Advice from those who wheel XJ's

[Apanthropy]

I've got a favor to ask of anyone who can give me advice:

I've driven IFS rigs for my entire wheeling "career" and presently really enjoy a 91 Trooper. Since we (mitsu, isuzu, etc) are kinda bastard children of the wheeling world we usually have to stick together and I honestly haven't spent much time wheeling with solid axle rigs.

My girlfriend has a woody XJ on 31's but we've hardly wheeled it yet.

Now, i'm here to ask for advice so let's not knock IFS too much in this thread eh?

I have a friend who just bought a stock XJ (87 Laredo) I haven't seen it yet but I'm assuming the worst: 28" street tires and no skidplates at all.

After riding along with me on a sub-freezing trip up Moss Wash (near Kingman) last winter, he now wants to learn the basics how to wheel this weekend. Simple stuff, like basic tire placement and how to handle ruts, off cambers, etc. We're going to run Chloride Mines trail since it's safe and easy for a beginner.

Can anyone give me tips on how to spot him on his first minor excursion? I don't know yet where the balance points and common damage parts are on XJ's.

For reference - I've wheeled 8 years (yes, real wheeling ) - i know what hits on "any" rig, just not exactly where the rocks like to attack XJ's or what potentially delicate parts to spend extra effort protecting

Are XJ's front-heavy like a pickup?
Does the front out-flex the rear or vice versa? (bone stock, swaybars disco'd)
Anything else I should know?

Anyone want to play around near Kingman this weekend?

 

[Safari Ary]

Stock the flex will be fairly even, although at times it will favor the front. Rockers are a big sore spot on XJs. Although I wheeled stock for 2 years without any rocker damage I was practically sweating bullets everytime I was 'wheelin and it took the fun out. So watch his rockers and his t-case(especially if it has the full-time 4wd option, they hang lower) and go have a blast. The XJ will amaze you right out of the box. Good luck

Ary

 

[RichP]

Unlike your trooper, I had an 87 Trooper II, the stock XJ has NO protection whatsoever, thin oil pan, thin gas tank, no TC protection. My trooper had all those out of the box. Bang the gas tank on a rock and you now have a 15gallon tank instead of 20 . If you keep the rocks away from the center and passenger side the oil pan and tc should be pretty safe. Remember the front diff is on the drivers side, XJ seats are lower than the trooper so the driver does not have as good a view of whats directly in front. They are harder to 'tip' than the Troopers, more bottom heavy generally.
I would for sure get gastank skid, rock rails [not those round smitty built type things either], with alot of rocks a TC skid and oil pan skid. Front and rear tow points for sure. A budget boost w/full lenth aal and front spacer will get the body up a bit higher. LT235's would be the best choice for stock suspension but you can run 30x9.50's just don't disconnect the front sway bar and you may need to add a couple of washers behind the front steering stops.
Tow points, you can't just bolt up a set of hooks on an XJ and they don't come with them like the troopers do. For the front you need a set of brackets that replace the front bumper mounts and run down alonside the frame rails, Rusty's and Custom 4x4 sell them. For the rear there is an L shaped bracket that attaches to the rear frame rail, drivers side for mounting a single hook. When you put the gas tank skid on you will also be inserting two 18" long steel plates with nuts on them into the frame rails [remove rear bumper to do this], the gas tank skid bolts to them as well as the bracket OR a 2" receiver hitch. You can use a 2" receiver hitch but the aftermarket ones use some bolts that you fish inside the frame rails, not a good idea, those bolts localize the stress around the holes in the frame rails, the nut cert plates spread this load out over their length. Tomken sells front and rear bumpers for the XJ that have 2" receivers built in, for the $$ amount that they sell them for thats not a bad deal, nothing fancy, just to big slabs of steel but they will work.
Use grade 5 for attaching all this stuff, NOT grade 8.

 

[Mike in NJ]

Another area to watch on an '87 stock XJ if it's the part-time 4WD t-case is the front axle disconnect (passenger side), Not really a clearance issue (the disco is tucked up and protected), but an odd rock or root could pull the vacuum lines off.

With the front D30 on the driver side and the rear D35 centered, most stockers don't have problems getting snagged on the driver's side since it's right in your face, but it's easy to ignore the passenger side rear shock mount.

Be nice if you could remove the sway bars (front temporarily rotated up - back one can be lost for good), she'll articulate a lot better that way, even a stocker.

Decent approach and departure angles too, especially if there's no permanently mounted hitch. (The front air dam, if present, may drag a bit, but it's tough plastic).

What Ary said about the rockers, and I agree about a balanced flex.

But, (even though we're biased) you'll be amazed how well a stock XJ can do - a damn good off-the-assembly line wheeler.

Have a good time.

Mike in NJ atriot:

 

[w_howey]

I came to XJ's from IFS rigs(Ford Rangers). I am never going back.

I love the solid axle, lite weight feeling in the XJ.


Like the other guys said, Gas tank, Rockers, and Steering gear.


Watch out though, Once you wheel an XJ, it starts being an infection.

 

[Apanthropy]

Thanks for the advice guys I'll watch out for his rockers, and have a look under the truck for vulnerable parts.

Was planning to give the owner a tour of his underbelly anyhow, since he's both a novice wheeler and a general automotive novice as well. (words like transfer case and driveshaft mean nothing to him yet :laugh3: )

Gotta get him used to being spotted, even if it's going to be on silly-easy stuff at first.

(ok, careful going over that gum wrapper... oh crap there's a stack of three pennies! watch the rocker panel!) :rof:

 

[Eagle]

Rockers are cosmetic. I've been wheeling my '88 stock. The rockers are intact, but the transfer case has rock rash and the oil pan only remotely resembles an oil pan (this is due to my believing a poor spotter, not due to limitations of the Cherokee).

You can drive home with dinged rockers. You can't drive home with a hole in the transfer case or oil pan.

 

[sportsguy]

I ran my XJ for about 6 months with no skids, no rock-rails, etc.

...and on bald AT tires - completey stock

I was amazed at how well it performed. Watch all the above mentioned spots, and maybe keep an eye on the rear end when he comes down off something - I've heard of folks denting up the lower panels on the body immediately behind the rear wheel wells.

I've never had a problem, so thos cases may have been driver error - dunno.

Enjoy - I will never be without a Jeep now that I own this Cherokee.

 

[yellowxj]

carefull of the rear subframe if you've got a cheezy class 1 hitch...wife slid down a hill with hers and the tounge of the class 1 hit a rock and bent the whole rear subframe....a class III hitch braces the whole area nicely...and its a good tow point

 

[Inisadow]

I was wheeling completely stock for about 5months after I first got my xj. My advice would be a good hitch(mine came with a classIII hitch)a gas tank skid and a good highlift jack. My gas tank skid has massive rock rash and tons of dents in it everywhere I even got a bunch of rocks that roll around in between it and the gas tank that I can't seem to get out. You also will be highlift jacking the rear end up every time you get high centered also make sure to take tank traps at good angles so you dont get high centered or get stuck inside the trap. I never had trouble banging my transfere case or oilpan but then again me and my friend who wheel are good spotters. I would definately advise taking the front and rear swaybars off at least while wheeling cause I was in more than one situation where I could have rolled without that added flex going down big hills.

 

[Apanthropy]

thanks for the continued advice - no such thing as too much

as for buildup suggestions - I've been searching the forum and there are tons of good posts on those so I think I know what direction to point this guy in for building up his rig when he's ready to pick up the wrench.

For this weekend's little wheeling lesson, he won't be building up his truck yet- which is the main reason I asked what the typical sore spots are so I can spot him away from danger.

On the easy trail we're running to start with, I doubt he'll have any problems - but it's been quite a while since I last ran the trail so things could have changed. Last I ran chloride mines trail, a skilled driver could safely drive a sedan through with enough effort :yelclap:

 

[tenbuck]

http://community.webshots.com/album/233902751pIJlLN

these are pictures of us wheeling xj's they work well

 

[Beezil]

You can drive home with dinged rockers. You can't drive home with a hole in the transfer case or oil pan.

spobi.

I've done it.

 

[Ramsey]

spobi.

I've done it.

but your a magical person with a magical jeep

 

[jmaxj]

but your a magical person with a magical jeep

that has done it all!!