Steve, the great white Jeep!

[Matthew Reed]

Hello everyone! I'm new on here and this is the story of my Cherokee Build..

Background:
My name is Matt and I am currently living in Middle Georgia. I originally hail from the Northeast but due to the military I find myself down in the south now. In early 2018 I decided I wanted to build something different. I've done plenty of cars in my time (RX7, RX8, Mustang, etc) and really wanted to do something I hadn't done before. I used to do a lot of camping and hiking in high school and college but haven't done very much in recent years due to a number of factors but now that I have a little more free time and free money, I decided I wanted to get back into it and the best way would be to build an overland rig! Previously I've owned an Explorer and a K5 Blazer that I used as camping/hiking rigs but never anything built to the extent that I want to go with this one. And so it begins..

 

[Matthew Reed]

The search begins:
So early this year I started looking for a rig to build. I was unsure of what I wanted and honestly wasn't even really sold on building an overland rig. I knew I wanted to do something relatively cheap (my initial purchase budget was $2000) and I knew that I didn't want to go full size. Whatever vehicle I bought needed to do double duty as an offroad/overland rig to take me on new adventures as well as be able to drive my dog around town and occasionally make trips to the hardware store.

I looked at Explorers, Blazers, Rangers, Tacomas, cherokees, wranglers, etc but couldn't find one that fit my budget and had everything I wanted. Then one day, I see a red Jeep Cherokee pop up on Craigslist. Ad didn't have many details but did list it as a straight six with a 5 speed and 4WD! Exactly what I wanted. I rushed over to take a look without knowing much more and unfortunately got pretty disappointed when I saw the amount of rust on it. It was still running and driving fine, but there were holes in the floorboards and rockers, doors were rusting out, and it had a few other issues I just didn't want to deal with. A few days later, I found another Cherokee in white but the seller listed no details for it and just a single exterior picture. The listing said it ran but had suffered a "small" engine fire. I went to look at it and was again disappointed. The small engine fire had melted most of the vacuum lines and the entire wire harness which had been patched with crimp connectors. Not really something I wanted to deal with.

Then it dawned on me, what if I turned two broken Jeeps into one? My project was born. I bought both Jeeps for a steal. $1450 for the two of them! I even got both sellers to deliver them to my house! With two broken half running Jeeps sitting in my driveway, I now realized the level of project I was about to undertake. I've done drivetrain swaps, engine rebuilds, suspension work, but never all of it on a single vehicle! It was going to be a long process but hopefully well worth it when I finished.View attachment 71035

 

[Matthew Reed]

Time to start work:

The first thing I did was start stripping the white Jeep of its drivetrain. It had an auto and was 2wd so nothing would be saved from it minus the rear axle which was in good shape and had lower gears than the 5spd Cherokees came with so would be a nice upgrade to start with. 5spd had 3.07s and the autos came with 3.55s. I don't plan on running a tire bigger than a 31 or 33 so that ratio should be fine for what I have in mind with this build. Since very little would be saved from this engine bay (I don't trust components that have been through a fire) pulling everything out was a pretty quick process. Within a few days the engine bay was completely stripped. The good thing about this Cherokee was that it was a limited model, meaning it came with a tan leather interior, power drivers seat, and pockets in the door cards! I know, not much for something to be considered a high end model but still. The interior was clean with the exception of some water that had leaked in and ruined the front carpet. I stripped that out and bedlined the floor after cleaning up any surface rust and leftover water. I was able to sell the drivetrain of this Jeep off for $350, recovering a huge portion of my initial investment. That money turned right around and bought me a Rough Country 3" lift kit. I debated going for a more expensive kit but in the end I decided a basic 3" lift was all I really needed.

The next step in the project was pulling the drivetrain out of the red Jeep. With this I knew that it would be a long while before everything went back in so I was very carefully to document everything before I removed it and label all vacuum lines, wire connectors, mounts, and bag up the screws and bolts for every individual part. This was a huge undertaking but it made putting everything back together much much easier. Once everything was labeled and disconnected It was time to pull the drivetrain out. In the white Jeep I had removed the engine and trans separately, but for the red Jeep I figured I would try pulling everything as one unit. Looking back I wish I had just done it this way in the first place with the white Jeep. After it was out, removing the transmission and t-case was simple. I put the engine up on a stand and forgot about it for a couple weeks until my rebuild kit came in.

This engine didn't show any signs of needing head work, new pistons, bearing, etc so I opted for a basic kit. Note that if you're considering replacing more than just a couple gaskets, you can usually save some money by just buying everything as a kit. Mine came with intake and exhaust gaskets, oil pan, front cover, front and rear main seals, water pump, thermostat, valve cover, oil filter adaptor... the list goes on. The only thing I didn't use was the head gasket. My engine only had 150k on it so I will worry about the head gasket later if it ever needs it. I also replaced most of the vacuum lines and various hoses and fittings. Once all my gaskets and seals were replaced, I was able to put my newly refreshed engine into its new engine bay. This is where labeling really pays off! It had been a few weeks since I had taken everything out and I had forgotten 90% of where everything went.View attachment 71038

 

[Matthew Reed]

With the new drivetrain in and hooked up, I bolted on all of the accessories and plumbed up the radiator, AC, and power steering. After about 3 months it was just about time to fire it up. I checked all my fluids and turned they key and.... click. Damn. After doing some troubleshooting I found a wire harness that had been plugged in wrong, I turned the key again and.... it fired! It ran for about 2 seconds and then immediately died. After starting it a few times with the same result I realized something was off. I double checked my wiring, all my relays, fuses, spark plugs, ignition coils, fuel pump, but just couldn't figure out what was wrong. I looked on forums, google, tried calling my local Jeep dealer, and nobody could tell me what was wrong, until somebody in a local Jeep group asked me "Does your Cherokee have a security system?". The idea had never even occurred to me before because every security system I had ever dealt with prevented the engine from starting. I guess early Jeep systems would kill the engine once the ECU takes over running the engine which is why it will fire and run for a couple seconds before dying. The solution to this problem was to either have the ECU reprogrammed by Jeep or by a non-security ECU and delete my security system by unplugging and removing the key sensor ring. I opted for the latter as getting the ECU reprogrammed was a huge hassle and would cost a fair amount of money at the dealership.

With my new-used ECU and deleted system, the Jeep roared to life. After relearning its idle map, everything seemed good to go. Now it was time for the upgrades to begin.

 

[Matthew Reed]

Exterior Upgrades:

As I mentioned previously, I decided to go with a 3" Rough Country lift. This came with all new springs and shocks for all four corners. Of course I had ditched the axle from the donor Jeep, and my white Jeep was 2WD, so I was in need of a front axle with matching 3.55 gears. After a quick search through all the usual places, I found one a couple hours north of me. The guy also had a set of 15x10 steel wheels with a lot of backspacing that had 31's with a little tread left mounted to them. I picked it all up for $300. As a bonus, the axle had an Aussie Locker already installed! by the way, I fit this axle and all 4 31" tires in my 2014 Ford Fusion. That was a sight to see.

With my new axle bolted in and my lift kit installed, I turned to the body. I knew I wanted to go to a 33" tire eventually and I wanted to give myself plenty of clearance so out came the angle grinder. In the front of the Jeep I cut the fenders and in the rear I did the cut and fold technique so as to preserve the factory spot welds. This gained me a lot of extra clearance for tires and suspension travel, but it also meant that my factory flares had to go. While looked at bushwhackers and a few other ebay options, I found someone local with a set of YJ flares for sale. $40. The fronts look pretty good IMO and the rears... well they do their job. I made a cut in them to mount part of the flare to the rear doors ad the rest to the rear quarter. If I were to go back and do it again, I would probably spend the money on a high end flare, but this is a budget build right? In the front of the Jeep I removed the stock bumper trim and cut the stock bumper up. I also cut and remolded the stock fender flares so that I could retain them with my cut fenders. I moved the horns and vacuum ball further up so that they would have some protection too.

Underneath the Jeep I wanted to add some protection for the T-case. While at the local junk yard I noticed that Jeep Libertys look pretty similar underneath as a Cherokee and they came with Tcase skids from the factory. While they aren't the beefiest skid plates I have ever seen, I think they will do the job, and mounting them only required my to drill a couple of holes in my frame rails. A very easy and affordable upgrade.

In the rear I added a trailer hitch to use as a rear recovery point. It hangs a little lower than I like so it may get replaced in the future. I also scored a cheap universal style swing out tire carrier that is supposed to bolt on to the frame where the trailer hitch mounts. I modified it somewhat and bolted it to the frame as well as the rear bumper. Like my flares, its not pretty, but it does the job for now.

Up top, I added a roof basket and 6 LED pods. They provide a ton of light and I am really happy with them. I wired them up via a relay to the factory fog light switch for a very clean install.

Eventually I plan on swapping out the roof basket for a higher end rail system to mount an RTT to. I also plan on swapping out the front and rear bumpers for aftermarket ones with a built in hitch/tire carrier in the back and winch plate/recovery points in the front.View attachment 71033View attachment 71034

 

[Matthew Reed]

Under the hood:

Not much to say here! I refreshed the engine during my swap and the only thing I added was the supporting mods for an eventual dual battery setup. Aside from that I really haven't done anything. These Jeep 4.0's are excellent form the factory so I really didn't feel much needed to be done. I would like to modify the intake eventually to pull air from the dash cowl which would free up room for a second battery, but I will worry about that later.

Interior mods:

Much more going on in here than under the hood. I already started with a pretty nice leather interior so there wasn't too much to do on that end. The first thing I did was decide what I wanted from the interior. Since I do not have the money for a RTT at this point in time, I decided it would be best to make a sleeping platform of some kind inside the Jeep. I debated for awhile on going with a drawer system, storage bins, shelves, etc and in the end I think I ended up with a pretty good solution. In the hatch area, I installed a shelf supported by angle iron at about 17" high. On top of this is where I store all of my stuff. Theres enough room on top of it for 5 decently sized storage bins. underneath the shelf is where we store all of our sleeping gear and clothes so that they can be moved at night because our feet will end up going there! In front of that I deleted my rear seat and built my own platform modelled after the Goose Gear plate system. I gained a nice storage area in the rear footwell and we can lay down fully stretched out once we pull the seats forward. Our clothes get moved to the gap between the platform and the moved seats. The system also gives my dog a huge amount of space in the back to lay out. The sleeping area is just big enough to fit in a full size futon mattress. Two people and a dog are a tight fit, but it should work until we can upgrade to an RTT.

For electronics in the Jeep I've installed a power inverter to charge our phones and maybe a laptop if we need to. For GPS right now we are just running an old Magellan unit and good maps off my phone. For now, it should work alright while we shake everything down.View attachment 71029View attachment 71030View attachment 71031View attachment 71032

 

[Matthew Reed]

All caught up:

So now you're caught up to the present! I'm still working on fixing some minor problems and acquiring all the necessary gear for our first shake down trip. I'm hoping to take it out for the first time next month before winter sets in and we get busy with the holidays. I will continue to update as I add things and try and upload a video walk around soon! Until then, enjoy the novel I've just written!

 

[Cpyonker]

This sounds awesome but it is lacking pictures.

 

[Matthew Reed]

This sounds awesome but it is lacking pictures.

Pictures coming soon!

 

[Matthew Reed]

You asked for pictures and a walkaround so here it is! Today I did a little more work in the rear hatch and built myself a slide out cooking area. Let me know what you guys think I should change/work on next!

 

[Matthew Reed]

Every time I work on one of these projects with wood I keep thinking how much better they would come out with a table saw. I have a circular saw and a jigsaw but I feel like if I ever go down the road of doing a full on drawer system I’ll need to get the table saw. So far I’ve built some small cabinets, this storage system, and a small desk all without one but I always kick myself saying “this would be so much easier with a proper saw”

 

[Matthew Reed]

I feel like I’m at an interesting point in my build. I’ve done all the little things. It’s running right, the lift is where I want it, and it’s useable as an overland rig, but now I’m faced with some tough decisions..

The next thing I want to do is upgrade the rear bumper. I need a true tire carrier bumper, not the universal style one I have now (it sags and I can’t really leave it open). I’d also like to upgrade to a fridge, but that brings with it additional problems.

If I get a fridge, it becomes permanently mounted in the Jeep. I’ll need more power to run it overnight so going to a dual battery setup will be required. I already have all of the wiring and support in place for this since I knew it was something I wanted eventually, but I still need to buy the battery. My other issue is that if I install the fridge, I lose my current sleeping setup. Something I also planned on eventually but it means I either need to seriously upgrade my ground tent or go to an RTT or an adventure trailer. Either one of those would be a significant investment whereas I could get away with a $200 ground tent. If I go RTT I’d also have to scrap my current roof basket/lighting setup as it’s just bolted to stock cross rails and can in no way handle that much weight. We would also no longer be able to take the dog with us as he is way to big to be lifting that high.

Anyone have any thoughts? I feel as though I definitely need more space but I’m not sure how I want to proceed.

 

[JDGreens]

I have an Xj too, when I travel I bring an awful lot of spare parts and recovery gear so my space inside my cargo area is pretty full. I made a platform that makes sleeping in my rig pretty comfortable after I drop the plaino boxes under the rig. If it is a longer trip. I through a Husky cargo bag up on the roof to hold extra clothing (light stuff). For a economical alternative overland vehicle the Cherokee is a pretty good choice. I plan on building me a flat roof rack some day so it's easier to strap things up on the roof.

 

[Ben Cleveland]

I feel like I’m at an interesting point in my build. I’ve done all the little things. It’s running right, the lift is where I want it, and it’s useable as an overland rig, but now I’m faced with some tough decisions..

The next thing I want to do is upgrade the rear bumper. I need a true tire carrier bumper, not the universal style one I have now (it sags and I can’t really leave it open). I’d also like to upgrade to a fridge, but that brings with it additional problems.

If I get a fridge, it becomes permanently mounted in the Jeep. I’ll need more power to run it overnight so going to a dual battery setup will be required. I already have all of the wiring and support in place for this since I knew it was something I wanted eventually, but I still need to buy the battery. My other issue is that if I install the fridge, I lose my current sleeping setup. Something I also planned on eventually but it means I either need to seriously upgrade my ground tent or go to an RTT or an adventure trailer. Either one of those would be a significant investment whereas I could get away with a $200 ground tent. If I go RTT I’d also have to scrap my current roof basket/lighting setup as it’s just bolted to stock cross rails and can in no way handle that much weight. We would also no longer be able to take the dog with us as he is way to big to be lifting that high.

Anyone have any thoughts? I feel as though I definitely need more space but I’m not sure how I want to proceed.

I liked your walk around video!

Honestly, at least from what you’re saying, it sounds like you’re asking yourself the wrong question. Instead of asking “what upgrade should I do next”, try asking yourself “what is the biggest need or problem I’m feeling when we go on a trip”. Your next upgrade should address that issue. It’s easy to follow the rabbit trail of one upgrade, then the supporting upgrades, then a system or process upgrade, so on. I’m sure you’re already thinking like that to a point, it’s obvious you take your rig on trips.

For me, my wife reminds me constantly of the couple of things we know we want to purchase or upgrade. It’s normally something we end up talking about on every trip we go on because we’re actively feeling the need/want every time we’re using our rig and gear.

Just some thoughts, I find when I think through this myself, the “next upgrade” is super clear, or it’s clear that I need to hold off for a bit.

 

[Matthew Reed]

I liked your walk around video!

Honestly, at least from what you’re saying, it sounds like you’re asking yourself the wrong question. Instead of asking “what upgrade should I do next”, try asking yourself “what is the biggest need or problem I’m feeling when we go on a trip”. Your next upgrade should address that issue. It’s easy to follow the rabbit trail of one upgrade, then the supporting upgrades, then a system or process upgrade, so on. I’m sure you’re already thinking like that to a point, it’s obvious you take your rig on trips.

For me, my wife reminds me constantly of the couple of things we know we want to purchase or upgrade. It’s normally something we end up talking about on every trip we go on because we’re actively feeling the need/want every time we’re using our rig and gear.

Just some thoughts, I find when I think through this myself, the “next upgrade” is super clear, or it’s clear that I need to hold off for a bit.

That’s a good point. This whole project has been a series of trips down the rabbit hole. Haha.

I feel like what we’re really lacking at this point is space. The plan was always to sleep in the Jeep and I don’t think I want to steer away from that. We have an 80 pound doggo that I have no intention of lifting in and out of an RTT. Right now our cooler generally ends up sitting in the front seat or going up on the roof rack overnight. I guess really the options right now would be to either get a nice ground tent/awning with annex room that we can sleep in, or a utility trailer. Most places I go are 3+ hours away so I usually try to make it a 3-4 day trip. I’m leaning towards building one of the 4’x4’ trailers. This limits me on places we can camp though as I’m gonna have to get the trailer in and out and it wouldn’t be a true off-road trailer, just something built up a little bit for the occasionally sketchy forest service road. It would allow me to have a set base amp that we could go ride trails from which would be nice, not having to completely setup and tear down every time.

 

[Matthew Reed]

No big updates. Getting ready to head out for a 3 month trip abroad so doing more planning right now than anything else.

I installed a hood strut for the Jeep yesterday. Definitely helps with the heavy hood. I used a hatch strut I had leftover from my parts rig so there was zero cost for me which is nice.

Still struggling to dial in my steering setup. Cherokees are known for having steering issues, especially when lifted and mine is no different. Thinking I may need an additional steering box brace and some frame reinforcement.

I’m going to start acquiring parts over the next few months and do a big install week when I get back!