My 44/9" full width cherokee build

[warwagon98xj]

Great build i'm about to start mine in a few weeks.

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

man after an hour of reading through this thread nice build up.

Thanks man

Great build i'm about to start mine in a few weeks.

Thanks dude

Stratton has a new build project now......er, modification of this one. He did a little remodel of the A-pillar and roof last week. Sounds like a tube delivery is scheduled........

Um so I haven't updated this in a while but... here's what's new.
Saturday morning-DATC Show

Saturday afternoon- Little Moab

hahaha

Took two winches and another Jeep to recover it. Luckily we were very prepared, it was more "when" rather than "if" this would happen. But I think a cage is mandatory equipment for any of you guys. It was a super slow roll and it still caused a Ton of Damage.

Here's a vid of the recovery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZVdAl0tXdM

I paid it off yesterday and then the insurance totaled it out, so I'm keeping it.

I'll try to fix it enough to put a windshield back in and a new door, if I can't I have another body so I might do the body swap thing, or XJ buggy and get a trailer. Haven't decided yet... Either way the 80ft of 1.75" DOM sitting in the shop has to go somewhere
Been super busy with the divorce and doing side jobs to pay off the Jeep.

Ideally I'd like to swap in my 60 and pick up a sterling for the rear, so if anyone wants my axles they may be up for sale pretty soon.


kicked out the front window and jacked the roof back up so all the doors work.
trailered it down to EJS Thursday.
Ran Hells Revenge Thursday night: busted a front brake line in mickeys hot tub. fixed it for 3 wheel braking. backed out.
put it on its side in escalator, and broke the brake line again. fixed it, backed out. super sketchy!
Found I spit an "e" clip on the rear driveshaft and I busted the "frame" in front of the trackbar bracket almost in half. Paid "Welder Dude" to bandaid it and spent half the day friday fixing it. then we helped run the U4WDA booth at the vendor show for the rest of the night. Drove back to the house and the alternator crapped out on the way.

didn't want to spend anymore money saturday so we chilled out at Potato Salad then went home in a giant blizzard at 7pm. Got home at 2am sunday.

Returned the trailer to Kamas and got halfway through stripping the interior by 3pm Sunday.

Wow that was a long weekend!!!

I'll get back to stripping it tonight.

Monday: new alternator is in.

Moab pics soon.

 

[whitneyj]

talk about a crappy day. . .
Why are you getting rid of the d44/9" combo? Just looking to go bigger and better?

 

[JeepAddict85]

that sucks...it was real clean! i vote chopped buggy!

 

[tayman]

what I think makes it worse too, is it was a later model! if it was like early 90's, I don't think I would be as sad about this...

I think Buggy time... you HAVE the tube...

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

talk about a crappy day. . .
Why are you getting rid of the d44/9" combo? Just looking to go bigger and better?

I picked up a front 60 a while ago. Nothing wrong with the 44/9". I just want to be able to run like 40's and do front digs :laugh:

Seriously though my axles are for sale so anyone who is interested you can pm me. I'll obviously need new wheels and tires too so they will also be up for sale.

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

Moab pics
kicked out the windshield

fixed the roof (pretty sure I can get a windshield back in)

my buds m38 (this little guy served in the pacific theater!)

nice looking setup

torchmate buggies at the vendor show thursday

The original Scorpion!

The U4WDA booth (join up if you love Moab)

Sandy our mascot and sweetheart

on the road home.

I'll have wheeling pics hopefully soon

MY AXLES ARE SOLD: pending full funds.



My tires and beadlocks are available for sale.
Along with both front and rear bumpers and sliders.
PM me if you are interested

I also just picked up a set of fiberglass fender flairs for my project

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

MY AXLES ARE SOLD

I may have seen a 14bolt ff roll into the shop the other day



My tires and beadlocks are available for sale.
Make offer
Along with both front and rear bumpers and sliders.
I might be partially parting this out
PM me if you are interested in any parts!

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

axles are on a pallet and ready to go out. I kinda shed a tear or two thinking about all the work that went into those.

 

[mason_msw]

Wait!! I never gave you my address! :laugh3:

 

[NXJ]

So, how did you carry through the straightening process of the roof structure? Sledgehammer, 2x4, ratchet straps and hi-lifts?

 

[bc99xj]

axles are on a pallet and ready to go out. I kinda shed a tear or two thinking about all the work that went into those.

Man i kind of feel bad now. then i remember that ive that its been non-stop badgering from the wife.:listenmus i cant wait man thanks

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

So, how did you carry through the straightening process of the roof structure? Sledgehammer, 2x4, ratchet straps and hi-lifts?

all that and a 20ton hydraulic ram I borrowed off the engine hoist

Man i kind of feel bad now. then i remember that ive that its been non-stop badgering from the wife.:listenmus i cant wait man thanks

Hope they work great for you!

 

[bc99xj]

looking forward to seeing your HPD60 build! have you decided what your putting in the rear. i read a thread on pirate thread where a guy built an HPD60/14 bolt running 42's !!!!

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

Since I sold my axles, I have been playing hover Jeep for almost 2 weeks.

AND In the interest of wheeling sometime this summer with my own junk I acquired some stock axles to play with wilst the 1 tons are being built.

AND since I can't leave anything well enough alone I decided to make some improvements.


1.) Shock mounts: they hang super low, so I chopped them and remounted them at the same level as the axle
tubes.

2.) For you XJ, Dakota and KJ (Liberty) owners: look at that axle under your rig. It has a HUGE lip that likes to get caught on everything.

So I shaved about 1" off the axle (including shaving off the bottom bolt)

and reworked the stock diff cover to seal better and not peal back and plated it up for some ring gear protection.

with some new bling paint it looks much mo better

I hung the axle last night: all I need is some new Yoke straps and bolts for the shock mounts.
I gained 4" of clearance on the shock mounts, 1" full inch of clearance on the diff (the equivalent of a 2" taller tire), a beefier diff cover, and a MUCH smoother diff that won't get hung up on stuff

Hopefully wheeling this weekend

 

[5spd_xj]

very nice

 

[tayman]

sweet... My shock mounts are already at the axle level, but I might just have to shave the diff... What did you do it with? angle grinder? saw? plasma? cutoff wheel?

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

I shaved it with a sawzall and an angle grinder

Went and rode shotgun that weekend and explored a good chunk of the San Rafael Swell. Then I got the itch to finish swapping the stockers back under the cherokee.
so I re-lengthened the trackbar and beefed up the stock steering with a draglink gusset

and beefed up the stock 30 diff cover

OH I also beefed the knuckles with some gussets on the upper part of the inner "C"s. and welded the center to the tubes

and slung the axle under the jeep and took it for a drive with a set of 23" tires... bling bling

front burn


apparently the driverside shafts on the 8.25 is bent at the flange... or the rim is bent because it wobbles all over the place... I guess I'll find out tonight...

 

[Brad M.]

Love the front burn dude, and the 23" bling. Mucho ghetto cool. And the skiis on top must add at least 10 hp, right?

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

Love the front burn dude, and the 23" bling. Mucho ghetto cool. And the skiis on top must add at least 10 hp, right?

yup! I wish I had video of the first burn... I had the fronts spinning for about 2 minutes solid... couldn't see a thing:roflmao: