High-Performance Jeep Cherokee XJ Builder's Guide 1984-2001

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Item # SA109  ISBN: 9781932494143




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Ready to turn your Jeep Cherokee XJ into a trail-worthy machine? Why not? With two available 4-wheel-drive systems, solid axles front and rear, and a torquey 4.0-liter straight 6, the Cherokee is a very capable machine, especially when it’s modified the right way.

This book isn’t about cutting apart your Cherokee to build an over-the-top, off-road-only rock crawler (though you can take it there), and it isn’t about building a jacked-up, chrome-covered show rig either. This book is about building a useful, capable Cherokee for mountains, the mud, the desert, the street, and everywhere in between. With the modifications explained on these pages, your Cherokee can take you and yours just about everywhere you want to go – and get you back safely.

Author Eric Zappe explains how to upgrade your Cherokee’s suspension, axles, differentials, engine, transfer case, wheels and tires, skid plates, and more, using aftermarket and salvage yard upgrades. Zappe even has special sections covering basic driving and recovery techniques, and a number of built-up Jeeps to give you ideas for your own Cherokee.

Also included is a detailed account of a group of XJs making a run through the famous Rubicon trail.

Table of Contents

About the Author | Acknowledgments | Introduction

Chapter 1: Cherokee Basics
A Brief History of the Jeep Cherokee | Buying a Cherokee | Can My Stock XJ Go Off-Road? | Shifting into 4WD | Basic Driving Tips and Techniques | Responsible Use – Doing Your Part | Basic Maintenance and Do-It-Yourself | Beginning Modifications — Sway Bar Removal

Chapter 2: Suspension Upgrades
2-Inch Budget Boost | 3-Inch Lift Kits | 4- to 6-Inch Lift Kits | Long-Arm Suspensions | Achieving a Balanced Suspension | Shocks | Post-Lift Maintenance

Chapter 3: Wheel and Tire Selection
Beadlocks | Wheel Size | Backspacing and Offset | Wheel Spacers | Tire Size vs. Lift Height | Correcting the Speedometer | Tread Types

Chapter 4: Steering, Alignment, and Brakes
Heavy-Duty Stock Steering Replacements | Over-the-Knuckle and Cross-Over Steering Systems | Drop Pitman Arms | Steering Box Reinforcement | Alignment: Toe, Caster, and Camber | Death Wobble | Rear Disc Brake Conversion

Chapter 5: Axles, Gearing, and Traction Devices
Stock Front Axles | Stock Rear Axles | Alloy Axle Shafts | Popular Axle Swaps | Choosing a Gear Ratio | Manual Hub Conversion | Limited-Slip Differentials | Lockers

Chpater 6: Transfer Cases and Driveline
Front Driveshafts | Rear Driveshafts | Slip Yoke Eliminators | Long-Travel Yokes | Shims

Chapter 7: Engine and Transmission Upgrades
The 2.5L I-4 Engine | The 2.8L V-6 Engine | The 4.0L I-6 Engine | Snorkels | Air Filters | Bored-Out Throttle Body | Aftermarket Exhausts | Using an Oversized Oil Filter | Transmission Upgrades

Chapter 8: Body Basics
2-Door vs. 4-Door | Unibody Strengthening and Stiffening | Fender Trimming | Flare Options | Hood Vents | Bedlining the Interior

Chapter 9: Skid Plates and Recovery
Front Recovery Points | Rear Recovery Points | Transfer Case Protection | Gas Tank Protection | Differential Guards | Control Arm Protection | Rocker Panel Protection | Where to put that spare tire? | Basic Tools for Recovery | The Reno 4x4 XJs do the Rubicon

Appendix A: Stock Cherokee Specs | Appendix B: Acronyms and Terminology | Appendix C: Source Guide

High-Performance Jeep Cherokee XJ Builder's Guide 1984-2001