Who Likes Jeeps? My Jeep Cherokee Story.

macthknife · Nov 29, 2020

Some time ago, probably 12 years or so, I decided I needed a vehicle better suited to get to campsites, shooting spots, and just having fun. More than the current (at the time) hotrod mustang. So I got a 2001 Jeep XJ and a fistfull of cash for the Cobra. I was happy. I knew up front that the engine was tired, but over all, the Jeep was in great shape. I drove the hell out of it for a few years, then one time heading up the Rockies towards Vail, Colorado while pulling my tiny popup camper, it started to show it's extreme lack of power.
Well. the rest of the trip went alright, and the off roading in Utah was fun, but I started looking into how much I was going to spend freshening up the 4.0 six banger. Turned out, I decided to go a different direction.
I've been a retired mechanic since forever it seems like, and I've always had to work on other peoples stuff, but never had time for my own. It was time for My own hotrod project to get started. Operation (Jeepzilla) as dubbed by my late mother, who basically talked me into doing my own build project.

Pics of the little XJ before the work started, having some fun in Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas. Circa 2010.

macthknife · Nov 29, 2020

Starting around 2014, I got to sourcing parts, and suppliers. By about May of that year, I had the six banger listed on Craigslist, and it was gone the next day. Lots of folks will tell You they are torque monsters, and while I'll agree they long lasting, and durable little power plants, I strongly disagree about their torque/horsepower numbers. It's just not there. A good running one will put down 190 Lbs Ft of torque at the crank. You'd be lucky to see 150 at the wheels.
My first acquisition was the engine/tranny combo. A 5.7 L LS1 V8 and 4l60E trans out of 2002 Trans Am. Also the wiring harness, and Delphi ECU. Engine mounts and Radiator from NOVAK, and a transfer case adapter from Advance Adapters. On with the build.

macthknife · Nov 29, 2020

Started merging the two wiring harness halves together, after trimming down the unneeded pieces of the GM harness while watching TV over several weeks off and on. Not boring. Kinda therapeutic actually. Built most of the needed wiring before planting the engine in there.
Had to completely rebuild the GM transmission, and install a custom shorty output shaft, designed to work with the 231J transfer case. It works well. After building the trans, I installed it on the back of the engine, and jammed it in the jeep. Still a lot of work ahead, though.

macthknife · Nov 29, 2020

Had to build my own gauge cluster, and accessory harness, as well as make the A/C system work with a mix of Jeep, GM and aftermarket parts. The fuel system also needed upgrading, a lot.

macthknife · Nov 29, 2020

Since then, the ol Jeep has evolved, and the engine is now a 6.0 LQ4 version of the LS, with the cylinder heads from the first Trans Am motor, and I did a thorough port and polish job on em. Tuned the ECU for part throttle fuel economy, and then it goes a little rich, "12.5 to 1" at wide open throttle for full power. A little extra timing, and it's bumping up against 450 HP with mostly stock parts. No more problems pulling the camper.

Who else has Jeep stories?

Sniperwannabee · Nov 29, 2020

i would of went diesel but neverless still an awesome build!

jbell · Nov 29, 2020

Very cool, you don’t see a lot of XJ V8 swaps. I like it!

phxfa · Nov 29, 2020

Now off to Currie for some 9in diffs,,,,
I like the build. I did something similar years ago. My OCD won’t let me pursue these projects anymore due to costs and time. Good job!

rhsc · Nov 29, 2020

Nicely done! Reminds me a bit of the hot-rodded vintage Ford Bronco featured in one of Leno's Garage episodes.

Huskydriver · Nov 29, 2020

Just sold my last Jeep TJ/LJ this past week. They will all be missed but need more gear room.

Bender · Nov 29, 2020

I sold my XJ and now have a TJ.

i love your XJ!

you can get a 300hp 4.7 I6 now for the Jeep’s! That’s my plan.

roostercogburn98 · Nov 29, 2020

Had a Jeep like that when I lived in Alaska. Just got word my new Jeep was in paint last week. Should hit the assembly line this week I hope, 2021 Jeep Gladiator Overland with the turbo diesel.

macthknife · Nov 29, 2020

Bender said:
I sold my XJ and now have a TJ.

i love your XJ!

you can get a 300hp 4.7 I6 now for the Jeep’s! That’s my plan.

Just a word of caution. No aftermarket stroker builder has been able to do a stroker 4.0 to 4.6/7 six cylinder build that doesn't prematurely destroy the camshaft. The extra spring seat pressure needed to make use of the extra cubic inches with a bigger cam, just surpasses what the original cam bearings can support. Having to rebuild the engine every 12K miles would get pretty tiresome. There has been talk of a roller camshaft solution, but at that kind of cost, You're in V8 engine swap territory.

roostercogburn98 · Nov 29, 2020

My brother built custom LS/LT/LSX builds and swaps for 23 ish years at a place called Street and Performance for Mark Campbell until he (Mark) died. My brother will cram one of those platforms in just about anything moving I think. He recently said he was gonna build a subframe for his Myers Manx buggy and LS swap it.

10ring'r · Nov 29, 2020

I had an 04 Wrangler Rubicon, that I had for 14 years, Was planning to do something similar, but a broken leg and foot surgery ended that journey. Now drive a Collie ZR2 diesel. Still miss my Jeeps though. Really nice build OP. Mac

macthknife · Nov 29, 2020

Sniperwannabee said:
i would of went diesel but neverless still an awesome build!

Considered that. Lotta extra weight. Decided to keep it light. About 100 pounds under stock, with the bigger tires, and skidplates, It's still under 4K pounds.

macthknife · Nov 29, 2020

roostercogburn98 said:
My brother built custom LS/LT/LSX builds and swaps for 23 ish years at a place called Street and Performance for Mark Campbell until he (Mark) died. My brother will cram one of those platforms in just about anything moving I think. He recently said he was gonna build a subframe for his Myers Manx buggy and LS swap it.

Sounds like a fun place to work. Sorry to hear of Mr. Campbell's passing.

roostercogburn98 · Nov 29, 2020

Diesel takes a hit on GVWR, almost 500 pounds on the Gladiator. Not much if you don’t plan on towing, but makes a difference with something behind you and how the weight is distributed

Bender · Nov 29, 2020

macthknife said:
Just a word of caution. No aftermarket stroker builder has been able to do a stroker 4.0 to 4.6/7 six cylinder build that doesn't prematurely destroy the camshaft. The extra spring seat pressure needed to make use of the extra cubic inches with a bigger cam, just surpasses what the original cam bearings can support. Having to rebuild the engine every 12K miles would get pretty tiresome. There has been talk of a roller camshaft solution, but at that kind of cost, You're in V8 engine swap territory.

yeah. If you keep spring pressure normal and drive it like normal, a stout 270hp could last a long time if you use a good zdp additive type oil.

Sparkeytj · Nov 29, 2020

Are you still running stock diffs

macthknife · Nov 29, 2020

Bender said:
yeah. If you keep spring pressure normal and drive it like normal, a stout 270hp could last a long time if you use a good zdp additive type oil.

Stroker option is definitely cheaper, and less work. Engine swaps always cost about a gazillion times what You figure. Also, I bet I have a quarter of a million $ in man hours in mine. LOL

macthknife · Nov 29, 2020

Sparkeytj said:
Are you still running stock diffs

Mostly. Lockers, with .456 gears, on 33" tires. I use it as an expedition vehicle, and they've been good since 2014. Anything bigger than 33s though, and I'd recommend upgrading. I expect I'll eventually have to do an 8.8 Explorer axle swap in the rear, but not until it's needed. I might be too old by then, anyways.

Sparkeytj · Nov 29, 2020

Great looking jeep. Ive been messing with mine for over 10 years. For me it doesn'tt stop its an addiction. Alot like my rifles

Dta1 · Nov 29, 2020

Just starting my adventure— 2006 KJ. Wanted a little trail Jeep to run around in with the kids. She did great on our first outing last week. Starting with a lift and new shoes, we’ll see where it goes from there:

Sparkeytj · Nov 29, 2020

macthknife · Nov 29, 2020

Hell yeah! Get some!

JeffLebowski · Nov 29, 2020

So. Jealous.

thejeep · Nov 30, 2020

Parts only come off of this one.

macthknife · Nov 30, 2020

thejeep said:
View attachment 7486903Parts only come off of this one.

Can't go wrong by adding lightness.

jbell · Nov 30, 2020

I have had a few built Jeeps:
01 TJ with 4" suspension and 2" of body sitting on Core G2 Dana 44 axles with 4:88 and ARB lockers it was a great Jeep!

A 03 Rubicon that was stock with a 2.5" spring lift and 33's, it wasn't as unstoppable as the built 01 TJ but was pretty impressive for what it was

And my current project is a 79 CJ5 with way too many parts to list but basics are a new 304 with a flexolite radiator and electric dual fan assemble, T18, Dana 20 with a twin stick conversion, Nitro Dana 44's with 3:73 gears (works great with the transmission and transfer case gearing) ARB's, about 4" of lift between the shackles and springs and 35's, basically everything but the body, frame, windshield, and dash assembly is new. The new custom dash is on order from DD Fab right now with Phantom gauges on standby for the winter:

All I can hear when I'm driving it is the theme to Team America -FUCK YEAH-

I need some better pictures of it...

phantasm · Nov 30, 2020

I'm a Jeep guy myself. She's cost me a lot of money here lately though... cracked the driver's side cylinder hide. That hurt.

jbell · Nov 30, 2020

phantasm said:
I'm a Jeep guy myself. She's cost me a lot of money here lately though... cracked the driver's side cylinder hide. That hurt.

3.8L or 3.6L? Guessing the 3.8L... Do you know the root cause of the cracked head and where it cracked?

phantasm · Nov 30, 2020

jbell said:
3.8L or 3.6L? Guessing the 3.8L... Do you know the root cause of the cracked head and where it cracked?

3.6L. It's a 2015 JKU-S. The dealer wouldn't cover it under the warranty that covers it for the 2012-2013 models. The crack was near cylinder 6 and one of the valves was also cracked. The total was $3300 out the door for a new cylinder head and valve job. Then they didn't reassemble it correctly so it threw a CEL again before I left the lot. The tech forgot to tighten some bolts in the oil galley. Once I got it home I noticed it was leaking oil. Brought it back and they found the valve cover was damaged during the re-install. So three trips to the dealer in two weeks. Thankfully I only paid the first time. The other two were on them.

jbell · Nov 30, 2020

Shitty, looks like an exhaust valve? Did they say how the piston looked?

phantasm · Nov 30, 2020

jbell said:
Shitty, looks like an exhaust valve? Did they say how the piston looked?

They said the rest looked fine. I'm crossing my fingers. This happens again and I'll drop a crate engine in it.

macthknife · Nov 30, 2020

phantasm said:
3.6L. It's a 2015 JKU-S. The dealer wouldn't cover it under the warranty that covers it for the 2012-2013 models. The crack was near cylinder 6 and one of the valves was also cracked. The total was $3300 out the door for a new cylinder head and valve job. Then they didn't reassemble it correctly so it threw a CEL again before I left the lot. The tech forgot to tighten some bolts in the oil galley. Once I got it home I noticed it was leaking oil. Brought it back and they found the valve cover was damaged during the re-install. So three trips to the dealer in two weeks. Thankfully I only paid the first time. The other two were on them.

Damn! Hope it lasts this go round!

roostercogburn98 · Dec 3, 2020

My Jeep left the factory on its way to the great state of NC. With any luck, I’ll see it in a couple weeks.

Holliday · Dec 3, 2020

My brother has a late 90s Grand Cherokee that is a stump jumper. He has pulled me out a jam more than once.

This guy does off-road recovery with “the Banana”, a Cherokee. He says that stock they are terrible but jack them up, pull the sway bars and lower your tire pressure and they are monsters!

Matt's Off Road Recovery

We do off road towing, recoveries, and rescues. We cover beautiful southern Utah, near Zion National park. We have a unique way to do off road recovery with ...

www.youtube.com

TheGerman · Dec 3, 2020

I've been looking at a Cherokee V6 diesel and frame to build a DAGOR off of. I should just go full deathwish and put a Trailhawk in it.

Might be 2021's project.

roostercogburn98 · Dec 3, 2020

TheGerman said:
I've been looking at a Cherokee V6 diesel and frame to build a DAGOR off of. I should just go full deathwish and put a Trailhawk in it.

Might be 2021's project.

Don’t buy the trail hawk with the two speed transfer case. It is a known failure point. My wife’s trail hawk had to have a new transfer case, transmission, and a slew of other parts replaced because of it. I purposely ordered my 21 Gladiator with a manual 4wd shifter, but it has the turbo diesel and 3:73 gears

thejeep · Dec 3, 2020

Or just buy one of these

Ultra4 | King of the Hammers | KOH | Money Pit Classifieds

www.moneypitclassifieds.com

MK3XXX · Dec 3, 2020

Had my Cherokee for about 8 years I believe, started out stock and ended up with fabricated 9” axles, 40” stickies, coilovers and alot of cage inside, it worked well. Wanted to do some ultra4 races but never got around to it.

S197 · Dec 3, 2020

phantasm said:
3.6L. It's a 2015 JKU-S. The dealer wouldn't cover it under the warranty that covers it for the 2012-2013 models. The crack was near cylinder 6 and one of the valves was also cracked. The total was $3300 out the door for a new cylinder head and valve job. Then they didn't reassemble it correctly so it threw a CEL again before I left the lot. The tech forgot to tighten some bolts in the oil galley. Once I got it home I noticed it was leaking oil. Brought it back and they found the valve cover was damaged during the re-install. So three trips to the dealer in two weeks. Thankfully I only paid the first time. The other two were on them.

did they tell you what caused the failure? did the valve drop?

jbell · Dec 3, 2020

S197 said:
did they tell you what caused the failure? did the valve drop?

The valve obviously did not drop as it is still in the cylinder head and does not show any sign of piston contact. It is hard to tell from the picture but I am thinking it is an excessive cylinder temperature problem, more than likely that cylinder was running lean. Which is why I asked about the piston, if it gets hot enough to crack a valve and the head it can melt or crack a crown.

TheGerman · Dec 3, 2020

Where is the best place to keep checking for salvaged/parted out Cherakoee engines/drivetrains?

Basically all I'd want was a frame and a disel engine plus transmission.

It's the base used in this:

Bender · Dec 3, 2020

Man, I haven’t driven my Tj in 3 days. Now I wanna drive it just because.

I’m going to be honest. My TJ is a HORRIBLE car! Soft top? In 20° temps that leaks air? COLD! It rides like crap! It’s hard to get into! It drives horrible! You don’t actually drive it, you herd it down the road! Washboard roads? SUCKS ASS! It hogs gas for how little it is and it’s slow as shit! And it’s a manual? Always shifting it? And.....

it’s everything I love about it! Never be without a Jeep!

TheGerman · Dec 3, 2020

Bender said:
Man, I haven’t driven my Tj in 3 days. Now I wanna drive it just because.

I’m going to be honest. My TJ is a HORRIBLE car! Soft top? In 20° temps that leaks air? COLD! It rides like crap! It’s hard to get into! It drives horrible! You don’t actually drive it, you herd it down the road! Washboard roads? SUCKS ASS! It hogs gas for how little it is and it’s slow as shit! And it’s a manual? Always shifting it? And.....

it’s everything I love about it! Never be without a Jeep!

Im with you.

Mine is currently sitting in parts while it had to wait patiently for a TDI engine to show up from Japan. Should have the full swap, intercooler, turbo, AX15 transmission and a complete new suspension on it before Christmas.

I have to run errands around town in the MRZR lol

roostercogburn98 · Dec 3, 2020

@TheGerman look at CoPart.com or an auto salvage place. If you look around, might be able to pick up a total loss car with a good drivetrain

TheGerman · Dec 3, 2020

roostercogburn98 said:
@TheGerman look at CoPart.com or an auto salvage place. If you look around, might be able to pick up a total loss car with a good drivetrain

How does a total loss work as far as building a 'new' car off the frame and drivetrain? Like is it possible to reuse most of what we need from it, yet make it something else and still be able to register/insure it, or how does that work?

roostercogburn98 · Dec 3, 2020

Bender said:
Man, I haven’t driven my Tj in 3 days. Now I wanna drive it just because.

I’m going to be honest. My TJ is a HORRIBLE car! Soft top? In 20° temps that leaks air? COLD! It rides like crap! It’s hard to get into! It drives horrible! You don’t actually drive it, you herd it down the road! Washboard roads? SUCKS ASS! It hogs gas for how little it is and it’s slow as shit! And it’s a manual? Always shifting it? And.....

it’s everything I love about it! Never be without a Jeep!

But nothing beats actually “driving” a car. Had a mustang with electronic power steering and it had zero steering feedback. I like putting around in my 66 Bug.

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