Babe, the Blue XJ

cescuzzy

cescuzzy

Well-known member
Introduction

Ladies and Gentlemen, I?d like to introduce you to Babe, the Blue XJ.  Here are a few of the vital stastics:

10974592_10102426525350659_3977591400980627706_o.jpg


  • 2001 Year Model
  • Sport Trim Package
  • Patriot Blue Pearl Paint
  • The 4.0L
  • NV3550 Manual Transmission
  • NP231J Transfer Case
  • Low-Pinion Dana 30 Front Axle
  • Chrysler Corporate 8.25? Rear Axle
  • Steel Wheels
  • 225/75R15 Tires
  • California Emissions Package (My only true problem with her)
  • No Cruise Control (an annoyance)

The History

I bought it in November of 2013 after my ?97 Honda Accord and I collided with a deer.

1269240_10101421187061649_1394864611_o.jpg


The collision only did enough damage to total the car, but not render it unusable.  The crash did give me the push to find a replacement for the poor thing though.  She needed the kind of love and attention that I didn?t have the time or equipment to give her, so I perused the interwebs looking for the perfect replacement that would fit my needs.  To make a long story short, I ended up with Babe.

10339333_10102426527985379_3529059783615292066_o.jpg

(Wasn't there mention of a lack of time, like, I don't know, 2 sentences ago?)

Ok, so no stock Jeep is perfect, but she only had 62,000 miles on her at the time of purchase.  Fourteen months later, we?re at 82,000 miles, but that?s a different matter entirely.  
 
Catching Up

Once I had a Jeep in my possession, I couldn?t wait to start working on it.  Being an XJ, it wasn?t long before I was awarded the opportunity to do so.  A week and a half after purchase, the side tank on the radiator blew out.  Good times, certainly, so I went to work and put in a CSF 2-Row all metal radiator, new water pump, upper and lower radiator hoses, and thermostat.  Things held up pretty well for a little while, so I installed a relay harness to upgrade the headlight wiring and just drove her for a bit.  My rear windshield wiper and rear defroster stopped working, but it was spring and I wasn?t worried about that so much.  I changed out the serpentine belt and idler pulley and equipped a full-size spare tire in case of disaster (thanks again G_Beasley).  A month or 3 went by and I started blowing brake light fuses.  While visiting my parents in MountainTown, NC, my father, brother, and I tore into the issue to see what was wrong.  Adding the blown fuses to the rear windshield wiper problem, I decided to start with the rear hatch wiring harness (it?s not uncommon for the factory wiring to break in the connecting boot.)  Well, lo and behold, the problem was five completely broken wires and 2 more with cracked insulation.  To remedy the issue, we pulled the hatch, soldered in some splices, heat shrinked all the connections, and buttoned her back up.  Yay! Working taillights!

Where, When, and Why

Babe has proven to be a pretty good daily driver; she?s moderately comfortable, fun to drive, and gets around 18 miles per gallon here in SlightlyHillyVille, NC, so my focus for the immediate future will be to improve her drivability.  To accomplish this, I plan to:

  • Add Cruise Control
  • Further upgrade the headlights (I'm done with this one...for now)
  • Add fog lights
  • Grab some more comfortable seats
  • Add sound insulation
  • Improve the ride
  • Upgrade the sound system
  • Maintain and Repair

Since my Jeep account is grossly underfunded at the moment, most of these things will take some time, especially the more expensive items.  My end goal for Babe is:

  • 2.5? lift
  • 30? tires on aluminum wheels
  • An external tire carrier (to improve internal storage)
  • A roof rack (to improve external storage) - or -
  • A small trailer (for added utility)
  • Rock Sliders (I don?t intend to only pound pavement)
  • Gas tank skid (it?s ridiculous how low that thing hangs)
  • Chassis reinforcement (to mitigate unibody fatigue)
  • Steering box reinforcement
  • Rear Leaf Shackle Relocation
  • 15? Big Brake Kit
  • High-Pinion Dana 30 (if the Low Pinion ever causes problems)
  • Hood-Louver (to mitigate Hot Soak)
  • Overhead Console with device charger connections
  • Electric Radiator fan manual override (in-progress)
  • Steering system upgrade
  • Slip-yoke Eliminator
  • Hidden Winch Mount

As I check things off the list, I?ll try to keep everyone apprised of what I?m doing and why I?m doing it.  Hopefully, I?ll even be able to share a little knowledge along the way.  I?ve still got a lot to learn to, and I will appreciate y?all keeping me open and honest about my direction and motivations.

-Scuzz
 
G Beasley said:
We are going to edge up with similar xj's from the sound of it.
Click to expand...

You know what they say, Great minds... [laugh]

In all seriousness, I think this is a very sensible way to use an XJ.  There are some neat ideas out there, but Babe won't be my hardcore wheeler.  I want to start small with this one and work on developing my wheeling style; then I'll move up to something a little bigger.
 
cescuzzy said:
You know what they say, Great minds... [laugh]

In all seriousness, I think this is a very sensible way to use an XJ.  There are some neat ideas out there, but Babe won't be my hardcore wheeler.  I want to start small with this one and work on developing my wheeling style; then I'll move up to something a little bigger.
Click to expand...
Growing with your rig is a great idea.
 
I'm overdue for an update here.  A couple of things to add: one, I upgraded the headlights with a pair of IPF H4 housings (courtesy of [member=79]The_Eng[/member]) and some Hella 55/100W bulbs, and two, I am trying to replace some of my sway bar bushings...you know, link bushings, bar to frame bushings, things of that nature...Things are not going as swimmingly as I had hoped.

Oh, and the frame side trackbar joint moves up and down...good times... 😡
 
There are worse things in this world than an XJ as a DD! If I recall, the Cali emissions have 4 O2 sensors in it which becomes costly if you need to replace them.
 
Yup, all 4 O2 sensors are there.  Fortunately, all of those are pretty happy at the moment.  Honestly, those don't bother me as much as the ~$250 downpipe with the precats.  I'm gonna hate replacing that someday...but I truly love my XJ.  I'm constantly presented with new challenges and she's just a blast to drive around.
 
cescuzzy said:
I'm overdue for an update here.  A couple of things to add: one, I upgraded the headlights with a pair of IPF H4 housings (courtesy of [member=79]The_Eng[/member]) and some Hella 55/100W bulbs, and two, I am trying to replace some of my sway bar bushings...you know, link bushings, bar to frame bushings, things of that nature...Things are not going as swimmingly as I had hoped.

Oh, and the frame side trackbar joint moves up and down...good times... 😡
Click to expand...
Are the bolts loose? If it needs to be welded you can come by here.
 
I appreciate the offer Beasley.  I'm not sure why it was moving so much, but the boot around the ball joint end was being compressed when the weight shifted.  I need to look at it more closely, but I probably need to look into replacing the frame mount, it's a bit rusty.  How much longer will you be home?
 
cescuzzy said:
I appreciate the offer Beasley.  I'm not sure why it was moving so much, but the boot around the ball joint end was being compressed when the weight shifted.  I need to look at it more closely, but I probably need to look into replacing the frame mount, it's a bit rusty.  How much longer will you be home?
Click to expand...
I am home until next Sunday morning . I have a good stock track bar that I am getting ready to remove if you want it. Did you finish up with that console harness yet?
 
I haven't had the time to do much with it, sadly.  If you need it back, just let me know.  I wouldn't mind taking that track bar off your hands.  I think I need to go to the junkyard and find a new frame side mount too though.  I really don't understand why they designed the thing the way they did...
 
In other news, new sway bar bushings are in and I only broke loose one weld nut in the process...

Well, once I get the other replacement sway bar link in she'll at least be all one piece again.
 
cescuzzy said:
I haven't had the time to do much with it, sadly.  If you need it back, just let me know.  I wouldn't mind taking that track bar off your hands.  I think I need to go to the junkyard and find a new frame side mount too though.  I really don't understand why they designed the thing the way they did...
Click to expand...
Its an odd design for sure. I will set the stock one aside for you for til you make it back out here.
 

https://www.helpavetshine.us/help-a-vet-shine
Top