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1989 Jeep Cherokee 1 ton swap

One side cut to fit a worn out 40.

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Full lock.
Fully compressed shock.
Passenger side somewhat drooped.
Smittybuilt Custom Bumper Corner Deete Mod or whatever the fuck kids call this shit today.

I cut the wheelwell with a grinder and drew the line freehand.
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Passenger side has been started. Bigger cuts because it’s probably going to look like the driver side

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I also mocked up shock towers already. This took some time.

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There was a bolt I had to trim.

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Yes the master cylinder was as close as it looked in the photo.
Yes I did this exactly like the picture shows.
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I ‘had to’ notch the shock tower to fit lower on the engine Mount frame horn things. I plan to weld the towers to them if possible. I also wanted to cut less of the body to clear tires for uptravel. I might regret this because it might sit stupid high.

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Mock up. It looks like I have enough space to mount the reservoirs on the front frame stiffeners and clear the tires. I think my wheels are 4.5” backspacing.
I’ll also paint the shock towers with high temp silver paint. I have it and maybe it looks cooler than black or bare metal.

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Torqued a bunch of bolts, cut some of the passenger side, and kind of figured out where I can mount the bump stop so I won’t have tire rub issues at ‘full stuff’ which is defined as the odd ever side tire as high as I want it with the driver side as low as I can get it. Sadly, that leaves about 10 more inches of down travel unaccounted for. I’m probably going to end up with 2” of shock shaft showing at full bump to be safe and maybe plan ahead for a fresh set of tires on there since these only measure 38” tall.

I need to figure out where I can put the driver side bump stop. I might have to get creative welding some flat iron to the unibody stiffener and the can so it fits between the track bar and the shock tower.

I think all I have to do after that is weld shock towers in, bolt in the shocks and it will be a roller. The only extended brake lines I can find are Skyjacker and they’re a 4-6” lift for an 89 F350. This might end up limiting my down travel. I have no idea what kind of banjo I could source to use a -3 AN brake hose so if someone could tell me they’ve done this and know part numbers it would be great.
 
Driver side shock tower welded in. Vertical uphill penetrates more, but I’m not as good as I like to tell myself I was. These don’t look like garbage for not having any practice and I’m thinking of doing a downhill cover pass to make them pretty for the mall.



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Inside the engine bay was a little easier than I expected. I couldn’t get the whole bottom welded though. The blob on the right is going up the unibody. The flat part is on the unibody engine Mount bracket.
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The whole area from above. Steering shaft and engine Mount visible. Front of the Jeep is the top of the photo.
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Ordered a new yoke for the NP231. I went through the Yoke bible and considered a 1330 front output to build in a weak point. Easier to replace a broke U joint on a trail than something else like an input/output shaft. I have no clue how much torque it takes to break one of those. I just watch too much KOH and listen when they say pros will purposely design easy to repair weak points. I changed my mind.


Adams Driveshaft Forged Front 26 Spline 1350 Half Round CV Transfer Case Yoke for a 231, 231J, NP231 fit's TJ, XJ, YJ, LJ

Specs:

  • Spline Count: 26
  • Spline Diameter: 1.146
  • Hub Diameter: 1.562
  • Thru Hole: 1.500
  • Centerline To End: 3.500
  • U-joint Series: 1350
I have considered using a flange on the 60. The reason being it can spin on a rock easier than a yoke. I'll cross that bridge and solve that problem after it is a problem. I need to mount bump stops on this thing so the tires aren't cutting into the fenders and causing BIGGER problems.
 
35 spline chromoly shaft upgrade day.
Old on the left. New on the right
1.25” old diameter
1.45” new diameter
Measure with my dial calipers.

The Yukon shaft measured about 1/4" longer than factory. I think this is just Yukon's way to make everyone with a Ford upgrade to their hubs. I had the hubs so it wasn't a problem, but without them I'd not only have 35 spline outers with 30 spline locking hubs, it would sit too far outside the hub for everything to go back together. The spiral snap ring Yukon uses is pretty sweet. I think it's a full 2 rotations of the axle shaft vs a C clip. It seemed to go on better.

New Spicer non gRemoving the old stub shaft was fun. Rust and age are a GREAT combination. New Spicer u joint and it slid right in. The Yukon hub selector has an O ring in it. There isn't a great photo (read: ANY) of this disassembled in the manual. Once you instal them and test it out not only is it stiff, but it sounds "like there is a goos inside your hub" according to Add. It still makes me laugh thinking about it. So I took them off, popped them apart, snapped a photo and put them all together. So now I have a rebuilt Kingpin 60 with chromoly 35 spline outers, Stage 8 spindle nuts, and Yukon locking hubs. Pretty bitchin setup...on paper.

I also upgrade to Stage 8 lock nuts after seeing videos or hearing a recent story of a wheeler who had their hub nuts come unlocked. Stage 8 locking spindle nuts are BAD...ASS. Kind of tricky for a newb like me to figure out how they go in without assistance (instructions and YouTube) BUT once you do it a few three times you'll understand how it all locks together.


stage 8 are legit, i run them front and back dana 60s
 
You're telling me. They took all the ugga duggas I could throw at them when I forgot how they come apart. I'm not sure how frequently the two nut style come apart, and at the time this was cheap insurance.

$68 when I bought them in 2020.
$86 today.
 
Welded the passenger shock tower in and installed coilovers. I need to cut down the lower coilover bolt on the driver side because it’s too long and hits the leaf springs mount under the truss.

Looks like I will have a good amount of space for a driver side bump stop. I’m going to try and make some kind of bracket/tab/extension to put the bump stop between the coilover and the track bar bracket. It will have to be a V shape and I should be able to weld it onto the stiffeners really well. Next would be to build UP from the axle because I don’t think I’m good enough to build a fancy bracket that would drop the bump stop to the axle.

Hard brake line, limit strap measuring, make a new air intake (stock box won’t fit anymore and I didn’t realize this), patch up the driver fender I trimmed, install hydraulic steering, rear parking brake cables, install a missing bolt on the driver side Rusty’s 3 link bracket, get upper coil springs and clearance the unibody for reservoir hoses so I can final mount the reservoirs and all I need to do is have nitrogen filled in the shocks and I think it’s done. Oh and get a front driveline so I don’t get made fun of for having a Bluetooth front driveshaft at my local In n Out.


Everything except the shock tower was covered with a Harbor Freight welding blanket. The arrow is pointing to the weld in the next photo.



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I’m really proud of this. It wouldn’t start, but once it did this was the result from welding positioned in the photo above.
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Turn your voltage up and slow your travel. It's piling up and not penetrating the "framerail" very well. I've found it's a fuck of a lot easier to weld downhill since uphill tends to pull the puddle away from you and make it pile up like that.

Either way, I'd add another pass to both, super hot to level the weld out.

When you check clearances on the passenger side, the short track bar is going to make the tire try to fuck everything harder, so make sure to fully droop the passenger side tire when checking clearances, especially with the steering turned full passenger side.
 
Rockwood Thanks for the tip on increasing voltage. I actually turned DOWN the voltage because going uphill was hot as FUCK and started to burn through when I got away from the stiffeners. I probably should have left voltage alone and turned down the speed. I know it's easier to weld downhill. The trackbar mount is uphill first pass, and downhill second pass. I was going to do the same thing (downhill cover pass) to fill all this in and give it some more re-enforcement.

I can't fully droop it out. 14" coilovers plus jackstands only allow so much. Problems of a guy with no 2 post lift. The best I could do was put the driver side at full stuff, and drop the passenger side to the ground and run with it. I'm expecting the bump stops to help prevent the track bar fight back against the tire. I did at least check at full lock and in the photos at the top of the page the tire spun free. It might be possible, with brand new tires, to move the front axle back a little to gain some more clearance. If the track bar REALLY becomes a problem after some wheeling trips I can cut the coilspring perch off and move it over probably 6 inches closer to the knuckle.
 
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1350 forged feont output yoke from Adam’s Driveshaft for the transfer case arrived.
 
Sitting on its own weight for the first time ever.

Drag link is at 1.5 degrees in the photo.
Track bar is at 5 degrees.
16” 250 lb coil springs measure approximately 12 1/4 inches.
Tires at 20 psi.
Slide stops are at 4” measured to the middle of both stop nuts. This needs to come down probably 4” so I have more than zero up travel.



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I also went over the shock tower welds. More volts and traveling downhill made them a little better. I need to wire wheel them, and flap disc a few spots I filled in.



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RunningProblem much better looking. Welding Chrysler sheetmetal blows (literally holes), so yeah, it's always a compromise. The cap you put on looks a lot better.
 
Oh yeah, I'd use one of the leftover holes in your track bar bracket for a brace going to the RHD track bar bracket bolt holes on the passenger side. Saves some stress to keep the track bar from trying to peel off the "frame" with a 5-600lb axle hanging from it.
 
The cap was actually enjoyable to weld. I need to clean up some of the splatter beads, and flap disc some of the welds I filled in, then pick a color to paint the unibody and shock towers so they don't just rust away. I should also look up where I can get good powder coating done.

I'm not sure I understand the additional bracing you'd put in. You're saying to put another bar from the frame side to the axle side because I have extra holes? Anything I'd put in there would cross over what is there. It's on the highest axle side hole, and lowest frame side hole.

It really looks like the passenger side tire is toed WAAAAAAAAY the fuck out to the passenger side. I guess all my measuring wasn't close and someone much better than me can fix it. Hopefuly, because I hope I left enough adjustment in the tie rod to do that.
 
Naw, from the frame side TB bracket to the other "frame rail" on the passenger side (which has identical TB mounting holes for RHD applications). Like this:

 
upper coilover springs arrived

I took the 40s off so I can get the rock rings powder coated. Stupid me should have done this years ago when I first bought them.

12x3x200 lb
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Zero preload and the upper spring compressed about 2”.

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200 over 250
Slide stop 8” from the top
5 1/2 shaft showing
26” to the slider
22 1/2 to the lower link mount
Hood at 53 1/2”
Top of the headlight is about 50”

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I bought a 3 ft pre made hard brake line from Napa today for about $13. It came with fittings and is probably 2 ft longer than it needs to be for the driver side. I’d rather have this than something an inch too short. I should buy the fittings to hold this to the stiffeners realy soon so it looks clean and isn’t hanging free. I still don’t know if the skyjacker extended brake lines are long enough, but I think once this hard line is in place I can actually bleed brakes and then it’s just fabricobbling an intake with vacuum line inlets/ports and it can drive itself out of the garage.

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Bending started. I had to remove the master cylinder to access the 3/8 nut for the front brake line. The only line I DIDN’T have to take off is the one to the passenger front.
After lots of testing, retesting, and breaking my 3/16 flat ring tool because I’m a dumbass and don’t know what I’m doing I have a slightly close to finished front driver side brake line. It needs one of those tab/nut combos to hold it in place, and a flare on the other end and I can bless the entire brake system again since I had to open so much to air and I’m not closing it off tonight.


Edit: add photo :homer:


The line looks like it is straight coming out of the unibody. It actually arches UP then comes down. Maybe a 135 degree bend from the fitting then a 180 for sure , and probably close to a 90 to get close to the unibody again. I’m not sure where I’ll end it.
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Silver nut is the new line. It curves up to the opening on the unibody, then back down once it’s through the hole.

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Everything removed
New line installed.
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Insert it into the tool too far for the second/final smoosh? The compression taper should be in the bubble, not proud of it.
 
Insert it into the tool too far for the second/final smoosh? The compression taper should be in the bubble, not proud of it.
I did what the instructions said. Once you insert the tube you don’t take it out until it’s done.
Later I filed down the outside before making the compression fitting. Maybe this tool isn’t as great as I thought. Results are about the same.
 
I had good results with the Hazard Fraught double flare setup.
 
I spent a LOT of time today trying to bleed brakes. Turns out I have a lease at the caliper. The threaded insert the bleeder screws into leaks. Suggestions from others have included using a thread locking compound to seal it up. I’m still slightly concerned the thread lock won’t work and I’ll be buying another caliper. This was purchased from rock auto when I was building the axle. It came with calipers but I wanted new stuff so I could avoid problems like leaks from random spots. Live and learn.

The yellow arrows are pointing to the threaded insert leaking. Found this out around 8pm and called it a day. I tightened the bleeder screw to a point of being concerned if snap it off because there isn’t another way I could tighten the threaded insert. I might try and find a bolt to use instead to tighten this up. Hopefully it seals.

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