gascapkevin
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 9, 2023
- Messages
- 190
I have been having FOMO with everyone building rock crawlers and having fun going slow. Originally I wanted to SAS my first gen expo, but as a new dad I knew I wasn’t going to have the time or energy to complete that project. So I sold my expo (instant regret) and have been on the hunt for a solid axle rig on the cheap. Well last week a cheap XJ popped up on marketplace and I decided to jump on it. I am very much anti jeep, but with 4 doors for the family, a brother in law who is obsessed with XJs, and the amount of parts on the market for these things I decided to dip my toes into the jeep world (instant regret).
Meet Rooster, not much of a looker but he’s got decent bones
The specs:
1990
4.0
Auto
NP242 transfer case
High pinion Dana 30 up front
Dana 35 in the back
It had been sitting for about a year and it drives as such. I drove it home but it was struggling. I’m gonna run some injector cleaner through it with fresh gas and hope that clears it up. Then I will be taking that front bumper off and putting the stock one back on. So if anyone needs a winch bumper for their XJ let me know.
Undecided if I’m gonna hit it with some red tractor paint from tractor supply or leave the “patina”
It has the Dana 35 rear axle so I’m on the hunt for a second gen expo 8.8 to throw in the back. I’ll be leaving the Dana 30 up front for a bit. Rock sliders, 33s with the body clearanced to fit them, and then seat time in the rocks is my current plan with the thing. Gonna try and keep it as simple as possible. At least that’s what I told myself
we will see how that plan works out.
I know very little about these things so if anyone has thoughts on a good suspension layout (“long arm” vs 3 link up front, a good shock and coil spring setup, good leaf setup for the back…etc) I am all ears. I started researching on some Jeep forums but I can only read about rubber ducks and body armor for so long before getting nauseous. Don’t really have any desire to go fast in it, I have my raptor for that stuff. I just want it to be a reliable rock donkey.
Meet Rooster, not much of a looker but he’s got decent bones
The specs:
1990
4.0
Auto
NP242 transfer case
High pinion Dana 30 up front
Dana 35 in the back
It had been sitting for about a year and it drives as such. I drove it home but it was struggling. I’m gonna run some injector cleaner through it with fresh gas and hope that clears it up. Then I will be taking that front bumper off and putting the stock one back on. So if anyone needs a winch bumper for their XJ let me know.
Undecided if I’m gonna hit it with some red tractor paint from tractor supply or leave the “patina”
It has the Dana 35 rear axle so I’m on the hunt for a second gen expo 8.8 to throw in the back. I’ll be leaving the Dana 30 up front for a bit. Rock sliders, 33s with the body clearanced to fit them, and then seat time in the rocks is my current plan with the thing. Gonna try and keep it as simple as possible. At least that’s what I told myself
we will see how that plan works out. I know very little about these things so if anyone has thoughts on a good suspension layout (“long arm” vs 3 link up front, a good shock and coil spring setup, good leaf setup for the back…etc) I am all ears. I started researching on some Jeep forums but I can only read about rubber ducks and body armor for so long before getting nauseous. Don’t really have any desire to go fast in it, I have my raptor for that stuff. I just want it to be a reliable rock donkey.
