EugeneTheTJ's 2000 XJ Build Thread

EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
I wasn't pleased with the poly bushings in the rear leaf springs so I pulled them and replaced them with clevite. What a pain that was!
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
As many XJ owners have dealt with, my center console bracket was broken and the entire console rocked back and forth. To fix the issue I installed a new steel bracket from Dirtbound. To be honest the fitment wasn't great - I had to bend one of the legs to get it to line up with the nutsert in the tranny tunnel. Nonetheless, it went in and fixed the wobble.
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
After recovering a 4Runner from Uwharrie in the middle of the night in a rainstorm (in my TJ), I realized how important having rubber floor mats actually was. Decided to stick with Quadratec (same as in my TJ) and ordered up a set for the XJ.
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
With the 255/75R17s I noticed a considerable drop in power running 3.55 gears. In anticipation of this vehicle pulling an expo trailer, I opted to go a little deep and had my man Chris at MarsFab regear the Jeep using 4.56 gears from Nitro.
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
I didn't feel comfortable with hard pulls on the ARB with the standard mounting points so I added some tie-ins to the front crossmember. Still want to do more in the future but for now I feel better having 7 bolts each side.
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
I found a good deal on some JKUR shocks so picked them up to replace the JKU ones. I thought the valving would better match my Jeep considering it's weight. The front stayed in (the back squeaked for some reason and were removed) and the ride is phenomenal.
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
When you have a lot of accessories you need a lot of switches. Since the XJ is like Jeep's ugly stepchild, none of the cool guys offer fancy electrical stuff for it like the sPod. No worries, you can find what you want if you look hard enough. 6 switch panel from @wizardpc_gct (on IG) installed.
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
For a number of reasons I needed to switch up the roof basket with something better. My favorite rack made for the XJ was the FrontRunner flat rack but it wasn't quite wide enough or long enough for me and it was out of my price range.

After a ton of research, I came across some info on ih8mud for what was dubbed a "JMoose rack" made using a 4 wheeler ramp. Once again, I came across a killer deal on Craigslist and jumped on a snowmobile ramp. Extremely strong and met my needs perfectly. Cut off the hooks, capped the ends with aluminum angle, and mounted it to the yakima crossbars using 16 u-bolts. Cool thing is (1) it is aluminum so lightweight and won't rust, (2) the crossbars work with yakima and similar accessories, and (3) it is strong enough to hold whatever I could throw on it.

Naked roof
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Mounting towers
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Test fitting
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So much room for activities
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Painted it black and finished it off with a 51" Combo Lighbar from Quadratec
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
When I was redoing the roof rack I took the opportunity to deep clean the ARB awning cover and get all the mildew off. WalMart products for the win.
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EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
Sometime last December I decided to jump the gun and have the motor rebuilt (related to the ticking noise I already mentioned). Long story short, the shop that "rebuilt" it did a TERRIBLE job and the Jeep's top end blew up on the way to a weekend camping excursion.
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After a lot of cussing and some crying, I decided to have my local (trustworthy) shop rip out the whole thing and put in a Jasper replacement. Heavy pill to swallow but it makes me feel better about the long trips I have planned for this XJ.
 

EugeneTheTJ

Jeep Owner
Metalcloak makes some awesome stuff but this little gem probably gets overlooked. Nice d-ring receiver block: dual-drilled for front or side pulls, aluminum, and holes placed so that the block goes as far in as it can (maximizing departure angle). Very happy with this piece.
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