What mods to stock 2000 xj sport before easy off-roading

[mfran12335]

Hi all. New to jeeps and off roading. I have a completely stock 2000 xj sport model with 95k miles that I would to take off road a little. It's a daily driver when the weather gets bad so I don't want to go too crazy with mods. I just want to be able to go on beginner off road trails, nothing too difficult. What mods are necessary to do before hitting the trails?

[Mudderoy]

Hi all. New to jeeps and off roading. I have a completely stock 2000 xj sport model with 95k miles that I would to take off road a little. It's a daily driver when the weather gets bad so I don't want to go too crazy with mods. I just want to be able to go on beginner off road trails, nothing too difficult. What mods are necessary to do before hitting the trails?

No mods necessary, wheel it! However I would recommend tow points front and rear.

I would do some maintenance first. Check u-joints in drive shafts. Axles. Check for play in the wheel bearing assemblies, and ball joints.

As you drive it off road it will become apparent as to what you may want to mod next.

Most of the time this is ground clearance. That's from the lowest point when is the axle differentials.

To increase the distance between the bottom of the diff and the ground you need taller tires, to fit the taller tires you need a suspension lift.

If the tires are 32/33" tall you'll probably need to change out the gears in the diffs to get it back to daily driver status.

It can get quite involved and expensive.

[abebehrmann]

Hi all. New to jeeps and off roading. I have a completely stock 2000 xj sport model with 95k miles that I would to take off road a little. It's a daily driver when the weather gets bad so I don't want to go too crazy with mods. I just want to be able to go on beginner off road trails, nothing too difficult. What mods are necessary to do before hitting the trails?

Yep, only thing you really should have before you go offroad is front and rear recovery points and a friend with another 4x4 to go with you.

For the front, you can pick up some tow hooks like this:

http://www.quadratec.com/products/12007_800_07.htm?sgsc=C6Z06ZR1C6Z06ZR1&utm_medium=compshop&utm_source=googlemerchant&gclid=CPun5sysn8gCFcKGaQodFQ4Aww

you might be able to find some at the junkyard for a lot cheaper but I never had any luck with that.

For the rear, a trailer hitch with something like this is a good option.

http://www.quadratec.com/products/92144_2010.htm?sgsc=C6Z06ZR1C6Z06ZR1&utm_medium=compshop&utm_source=googlemerchant&gclid=COqTlcqtn8gCFQkxaQodv-cEtg

If you don't have the trailer hitch already, those are pretty easy to find in the junkyard just be sure to grab the nut strips that sit inside the "frame" of the XJ or else you'll have to buy some of these:

http://www.quadratec.com/products/12249_7310_07.htm?sgsc=C6Z06ZR1C6Z06ZR1&utm_medium=compshop&utm_source=googlemerchant&gclid=CKWU7vKtn8gCFcKGaQodFQ4Aww

The nut strips help spread out the forces from the hitch so the bolts don't just pull through the "frame".


Good luck and welcome to the site.

[XJ Wheeler]

Depends on what you want to do. A quality 3" lift and 31s will give you years of fun with noticeable amount of off road improvement and still drive close to stock off road. But a lift is a bigger commitment than say some tow hooks and a set of offroad lights.

But some easy and fairly cheap things you can do to make your adventures more fun and safe.

Remove the rear sway bar (if yours is equipped with it, some aren't)
Front sway bar disconnects to help off road articulation
Front tow hooks
Rear receiver
Skid plates (some came stock with some, although not the best option will do for light off roading, and I would start with t-case and fuel tank skids if you don't have any)
Cb radio
Basic tools and first aid
Spare fluids

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[denverd1]

what sorta shape are your tires in? Truthfully, a good set of tires on a bone stock rig can be a ton of fun. Of course, the sky's the limit on future mods but a lot of fun can be had on stock rig with some decent tires. If you're planning to lift it in the near future, hold off on tires till you get your desired height sorted out.

You can go to 3" easily and fairly inexpensively before you need to upgrade any other suspension parts. above that, things get more involved as you need to address driveline angles and drive shaft issues.

Assuming your vehicle is in road worthy shape, get out there and enjoy it! PA's got a couple of good spots to ride. Rausch Creek comes to mind, no idea of the trail difficulty or proximity to you, just throwing it out there. Have fun and snap some pics of your adventure