[chris86vw]

:heart: You're going to love this at highway speed.

Throw a coil in there & check again because as the axle rotates through the travel the coil bows forward and you don't want it to touch sometimes (like mine does).

Crank the steering hard passenger and flex to full stuff passenger full droop driver the panhard will need a small bite taken out of the frame just forward of the passenger coil tower.

Current up travel limits are radiator on the passenger side and where I have the driver motor mount on the other side, will hit the front shaft (not currently installed). So for my setup frame is fine, for now. I might need to deal with frame like you did once I find a shorter radiator but probably will be limited by the shaft/mount contact on the driver side for ever. But that stuffs the 35s to just about to rub with the current tires, but clears fender etc. Basically I'm at all my limits for current hardware, happy accident.

I do have to be careful how I Rotate the spring or it hits the track bar, I have to put the half coil in the front so it angle back a hair and then it seems to clear all the time.


I also gave up after 2 days of no swaybar and knocked out some brackets. The currie spring rate is so much softer than the old rough country stuff, along with the more flexy non binding suspension and the Jeep would change lanes letting on and off the throttle just from the engine twist :laugh::banghead: Have had it up to about 70 so far, that's pretty much redline in 5th with the 4.10s and I like it, but it has also been 3 years so forget how it handled before. Friends little lift/33s TJ is coming in tomorrow to check his heater core so I"ll get to test a stock setup to compare.


Have 3/4" spacers that just showed up for the rear since it currently sits with with a tiny squat and I can't stand it but I think I'm nearing the limits of how much I can rotate the axle for proper pinion angle with the flush tummy tuck I have.. Time to cut her in half and stretch to LJ length.

 

[robbyb413]

I rented a JT to hit Death Valley not too long ago. First time in one of these. Wasn't any sort of real test of the offroad chops but it was still fun to whip around on the dirt and gravel for a day.

In terms of leaving the pavement, I took it to Hole In The Wall, through Twenty Mule Team Canyon, through Mustard Canyon, out to Keane Wonder Mine, and the full distance of Titus Canyon Road. I only had a day, so will go back to do Racetrack Road/Ubehebe Peak area, Warm Spring Canyon/Barker Ranch area, and West Side Rd area when I go back to hike Telescope Mountain on my next visit.






I had a good time, but while the JT was a nice novelty for a day as a rental as an off-roader it's too big and too much of a car. I'm sure that if you have to pick one vehicle for a daily and a toy it's a good compromise because it's both pretty livable and pretty capable, but if you're just getting a Jeep as a spare vehicle to go Jeeping the CJ/YJ/TJ are still clearly the way to on account of the small size, spartan interior, and basic engine/running gear making them a a stronger contender stock and better basis for modification. On a positive note though, one thing I will say I did really like was how easy it was to flip the factory sunrider top back and pop the rear window off, so it's got that going for it.

On the way back from Hole In The Wall I got a good laugh. I guess no matter where you go, even on a space designated as a "four-wheel-drive-road", there is a minivan waiting to ruin your good time. :lol:

 

[JOSHFL420]

Just picked up this 97 Cherokee Country with 59k miles. Needs a few things (EVAP codes FML) and I plan to do the rear XJ disc brake conversion.

Selling the WRX is hard but I'll get over it.

Just rolled 82k and still enjoy.

Replaced so far:
Oil and filters
shocks all 4 corners
sway bar bushings
transmission input shaft seal
custom cat back exhaust (sounds mean)
4 new Michelin tires
radio/speakers

Needs Still:
sun visors recovered
lower/upper control arms

Was tempted to sell it recently and the wife actually got upset. Seems she enjoys it as much as I do. Little 5 yr old (girl) showed me her school diary that had a pic of us in the Jeep driving through puddles.

 

[Cabin Pics]

Just rolled 82k and still enjoy.

Replaced so far:
Oil and filters
shocks all 4 corners
sway bar bushings
transmission input shaft seal
custom cat back exhaust (sounds mean)
4 new Michelin tires
radio/speakers

Needs Still:
sun visors recovered
lower/upper control arms

Was tempted to sell it recently and the wife actually got upset. Seems she enjoys it as much as I do. Little 5 yr old (girl) showed me her school diary that had a pic of us in the Jeep driving through puddles.

Glad you're enjoying it. I still miss mine, the simplicity is impossible to find in today's cars.

 

[IJM]

Was tempted to sell it recently and the wife actually got upset. Seems she enjoys it as much as I do. Little 5 yr old (girl) showed me her school diary that had a pic of us in the Jeep driving through puddles.

Little girls love XJs. :beer:

 

[robbyb413]

Had some spare time in the desert, so grabbed a JL and went out to some ghost towns and abandoned mines. Took hundreds of pics, but they all disappeared from my phone somehow which is a real drag, so no real pics of the JL in action. Just a pano on some easy rolling terrain (below). Got it a little stuck once in a wash, no big deal, but otherwise it was fine over most of the terrain including up some really steep inclines on loose material. It was a step up from the JT I had last time I was out in the desert because the shorter LOA, wheelbase, and rear overhang meant the JL was less prone to dragging and scraping whenever the trails got interesting.

Had a couple close calls with it where I almost got to experience it's crash test performance. Came around a bend and just barely missed some coyotes in a spot where a swerve would have been bad. A single coyote was a $10,000 repair on my S4, but I assume this would have taken the impact just fine. Later I came face to face with some wild horses and had to hard stop where a swerve just wasn't an option, which was good because they were study and that would not have gone well for the Jeep I imagine. Then I parked it with a tire on a tarantula, but I imagine that furry fellow was dead before I got there otherwise it would have moved out of the way. Hopefully. :laugh:

 

[Gitcha Sum]

:thumbup:

 

[SebTheDJ]

How are the 2016-2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk? Is it a reliable vehicle? I'm sorta eyeing one.

 

[Baltimoron]

My wife has a 2017 Cherokee and it's been good to us so far, the powertrain has been solid with no leaks or cylinder head ticks. These things are heavy for a CUV, you're probably best off with the V6 over the 4cyl non-turbo.

 

[SebTheDJ]

My wife has a 2017 Cherokee and it's been good to us so far, the powertrain has been solid with no leaks or cylinder head ticks. These things are heavy for a CUV, you're probably best off with the V6 over the 4cyl non-turbo.

Thanks, yeah 4 cylinder was never in the equation.

 

[vweatsvtec]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SLVRon]

How are the 2016-2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk? Is it a reliable vehicle? I'm sorta eyeing one.

I have a 2019 TH - that's the refresh year (transmission issues resolved) so I'd go with 2019 or 2020 if you can. Have only had very minor infotainment issues with mine to date - just came back from the annual Death Valley trip and it survived a beating through Butte Valley. I have the 2.0T (also introduced in 2019) which is a great engine.

 

[nasty_VW_habit]

Been messing with this for couple years - it’s almost done.
2012 Arctic with 31k mikes.

I’m already stocking parts for mk4 dub arriving soon as summer beater for those crappy rainy days when JK is naked

 

[kbmdean4011]

Any love for the FSJ?

We bought this 1988 Grand Wagoneer in 2008 with 95k miles. It now has 140k miles and is a permanent part of our family. It's a 9/10 mechanically, 100% reliable, A/C works, power everything works. It has the original AMC 360 that was rebuilt in 2015. I changed the pistons to increase compression, added an Edelbrock cam for low end torque, added an Edelbrock intake manifold, converted it to EFI with a Howell throttle body injection kit, and put on a custom exhaust. Cosmetically, it's only a 5/10. It needs a paint job, the clear coat is largely gone on all horizontal surfaces, and it needs a new interior. Carpet replacement, new door cards, etc.

It's a daily driver that has no problem getting full sheets of plywood and lumber, we take it on road trips everywhere from Georgia recently to get a dog, Padre Island, Santa Fe NM, the Grand canyon, etc. Zero doubts about reliability.

Click this photo to hear the exhaust. Factory y pipe into 2.5 inch with a single magnaflow deltaflow 40 muffler. It has exactly the same number of catalytic converters as the day I bought it.



Sangre de Cristo's near Santa Fe



Chihuahuan desert at Big Bend NP





Grand Canyon NP






15 miles down the beach at Padre Island National Seashore

 

[IndyMK7GLI]

My wheeler....

 

[Baltimoron]

How do you like those Patagonias? I am thinking about upsizing to 37s and their pricing is pretty tempting.

 

[IndyMK7GLI]

How do you like those Patagonias? I am thinking about upsizing to 37s and their pricing is pretty tempting.

They've been awesome so far... supposedly their down side is mud but I didn't have to winch out of that puddle in my pic...and you're correct...the price is too tempting....I figured if I was gonna be gouging tires then why not go with a cheaper tire...thats opposite of how I normally run but the pats had such good reviews I thought wth...those are 37's on mine...

 

[Pizza Cat]

Any love for the FSJ?

**** yes. Love this so much.

 

[IndyMK7GLI]

Down in Alabama....