I've been working on a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It's got a 4.5" lift and some light mods. I use it for camping and adventures. It's also my daily driver but I work from home so that means nothing.

I re-did the roof with bedliner and a friend fabbed a rack for the roof for my lights, awning, and rooftop tent. It also has a brush guard I bought on Facebook that we re-finished.

The goal is to build this out as an overlander. I take it to Cape Lookout. We're adding a port in the roof for all the wiring soon. I've also got to pull out the carpet and cut out / weld in some new floor pans because of a rust issue.

Anybody else built an XJ?

2/20/2021 8:31:12 AM

nice overlanding vehicle! makes me yearn for some exploring and camping, havent been able to do much with a baby around though..I miss doing stuff.
Hope you're doing well!

2/21/2021 3:34:40 PM

It won't be long before your baby will be out adventuring with you!
Congratulations, by the way.

Life is good and it is great to hear from you.

2/24/2021 10:52:59 AM

Did you buy that rain gutter hardware or fab that too? Ever feel that thing shift when you were in the tent?

2/24/2021 4:05:07 PM

I have never felt this rack shift. It always feels rock solid. If anything, my suspension rocks me to sleep.

the hardware that the tent is mounted to is a combination of JCR Offroad roof rack mounts welded on to a frame and the whole thing was coated in bed liner after we got it fitted.

https://www.jcroffroad.com/product/XJRK-MT.html

my fab guy put it together - we share a shop in Apex in case you're ever looking to hire someone
he's not a typical welder or machinist, he is a metal sculptor who is not doing that much sculpting these days ('cause the economy sucks) and he also does screen printing

[Edited on February 25, 2021 at 9:14 AM. Reason : -]

2/25/2021 9:13:59 AM

HEEP UPDATE

We ripped out all of the carpet from the interior to get at a water leak that is causing rust issues. Discovered there is, in fact, rust but only 1 floorpan needs to be replaced (passenger, front - the one that always gets it when it rains).

Last night I ordered a POR15 kit and a Lizard Skin kit to do both sound deadening and ceramic insulation. Also a new seat mount for the passenger seat 'cause rust.

Since we've got the Heep gutted I'm going to remediate all of the rust and spray in sound and heat insulating spray. I'll also apply some insulating mat in a few select places.

That means we're spraying all of the floors and the ceiling. Hoping this leads to a cooler and quieter ride.

This is also the jumping off point for other projects. Up next:

1) Rear bumper with tire carrier
2) Power and data wiring for rooftop
3) Storage / sleeping rear hatch platform with kitchen on drawer slides
4) Secondary battery system
5) Overhead console refurb
6) CB radio install
7) New steering bushings and upgrades
8) Upgrade shocks

2/25/2021 9:22:26 AM

all sounds pretty badass.

thanks for sharing!

3/1/2021 9:00:30 AM

Heep Update:

The interior is stripped out of it. Dumpstered the carpet.

A friend of mine spent the weekend cleaning the Neutral Safety Switch and figuring out the leaks I had behind my dash on the passenger side. He's now stripping the paint out of the interior. He's gonna cut out the floor pan that rusted out and weld in a new one. Also new seat mounts on the passenger side 'cause that rusted to hell too.

Next is POR 15 for all the rust.

Followed by spraying the interior with Lizard Skin Sound Dampening and Insulating Ceramic sprays. Each of those layers has like a 36 hour curing time. This thing is going to be dismantled in our shop until like April.

Lucky this COVID happened or I would never have had the time to finish this.

3/1/2021 3:23:24 PM

Going junkyard hunting this weekend for an upgraded alternator from a Dodge Dakota.

3/2/2021 12:14:56 PM

UPDATE:

Battery was dead but under warranty. Got a new one.

Alternator was bad. This answers quite a few questions.

3/2/2021 1:32:07 PM

srs question... how terrible are those headlights?

3/2/2021 8:46:04 PM

absolutely the worst... like utter garbage
I think I paid $40 for the pair

I avoid driving at night because of my astigmatism so I always forget how shit they are until I have to use them

they might be a good choice for a riding lawn mower

I'll replace them whenever I get around to it but I never think to do that

although, maybe they'll be brighter when I have decent alternator in there </wishful_thinking>



[Edited on March 2, 2021 at 11:29 PM. Reason : they bad]

[Edited on March 2, 2021 at 11:30 PM. Reason : but seriously they are bad]

3/2/2021 11:28:55 PM

Sounds like you'd be in it for $150 or so after taxes (you need the DOT, not the ECODE). I'd go for Hella just because I know the name
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/hella-headlight-upgrade-183597/#post2689166

According to the reviews here on a different setup, a lot of people don't use the heavy-duty harness The heavy-duty harness pulls from the battery instead of the light switch.
https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-003427291-190x132mm-Conversion-Headlamp/dp/B0002M9QRE



[Edited on March 3, 2021 at 2:40 PM. Reason : https://www.rocky-road.com/ipfH4.html]

3/3/2021 2:40:38 PM

Word. This is good info. Thanks!

I'll probably do this.

3/3/2021 2:51:12 PM

So the ol' Heep is fully gutted and we're still removing rust and patching holes. It's a real pain in the ass. This week the POR15 treatment starts followed by spraying the Lizard Skin.

POR15 will take a full day to apply all the coats.

Lizard Skin has a 36 hour curing time between coats so... that's like 6 days to do 4 coats.

3/22/2021 1:11:36 PM

POR 15 rolled on the interior.

Taped up and ready to spray Lizard Skin.

3/30/2021 5:10:50 PM

12/11/2021 10:43:11 AM

I need to make a walk-through video this Spring.

I'm trying to take this Heep to a Show and Shine at Pleasure Island Jeep Jam (anyone going?)

gotta get my custom car club decal printed: A Touch Of Rust

2/13/2022 9:38:35 AM

any updated pics?

2/22/2022 8:15:10 PM

I'll try to take some more pics this weekend.
I just got back from camping up in West Virginia (it was fucking freezing, I loved it) and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things at work

but hopefully the weather will be good this weekend and I can snap some pics.

2/23/2022 1:44:28 PM

sorry no pics yet

it's got a massive evap leak and I'm not driving it right now
(I'm kind of mad at it)

3/16/2022 1:06:24 PM

Sell it and get something with a real frame. Youre only causing yourself pain if you do any real offroading.

Otherwise- plate the fuck out of the unibody. Start with the front. Trim fenders as much as you can. Use decent shocks. Steering box brace. Sell the lift, go back to close to stock. 31s, and run it. If you have a 35 rear, sell it and find a stock xj rear 8.25, or 8.8 swap.

Nice RTT btw, you scared of sleeping on the ground?

Pleasure island jeep jam, huh. Do you do the "jeep wave"?

[Edited on June 10, 2022 at 8:03 PM. Reason : Lol]

6/10/2022 8:00:05 PM

nobody jeep waves back at an XJ
I like being trash so I go to yuppie MAGA shit like beach Jeep jams and am consistently the queerest trash there

running an 8.25 Chrysler on the rear axle
got a steering box brace installed
upgrading front axle to high pinion dirty 30 'cause I got one cheap at the jy

I love this Heep as a beach cruiser / fishing truck
I'm not really convinced I want to be wheeling heavy in it


re: my rtt
I mostly sleep in a Kodiak tent but I got a great deal on this ARB Simpson III from a dude in the offroad group at work -- I kind of collect tents

but, yeah, I'm too good/old to sleep on the ground

6/22/2022 5:26:49 PM