The classic Jeep Cherokee XJ. This 4×4 lifted Cherokee packs a punch in a compact overland camper and trail rig. Daily drivable & weekend ripable.
Build Details: 2000 Cherokee XJ
I picked up this Cherokee years ago, continuing the build today. First tearing into it with a sawzall and bad influences from Jeep Forum, the build progressed along with the mechanical skills required.
Full build details below.
Engine
The original engine cracked the head at ~230k and was replaced with a 1999 model year 4.0L I6. The same performance, but avoiding the problematic 0331 head casting.
A Viper coil pack replaced the factory spark rail for better fitment with the ’99 block. A set of heavy duty motor mounts were added, and the engine bay got a good once over from paint to wiring.
Transmission
The next thing to go was the transmission. The factory automatic (AW4) is not a bad transmission, but runs notoriously hot without an auxiliary cooler.
The original transmission soon failed with bigger tires and extended trips. Rather than rebuild, a manual transmission took its place.
In comes the AX15 swap.
This included sourcing a junkyard transmission, rebuilding it in the garage, then retrofitting the full OEM assembly.
Pedals, clutch, transfer case, wiring.
All rebuilt or replaced.
The ECU was reprogrammed to the proper factory software to avoid any check engine lights. Even the factory shift light now pops up on the dash.
Front Axle
Noticed a theme yet? Run it, break it, rebuild it.
The 2000 Cherokee came with a low-pinion Dana 30 front axle.
That didn’t last long. The gears grenaded on the trail, and we soon found the axle C’s were bent beyond repair. Rookie mistake.
A high-pinion Dana 30 was pulled from the parts yard and reinforced.
C-gussets were welded in place, followed by a full axle truss, track bar, and control arm mounts.
New ball joints, axle seals, wheel bearings, and we were back in business.
Unibody Stiffening
The next weakest link was the frame, or lack there of. Most desert going trucks and jeeps build around a solid body-on-frame setup. The Cherokee XJ is built different – the unibody construction isn’t quite cut out for the job.
Traditional frame stiffeners weld a series of 3/16″ plates into the highest stress sections. We went with 1/8″ to keep things lighter and ran a series of DIY stiffeners from bumper to bumper.
Linking all points with fishplates and further reinforcement.
Trackbar & Death Wobbles
Even after stiffeners, the Jeep still had play in the steering and suspension. The occasional death wobble that needed a solution.
In our experience, much of the trouble in the Cherokee XJ’s front end comes from the solid axle setup. Converting to “one ton” steering and an over-the-axle trackbar was the first step, but still didn’t cut it.
This DIY trackbar brace ties the passenger frame rail and driver side bracket together to stiffen things up for good. Problem solved.
Suspension
The build has a 3.5″ lift running the factory setup of coils and leaf springs. A set of 2.5″ OEM series King shocks are fitted up front.
The rear has a custom shock hoop to fit 12″ King shocks and bumpstops.
Complete suspension build in the works – stay tuned!
Camper:
The Cherokee XJ is a compact SUV, just big enough to camp out of.
Taking this a step further, we got to work converting ours into a Westfalia-inspired camper.
The first version retrofitted an actual Westfalia top from a 70’s VW bus, but proved rough around the edges.
This original concept was refined into a Cherokee-specific pop top. Built from scratch in the garage, a redesigned fiberglass camper came to life.
Stay tuned as the interior build begins!
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