EugeneTheTJ's 2000 XJ Build Thread

EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
At that point I was working to add safety features to the XJ to make it better for a growing family. I picked up a ZJ rear seat from the junkyard and cut it up to add headrests to the XJ back seat.
seatbefore.jpg

I cut the bracket off of the inside of the ZJ seat at the bottom and cut the tube straight through about 2 inches from the bracket on each side.
zjbracket.jpg

This is the inside of the XJ seat foam. Interesting that it already had a recessed area for headrests. From what I read, they came standard on European and Australian models.
seatfoam.jpg

Then I welded the tube/bracket to the XJ seatback. Once done, reinstall foam and cutout small areas for the headrest tube to pass through. Finally, reinstall cover and cut slits for the top of the headrest tubes to pass through. Here it is finished:
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seatafter1.jpg
 

EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
After months of building I finally finished my drawer system. Total investment (not including too much labor) was about $200. That's a hell of a lot better than a generic pre-fab unit for $1,200-$1,500.
DRAwer1.jpg
Drawer2.jpg
 

EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
The Jeep developed a slight shimmy at about 45mph so I took the opportunity to freshen up the front end with a ZJ tie rod and new Monroe steering stabilizer. Much beefier and better.
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
The build was turning serious and I was growing increasingly frustrated with the suspension setup. At that time I decided to chat with my friend Matson and concluded that the Metalcloak 3.5" kit was the ultimate solution for my Jeep so I went ahead and ordered it. I also figured if I was going to do that much work I might as well get rid of the low pinion 30. I scored another super deal on Craigslist and picked up this HP30 for $25.
HP30.jpg

Me and xjay devoted a night to prepping the HP30 for install. Got the tubes all cleaned out, inner axle seals replaced, Ten Factory outer seals installed, and threw in a Spartan locker.
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Spartan.jpg
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
With the new lift on I was due for some bigger tires. I found a good deal on a set of JK Rubi takeoffs so I picked them up. Spidertrax adapters were also purchased from Rick at Quadratec.
TiresA.jpg

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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
Also you can see in that picture that I have rock sliders on there.

A lot of thought was put into those as I was also trying to add some stiffness to the unibody. I settled on the Unibody Rock Slyders from Mark at Detours. They have a piece of 1x3 that serves as the mainframe stiffener and spreads from the front rear leaf spring mount, hugging the unibody, and terminating at the lower control arm mount. There are then 2 kickout legs with a 2x4 (I think) tapered slider that ties into the pinch seam. Brilliant design, dual purpose, and very strong.

Here's some additional pics of them:
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
One snowy, icy day that winter I also swapped out the front seats for a nice pair of WJ Laredo bucket seats. Much more comfortable and have a headrest which I like.
WJSeat1.jpg

WJSeat2.jpg
 

EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
In an ever ending search for more organization, I also added Blue Ridge Overland Gear seat back MOLLE panels. I have since added a lot more of their products which you will see in future posts.
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
Took it back to Brown Mountain to test out the new setup. Very, very impressive suspension.
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
At that point the XJ was seeing a lot more overland-style use which meant more cargo in the back. I realized there was no physical barrier between the back and the rear seat and I was worried about cargo falling on my dog or my kid in the event of a sudden stop. In order to remedy this issue, I made this cargo net divider using some nylon webbing and brass grommets. It is tightened underneat the seat with a tri-slide snap buckle and is bolted in to the lower rear seat mount and to the upper seatbelt bung.
Cargo Net.jpg
 

Brian

Jeep Fanatic
That is an awesome build. Nice! How does it drive on the road? I have a friend who would like to follow you foot steps on his daily driver.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 

Pthorpe84

Moderator
Staff member
That is one sexy XJ. Your Boxes in the rear are a dang nice touch. Great job on them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
That is an awesome build. Nice! How does it drive on the road? I have a friend who would like to follow you foot steps on his daily driver.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
It's great on the road! I don't like the mud terrains but I've got a set of ATs waiting in my garage. The suspension rides great though!
 

EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
After the Metalcloak lift (even with my Rusty's 1" drop high clearance crossmember) I was having some driveline vibrations above 60 mph. A SYE from Advance Adapters provided the cure. I paired it with a OEM front driveshaft so that I only have to carry one spare on the trail.
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
I started experiencing some heat soak/rough idle. Basically when the Jeep had been running a while, stopped, and was restarted like 15 minutes later it would run real rough until I got some airflow going and the fan on. To help alleviate some of the issue, I installed hood vents from Napier Precision.
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