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junglejuice
07-16-2011, 05:43 AM
I just found this site so I thought I would put up some of my build up pics and info.
I have had my Xj for 8yrs and it has been a slow transformation from a stock as a rock Xj sport into a long distance tourer which is still quite capable while still reamining relatively stock looking and comfortable...

It has been slow as I have tried to keep the offroad performance and onroad performance on par with each other and still keep the ride nice for trips that can be upto 7000 kilometres (4000+ miles) at a time.

This is a daily driver so I need it to do "everything" from carry loads to the tip, be a grocery grabber, camper trailer tow vehicle and weekend play thing.

I have had a long and difficult battle with wheel alignment issues but that was finally sorted with parts from Iron Rock Offroad.

Also I have had a long trial and error period with getting the suspension right to acheive the above criteria, which I think I have finally gotten pretty right....

I will post some pics and build up info shortly....

JJ

KH96XJ
07-16-2011, 07:31 AM
:popcorn:

4.3LXJ
07-16-2011, 10:15 AM
Don't feel bad about suspension tweaking. I have been doing that for years and still not satisfied.

steph74
07-16-2011, 10:35 AM
welcome to the site.... waiting for the pictures now that you teased us ;)

And you'll see, you will find plenty of good advice here if needed to mayke your build maybe faster

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 03:12 AM
Ok, I have dug through some old folders looking for some of my older pics so here goes...

I bought this immaculate, low km, bog stock standard 1995 Xj Sport with the only extras being the genuine Jeep bullbar and side steps which looked a lot like this...

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/CarYard_resize-1.jpg

So we could get to places like this.....

Tasmania...

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/IMG_0978a_resize-1.jpg

And Cape York....

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/CapeYork-Tipjj_resize-1.jpg

To add some context for those unfamiliar with Australia, those two locations are further apart in a straight line than New York to California!!!!

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 03:44 AM
The first thing that was done was the fitting of a dual position cargo barrier, expensive but extremely worth while.
Then it was off to the suspension shop for the first of many suspension mods, the rear leaf packs were removed, an extra leaf was added along with the packs being reset, unfortunately I don't have any info of how much it lifted the back but it was very noticable, the ride improved as well as the load carry ability.
It was also given a wheel alignment to try and correct the hideous amount of pull to the passenger side (left), as soon as you would let go of the wheel it was off the road, no exageration.
The wheel alignment helped marginally but then it would self centre anymore.....

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 03:48 AM
After our trip to Tasmania in '04 we noticed the odd sensation of "pinging" on hills, I tried some in tank injector cleaner which also ups the octane rating and this seemed to releive the issue so it was then run on "premium" unleaded, this not only stopped the pinging but it went better and also gave better economy (went from 14l/100 down to 12l/100) this also meant that it was actually cheaper to run on the dearer petrol than it was on the cheaper petrol, this was a trend that would plague me for the next few years.....

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 03:54 AM
After a while I became unhappy with the ride height and started looking into bastard packs and different shocks, I tried some Procomp Es9000, what a pile of s&^t they are, the worst riding shock I have ever had the displeasure of trying!!!!!!
Eventually I would fit an Old Man Emu suspension package that I bought, it even came with a complete car!!!!!

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/021_resize-1.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/020-Afewspareparts_resize-1.jpg

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 03:57 AM
It was around this time I was experimenting with vented bonnets......

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/025-Letthatheatout_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/026_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/028_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/029_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/031_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/034_resize.jpg

The vents were stainless steel marine vents.....

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 03:58 AM
It was around this time I was experimenting with vented bonnets......

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/025-Letthatheatout_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/026_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/028_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/029_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/031_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/034_resize.jpg

The vents were stainless steel marine vents.....

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 04:02 AM
In a bid to make the most of the small cargo area and also because I like to make things I started on the first of my rear storage systems....

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/DSC02391ss_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/DSC02392ss_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/DSC02393ss_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/DSC02394ss_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/DSC02396ss_resize.jpg

This was a very simple set up that held our 50lt Waeco fridge....

Well it worked for a while....

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 04:09 AM
In an effort to increase our range a larger petrol tank was in order, luckily I found one for an impossible to refuse price.
Over here we can travel for several hundred km's between petrol stations that is outside of the range of the standard 76lt tank, let me introduce our 125lt tank!!!!

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/IMG_3560_resize.jpg

It tucks up quite nicely although we have lost approx 1" of ground clearance, luckily it is quite strong as it has been hit several times offroad...

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/IMG_3600_resize_a.jpg

cantab27
07-17-2011, 04:15 AM
keep the pics and info coming jj, very cool.....

red jeep towing a green jeep , that has to be a first..:rolleye0012:

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/020-Afewspareparts_resize-1.jpg[/QUOTE]

you will catch on to the green jeep red jeep thing,,,, that pics gonna make ya a few new friends............:D

OrangeXJ
07-17-2011, 04:32 AM
Orange

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 04:39 AM
In a long struggle with the afore mentioned pinging issue I started with a lot of reading on different forums and also I have tinkered with cars for a long time previously, I started experimenting with throttle body spacers, now I have heard arguments for and against but as I had the means to make one I did.
It worked, as soon as it was fitted the pinging stopped.....

For a while, then it came back although not quite as bad as before, now I am talking pinging from a standing start with no load and driving casually or even driving up a gentle slope empty let alone with my 1t camper trailer or even a car trailer like above...

So the next step was the often "dismissed as crap" mod of a late model intake off a 2000 model, so after finding one for a reasonable price (hey I was getting desperate) I fitted it......

No more pinging, period, even after a 5000km trip to the top of Cape York in quite warm to hot conditions towing the 1t camper trailer through sand and water etc and some steep hills on standard (read crap rural) petrol it never pinged plus the performace was like it used to be on premium fuel athough it did tend to like a little more of it (17l/100km vs 16l/100km towing on regular petrol) so it was a small price to pay but still cheaper then premium and there isn't much availability of premium outised of the major centres let alone in the middle of nowhere!!!!


Now before I get the usual comments of these mods don't work (don't worry I have heard them many times on other forums) I know that for mine it did, I even took the TBS off without telling my wife and when she got home from shopping she told me that there is something wrong with the brakes as it didn't really want to go well like it normally did, so I told her I would look at the brakes (read refit the TBS) next day after more shopping she reports that I did a good job on the brakes as it is all good again!!!!!!

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 04:54 AM
Now for the wheel alignment saga.......

As I mentioned before I had an issue with it pulling left (to the passenger side for us), after an alignment it was a little better in regards to pulling but would no longer self centre, what was worse I was told that was as good as it gets without using "special" parts that cost $300ea (offset ball joints) so after a lot of reading including Gojeep's great site I found that my wheelbase on the left was shorter than the right which for a RHD car is wrong and not being one to do mods that aren't reversible I found a set of adjustable arms which allowed me to rectify this which had quite a marked effect on it, it still pulled but only slightly but the effects of the first wheel alignment which was trying to effectively twist the solid diff housing in an effort to increase the wheelbase had chewed out the bushes.
But at least things were improving but only to a point.

Then I had a lucky break, I bought a wreck that had an offset balljoint already fitted so I quickly fabbed a balljoint press which also works on the bushes in the the d30 and whacked it in to effectively decrease the caster on the drivers side wheel....

Well it made a considerable difference but it was second hand and as such I wasn't all that keen on runing a second hand balljoint so I started looking to the US to source some.

That alone was a task in its self, some suppliers simply refused to ship to Australia, others while willing to do it must think we are backwards or something and wanted to charge $90ea to ship them but I found that one shop had them for a reasonable price but wouldn't ship to here but I found that as I was already buying new adjustable control arms and diff gears from Iron Rock offroad they, at a cost were able to buy them in for me and ship them with the rest of my gear for very little extra, me tips my hat to the good folk at IRO!!!!!

So after a long struggle and 2 offset balljoints later (1x2* DS & 1x1* PS) I finally have a car that can run straight, no longer is hungry for passenger side front tyres and now self centres again after I did my own alignment......


PHEW!!!!!

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 05:01 AM
Some goodies from IRO....

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/P11-03-11_1510_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/P11-03-11_1511_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/P11-03-11_151002_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/P11-03-11_151001_resize.jpg

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 05:06 AM
After a set of effective home made disconnects were added it was time for some offroading...

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/P1110296_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/P1110346_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/P1110175_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/IMG_1447_resize_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/IMG_1443_resizea_resize.jpg

Check out the size of the termite mound....

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/IMG_3531a_resize.jpg

4.3LXJ
07-17-2011, 09:40 AM
Wow, lots to comment on. With that pinging, did you try cleaning the carbon out of your combustion chamber? We have a product here we use called SeaFoam. Not sure if we export it or not. But if not, dribbling water down the intake when revved does the same thing, removes the carbon form the top of the piston and reduces or eliminates pinging.

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 04:06 PM
Wow, lots to comment on. With that pinging, did you try cleaning the carbon out of your combustion chamber? We have a product here we use called SeaFoam. Not sure if we export it or not. But if not, dribbling water down the intake when revved does the same thing, removes the carbon form the top of the piston and reduces or eliminates pinging.

Yes it is a lot, there is still more yet, I have 8yrs to catch up on....

As for the pinging, no I didn't try that idea but as I stated above I managed to fix it and gain performance with the intake mods...

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 04:35 PM
The first generation of rear storage worked well for a while but our needs changed as we were planning a 1mth Cape York trip and we now had 2 Waeco's, 1x50lt to use as a fridge and 1x35lt to use as a freezer, we also now had a compressor as well as a 120a/h AGM battery to power it all.
All of this needed to fit into the rear and it still needed to be removable as well as extra storage so I devised and idea to make a modular dual drawer, dual fridge slide arrangement that can hold the extra components as well as giving places to stow away our other gear.

Stock rear apart from cargo barrier and rubber liner

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Storage%20unit/035-Beforedrwaerunit_resize.jpg

Base frame...

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Storage%20unit/050_resize.jpg

Base frame with battery and compressor...

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Storage%20unit/051-Deepcyclebatterycompressor_resize.jpg

Drawer units fitted

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Storage%20unit/055_resize.jpg

Fridge and freezer mounted

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Storage%20unit/060_resize.jpg

Side units fitted...

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Storage%20unit/067-Mostlyfinisheddrawerunit_resize.jpg

There are more pics on how I built the drawers as well as the latches I made to hold the fridge slides in both the "IN" and "OUT" positions, simple but very effective, even after 2000km of corrugations

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/IMG_3506_resize.jpg

they never rattled or gave any sort of issue.

For those in the US who may not be familiar with our corrugated dirt roads Mythbusters did a special on them as they didn't belive that corrugations actually exist, they actually thought the corrugations themselves were the myth, anybody who has travel in remote areas of Australia will tell you they do exist and shake the s&^t out of everything!!!!!

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 04:39 PM
To help with the extra load of a trailer, two fridges a bettery etc and to maintain a decent ride it was decided that some help was required for the rear springs but adding more leafs would not do the trick as the would would go to crap when empty so some airbags were ordered.
I can actually raise and lower the rear with them and even when fully loaded it is barely a difference in ride height!!!!

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/022Airbags_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/023_resize.jpg

Note the springs have changed since then....

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 04:50 PM
Those who are observant will notice that the bullbar has changed in some of the pics, the alloy bar which is a genuine Jeep bar was sold a few years back and swapped in favour of an ARB steel bar, better aproach angle, doesn't protude as far and while on Cape York I hit a 'ROO with it, luckily it glanced off but an alloy bar offers little to no frontal protection so the steel bar was fitted.....

Original aluminium bar

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/CarYard_resize-1.jpg

ARB steel bar

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/IMG_1500_resizea.jpg

junglejuice
07-17-2011, 04:55 PM
Then I decided for normal street use to ditch the stock steelies...

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/IMG_4268_resize.jpg

And go for an alloy wheel, we like the JK Wrangler rims which unfortunately don't fit but found a similar styled rim off an early 90's Ford Falcon that shares the same stud pattern as the Xj....

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/IMG_4269_resize.jpg

The Falcon rims use a shallower BS, 4.25" vs 5.25" so they sit further out, from the front or the rear it appears that there is larger tyres fitted but they are in fact the stock 225/75/15's, remember this is for street use, not offroad use....

junglejuice
07-18-2011, 01:16 AM
Earlier this year I bought a 1996 Zg Grand Cherokee (everywhere outside the US the Zj is referred to as a Zg) mainly as a donor for the rear disc brakes that I plan to fit to my Xj.

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/P05-02-11_1514_resize.jpg

The guy I bought it off fried the computer and the transmission was toast so I got it for a good price, once I got it home I swapped the ECU and viola, it fired up and ran smooth....
It was so smooth that when a mate heard it he described it as a sewing machine...

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/P05-02-11_1338_resize.jpg

Well I decided while I had it still in the car and I had for Xmas received a compression tester that I should test the compression so I could quote some figures when I sell the engine, well that was where the surprise started.
I made a chart on my blackboard, the figures are all in PSI....

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/Xj%20build%20up/P28-02-11_2039_resize.jpg

Check out cyl #2!! 50% more compression, I obviously double checked these figures to test the consistency of the guage and got the same results.....

So after the shock it occured to me that it may have been part of the issue that I had been having with the pinging and maybe why the late model intake helped despite everybody telling me it wouldn't, who knows, I am not a mechanic, I am an electrician....

This led to a quandry, albeit a short one, I had just replaced the rear main seal on my Xj engine (185,000kms) but it was now leaking more than before I touched it and here was this Zg engine (204,000kms) that wasn't leaking and had much, much better compression.
Another issue is the cams are different between the 95 & 96 engines resulting in different power and torque curves, the 95 torque peaks at 3950rpm and the 96 torque peaks at 3000rpm which is far more useful.

So any guesses as to what I decided to do????

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/P27-02-11_1438_resize.jpg

I thought stuff it, why not give it a go and while the original one is out I can redo the gaskets if the Zg engine doesn't prove to be any better.
The other issue that I was unsure about was if the OBD1 ECU would handle the different torque curve that this newer engine had but I read numerous times that the OBD1 ECU is better at handling mods than the OBD2 ECU is.
So in it went with the standard 95 intake manifold, the extractors and 2.5" exhaust like before with the TBS and what a difference, it doesn't need to kick down as often on hills, it pulls better in each gear, generally better all round, it would be interesting to see if the late model intak would make any difference to it but I have too many things to get ready before our next trip in a few weeks....

4.3LXJ
07-18-2011, 01:36 AM
For those in the US who may not be familiar with our corrugated dirt roads Mythbusters did a special on them as they didn't belive that corrugations actually exist, they actually thought the corrugations themselves were the myth, anybody who has travel in remote areas of Australia will tell you they do exist and shake the s&^t out of everything!!!!!

We call them washboard roads here. And yes, we have them. I have been over a road that had about 50 miles of them, but not as bad as the bush I guess.

junglejuice
10-06-2012, 08:20 PM
Well an update since the last post, my car was featured in our primary offroad magazine that we have here, 4wd Action Magazine, they did an article on it due to the fact that it was a budget built tourer...

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/4wd%20Action%20Photoshoot/4wd-184-1.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/4wd%20Action%20Photoshoot/IMG_1108_resize.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/4wd%20Action%20Photoshoot/IMG_1216_resize.jpg

Cheers, JJ

junglejuice
10-06-2012, 08:24 PM
And another one...

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x451/junglejuice72/30042012162_resizea.jpg

JJ

4.3LXJ
10-06-2012, 08:29 PM
Looking good man. Congrats

junglejuice
10-07-2012, 03:35 AM
Cheers buddy....

oderdene
10-07-2012, 08:13 AM
wow, congrats bro. It is amazing

junglejuice
10-08-2012, 12:17 AM
wow, congrats bro. It is amazing

Thanks buddy, I have stacks more pics, the photographer took a load of photos for the article, they only used a small portion in the magazine...

JJ

Hellraisingvtec
10-11-2012, 02:21 PM
great project