What to do....

[Black Betty]

Hey all,

Want to thank those at the run yesterday, I had a blast, even though I wasn't driving.

I want to pick all your brains a little more on what my options are for a rig.

I have a 99 cherokee sport, 4l auto, which has about 240,000kms on it.  My thoughts were to have a nice wheelin machine that I could take the family out with.  Original plans for this thing was a 6-8" lift, lockers, roll cage/ exo, 4.56 gears and 35" tires.  Since talking with some of you guys here, it seems 35" tires are a little big for the xj's, and articulation will be limited by the fenders etc.  I'm also concerned about rust.  The downfall of a unibody is over time, rust will eat away the truck.  I love my xj, but to get it to where I want, I'm going to be spending quite a few bucks.

I started thinking, maybe an rubicon LJ would be more up my alley.  It's newer, it has a frame, dana 44's with lockers, built in rollcage, more options for lift, gears etc, and almost as much room for the family.  I noticed one on  kijiji this morning for $19,000ish, 6.5" lift, bumpers, winch etc.

It seems to me that even though the initial cost would be more ($19,000 vs the $1000 I paid for my xj), however the longterm I think would be a better investment.  I could own the lj longer, if rust became a problem (body wise), get a new tub.  Wouldn't need lockers or axles, tire sizing would be open to more options.

I guess what I'm getting at is, an LJ will give me more options as time goes on, and is a little less susceptible to twisting from off-road abuse than the unibody xj.  I haven't invested any money into the xj aside from plugs wires hoses etc.

What are your thoughts?

[JackstandJohnny]

everything you just said you'd add to the XJ you'll just end up adding to the LJ..............  (lift, gears, tires, bumpers winch, etc)  unless you buy it built already as stated.

keep in mind that once you build yourself a capable rig as you've mentioned, you will start to push that rig harder and harder, becuase it can do cool stuff and you'll start breaking stuff.  then you're stuck fixing a vehicle where ther arne't many of in the junkyard but more importantly, your DD is down while you fix it.......

i'd build your XJ as stated and get a family hauler like a grand cherokee or something.. keep your wheeler/daily driver separate......

[Spinalguy]

$1000 into the cherokee vs 18 more into the LJ rubi.
Hmmmmm...

Well, i am sure you could buy/build the cherokee into a very capable 4x4 with 18 more g's.
But, the rubi may be financeable vs getting a loan on cherokee upgrades.

When you get the rubi, eventually, you won't be satisfied. You will need 'better' parts. Even than, it will break
and wear out parts if you wheel it.
So, now you have to 'budget' for repairs and non driveable status. can you take a bus? walk? have a 2nd car? etc.

Either way, the 2nd vehicle is a must. i bought an 86? Chevette to be my plan B when my 97 TJ was in operable.
My 03 rubi had a 85 Toy diesel pickup as its running mate.
Man, that Chevette was awesome. The stories it could tell 

[cLAY]

I concur about keeping the DD and trail rig seperate if you can. I wheel with my family and have had both an XJ and a Grand Cherokee. I would have liked to do a 4 door rubi but it was too much money.

$19K is a LOT of money to tie up in a trail only rig. I would recommend staying with 33" tires whatever you go with and as small a lift as possible to run them. This way the vehicle will retain good road manners. With 33's and lockers you will go 90% of the places around here that guys with 35s and lockers go. I've also found that a flexy vehicle with smaller tires will easily out wheel a rig with taller tires that has no flex. I was running 36s on my old XJ with 8" of lift, major trimming front, minor rear and had awesome flex. With short arms to boot. BUT I also had custom built 3/4ton diffs to handle the tires and it wasn't very nice on road(noisy).

Think about gearing as well. With the rubi's 4.10s you could bolt on 33s and go. With 35s you'll want to regear. With an XJ you'll have to re-gear either way.

[cLAY]

Don't let any tell you XJs can't flex with big tires. I would NEVER run the stock diffs with 35s though, I wouldn't even bother upgrading them.

[sylvrinvader]

$1000 into the cherokee vs 18 more into the LJ rubi.
Hmmmmm...

Well, i am sure you could buy/build the cherokee into a very capable 4x4 with 18 more g's.
But, the rubi may be financeable vs getting a loan on cherokee upgrades.

When you get the rubi, eventually, you won't be satisfied. You will need 'better' parts. Even than, it will break
and wear out parts if you wheel it.
So, now you have to 'budget' for repairs and non driveable status. can you take a bus? walk? have a 2nd car? etc.

Either way, the 2nd vehicle is a must. i bought an 86? Chevette to be my plan B when my 97 TJ was in operable.
My 03 rubi had a 85 Toy diesel pickup as its running mate.
Man, that Chevette was awesome. The stories it could tell 

xs2 on the chevette

[Black Betty]

I guess I confused everyone, I have a 2006 grand cherokee for hauling the family, and my work truck is my dd, I want a trail rig to take the family out wheelin in:)

I will drive the rig on the road when my wife is out in the grand.

As for pricing, I was talking about a jeep that is already built, somewhat at least, kinda like the one for sale on the forum for 17,000 ish.  To put lockers, 35's, Dana 44's, bumpers winch, roll cage, lift etc on my Cherokee would cost quite a bit, and it's still a unibody.

I guess it's more of a longevity thing, I also have an 89 Cherokee and it's so rusted it would take thousands to get it back to a decent body, and even then it will rust again.  The lj I can always get a new tub, even thirty years down the road.

I think I've answered my own question, lj has lots of goodies, and far less limitations for tire size etc than the Cherokee.( I never go home, only big). And besides, I will travel with it, even if one day it has to be trailered.

[Justink]

I would go with a cherokee.  You can go alot of places with 33's and a little driving technique.  Find a dana 44 for the back and your set.  A lift is cheap.  Even if you trashed your cherokee eventually, you can pick a decent one for $1800.  if you wrecked one every two years per say the $19,000 would get you a new one for  about 11 years, which is quite a while.
Just my 0.02 cents

[mhernden]

If you want, i'll sell you my XJ thats all set to run 33's and take that $17,000 off your hands.   

Hell, i'll drop it off at your house washed and cleaned. 

 

[Black Betty]

If you want, i'll sell you my XJ thats all set to run 33's and take that $17,000 off your hands.   

Hell, i'll drop it off at your house washed and cleaned. 

 

you'd actually wash the old red baron for me bud??

[dunl]

I'd still buy a cheaper trail rig, until you begin to understand more the types of a build you'd eventually like.  Built XJ's are still fairly cheap.

[Eagle Jeeper]

IF I was you I'd sell your cherokee and buy the blue one that is for sale in the FS section I don't know the vehicle but it looks pretty well equiped and in not bad shape.  You will never build a trail rig for as cheap as you can buy one.  I know building is 3/4's of the fun but money talks and there is always one more thing to do on a jeep.  You would be 13000 ahead of building the LJ plus what ever you could get for your rig.  And then you have that cash for a DD.

Just my 2cents

[jpthing]

It's pretty darn liberating to wheel something that didn't cost too much. Like when body damage is cool and you can show it off to your friends. I pretty much consider my XJ unibody to  be disposable. I will flog it until it's done and then I plan to pick up a nice clean soccer mom XJ and transfer over whatever is worth keeping. I say save your money...for now. The more you wheel the more your rig will let you know where to spend...to improve upon limitations or to repair damaged and worn parts.

35's aren't too big for the xj's, but it's kind of a different class. XJ lifts up to 4.5 inches on 33's are really straightforward and relatively cheap to do. Once you get up to 6-8 inches there are a lot more things to consider and deal with. It's pretty much the same on a tj, but on those you can lift the body, and of course the wheel openings are bigger so 35's on a TJ is a bit easier.

I like justink's advice: 4" lift, 33's, winch and bumper, flog that and see where it takes you.

Also bear in mind if you are bitten seriously by the wheelin' bug, you will need two trail rigs: Your main, nicer rig, and your other piece for those long months when your main rig is up on jackstands in the garage. At least that's what I've found.

What is your wheeling experience?

[Black Betty]

My wheelin experience on the trails out here is fairly low, but have lots of driving time out in the old cottage country of Ontario.  I would not say that I am a novice, but wouldn't call myself a pro.  I've wheeled my stock xj a few times out here and have ended up places where people have said "you made it here in that?".  I'm still not sure what path I will go, I do like the whole build thing, but buying someone elses toy all ready to go saves me a butload in the end.  I got my xj for a steal, but it is bone stock, I would be happier with a tj, but I should make use of what I have for now.  I do have a set of superflex adjustable re lca's on my parts jeep, along with a new set of 3.5" re leafs.  The front has some sort of two inch coils with 1.5" spacers. It will still cost me a couple grand to get that lift swapped to my jeep, it lacks a track bar, discos, sye, driveshaft and wheels/ tires.  Wondering if I should just sell mine and buy a built rig?  What do you think I could get for a 99 4l auto sport with 240,000 k?

[JackstandJohnny]

if you are unpicky about what kind of wrangler you buy there are a few very well built YJs kicking around locked F/R and on 35s. i know of two   both around the 7500$ mark....