1989 Jeep Cherokee 1 ton swap

[RunningProblem]

 

[RunningProblem]

Track bar bracket fitted up.
It clears by enough to make me worry about it contacting the oil pan if it ever bends. Hopefully it bends down or just rips the bracket off again instead of puncturing my oil pan. I don’t know how to weld an oil pan with flux core.

9/16 stuff is dumb. Ruffstuff loves it.
Barnes uses 5/8 holes. I haven’t decided if I want to use different sized bolts on this, or switch to 5/8 for consistency. I think the track bar was two different sized bolts because Artec and Ruffstuff don’t care about each other.

 

[Mike Honcho]

You don't have any hydro and you run 40s?

 

[RunningProblem]

correct. Even dumber…I’ve had the cylinder and never put it on because I was not sure how difficult it would be. I am going to put it on now.

You don't have any hydro and you run 40s?

 

[RunningProblem]

Ride height. Track bar is at 15 degrees in this photo. Drag link is 12-13.
Track bar measures about 33 1/2”.

I wish I could go back and move the track bar mount farther out on the axle. I didn’t know or listen when I was told to do so.

 

[67StingrayJ]

Ride height. Track bar is at 15 degrees in this photo. Drag link is 12-13.
Track bar measures about 33 1/2”.

I wish I could go back and move the track bar mount farther out on the axle. I didn’t know or listen when I was told to do so.

Might as well do it the right way now.

 

[RunningProblem]

Might as well do it the right way now.

sell it and buy a golf cart?

 

[RunningProblem]

So the other day I was just minding my own business when my irate neighbor was all like ‘hey didn’t you used to have that bitching cherokee? What happened to it?’ And I was all like ‘ ummm no? Oh. The shitbox? I still have it, can’t seem to find a buyer with cash, and never find time to work on it. I’m trying to make my kids lives better.’ He was all like ‘you should like get it together and we can go out some time.’ So I told him ‘yeah, umm it’s not me. It’s you.’ He didn’t listen to my words and said he wanted me to call him so we could go out some time. Apparently he has the Jeep aids




Bumper on. I hope the bolts Smittybuilt included are strong high quality bolts. It slipped over the Ruffstuff plating pretty okay. I no longer use the extension plates they had that acted sort of like a steering box brace.
Winch HALF mounted. I need different square nuts/bolts. Actually I need to figure out what I need first. Two bolts work so I need two more of those.
Track bar in and torqued.
Brace in and torqued. I was actually doing this when my irate neighbor who’s been stalking me wanted to know how my shitbox is.

I also relocated the Ming black vacuum canister thing’ from behind the front bumper to above the shock tower. I don’t know if this is smart or not. It just never had a real home in the bumper anymore, and all the vacuum lines lead back to the firewall. I couldn’t jam it under the overflow tank.

One day I might get an overflow bottle for my coolant reservoir tank. It just sprays hot coolant over my engine at this point in time.


Pictures
I had some help on the bumper install. It’s kind of annoying doing this alone. He usually has flip flops like ProjecTwin.


Track bar and brace.



Bumper finally on and bolts tightened. The winch fairlead is broken from when I had to use it to repair the trackbar bracket half a year ago.




It’s a little methy in here.


You can’t see it but the upper shock bolt isn’t torqued. The nut is just on the bolt keeping me from losing either of them.



How it’s sitting now.
This doesn’t show my leaking coilover.


Warm xdi9000 half bolted in. The hardware is probably high quality smittybuilt stuff. I don’t know if the size of the winch will hurt my cooling or not. It’s actually so close to the winch fairlead bolts I almost had to trim them down. Apparently Smittybuilt doesn’t build their stuff to really work with ANY winch. I probably should just be more of a fanboy and buy the Ruffstuff bumper st their next sale.

 

[gt1guy]

He is absolutely judging you in that pic

 

[RunningProblem]

Did stuff.

 

[Mike Honcho]

I don't like those clamps. Why not weld the tabs on the tie rod?

 

[RunningProblem]

I don't like those clamps. Why not weld the tabs on the tie rod?

Alignment changes.

 

[chaplinfj60]

I don't like those clamps. Why not weld the tabs on the tie rod?

or atleast tack them good, i tried them before and they always moved, not saying yours will but my experience was not great, but it was also my first time messing with hydro.

 

[arse_sidewards]

or atleast tack them good, i tried them before and they always moved, not saying yours will but my experience was not great, but it was also my first time messing with hydro.

Put a piece of copper on each end the clamp and then run a bead of weld so that the welds don't fuse to the clamp but there's a perfect fitting spot for the clamp between the welds.

 

[Mike Honcho]

Put a piece of copper on each end the clamp and then run a bead of weld so that the welds don't fuse to the clamp but there's a perfect fitting spot for the clamp between the welds.

Or don’t do all that stupid shit and weld the tabs to the tie rod. Measure twice, weld once

 

[RunningProblem]

Or don’t do all that stupid shit and weld the tabs to the tie rod. Measure twice, weld once

We’re not all as professional and detail oriented as you. Some of us might actually drive street legal rigs or bend a tie rod enough we can’t cut/grind/trail weld it back together.

 

[LScout800]

Put a piece of copper on each end the clamp and then run a bead of weld so that the welds don't fuse to the clamp but there's a perfect fitting spot for the clamp between the welds.

Take some pipe/tube with the same ID as the OD of your tierod, cut half an inch or so off of it, cut that piece in half to get two semi circles, and weld a piece to either side of the clamp.

 

[RunningProblem]

Put a piece of copper on each end the clamp and then run a bead of weld so that the welds don't fuse to the clamp but there's a perfect fitting spot for the clamp between the welds.

Take some pipe/tube with the same ID as the OD of your tierod, cut half an inch or so off of it, cut that piece in half to get two semi circles, and weld a piece to either side of the clamp.

Tack some beads close, and carry a portable grinder. 🖕😁🖕
It’s a Cherokee not a Toyota.

 

[RunningProblem]

Painted, and actually tightened up. Turns out the bolt and nut on the diff cover contact the tie rod at full lock driver side. Oh well. It’s a Cherokee so people don’t have high expectations. Good thing I didn’t measure as many times as Mike would have.
🖕😁🖕

I think I need a 3 ft long hose to connect this then a bunch of ATF to fill everything back up. In case I didn’t mention it, I swapped in my Durango box because it doesn’t leak like the stock box. Maybe I’ll rebuild the Cherokee or for fun. Maybe I won’t. I should look into the WJ pump swap more. Most research says the Renix stuff is only comparable with other Renix stuff.

Also, this is the first time I’ve used a ratchet strap to pull the unibody down while compressing the coilover. It works well for not giving me the feeling I’ll flop my Jeep onto my cheap workbench in the garage.

 

[HRDROKN]

Look up split shaft collars..... weld those on your tie rod.

 

[fl0w3n]

Why don’t you just fuckin stretch one of these guys on there and he’ll hold it for you

 

[Mike Honcho]

Why don’t you just fuckin stretch one of these guys on there and he’ll hold it for you

This is by far the best idea. Make XJ owners proud

 

[LScout800]

Why don’t you just fuckin stretch one of these guys on there and he’ll hold it for you

Seems to be the theme of this build. Flexible twisty XJ holding together tons and 40's.

 

[RunningProblem]

Seems to be the theme of this build. Flexible twisty XJ holding together tons and 40's.

I have no idea what I am doing was taken.

 

[M92PV4U]

Just keep welding shit to it until it's not flexy twisty

 

[RunningProblem]

Just keep welding shit to it until it's not flexy twisty

I thought the point was to surround the sheet metal with 3/16 plate then add coilovers so I could post up flex shots. I mean, 3/16 plate front to rear is maybe more than most off road wheeler hovercrafts have on their frame.

 

[RunningProblem]

I realized my front axle wasn't centered even though I adjusted stuff when I was reinstalling the bent coilover. I must have had the axle at the wrong spot in the travel to test for center. It was obvious when you look at the photos and the bump stops aren't centered over the risers I built. Good thing I made the new track bar with some adjustability. With the Artec truss there is a hole in the middle. Looking at this hole the left edge is just about the middle of the axle. It should roughly line up with the crank bolt which isn't hard to do if you're paying attention.


I bought some 3/8 hydraulic hose and two 90 degree fittings. Since I'm already going down the road of being committed to doing this the wrong way due to my lack of experience and inability to search out the answers to simple questions I'll end up fixing this next time I break it. Local shops wanted $55-70 to make one of these hoses. I bought two of them and had them mailed to me for what one shop quoted me for one hose.

JIC 6 Male x JIC 6 Female Swivel 90 Degree Elbow 6500-06-06 Adapter | JIC Female Swivel to JIC Male - Right Angle | JIC to JIC | Hydraulic Adapters & Fittings | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

JIC 6 Male x JIC 6 Female Swivel 90 Degree Elbow 6500-06-06 Adapter, JIC Female Swivel to JIC Male - Right Angle, JIC 6M X JIC 6F SWIVEL 90 ELBOW,6500-06-06,

www.surpluscenter.com

3/8" x 36" JIC 6F Swivel x JIC 6F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5000 PSI NRP Jones | Hydraulic Hose Assemblies | Hydraulic Hose and Hose Assemblies | Hydraulics | www.surpluscenter.com

3/8 x 36 JIC 6F Swivel x JIC 6F Swivel SAE 100R16 Hydraulic Hose Assembly 5000 PSI NRP Jones, Hydraulic Hose Assemblies, 3/8&quot X 36&quot JIC 6FNRP Jones,A150-06-606-606-36 ,

www.surpluscenter.com

 

[RunningProblem]

Thanks to Mike Honcho i have a brand new 3/8 winch cable for my winch I rebuilt. This thing free spools a lot more than the smittybuilt I used to get out of Fordyce (twice) and can apparently hold a lot more than however much cable I just spoiled in.

I used two 2x4s clamped together with some 7/16 bolts to apply tension. I put the cable between the blocks of wood and tightened the bolts real good then just weaved it left/right so it mall crawls better. I had to ad a little imperfection at the end so it looks like I maybe used it once.

Shocks mounted and tightened.

Also bled the power steering thanks to some cheap help. Apparently a 5 3/4 year old and a 10-12 year old really like turning the wheels lock to lock to get all the air out. They work for slurpees which helps fuel their pace. I like to think of it as liquid meth since I bought Mountain Dew flavor to keep it XJ approved levels of methy.

 

[fl0w3n]

Cool to see the kids helping out

 

[RunningProblem]

fl0w3n yeah and if I could figure out how to install a pair of rear seats with a 5 point harness I might actually take them more. Well…at least my kid. I’m not sure the neighbors want their kids in the shitbox.
It definitely made entertaining them and getting things done much easier. It probably wouldn’t have worked as well if they were brothers. For some reason brothers fight over everything.