of 3/4 ton Chev's $80 walla I can run 37's. Right now still stock with moderate fender triming I'm running 33's. And also did 4 rated trails stock (before the 33's i might add) with no problem. It currently has 157k no sign of a rebuild yet (knock on wood) and most people I know get well over 200k outa there motor before they need a rebuild.
If you want a budget DD/rockcrawler I can't see any other way to go i'm into my truck about $4000 right now 33's 5.29's Detroit lift (not on yet) parts of my crossover and soon to be top less with a cage.
I dunno my .02 worth
BTW just picked me up and 85 EFI Runner for my DD
1968jeepthing
American All The Way
ok, everyone says the cherokee is really expensive to lift. how expensive? whats the cheapest i can do it for? why is it so much? i'd hate to have to go to toyota but everyone seems to think they are really good. how hard is it to find decent wrangler yjs? i really like how cheap and easy they are to lift, and with a four cylender engine, the drivetrain would seem to hold up pretty well.
1968jeepthing
American All The Way
ok, cherokee seems a little pricey, i was looking for some jeep ads and found some jeep wranglers for under 3,500. does anybody know what years are the best to get? i'd perfer fuel injection.
WayneXJ
grocery getter driver
- Location
- So. Jordan
I've never heard of any problems with any windows breaking or smashing out on a Cherokee. Unless that Cherokee has been rolled.
The Rubicon Express 5.5" lift runs about $1500 and has everything you need.
toy73scout
A free scout I'll take it
- Location
- salt lake
go over to this link and take a look at scout prices http://atlas.binderbulletin.org/classifieds/index.php
Economos
Slick
- Location
- Coastal NC - a LONG way from UT
'Yotas are tough, no question. And they're very reliable and look like a lot of fun to build.
However, I'm an XJ man. XJs aren't too expensive to lift if you cut to the chase and do it the right way. Only way to go is with Rubicon Express; yes its a little more expensive, but its worth every penny cause RE is exclusive to Jeep suspensions.
XJ drivetrains are somewhat weak unfortunately. The front HP Dana 30 was equipped with weak 260x joints and was a vacuum disco up till '91 I believe. The D30 was then loaded with the stronger 297x D44 shafts and joints, which remedeed the vac-disco. I think in '00, the HP housing on the D30 was replaced by the standard cut D30 housing, but still have the D44 shafts and 297x joints (HP housings are around 20%-30% stronger though). The rear D35c is the main weak link here, with weak ass 27 splined shafts and flimsy tubes. In '91, the 35c was replaced by the Chrysler 8.25, however, these also feature C-clips and 27 spline shafts, but the ring gear is larger than the 35c as well as the tubes. However, in '97, the stronger version of the 8.25 came out featuring 29 splined shafts which are almost comparable to D44 strength. I've got quite a few buddies running locked and geared 35s on the newer 8.25s. If you're a little skeptical on the stock axles, find an '87-'91 Wagoneer and snag its D44s. They're just a tad wider, but are nearly bolt up, but need bracket mods first. I will be swapping in Waggies sometime before Spring hopefully.
Also, if you look hard enough, a factory D44 rear w/ 30 splined shafts can be had out of either an '87 or '88 XJ w/ the tow package. These are the golden nuggets of XJs and are kinda hard to find. Superior Axle and Gear now makes a Super44 kit that comes with an Ox or ARB and 33 splined shafts for the XJ D44.
Most common ratios for XJs are 3.07s and 3.55s, I think 3.73s can also be found, but are more common in TJs. Also, YJ 4 bangers sometimes came stock with 4.10s or 4.11s.
XJ t-cases are pretty stout from the factory but have ****ty slip yokes on the rear outputs. These can be handled with an SYE (slip yoke eliminator) which converts the slip yoke to a fixed yoke allowing you to run bigger lifts with virtually no vibes from the transfercase, but you'll need to invest in a pricey CV rear driveshaft. XJs came with the part-time NP-231 transfercase and the full time NP-242. I'm not sure of the 242 ratio, but the 231 features a 2.72:1 stock, which is pretty descent. Also, RE offers a "hack and tap" SYE which requires some cutting, grinding and tapping to the stock yoke, but its only $200, the '97 XJ SYEs are only $100. A lot of guys are running the RE hack and tap SYE and using stock XJ front driveshafts in the rear. This proves to be a fairly stout combo and I have yet to see failure.
The only XJ tranny that I'm familiar with is the AW4 auto. I think they also run the AX-15 manual and a few others, but I really don't have any experience with these or even know if that is correct, so don't quote me. The AW4 is a good solid auto with overdrive. If all possible, get the 4.0L straight 6 engine, you won't regret it. Its very reliable and PLENTY strong for the weight of the XJ.
Thats about as much as I can think of. Really, if you decide to go with the XJ, you won't be let down, they kick ass on the trail. Enough room for your gear and when built right, can more than hang with the SWB guys. If you go with the XJ, you need to decide on the size of tire you wanna run and what your budget is.
Hope this helps man, cause that took me forever to type.
However, I'm an XJ man.
XJs aren't too expensive to lift if you cut to the chase and do it the right way. Only way to go is with Rubicon Express; yes its a little more expensive, but its worth every penny cause RE is exclusive to Jeep suspensions. XJ drivetrains are somewhat weak unfortunately. The front HP Dana 30 was equipped with weak 260x joints and was a vacuum disco up till '91 I believe. The D30 was then loaded with the stronger 297x D44 shafts and joints, which remedeed the vac-disco. I think in '00, the HP housing on the D30 was replaced by the standard cut D30 housing, but still have the D44 shafts and 297x joints (HP housings are around 20%-30% stronger though). The rear D35c is the main weak link here, with weak ass 27 splined shafts and flimsy tubes. In '91, the 35c was replaced by the Chrysler 8.25, however, these also feature C-clips and 27 spline shafts, but the ring gear is larger than the 35c as well as the tubes. However, in '97, the stronger version of the 8.25 came out featuring 29 splined shafts which are almost comparable to D44 strength. I've got quite a few buddies running locked and geared 35s on the newer 8.25s. If you're a little skeptical on the stock axles, find an '87-'91 Wagoneer and snag its D44s. They're just a tad wider, but are nearly bolt up, but need bracket mods first. I will be swapping in Waggies sometime before Spring hopefully.
Also, if you look hard enough, a factory D44 rear w/ 30 splined shafts can be had out of either an '87 or '88 XJ w/ the tow package. These are the golden nuggets of XJs and are kinda hard to find. Superior Axle and Gear now makes a Super44 kit that comes with an Ox or ARB and 33 splined shafts for the XJ D44.
Most common ratios for XJs are 3.07s and 3.55s, I think 3.73s can also be found, but are more common in TJs. Also, YJ 4 bangers sometimes came stock with 4.10s or 4.11s.
XJ t-cases are pretty stout from the factory but have ****ty slip yokes on the rear outputs. These can be handled with an SYE (slip yoke eliminator) which converts the slip yoke to a fixed yoke allowing you to run bigger lifts with virtually no vibes from the transfercase, but you'll need to invest in a pricey CV rear driveshaft. XJs came with the part-time NP-231 transfercase and the full time NP-242. I'm not sure of the 242 ratio, but the 231 features a 2.72:1 stock, which is pretty descent. Also, RE offers a "hack and tap" SYE which requires some cutting, grinding and tapping to the stock yoke, but its only $200, the '97 XJ SYEs are only $100. A lot of guys are running the RE hack and tap SYE and using stock XJ front driveshafts in the rear. This proves to be a fairly stout combo and I have yet to see failure.
The only XJ tranny that I'm familiar with is the AW4 auto. I think they also run the AX-15 manual and a few others, but I really don't have any experience with these or even know if that is correct, so don't quote me. The AW4 is a good solid auto with overdrive. If all possible, get the 4.0L straight 6 engine, you won't regret it. Its very reliable and PLENTY strong for the weight of the XJ.
Thats about as much as I can think of. Really, if you decide to go with the XJ, you won't be let down, they kick ass on the trail. Enough room for your gear and when built right, can more than hang with the SWB guys. If you go with the XJ, you need to decide on the size of tire you wanna run and what your budget is.
Hope this helps man, cause that took me forever to type.
Economos
Slick
- Location
- Coastal NC - a LONG way from UT
Few facts I forgot to mention:
- XJ bolt pattern is 5x4.5"
- WMS-WMS axle width is roughly 60.5"
- XJ rear is already sprung over
- Pre '91 XJ cooling system SUCKS ASS; spend the cash and drop in a 3-Core GDI
- if you happen to get the HP D30 with the 260x shafts and joints, they can easily be converted to the stronger D44 shafts and joints
- a lot of guys (influding myself) are starting to run smaller lifts and cut more of the fenders to fit larger tires; there is plenty of useless sheetmetal on the XJ to cut and a lower CoG is much better for off-camber crawling
- XJ bolt pattern is 5x4.5"
- WMS-WMS axle width is roughly 60.5"
- XJ rear is already sprung over
- Pre '91 XJ cooling system SUCKS ASS; spend the cash and drop in a 3-Core GDI
- if you happen to get the HP D30 with the 260x shafts and joints, they can easily be converted to the stronger D44 shafts and joints
- a lot of guys (influding myself) are starting to run smaller lifts and cut more of the fenders to fit larger tires; there is plenty of useless sheetmetal on the XJ to cut and a lower CoG is much better for off-camber crawling
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1968jeepthing
American All The Way
thanks, that was really helpfull. i really like the cherokee, and i would really like to own one. the onley problem is i'm on a really tight budget. i'm going to have about $4500 to play around with. what i'm looking for is somthing reliable, that is decent off-road. I'm thinking of running no larger than 33 inch tires with a possible rear locker. how much lift will i need to clear 33s? i may be driving back to New Hampshire so i cant build it up too much. i like the idea of having A.C. and more than 2 seats. so do you think $4500 will do it?
Vonski
nothing to see here...
- Location
- Payson, Utah
Don't get a Toyota. They suck and people will laugh at you.
yellowjacket
Much more comfortable
- Location
- Eagle Mountain
Got to remember, your a college student. Can't do to heavy modifing without a good place to leave it for awhile.
What do you need to be able to be fully flexed with 33's, 10" lift?
Reliable=Toyota........It's in the dictionary!
What do you need to be able to be fully flexed with 33's, 10" lift?
Reliable=Toyota........It's in the dictionary!
yellowjacket
Much more comfortable
- Location
- Eagle Mountain
VON, WHAT ARE TALKING ABOUT?!Originally posted by Vonski
Don't get a Toyota. They suck and people will laugh at you.
Did people laugh at you when you took 7th in the SUPERCRAWL when you finished 7th out of 50 competitors. And aren't you still running TOYOTA axles? Of course you have longfields. If you still are running the 8", how many other people are running their original axles? When I saw you at UROC in Vernal (I think it was) there were only like 5 guys running there original axles, and that's because they were bronco's with 44's and 9".