I'm bored, sitting here at work waiting to go home for the weekend, coming up with ideas of how to hack the xj that is coming apart at the seams, so here it is, the back cut off, with a comanchee bulk head and sliding window, the rear springs flipped giving it 4-5" more wheelbase, and the back cut off just infront of the tail lights.

http://www.jeepinjunkie.com/stretch&bob.jpg

now needs an exo cage, and a spair tire mounted like this one.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1573997&a=14011349&p=56582409

thats what i see when i look into my driveway. my roomate has his cut just like that. he replaced the tailight assemblies and rear quarters with diamondplate. looks cool, now just needs a cage and an engine......brad
we'll get some pics up soon

if you move the axle back, wont it interferewith the gas tank?

I say do it

Originally posted by BRBx4
if you move the axle back, wont it interferewith the gas tank? I'll move the gas tank.

Originally posted by Brent Orton
I'm bored, sitting here at work waiting to go home for the weekend, coming up with ideas of how to hack the xj that is coming apart at the seams, so here it is, the back cut off, with a comanchee bulk head and sliding window, the rear springs flipped giving it 4-5" more wheelbase, and the back cut off just infront of the tail lights.

http://www.jeepinjunkie.com/stretch&bob.jpg

Looks like its already done! Nice PhotoChoppin' :beer: Did you see the AEV concept Cherokee? It was at SEMA a few years back, looked real similar to what your thinking about. Theirs had a roll bar in the bed, so I am sure it wouldn't be too hard to get a Exo Cage to work. I totally like it. Where is yours coming apart? I know Cherokees have trouble with the rear hatch, but it sounds alot worse than that. I say go for it, its winter and you have NOTHING else to do, right? Time to build!

that thing almost looks like a jeep. why dont you just buy a cj-7 or wrangler and save some time doing body work? but i guess that would take all the fun out of it!:flipoff2:

Looks kinda familiar....um..... how about a samurai :flipoff2:

I got a body sitting in the field looks very similar... Sell it to ya! Just kidding, i have been playing with the idea of doing my current cherokee like that again, with an exocage, but keeping the wheelbase... Plans are looking at getting some 36's on it as well... Now wether or not to keep the TJ flares when i build the Exo...

I've seen the AEV one, and like it a lot, but I don't like how the rear is open to the weather, and I'm not a fan of soft tops.
the cracks I've noticed are in the upper corners of the door frames, and the unibody separating from the body
:eek:

I'd love to stretch a wrangler, but if I were going to go there, it would have 60's front and rear, a TPI SBC under the hood, and possibly coilovers, and that is so far out there, and we are talking so much money, I'll buy the tools to do what I need to do to this one, then look for a deal on something else since all I will be needing is a frame and tub.

when I do the exo I won't be keeping the flares, I'll have tubes in place of them, and that is the reason for flipping the springs, there is no room on a 4 door to put a tube inbetween the door and wheel well, at least not the way I have it cut for 35's, and if I were to go a bigger tire, I'd have to cut more, so move the rear axle back and cut more out of the back, there is plenty.

Originally posted by broncorob
Looks kinda familiar....um..... how about a samurai :flipoff2:

a sammi with a 105" wheel base :barf:

Are you going to get a fuel cell? Or keep the stock tank? I was going to look into moving my tank up now that the tops chopped, but it would take up all of the bed. I think that I'm going to go with an internal cage because it will stiffen the unibody better.
mike

I like the mj bulk head idea I need to reinforce where I chopped the top. I think that I'll probabley just weld on the brace and cap from the part that I cut off.
mike

Originally posted by Brent Orton
I'm bored, sitting here at work waiting to go home for the weekend, coming up with ideas of how to hack the xj that is coming apart at the seams, so here it is, the back cut off, with a comanchee bulk head and sliding window, the rear springs flipped giving it 4-5" more wheelbase, and the back cut off just infront of the tail lights.

http://www.jeepinjunkie.com/stretch&bob.jpg

I saw a guy do one very similar to that but he grafted a CJ assend onto it with a tailgate and lights. Then used TJ flares all around.

I wish I could find the pic.

Originally posted by stadlerm
Are you going to get a fuel cell? Or keep the stock tank? I was going to look into moving my tank up now that the tops chopped, but it would take up all of the bed. I think that I'm going to go with an internal cage because it will stiffen the unibody better.
mike I've got a custom stainless tank in there now, I'll be keeping it, just raising it up about 6" I'm going to be putting a spair tire right on top of it so I'm not worried about keeping bed space, I've got just enough room for the tire, and a tool box and cooler to either side of the tire, behind the tire or behind the rear seat will be a place to put the spair axles and drivelines. and if I'm hauling camping stuff, I'll have to make a rack that will remove and set on or over the spair tire. or fill up the back seat if the kids aren't going.

just wondering why you think an internal cage will stiffen the unibody better than an exo cage? seems to me that it would only hack up the interior, which an exo won't do. and with an exo, you can protect more area.

I want the cage to integrate my suspension, x-members, and rock rails. It looks like it will have to be an 8 point cage and I want to run tube behind the fender that will attach to the front bumper. Exo cages are nice, but it looks like you end up using a lot more tube and the stiffening lattice is located farther away from the "frame rails." It would be nice to have an external piece to protect the windshield frame though.
mike

with a unibody, if you stiffen any of it, your either creating a weak point where you go from stiff to not so stiff, or your adding strength to the whole thing, this is why I was thinking exo cage and welding it to the body pannels as well as the bumpers, and sliders that will be welded to the unibody, and the "frame" part will be plated too. the one drawback I see the most is that I'm going to be taking my "light" rig and making it weigh a lot more.