Trail rig is OOC.... (repost)

sidriptide

nobody of any consequence
hmm.. not sure what happened to the initial post.. (MODS PLEASE DELETE THE PREVIOUS TITLED THREAD)

the trail rig has been riding a lil strange lately and i attributed it to the still-aired-down tires with a locker in the rear.. i gave it a particularly thorough thrashing last week and i noticed some new tire rubbibng in the rear that had not been there before.. thought the springs finally settled and was beging to think i carry too much crap in the rig (which seems to be the case anyways) so i got out the hose to blast some of "Mrs B's" mud bath away so i could at least see out the windows clearly.. well when i blasted the underside i saw what i had expected from this rig eventually .. just not this soon... the passenger side front spring perch is now punched up into the floor about an inch!!!! not from impact either.. cancer has taken it's toll.. :mad: looks like a pretty extensive structural failure of the unibody in the rear deck area.... i'll try to get pics but my camera doesnt do well in dark.. i only needed 2 more trail runs out of it this year but its not gonna happen.... so i will either strip it in the spring and lift the 99 with the parts (not my prefered solution) or find another disposable trail rig... Hey Eagle!!!! care to donate an MJ to the "mikey needs a new jeep" fund???
 
Bummer of the first order.

I may have an XJ that could serve as a potential trail rig, but I will not willingly or knowingly sell, give, donate or otherwise transfer an MJ to anyone who's going to chop it into a trail rig. There are too many XJs available, and too few MJs left. Can't help it -- I'm a collector/restorer first, and a wheeler/road racer only after that.

Can the spring perch be rewelded -- or a new one welded into its place? CHW did a rather major floor pan replacement on his trail rig before the start of this year's season. It can be done.

Or maybe a ZJ-type coil spring conversion is in your future ...
 
well that stinks....I wish there was some stuff around here to be a trail rig base, but all the xj's I've seen are either relatively new, or beat to sh**and rusted out....no mj's at all.
 
im sure it "can" be repaired.. and that was my intention for the spring but i'm pretty sure the body seams have shifted and started to seperate.. XJs flex like crazy when they dont have floors!!!! no real telling until i empty it out and pull the carpet.. the one task i have intentionally refused to do because i know what i will find.. i have a line on a potnetial new rig and it will certainly be gutted and reinforced before any lift goes in it... simple rust patching is not a big deal as opposed to repairing structural damage... still may not be hard to fix after i look closer but i am expecting to drive it to its winter resting place next month and retire it after it thaws out..
 
Wow, I haven't heard that one yet. My Xj is entering the liquid state also. The hatch and hood have moving, and the doors are getting harder to close. The rear door window sections are not even touching the body. I was under it the other day and a crack was going from the rusted area above the muffler up over the hump.

I don't know why, I never beat on it :)
 
If you want to make that thing more harcore and drive better on the road I would offer only one solution The RockKrawler Rear coil over conversion you get 2 fox coil overs and a triagulated for link rear end. My self and Peterbuilt can both tell you how much better it handles on and off road. And the hanger for your springs will be eliminated. I hope this gives you a option and you dont trash the
XJ. remember there are only so many of them to go around and as for the MJ's I would say 40% of all the MJ's are now owned by one man
Eagle!!

Harwood how about sharing your fleet?? :)

feel free to contact me if you need some installed photos or have any questions that I can help with
 
rockreadyxj said:
Peterbuilt can both tell you how much better it handles on and off road.


Whoa there... are you saying that Pete's rig has left the barn? I don't believe you. :laugh: Tell him to call me the next time you speak to him.
 
i love the idea of a coil spring rear.. and thats the intention for the 99 when it assumes trail rig duties in a few years... CLAYTON is putting the final touches on a HARD-ARM kit for the rear of an XJ now and thats what i have my eye on... but that conversion on the current trail rig is not reasonable.. the whole unibody is separating and settleing.... the hatch is about 1" narrower than the body it is attatched to now.... time to call it a day... i cant wait for the clayton kit to get some trail use and put it on my "list"
 
rockreadyxj said:
Harwood how about sharing your fleet?? :)
Not with you guys!

Truth is, I have three or four XJs in the yard right now that I would really like to NOT have in the yard right now. Trouble is, all the NAXJA guys want MJs to chop up, and there are so few MJs left that the collector in me cringes at the thought. I won't even be offering them for sale through NAXJA, or any other Jeep forum. I'll be putting them on a collectors' forum in the hope that they'll be preserved.

Sorry, guys, but the MJs have taken the place of 2-seat AMXs in my scheme of the world. Of course, I should thank y'all for bashing and crashing them, I suppose, because every one you lads destroy makes mine worth a few cents more. :viking:
 
I would stop waiting for Claytons junk. after all he buys all his springs shocks and track bars from rockkrawler. Go right to the sorce and instead of that nightmere clayton is working on with rear tj springs you can get 2 Fox Coil overs. with adjustable ride hight and you can pick your spring rate. and its a triagulated four link rear with non of those honky cross members going on that looks like he made it in his back yard. then grinds down all his but welds (not to smart)


As far as Petes Jeep It is out of my Shop and ready to be regeard it has a new Peterbuilt custom axle and long arm set up I think he did a real good job. Now it is no longer a 3/4 ton. I will tell him to call you Mark
 
whats with the Clayton bashing??? just cause i didnt agree with your setup?? i like clayton's stuff.. seen it up close and in action plenty of times..... i'm diggin' it... but regardles of all that.. my trail rig it toast......
 
Here is a few pics of the Rear 4 Rock Krawler 4 link rear setup. And a pic of PeterBuilts Front reverse 4 link with crossmember. Tires and rims are for sale on PeterBuilts rig as well.
198562562zLojWW_ph.jpg
198566772oNDRzv_ph.jpg
198560767MaQYmv_ph.jpg
198560652GFWQcM_ph.jpg
 
So what did Pete do with the leaf spring shims I gave him? I need those back if he didn't lose them. He also still has my C-clamps from installing the (albeit comparatively crude) crossmember I made for the Ford D44 front end.
 
sidriptide said:
whats with the Clayton bashing??? just cause i didnt agree with your setup??


the anwser is in his sig : Rock Krawler Distributer

RockReadyXJ..How much for the whole kit? the Super 8 kit with the 4-link rear? Finding myself the new owner of an XJ, i want to lift it once.
 
Last edited:
toyworx said:
the anwser is in his sig : Rock Krawler Distributer

RockReadyXJ..How much for the whole kit? the Super 8 kit with the 4-link rear? Finding myself the new owner of an XJ, i want to lift it once.

hey mike.. send him a PM please.. HIJACKER!! :patriot:
 
sidriptide said:
hey mike.. send him a PM please.. HIJACKER!! :patriot:


HAHAHA....ya...jacked that thread! Sorry man...


Lawn Cher' said:
So what did Pete do with the leaf spring shims I gave him? I need those back if he didn't lose them. He also still has my C-clamps from installing the (albeit comparatively crude) crossmember I made for the Ford D44 front end.

And this wasn't a hijack?
 
Last edited:
Back
Top