Hi everybody,
I became a Cherokee yesterday and I am looking forward to working with you guys here on the forum as I build this thing over the next few months.

I lucked into a steal on a 1991 Cherokee limited..with whatseems like a very strong motor and tranny. The miles are pretty good 160k. .which is more or less 100k mi on a 4.0.

The car actually started its life as an Embassy vehicle in Africa and has been traded amongst Embassy employees up until about 2 years ago when it made the trip over to Geramny. The previous owners have only put 2K miles on it the last 2 years and just decided to get rid of the truck.

It is not a beauty queen by any stretch...it looks like it has spent 15 years in the African sun .

So... enough back story.. on to the project.

This is my first project car and I have ONE goal with this rig..

(cheap) Wheeling...nothing more nothing less. I am not interested in creature comforts or anything cosmetic.

I am currently shopping for the the basics

3 inch lift
31 tires ( would 33's fit )
Roof Basket
Brush Guard

What are the cheapest products and best resources to order from ?

I am open to any suggestions so feel free to voice your opinions


Thanks,
Shane

 

31's should fit neatly under the XJ with a 3" kit, but 33's might get a bit iffy if you don't trim the wheel wells. Fortunately, trimming is fairly simple on a two-door, and a bit more difficult on the four-door (due to the proximity of the rear door opening.)

I wish I could help you with prices on a lift kit, but I'm on the wrong side of the pond. I did have a 1987 with a Ranch 3" kit on it that held up rather well to some serious abuse on- and off-road, and anything beyond that would be "reports from the field" - pillage around, and see what you find out.

You may want to sign up at NAXJA (www.naxja.org) and see if you can get hold of 8mud - he's in Germany as well, and may be close to you. He could probably help you out much more than I can!

 

welcome
just how hard are you going to run this thing
is it a trial rig you are wanting hill climber rock crawler

Rough Country and Rubicon express have good stuff

 

I dont expect to get into to much rock climbing. Mainly trail... honestly I can get into just about anything considering my location.

I plan on running it pretty hard but not stupid.

Are there any members stationed in Germany?
I will try to get in touch with 8 mud.. thanks for the heads up!

 

nice find. sorry you are on the wrong side of the world for most of us to help you. i am sure some one will come along and help though

 

If you're planning on using it for a trail rig, I would suggest reading over the following thread first: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f59/couple-words-advice-modding-wheeling-11829/

The most key part of wheeling I can tell you is traction and armor are the two big key terms. Lift is nice, but being able to have the traction and the armor necessary to drag it over a rock is even nicer. Roof baskets and brush guards look cool, I have neither on mine, but I have never had a need for either. If you're looking for some cheap mods to make it a better wheeler, start out with it stock and go from there. Discover what you need for wheeling by wheeling. I would say (and I have friends who would agree) that the worst thing you can do is have a vehicle that will perform on trails you're not skilled enough to handle. Drive until you understand what part of the vehicle is holding you back, and then modify that part.

For some immediate projects I can recommend, I would recommend a rear sway bar removal (https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/howto-remove-rear-swaybar-7819/) and front sway bar disconnects (the JKS series II disconnects work great, they're easy to disconnect and will adjust for anywhere between 2~6" of lift http://store.jksmfg.com/merchant2/me...ar_Disconnects