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Hello again !
So this is how the story goes:
Five years ago I was looking for something that rolls, 'cause someone crashed definitively my 1982 Ford Taunus. Checking lots of ads in magazines and on the net, it took almost three weeks till I found something that could be interesting. I already had some offroading background, driving a factory prepared Mercedes G72AMG for two years.
The Mercedes G was a nice experience, with its V12 and twin turbos, developping 650 - 850HP, setup depending. But the time had come to drive my own 4x4. And it was a Jeep Cherokee.
The ad was about two Jeeps, one rolling in very good shape and one "organ donor". Next I called the guy, we agreed to meet, and the next day I was already travelling by train around 450 miles to check it out.
The rolling one was red, the "organ donor" blue. The red one had no rust at all and it was love at first sight... A test drive followed, then the price negotiations, then handing the cash and getting the papers done. I drove the red one another 450 miles back home, the other one was picked up two weeks later by a friend with a recovery truck.
The rest is already history. The previous owner had swapped the 4.0 engine with the 2.1 Renault turbo diesel. And, later, of course, he has sold the 4.0 and the gearbox.
I changed all the fluids, filters and the timing belt, and that was it at the time. After a couple of weeks, I noticed that the brake hoses are worn out, and needed to be changed. After a price check at the Daimler-Chrysler dealer, it was clear that they will never see me again... 75$ for each front one, and 50$ for the rear one...
And then, a question came through my mind: what if I do it just ONCE, but the RIGHT way ? So i took a decision to do it right...
8" longer braided hoses from Goodridge was the first step. Then a set of 31" BFG AT's, with no lift at all. Then a 4.5" lift with RE parts. Of course, the 31" looked a little bit too small now. Next came the 33" BFG MT's and the 8" lift, the Teraflex hi-steer kit, the hack'n tap kit and the Tom Woods rear shaft.
Extreme drop Pitman arm was also fitted. Bigger wheels need lower gears, so the 4.56:1 were installed. Shortly after that I bent the lower Teraflex link, and I converted to steering over the knuckle with teflon coated ball joints at both ends. Adjustable track bar (Panhard) was also part of the game, and JKS Quicker Disco's as well (but not fitted yet).
Next I needed a longer front shaft. The original shaft was cut and a 2.5" long piece was added, WIG and MIG welded. Of course, both axles were rotated to get the right driveshaft angles. A rear Teraflex disc brake conversion kit was also installed, as well as new front brake drilled rotors and pads. Of course with -19mm offset rims, I needed the Bushwackers cut-out flares, to be "street legal".
After some offroading I was looking for some lockers. Both axles received Powertrax Lockrights. And, by the way, the Firebird GM10Bolt rear axle got the same stuff...
New upper and lower ball joints were also added to the list, the a JKS steering brace kit. And some weeks ago, the winch plate, the winch and my homemade bumper were bolted on the Jeep.
Maybe I forgot something. Blame it on my age, I'm 42...
Tomorrow I'll try to post some pictures of the actual stage of the rig.
I'm gonna have some sleep, it's 12.25 AM.
Best wishes to all of you !
Walter
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1989 Jeep Cherokee, 2.1TD, 4.56 gears, 8" lift with Rubicon Express items, 33x10.50R15 BFG MT's on Black Monster Mod -19 offset rims, Teraflex Hi-Steer & Steering over the knuckle, Powertrax Lockright front and rear, Bushwackers cut-out flares, Posi-Lok 920, Warn CE-M8000.
1974 455 Pontiac Firebird, in restoration.
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