thinking about building a yj

[Brent]

I'm thinking about building a 104" yj, coilover front 44, leaf sprung 44 or terra 60 rear, keeping weight as a big factor, possibly using a 5.0 HO, aw4, atlas, or clunev/231 combo,

so do I try and sell the xj and start from fresh, or use the parts off the xj, or toss some stock axles under the thing and sell it like that.

 

[Greg]

Wow, you get the CTM's and now an XJ just doesn't cut it any more??

How difficult would it be to get some stock axles under the XJ? Would you leave them with stock gearing? You probably have alot of money into your current axles, but how much would you spend to get the stockers working? If you do a Tera 60 in the YJ, then would you just pull the front axle from the XJ and leave the rear 44?

A light weight YJ would be great. I talked to the guys at TransWest in Lehi about buying a YJ Frame and Body. They said they could go about $1200 for one w/ a salvaged title. They have so many YJ's, it wouldn't be hard to get a straight frame and good sheetmetal.

 

[xjc]

hey let me know if you start liquidating XJ goodies.

 

[lowe1974]

I'd say built a Scrambler. It is already has 103.5 inche wheel base and they are cooler than a wrangler any day. I have thought about building one from sratch if I get tired of mine and would go this route:
One buy matrix frame for Cj-8 $1800.00
two buy a Stainless steel body $2800.00 (no need to paint it ever)
three buy a 1-ton chevy and pull the running gear including axles $2000.00
four through the truck frame and body away (way too ugly)
five swap into jeep. maybe buy crap cj-7 for misc. parts. $1500.00

I figure for $10,000.00 - $13,000.00 you can have a brand new Cj-8

and id you want you can buy the SS tub already bobbed

of course my opinion doesn't matter much.
Dan

 

[Caleb]

Originally posted by lowe1974
I'd say built a Scrambler. It is already has 103.5 inche wheel base and they are cooler than a wrangler any day. I have thought about building one from sratch if I get tired of mine and would go this route:
One buy matrix frame for Cj-8 $1800.00
two buy a Stainless steel body $2800.00 (no need to paint it ever)
three buy a 1-ton chevy and pull the running gear including axles $2000.00
four through the truck frame and body away (way too ugly)
five swap into jeep. maybe buy crap cj-7 for misc. parts. $1500.00

I figure for $10,000.00 - $13,000.00 you can have a brand new Cj-8

and id you want you can buy the SS tub already bobbed

of course my opinion doesn't matter much.
Dan

I would rather get an alum. body over a SS...do you know how heavy SS is???

 

[spencurai]

you could have an ARCA ready samurai for 6000$ no problemo. go for the rice burner!!!

 

[lowe1974]

sorry aluminum is waht I was thinking of. you know both are shinny

 

[Brent]

I could put a stock front back in fairly easily, I'd need a complete axle, steering including pitman, and I'd have to make a track bar, or get one of those RE ones with the 3/4 heim on the frame end. the rear end isn't anything special, well besides the ARB, Moser axles, and disk breaks, but if I were to use a waggy front end in the yj, I'd pull the axles and put the spicer ones back in, then toss them the long side inner for a spare,
it comes down to how much work is it worth to throw in stock axles, with 4.56 gears, then I'll have to buy either some 35" tires to fit stock wheels, or some 16" wheels to fit the stock bolt pattern.

on the scrambler thing, yj's are a dime a dozzen, scramblers are hard to find, and your going to pay for them when you do, IE: your 5000 tub and frame you mentioned, with a yj at 104, I'll have at least a 90* approach angle, and about that in departure angle, I still don't know if or how much of a fender I want to run, but I do want to be able to throw on a top and doors for cold weather, but still be able the throw the kids in the back, granted I'll have no cargo area cause the tank will fill that. I'm thinking about leafs in the rear, coilovers in the front, similar enough to the xj that it will probably handle the same, full hydro steering, so I'll have no steering issues other than spare hoses maybe. three link the front, but not to long of arms that I will loose ground clearance in the middle, and nothing hanging below the frame rails in the middle of the jeep. use 1/4" plate allong the sides of the tub, instead of sliders that hang down. ok, I've rambled enough.

 

[Hickey]

Sell your XJ as is, clean up the rock rash, and start over. Waggy fronts aren't too hard to find, In fact, I know where one is right now that is definitely not going anywhere. Did you check out that YJ I told you about? Would you consider running a TF 999 for you r tranny?

 

[Hickey]

What happened to the tube buggy Idea? Do you plan to drive whatever you build on the street?

 

[moabjeeper]

Yeah if you decide to sell your xj parts give me a ring I am in the process of building up my cherokee.

 

[xjc]

Unfortunately, I would be surprised if you got a fraction of what your xj is worth, not many people would appreciate it. I would recomment parting it out to some degree to some of the xj guys around here. For example, if you sell your axles you can get stock ones back under it. Your sell price won't go down much but you will have more cash. I would be willing to pay well for your rear with an ARB!!

Just a thought, I may be wrong about resell value its hard to know for sure.

 

[Brent]

Jeremy, I haven't checked out any yj's yet, don't have any money if I were to find one,

I'm kinda leaning towards a 4.3 vortec, weighing in at 550 lbs, and if I can find a beatup/crashed 1/5 ton or an astro van that has one and a 4l60e, I'll pull the motor, tranny, wireing harness and all and stick an atlas behind that, I'm thinking about running 17/10 wheels with those spendy 37's, with about 5" of backspacing on the wheels, get those things closer to the ball joint and make them turn easier. so if I go there, I could use full width axles and still be able to fit on my trailer, I think. I'll wait till p&p has the rc44, then go build it in the yard, chevy breaks, spindles, and ford rotors, since its the same price weather it has what you want bolted to it or not.

the way things are working the yj will be more of a tube buggy 2 seater than I was thinking, so it would be nice to keep the xj for trips with the family up the canyon, yea I could go back to a 30 in the front for that, and an 8.25 rear, but then I'll have to buy wheels for the pig just need more money for more toys

 

[Andy]

Originally posted by xjc
Unfortunately, I would be surprised if you got a fraction of what your xj is worth, not many people would appreciate it. I would recomment parting it out to some degree to some of the xj guys around here. For example, if you sell your axles you can get stock ones back under it. Your sell price won't go down much but you will have more cash. I would be willing to pay well for your rear with an ARB!!

Just a thought, I may be wrong about resell value its hard to know for sure.

I think many people appreciate Brents work on his Cheromanche. It's just finding the right person to buy it.

 

[Brent]

Originally posted by Andy



Advice to Cherokee owners - Never let the wife drive it in to quick sand a Bronco may have to pull you out.

thats ok, at least my wife isn't a better driver than me

 

[Cody]

It's beginning to look like the ZJ-buggy isn't going to happen so I"m in a similar boat as you--except I presently don't have any trail rig.

If anyone sees a great deal on a trail rig, let me know. YJ, toy, FJ, whatever--so long as I can make the WB 100" +

Cody

 

[xjc]

commando?

You might talk to miatre, He has a great old commando for sale. its almost finished and he has done some nice work on it.

 

[Hickey]

There is a better place than p-n-p for the build-yer-self axle. Ask me next time you run into me. My brother has that rebuilt 4.2 six and TF 999 behind it with a 207 t-case, probably let you have it for 400 for all of it, it's still in there if you want to drive it.

 

[Brent]

found a perfect yj yub, with a bent frame for 800. Hummmm


Cody, I'll sell you a wheeler

 

[Hickey]

You'll never let anyone buy your heep, you've had it too long, you're to attached, you're going to be buried in it. Just make it stock again so you'll get good gas mileage and so your parents can get into it again... you CAN return it to stock, can't you?