Cross country feeler

[mtw_xj]

Any of you guys from around here drive your jeep out west? I want to do a trip out there and i was curious if others have done it without towing. At what point would you consider a rig to be too "built" to drive that kind of distance?

this is what i was considering driving
98 xj, i6 w/ ax15, 152000, 4'' lift, 60s, 5.13s, 39's.

Open to ideas/criticism or knowledge from people who have done it.
Thanks

 

[MrShaft696]

haha first off I would drive my jeep anywhere, it is still reliable enough to do so and streetable enough to do so. I carry allot of spares etc, but no where as much as Kastein.

I would imagine with no flares you might attract unwanted attention, but I have no clue how that thing drives or how reliable it is, I would think it is up to what level of comfort you are willing do deal with....Some people would drive that to CA and back but at 60-65mph to some that would really suck to some people.

 

[H8PVMT]

Will you be driving upside down?

 

[kastein]

I'd drive my MJ to california tomorrow if I had to... throw the spares and tools in the bed and roll out.

My only worry is getting my junk home, which is where the "everything but the kitchen sink, bring two of those" method of spare parts collection comes into play. If only that included carrying spare axleshafts for both sides of the front axle for NACFest...

 

[mtw_xj]

Haha I don't plan on driving it upside down

 

[ktm racer 419]

If you are comfortable driving it, go for it. I think the 39" roks will leave a bit to be desired though. but hey, maybe you got a round set and don't care about having 39" slicks by the time you get back. Not to mention, you don't see those tires on the other side of the country too often, I have heard weird things about the iroks, some sizes seem to work better than others, 39's are one of the sizes Ive heard more complaints about than praise.

My xj with a built 44 and 60. 5.38 gears and beadlocked 35' km2s had 245k miles on it when i left on my trip across the country and back, but i knew the condition of every part, nut, and bolt on the rig.

 

[twodoorXJ]

Id love to do it, but unfortnuately not in the budget and my jeep is not ready... not much help to you, but if you do go ake a shit load of pics...

 

[Andy in Pa.]

I would say find a set of H2's, and a decent set of 37" AT's and have at it. AT tires work real well at Moab (if that is the destination you have in mind). Maybe put some type of flares on it for the drive, just to keep the police off your back. You can always take the flares off once you get there. I did it back in '01 with 33" AT's (back when 33's were HUGE on an XJ). I even had cruise control back then.

 

[chedisme]

I did it back in 1901 with 33" AT's (back when 33's were HUGE on an XJ). I even had cruise control back then.

by cruise control you mean you strapped the XJ to a brontosaurus' back

 

[mtw_xj]

If you are comfortable driving it, go for it. I think the 39" roks will leave a bit to be desired though. but hey, maybe you got a round set and don't care about having 39" slicks by the time you get back. Not to mention, you don't see those tires on the other side of the country too often, I have heard weird things about the iroks, some sizes seem to work better than others, 39's are one of the sizes Ive heard more complaints about than praise.

My xj with a built 44 and 60. 5.38 gears and beadlocked 35' km2s had 245k miles on it when i left on my trip across the country and back, but i knew the condition of every part, nut, and bolt on the rig.

what were your cruising speeds

 

[Andy in Pa.]

by cruise control you mean you strapped the XJ to a brontosaurus' back

Close... I actually rode a REAL cherokee (indian) to Moab... You should have seen that poor dude carry me AND my 33's.... I had just recently invented the wheel, and what better place to practice rolling it then down Lions Back in Moab... This was just shortly after Overland XJ named "dirt" too....

 

[ktm racer 419]

what were your cruising speeds

Tried to keep it around 70, but creeped up to around 80 without knowing it quite often.

 

[chedisme]

Close... I actually rode a REAL cherokee (indian) to Moab... You should have seen that poor dude carry me AND my 33's.... I had just recently invented the wheel, and what better place to practice rolling it then down Lions Back in Moab... This was just shortly after Overland XJ named "dirt" too....

lolol

 

[OverlandZJ]

Screw You Andy...

I had a preminition your bellhousing would be self modified to the 3 piece version.. so i stayed home that year and polished my parts as that NJ Mike fella would say..

 

[kastein]

I hate it when that happens... mine self modified to the two piece version and was hanging on by one bolt when I discovered it this spring.

I shoulda looked at it after the clutch started feeling strange :wierd:

 

[XJLI]

another vote for getting a more street friendly tire. i did the trip with sam in a mild XJ.. 30/44 on 33s. i plan on doing it again with my current rig as soon as its realistically possible. but like sam said, you need to know every nut and bolt on your truck, and even then shit will go wrong. my transfer case which was never removed ever sheared half the studs holding it in, and i fixed it in a parking lot. dont go alone, find someone else with a rig to drive with you... you'll need it.

 

[OverlandZJ]

find someone else with a rig to drive with you... you'll need it.

^^Shouldnt be a difficult thing to arrange come this October.

 

[Andy in Pa.]

find someone else with a rig to drive with you... you'll need it.

x 10... It was nice having someone else be a support a vehicle(s) and help me fix my junk when it broke too.

And John... it was 5 pieces..... and the NEXT time you have a premonition about my junk breaking CALL ME!!! Maybe I'll stay home and brush up on my polishing skills too!!!

 

[mtw_xj]

Close... I actually rode a REAL cherokee (indian) to Moab... You should have seen that poor dude carry me AND my 33's.... I had just recently invented the wheel, and what better place to practice rolling it then down Lions Back in Moab... This was just shortly after Overland XJ named "dirt" too....

where can i get a real cherokee?!

 

[mtw_xj]

another vote for getting a more street friendly tire. i did the trip with sam in a mild XJ.. 30/44 on 33s. i plan on doing it again with my current rig as soon as its realistically possible. but like sam said, you need to know every nut and bolt on your truck, and even then shit will go wrong. my transfer case which was never removed ever sheared half the studs holding it in, and i fixed it in a parking lot. dont go alone, find someone else with a rig to drive with you... you'll need it.

ive had the jeep since 07 and have probably taken every bolt off at one point or another so that shouldnt be a problem. as for going alone, i'm trying to get my buddy to go with his tj, but its on 42's pbr's.... haha you want to come?