Jeep Cherokee XJ: What Upgrades I Did To My Jeep & How Much It Cost!
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- If you are wondering what upgrades to do to your XJ and how much it will cost you, this video is for you!
Doing all the work yourself will help you save money and get to know your rig. Jeeping is two parts, one part building it up, one part taking it out and putting it to the test!
1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport, AW4, NP242 ‐ $4,100
List of upgrades (in order) and cost:
1. 4.5" long arm lift kit - $1200
2. 35x12.5r15 tires - $968
3. Custom rock sliders - $420
4. Factory Gas Tank Skid Plate - $25
5. Fender Flares - $360
6. Dana 30 Lock Right Locker - $90
7. Ford 8.8 w/ Truss, Solid diff cover & spare shafts - $580
8. Dana 30 Carrier & 4.10 gear - $90
9. 8.8 Detroit Locker - $325
10. SmittyBilt winch Bumper w/ bull bar - $470
11. Dana 30 4340 Chromoly Axle Shafts - $367
12. Artec Dana 30 Truss w/ Johnny Joints - $158
13. SFR Aluminum One Ton Steering - $365
14. Synergy HD Ball Joints - $200
15. Artec C-gussets - $70
16. SmittyBilt Rear Bumper - $320
17. Bilstein 5100 Front Shocks - $70
18. Jeep Cables 2GA Battery Cables - $120
19. LED Headlights - $75
Total Cost of Upgrades - $6,276
Jeep + upgrades= $10,376
Lmao that "skid plate" voice over at 3:39 got me.
Lol it gets me every time too.
lmao!!
This is great! Looking into possibly getting an xj soon. I’ll be keeping this saved so I can come back and check all the parts! Definitely love the look of it
Thank you! The XJ is a great platform and i love they way they look.
@@ProjectXJ I’m in the process of selling my explorer right now and they are exactly what’s in my budget. Especially with the off-road ability they have. I’ve found 2 so far that have peaked my interest. Hopefully I can get my hands on one soon enough and get to working on it. Can’t wait to finally be able to hit trails even better than my old truck could
@@Equinox121 good luck. I think the XJ is a great choice.
Just found your channel, I've got a ton of xj videos, only stock stuff. Looking forward to checking your other videos
I hope you find it helpful.
Great car brother. Had an 01 years ago and sold it, wish i still had it today
Yeah no plans to sell mine. I know i would regret it.
Excellent video. My question is with all the outstanding work you have done; why have you neglected to paint the undercarriage and keep it clean? Neglecting to remove dirt and road salt is CLEARLY degrading the life and longevity of your Jeep.
I'm only saying this in hopes for you to realize that all of the work that you have done deserves to be preserved for you to enjoy your XJ for as long as possible.
Good work brother!
#XJLife
#Forever
Living in Arizona they don't salt the roads, any rust is just surface rust. I have plans to do frame stiffeners very soon. I will be sure to paint everything really well to prevent any future rust. I have painted the front and rear axles, and the sliders, but i like to leave the marks i make on there so that people know that the Jeep gets used. 🙂
I just got the frame stiffeners delivered this week!
@@ProjectXJOUTSTANDING!!! I'm looking forward to seeing the finished project my friend!
A great video for Jeep lovers!
Hey man love the build and I know this is alot to ask but do you know where I'd be able to find doors for a manual 2 door 1999 cherokee
Doors are probably a little hard to find. A junkyard would be a start. I know people part jeeps out on Facebook. You just need to match 97+. I bet finding the same color would be even harder. Good luck.
I have a zj with a 2” body lift. Want to get a real kit but my question is for about 3.5” lift do I have to go long arm? I drive in on the highway a lot also. With 32’s now would go to 33’s
I wouldn't say its necessary but it would ride better on road and have more flex offroad. Fitting 33's with 3.5" of lift will require some bump stop extension or some fender trimming. Especially if you have sway bar disconnects. My friend has a pretty sweet ZJ that you can see in a few of my videos!
She’s looking great. Might be time for some new tyres.
Yes, i need new tires badly! These were free and have holes all over the place but i couldn't pass up on 35's! Lol
@@ProjectXJ lol, really expensive to replace too :/
@@officialWWM yeah probably around $1000. Just need to convince the wife.
@@ProjectXJ ahh yes, the minister of finance. They can be a problem 😂
@@officialWWM approved! 🙂
Good job. Not sure if I missed it.
Do you have frame stiffeners?
Thanks for posting...
I do not have frame stiffeners....yet. i am hoping to get them soon!
I finally installed those frame stiffeners. Video just posted at the beginning of the month.
I have 2001jeep xj did you put in a slip yoke eliminator
No, i am running the stock driveshaft but i set the pinion angle when i did the 8.8 swap.
I payed 1000 for bumper lol why is everything so cheap here in canada it cost 4,000 for lift kit
Yeah, and things have really gone up lately.
How do you like the SFR steering for the XJ ? I did the premium kit and should be here by tomorrow, hope to have it installed by Friday evening
Its super strong. I used the tapered inserts instead of reaming the knuckles and ended up having to replace the knuckles. It does have some tie rod roll and it contacts my diff cover.
@AM2PMTravels how did the kit turn out? Was getting the premium kit worth the extra money? When i bought it, they didn't offer a premium kit.
Awesome XJ and video!! If I heard right you have a lock right locker in the Dana 30 and a Detroit locker in the rear? With the front being a locker it’s always engaged? How does that affect steering? With 4.10 gears what is your mpg/ highway rpm at 70mph? Cheers!
Yes, the front is only engaged in 4 wheel drive so you don't even know it's there in 2wd. It does increase the turning radius in 4 wheel drive but its worth the extra traction in my opinion. It really helps climb up rocks and ledges. My last trip a few weeks ago i got 14.4 mpg over 200 miles with going over a few mountains along the way.
@@ProjectXJ that’s awesome!! That totally answered what I was wondering. Trying to decide what gear to go with is driving me crazy lol. I also had trouble finding 4.10s for Dana 30 and Chrysler 8.25. I definitely want to go lockers both front and rear. Do you have the injector swap for fuel efficiency?
@@DustySteel I have stock injectors. Everything with the engine is stock.
@@ProjectXJ if only I had read your other answers first lol. I forgot that I had asked them earlier today. I’ll go with 4.56s lol.
@@ProjectXJ supposedly we can upgrade the injectors to ones with more holes for better fuel efficiency.
Jeep is awesome man ! What would be your opinion about buying a 2wd and doing the conversion to 4wd .
I have contemplated that a few times. Its pretty involved because its more than just the axle, transfer case and driveshaft and shifter. You also need the wiring harness and transmission. Those are getting harder to find these days. Its definitely doable, but there would have to be a lot of benefits to doing it.
@@ProjectXJ I see . I’ve just been very impatient with getting an xj since prices are soaring here in Southern California. There are plenty of very clean 2wd xj’s here for like 1000 bucks . Never seen dirt . But I’ll just keep waiting lol
@@PBFR33K187 i would look for wrecked XJ's that would be good donor vehicles. Its really not too hard but takes a lot of work to switch everything over. I just got done putting in a wiring harness and it was definitely a lot of work. But having a super clean XJ would definitely be worth it. You just need space and time to do the swap. Honestly it would be fun. 🙂
@@PBFR33K187 I would rebuild the motor at the same time, just to really do it right and make sure everything was right while the engine was out. Obviously you could just swap the transmission and transfer case if you wanted to. Are you thinking manual or automatic?
@@ProjectXJ auto since this will be my daily . But would like to get it on the trail often .
Where and how did you get the 410 gears so cheap?
I got them off of Craigslist. They were low mileage gears from a YJ. I got the gears and the carrier shipped to me for $60. So i just had to buy bearings and gear oil to install everything.
do you think I can run 35s on a chryser 8.25 and Dana 30 with no work done?
Yeah, as long as you aren't too heavy on the throttle or let it get bound up. The 8.25 is a pretty good axle in stock form. Do you know if you have the 29 spline 8.25?
I am not sure what gears you have but stock gears with 35's is not fun. Its also hard on the transmission. Its a huge investment but i highly recommend lower gears.
Do you have SYE, if so what driveshaft you got. Thanks
I do not have an SYE. I am running the stock driveshaft. I set the pinion angle when i swapped the rear axle.
Did you weld the inside of the truss before the outside?
Yeah, it assembles so that you can weld it to the tubes before putting the top of the truss on.
@@ProjectXJ I have the same one and have it tacked and I’m wondering if I need to weld on both inner and outer sides of ALL the pieces? Or just the cross braces
@moejr14 i didn't. I think it has more than enough with a stitch weld every 6 inches or so.
S K I D P L A T E
Lol it didn't catch it in the audio so i had to put it in there. I hope it made you laugh like it made me laugh. 🙃
How are you feeling about the 410s on 35s ?
Definitely want to go with lower gearing. Its not terrible but its definitely not ideal. I would like 4.56 gears...soon.
What psi do you air down to? I have the same wheels
Normally, right around 14psi. I haven't had any issues so i am thinking of trying 12 and seeing what happens.
How do you like 4.10 with 35s?
They are okay. Definitely better than 3.55, but i would like lower gears soon.
@@ProjectXJ what do you think is best for 33s. 4.10 or 4.56? That’s what I’m thinking of getting soon.
@@carsongrogan2 with 33's, if you plan on offroading, i would definitely do 4.56's.
@@ProjectXJ that’s what I have been reading. Thank you!
Ppl😅
How does the Jeep do with 4.10 and 35s
Its not terrible but i would definitely like some more power. On hills it struggles to find a gear that it likes. I would like to get at least 4.56 gears.
@@ProjectXJdid you do the gears yourself?
@@moejr14 i did.
@@ProjectXJ sweet. I wasn’t brave enough and had somebody do them. I finally got 4:88s and I love them. I’m debating on doing Comali actual staff right now. I’m just worried that that may make the ring and pinion a weak link
@moejr14 i have chromoly shafts and i like the peace of mind. I only have 4.10 gears so i think the u-joints are probably my weakest link.
If you just want to drive your 97 xj on the street all the time, most of the "upgrades" ?????? i would call them mods are not necessary.
@earlgeorge7573 Yes, you are correct. I only drive on the street on the way to the trail.
@earlgeorge7573 i call them upgrades because they something more purpose built than the stock parts. They are certainly modifications, but that is very generic. When i broke off my upper control arm mount, i didn't just replace it, i upgraded to a truss. Definitely an upgrade to the stock mount.
How are the 4.10s on 35s?
Not terrible but a little underpowered. I would like to run 4.56 gears.
@@ProjectXJ I'm on 37s with 4.88s and it does good. I was on 35s and I really liked it. I have an aw4 I didn't notice if your manual or auto transmission but if you have an auto I'd go 4.88 if you spend the money to do it. I really enjoyed mine on 35s and 37s highway speeds aren't a problem and it has a little extra get up and go for the extra weight of the bumpers and axles and cage and everything else not to mention get those big tires going. My friend has a manual with 4.10s on 33s and he does pretty well he says 35s wouldn't be a problem.
@Forrest Strong my only worry going with 4.88 is the pinion on the 30 gets so small, i don't want to break gears before anything else. I have the AW4 which you don't need to go as low because of the torque converter.
@@ProjectXJ oh ok, that's right the pinion is pretty small on the dana 30 when doing 4.88s that's definitely something to consider. For a while 4.88 was the lowest ratio possible in a dana 30 but I think you can go even lower now Although I wouldn't go lower than 4.88 on a 30. In your case it sounds like 4.56 probably would be a good mix of strength and low enough to run 35s a little better. Honestly there isn't a huge difference between 4.56 and 4.88 I think it's like 200 rpm. Personally I would probably try a high quality 4.88 gear set on a dana 30 and see what happens I've seen dana 30s hold up to crazy abuse on 35s, no matter what 4.56 is a bit stronger with the larger pinion though.
Yeah revolution gears makes 5.13's for the 30.