Great Lakes 4x4. The largest offroad forum in the Midwest banner

1 Ton FSJ Cherokee Chief High Tech ******* Project

8K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  disturbedsledneck 
#1 · (Edited)
OK..it's been a while....I was told I should post some pics of my project truck. So....Check me out!!!

Started out as: (1) 1985 Chevy CUCV, (1) 1998 Chevy C2500, & (1) 1978 Jeep Cherokee Chief. All bought off Ebay.

Then built the rest myself with my Angle Grinder, Milermatic, Unigraphics Tube (ummm at work), and some help from a buddy at a prototype shop.

I should give props to: Ruff Stuff, Off Road Designs, Ballistic Fabrication, JKW Fabrication, Summit Racing, and some other places too...for some cool stuff.

SPECS:
Chreokee Frame & Body
7.4L (454) Fuel Injected Engine & 4L80E trans
Round Bolt Pattern NP205 w/ self made adpater
Detroit Locked Dana 60 Front w/ 4.56 gears
Detroit Locked Corp 14 Bolt w/ 4.56 gears
44" Boggers on Bead locks
64" Chevy 5" Lift Rear Leaf Springs w/ ORD shackle reversal
Deaver 4" Lift Bronco front coils
Custom 2" DOM front 3-Link Suspension
Custom 1.75" DOM Panhard Bar
Custom Engine & Trans X-Members
X-Over steering arm w/ 1.75" DOM Steering Link
Extended the front frame rails for recovery points & winch mount
Rear 1/4 steel fuel cell skid plate.
Other structural stuff & Lots-o-Black Paint


Pictures of starting trucks and almost finished truck....I'll post some build pics next. More to come.

BB
 

Attachments

See less See more
4
#3 ·
OK....here we go.

In the beginning I bought a 1978 Jeep Cherokee Chief from some dude in Ohio with no Motor or Trans for $475 and a beat up 1985 Chevy 1 1/4 Ton CUCV M1008 from some dude in PA for $1300.

Dragged the CUCV to my driveway to completely disassemble and scrap & sell the extra parts.

Dragged the Cherokee to my buddies pole barn, pulled the body off the frame. Then left the body at my buddies pole barn (Thanks Dude), and took the frame home to clean, modify, & improve!

1) Added the 1/4" diamond plate fuel cell skid plate
2) Added the extended front frame horns & more 1/4" diamond plate
3) Installed some beefy custom spring hangers & shackle reversals.
Thanks to: Ruff Stuff & ORD for the parts.
4) Rebuilt the rear 14 Bolt & added disc brakes
Used the JKW Offroad brackets - BTW
5) Installed some Pro-Comp 5" lift 64" Chevy leaf springs.


BB
 

Attachments

#4 · (Edited)
OK....Then a few months later.

I picked up the 1998 Chevy C2500 for around $1200 (Buffalo NY I think), with a nice running 454 Fuel Injected Vortec, and yes 2WD so it will have a long output shaft on the trans to accept a 1985 to 1991 (round bolt pattern) NP205. Then pulled the motor, trans, harnesses, controllers out of the C2500, and Sold the rest.

1) Designed & Fabricated an engine cross-member out of 2'x3" rect. tubing, with enough clearance to R&R the oil pan later. Came out pretty good except it interfered with my steering link later...Ooops
2) Picked up some used 44" Boggers & 16.5" Beadlocks.
3) Picked up a 1991 NP205, and added a figure 8 style short input shaft.
4) Got some 4" Deaver Bronco coils from Jeff's Bronco Graveyard. (they had a nice soft linear spring rate)
5) Dana 60 Front Axle: Cleaned and Rebuilt / Installed a Detroit Locker / Welded on Coil Spring Pads & Lower Link Mounts (about 1" above axle C/L)
6) Made my 52" lower links. Used 2" x .25" wall DOM w/ 1.25" Rod Ends. Made em as long as possible to try to help my lower link angle issue (about 11.5degrees), cause the truck is a little taller than expected. I also added some 2x2 square tubing to lower the frame in the middle.
7) Positioned Dana 60 under the frame, installed my Lower Link frame mounts
8) installed the links. Then fabricated some upper coil spring mounts. (Now I can finally remove my "custom" jack stands, and she can support her own weight)

Then it was time to figure out the upper links (or Link), upper axle mounts, panhard bar, shock mounts, how to fit my 205 to the 4L80, and other goodies...

BB
 

Attachments

#5 · (Edited)
Got some more stuff.

1) Designed a 1/5" adapter to fit my 1991 NP205 to 1998 4L80E. Sent the math file to my prototype buddy, who CNC'd it out of a 3" x 10" hunk of aluminum I got from another friend. What-do-you-know....perfect fit.

2) Decided to run a 3-Link with a panhard bar. Due to clearances to the engine with a 4-link limiting my triangulation. So....figured I would build a tower off the passenger side spring perch. Not liking the idea of welding to cast iron, I drilled and tapped (2) more 5/8" holes into the casting and bolted (2) 1" thick steel plates to the axle. Then welded the bolts to secure them, and welded on my 3rd link tower to create 11" difference from upper to lower links. I'll have to find a pic of the assembled piece.

3) Next I needed to relace that POS stock Jeep Cherokee trans x-member.
So I built my own outa 2x2 .25" wall square tubing. and added a Transfer case torque mount to it too. It's a bolt in....for service later.

4) Then made a nice home for the frame side of the 40" long 2"x.25" wall DOM 3rd link, where the 3-link / 4-link calculator told me to put it.

5) No Steering Link or Panhard bar yet. I want the body on frame so I can determine the proper angles.

BB
 

Attachments

#6 · (Edited)
OK...

Picture of the Front Axle.

Then put the Boggers on it. Wheeled it outside. Cleaned everything. Painted the frame again, painted the engine all gloss black, and added some tune up parts to the engine.

Ready for the body.

BTW - - - All this took me about 2 years time. Time & $$$ are hard to come by.

BB
 

Attachments

#7 ·
OK....Now up to Dec 2010.

Chasis kinda done, and time for Body on Frame. Also fixed the drivers door hinge too.

This was "High-Tech". We used Cherry Pickers, Floor Jacks, 2x4's, jack stands, and yes logs to aid in lifting the body high enough.

BB
 

Attachments

#9 ·
3 months ago I added the Panhard Bar & Steering link. Both made from mandrel bent 1.75" x 0.25" wall DOM Tubing. I used 7/8" rod ends on the Panhard Bar & 1 Ton Chevy TRE's on the Steering Link. Got a 4" dropped pitman arm, ORD Cross over steering arm, & 2.5" block to help get things aligned.

Then more recently I finished up the single monster 54" rear traction bar (kinda like a Sam's Offroad traction bar on steroids). Actually sprayed the final coat of Satin Black on it last night. Again I used 1.75" x 0.25" DOM tubing w 1.25" diameter trussing. Figured Poly Bushings on the axle side and Ballistic Fab 3" Ballistic Joints on the frame side with 5" shackles would keep things from binding.

BTW.....Somewhere during the winter I installed the 1998 C2500 Hydro-Boost brake system grafted to the Cherokee Pedal Box.

My 15.88" travel Pro-Comp Shocks, Trans shifter, & 32 gallon fuel cell just came (thanks UPS Dude).....so now it's shock hoop time....more to come.

BB
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top