The Frog Blog

[Skipper51]

Great shots man! That rig is ready to roll through anything you ask it to. Thanks for sharing with us your adventures in So Cal.

 

[l1kenother]

I went with 10" rims for two reasons. First, I wanted my KM2's on 8" rims intact for my next XJ project and needed rims anyway. 10" rims for 12.50 wide tires give a better fit and widen my stance a bit. Many say 12.50's on 8" rims are ok, but 10" is better for tread wear since it prevents the tire from crowning. I found about 50% of the people swear by 8" rims for 12.50's, and 50% swear by 10" rims. Losing a bead when aired down was a concern so 10" rims was the choice. A side benefit is how the deeper dish protects my hubs.

By the way, the front and rear JCR bumpers will likely go on my next XJ as well. I'm looking for a front winch bumper and will fab a short rear bumper out of rectangular stock, then will remove the lower JCR quarters and cut and fold the rear. Many plans for the Frog....

I was wondering why 10" also. I love the stance, but for losing a bead, an 8" wheel will hold a lot better than a 10". Bead to bead on a 12.50 wide tire is less than 8". those tires need to stretch to seat a bead. and they stretch a lot more to seat on a 10" so when aired down they are more prone to break a bead. just some info. BTW your jeep is looking great and I bet you LOVE those mtr's. I love mine!

 

[rocknxj]

I bought this tonight in Santa Clarita. It's a 1998 jeep Cherokee Classic with 127,900 miles. It's in decent condition, runs well, and has a 3" lift and the overhead console with trip computer. As a 2WD Jeep, it is the perfect compliment to the Frog and will receive it's axles, transfer case, cast off KM2's, and front/rear bumpers as I continue to modify and improve my '99 XJ with better parts.

I shall name this '98 Cherokee Classic....8 Ball. You gotta question? you ask the 8 Ball!

Time for a new blog....

 

[XJensen]

And post number 3000 to boot!

Congrats on the new jeep. You will also need a new tranny to conver to 4x4.

What t-case are you planning to put in the frog?

 

[rocknxj]

And post number 3000 to boot!

Congrats on the new jeep. You will also need a new tranny to conver to 4x4.

What t-case are you planning to put in the frog?

Too early to tell without doing research, but I hear Atlas is the way to go. I'll likely do this in stages, with protection and bumpers going on first as I search for axles for the red XJ. Should be a fun project, and this Jeep will allow me to move parts from one Jeep to the other. I can always make this a decent pre-runner and keep it for mild desert use down south. Decisions, decisions...

 

[#S194]

The 8 Ball....awesome! Nice pic of David Puddy to boot. What axles are you planning on for the Frog?

 

[rocknxj]

The 8 Ball....awesome! Nice pic of David Puddy to boot. What axles are you planning on for the Frog?

Nothing crazy. D44 and 8.8 if I can find them. Disk brakes and better gearing/locker options will be nice additions to the Frog for sure.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

if you are going to start fresh from scratch with an 8.8 and a 44, you might as well build a 14b ff c and c and then grab a cheap balljoint ford hp driver drop 60. starting from scratch itll be cheaper probably in the long run since you wont need front chromos . drop them off, have the 60 shortened and resplined , shave the 14b, and have XJ brackets and a truss put. stock 60 shafts are so much stronger than a 760 joint in a 44 front. with the c&c rear 14b you wont need to shorten it, just run appropriate rims for back spacing.

gosh, to start off with a budget enough to buy an atlas , 44 and 8.8, might as well do 14b/60/atlas. in the end the costs wont be a whole lot different.
Ive seen ball joint hp ford 60s for under 700$ on CL. or you can get a chevy LP pass drop for really cheap, since you can get it re tubed for cheap.

 

[rocknxj]

I'm back to one Jeep and in search of another rig. The seller was to smog the XJ on the 9th, but never got around to it. He attempted to smog it today and it failed, so I backed out of the deal. 8 Ball was just not destined for my driveway.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I test drove a 2013 Ford F-150 crew cab truck with Ecoboost and that's one sweet machine. The wife floored it and made me proud One option is to buy a truck to tow my Frog to places like the Rubicon in June and Moab in Oct. We'll see what turns up first...XJ, LJ, or truck.

 

[trailmaster6536]

Bummer. There for a minute I thought you finally developed the true addiction for which there is not a 12 step process. You effectively backed out of drug deal.

That must have been a let down. I was already to give you full and unbridled support to cut and burn as the black XJs are plentiful.

I am almost certain I completed the fitment work on Bing (Frog's distant cousin) the day you started trimming. BTW- nice job on the edge treatment

http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac243/trailmaster6536/99 Bing XJ/P1080295_zpsc98a533e.jpg

http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac243/trailmaster6536/99 Bing XJ/P1080296_zpsd35cd4c6.jpg

 

[Mike1331]

so what makes you want two mild-moderatly built xj's? If two why not go crazy big on one and mild on the other?

I like the idea of just keeping the frog to go big and getting an ecoboost as a tower/driver to scratch the itch for another vehicle ...throw a camburg mid travel kit on that and you'll have a shi% eating grin permanantly

two project vehicles are a pain in the :moon: to maintain and build up, might as well mix it up for some variety...thats just me though and sometimes i forget where i'm at.

Frog and your work is looking very clean as always, good luck on your search.

 

[rocknxj]

Bummer. There for a minute I thought you finally developed the true addiction for which there is not a 12 step process. You effectively backed out of drug deal.

That must have been a let down. I was already to give you full and unbridled support to cut and burn as the black XJs are plentiful.

I am almost certain I completed the fitment work on Bing (Frog's distant cousin) the day you started trimming. BTW- nice job on the edge treatment

http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac243/trailmaster6536/99 Bing XJ/P1080295_zpsc98a533e.jpg

http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac243/trailmaster6536/99 Bing XJ/P1080296_zpsd35cd4c6.jpg

Those pics...that Jeep is amazing. Beautiful, Bill. I would love to take that thing offroad and beat the snot out of it. Sorry, but that's what I do.

Keep up the good work. As XJs become less available, it's good to know someone is out there preserving the breed.

 

[rocknxj]

so what makes you want two mild-moderatly built xj's? If two why not go crazy big on one and mild on the other?

I like the idea of just keeping the frog to go big and getting an ecoboost as a tower/driver to scratch the itch for another vehicle ...throw a camburg mid travel kit on that and you'll have a shi% eating grin permanantly

two project vehicles are a pain in the :moon: to maintain and build up, might as well mix it up for some variety...thats just me though and sometimes i forget where i'm at.

Frog and your work is looking very clean as always, good luck on your search.

I have always said if I want to build something taller than 33's, I'd go with a Wrangler. There are many advantages to keeping the XJ mild, but one could argue that a bit taller has advantages too.

I have three real options and I like each of them. First is a second XJ that can receive parts from the red XJ. Second is an LJ to enable a more aggressive build over a longer time period. The third option is an F150 or F250 truck, and I am busy looking at all three options. I figure the first vehicle I find will be the winner. I've test driven the 2013 Ecoboost with Crew Cab, and priced it out at $41K, which is half of the white whale I bought in 2012. Another big purchase is less appealing than the other two options, derivatives of that option would be the 5.4L motor and super cab instead of crew cab. At any rate, towing the XJ to the trail on a flatbed trailer is very appealing.

Thanks for the insight. Love the thoughts.

 

[rocknxj]

I bought a tow vehicle last weekend (and this time it's in my driveway). It's no Jeep but at least I'll be able to ride to Moab in comfort and I won't be screwed if I break on the trail. The plan is to buy a vehicle trailer in time for my trip to Havasu next month. I wanted another XJ or an LJ to build but at least this will keep the daily miles off my XJ. The timing is good because the POS Jeep keeps breaking on me and now I've got a leaking front shock in addition to all the other repairs that keep piling up.

The truck is an '08 Tundra Limited with 5.7L V8. Should tow well enough.

 

[the_weirdo]

Sweet tow rig. I'm looking for something myself. A V8 Tundra is definitely on the list - let me know how you like it.

 

[Mike1331]

That's effing awesome. Good choice on a tower/truck IMO. We're looking at 05/06 tundras right now for tower dd. it's a great truck for just that.

 

[Oldmanxj]

Nice choice Kelly. The Offical Space Shuttle Tow Vehicle

Leaving to Moab 25th anniversary.

You will hardly know you towing your XJ.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Looking good Don!

btw I am done with the ball joint adapter set....

 

[rocknxj]

Thanks guys. So far I like the Yetti very much. Lots to love on the Ltd package.

What is the length of your trailer, Don?

 

[Oldmanxj]

The trailer is 18', duel axles and brakes. Pulled the grades on 80, 70mph 3/4 throttle. Best
truck I've owned. Averaged 16mpg to Moab and back.