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Thread: Could I have some opinions on this rig?

  1. #1
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    Could I have some opinions on this rig?

    http://s328.photobucket.com/albums/l...78cherokee.jpg

    i'm thinking of buying this. you jeep guys have any opinions on this baby? are this motor and trans any good? axles any good? price is $2300.

    78 cherokee
    6 inch suspension lift
    33x12.5x15 BFG's
    360/TH400/Dana 300 twin stick t-case
    Dana 44 front and rear, loc-rite in the front mini spool for the rear
    HEI ignition
    Elderbrock aluminum intake and carb
    Performance camshaft, lifters,pushrods,seals,new alternator,flowcooler waterpump,radiator,hoses and vacuum lines.
    Headers/duel exhaust
    Warn hubs
    Custom heavy duty drive shafts
    Last edited by aquaholic; 12-20-2008 at 06:50 PM.
    97 tahoe 8" lift w/ 37" tires
    07 toyota fj
    02 avalanche 2500
    97 xj

  2. #2
    SLAYER! MF Steve!'s Avatar
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    As long as the pieces were put together well, and the mechanics of everything work well together, I can't see anything wrong with that setup. How is the body?
    If I wanted to hear from an ass, I'd fuckin fart.

    '01 Silverado 2500HD crew, D.D./tow pig.

    '86 Jeep MJ longbed 2wd SLOWLY evolving to '99 4wd <--FOR SALE


    Quote Originally Posted by john00TJ View Post
    i wouldnt let that dude paint my mail box, but whatever

  3. #3
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    it was brought back to pa last year from arizona. so without actually seeing it yet i gotta go with dam good. i couldn't believe it would have any holes or anything in it. i just dont know what he's talking about when he mentions those axles and stuff. dont know anything about that motor and the transmission is confusing to me. is he saying it has a chevy turbo400 in it?
    97 tahoe 8" lift w/ 37" tires
    07 toyota fj
    02 avalanche 2500
    97 xj

  4. #4
    SLAYER! MF Steve!'s Avatar
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    I don't know much about putting a TH400 behind an AMC360, but I'm sure someone makes an adapter for that combination. If it truly is from AZ, that's great. The Dana 44's are a decent axle for the application, and will handle the 33's just fine, and could take up to a 35 or 37 with not many concerns. Spooled or welded rear is nice, a little rough on the street (longer wheelbase and airing up the tires a lot will help with that) and the lock right is fine up front since you have hubs.
    If I wanted to hear from an ass, I'd fuckin fart.

    '01 Silverado 2500HD crew, D.D./tow pig.

    '86 Jeep MJ longbed 2wd SLOWLY evolving to '99 4wd <--FOR SALE


    Quote Originally Posted by john00TJ View Post
    i wouldnt let that dude paint my mail box, but whatever

  5. #5
    Less posting, more wheeling! Krod's Avatar
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    Might be a good compromise between the fullsize truck & a Jeep.
    Those things are still pretty big (can get a lot of gear & people in one) and have a decent Motor/Trans/Transfer-case AND axle setup right from the factory. The twin sticked D300 is a bonus too.

    Check it out CLOSELY and make sure everything works the way it should. Then I'd say go for it!
    Women have clothes and shoes....we get welding and tools!....and the women!

  6. #6
    High-horse-ASSumption-master
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    the 360 th400 and d300 would be the stock setup.
    -s-10 d60/14bff, 496bbc, th400,205, locked- mud racer, NO PATIENCE

    -'15 dmax

    me asking about a jeep for sale --- actually its still for sale, I just didn't want it to go to an *** like you

  7. #7
    PghOffRoad Forum Addict!
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    I love those FSJ's, don't find many that aren't rusted out. Buddy of mine had a '79, thing was a tank stock and went through almost anything.
    1984 Scrambler - On the road again
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  8. #8
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    so if i'm understanding correctly and sifting through all this jeep axle stuff that you guys are real familiar with. i can drive this thing to and from wheeling it and dont have to worry much about breaking suff like axles, drive shafts, rear ends, etc...
    Last edited by aquaholic; 12-20-2008 at 09:26 PM.
    97 tahoe 8" lift w/ 37" tires
    07 toyota fj
    02 avalanche 2500
    97 xj

  9. #9
    High-horse-ASSumption-master
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    a d44 is a d44. same as what they used to put in chevy's, ford's, dodges ( fords were a bit better). they are bigger axles then what's normal in a jeep but this is a bigger and heavier vehicle. you can drive any thing to and from the trail, till it breaks.
    -s-10 d60/14bff, 496bbc, th400,205, locked- mud racer, NO PATIENCE

    -'15 dmax

    me asking about a jeep for sale --- actually its still for sale, I just didn't want it to go to an *** like you

  10. #10
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    can this jeep be driven on the street with a mini spool? from the research i did, a mini spool is just a different way to make the back axle permanently solid. would this not totally break the axle in tight turns like pulling into and out of a parking space? is that even possible with a solid rear axle?
    97 tahoe 8" lift w/ 37" tires
    07 toyota fj
    02 avalanche 2500
    97 xj

  11. #11
    High-horse-ASSumption-master
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    yes, it can be driven with a mini-spool, or welded, or a locker, on the street.. doing that though will increase your chances of breakage, but will also get you ton's of traction.
    -s-10 d60/14bff, 496bbc, th400,205, locked- mud racer, NO PATIENCE

    -'15 dmax

    me asking about a jeep for sale --- actually its still for sale, I just didn't want it to go to an *** like you

  12. #12
    "Has anyone ever mistaken the chicken outside for a crab?" JeepGeneral's Avatar
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    I would go with a newer fuel injected rig personally, but thats just my opinion.

  13. #13
    Official PghOffRoad Post Whore!
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    I think you'd be fine with that rig.

    that being setup. V8 and D44's still kind of scare me.

    make sure the area around the motor mounts looks good. if you want any advice, jay stull's a good contact. he has a special place in his heart for them. his last one was on 60's with 35's with a hot 360 and he managed to rip the motor right off the frame lol
    taking unsafe rigs to a whole other level

  14. #14
    Less posting, more wheeling! gonecheenin's Avatar
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    Very Cool truck

    Their bigger then a newer cherokee/Grand cherokee (which are closer to Wrangler width)
    But are still significantly smaller then a fullsize truck/bronco.

    Decent driveline, you can always do Fuel injection, bigger axles, & a stickshift later if you wanted.
    (You can do junkyard GM TBI swaps pretty "easily/cheaply", bigger axles will bolt right in out of an F-250/350, and there are multiple crawler 4speed combo's out there that will bolt right in.)

    Even with a V-8 & lockers, the D44's should hold up decent to 33's

    If your that worried about breaking axles later, just make sure you have spares or alloys for the future sometime & know how to change them in case.


    NOTHING is unbreakable, so if thats what your looking for - I'd suggest knitting, I hear them needles hold up well for the long haul.
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  15. #15
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    i think i'm gonna try to buy this rig and just replace the mini spool with a lock right locker thats like the one in the front. that swap should be easy. as far as the fuel injection goes, i'de rather have a carb. those i can fix. you guys think i can pull that mini spool to locker swap off without removing the ring gear from the axle?
    Last edited by aquaholic; 12-21-2008 at 10:00 AM.
    97 tahoe 8" lift w/ 37" tires
    07 toyota fj
    02 avalanche 2500
    97 xj

  16. #16
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    check out www.ifsja.org for a TON of info on these rigs. i have had quite a few FSJ's over the years and they are cool rigs. the th400 was a factory trans, they were made for amc by gm and have an amc bolt pattern on the bell housing. it should have had a quadratrac transfercase behind it, and fsj's never came with a d300 from the factory so obviously the d300 was swapped in. these rigs will take a beating, the quadratrac was really the only weak link in the driveline, but if a d300 was swapped in, its damn near bullet proof. the d44s will hold up to a locker and a good bit of abuse too.

  17. #17
    High-horse-ASSumption-master
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    Quote Originally Posted by aquaholic View Post
    i think i'm gonna try to buy this rig and just replace the mini spool with a lock right locker thats like the one in the front. that swap should be easy. as far as the fuel injection goes, i'de rather have a carb. those i can fix. you guys think i can pull that mini spool to locker swap off without removing the ring gear from the axle?
    anything you buy is going to need work/adjustments. you can do most anything to anything. some research will be required on your part.

    the ring gear is not attached to the axle, it's attached to the carrier, which is inside the diff housing.

    the only difference between the mini spool, which is locked all the time and the lock right is it will unlock when your not in the power. otherwise it's locked.
    -s-10 d60/14bff, 496bbc, th400,205, locked- mud racer, NO PATIENCE

    -'15 dmax

    me asking about a jeep for sale --- actually its still for sale, I just didn't want it to go to an *** like you

  18. #18
    Official PghOffRoad Post Whore!
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    if you're not dding it, i prefer a spool over a locker. it's more predictable.
    taking unsafe rigs to a whole other level

  19. #19
    Less posting, more wheeling!
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    I'd buy it. If it's put together correctly it's a good deal. TH400's are stock in the 70's Jeeps, most the time they were backed by the quadratrac (more like quadra junk) t cases but some times they used Dana 20's. The Dana 300 was never available behind the TH400 stock, So it was either adapted of they used a one year only Scout D300 that would bolt to the D20 mount. Either way it's a lot better tcase. If you plan on streeting the rig, especially in the winter, your plan to replace the spool with a lock rite is a good one. If it's a mini spool your in luck and it's an easy swap. Pull the alxe shafts and diff cover and you don't have to tear into the set up or remove the carrier. I almost bought a Cherokee Chief like that one as my first Jeep. They are good mochines.
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  20. #20
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    yeah this guy is killing me. i wanted to go up and get this beotch but he hasn't responded to my emails yet and these's no phone number in his ad. only email i sent that got a response was the one about the price.
    97 tahoe 8" lift w/ 37" tires
    07 toyota fj
    02 avalanche 2500
    97 xj

  21. #21
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    ok. just to close this thread. you guys will love this. 1st off, a mini spool and pavement don't go together. he was driving it to the grocery store when the wheel and axle passed him up. needless to say the mini spool is no longer in the rear end. and then he tells me this thing is using a quart of oil every 1000 miles (i personally think from the puddle under it thats its leaking a quart every 1000 miles). best part is i was still very willing to buy it until he told me he'd have the mail me the title after i paid him cause the bank still has it and he hasn't paid off his loan on it yet. so, with that being said, i'm done with this guy. NEXT
    Last edited by aquaholic; 12-22-2008 at 09:30 PM.
    97 tahoe 8" lift w/ 37" tires
    07 toyota fj
    02 avalanche 2500
    97 xj

  22. #22
    High-horse-ASSumption-master
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    nope got that wrong. mini spools and weak axles don't go together.

    don't mind that everything i own and drive has 1-ton axles in it.
    -s-10 d60/14bff, 496bbc, th400,205, locked- mud racer, NO PATIENCE

    -'15 dmax

    me asking about a jeep for sale --- actually its still for sale, I just didn't want it to go to an *** like you

  23. #23
    Less posting, more wheeling! gonecheenin's Avatar
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    Post up his contact info, I might go buy that since your no longer interested.
    _________________________________________________________________________
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  24. #24
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    That's a cool rig and worth taking a shot at it. AMCs leak. That's how you know they still have fluid in them. The 360 is a good old school tq monster motor, but it does leak. Mine does, even after new gaskets all the way around.

  25. #25
    PghOffRoad Forum Addict! jackb1's Avatar
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    The story of my life, just a little late. I would have been a vote for buy it, but I love the old Cherokees. I'd like to have one someday. Too bad it didn't work out for you. Maybe someone will give it a proper home.
    It's not illegal, it's frowned upon.

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