Meet Ebeneezer

[043500]

Well it's been quite some time since I've really been on . I lurk here and there but not having an XJ or MJ I usually just search for stuff or check out the for sale forums.

But now i have another XJ...I think I'm on #8 or 9 now.

The wife and I were thinking about getting a 3rd vehicle since my DD is a '78 CJ-5. Neither one of us wanted to buy a vehicle for $1000-1500 just to put another grand into it for it to be nice...it just wasn't in the budget.

Then my friend calls me and says a friend of my daughter's has an XJ for sale cheap and it runs. I said "How cheap is cheap"? He said $150.

So I drove it home clear title in hand for $150. it's rust free. Needs a paint job as the clear coat is peeling off all over it.

I have put right at $1300 into it. This INCLUDES the jeep purchase, tag/title,reg fees, and building my own junkyard lift as well as getting a 29 spline 8.25 with 4.10's and a D-30 with 4.10's in it. I also came across a set of decent 30X9.50's FREE.

I am in the process now of putting the new(er) D-30 under it as I finished up the rear yesterday morning.

I figured Ebeneezer fit for a name since "Scrooge" was so cheap and miserly! I'll post the finished pics later this week once I have the front end in. It looks like I'll end up with about 3" of lift...maybe slightly less as the stock suspension was comepletely toast so it will only end up with about 2" over NEW stock ride height. LOL

Here it is before I got the new wheels and tires.

And here it is with the new(to me) shoes:

 

[Mr.Shrek]

Nice score.

 

[Timmy2XJS]

holy sweet deal batman!!

 

[Ghost]

YAY! You're back! Harlan? One month away! You know you want to come meet the new crowd!

 

[High2by]

Great score!!! Can't get much cheaper than that.

 

[043500]

YAY! You're back! Harlan? One month away! You know you want to come meet the new crowd!

I'd love to come meet the new crowd but alas our bank account has decided to take a vacation.

Hopefully next year. Plus I haven't driven this thing enough to know if it will get me to work and back yet...much less a 10 hour drive! LOL

 

[Ghost]

I'd love to come meet the new crowd but alas our bank account has decided to take a vacation.

Hopefully next year. Plus I haven't driven this thing enough to know if it will get me to work and back yet...much less a 10 hour drive! LOL

Yea I know what you mean! I had to rib you though!

 

[jeepgeek2002]

Yeah.. i met shortxjdoug.. without knowing if my xj could handle a 7 hour drive.. wheel and 7 hour back.. We went to Mountain City in the dead of winter.. I was running 34" unbalanced LTB's and hauling arse behind Dougs tow pig.. We got there .. met Ghost.. then wheeled icey roads .. drove back.. all that with the "untested" xj...
They're freakin tough man!

Mark

 

[MELKORsXJ]

nice find!!!

...i like the stance it has now, looks good

 

[043500]

They sure are tough! This is my 8th XJ (and I've had 2 MJ's too).

The last crawl I went to was Tellico (RIP) in '07...drove my XJ (not this one) to Tellico and I rolled it. The only reason I did not drive it back to FL was I was too lazy to fix a snapped brake line.

 

[043500]

nice find!!!

...i like the stance it has now, looks good

It looks very good with the lift on it. I hope to have it back on all 4's tonight. I will still need to change at least 1 u-joint on the new(er) front end but that's about it. It will only be on 30's for now since they were free. But it would clear 31's nicely and 33's if I cut the fenders. But that's a long ways off. (famous last words)

 

[Ghost]

Yeah.. i met shortxjdoug.. without knowing if my xj could handle a 7 hour drive.. wheel and 7 hour back.. We went to Mountain City in the dead of winter.. I was running 34" unbalanced LTB's and hauling arse behind Dougs tow pig.. We got there .. met Ghost.. then wheeled icey roads .. drove back.. all that with the "untested" xj...
They're freakin tough man!

Mark

Ahhh Good times!

It looks very good with the lift on it. I hope to have it back on all 4's tonight. I will still need to change at least 1 u-joint on the new(er) front end but that's about it. It will only be on 30's for now since they were free. But it would clear 31's nicely and 33's if I cut the fenders. But that's a long ways off. (famous last words)

You will love Harlan. Has everything Tellico had but more of it and you can get a rig on 30's open open right next to the most extreme trails.

 

[DrRandy]

NICE...$150....heck yea!!! Want to sell it, i'll give ya $200.00!! JK, GREAT SCORE man. Hope to meet ya at a ride one day!

 

[043500]

I did get it on all 4's last night...at about 1130!

Still need to change the axle u-joints (1 for sure...will probably just do both) and then just tighten everything up.

Ended up with right at 3" of lift and the total suspension cost was less then $150...no spacers or blocks...all springs and shocks. So it's not a LOW rider any more!!

 

[Ghost]

Nice ebrake... :rof: Looks good so what combination did you use? Bastard rear leaf pack I assume but what coils?

 

[043500]

For the coils I used stock springs from an '88 F-150. My neighbor put a 2" spring under his truck and I took his stock ones for free. A lot of folks think they are stiff but I have used them before without complaint. I am 240# and standing on the bumper with all my weight still compresses the suspension nicely.

The rear pack is all jeep. Took a stock XJ pack and removed the bottom short leaf altogether. The used 2 grand waggy leaves in conjunction with the rest of the XJ pack that was left. I did have to drill out the XJ leaves as the waggy has a larger center pin but it was worth it since the leaves were a freebie too. The XJ packs I used were WAY less sagged then the original ones under the rig...they were severly negatively arched. One of the rear shocks was so bad that my 4 year old could move compress/extend it with ease.

It will for sure ride stiffer than a stock XJ would. BUT I should still have some flexibility and should not have to worry about these spring sagging. EVER.

Cool thing is if I cut the fenders I know it would clear 33's. So this thing may become a trail rig later on...I'll just cut it...add 33's and lockers. Bolt on good set of bumpers and a winch. Then skidplate the snot out of it and wheel away. It may take me a WHILE to get to that point but I can dream right!

 

[Ghost]

For the coils I used stock springs from an '88 F-150. My neighbor put a 2" spring under his truck and I took his stock ones for free. A lot of folks think they are stiff but I have used them before without complaint. I am 240# and standing on the bumper with all my weight still compresses the suspension nicely.

The rear pack is all jeep. Took a stock XJ pack and removed the bottom short leaf altogether. The used 2 grand waggy leaves in conjunction with the rest of the XJ pack that was left. I did have to drill out the XJ leaves as the waggy has a larger center pin but it was worth it since the leaves were a freebie too. The XJ packs I used were WAY less sagged then the original ones under the rig...they were severly negatively arched. One of the rear shocks was so bad that my 4 year old could move compress/extend it with ease.

It will for sure ride stiffer than a stock XJ would. BUT I should still have some flexibility and should not have to worry about these spring sagging. EVER.

Cool thing is if I cut the fenders I know it would clear 33's. So this thing may become a trail rig later on...I'll just cut it...add 33's and lockers. Bolt on good set of bumpers and a winch. Then skidplate the snot out of it and wheel away. It may take me a WHILE to get to that point but I can dream right!

Nice! And yes dreaming is definately allowed!

 

[High2by]

Nice! And yes dreaming is definately allowed!

Allowed, I thought it was mandatory.

Looks like you got it sitting just right.

 

[043500]

10 after midnight and I just got back from a short shakedown run.

Nothing fell off.

YAY! LOL