Project 2000 XJ (Daily Driver)

[dieselenthusiast]

But the yellow looks good on the KJ.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

I pulled an oil sample.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

After much thought and consideration, I have decided to add the Chrysler LeBaron/New Yorker Hood Vents to the XJ project. These vents reduce under hood temperatures by a significant amount. I’m installing them for performance purposes only, but I think they look good on the Cherokee. I also like the fact that they are larger than most aftermarket louvers, proven to be efficient, and do not let rain, snow, or moisture under the hood. They are also a heavy duty Chrysler OE product. Gotta stay loyal to the family.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

I found the DynoMax Cat-back for $142 + free shipping from Amazon.

http://www.rockcrawler.com had the 4.0L DynoMax exhaust system independently tested on the 4.0L XJ. The dyno results showed a 6 horsepower and 8 ft-lbs of torque increase.

DynoMax
Part # 17340
2.25" system, Super Turbo™ Muffler with a 2.5" Polished Stainless Steal tip.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

We all know that excessive heat is the culprit for transmissions going bad. I thought I would help eliminate excessive heat by installing a transmission cooler.

Transmission Oil Cooler (DERALE Series 7000)
Recommended For:
* Towing or Hauling
* Stop and Go Traffic
* Mountain Driving
* Hot Temperatures

 

[dieselenthusiast]

I got a nice Christmas gift: 10,000 lb rated hitch hook and D-ring from Tiger Industrial.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

I got a great deal on the StrongArm 4291 Jeep Cherokee Liftgate Lift Support that fits 1997-01 XJ’s. I bought them on special where you buy 1, get $5 off the second and free shipping. Total cost was $29.40

 

[dieselenthusiast]

Okay, I decided to get my headlamps and upgraded wiring harness from this guy:

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/prod ... ducts.html

 

[dieselenthusiast]

With all this snow, I decided it was time to replace these wore out stock carpeted floor mats with something more purposeful. I’ve been very happy with the Husky Liners that we have in our other vehicles so I decided to buy front and rear Husky Liners. I got them at 4 wheel parts for 15% off and free shipping.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

I noticed that the coolant in my overflow reservoir looked pretty fowl. So I decided to get out the shop (wet) Vac and clean it up. In order to reach the bottom of the reservoir, I added a few attachments.

Once I got down to the bottom, my Shop Vac was losing suction. So I pulled out the vacuum tube and found this at the bottom.

As you can see, this sludge is nice and pasty.

I finally got her clean.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

I took off a few more OE badges today. Here's the before look:

You know the drill - Wife’s hair dryer, dental floss, and GOO GONE did the trick. They came off nicely as you can see.

And here’s the after look.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

I've been wanting a multi-tool kit for a long time. The reviews on the Hi-Lift are excellent. I really like the telescoping handle and overall size of this kit. If you shop around, you will find they are very affordable.

Hi-Lift Handle-All: 4 Tools in 1

Telescoping implement handle
Full sized shovel head
Full sized sledge hammer head
Full sized axe head
Full size pick axe head
Branded gear bag for storage

 

[dieselenthusiast]

We decided that the cargo liner would come in handy. The cargo liner matches the Husky front and rear mats. The fit is perfect.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

Zluster sent me this photo. He picked these wheels up for me when he was at the bone yard. I think they will look good on the XJ. And yes, these are OE 17" X 7.5" KJ wheels.

Here's what they look like with a 265/70/R17 tire mounted on it.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

I took the OE Cherokee Sport decals off the door. Here’s what it looked like before and after:

 

[dieselenthusiast]

Since taking on a more utilitarian role, I have changed my motor oil to accommodate 2,000 - 3,000 mile interval changes. I’m only driving somewhere between 2,000 - 3,000 miles every 6 months.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

We’ve been using the TRICO Winter Blades on the KJ for over a year now, and so far they have held up good. They have a protective boot that helps prevent snow clogging. The thick heavy duty blade acts as a powerful squeegee even during heavy rains or removing heavily soiled windshields. I liked the blades so much that I decided to buy them for the XJ’s front and rear. Even though the instructions recommend 6 month changes, I think these will perform well for at least two years depending on how much you use and abuse them. For those who are anal like me, each blade comes with an optimizer cleaning and conditioning pad for the rubber blade.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

I decided to go with the Bucket Boss 06066 Pro GateMouth bag to hold my off-road gear (winch remote, shackles, gloves, flashlight, tow straps, etc). It measures 17 inches long x 9 inches wide x 12 inches tall.

 

[dieselenthusiast]

Here’s a few quick photos of the bumpers, rear quarter guards, and gas tank skid bed-lined. Sorry about the pics as these parts are extremely dusty. They have been finished for awhile, I just haven’t had the chance to drop the Jeep off for the install.

 

[dieselenthusiast]