# Haolepinoy's Very First Ever Before Build Thread (No Really) **URL:** \ **Category:** Project Threads\ **Created:** [January 27, 2020, 4:29am UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437 "2020-01-27T04:29:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/42 "2020-03-11T19:49:12Z")
A financial timeline… 1. 2007-11: earned two incomes, but lived on a one income budget so we could pay down our debt. 2. 2009-15: drove a reliable, payment free Cherokee. 3. 2010: had kiddo #1. 4. 2011: had kiddos #2 & #3 and dropped to one income so wife could stay home. 5. 2014: got out of the rental rat race and bought a fixer-upper house. 6. Jan. 2015: had kiddo #4. 7. Jan. 2015: bought [the greatest minivan ever](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/your-dreamcars-dreamcar-is-my-daily-minivan-all-the-things/438) created to fit the four kids and dominate the daily duties. 8. Feb. 2015: paid off all our debt sans the mortgage. 9. Apr. 2015: sold the old blue minivan AT A YARD SALE for thousands more than I paid for it (it was free). For purposes of this build thread (reality isn’t so neat and tidy), I was batting a thousand, so you would assume the next move would follow suit. Nope. Let the stupidity ensue… 1. Summer 2015: rather than replace a caliper and brake line for \<$100, dump thousands and thousands of savings into a moonshot Jeep project. Brilliant! _…but didn’t you say you had a fixer-upper house? Shouldn’t you have put those thousands into it?_ Nope. Jeep! _…do you know how to completely reconfigure the suspension, transfer case, interior, etc. parts that you’re planning to modify?_ NopE! JEep! _…and didn’t you say you had four kids? Can you fit four kids in a Cherokee?_ NoPe. JeEp!! _…and with four kids, when do you plan to do all this work?_ NOpE. jEEP!!! _…and what about…_ **NOOOPPPPEEEE! JEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPP CHEROKEEEEEEEEE PROJecT TIIIIMMMMEEEEEE!!!** ![iPhone 5s Pics 131](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/3/39bc5bdd6f1470d0b26d25d39a48e8bd3d70ca05.jpeg) …begin the facepalms of hindsight. ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/43 "2020-03-11T20:31:57Z")
**July 2015 | 181,250 miles** With the daily AND adventure duties safely in the hands of the [MPV](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/your-dreamcars-dreamcar-is-my-daily-minivan-all-the-things/438/19), it was time to break ground on the Jeep Cherokee Moonshot Project. And what better tool to begin with than the **DEATH WHEEL**. ![iPhone 5s Pics 116](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/b/b405082992b0476bc6622915d971ce6b4f0a65db.jpeg) Note the stupidity right off the bat…first time using this fabled implement of destruction and of course I would use it to shoot sparks all over oily cardboard and drain pans. Nothing like cutting your arm off AND catching on fire at the same time. ![iPhone 5s Pics 087](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/d/de5217768e331755261a8582e783c87d28522b0b.jpeg) ![iPhone 5s Pics 099](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/6/6ddccc67c75df802d78f1266d3dd97f8c3bf403d.jpeg) If you noticed in the pictures, the rear axle is already out, and I’m giving it the third or fourth attempt at getting these rusty, seized leaf spring bolts out. Removal would require the nuclear option, but since I didn’t have a space-age plasma cutter I opted for the medieval tools at hand. Well, medieval if you ignore electricity. ![iPhone 5s Pics 121](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/2/2422025012cf1249ff1bf9bb3de641ec0ce9a562.jpeg) With the leaves finally cut free I still needed to get the bolts out, and the grinder and sawzall were called back into action. ![iPhone 5s Pics 122](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/3/32bb7cdb11154c1e32039a1addf8f76f29e8d1f8.jpeg) ![iPhone 5s Pics 123](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/7/709294f706b65a10e83392032d7d4b8fc9ed5191.jpeg) Some of the bolt fragments were easier to retrieve than others. ![iPhone 5s Pics 091](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/4/48a9f43462e8f2d3d615599ed33e41936601e876.jpeg) ![iPhone 5s Pics 093](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/1/183891193236a20970593bb843138c43a914f117.jpeg) ![iPhone 5s Pics 092](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/f/f6edc5370ad6947e51c9e404121300ae2603f892.jpeg) At the end of things I had the rear end of the Cherokee taken much further apart than I’d ever attempted before. But even at this point I knew enough to know that disassembly is often the easiest and quickest part of the project. The can of worms was officially opened. ![iPhone 5s Pics 125](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/4/4dc77e9dfdbf192d6f4f6ed8650ed2d97341075e.jpeg) ![iPhone 5s Pics 126](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/a/aa0f853a84c9a9d9eee0154b7d543da18545c4e5.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Brian](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/brian/32/6054_2.png) [@Brian](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/Brian)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 8:00pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/44 "2020-03-12T20:00:15Z")
The build thread we all aspire to be like, imo. And yet, _how can you even spend a minute away from the van, man? Such an incredible machine._ ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/45 "2020-03-12T20:16:41Z")
> [@Brian](#): > > Such an incredible machine. Hahaha…you should do an article about it then. I could be interviewed “in character” for a cheekier look into the real deal of the minivan subculture. > [@Brian](#): > > how can you even spend a minute away from the van, man? I’ve been working hard to catch this thread up to the van’s so that I can start interweaving the stories, and now finally have them both sync’ed together. Yet getting them to the current day is another story that I’m working hard to do, but that will require many more posts and the eventual introduction of a third character (soon). I will be doing some actual work on the van tomorrow to get it ready for a Spring Break road trip adventure with the family…if the coronavirus doesn’t kill us all first, that is. > [@Brian](#): > > The build thread we all aspire to be like, imo. Aww shucks man. You’re making my head swell. Thanks for the nod on the podcast the other day. I’ll repay the kind words with a beer or two at Expo West…if, again, the coronavirus doesn’t kill us all first. ---
**Author:** ![Brian](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/brian/32/6054_2.png) [@Brian](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/Brian)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/46 "2020-03-12T20:31:50Z")
Believe it or not, you just reminded me I’ve been meaning to reach out to Odyssey and Sienna owners. Why not ask about the almighty MPV? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/47 "2020-03-12T20:48:52Z")
> [@Brian](#): > > Why not ask about the almighty MPV? This would be so much fun. I can see the insane commentary in my head now, and am having trouble holding back the chuckles here at work. ---
**Author:** ![Brian](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/brian/32/6054_2.png) [@Brian](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/Brian)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 9:31pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/48 "2020-03-12T21:31:21Z")
Let’s do it up right, then. Message sent on Instagram. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/49 "2020-03-26T21:34:31Z")
**September 2015 | 181,250 miles** Rust… ![iPhone 5s Pics 086](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/c/c52109f9403b78a3c052c9d4114795a62cdbc10b.jpeg) You’re going to run into it eventually, and it sucks. It makes everything harder. It never sleeps. It’s always spreading…it’s spreading somewhere right now as I type. It makes your eyes hurt when it falls into them laying under your beloved car, and it makes them hurt when you cry your little heart out when the cancer finally takes your beloved car from you. ![iPhone 5s Pics 097](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/d/dfe13d00ce6328dec53556a2986c30403a6c9089.jpeg) ![iPhone 5s Pics 098](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/0/0016fa6ba65b48a673e5d7f57038a0815b8f92b0.jpeg) ![283](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/6/676e9d8eb9677182652a479e444a123c8f57f8d1.jpeg) I’m not sure what stage of rust my Jeep was in, but as I took things apart it was clear that the cancer was everywhere. When I bought this Cherokee the Carfax said that it had spent most of its life in Georgia, but originated somewhere up in Ohio. I guess the disease set in early then, only slowly spreading down South rather than going Stage 4 before coming into my hands. As already seen I had to cut out the rear leaf springs because of the rust, but had also already lost the rear bump stops due to rusted off studs on the uni-frame rails. The upper studs for the rear shocks snapped off as well. This was going to be an uphill battle, but also a learning experience in how to prevent, remediate, and repair the ravages of rust. Every gearhead needs to know how to deal with this common foe. ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 8:23pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/50 "2020-03-27T20:23:46Z")
**September 2015 | 181,250 miles** ![iPhone 5s Pics 071](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/b/b77d8862c5b49d8223e5c13fc766fd25647d2011.jpeg) With the back axle and leaf springs out of the way I could get after several other items wrapped up in the back end project. One of these was the rear trailer hitch. Though it was an OEM hitch, judging by the way it was wired in I’d have to assume it was a half-ditched effort by somebody after the fact. ![iPhone 5s Pics 073](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/1/18483bd6fc07eac009fb2ef5cf1899cae25cffed.jpeg) ![iPhone 5s Pics 075](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/e/edb63ecaf011d6924403207993b5f3724bbbf9d0.jpeg) ![iPhone 5s Pics 085](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/4/4331c58b0da328c9c8952489f8350a0841780d68.jpeg) The goal here was to grind back the rust and repaint the hitch, as well as repair the wiring mess. I’d found an OEM loom at the junkyard that I hoped I could splice into whatever was already on my Jeep so that things looked a bit more clean and tucked in than the twisty twist and tape install. ![IMG_2975](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5daeb5caaab4da533b85e00fe2cbed8df9e67382.jpeg) ![IMG_2974](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/8/8b5feb4289ed89e1be2f779e37dab710e75e9379.jpeg) ![IMG_2978](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5f242418e9b5ad9fa3144d7363c7ddf34b626e43.jpeg) The rear uni-frame rails were going to be a busy piece of real estate with the tow hitch, gas tank skid plate, and rear leaf spring hanger brackets all incorporated into it in some way. I refinished and cleaned up the threads on the rear nut strips so that there’d be no trouble bolting things up once everything was ready to go back in. ![211](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5e915a5ebc7daa477d6c0a1ef82e47e9aa5aeda9.jpeg) But before anything else could get bolted back up there was still more cutting, grinding, painting, and pounding to do. So far so good. ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 8:47pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/51 "2020-03-27T20:47:52Z")
**September 2015 | 181,250 miles** After getting the hitch and rear bumper out of the way it was time to get the death wheel back out. These rear leaf spring hanger brackets were the next thing needing to go, and when they did it would mean no turning back on the suspension modifications. ![iPhone 5s Pics 096](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/b/bef5ae1c9a2e64c2124d094d0cdd31aab16aecda.jpeg) ![152](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/7/7f437a18237bb112cc89074df109d341404d7c7d.jpeg) ![153](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/e/e3890a1c0b6fb308d186690684f1dcbbf97db191.jpeg) What was going back in would be a bit stronger than the original design. The side by side comparison gives you an idea. ![154](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/c/cde04fcbd814ae99cb4e5a391aabe7840425242e.jpeg) I treated the surface rust on the uni-frame rails and painted before setting the new hanger boxes in place. They are designed to be 100% bolt-in, but could also be welded in if you’ve got the skills for that. I didn’t (and still don’t), so that meant I’d need to put two new holes up through the boot floor to secure the top of the hangers. ![212](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5962857c93f5cad20d663bdc1c5fda3ae8fb8aae.jpeg) ![213](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/b/bf963f1addf5c0d3e1ba5100c00c7d3067eae856.jpeg) ![214](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/0/06789c0f4533ba00acd913d10be67e1b81055ad2.jpeg) ![319](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/0/0330c1962788d6f6e77ab04c23f31fb6e1985260.jpeg) ![320](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/d/df3e250106f89eb507bbba2c81071ac3d1cb0f6d.jpeg) ![218](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/b/b8b964d67a98778d1b870883f310a6c25a1e9498.jpeg) One more item to sort before everything rear related could be bolted back onto the uni-frame. ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 9:08pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/52 "2020-03-27T21:08:15Z")
**September 2015 | 181,250 miles** I have no idea how my fuel tank got this dent in it. I was not a rock crawler, nor had I ever been in any kind of accident that would have left this kind of damage. It must have been something lost to history, known only by the previous owners. ![iPhone 5s Pics 094](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/e/e4cddd27892f46f50391e3fe7c4068ceca90e783.jpeg) Well, in an effort to prevent future damage similar to this sort in the likelihood that this Jeep did get off-road in the future, a gas tank skid plate would be needed. Luckily for me I had recently found an OEM tank skid at the junkyard. But since it was for the older generation of XJ (pre-'96), it would require a bit of modification to fit the newer tank. More death wheel work ahead. ![311](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/0/072de751bbb9976b921c2ffce8ca10d078e22c37.jpeg) ![312](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/c/c060b0ae57dcfb86b3ae8416ba48433da3816e73.jpeg) Those relief cuts were needed to allow the rear of the tank to bend over a bit. I knew just the guy to do this part of the operation, and he even volunteered to mount the tank up for me when he was done. ![316](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/3/3f859532f18cd07ff6c9d176ef7f0af880fa4616.jpeg) ![315](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/b/b4081e5946036fcc6f6c8bea577f2d0d207e838f.jpeg) While in there (and since the leaf springs were still out of the way) I wanted to also tackle the fuel filler hoses. They were old and falling apart by this stage of their life, and the protective cover needed a little rust remediation and modification with the death wheel to fit the new leaf spring perches anyways. ![iPhone 5s Pics 072](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/d/d5e029f660802d1a92652e9fb431498f6e9c12b0.jpeg) ![302](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/e/e1225632fd437fb042bcf7971d47d10b31183065.jpeg) ![326](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/a/a71be786a8192a2230899e6930628a21b3803707.jpeg) With those final items taken care of I could start hanging things off the rear of the Jeep again. Trailer hitch, trailer wiring loom, gas tank skid plate, and rear leaf spring hangers completed and installed. Next time I’d turn my attention to the rear axle and the bits that keep it stuck under the rear of the Cherokee. ![323](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/8/88cfb0fbd19ea7a5f7b16707eed61f4f6b3b521f.jpeg) ![325](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/1/123f3b8172bb94f5ffc21bf54f2bae2258e9db86.jpeg) ![IMG_2971](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/7/7e8a9c2b61900ca754d653cb6322c5b5f57b7612.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Brian](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/brian/32/6054_2.png) [@Brian](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/Brian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/53 "2020-03-28T14:59:00Z")
Nice! I love it when a plan comes together! ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 6:25am UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/54 "2020-03-29T06:25:33Z")
**October 2015 | 181,250 miles** ![Rear Axle Monkey (2)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1e015414c3107a225175f1cd2d3997bccdd3ca86.jpeg) Next item needing attention would be the rear axle. Rusty like all the rest, so in addition to a drain & fill on the fluid I’d strip it down and repaint the housing. Again, I’m not a fan of pink or lime green underwear on a Jeep so it would be chassis black all around. ![Rear Axle Refurbish (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/f/f121a4b7a5827c25ab1d51c91ee6173168d19807.jpeg) ![Rear Axle Refurbish (6)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/e/e21607a87104730d9db6e969fe77047cf266a787.jpeg) Another item I dealt with (with the help of a friend with a welder) was to repair some wear spots on my rear brake backing plates. If you remember I pulled the disc brake assemblies from a junkyard Grand Cherokee to upfit my XJ. Something that I learned to be a common problem on older cars is that the spots where the brake pads land can become worn and grooved over time, leading to pads that don’t slide smoothly. ![Brake Pad Land Repair (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/d/ddbb8c574fec6e1a2527a01d0cd9b25ef4c2d5ea.jpeg) I had him fill those grooves with weld so that I could file the lands back down smooth. Hope that helps things out. Brake issues got me into this moonshot fiasco, so might as well fix the brakes as well as possible since I was disassembling and re-configuring the entire vehicle in an effort to fix a single brake line. ![Brake Pad Land Repair (2)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/0/0ead94e1f34d9db179ed53137fbba34f75f71345.jpeg) …and while doing that I figured I’d paint all the new brake bits in a futile effort to prevent them from rusting in the future. _Prevent_ is a bit of hyperbole. _Hinder_ might be a better description of the actual efficacy of all this. But progress was happening. Very slowly, but certainly. Looked like the MVP MPV would have to fill in on the [adventure duties](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/your-dreamcars-dreamcar-is-my-daily-minivan-all-the-things/438/31) since this Jeep would likely not be ready for a while. ![Brake Rotor Paint (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/f/f894990dc5f326430fa2529e5108845723d9e8d5.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Brian](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/brian/32/6054_2.png) [@Brian](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/Brian)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 3:35am UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/55 "2020-03-30T03:35:51Z")
These pictures are from 2015. Did I hear you say something today about how the Jeep is still in pieces? The attention to detail is worth it, though. Here’s hoping you put the rust into remission. ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 3:39am UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/56 "2020-03-30T03:39:00Z")
Still…pieces galore. You’ll see as the story catches up. More Gearhead Project lessons with hindsight’s advantage. ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/57 "2020-03-30T16:14:42Z")
**November 2015 | 181,250 miles** With the rear axle painted it was time to put it back underneath the Cherokee. The suspension I chose to go with consisted of several ARB’s Old Man Emu bits. As it pertains to the rear, Dakar leaf springs (with an integrated helper leaf) and Nitrocharger Sport shocks. ![ARB Rear Suspension Installed (2)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/d/d755b57329ef447d179248e811a9c624fbcc1f1a.jpeg) I didn’t have any extreme plans in mind for my Jeep. I wasn’t building a rock crawler. But I also wasn’t building a high school budget shitbox. I wanted to wade into the quality aftermarket parts world, and by all accounts at the time Old Man Emu was hard to beat for expedition-style Cherokees. ![Rear Shocks (2)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/a/a1c2c43812bbe6a886c0b2838037fd1c310927c1.jpeg) I snaked some bolts up into the holes left over by the broken-off studs so I could secure the new shocks. In hindsight I might go back and do something a bit more sturdy, but at the time it seemed like an adequate solution. ![Rear Shocks (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/c/c0981c582c096682c0551cf488491212dcf69e16.jpeg) The heavier leaf springs should do away with the need for the rear sway bar, which by all accounts is pretty useless on a Cherokee. In fact, earlier trim packages that came with the trailer package or unicorn Dana44 axle didn’t even have them from factory (I’m a little out of date on the specifics here, but you get the idea). ![Rear End Complete (2)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/a/ab648bd1f315409e3f702d3193f472c136a5b018.jpeg) With everything bolted in it looked pretty good, and felt good to be this far along. Still loads to do, but much of it will have to wait until other items are done at a later date. At least it was back on four wheels again…at least for a little while. ![Rear End Complete (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1d6f04a7a7bca7d38e27d9c09da66d08ac42cffd.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 5:09pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/58 "2020-03-30T17:09:15Z")
**2015 Randomly** Junkyards are marvelous places, but sometimes Craigslist can be a pretty good dumpster dive too. There were several items that I was constantly on the lookout for, and with the right amount of patience I was able to pick up a few treasures for the build. As already shown I had found an OEM gas tank skid plate, but had also picked up two other OEM bits of protection. The transfer case “skid” is a glorified slab of steel that runs diagonally from the transmission crossmember over to the uniframe rail. I guess it protects things, but no matter since I’ve got an aftermarket t-case skid that does a better job. The big one in the picture is the front skid. ![Skids & Spare Rim](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5d090bb3be34dcbd414f2c995ed83b8178b6a514.jpeg) I grabbed a spare Ecco rim with the intention of having a full-size spare with the finished project. I’m not intending to buy some fancy aftermarket wheels for the Jeep, and since these 15" wheels clear my brakes with no issue I don’t see the need to go bigger. I’ll paint it up black to match the others. And since I’m going to use a full-size spare and a larger tire size than stock, the spare will have to find a home outside the rear cargo area. Here’s where my first Craigslist score came. I found an OEM rear swing out tire carrier for sale. There are two OEM styles of this, and both are engineered for the pre-'96 style Cherokees. Those had a fiberglass rear hatch, while the newer style has a steel door. This is the “less-desirable” version that mounts to the corner of the rear bumper. Not sure If I’ll be able to make it work, but it’s worth a try. ![Stock Rear Tire Carrier (2)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/1/17048336024c6501419f482c00ad14cd19df3304.jpeg) ![Interior Trim Bits](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/6/65ebe8eef834c1254e127e1a3f45e29e0b232a8d.jpeg) I also met a guy that had a whole basement full of junkyard plundered Cherokee parts. Part of me wanted to hate the guy for grabbing all the goodies and hoarding them, but I did manage to grab a few interior panels that I had managed to booger up over the years. ![ZJ Tie Rod (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/f/f98c70a501eb1605227eb9b4dc98477ce6019440.jpeg) In keeping with the parts bin upgrades I was able to snag a ZJ Grand Cherokee tie rod. It is the same dimensions as the XJ Cherokee tie rod, but the ZJ unit is a thicker, solid piece of steel, while the XJ’s is a thin, hollow tube. They’re very prone to bending, and while the ZJ’s isn’t bomb-proof, it is at least a cheap and significant upgrade. ![ZJ Tie Rod (2)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/8/820a6bd07136209ca48e735449b6dda2558339a0.jpeg) And the best junkyard score I came across for the build were these leather seats out of a WJ Grand Cherokee. So rare to find leather seats that aren’t already shredded, soaking wet, or already gone at the local pick-n-pull. They’ll make the interior much better when they finally get repurposed to fit. ![WJ Leather Seats (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/2/2f66a63f9f3afdcaa8fab70d78d599cfee86dba2.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 8:57pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/59 "2020-03-30T20:57:38Z")
**2015 Randomly** Tires… ![Tires 31x10.50](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/7/7c82fd334ed94326a3a3c213538d2c369a57d4b0.jpeg) So I found these 31" tires for sale on Craigslist for a few bucks and decided to pick them up in the off chance that maybe I’d find two more later. After a few months of waiting I stumbled on these four… ![Tires 35x12.50 (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/4/4b11d0806754af7338bd9193a282701351b803af.jpeg) 35" BFG Mud-Terrains, again off Craigslist for a few shiny nickles. I knew when I got these that I had no intention of ever putting them on the Cherokee. I had no intention of going deep down the rabbit hole of additional modificatons it would require to run such large tires. I wanted them mainly as a visual aid before putting them back on sale later. ![Tire Size Comparison (3)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/0/0745ed1fcec5166a7781e004df6ac5da0e9f461e.jpeg) Here’s what the stock 29" tire looks like beside the 31" and 35". ![Tire Size Comparison 29 Inch](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/0/0dbf3b3da8e6f556bb585960a8dece38f6c468af.jpeg) ![Tire Size Comparison 31 Inch (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/b/b5d4c1385039eec9dbbbaf133ec073cb1ee1b788.jpeg) ![Tire Size Comparison 35 Inch (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/e/e1ebc78f9d45f78e26138ae1ff1ea73ada283358.jpeg) The plan was to land somewhere between 31" and 33" on about 4" of suspension lift. But 35" tires look really cool, especially to little boys. They got a kick out of playing with these things for a few weeks before I resold them for a profit later that year. ![Tire Monkeys (4)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5786b43b64e0f5a66229b393be74459ae410a1d0.jpeg) ![Tire Size Comparison (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/5/5cfd2daa80b54c061248ba18d4e531813307ed43.jpeg) ![Tire Monkeys (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/0/06dfcb94cbf232826f7e8bd5f2291e8290913014.jpeg) I had enough sense to know then that the one area you didn’t want to cheap out on was in the rubber department. I’d buy some brand name quality tires eventually. In hindsight I’m glad I didn’t purchase any tires then, as will become more apparent soon. ---
**Author:** ![haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/haolepinoy/32/60_2.png) [@haolepinoy](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/haolepinoy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 11:48pm UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/60 "2020-03-31T23:48:58Z")
**February 2016 | 181,250 miles** With the rear end back on two wheels and mostly buttoned up it was now time to tear into the front end. This was going to be a whole 'nother animal, since there’s just so much extra stuff going on up there. And in addition to all that noise I had the grand plan to completely disassemble and re-engineer the suspension by adding a long arm setup. I mentioned a few posts back that I had opened a can of worms with this moonshot project. At this point the worms began to all spill out at once. Like the rear end, I was going to begin by totally removing the front axle, which meant disconnecting all the steering and driveline components attached to it. ![Front Axle Removal (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1d2d39d5d5fa6e5e8a6279ec5225cddf1950f9a2.jpeg) As the spanners turned and the bolts either sheared or rounded off, I realized that this was not going to be as simple as was the stone-age suspension in the rear. There was rust everywhere. Ugh, everything was covered in it, making me realize that there was a lot of “while I am in here” kind of decisions to consider. ![Front End Rust (1)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/0/0f75b8c6dd8048cfe3aa5348ece601edd1281e2d.jpeg) ![Front End Rust (2)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/c/cee6f7e36d1ef9417a530eb736d2d90541d35a8b.jpeg) A rusty starter or steering gear was one thing, but those transmission fluid lines made me wince. They were about in the same state as the rusty steel brake lines that had originally sent me down this insane edition of project creep. _Might have to fix them too, I guess…_ ![Front Axle Removal (3)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/a/ae3dd7d731fa8a4cda62583ce5addc44fc63f0b8.jpeg) ![Front Axle Removal (4)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1eb370b24c9fb5696e03436797cb2e1046c5c711.jpeg) After many a busted knuckle and a few blunted sawzall blades the front axle was finally out. The next phase of this project was underway, with the end in sight. Or was it? Where was the end exactly? I was eight months into this, and as far as I could tell I was barely a quarter of the way into all of the planned items I wanted to address. After the month or two it would take me to get this front end back together I still needed to disassemble the transfer case and install a slip yoke eliminator kit. Then there was the slew of engine items I wanted to “freshen up” on the 180,000 mile old tractor engine. And not to forget all of the interior stuff awaiting my attention (seat swap, headliner repair, etc.). Oh, and lets not forget the thing that got us into all of this mess in the first place: the brakes. I still needed to replumb that whole system with new steel lines and soft lines, reinstall all the calipers and rotors, and then go through the bleeding process… The scary thing was that every inch forward I crept on this thing, the further away the goal line seemed to drift off over the horizon. Not to mention that there wasn’t as much wind in the sails these days. The Cherokee was full long before the start of this project. ![Camp Vacation August '12 004](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/1/1e5b86ff6e5e53eb88aee7a33d909593e7f27dc9.jpeg) ![iPhone 5s Pics 006](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/1X/f159a70f9c18df2b5008ab40e0198bcb9cff93af.jpeg) ![Buckingham Trip (20)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/a/aff5c7aca17040e337513282f35208157b787db9.jpeg) And by the time I pulled that front axle out I was a year into having one more kid than the Jeep could handle. So what was I doing this for? Even if I did finish it three, six, twelve months from now, what good would it do for a family full of six adventurers? ![iPhone 5s Pics 845](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/9/9cba4319d2ef6103a99ed26d7a5a038b01401a64.jpeg) Honestly these thoughts had been running around inside and outside of my mind for months by this point. Our Mazda MPV was handling the adventure and daily driving duties flawlessly the past year, but it was against my newly acquired ethics to be down to one running vehicle (remember the [Two Is One, One Is None](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/10) motto). And no matter how amazing that brilliant machine was, there could come a day when it would need some kind of nitrous oxide upgrade or get impounded by all the haters in the Medellin Cartel. We needed another vehicle that made sense for a family of six…with a heavy dose of adventure on our minds. Needless to say, while this axle lay sprawled out in my carport, there were already things in motion that would change the state of our family fleet for the much, much better…depending on how you look at it. And of course it would fall on the shoulders of our amazing MPV to get that ball rolling. ![Front Axle Removal (5)](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/uploads/default/original/2X/4/4585a3364923b3fbd027f5e7897e0334bd3ac82c.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![BradD](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/user_avatar/forum.thegearheadproject.com/bradd/32/178_2.png) [@BradD](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/u/BradD)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 12:10am UTC](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437/61 "2020-04-02T00:10:43Z")
I have to say, I love a good XJ and I love a good story. This is a good one all around. Passing the love onto the next generation too, good on you! [Previous page](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437.md?page=2) [Next page](https://forum.thegearheadproject.com/t/haolepinoys-very-first-ever-before-build-thread-no-really/437.md?page=4)