That xj should be good for what you need, I had a 96 four door 2wd with the 4.0, it was actually a really good vehicle until the rust got to it. It's a uni-body and of course the rust was in the front floor pans but it put down 300,000 miles pretty trouble free.
Well I am always down for a good build so keep us informed and up-to-date. It would be interesting to make a hot rod out of one. We always see them as 4x4s lifted up on 33s 35 sometimes even 37s or 40s. Being coil in the front and leaf in the back and solid axled on both ends it be pretty easy to lower it. It would also kind of be neat in my opinion to do one of the ones from the mid '80s when they had the wood paneling but that's just because I'm a weirdo and I have a thing for adhesive wood wagons.
My next door neighbor who is a close friend of mine, his has just under 400,000 miles on the clock with no major work ever done to it He's probably had it for 20 years now he got it when he was in his late teens or early twenties. It always starts it always goes probably one of the best drivetrains ever made but that goes with all the inline 6 cylinders that America used to make a million years ago.
If you want to get a big tire under it find a 1990 to 1992 Ford Ranger 8.8 it's 56 in wide. If you find a 93 or newer Ranger with an 8.8 it is 58 in wide. The Ford Explorer is 59.5 in wide. If you're going to frequent the junk yards what you do is you find the Ranger axle and then pop the Explorer brakes on it... Oh and one thing that I should mention is the axle from the factory on both the Explorer and rangers is offset to the passenger side a few inches... A lot of guys take the Ranger short axle and they grab another short axle for the other side and they basically shorten the ranger so it becomes like a 54-in I believe but that part don't quote me on you will have to look it up on how much it removes. The cool thing is with the 8.8 it's very easy to find right now in the junkyard because of the rangers and explorers and the SN95 mustangs The hard part is getting the 56" One because they are fairly scarce
thanks, I need to do some measuring, and think about wheels. Disc brakes are not a necessity for me. I ought to compare the weight of them, just for fun. One think about dics, they keep the wheel from coming off if you snap an axle but I may end up with aftermarket axles, and deal with C clip elimination.
Ranger 8.8" are all 28-spline except '08-'09 FX4 package that some got 28-spline, and some got 31-spline. most Ranger 8.8's are drum, some are discs. All are 5x4.5" pattern. All Explorer 8.8" are 31-spline, early are drum, late are disc. All are 5x4.5" pattern. Explorer 8.8" are much more plentiful. Another option for C-Clip Elimination is converting the 8.8" housing to use 9" ends.
and I got the title transfer and registration this morning, and the engine will probably be out this afternoon. Pesky things like 5/16" head U joint flange bolts that get in the way...and all those thousands of wire connectors with fragile plastic clips... reminds me again why I don't really like working on late model crap so much.
Interesting... I want to keep the 4.5" wheel bolt circle, so the smaller truck applications are more what I need?
Ford explorer 8.8's have 4.5" wheel bolt circle [the same as a S197 Mustang which is also 31 spline] The axle lengths are offset, so you can shorten it by 2.875" by using 2 x RH axles You cannot get C-Clip Elimination kits for 31 spline 8.8 axles [you need custom axles] The hardened bearing surface of 31 spline 8.8 axles is too large diameter for press on axle bearings You can grind the axle bearing surfaces but they will need to be heat treated
Also , I'd like to add to the 8.8 Any rear end gears lower than 4.10's will require grinding of the pin or Crown wheel teeth so the pin can be installed after the C-Clips. So if you run 4.56's / 4.88's you need a spool etc, 9" ends, custom axles [it is no longer a cheap alternative]
F150 8.8's are a very wide rear axle with 5x5.5" wheel bolt pattern. Several Fords used the 8.8" over the years, but the most commonly swapped 8.8" is the Explorer, for several reasons, all mentioned in previous replies. C-Clip eliminators are only required if you're running a locker out back or you're into the 8's/150mph. Nobody makes a C-Clip Eliminator kit for the Explorer housing ends. If you got and Explorer 8.8 and felt like you wanted something more than the caliper holding the axle in, then look into Yukon Gear's Ultimate 88 Kit. Keep in mind there are thousands of street driven single digit ET cars on stock 8.8's with stock C-Clips. For a turbo LS, with, let's just say a TH400 or Powerglide, you can run a gear like a 2.42-2.72 and it'll freight train on the big end and still boogie down low. All while being totally highway friendly. I currently have 3.73's but I have overdrive. I do plan to change the R&P to a 3.08 or 3.27 ratio in the future.
Most Ford explorer 8.8's have 3.7 gears [V6 LWB] You don't muck around squirrel. What are you doing for the front axle [assuming you're trashing the 4 wheel drive ]
I'm not sure, but I'm leaning towards doing as little work and spending as little money as possible. Which means I'll probably just remove the inner axle shafts and gears/differential, and leave the rest of it alone. I have a lot of other ideas what to do, but they all include work and spending money! If I happen upon a 2wd axle, I'll grab it. They seem to be kind of hard to find, I guess I need to get in with the local XJ guys to find all the used parts.
Me being "the king of cheap" would gut it ,then cut the whole centre out of the diff housing and weld a slip tube in to make a straight axle. That way you pick up all the brackets on the ends
Ah, I just got to the end and see you bought the Jeep. I was going to suggest an old clapped out Ford Maverick or Chevy Monza. Good luck with the Jeep build.
I saw a Monza going the other way on the freeway yesterday on a trailer, while I was hauling the Jeep home. I told my wife he got really lucky to find one! On the rearend housing...I have lots of ideas how to deal with the front axle to make it lighter and lower, but for now I think I'll just leave it, and see if I can find a 2wd. If not, it should still go fast if I leave all the housing parts alone. I could drop probably 30 lbs at most cutting it up.
I've worked on 2 V8 Monzas, probably a dozen V8 Mavericks. You don't want to mess with either when talking about adding more stuff underhood! Intrusive unibody inner fenderwells.
You can see how unobtrusive the inner fenders are on the Jeep. The spring perches are just above the frame rail, in front of the shocks, it's the lowest point of the inner fenders! strange.
You would think you could just trade the 4wd axle for a 2wd, got to be someone that wants to go 4-wheelin
yeah, but I think all the 2wd ones got scrapped because everyone likes to go four wheelin. We'll see what happens
Correct I believe but the problem is the width I think you're 61 or 62". The worst is the E-Series van for some reason I think they are 65 in but don't quote me on that.
If you could find an early Bronco they had 9s under them and were 57.4 wide. If you made them equal you'd be right at 55" flange to flange. The 76 and 77s had the large bearings.
The Jalopy Journal
