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Welcome to the current project of CSL Offroad, which is a 1998 Grand Cherokee with an I6. This is representative of many ZJ's that are out on the road right now. A jeep like this can be picked up between $2500 and $5000. We choose this jeep to show everyone the potential of a ZJ, but also to give everyone ideas on how they may want to build their next rig.
The jeep was done in stages and we have put together estimates of each stage. We also included the reasoning behind each stage. That way you can see where your budget fits in and how much it will take you to get to the next level.
Pictures of each stage coming soon!
Stage 0: Stock
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This is the first stage of every jeep, smallest tires (27"), best gas mileage (18mpg), and easiest to get into!
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Also, easiest to get stuck, rocker panel damage is always a concern, and basically no articulation.
Stage 1:
- In this stage our goal was to get some larger, more aggressive tires and to keep the budget low. We added 30x9.50 BF Goodrich AT KO's, kept the stock rims, and added a 2.25" coil spacer kit.
- Costs
- Tires: $120/tire, $525 total mounted and balanced on the jeep
- Coil Spacer kit: $100 (installed by me to save some $$)
- Benefits:
- Better traction with the tires
- Body of the jeep was higher, so we could avoid objects
- Looked better then stock
(Left: 4" RE lift with 30x9.50 BFGs) (Middle: Same lift with 31x10.50's) (Right: Same lift with 32x12.5's)
Stage 2:
- We got hung up a few times and realized that 30x9.50 tires were just not big enough. We also found out that we needed armor, when the transfer case was scraped on a rock and all the fluid leaked out which lead to a damaged unit. So, the next step was to get some larger tires, some armor, and a real suspension lift.
- Costs
- 4" RE Kit (springs, shocks, bump stops..etc) - $1500
- Extended front brake lines - $90
- JKS Quicker Disco's - $140
- JKS rear adjustable track bar - $200
- Kevin's offroad Track Bar conversion for the front - $250
- New front steering stabilizer - $75
- Kevin's Rock Sliders - $299
- Rusty's Gas Tank Skid - $150
- Skid Row Transfer Case skid -$125
- 31x10.50 BFG MT's - $150/tire, $775 mounted, balanced and on the jeep
- Addco rear swaybar - $150
- Benefits:
- Excellent articulation with the new adjustable trackbars working great
- Body was higher so it didn't scrape as much
- ARMOR is invaluable, don't leave home without it!!
- Piece of mind knowing if you scrape something, it's probably designed to be scraped and is covered by a skid plate
(These PICS were taken before the JKS short-ARM setup was done..... Adjustable trackbars allow GREAT articulation! This is still the same 4" lift from RE with JKS Disco's)
Stage 3:
- We were going offroad and maxing out the suspension, but needed more clearance as the jeep was getting hung-up on the transfer case skid as we came over hills and rocks. Once we got hung-up on that, the suspension would flex out and we would be stuck since we didn't have any traction devices. Also, the on-road handling was suffering on stock short arms and we kept getting a little extra wiggle when hitting bumps in the 40mph range. So we needed to address the on-road handling.
- Costs:
- JKS Short-Arm UPGRADE (still at 4" of lift)- $1000
- Detroit Tru-track for the front D30 - $365
- Detroit Tru-track for the rear D35 - $365
- Rear Extended brake lines - $90
- 33x10.50 BFG MT's
- Benefits:
- Rides more civalized on long road trips!
- Articulation is great
- traction is really not an issue anymore
- New tires really helped
Stage 4:
- At this stage, we had armor along with a great lift and good traction. However, we just needed to have a little extra clearance and we could make it over most obstacles without scraping. So, we decided to see if we could fit 35" tires with a 4" lift even if we had to cut the fenders a little.
- Costs:
- Go Beserk Fender flares and winch bumper with tow points - $1075
- Winch - $500
- JKS Adjustable control arms (8) - $1000
- 35" BFG-KM2 tires - $200/tire
- Fender cutting to appease the gods (free from me)
- ARB Air locker was added for traction in the rear
- Benefits:
- 35's are a perfect size for a really fun offroad experience and a pleasant on-road one.
- Winch is just another piece of mind device. When you need it, it's there!
Stage 5:
- What's next?......Well, if we get crazy and roll this thing over it will become a TRUGGY! For now, it does everything we ask of it and rides like a baja truck!
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