My Xj tourer build

[junglejuice]

I just found this site so I thought I would put up some of my build up pics and info.
I have had my Xj for 8yrs and it has been a slow transformation from a stock as a rock Xj sport into a long distance tourer which is still quite capable while still reamining relatively stock looking and comfortable...

It has been slow as I have tried to keep the offroad performance and onroad performance on par with each other and still keep the ride nice for trips that can be upto 7000 kilometres (4000+ miles) at a time.

This is a daily driver so I need it to do "everything" from carry loads to the tip, be a grocery grabber, camper trailer tow vehicle and weekend play thing.

I have had a long and difficult battle with wheel alignment issues but that was finally sorted with parts from Iron Rock Offroad.

Also I have had a long trial and error period with getting the suspension right to acheive the above criteria, which I think I have finally gotten pretty right....

I will post some pics and build up info shortly....

JJ

[KH96XJ]

[4.3LXJ]

Don't feel bad about suspension tweaking. I have been doing that for years and still not satisfied.

[steph74]

welcome to the site.... waiting for the pictures now that you teased us

And you'll see, you will find plenty of good advice here if needed to mayke your build maybe faster

[junglejuice]

Ok, I have dug through some old folders looking for some of my older pics so here goes...

I bought this immaculate, low km, bog stock standard 1995 Xj Sport with the only extras being the genuine Jeep bullbar and side steps which looked a lot like this...



So we could get to places like this.....

Tasmania...



And Cape York....



To add some context for those unfamiliar with Australia, those two locations are further apart in a straight line than New York to California!!!!

[junglejuice]

The first thing that was done was the fitting of a dual position cargo barrier, expensive but extremely worth while.
Then it was off to the suspension shop for the first of many suspension mods, the rear leaf packs were removed, an extra leaf was added along with the packs being reset, unfortunately I don't have any info of how much it lifted the back but it was very noticable, the ride improved as well as the load carry ability.
It was also given a wheel alignment to try and correct the hideous amount of pull to the passenger side (left), as soon as you would let go of the wheel it was off the road, no exageration.
The wheel alignment helped marginally but then it would self centre anymore.....

[junglejuice]

After our trip to Tasmania in '04 we noticed the odd sensation of "pinging" on hills, I tried some in tank injector cleaner which also ups the octane rating and this seemed to releive the issue so it was then run on "premium" unleaded, this not only stopped the pinging but it went better and also gave better economy (went from 14l/100 down to 12l/100) this also meant that it was actually cheaper to run on the dearer petrol than it was on the cheaper petrol, this was a trend that would plague me for the next few years.....

[junglejuice]

After a while I became unhappy with the ride height and started looking into bastard packs and different shocks, I tried some Procomp Es9000, what a pile of s&^t they are, the worst riding shock I have ever had the displeasure of trying!!!!!!
Eventually I would fit an Old Man Emu suspension package that I bought, it even came with a complete car!!!!!

[junglejuice]

It was around this time I was experimenting with vented bonnets......













The vents were stainless steel marine vents.....

[junglejuice]

It was around this time I was experimenting with vented bonnets......













The vents were stainless steel marine vents.....

[junglejuice]

In a bid to make the most of the small cargo area and also because I like to make things I started on the first of my rear storage systems....











This was a very simple set up that held our 50lt Waeco fridge....

Well it worked for a while....

[junglejuice]

In an effort to increase our range a larger petrol tank was in order, luckily I found one for an impossible to refuse price.
Over here we can travel for several hundred km's between petrol stations that is outside of the range of the standard 76lt tank, let me introduce our 125lt tank!!!!



It tucks up quite nicely although we have lost approx 1" of ground clearance, luckily it is quite strong as it has been hit several times offroad...

[cantab27]

keep the pics and info coming jj, very cool.....

red jeep towing a green jeep , that has to be a first..

[/QUOTE]

you will catch on to the green jeep red jeep thing,,,, that pics gonna make ya a few new friends............

[OrangeXJ]

Orange

[junglejuice]

In a long struggle with the afore mentioned pinging issue I started with a lot of reading on different forums and also I have tinkered with cars for a long time previously, I started experimenting with throttle body spacers, now I have heard arguments for and against but as I had the means to make one I did.
It worked, as soon as it was fitted the pinging stopped.....

For a while, then it came back although not quite as bad as before, now I am talking pinging from a standing start with no load and driving casually or even driving up a gentle slope empty let alone with my 1t camper trailer or even a car trailer like above...

So the next step was the often "dismissed as crap" mod of a late model intake off a 2000 model, so after finding one for a reasonable price (hey I was getting desperate) I fitted it......

No more pinging, period, even after a 5000km trip to the top of Cape York in quite warm to hot conditions towing the 1t camper trailer through sand and water etc and some steep hills on standard (read crap rural) petrol it never pinged plus the performace was like it used to be on premium fuel athough it did tend to like a little more of it (17l/100km vs 16l/100km towing on regular petrol) so it was a small price to pay but still cheaper then premium and there isn't much availability of premium outised of the major centres let alone in the middle of nowhere!!!!


Now before I get the usual comments of these mods don't work (don't worry I have heard them many times on other forums) I know that for mine it did, I even took the TBS off without telling my wife and when she got home from shopping she told me that there is something wrong with the brakes as it didn't really want to go well like it normally did, so I told her I would look at the brakes (read refit the TBS) next day after more shopping she reports that I did a good job on the brakes as it is all good again!!!!!!