Mira's '93 XJ 2-dr. build (11-year-old's first Jeep)

Reader's Digest version...

My (at the time) 10-year-old daughter gets her own Jeep XJ project, will be paying for 1/2 of the rebuild herself, doing much of the work with my assistance, and learning to weld in the process. She'll appreciate her XJ when she's ready to drive, as she'll have invested her own money, and sweat equity, in the Jeep.

She's now sponsored by several individuals and a few companies, for which we're both very grateful.

BTW, this is my daughter, Mira.


For the rest of you (LONG version)...

For the rest of you who want more detail, this is a lengthy post...be forewarned. :eeks1: I tried to post this in the "Jeep Picture Showcase", but didn't have access to post a thread there. I hope this is the appropriate place to do so.

With the interest shown in this H.D. Offroad Engineering install thread, I thought I'd post an official build thread on Mira's behalf here on .

A retired friend of mine and fellow Jeep enthusiast from Kentucky bought this relatively rust-free '93 Cherokee 2-door for the transmission (to use in a Jeep Scrambler he was building). After pulling the transmission, the Jeep sat on his property for about 4 years.

I have rebuilt a couple old Jeep CJs from the ground-up in the past, and my two daughters (now ages 8 & 11) have been exposed to dad parting out roughly 50 Jeeps to get the parts I needed inexpensively, as I couldn't afford to build the Jeeps by paying "retail" for used parts. Knowing that my friend Don had this Cherokee just sitting, and that it was much cleaner rust-wise than most of the Jeeps we see here in the salty Midwest, I asked him how much he'd want for it. He replied by saying, "You come down and pick it up, and it's yours for FREE." I asked my daughter Mira if she was interested in building a Jeep with me, and her response was, "Can I weld on it?" (She has helped me do tack-welding on some military trailer modifications I recently completed.) You have to love a response like that from a then-10-year-old! Of course, the answer was "yes". We talked about her doing much of the work, and paying for half of the cost to build the Jeep. We have been tracking everything on an Excel spreadsheet.

With this project, I saw opportunity for several "teaching moments" for Mira:

1. Learning about Jeeps/cars, and learning about having pride in, and respect/responsibility with her vehicle. I could get monologuing about an "entitlement attitude" that seems more common than not with kids now, but I'll refrain... My daughter was going to have a vested interest in her first car.
2. Fiscal responsibility. I'm a Dave Ramsey fan (syndicated financial talk radio guy), and wanted to teach Mira about budgeting, making good financial decisions with her Jeep build choices, etc.
3. Learning how to drive a stick. Mira's Jeep will have a 5-speed transmission to help a little with fuel economy. I'm also a firm believer that everyone should know how to drive a stick, yet it seems very few people actually do.
4. Learning more about using Microsoft Excel...a very powerful business tool (I'm a bit of a programmer/Excel geek).

So the journey began. I drove from Michigan to Kentucky, worked in 104-degree heat to get the tow brackets built on-site, and flat-towed the Cherokee home. The exterior of the Jeep is rust-free, but due to the windows being broken out and collecting rainwater for several years, the floors needed some work. Otherwise, it's a very clean base for a project.

Keeping in the tradition of getting resourceful for parts, we subsequently bought three (3) additional rusty parts Cherokees locally for $350-500 each to knock down the net build cost for Mira's. We parted out the Jeeps (all but the last one, which is her engine/transmission/transfer case donor). After doing so, we ended up with 95% of the parts we need, and are only in to the entire project for the minimal amount of around $1000 (not including Eastwood paint costs...I sprung for the paint so far).

Here are the specs so far on Mira's Jeep:

• 1993 Jeep Cherokee Sport 2-Door
• 4.0L HO engine with 157K miles...runs well
• AX-15 5-speed transmission
• NP-231 transfer case
• Dana 30 front/trussed Dana 44 rear axles (3.73 gearing with limited-slip in the rear)
• 4-wheel disc brakes
• OEM Jeep Ravine wheels
• 31" BF Goodrich KM2 Mud-Terrain tires
• 2" BB spacers (front)
• H.D. Offroad Engineering Shackle Relocation Kit (rear)
• JCR Offroad rear bumper
• (planned) Iceland Offroad high-clearance flares (no suspension lift planned for vehicle)
• (planned) Custom-built front bumper (built by Mira and dad)
• (planned) Rock sliders (TBD)
• (planned) Transmission skid plate (TBD)
• (planned) Later-model seats
• (planned) Synergy Green exterior paint (OEM color on the new Camaros)

Company Sponsors:


Individual Sponsors: (NOTE: Most of these guys are from GreatLakes4x4.com)

• BOBCAT (Don): The whole project is a reality because our friend Don hooked us up with a fairly clean, '93 XJ 2-dr. "carcass". Thank you so much, Don!
• Brewmenn (Bruce): Thank you for hooking us up with a clean set of FREE doors. Much appreciated. :thumb:
• mrclean (Travis): Transport of parts, and donation of some Hummer D-rings/mounts.
• JeepMann (Steve): A set of Dana 30 knuckles. Thanks Steve! :gotsand:
• big_ol_bronco78 (Dave): Free parts transfer/delivery. Thanks man!

Project Coverage

• Check out this Eastwood Blog covering Mira's Jeep project.

So, on to the pics...

Here I am at my friend Don's house in Kentucky (April 2010) picking up Mira's XJ. We had to quick-fab some tow bar brackets...worked out great, but MAN was it hot that day (105 degree heat index).


Mira starting to cut out the front driver floor pan (foot section). The Dremel tool was under-powered. I finished off the job with my 4 1/2" grinder.


The driver floor pan cut-out.


The carefully-fitted patch panel, which I cut from the original (dented) hood.


75% done. I butt-welded in the patch panel, and ground the welds flush. Butt-welding this sheet metal is a PITB (pain in the butt).


Passenger-side replacement floor pan (test fit) from Sherman Auto Parts here in Michigan. I love supporting local business!


Here's a profile pic of the XJ with the 31" BFG KM2 tires. Have some vision...we already have a straight set of replacement doors, and a clean rust-free, dent-free front clip (not pictured).



More pics and build details to come tomorrow. It's getting late.

Thanks,
Craig

very nice! cool project! rock sliders are so simple, a child could do it, and i'd love to see the fireworks go off in their heads when they see how simple it goes together when you bolt things on 1 part at a time.

xcm said:

very nice! cool project! rock sliders are so simple, a child could do it, and i'd love to see the fireworks go off in their heads when they see how simple it goes together when you bolt things on 1 part at a time.

Click to expand...

Thanks xcm.

Here's Mira getting acquainted with one of her new best friends - the Sawzall (she'll also get to know it's cousins, the 4 1/2" grinders down the road). She's cutting up the carcass of one of the parts XJs we bought.


Loading up the scrap trailer with remnants from the '94 XJ parts vehicle.


Here's my "King of Scrap" photo. Believe it or not, the entire cut-up carcass of the Jeep Cherokee fit in my 3/4-ton military trailer (barely). It was a good teaching moment, too...we got $85 for RECYCLING the steel. Mira & her sister Maeve are already on-board with recycling things.


Mira posing with her new (for Christmas) JCR Offroad rear bumper. It's nicely-built, and I took advantage of a Black Friday sale to get a really good deal on it. The finish grinding was a little sloppy, but an hour with the grinder & sander had it looking top-notch.


Here's another shot of the new JCR Offroad (based out of Kalamazoo) rear bumper.


Here are two more ~3.5" square floor pan patches after welding/grinding/sanding. Once it's painted, it'll be covered up with either a rubber mat or carpet (probably with Dynamat underneath). Still, my perfectionist ways require me to make the patch job pretty. :laugh3:


Then we bought some "instant hardcore" We got several of these Ballistic Fab weld-on skulls.


So, here's Mira's "hardcore" diff cover after some primer (top coat to come soon). It's stamped with a 1987 date, and is the HD style (1/8" thick). It'll give her more protection than the thinner D44 cover that came stock on the LJ. This shot is just in primer (Eastwood Extreme Chassis Black). Since then, it has been top-coated, and the skull painted metallic silver. We just have to paint the eyes/nose in black to finish it.


Since I'm installing 1-tons in my '05 LJ, Mira is the lucky recipient of this disc-equipped Dana 44 rear axle for her XJ. It'll be trussed, and reworked with XJ bracketry. My LJ only has 53K miles, so everything is in great working order as-is. It has 3.73 gears and a limited-slip.


Here's Mira & the Sawzall vs. the LJ Dana 44. We ended up getting the passenger upper control arm bracket and coil bucket removed. We still have some finish grinding to do, but all bracketry has now been removed.


Here's Mira's T&T Customs XJ D44 truss. It's a nice-looking piece, and beefy. I'll probably be talking with a local friend about doing the finish welding; I'm not comfortable using my 115V Miller MIG for such thick plate.

Last night's "mini project" was doing some minor paint work related to Mira's rear shackle relocation install, and installing these Dana 30 JKS Mini Skids for the lower control arm brackets. The fit was really nice, and the install very simple. Given all the mangled D30 LCA brackets I have seen, I thought this would be a good idea since Mira plans on wheeling her XJ. Again, the Dana 30 is from my LJ, and only has 53K miles. Gearing is 3.73 open.


Another shot of the Dana 30 JKS Mini Skids for the lower control arms.

Mira's cheesing her with her new (for Christmas) Ballistic Fabrication battery hold-down.


Here's Mira starting on disassembling the dash. We did find an amplifier under the lower dash panel; we'll have to test it to see if it works, and will use it if it does. NOTE: Despite the bird's nest that's still in the radio opening, no actual birds were harmed during the course of our work. :conceited


We got Mira's 8.25 rear axle pulled in preparation for the LJ Dana 44 install (it'll be a while, but...). Here's Mira with her "What, WHAT?" poser look.


The products that Eastwood so generously donated to Mira's project. WOOT!


Here's the INCREDIBLE color that Mira picked out for her XJ - Synergy Green. BEEE-A-UUUUUTIFUL!!!


And pics from the H.D. Offroad Engineering Shackle Relocation Kit. Full install details IN THIS THREAD.



Pre-paint...


After the first coat of Eastwood primer (and prior to Eastwood Extreme Chassis Coat Black paint)...

(H.D. Offroad Engineering Shackle Relocation Kit install continued...)

Mira is a little apprehensive about using the MAPP Gas torch...can you tell? :laugh3: She's heating the upper shackle bolt to help free it up for removal.


Because I'm a nice dad, and because Mira would have gotten completely bent trying to break the bolt free :laugh:, I loosened (slightly) the upper shackle bolt, and then turned Mira loose with the 1/2" ratchet. Despite being a relatively rust-free Jeep, the upper shackle bolt was still stubborn, and a bit crusty.


I mentioned previously that this Jeep build would be full of teaching moments. This is one of them. Teaching moment = Rusty Jeep bolts are a PITB (pain in the butt). :eeks1: Even after I broke it free, and after Mira added heat, the bolt was still somewhat tough to remove. Note the look on Mira's face. After spouting off a few comments in a seriously annoyed tone, I explained to Mira that this WAS a teaching moment, and this is one of the things that us "Jeep folk" deal with on a regular basis. I then became "Mr. Nice Guy" again and removed the bolt the rest of the way for her.


Shackle removed from the mount.


Here's the upper portion of the HD Offroad Engineering kit in place. NOTE: Any high-dollar paint you use on this upper insert portion will likely be scraped up/off when pressing it in place. Tolerances are tight...nice fit. If necessary, the boxed shackle mount on the unibody can be pryed open just a touch to allow for easier install. Note the 3 holes on the underside of the unibody frame rail. The H.D. Offroad Engineering kit comes with Grade 8 washers for use with these mounting holes, if you need them. Mira's XJ won't have a hitch, but will have a H.D. JCR Offroad rear bumper, and some sort of gas tank skid (yet to be determined).


That being said, a set of JCR XJ Rear Frame Nut Strips are currently en route, and will allow us to easily bolt the shackle relocation kit to the underside of the frame rail. Also note in the very first photo of this thread that the bolt-in brackets & anti-crush brackets have elongated mounting holes. This allows you to sandwich a gas tank skid and/or trailer hitch in-between the shackle relocation kit and the unibody frame rail. Flexible design...we love it!


Here's the actual multi-position shackle mount after having been bolted in place. For most installs, the offset (long portion) of the shackle mount bracket will extend forward. However, if you wanted to run longer leaf springs and extend your wheelbase, you could simply reverse this mount, and gain several inches of wheelbase. Again, it's very flexible in its design.


Here's Mira reinstalling the original upper shackle bolt, which now holds the shackle relocation kit in place. Once the JCR XJ Rear Frame Nut Strips arrive, we can proceed with the shackle relocation install.


The install is still underway, as Mira had to get ready for bed. Not bad progress, though, for an 11-year-old kid on a school night. More to come shortly.

Big props to JCR Offroad for getting some of their nut strips onto my door step in about 24 hours. Great service! I'm in the process of painting these, at which point the shackle relocation kit install will continue.

man you are doing the right thing, your daughters will never forget this experience.

my daughter is 23 and married with a 6 month old and still loves driving my '94 xj limited.

and true story the guy she married also has a blue xj, him and i got to know each other real well due to our common interest, i often joke that i was set up, when this guy turned up driving a similar car to me and liking Pink Floyd. how could i not like him

Awesome thread! Looks like Mira really enjoys spending time with you and the jeep! Great job and keep up the good work to both you and Mira.

Me again! Again, love the build. I was thinking about the paint. A neat solution might be to go with both the green in gloss, and the flat black together... maybe use the green as a accent color, maybe in some stripes, or to paint undercarriage parts. Might make painting it easier that way. Keep it up!

oh yea, i'll be following this build... what a beautiful thing for ur 10 year old daughter to be interested & involved in the garage... & what an awesome first car u'r spoiling her with!!

great color choice, cant wait to see how she decides to put it on the rig... keep up the great work!

This is awesome

Thanks all. Much appreciated.

For the paint scheme, we were thinking about the Synergy Green possibly complimented by a satin black, offset vinyl "stripe" in the form of a mud-terrain print down the hood, roof & tailgate. We're not sure yet...just brainstorming.

Before finding the Synergy Green, we had thought about BBQ black paint with a gloss black Mud-Terrain decal. We're MUCH more excited about the Synergy Green, though.

Craig

Great build/experience for a youngin, Hopefully my son will be into this as much as your little girl has been.

this is awesome.

jealous...

11 is a good age to start teaching them rules of the road, that way when they start driving your a lot more confident in their abilities as a father. my MOTHER taught me to drive stick when i was 11 on the same jeep i own now. 11 years later, and its still ticking.

and its good shes toying with it a little. the blood, sweat and tears will make it mean that much more for her. i see too many kids given something by mommy and daddy only to sell it when they get bored. at this rate she will have it until its a bucket of bolts for sure.

Wow extremely jealous! This sounds like a great thing for you and your daughter! She will always have the memories of working on her jeep with you.

Naked LJ (soon to be XJ) Dana 44. :cheers:


LJ Dana 44 mocked up with XJ leaf spring perches and T&T Customs XJ D44 truss.


Another shot of the mocked-up Dana 44.


Mira's completed Dana 44 differential cover. I used Eastwood Extreme Chassis Black for the cover, then painted the skull with Duplicolor wheel paint (metallic silver). As Mira would say, "Skulls rule."

very nice... i see TnT has changed the design on their truss. very nu skewl.

is the LJ d44 any differant from the xj d44? does it have 5x4.5 bolt pattern axle shafts?

xcm said:

very nice... i see TnT has changed the design on their truss. very nu skewl.

is the LJ d44 any differant from the xj d44? does it have 5x4.5 bolt pattern axle shafts?

Click to expand...

Thanks. Yes, the LJ/TJ Dana 44 is the same width as an XJ 44 (I believe the shafts are interchangeable, as well), and is 5 x 4.5" BP. It's nice because this one was from my '05 LJ with 53K miles, already has disc brakes, and has gearing that should work well for Mira (3.73).

Craig

looks good i hope my daughter wants to wrench with me when shes old enough.