Well I want to make a new thread here for my fun beater build. The forums are a little dead but I like to document progress somewhere, and I know a few of you lurk around.
I got a weird itch a couple months ago to take a break from my uncomfortable death trap Suzuki rock crawler, and put some effort into something a bit more comfortable, convenient and road worthy to start doing some more mild but longer distance wheeling trips.
I know, "Overlander", yikes. I will aim more for the serious offroad ability in my build than a basic overlander, but I do want the reliability and comfort that comes with that side.
So I picked up a nice cheap Grand Cherokee WJ to start the build.
Best vehicle I could find that ticked all the boxes. Older with little tech, solid axles, 4 doors, comfortable suspension and seating, powerful engine and driveline, and lots of available parts and aftermarket support.
Mine is the Laredo trim, with the 4.7 V8 and Quadratrac 2 transfer case.
Stock impressions: great! Cushy suspension, lots of flex and traction, punchy motor, good gearing and low range. Even the full time AWD setting works pretty good.
Learning about the Jeep side of things has been fun and there is so much information out there. Excited to share some progress here.
First thing to do was obviously make some more clearance to avoid dragging the huge bumpers and useless plastic running boards on every crossditch and bump.
So out came the sawzall and no fucks were given. Trimming, ripping off bumpers, and in general ruining the handsome good looks on this mom mobile.
In stock form suspension wise with everything clearanced, I did have alot of fun.
Not stock for long. I purchased an Iron Rock Offroad 3" short arm lift to get a bit more ground clearance.
As well as that, lots and lots of maintenance items needed addressing. New front axle shafts, front brakes, electric radiator fan relay, door lock actuators everywhere, new shocks, new front driveshaft, every fluid, cleaning every sensor and surface on the intake, new spark plugs, seafoam treatment, new exhaust, and more.
Altogether though, not bad for 300,000kms. Interior is very clean, everything that is supposed to work mechanically does, and it hauls me and my dog and gear around great.
The lift was a great mod. Got me some clearance, improved the flex as well.
The idea is eventually to stay at 3" of lift and go to a long arm setup. I want to keep the height and center of gravity low, and aim for width and flex. Basically the opposite of my Suzuki xD
For now, with the help of some wheel adapters, I was able to use my 33x15 MTRs from my Suzuki.
And damn she got thicc!!
To fit the 33's on only 3" of lift was difficult in the front. These WJ's have notoriously small and odd shaped wheel wells. My old friends the grinder and sledgehammer made an appearance. With the trimmed fenders and smashed in firewall, the 33's clear barely at full lock and flex. Good enough for now.
Several trips under it's belt now and the tires also love to self clearance :)
That's it for now, love having the v8 power although the mileage is worse than my Silverado with a 6" lift and 35s was, somehow. Yikes.
Also in a classic lifted Jeep maneuver, I am chasing never ending death wobble.
I'll keep this updated, next up is long arms and maybe some lockers!
Say it's not so you have gone to the dark side i liked your tracker. Great post best of luck with your Jeep it's hard to argue Jeep's go any were ...
Nice ride man! WJs really come out of their shell with just a sawzall and sledge. I love the no bumper look on these things.
Death wobble is often aggrevated by bad castor as a result of lift springs. When you get long arms you'll be able to correct caster and it will likely take care of the death wobble, assuming your steering and BJs are all tight.
Brent I still have the Tracker. Not sure what I'm planning with it yet. Can't quite bring myself to sell it but this Jeep does everything I need...
Shane yes balljoints are good, and all other steering components have been replaced including trackbar etc. Because I'm still on the stock short arms the castor is definitely an issue that will be resolved with the long arms. For now the death wobble is tamed by my steering stabilizer enough to daily drive.