Rescue One! My 1999 Jeep Cherokee!

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Jason Galbo

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West Chester, Pa
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Good morning Overland Bound! BIG NEWS! I mounted my JCR Mauler bumper! It was a simple instal and ties in well to the subframe using JCR's tie in brackets. BUT WAIT!!!!! There's more!!! I order a winch! And a few other recovery and safety items to go with it!
I'll post pics as things arrive!!
IMG_0793.JPG


Today I also realized I haven't post any photos of my OB badge yet. Luckily a I just recently took some in the midst of a big ice storm!
 
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Jason Galbo

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And I was able to get it installed!


After much thought and reading a lot of reviews I landed on a GenII VR10-S from Warn. It seems to be a great winch that's affordable even coming with synthetic line. It's rated at 10,000lbs which is much more than needed for my jeep but having too much capability is never a bad thing!
 

Jason Galbo

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A bit of an update! The pressure to get the jeep ready before our trip is starting to get to me. I'm having a hard start issue, my front end is sagging now with the additional weight of the winch, my rear brakes need rebuilt, and my spare tire which has been leaking for some time still needs repaired (I've sprayed it down multiple times and can't seem to find the leak anywhere.
I have plans for the next three weekends and we set off for our trip at the end of May. Hopefully I can get all those done, and get a few more mods in as well!


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Aaron Mills

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A bit of an update! The pressure to get the jeep ready before our trip is starting to get to me. I'm having a hard start issue, my front end is sagging now with the additional weight of the winch, my rear brakes need rebuilt, and my spare tire which has been leaking for some time still needs repaired (I've sprayed it down multiple times and can't seem to find the leak anywhere.
I have plans for the next three weekends and we set off for our trip at the end of May. Hopefully I can get all those done, and get a few more mods in as well!


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Bro take it easy. calm down make a list and times your available. then work on one thing at a time. I'm almost done with the mechanical part of my yoda. it will all work out brother
 
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Jason Galbo

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Bro take it easy. calm down make a list and times your available. then work on one thing at a time. I'm almost done with the mechanical part of my yoda. it will all work out brother
I'm calm. I'm just ready to have all the work done and get out there! I'm gonna be re-evaluating my list, no way I can everything I had on there from before done!
 

F4T XJ

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I have a 2" spacer already. I'm thinking about replacing it with an adjustable spacer from ACOS
If you are still running stock springs it might be worth changing them rather than the ACOS spacer as you can match the spring rate to when you a fully loaded.
OME will give you a similar height to your spacers or get a set of ZJ springs and use your spacers.
From memory the stock XJ springs are around 145lb/inch and ZJ are either 180 or 190lb/inch.

As your on limited time it may be worth waiting until you return to sort the front ride height. It can't have dropped that much with the winch and if you get stuck you can always try out your new winch [emoji1]
 
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Jason Galbo

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If you are still running stock springs it might be worth changing them rather than the ACOS spacer as you can match the spring rate to when you a fully loaded.
OME will give you a similar height to your spacers or get a set of ZJ springs and use your spacers.
From memory the stock XJ springs are around 145lb/inch and ZJ are either 180 or 190lb/inch.

As your on limited time it may be worth waiting until you return to sort the front ride height. It can't have dropped that much with the winch and if you get stuck you can always try out your new winch [emoji1]
I have yet to try out my winch haha I plan on getting a larger lift than what I have at some point but that won't be for some time. I was leaning towards the ACOS spacer because when I get the lift I want to run a shackle relocation bracket in the rear which adds a little lift but allows me to correct my shackle angle for a better ride and performance. With the adjustable spacer I could level out the jeep both now and once I get the shackle relocation bracket.
 

Jason Galbo

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Nice work. I'm enjoying checking out all the XJ build threads here before I start mine.
It's a great place to be inspired! But don't limit yourself to XJ build threads! I've found a ton of inspiration in the build threads of other makes and models as well! Do you have a picture of your rig? What year is it?
 

Jason Galbo

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Works been insane for me recently! We just did a massive 5 day build on a Dodge Ram that came out amazing! For those who don't know I work for a company called Main Line Overland, I build Overland vehicles as a profession! but the clock is ticking on my own vehicle for this upcoming tip, I've started assembling a list of last minute repairs I need to complete before this adventure. I just ordered a Borola after cat exhaust system, a Magnaflow high flow cat, and an IAC sensor from Mopar. I am waiting to order a down pipe, a 99 Dodge Durango power steering box, new high and low power steering hoses, a 98 ZJ V8 136amp alternator, a new tensioner pulley and belt for my jeep as well! I know that all sounds like a strange mix for my 99 Jeep Cherokee but with a bit of modification all those things should mostly bolt on to my jeep and be a considerable upgrade over stock components!

Incase I haven't posted photos yet my Factor 55 Extreme FlatLink came in and I had the chance to toss it on the jeep one day after work! It looks amazing and it'll make winching a much safer experience!
 

4wdAdventures

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It's a great place to be inspired! But don't limit yourself to XJ build threads! I've found a ton of inspiration in the build threads of other makes and models as well! Do you have a picture of your rig? What year is it?
No pics yet. I just acquired it a couple months ago and it was intended to be a donor for the Jeep Comanche I had previously that was 4 cylinder 2 wheel drive. Once I discovered rust in its floor from a PO not drying it out after a heater core failure I looked closer at the overall condition of the XJ and decided it would be a much better candidate for a build despite my desire for the MJ. The timing just wasn't right for the swap with my current living situation so I went with logic instead of want.
I've built a dozen off road rigs for myself and hundreds more for customers so I know what to do functionality wise, but vehicle specific accessory locations for mounting stuff up on a relatively small platform is good info. I never really paid any interest in XJ's because I've always been skeptical of the unibody platform having been a rock crawler for so many years but here I am building one anyway. I never had a Jeep with the 4.0HO and kinda getting attached to it so we'll see where it goes. Since I'm out of my rock crawling phase we are more interested in overlanding now and this should hold up to that task just fine.


I've worked my way up from nothing to a state of extreme poverty.