Goonies project "Short Attention Span" 99 XJ build

[Goonies.nsd]

I will start this build log by mentioning i have the attention span of a knat. Hence the project name "Short attention span" I am known to gather a few Jeep parts but never seem to actually get a build finished. Or maybe it that i have 3 Jeeps on the road and another half dozen give or take as parts rides or intended projects. Just ask the 93 YJ thats been sitting for 9 months. Anyway, figured id give those who dont know me all that well a little disclosure. That being said ENJOY.





OK so alot of you know i Fd up the 92 XJ by jumping it like an

I peiced it back together but its still pretty screwed up and kinda killed my interest in building it much further. It was also getting some rust issues. So the search for a new XJ started. I wanted another 91 to 95 XJ to build. But Craigs list had other plans. Went to look at a 99 XJ to possibly part out. Or fix. It had a bad tranny. But the seller forget to mention it was only 2WD. So when i said i had no need for a 2WD Jeep he became very negotiable. he was asking $750. Well i took it away for $447. He didnt have change for a $20. So $447 was what he got LOL.





I have most of the parts needed to make it 4WD. I still have the AW4 and NP231 out of the 98 XJ we parted a while back. And i any D30 will fit up front. But i wanted it to be nice and stock looking. I could need the shifter linkage, proper console, and possibly some sensors and wiring harnesses. Well thanks to fellow OO member NikiXfusco i found a full 4WD donor. Truck has a cracked windshield and has been leaking bad so the interior was full of mold. Also EVERY panal was dented or damaged. So building this 97 was a no go. But it will give me the small parts i need. Paid $400.




So i now have $847 dollars in play and a crap load of other parts to work with. Will i ever get this project started??? What are my plans???? What do i need that i dont already have hoarded away??? Read on. I dont even know yet.

[Goonies.nsd]

OK so ive made it to a second post in this build. Maybe i will actually build this thing after all. Wait!! Something just popped up on Craigs list.............................Alright im back. What was i talking about??? Oh yeah the 99 XJ. So what are my plans and what parts do i need to gather. Lets start with making it 4WD and the basic need to make it a reliable ride. Overall the truck is clean and the body is straight. It needs the plastic trim peice that goes above the rear plate. No hatch pistons. Or the brackets. No rust anywhere i can find. Motor runs awesome with 180,000. Not bad for a 4.0 Good radiator and belts and hoses. Brakes are good. 3:55 rear 8.25. So just the tranny. I will also need a transfer case and any linkage or sensor issues i run into. And i need a front 4WD axle and both driveshafts. I have the AW4 and NP231 from a 98. I also still have the rear driveshaft from the 98. I have to dig round for a front shaft. Then i will worry about the front axle.

So plan 1 is get it stock and 4WD.

Next is lift plans. I want 33s to fit. Brian (hummeron37s) has a 5 inch XJ lift. 5 inch coils and 3 inch leaves with 2 inch lift shackles. I just have to get them. Ill need a slipyoke eliminator. New shocks. a better trac bar setup. And i already have upper and lower adjustable RC control arms. The sway bar disconnects are to big on my current 4 inch lift so they will be perfecr for the new lift. Im sure theres more to add.

Wheels and tires. I have the Outlaw 1s on the 92 XJ. There 15X8s and will handle 33s just fine. I just spoke to a friend and he bought a set of pretty much new 33s and he cant use them anymore. He wants $200. I have to check them out. But that will do for now until i get 33 inch Super Swamper IROK Mud terrains. It will have Swampers at some point.

Drivetrain. Need a slip yoke eliminator. I want to run the 33s and i dont want it to be a pig. So 4:11s. I have a D30 in the garage with 4:11s but needs later model knuckles and ball joints. So i need to redo that axle. I will also do a lunchbox lockerin the D30. I also have the Ford 8.8 i got from Geoff (tripleg) with limited slip and 4:10s But i need the bracket kit or i may just peice one together. Also need the ujoint flange and i will do a front driveshaft to the back for the slip yoke.

Protection. I have factory front skid, transfer case and gas tank skids in the 92. They will be moved to the 99. Also the trailer hitch from the 92. I also plan to do the 2x6 box steel weld in rocker mod. Hate to cut up good rockers on the 99. If a cheap set of bolt on rocker guards come around i will swith that plan. Also the Olympic winch bumper with the grill guard from the 92.

Other odds and ends. I will move over the 3 core all aluminum Champion radiator to the 99 from the 92. Brown dog motor mounts from the 92. I will also wire up the snow plow setup in the 99. I will still need a plow truck. So the 99 will be a worker as well. More motivation to build the dedicated 93 YJ wheeler.

Im sure theres more to add that im forgetting. Or things i may rethink. Im great at making plans. Follow through? Not so much. Stay tuned.

[Goonies.nsd]

Look at this shit. A 3rd post. WHY you ask. I actually did some work on the 99. I wouldnt have started a build log unless i did something rite??? Well i did ok.

Yanked the 2WD bad AW4 and actually managed to finish something (well sorta). Yanked the bad unit and installed the 98s. Went smooth. All the same wireing. You would be surprised what they changed from year to year. But the 98 went in with out a hitch. Even the 2WD tranny mount bolted rite up to the 4WD unit and the cross member is the same. easy bolt in. Only thing needed is the speed sensor is in the tranny on a 2WD Jeep and on the transfer case on a 4WD. Just needs to be lengthened to work. I may just go that route. Or i may need the whole engine harness from a 4WD. Only thing that would be missing by using the existing wireing is the 4WD shift indicator light. I never trust that anyway. I go by feel and ive had lights stick on or NOT come on. So why bother. So the tranny is in. I need to take the shifter linkage from the 97 donor and install the 98 NP231 under my bench. But i need the linkage bracket that bolts to the tranny/transfer case. Then i will put the NP231 in. Toss the rear driveshaft in. Tomorrow. Unless i get side tracked.

[Incubus1013]

im excited to follow this as time goes on. Looks like a cool project

[HuLuD44]

Keep it up man! ahaha 5" and 33s will be real nice....

[Tat2dfreak]

I know all about those short attention span projects, i have been planning a soild axle swap for years now, but i can't seem to get it done.

So your looking good so far.

[Goonies.nsd]

Im startin to et worried. 2nd night and more good progress. I did however somehow lose the keys to the 97 donor XJ yesterday. And for the life of me i couldnt find them.
Luckily NikiXfusco has a second key somewhere home. So hopefully i wont have to break into it and hotwire it. So that left me with a problem. I needed the transfer case shifter and the bracket on the tranny and linkage to make the 4WD work. Luckily i have a few extra trucks layin around for such an situation. Enter the green 94 XJ.

Pay attention. There will be a pop quiz and maybe a prize if you can list all the years and model Jeeps i will have in the 99 when im done. So far we have 98 XJ parts and soon some 94.



It has the same linkage setup. Only a different older looking transfer case shifter. Well i took everything just in case. Easy unbolt for the bracket on the tranny. one 13 mil bolt on the side of the tranny and 2 of the nuts that bolt the NP231 to the tranny.



Thats the easy part. To get the linkage bracket off the floor board you need to lift the carpet inside and remove the 4 10 mil bolts. they bolt through the floor into the bracket underneath. This requires the removal of the drivers seat and console to lift the carpet properly.








Success.



Not to bad. But annoying that you have to remove half the interior to get 2 brackets. With the linkages i needed out of the green 94. I moved on to the 99 and getting the transfer case in before i called it quits.

I put a good bead of silicone around the flange where the tranny and transfer case meat. The rear seal on the trannys are known to leak and a good silicone helps prevent a red puddle in your driveway.



In she goes.



Filled the NP231 with 1.5 quarts of ATF4 and bolted in the rear driveshaft. I will need to lengthen the harness or swap over the 97s to make the speed sensor work. I also need to run a breather hose for the 231 from the case up to the firewall.



I have a case or tranny fluid here at home i will bring in to work. Fill the AW4 and it should be drivable. No speed indication or front driveshaft. But i will be mobile. Next it getting the linkage setup installed. So out comes the seat and up comes the rug. But that for tomorrow. 3 days of consistant work??? I may have to change the name of this build. Actually im fine till i run into a need to BUY$$$ something. Amazing what opening your wallet can do to productivity.

[Goonies.nsd]

I didnt have my camera yesterday so i didnt get any pics of the tranny swap. Since without pics it didnt happen. Here ya go jerks.

Old 2WD out.



New 4WD AW4 in.



Thats where i left it last nite. Everything tranny related was installed and plugged in. I left the cross member just holding up the tranny since i needed to redrop it to bolt up the transfer case.

[Goonies.nsd]

Came in this morning with tranny fluid i had at home. Filled the truck and went for a test drive. Frikkin runs awesome. After work today i will pull the seat, rug and console and get the linkage a levers installed.

[HuLuD44]

Great work man. That linkage looked in decent shape too. Looks like the bracket thats on the under side of the tub isnt the kind with the rubber gromits which is a good thing. Should last you longer. Have you put any thought into a cable shifting mechanism like the Novak? At 5"suspension that linkage is gonna be streached to it max.