Welcome spacecadet12364!!!

[BlueXJ]

Hi spacecadet12364, :welcome: to the :xjtalk: forum!

We would love to know more about you and your Jeep. How you found us, etc...

Be sure and check out our XJ TALK SHOW! (http://podcasts.xjtalk.com) It\'s about Cherokees! It\'s like a radio talk show, but from the Internet.

Check out our sister sites, http://www.WranglerTalk.com/ and http://www.di-dah-dit.com/

[spacecadet12364]

Found you guys by looking for information, etc regarding 1998 Jeep Cherokees. I have a 98 factory RHD....preemptive purchase for a postal job that hasn't started yet (gotta love goobermint paperwork). So, while waiting on that, working on getting any issues with it ironed out.... :)

[abebehrmann]

Welcome to the site! We have a few members that also have RHD XJ's but I think they all live in other countries.

[Carves]

Welcome aboard.

Give some thought to the cooling system ... Its all arse backward compared to a LHD.

If its an auto ... The tranny oil heat exchanger is in the hot side of the radiator ... So the factory fitted, baby oil cooler, in front of the radiator ... doesnt really do anything - except cool the oil to about what the LHD temps are without the oil cooler.

... an 8" x 10" x .75" thick stacked plate cooler ought to do the trick.


You might want to consider an over-ride switch for the electric radiator fan - as there is no constant, fan forced, cooling of coolant - until its flowed to the outlet side of the rad.

... and you need to ensure the clutch fan is 100%.

Steering geometry could probably do with a tickle - as they are meant to be driven on the opposite road camber to where you will be driving it.


... Other than that ... they are prone to all the same faults and problems as a LHD .. :D

[XJ Wheeler]

Welcome to xjtalk. I always wanted a rhd for some reason. I guess because I always rode shotgun so I think it'd feel right. Lol.

Post up your ride. What's the plans for it, keep it a nice postal jeep or the coolest mail truck ever!!!? :D

Sent via messenger pigeon. I talk, he types.

[spacecadet12364]

Well, still not sure what is going on with the PO job, so we have been working on the RHD and fixing things here and there.

Got a 2000 donor XJ, has some engine issues so got it cheap. Swapping out the interior (agate) over to the RHD (which had mist grey), since the RHD had some broken bits of trim, issues with the drivers seat, and such. Ordered a new headliner, haven't gotten that put on to the headliner board yet. Plan on getting some vinyl paint to freshen up the trim pieces before putting them back on.

Once I got down to pulling the carpeting out, the drivers side floor pan is almost non-existent, surprised I did not put my foot through it driving it what little bit I have so far. Been rust converting some of the less serious rust on the floor, and probably need to order up a replacement floor pan to get welded in.

A couple of the doors on the RHD need some body type work, so will be swapping out all 4 doors, the front quarter panels, rear hatch, and front end & bumper. Plan on swapping the steering column (the donor has the tilt function). That way, swapping all the lock items, wont have to keep separate keys. Took off the top rack this afternoon, but need to get a rivnut tool to get it onto the RHD. Haven't decided yet if its worth fooling with swapping over the 4x4 from the donor.

So far, going for a cool-ish ride......but yet usable for the PO if I do end up getting the spot. If I DON'T get the spot? Well, trick it out some more and probably just use it myself....it's fun driving around and people do the double-take when they see you driving on the "wrong" side. :rolleye0012: Pretty sure we are going to give it an exterior paint technique we saw used on some mud buggies......bedliner! :) Figured if it does go to postal work, little dings from mailbox doors wont bother it.

There are ALOT of interior bits in mist grey, plus some LHD specific parts from the donor that I will not be using. So if you are looking for anything like that...let me know what you are looking for. The donor has a dealer-installed sunroof....but I have no plans on swapping that over.

(as you can see, it already has 17" aluminum alloy wheels & truck tires on it. :) The wheels are off of a Mustang)

One of the probably good things, I have gotten the build sheets for both of them....the RHD came with several special items from the factory such as heavy duty engine cooling & heavy duty suspension. It was originally ordered and used as a water company vehicle (thats why there is an outlet on the front quarterpanel....for a pump to be plugged in). Also, for a 1998, it only has a bit over 151K miles on it.

[4.3LXJ]

Refresh my memory a little. Why is it you have a RHD XJ? Do you live outside the US?

[spacecadet12364]

Nope, live in south central Kentucky USA. :)

Picked up the RHD because I *THOUGHT* I had gotten selected for a rural carrier spot with the USPS (postmaster had told me that 2 people, myself and another, had been selected. Something went wonky with the paperwork, so did not get started. This has been since last fall! O.O )

I worked there before, 2005 - 2009....had some health things at the time, so resigned. Wished I had been able to find an affordable RHD at the time, but no go. Was using a 92 Explorer at the time, driving from the middle of the bench seat we put in it.

[prerunner1982]

It was originally ordered and used as a water company vehicle (thats why there is an outlet on the front quarterpanel....for a pump to be plugged in).

Wonder if that has anything to do with the two burn marks on the hood? :D

Welcome from Oklahoma. :thumbsup:

[spacecadet12364]

Could be...there is some badly done bondo work on that corner, some of the black though is from a shot of rust converter from keeping it from deteriorating more until we can get the crap bondo off, beat the corner straighter, and redo. Was thinking of swapping hoods, but the donor hood has lots of dings from hail damage. Other than the right front corner, the RHD hood is pretty straight and decent. There was some funky wiring going on under the hood, some stuff wired straight to the battery, no fuse no nothing. Constant hot. O.O

[prerunner1982]

some of the black though is from a shot of rust converter from keeping it from deteriorating more until we can get the crap bondo off,

Gotcha... looked like two scorch marks.