Hey everybody! I'm completely new to the whole off road in general. I got into it because I work at FT. Irwin and I love it when we go out to the field on our track vehicles or our wheeled tactical vehicles. I decided I wanted to get a jeep to extend some of fun I get from work to home. I picked up a lifted XJ but let me tell you it hasn't been fun so far.
I bought the jeep the night before Thanksgiving this year and I drove it an hour to get home. Thanksgiving morning, Thursday morning, I take it out for a quick spin about 30 minutes or so and I get back home and park it. Later that day we proceed to go on about our festivities and relax.
After I got myself in a food coma I go to sleep and wake up Friday morning with the sound of the jeep being turned on so I grab my weapon of choice Springfield XD40 and look out my window and I see the tail lights of the jeep I just bought driving away at 0500. I call the local PD make a report and I get it back at 0600 after it suffered some abuse and extreme off road. Well I go to drive it home and something feels broken, the left front end of the vehicle is on the floor. The pursuit ended a mile from my house so I decided to drive it the rest of the way there. I park it in my front yard go to turn the key off and I can't because they busted the column somehow and I had to remove fuel pump relay and disconnect battery. I turn the jeep back on and drive it to the back yard.

Anyhow I went to 8 different salvage yards, my traveled to Victorville, Adelanto, Fontana, San Bernardino, Rubidoux and Ontario to find 1 complete steering column. I installed it, things that didn't work before now work so I felt accomplished. BUT! It still left me with a big problem. Broken, sagging/missing suspension! Anyhow enough with the long story. This is all I know about the jeep. 1988 Cherokee Laredo, 6.5" lift (supposedly) 207k miles.
Sorry forgot pictures, I was only able to take 1 picture before it got stolen! So I also took 1 after picture.
How it currently sits:

How it did when I got it:
