So I’ve been throwing around the idea of getting an XJ and building it i was wondering if anyone has any advice on how they are as far as a platform to overland with.
I have a 1999 xj with a 6.5 lift, 35" tires, rock slide, front and rear bumper with tire carrier. I payed 5000.00 with all this already done, shop around for the best one for the money. 2001 was the last year of solid axles so keep that in mind. It has never let me down and I have driven it from Louisville Ky to Anchorage Alaska and back. I hope this helps.
So I’ve been throwing around the idea of getting an XJ and building it i was wondering if anyone has any advice on how they are as far as a platform to overland with.
The XJ is a great platform, I've owned one myself. It had a 5speed, bb lift, and BFG MT tires. Should have never sold it haha. The 4.0 is a solid engine and there are plenty of options to work with. It does tend to leak a little bit so keep that in mind when checking seals, but that's with any older vehicle.
Check out YouTube for some walk-arounds.
Thank y’all both i think I’m probably gonna end up with one everyone just hears the xj horror stories and all and i was curious what the conciseness was
I love my Xj for wheeling. (I should say for overlanding as well) It is a very good platform and rather economical when it comes to building one. My suggestion is to go ahead and weld in frame stiffeners if you are going to wheel it hard.
I feel you can't go wrong if you don't mind a rig that does not have all the creature comforts that the newer rigs have.
I have a large laundry list of things I am going to try and do before next summer. (frame stiffeners), OMU leaf springs, new t-case w/SYE, danna-axle-456 gears, arb lockers front n back and quit a few other things.
Keep in mind even the best years to buy (1998-1999) are 20 years old. and you may have to get a lot of things up to snuff just to be sure it is dependable.
The nice thing is the XJ is cheap to work on for parts. You can go to almost any junkyard here anyway and find lots of parts at great prices. Also, most of the running gear will also work on a YJ or TJ too. Lots of people buy new axles and the like, wheel the XJ tell they are in ruff shape then move everything over to a new cab and start over. If you have a family, it is a great platform to run also, the wheel base is great, they really are good rigs to use. Have enough room that you can sleep in them too. Lots of pluses. Benz.
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