I had a 2wd Chevy Trailblazer with the 4200 inline 6. I put a shift kit in when I rebuilt the transmission and the thing would chirp second gear, made me smile a lot more than I imagined.
@@DocZoidberg549plenty of wrecked trailblazers in the junkyard to pull them out of. Pick n pull complete engine with everything and core charge is just under $400.
@@DaMan-jt6dhThe problem is they didn't use the small block LS bell housing pattern which was stupid and requires adaption to use a really good trans. Nice engine though
What fun! When I was in high school during the 60's, doing a 1/4 in the 13's was the domain of very serious hardware. (and out of reach for most of us)
I am a 1/3 younger than you only 57 now . But I get your point anything that could dip into the 13's was fast 12's and OMG 10's in street trim was 80's. shit and prone to blowing up. But with stock parts obtainable. I Had a school teacher show up at the shop, mid 80's, and complaint was, "it was too fast" I laughed and took it for a road test at 1/4 throttle it would boil the tries. Turbos were new to me back then. I found the waist gate was stuck shut. Less than 500 bucks I could buy turbo K cars, GLH all day long. That waist gate was installed on many cars and I had fun making guy's in Corvettes, Camaros run and hide in embarrassment. Using a windshield washer pump on a potentiometry for fuel enrichment. Using OBD 1 and pissing around whit the dizzy. They actualy started to last more than a month lol.
That’s part of why the narrative of hod rodding dying these days doesn’t make sense. Such high performance is all around us now. There’s sub 10 second factory cars that come with a warranty. Many of the generic sedans running around in traffic are mid 14 second cars or quicker.
Tracks back in the 60's,70's,80's and early to mid 90's were not prepped like today,they were like driving on a parking lot for traction,meaning none..Most cars and even tests even said they never floored it in 1 st gear(manual or automatic) to avoid tire spin,so tests were bogus..Even slicks of the 60's hooked like a modern Caravan tire,meaning not so much. Today old cars are all over the map as people rebuild them and they are slower than stock,yes this happens a lot...wrong cam or lowered compression so many things will make your car slower..And yes some are a lot quicker! Old cars ran skinny tires and left 1 even 2 seconds on the ground spinning..AKA a 383 Road Runner tested at 14 to 15 second 1/4 mile were with 195/75/14 bias ply either melt them down so they work like a slick or modern tire they run deep in the 13's,I bet tinkering you run high 12's with a base model 383 Road Runner...Uncle ran a loaded Road Runner and it ran 13.60's,console,all the chrome/stainless trim,a/c,deluxe interior,full spare and a tool box with tools that was mounted on the right side of the trunk etc..Wasn't even trying for the best e.t it was his daily driver and his only car(besides a Dodge Work Van he worked for another Uncles plumbing company) he bought it when it was 1 year old.. He did have 3.91's and a 727,he wasn't a racer just liked quick cars..Car had skinny tires and were oddly factory white walls from new! Then changed to white letters thats when he raced it in the early 80's car was stock/not rebuilt..Oh well..
I put a torsen style Detroit truetrac in my k5 blazer and i love it, locks up both tires when it needs too and will never wear out like the clutch types
Meh, that's a marketing lie lol. The worm gears wear the case to cause the carrier to shift power and they wear out with time too. Spool or a real locker are about the only things that will give 2 tires forever.
Used to have a friend of mine that had one of these truck in 4x4 with 150 shot of nitrous. Ran 13.10's completely stock with just the nitrous kit on the stock tires. Back in the late 80's it was a killer on the street.
IMO anyway, nitrous is cheating, and so are computers. Nitrous will kill a stock engine in a hurry. And those early muscle cars did not have turbos or superchargers on them. They did what they did with carbureted V8s. And to me, a carbureted V8 is still the way to do it.
@@geraldscott4302 When you are a street racer your only goal is to win. If that means nitrous, blowers, turbochargers, tons of cubic inches, or a combination of some or all of the above then so be it. On the street you run what you brung. The looser can cry all he wants about you having this or that on your car, but at the end of the day he is still the looser.
On the alternator, may wanna test it once replaced. that generation dodge/jeeps have the regulator for alternator built into PCM and it's super common to fail, and truck can run perfectly fine otherwise but PCM will not energize the field and alternator will not charge, or it will command full charge until battery or PCM fries due to excessive voltage. Not uncommon to wire an external regulator using old 70's style dodge truck regulator. Just a thing to check since it already had one failed PCM.
A few hot rodders have known the potential for years BUT transplanting the drivetrain into AMC Hornets and Gremlins. The 4.0 HO is an incredible engine
Nice to see you back at it, Tony. Well, it had to come to light sometime. I've bought 11 of those 2wd and 4wd AX15 2 doors. All under $2100. Some came with an 8.25 sure grip. First one was a donor for a 13 second Eagle SX4.
I think motor trend had an article on a 94 Cherokee 2dr 2wd auto and it was stock other than a belt driven centrifugal s/c. It was faster than a bone stock 94 vette in the 1/4 mile.
I had several of these things. All I remember is the last time a highway patrol screamed at me on the side of the road was with an XJ 5 speed. They have this really satisfying smoothness and torque. and mine got 30mpg. You are correct, the Asin auto versions are not the same animal. Had those too.
I’ve had tons of cool trucks and cars over the years but my favorite motor of all time was the 4.0 in my 92 wrangler. It wasn’t the most powerful engine but it was so reliable and just ran like a sewing machine. I had it for 15 years, it never used any oil, never got hot, always started even on the coldest of Minnesota days, and I think I put a water pump on it once and that was it. They were just bulletproof little engines 👍
You have no idea how excited I am about this jeep. Mine is 4x4, but I always felt like it is quicker than what the tests say, and I love the sound of the exhaust with the glass pack, when I bought mine for $700, I ripped the exhaust out and straight piped it with a glass pack before I plated it.
Just last fall I swapped a Dana 35 with the LSD in 1:3.54 into my amc eagle with a 4.0 and AW4 from a 99 xj. if I put the transfer case in 2wd and transmission in first itll spin both tires better than it has any right to. Find a LSD D35. its an amazing axle. I ripped around in the snow in 2wd so much over the winter.
I had the same, but in black. Many Japanese 4 cylinder "hi performance" cars (including an S2000 that got caught off guard and didn't catch up until past 85mph). I ran 235/70/15s to get better traction vs the stock 215/75/15 that came on it. I usually shifted just under 5k rpm and she did way more than I asked her for. Only hit the rev limiter by mistake a handful of times. It really "fell off" past 4700rpm.
I have a 100% stock 4th auto one that I took to the drag strip and had all kinds of people asking what I did to it and that it ran way to fast to be stock. It was literally a completely stock 4.0 stock tune and had the spare inside and my kids car seat! LOL I love the 2nd manual ones as well, but never owned one. I have no doubt you can hit your goal.
I just sold my 98 4.0 5 speed xj last month. It was such a blast and you’re 100 percent right. These xjs will be future collectors if they are surviving originals.
I have a 2004 jeep grand cherokee laredo with 2wd, rebuilt trans, lifted 6 inches with 33 inch tires, and a glasspack. Rear is 3.55 gears. It's a bunch of fun. Just did a daytrip yesterday from Irvine to Temecula and back 1.5+hr highway and offroad driving. Drives on the highway easy 80 mph and has a lot of torque when it shifts down. Traction is super important to transfer all of that torque to the street. Please keep up the 4.0 jeep videos! This is awesome to see! I've been curious myself what this motor can dish out.
In 95 jeep did an update on the 4.0 they changed the cam profile to increase bottom end torque .The older version 4.0 torque peak was 4200 the 95 and up torque peak was 3000.
It's fun watching/listening to you & your excitement Uncle Tony. You give me hope & validation about going ahead & refurbishing our 1985 Jeep Wagoneer 4.0 with the junky Peugot tranny. A windshield leak rusted the entire fuse box, tranny won't go into reverse, bad clutch, needs a new muffler, & the Interior smells due to the leak. Completely stock I was doing three point turns in this Jeep in over 4 feet of snow! I'll go back & watch all your Mission Impossible videos-thanks for giving me incentive UTG!
My friend had exactly this Jeep back when they were new, even the same colour. The thing ripped pretty good for what it was. We were all into 5.0 Mustangs at the time and this thing made us notice it, even with only 6 pots.
As a fellow Tony that dailies a 5sp 4x4 4dr, me likey :D For your alternator, strong recommendation to upgrade the mainline power wiring - battery cable will do, since I'd imagine you've done that sort of thing on other cars. XJ's stock wiring is wimpy (sadly). If you wanna overcome the traction issue, look for and Automatic with an 8.25 under the rear, gearing on the stock ones is 3.55, which does a better job of keeping the engine within its specified power band, AND a lot of the 2WD ones had LSDs in back. For power, I'd overbore .03, do an AMC258 cam, get better lifters, pistons, bearings, and such - stroke it to 4.5L, with a higher-flow oil pickup, might need 24lb/hr injectors (can't remember). Classic combo with these L6 motors, and they can handle 4psi of boost from a supercharger or a turbo on stock PCM tune. You're looking at quite a boost in power, little to no hit to fuel economy or emissions. Oh, and I'd welcome your opinion on oil for use with the 4.0. Thing is, modern standard 5w30 lacks enough Zinc, and I've seen that 5w40 provides better wear metal content in oil analysis (so I've read, mind you). Personally, I use 5w40 Rotella T6 and it passes emissions just fine, seems to run happier. Whatever you decide to do, I'll be watching, old-timer. Good to see everyone still loves the XJ, other folks my age (I'm 27) just look at gas mileage and luxuries. Love my little angry box.
Where I live, a 2wd Jeep is non-existent because we have a lot of snow and ice in the winter. Jeeps are used for plowing through snow, and off-roading. So I don't know if I have ever seen one of these in 2wd. But anyway, losing the front diff and transfer case would definitely make it a lot lighter, and lighter right where you need it. I owned one of these about 20 years ago, 4wd, 4dr, automatic. Loved it. It will be interesting to see what she'll do on a drag strip. But, the one-wheel wonder syndrome is a problem.
we had a late 90's Cherokee as a utility vehicle on rail road yard many years ago, that rig had a NEW tire on the right rear every week! with an automatic you could light the right rear just by stomping the gas pedal!
I can vouch for the slippery rear end with my ‘87 XJ 4WD. First year driving over the cascades in November, I “listened” to the manual and had it in 2WD on wet, near freezing roads. Broke traction on a long curve with three passengers. Years of driving in Wisconsin kept me out of the ditch (or oncoming traffic). Back end is way light.
I did this setup with a 2wd ax15 and a novak adapter, I have a 327 chevy large journal in the engine bay. were planning to rip the front end out and link the rear.
I have a dakota I converted to stick and put an ax15 from pull a part in it. 11 years behind a 360/410 and still alive. I don't beat on it, but I do get on it from time to time.
I did see a right hand drive one last year at a local convivence store. At one time you could order them. The only reason I could think of to do so was rural mail and newspaper delivery.
The weak link in the AX15 trans is the circlip that holds 5th gear in place. Gears 1-4 are in the main case and 5th is in the extension housing. Did so many I figured out how to fix it without removeing the trans.
8 and A quarter rear that's where they get Is anti sieze from or its a Dana 35 get 44 410 posi or spool or weld the spiders 100 shot of go fast juice mini spool
Also Tony there is a Dana 44 option for the rear end which would give you some advantages because it comes with a limited slip already. It's kind of rare but it's available. I got mine out of a two-door early Cherokee
Careful with whinging a 4.0 off the rev limiter for too long, they have a bit of a reputation for not liking sustained high RPM. The shorter-stroke 2.5L 4-banger can do it all day, but 4.0s sometimes window the block. The later engines with the main cap ladder hold up better to revs. But honestly, without some head work there’s just nothing above 4500 or maybe 5000 anyway. I love 4.0 XJs, and Tony is absolutely right about the huge difference in performance between 5-speed and the power-sucking AW4 automatic, and even more so about 2wd vs 4x4. That difference is bigger than I’d ever expect based on weight and rotating mass, but it’s real. Still, I personally will take the hit to keep the ability to rock crawl.
The low 1st is crucial on lower hp stuff. People act like close ratio is better, but my c10 is HALF A SECOND quicker in the 1/8 mile with a 3.50:1 1st saginaw 4 speed than it is with a 2.54:1 1st muncie m20. And that's with a 3.73 rear end, with something like a 3.08 it's the difference between fun and a total pig.
Looking foward to this one. Especiely how you get it to hook up ? Remove front bumper, move bateray to the back , rework the leaf springs wider tires??
This thing reminds me of my 92 Dakota Sport Magnum V6 5 speed w/3.21 gears, short bed, standard cab. Ran time only with it and got a best of 15.9 @ 85 MPH with a 2.00 60 ft. It would really get going in first and second, but third dragged out through the traps,
I quickly learned these are open diff after a friend bought a lifted one like 10 years ago. We took it through a little bit of snow and immediately got stuck. Had to run back home to grab the trusty AWD 5.0 Explorer to pull it out.
I had to look this up. The AX15 was not used behind a 2JZ in the Supra. It's closely related to the Toyota R-series, and the R154 was used in a Supra Turbo. But, that was the older A70 Supra with the 7M-GTE. Stout, but it's no 2JZ. I was skeptical because in the Dakota world, the AX15 is the light-duty 4-cylinder trans, whereas even the little 3.9 V6 came with the chunky (and clunky) NV3500.
These things and the WJs in particular are my favorites I’ve had a dozen of them and worked on so many of them I’ve 30 years. It’s just one of those things if you know you know
@@UncleTonysGarage really? I'm a young man who can only afford the cheap classic vehicles right now..I have a few f100s and I picked up one with a 300 six in it two months ago cheaply because nobody wants those. I've been absolutely blown away by it. It's got so much surprising power. Blows my f100s with a 302 and 351w out the water. I have to drive my f100 with a gas hog 390 before I can tell a power difference. I've actually been super impressed with these old straight 6's
With a good limited slip and some good fresh tires it should hook pretty well. All terrain tires like those aren’t high grip to begin with and only get worse as they age.
A Ford Explorer 8.8 posi would be a nice rear swap for that XJ. Much stronger than the Dana axles they typically have. Same bolt pattern, roughly the same width.
I was gonna say, stock parts, cheap option, weld the diff. But point taken. Closest comparison I can give, is our old 245 (4.0) Valiant Pacer 4 barrel. They put out around 240 neddies, good for mid-high 15s, but geared much taller. Gearing and traction is where you're going to have the edge.
Feel like i missed the build. Curious if it will need a 2" lowering kit for stability. Im wanting to get one of these now. I've got 4x4 version of this already, and i love it.
I picked up a 04 2WD Durango SXT last Spring to daily for the winter. 4.7HO 3.55 gear Trac Lock with a 5 speed auto. Actually a crazy little Truck. I had to put 500lb of sand and put big knobby tires on the rear to make it so its not miserable driving in snow. The thing looks absolutely ridiculous. It’s almost insane that They even built something like this for the general public to sort out. Like you said UTG for every 100IQ out there there’s a 50IQ out there, and they would have wrapped the thing around a tree.
After watching this video, I have a request/suggestion. I feel slightly embarrassed asking, but here it goes anyways. Could you do a video on how to do a burnout with a manual transmission?? And how to so smoothly and seemlessly powershift?? I realize it takes practice, but maybe a beginners tutorial?? In my opinion, you do both of these things extremely well, and I would like to know what you have to say on the topic. Thank you for all that you do!
I have a 4×4 comanche, which is ax-15 swapped, and it's insanely quick, I actually cruise far above 80mph (I live in a state where that's the freeway speed limit) in 5th gear, so it's fast too
05 Wrangler Unlimited, 4.0, 6 speed, stock wheels and tires. 3.73 gears and limited slip Dana 44. Yeah, it's a 4x4 but it will surprise ya on the street in a straight line. 1st gear in the 6 speed is 4.46
Everything about it makes me think of a more modern take off on the 1967 Chevy II I had. That old Chevy had a 250CID, in-line six, points ignition, 1-bbl, and 3-on-the-tree in a box that weighed nothing. It busted the bushings out of the leaf springs with so much torque to the diff. Can only imagine what computer fuel injection, factory header and a 4-speed would have done for that car.
If you have a Advanced Auto by your house they still make a thrush turbo muffler I put one on my Durango it sounds great still quiet when you're driving it but yet when you get into it it has that little bit of Rumble
If it has an air temperature sensor in the filter housing or before the engine unplug it and jump it with the 3.3 kilo ohm resistor it will trick the computer that it's 40° outside and it will bump the timing and add a little fuel just that "seat of the pants"you'll feel it
I have two Comanche s one has a 4.0 and the other a dead 4 cylinder.. both 5 speeds and 3 xj's with 4.0s am excited to get the pickup back on the road, reverse is gone in the 89 Comanche 5 speed. Hopefully the xj 5 speed will be the same.
I’ve only ever come across the auto trans version, but I remember thinking that even that felt surprisingly “sporty”. I can only imagine the AX15 makes it that much more fun to drive.
Way to go Unk !! An air dam can help a brick....maybe there's a factory one. Time a 50 to 80 mph and compare it to something more common. Should give you an idea of the et. handicap.
Had a stock srt4 when they came out, the air dam was shipped in the trunk. I ran the car at the track for weeks and couldn't break into the 13's, put the air dam on and went 13.8 first pass with it installed! Couldn't believe it!
@@sczuylevch13 Yes, the turbulence under the car is a big deal. Air dams, lowering the car and getting stuff underneath up and out of the air flow makes a difference
I think 40hp is super optimistic from a tune. You're talking about getting the 242ci engine up past 1hp per cubic engine with a tame camshaft and a not so amazing head. It's not a horrible head though, and if you were to cam it you'd start making some power. Crower has the wildest off the shelf cams available with drop in spring kits. I've also mocked up BBC rocker arms with LS guide plates on conversion 7/16 studs and that can fit and pattern well. So some basic stuff and you could be making some real power. And get rid of the roof bars! That'll significantly improve the aero for the top end.
I could be mistaken but the Toyota transmission that you're referring to has a higher first gear and I've Heard lots of whispers about people taking parts from one to the other
This seems like it will also be a perfect daily driver, you could eliminate 2 xjs (though your mind may not allow) and combine the tow/trail rig if suspension setup allows. The 2wd 2 door 5 speed with 4wd 4 door auto seem like perfect compliments
If people haven’t looked up guys drag racing ZJ grand Cherokee with factor 5.2l or 5.9l magnums you need too. All wheel drive launches, 10s 1/4 mile times
UTG, check out the 1995 Jeep "XJ-R" build that won the Grassroots Motorsports $2,000 Challenge autocross event at the GRM Challenge two years running. Also, as a kid I remember a police chase on TV that had trouble keeping up with a perp in an XJ Jeep, it was puzzling to watch
I had a 2wd Chevy Trailblazer with the 4200 inline 6. I put a shift kit in when I rebuilt the transmission and the thing would chirp second gear, made me smile a lot more than I imagined.
That in line 6 vortec is a great motor.
@@DocZoidberg549plenty of wrecked trailblazers in the junkyard to pull them out of. Pick n pull complete engine with everything and core charge is just under $400.
@@DaMan-jt6dhThe problem is they didn't use the small block LS bell housing pattern which was stupid and requires adaption to use a really good trans. Nice engine though
The ameribarra look it up. People build them up to be super powerful.
I love watching the joy it brings when you are driving a stick car hard and chirping it in 3rd gear. Yes, it makes me feel young again too.
True.
What fun! When I was in high school during the 60's, doing a 1/4 in the 13's was the domain of very serious hardware. (and out of reach for most of us)
I am a 1/3 younger than you only 57 now . But I get your point anything that could dip into the 13's was fast 12's and OMG 10's in street trim was 80's. shit and prone to blowing up. But with stock parts obtainable.
I Had a school teacher show up at the shop, mid 80's, and complaint was, "it was too fast" I laughed and took it for a road test at 1/4 throttle it would boil the tries. Turbos were new to me back then. I found the waist gate was stuck shut.
Less than 500 bucks I could buy turbo K cars, GLH all day long. That waist gate was installed on many cars and I had fun making guy's in Corvettes, Camaros run and hide in embarrassment. Using a windshield washer pump on a potentiometry for fuel enrichment. Using OBD 1 and pissing around whit the dizzy. They actualy started to last more than a month lol.
That’s part of why the narrative of hod rodding dying these days doesn’t make sense. Such high performance is all around us now. There’s sub 10 second factory cars that come with a warranty. Many of the generic sedans running around in traffic are mid 14 second cars or quicker.
Tracks back in the 60's,70's,80's and early to mid 90's were not prepped like today,they were like driving on a parking lot for traction,meaning none..Most cars and even tests even said they never floored it in 1 st gear(manual or automatic) to avoid tire spin,so tests were bogus..Even slicks of the 60's hooked like a modern Caravan tire,meaning not so much.
Today old cars are all over the map as people rebuild them and they are slower than stock,yes this happens a lot...wrong cam or lowered compression so many things will make your car slower..And yes some are a lot quicker!
Old cars ran skinny tires and left 1 even 2 seconds on the ground spinning..AKA a 383 Road Runner tested at 14 to 15 second 1/4 mile were with 195/75/14 bias ply either melt them down so they work like a slick or modern tire they run deep in the 13's,I bet tinkering you run high 12's with a base model 383 Road Runner...Uncle ran a loaded Road Runner and it ran 13.60's,console,all the chrome/stainless trim,a/c,deluxe interior,full spare and a tool box with tools that was mounted on the right side of the trunk etc..Wasn't even trying for the best e.t it was his daily driver and his only car(besides a Dodge Work Van he worked for another Uncles plumbing company) he bought it when it was 1 year old.. He did have 3.91's and a 727,he wasn't a racer just liked quick cars..Car had skinny tires and were oddly factory white walls from new! Then changed to white letters thats when he raced it in the early 80's car was stock/not rebuilt..Oh well..
I put a torsen style Detroit truetrac in my k5 blazer and i love it, locks up both tires when it needs too and will never wear out like the clutch types
Meh, that's a marketing lie lol. The worm gears wear the case to cause the carrier to shift power and they wear out with time too. Spool or a real locker are about the only things that will give 2 tires forever.
Used to have a friend of mine that had one of these truck in 4x4 with 150 shot of nitrous. Ran 13.10's completely stock with just the nitrous kit on the stock tires. Back in the late 80's it was a killer on the street.
IMO anyway, nitrous is cheating, and so are computers. Nitrous will kill a stock engine in a hurry. And those early muscle cars did not have turbos or superchargers on them. They did what they did with carbureted V8s. And to me, a carbureted V8 is still the way to do it.
@@geraldscott4302 When you are a street racer your only goal is to win. If that means nitrous, blowers, turbochargers, tons of cubic inches, or a combination of some or all of the above then so be it. On the street you run what you brung. The looser can cry all he wants about you having this or that on your car, but at the end of the day he is still the looser.
Been driving that same combo for 10yrs in police spec. It is an eye opener!
On the alternator, may wanna test it once replaced. that generation dodge/jeeps have the regulator for alternator built into PCM and it's super common to fail, and truck can run perfectly fine otherwise but PCM will not energize the field and alternator will not charge, or it will command full charge until battery or PCM fries due to excessive voltage. Not uncommon to wire an external regulator using old 70's style dodge truck regulator. Just a thing to check since it already had one failed PCM.
That's what I did with my '96 Dakota, went with an external regulator.
A few hot rodders have known the potential for years BUT transplanting the drivetrain into AMC Hornets and Gremlins. The 4.0 HO is an incredible engine
Barney Navarro built a twin turbo 199 and it made 700hp for his land speed car in the 60s and 70s very underrated engine for hotrodding
Nice to see you back at it, Tony. Well, it had to come to light sometime. I've bought 11 of those 2wd and 4wd AX15 2 doors. All under $2100. Some came with an 8.25 sure grip. First one was a donor for a 13 second Eagle SX4.
I think motor trend had an article on a 94 Cherokee 2dr 2wd auto and it was stock other than a belt driven centrifugal s/c. It was faster than a bone stock 94 vette in the 1/4 mile.
I had several of these things. All I remember is the last time a highway patrol screamed at me on the side of the road was with an XJ 5 speed. They have this really satisfying smoothness and torque. and mine got 30mpg. You are correct, the Asin auto versions are not the same animal. Had those too.
I’ve had tons of cool trucks and cars over the years but my favorite motor of all time was the 4.0 in my 92 wrangler. It wasn’t the most powerful engine but it was so reliable and just ran like a sewing machine. I had it for 15 years, it never used any oil, never got hot, always started even on the coldest of Minnesota days, and I think I put a water pump on it once and that was it. They were just bulletproof little engines 👍
235 fl lbs of torque with a pretty flat curve is nothing to sneeze at. Great engines, thank you AMC, and thank you Chrysler for not ruining them.
@@Joe-hz1nw I've got a 69 rambler it's by far my smoothest engine
Always liked them..
Never drove one..
My Buddy . Still has his .
My 1st ride....
Couldn't believe the power to weight ratio ...
Inline 6 smoothness...
❤
4.0 stroker makes perfect jeep power
You have no idea how excited I am about this jeep. Mine is 4x4, but I always felt like it is quicker than what the tests say, and I love the sound of the exhaust with the glass pack, when I bought mine for $700, I ripped the exhaust out and straight piped it with a glass pack before I plated it.
Fun watching you bang gears and smiling and laughing! That’s the FUN we are supposed to have with cars!
Just last fall I swapped a Dana 35 with the LSD in 1:3.54 into my amc eagle with a 4.0 and AW4 from a 99 xj. if I put the transfer case in 2wd and transmission in first itll spin both tires better than it has any right to. Find a LSD D35. its an amazing axle. I ripped around in the snow in 2wd so much over the winter.
Yep. A lot of Jeepers will scoff at the 335 with an LSD, but for the purposes of a street ripper with MILD power, it'll definitely do!
I've got a slant 6 that I put a glass pack on. It immediately sounded better. I agree. The inline engines just sound good. Haha
I put V8 dual exhaust on my Straight 6 and it's got a very very nice sound 🍻
sounds like a tuner . chambered muffler sounds better
My 6 is an inline V and sounds like Chewbacca.
Aka a Vw Vr6.
I had the same, but in black. Many Japanese 4 cylinder "hi performance" cars (including an S2000 that got caught off guard and didn't catch up until past 85mph). I ran 235/70/15s to get better traction vs the stock 215/75/15 that came on it. I usually shifted just under 5k rpm and she did way more than I asked her for. Only hit the rev limiter by mistake a handful of times. It really "fell off" past 4700rpm.
I have a 100% stock 4th auto one that I took to the drag strip and had all kinds of people asking what I did to it and that it ran way to fast to be stock. It was literally a completely stock 4.0 stock tune and had the spare inside and my kids car seat! LOL I love the 2nd manual ones as well, but never owned one. I have no doubt you can hit your goal.
I just sold my 98 4.0 5 speed xj last month. It was such a blast and you’re 100 percent right. These xjs will be future collectors if they are surviving originals.
I have a 2004 jeep grand cherokee laredo with 2wd, rebuilt trans, lifted 6 inches with 33 inch tires, and a glasspack. Rear is 3.55 gears. It's a bunch of fun. Just did a daytrip yesterday from Irvine to Temecula and back 1.5+hr highway and offroad driving. Drives on the highway easy 80 mph and has a lot of torque when it shifts down. Traction is super important to transfer all of that torque to the street. Please keep up the 4.0 jeep videos! This is awesome to see! I've been curious myself what this motor can dish out.
Uncle Tony, you're still a little kid in a candy store! Don't lose that.
In 95 jeep did an update on the 4.0 they changed the cam profile to increase bottom end torque .The older version 4.0 torque peak was 4200 the 95 and up torque peak was 3000.
It's fun watching/listening to you & your excitement Uncle Tony. You give me hope & validation about going ahead & refurbishing our 1985 Jeep Wagoneer 4.0 with the junky Peugot tranny. A windshield leak rusted the entire fuse box, tranny won't go into reverse, bad clutch, needs a new muffler, & the Interior smells due to the leak. Completely stock I was doing three point turns in this Jeep in over 4 feet of snow! I'll go back & watch all your Mission Impossible videos-thanks for giving me incentive UTG!
My friend had exactly this Jeep back when they were new, even the same colour. The thing ripped pretty good for what it was. We were all into 5.0 Mustangs at the time and this thing made us notice it, even with only 6 pots.
AX hmmm? I thought these had T5s so, cool!
Tony I shift the same way when I get on it a little bit of wind up before I snatched the gear
The 4.0L truck "Commanche" was a beast! This cherokee must be the same package. With more traction from the full top.
Yeah everything from the back of the cab to front bumper, is pure XJ on a Comanche.
The 4.0 Comanche pickup could waste tires all day long. Running little trucks.
As a fellow Tony that dailies a 5sp 4x4 4dr, me likey :D
For your alternator, strong recommendation to upgrade the mainline power wiring - battery cable will do, since I'd imagine you've done that sort of thing on other cars. XJ's stock wiring is wimpy (sadly).
If you wanna overcome the traction issue, look for and Automatic with an 8.25 under the rear, gearing on the stock ones is 3.55, which does a better job of keeping the engine within its specified power band, AND a lot of the 2WD ones had LSDs in back.
For power, I'd overbore .03, do an AMC258 cam, get better lifters, pistons, bearings, and such - stroke it to 4.5L, with a higher-flow oil pickup, might need 24lb/hr injectors (can't remember). Classic combo with these L6 motors, and they can handle 4psi of boost from a supercharger or a turbo on stock PCM tune. You're looking at quite a boost in power, little to no hit to fuel economy or emissions.
Oh, and I'd welcome your opinion on oil for use with the 4.0. Thing is, modern standard 5w30 lacks enough Zinc, and I've seen that 5w40 provides better wear metal content in oil analysis (so I've read, mind you). Personally, I use 5w40 Rotella T6 and it passes emissions just fine, seems to run happier.
Whatever you decide to do, I'll be watching, old-timer. Good to see everyone still loves the XJ, other folks my age (I'm 27) just look at gas mileage and luxuries. Love my little angry box.
I used to drive one back in the nineties for a company I worked for. 2wd 4 liter. It was unreasonably fast lol. I loved driving that thing.
Where I live, a 2wd Jeep is non-existent because we have a lot of snow and ice in the winter. Jeeps are used for plowing through snow, and off-roading. So I don't know if I have ever seen one of these in 2wd. But anyway, losing the front diff and transfer case would definitely make it a lot lighter, and lighter right where you need it. I owned one of these about 20 years ago, 4wd, 4dr, automatic. Loved it. It will be interesting to see what she'll do on a drag strip. But, the one-wheel wonder syndrome is a problem.
we had a late 90's Cherokee as a utility vehicle on rail road yard many years ago, that rig had a NEW tire on the right rear every week! with an automatic you could light the right rear just by stomping the gas pedal!
I can vouch for the slippery rear end with my ‘87 XJ 4WD.
First year driving over the cascades in November, I “listened” to the manual and had it in 2WD on wet, near freezing roads. Broke traction on a long curve with three passengers. Years of driving in Wisconsin kept me out of the ditch (or oncoming traffic).
Back end is way light.
Ever since you moved south you accomplished your goal. A hick. Verbiage and content
Great vid.
I had a couple of the 258's...good runners
I wanted a stick shift/4.0 Cherokee BADLY in High school, I had to settle for an Auto 2 Door. Was a fun little truck.
I did this setup with a 2wd ax15 and a novak adapter, I have a 327 chevy large journal in the engine bay. were planning to rip the front end out and link the rear.
I think that thing needs a locker in the back. Also, we had a stock 4wd 4.0L XJ and it carved corners better than you'd expect as well.
I had a explorer before I got mine the steering was light years ahead of the explorer. Felt way more solid and less tippy
Very exciting stuff Boss!
I have a dakota I converted to stick and put an ax15 from pull a part in it. 11 years behind a 360/410 and still alive. I don't beat on it, but I do get on it from time to time.
More low buck fun with Uncle Tony. Bravo!
Thanks
COOP
...
A two door short bed s10/Colorado with the big engine opinion is like that too
Dang you, now I need another XJ! 2 wheel drive and stick. I just love your excitement for these old cars 😊
I did see a right hand drive one last year at a local convivence store. At one time you could order them. The only reason I could think of to do so was rural mail and newspaper delivery.
My '96 4.0/5-sp/4x4 Cherokee 4-door was pretty snappy. I can only imagine how well that thing stands to and moves out!
The weak link in the AX15 trans is the circlip that holds 5th gear in place. Gears 1-4 are in the main case and 5th is in the extension housing. Did so many I figured out how to fix it without removeing the trans.
8 and A quarter rear that's where they get Is anti sieze from or its a Dana 35 get 44 410 posi or spool or weld the spiders 100 shot of go fast juice mini spool
Also Tony there is a Dana 44 option for the rear end which would give you some advantages because it comes with a limited slip already. It's kind of rare but it's available. I got mine out of a two-door early Cherokee
My eyes got as big as saucer plates and a grin to match just from the intro burnout! Love it
Careful with whinging a 4.0 off the rev limiter for too long, they have a bit of a reputation for not liking sustained high RPM. The shorter-stroke 2.5L 4-banger can do it all day, but 4.0s sometimes window the block. The later engines with the main cap ladder hold up better to revs. But honestly, without some head work there’s just nothing above 4500 or maybe 5000 anyway. I love 4.0 XJs, and Tony is absolutely right about the huge difference in performance between 5-speed and the power-sucking AW4 automatic, and even more so about 2wd vs 4x4. That difference is bigger than I’d ever expect based on weight and rotating mass, but it’s real. Still, I personally will take the hit to keep the ability to rock crawl.
I remember driving my mother’s 4.0 sideways in a cornfield. No wonder the authorities drove them. You could scoot in those things !🤘
thanks tony!! cant wait to see how fast it goes
The low 1st is crucial on lower hp stuff. People act like close ratio is better, but my c10 is HALF A SECOND quicker in the 1/8 mile with a 3.50:1 1st saginaw 4 speed than it is with a 2.54:1 1st muncie m20. And that's with a 3.73 rear end, with something like a 3.08 it's the difference between fun and a total pig.
Looking foward to this one. Especiely how you get it to hook up ? Remove front bumper, move bateray to the back , rework the leaf springs wider tires??
Nice short throw and smooth action on the stick there....
This thing reminds me of my 92 Dakota Sport Magnum V6 5 speed w/3.21 gears, short bed, standard cab. Ran time only with it and got a best of 15.9 @ 85 MPH with a 2.00 60 ft. It would really get going in first and second, but third dragged out through the traps,
My buddy has a jeep just like it with the 4.0 that thing shreds the tire and it's high mileage and has sand and water in the motor
Fun, fun. Fun!!! 😁
I quickly learned these are open diff after a friend bought a lifted one like 10 years ago. We took it through a little bit of snow and immediately got stuck. Had to run back home to grab the trusty AWD 5.0 Explorer to pull it out.
I had to look this up. The AX15 was not used behind a 2JZ in the Supra. It's closely related to the Toyota R-series, and the R154 was used in a Supra Turbo. But, that was the older A70 Supra with the 7M-GTE. Stout, but it's no 2JZ. I was skeptical because in the Dakota world, the AX15 is the light-duty 4-cylinder trans, whereas even the little 3.9 V6 came with the chunky (and clunky) NV3500.
These things and the WJs in particular are my favorites I’ve had a dozen of them and worked on so many of them I’ve 30 years. It’s just one of those things if you know you know
I had a 91 4.0l Comanche. With all that torque and no weight on the rear, that thing was probably the best burnout machine I've ever had
I was very happy with the way my 96 4x4 auto went. They really are no slouch.
I'm glad that ecu tune worked out well.
No tune yet...it's jus the way we picked it up
@@UncleTonysGarage really? I'm a young man who can only afford the cheap classic vehicles right now..I have a few f100s and I picked up one with a 300 six in it two months ago cheaply because nobody wants those. I've been absolutely blown away by it. It's got so much surprising power. Blows my f100s with a 302 and 351w out the water. I have to drive my f100 with a gas hog 390 before I can tell a power difference. I've actually been super impressed with these old straight 6's
With a good limited slip and some good fresh tires it should hook pretty well. All terrain tires like those aren’t high grip to begin with and only get worse as they age.
A Ford Explorer 8.8 posi would be a nice rear swap for that XJ. Much stronger than the Dana axles they typically have. Same bolt pattern, roughly the same width.
Ford knows how to make a rear
I was gonna say, stock parts, cheap option, weld the diff. But point taken. Closest comparison I can give, is our old 245 (4.0) Valiant Pacer 4 barrel. They put out around 240 neddies, good for mid-high 15s, but geared much taller. Gearing and traction is where you're going to have the edge.
Feel like i missed the build.
Curious if it will need a 2" lowering kit for stability.
Im wanting to get one of these now. I've got 4x4 version of this already, and i love it.
UT - Love the way you're smashin' 3rd gear with a chirpy - serious business!
Like we say down under "go hard or go home!"
I picked up a 04 2WD Durango SXT last Spring to daily for the winter. 4.7HO 3.55 gear Trac Lock with a 5 speed auto. Actually a crazy little Truck. I had to put 500lb of sand and put big knobby tires on the rear to make it so its not miserable driving in snow. The thing looks absolutely ridiculous. It’s almost insane that They even built something like this for the general public to sort out. Like you said UTG for every 100IQ out there there’s a 50IQ out there, and they would have wrapped the thing around a tree.
After watching this video, I have a request/suggestion. I feel slightly embarrassed asking, but here it goes anyways. Could you do a video on how to do a burnout with a manual transmission?? And how to so smoothly and seemlessly powershift?? I realize it takes practice, but maybe a beginners tutorial?? In my opinion, you do both of these things extremely well, and I would like to know what you have to say on the topic. Thank you for all that you do!
I have a 4×4 comanche, which is ax-15 swapped, and it's insanely quick, I actually cruise far above 80mph (I live in a state where that's the freeway speed limit) in 5th gear, so it's fast too
Stroke it and put a mild cam in it.. you’ll love it
I am not surprised... T-Mobile Fops had a fleet of these in the NY metro market and the 1998, 1999 Cherokees did awesome burnouts. So muuuuuch smoke.
How many of us get a giggle from our job at 60yrs ? Mechanics (some) have got the Life ! Luv ya work.
05 Wrangler Unlimited, 4.0, 6 speed, stock wheels and tires. 3.73 gears and limited slip Dana 44. Yeah, it's a 4x4 but it will surprise ya on the street in a straight line. 1st gear in the 6 speed is 4.46
Comanche Ute jeep used to race back in the 90’s with the 2.5 engine
Everything about it makes me think of a more modern take off on the 1967 Chevy II I had. That old Chevy had a 250CID, in-line six, points ignition, 1-bbl, and 3-on-the-tree in a box that weighed nothing. It busted the bushings out of the leaf springs with so much torque to the diff. Can only imagine what computer fuel injection, factory header and a 4-speed would have done for that car.
I like the wheels. Are they Ultra wheels? I just bought some that look just like those for my truck.
I can't wait to see what you do with the suspension on this
Tony so rad🤠
If you have a Advanced Auto by your house they still make a thrush turbo muffler I put one on my Durango it sounds great still quiet when you're driving it but yet when you get into it it has that little bit of Rumble
If it has an air temperature sensor in the filter housing or before the engine unplug it and jump it with the 3.3 kilo ohm resistor it will trick the computer that it's 40° outside and it will bump the timing and add a little fuel just that "seat of the pants"you'll feel it
My XJ only get used when its raining and I dont want to ride my bikes. Sounds good, love the chirps.
Nice video Tony would love to find one of these two-door Jeeps
I have two Comanche s one has a 4.0 and the other a dead 4 cylinder.. both 5 speeds and 3 xj's with 4.0s am excited to get the pickup back on the road, reverse is gone in the 89 Comanche 5 speed. Hopefully the xj 5 speed will be the same.
Awesome! Giving me so much inspiration for my 91 2 door 2wd Sport. LA swap
I’ve only ever come across the auto trans version, but I remember thinking that even that felt surprisingly “sporty”. I can only imagine the AX15 makes it that much more fun to drive.
Way to go Unk !! An air dam can help a brick....maybe there's a factory one. Time a 50 to 80 mph and compare it to something more common. Should give you an idea of the et. handicap.
Had a stock srt4 when they came out, the air dam was shipped in the trunk. I ran the car at the track for weeks and couldn't break into the 13's, put the air dam on and went 13.8 first pass with it installed! Couldn't believe it!
@@sczuylevch13 Yes, the turbulence under the car is a big deal. Air dams, lowering the car and getting stuff underneath up and out of the air flow makes a difference
I think 40hp is super optimistic from a tune. You're talking about getting the 242ci engine up past 1hp per cubic engine with a tame camshaft and a not so amazing head. It's not a horrible head though, and if you were to cam it you'd start making some power. Crower has the wildest off the shelf cams available with drop in spring kits. I've also mocked up BBC rocker arms with LS guide plates on conversion 7/16 studs and that can fit and pattern well. So some basic stuff and you could be making some real power. And get rid of the roof bars! That'll significantly improve the aero for the top end.
I could be mistaken but the Toyota transmission that you're referring to has a higher first gear and I've Heard lots of whispers about people taking parts from one to the other
one wheel peel and it sounds great too
This seems like it will also be a perfect daily driver, you could eliminate 2 xjs (though your mind may not allow) and combine the tow/trail rig if suspension setup allows. The 2wd 2 door 5 speed with 4wd 4 door auto seem like perfect compliments
If people haven’t looked up guys drag racing ZJ grand Cherokee with factor 5.2l or 5.9l magnums you need too. All wheel drive launches, 10s 1/4 mile times
😂 waiting for chunks to start flying 😂
Keep it coming 😂
Maybe remove the front sway bar for a little more hook. Looks like a fun truck !
A wise feller once told me "race everything". I dare bet that little buggy is a blast to drive.
Love jeeps! This is gonna be cool and all the potential in the world
2wd Wrangler Jeep-rod(4.0+5-speed) would be an intresting ride :) Hard to find, but intresting.
Love this type of video! Some action!!
UTG, check out the 1995 Jeep "XJ-R" build that won the Grassroots Motorsports $2,000 Challenge autocross event at the GRM Challenge two years running. Also, as a kid I remember a police chase on TV that had trouble keeping up with a perp in an XJ Jeep, it was puzzling to watch
Good to hear. Leave the ac in it!