this is pretty applicable to fitting in a big axle or smoothing out the bottom of a crawler. my rig isn't there yet....but i hope this fits in with the intent of this "cherokee" section. send me home crying me if it isn't. :p

cut a big hole:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/chopshop69/15a5266e.jpg

movin' on up
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/chopshop69/1520260d.jpg

was doing some other "real" frame install work for the tracbar, added some thicker metal for the tank skid.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/chopshop69/d2b36387.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/chopshop69/77f6f278.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/chopshop69/3776cb29.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/chopshop69/5465ac7a.jpg

i had to extend the fuel lines, if you cut the oem plastic lines, they give up the clip ends that you can use inside your new longer rubber lines.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/chopshop69/3b982cec.jpg

yep, the only scrap i had to fit was chrome treadplate.....:flipoff2:
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/chopshop69/0af5bf9f.jpg

pretty decent change in clearance for the effort involved.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y166/chopshop69/7f26e3a0.jpg

Looks good!

Nice. Did you notice any chande in chassis stiffness?

I plan on moving my XJ tank up so it's bottom is even with the frame rails for a flat skid rail to rail. That way I shouldn't lose any chassis stiffness once I put the skid and removeable upper cover on.

the floor was soggy, it didn't make any difference to cut it out. the skid is welded in and tighted the back up a lot. i tied it into the bumper, plated subframe,etc.

the tank cover is held down with sheetmetal screws, easy to pop it off to get at the pump.

i cut the filler lines shorter and put them thru the wheelwell. the outside filler is stock tho, works normally to fill it.

Nice work.:beer:

Looking at the pics... the only problem I see is that the exhaust is now too close to the plastic tank... Id recommend moving the exhaust.

Otherwise its always fun cutting the floor out of a unibody.

:grinpimp:

must be the pics, the exaust is fine. it dumps to the side of the tank just after the axle. thx fer lookin.

Did you ditch the rear seats ?

they still clip in.

if you are wondering about the clearance between the seatbacks and the tank cover, it's about 8-10" with the rear seats up.