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1989 Jeep Cherokee 1 ton swap

RunningProblem said:
Jeffh555 is this the PSC box you bought?
Just the JK version instead of the XJ one

www.pscmotorsports.com

SG061R - Big Bore XD Cylinder Assist Steering Gearbox for 1987-2002 Jeep YJ/TJ/XJ

Performance Steering Components offers the highest quality power steering gearboxes, pumps, and cylinder assist components for most high-performance power steering applications.Improved component designs ensure superior handling and performance, durability, and reliability for on-the-road...
www.pscmotorsports.com www.pscmotorsports.com
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Yup, I have a SG688R on the way, buy once cry once, right?
 
For $1000 you might as well go full hydro.
What's wrong with the oem box and a surplus center ram?
 
Not sure why I got wrapped into this, but I agree, I fully considered going full hydro. I chose the $1000+ steering gear because:
1. My steering box is broken, this gets me back on the trail sooner, I have a lot going on and don't want to miss the rest of this summer's wheeling season.
2. I plan to take my JK to Baja. My understanding is that full hydro is drivable on the pavement, but the center will drift and ultimately be more tiring to drive on longer road days.
3. JK sector shafts are notoriously weak, I don't remember that from my XJ days. Once my wife heard there was a stronger option, she would have stabbed me had I bought the weaker option and gotten her and the kids stuck on the trail.
 
Mike Honcho said:
For $1000 you might as well go full hydro.
What's wrong with the oem box and a surplus center ram?
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OEM box has leaked since I have owned it. The Durango box I have would be better to install, but it’s day on my bench with some cutting and grinding possible going into the ports I tapped.
Full hydro isn’t technically legal, and if something goes out at least a mechanical linkage exists with an assist setup. As stated above….if I lose power steering I still have Armstrong with an assist setup. Full hydro works, until it doesn’t from what I read on the internet.
 
your correct. do you drive to and from trails or trailer. i get mech linkage if driven. but also dont think you should drop 1k on a box. but i have been out of touch with how expensive things maybe in the steering world.
 
All the full hydros I've been around will still turn with the engine off, it sucks, a lot, but better than nothing.

If you still plan to drive it, I'd stay box. I've had some decent driving full hydro set ups, but it's not a steering box.
 
RunningProblem said:
OEM box has leaked since I have owned it. The Durango box I have would be better to install, but it’s day on my bench with some cutting and grinding possible going into the ports I tapped.
Full hydro isn’t technically legal, and if something goes out at least a mechanical linkage exists with an assist setup. As stated above….if I lose power steering I still have Armstrong with an assist setup. Full hydro works, until it doesn’t from what I read on the internet.
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It's legal in NV, and works when the engine off provided the lines are unharmed.
 
I believe the full hydro illegal thing is a myth in most states.

LiftLaws.com - Is Full Hydro Steering Street Legal?

LiftLaws.com answers the question of whether or not full hydro (fully hydraulic) steering is street legal.
www.liftlaws.com

The PSC JK big bore box has a larger than stock sector shaft and casting, which sold me on it.

The PSC YJ, TJ, XJ big bore box seems to just be larger piston, which you probably don't need if you're running hydro assist.
 
So stick with what I have, finish fixing it, and learn who to wheel. Got it.
 
Cross threaded is better than loctite.

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Track bar bracket installed.
Durango steering box installed. This one doesn’t leak.
All front frame plating installed. I had to drill two holes in each of the front pieces for the factory holes because my bumper uses those. It’s going to end up with 3 bolts instead of 4, and I had a big problem comprehending the welded frame playing was just as strong as the bolt on stuff so it didn’t need the extra 3 bolts with the ‘flag nut plate thing’ that Smittybuilt uses inside the unibody frame horns.
There still isn’t enough space to weld between the track bar bracket and the bump stop. I did the best I could. It’s just a poor design on my part, or maybe it just needs to be done right the first time.


I need to wire wheel the plating to get off the splatter, paint the plating, cut and weld the last piece for the driver side (the piece covering the factory upper link mount I cut off), install the coilover and the bump stop, Mount the bumper, wire the new xdi 9000 winch then move on to hydro assist. I decided to use what I have instead of going full hydro.

After hydro assist maybe I’ll move on to finishing my exhaust then moving to a dual battery setup so I can have a trail welder, or maybe I’ll get serious about some type of crossmember for the doubler and cable shifters so I have more control wheeling.
 
Ruffstuff order showed up. Delayed due to custom artwork request.
I love when I request things like this and companies do it. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I feel like a kid when it shows up after having forgotten I requested it.


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RunningProblem said:
FordFascist spoke some truth about my welds and hurt my snowflake feelings so I bought a new grinder and cranked up the voltage and wire feed speed. I also put more weld in there because if you can’t weld, good, weld a lot. Maybe I said that wrong.

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It looks much better.
Mike Honcho said:
I would plate the shit out of that to distribute the load. This is what what I did with my MJ and I have never had an issue.

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This is good advice. The Cherokee needs as much bracing as it can get.
 
FordFascist It kind of won’t fit because I packed too much into a small space due to a lack of knowledge. It was all supposed to work the first time.

Mike Honcho i can’t really brace it much on the right hand side. My bump stop is one inch from the track bar mount. I braced it along the far side. Similar to something I saw on the trip where I ripped it all apart.

I used my Ruffstuff trackbar mount to make a passenger side mounting point for a tube brace. Tube is 1.5” 0.125 wall from Ruffstuff and it’s using some heims. I’ll need to get some new hardware and drill out the brackets because I apparently ordered 5/8 not 9/16 misalignment spacers. I also noticed the bolt on the trackbar is a little small. The trackbar itself will need to be roughly 1/2” longer to accommodate the distance increase associated with moving down one bolt hole.


Te brace is about a finger width (the skinny way) under the oil pan. It’s around 29 1/2 inches, and can extend enough to use at least the bottom hole on the passenger side if I wanted to. Hopefully it won’t interfere with the bumpstop at full bump. I didnt actually check before welding, but I could cut the lower portion off.

Still needs limit straps welded back in.
 

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It didn’t have the methy vibes I was going for. I want people to see this and be concerned about their catalytic converter.


This is for half doors. Apparently I’m not going to like half doors and this was a foolish purchase. I apparently should have invested lots of time to making my power windows work. Maybe I’ll cut the doors with power windows, and get the fuck over it. I hate not having a cup holder, I don’t like not being able to see out my door, I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing with this whole thing because I have no ‘end goal’ and I think half doors will be better than full doors or no doors because I lack experience.
 

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I know where there is a 6.0 liter engine sitting in an Escalade. Just needs a wiring harness. i Hate electrical work because I suck at it And I’m afraid I’m going to do really expensive damage trying to save money and do something cheap.
 
chaplinfj60 I don’t think the wiring harness is the problem. The plugs get voltage. I think the motors or regulators are old and worn out. I tried taking one apart and cleaning off the old rust but it didn’t change anything so I just gave up on doing it 3 more times. I’m missing a few of the spring clips to hold the window buttons in place because of it too. Also, ain’t I supposed to be ‘less fancy’ with a Cherokee and avoid power windows?
 
It has both coilovers on. If I stay out of chit chat this thing might be ready for a third round of Fordyce before snowfall.

image.jpg
 
aaaaaaaaaaaannnd I’m stopped.

Track bar needs to be at least 34” eye to eye. Currently it’s about 33 5/8 long with two threads engage. Good thing I decided to removed the track bar instead of trying adjust it on the jeep. :lmao:
 
Hopefully my math is correct. The axle wants to shift to the driver side when I release the ratchet strap. It’s probably a sign my lower link angles are out of whack and not equal to each other.

No ratchet strap assistance.

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Ratchet strap acting as a track bar/panhard bar.

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The air pressure gauge is because my coilover was leaking oil. I let the nitrogen out to removed it and I don’t think I seared the reservoir cap/top pieces all the way when I reinstalled the shock.

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Math is hard.
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This isn’t going to work. It needs to be a few inches bigger. I don’t know why I didn’t think about this when I switched from a Ruffstuff bracket to a Barnes bracket.
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