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XJ With Chevy DriveTrain

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ProJunkRacing

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Currently I have an 86 Chevy Shortbox with 1 tons pretty beffy and i am no looking at swaping all my stuff into an xj.

Questions here
Will a 350 ,Sm465,NP205 Twinsticked all work in an xj as in fit.
It would be running full width D60 DRW Front
14 Bolt DRW Rear .

any one got a 350 in an xj or done this type of thing before? got pics with this type of setup.?
 
#2 ·
I knew a guy once who had a 350 and an NV4500 in an XJ and he needed to widen the transmission tunnel to make it fit. And those bix axles are going to put a lot of stress on the unibody, you will probably need to sleeve the "framerails."

-Ben
 
#7 ·
I am in the same process pretty much of what you are doing. So far I got the rear end, motor, and tranny in. Im running a dana 44 and then a SB327 with a SM465. The motor and tranny fit just fine except only problem was that the tranny is to far forward and the shifter would come up in the dash. I used the AA motor mounts. With those mounts there is like 6+ inches between back of block and firewall. I think what im going to do is make my own motor mounts and push the motor back a few inches which will then move the tranny back to make the stick in a better location. Let me see some pics if you get some work done on yours.
 
#9 ·
ProJunkRacing said:
Currently I have an 86 Chevy Shortbox with 1 tons pretty beffy and i am no looking at swaping all my stuff into an xj.

Questions here
Will a 350 ,Sm465,NP205 Twinsticked all work in an xj as in fit.
It would be running full width D60 DRW Front
14 Bolt DRW Rear .

any one got a 350 in an xj or done this type of thing before? got pics with this type of setup.?
Click to expand...
He eventually scrapped this project. The unibody can't handle 650lbs + tires hanging off it. XJs are great for 35s and half ton axles... after that, they make better planters than wheeling rigs.

Image
 
#13 ·
wrathORC said:
He eventually scrapped this project. The unibody can't handle 650lbs + tires hanging off it. XJs are great for 35s and half ton axles... after that, they make better planters than wheeling rigs.

Image
Click to expand...
I disagree, if you plate the unibody and do it right then they'll work just fine. I've seen XJ's on rockwell's and 49" Iroks in fact there is one floating around that the boys at WMS built. Its white with a blue exo. I have 3/4 ton axles, a HP D44 and a D60 rear on 38's and it gets it on. To each their own I guess.
 
#14 ·
rok-jeep said:
I disagree, if you plate the unibody and do it right then they'll work just fine. I've seen XJ's on rockwell's and 49" Iroks in fact there is one floating around that the boys at WMS built. Its white with a blue exo. I have 3/4 ton axles, a HP D44 and a D60 rear on 38's and it gets it on. To each their own I guess.
Click to expand...
X2!!! Mine is holding up fine running Wagoner machine 60/14blt w/ 4:1 tcase/38.5's and mad flex!!!
Image
 
#17 ·
ProJunkRacing said:
well i really want to crawl but wonder what best trans for it is is it worth effort of a sm465 or would be better going to like a 700r but i intent to use my np205 unless i can find some better case to "crawl"
Click to expand...

do the 700R4, a th350, or th400 Youll like doublers if you can swing it, 203-205(twinsticked). I wouldent say a single 2:1 case will (crawl) but a doubled 4:1 will be ok.

I havent trail tested my new setup yet but the auto will be alot of fun to wheel.
 
#18 ·
By the time you piss away the time and money to get an XJ "frame" to survive having a 650+lb front axle plus 150+lb apiece tires hanging off it... you could've built a tube buggy or anything else with a real frame for that matter. You can't cut the body much without a lot of rebuilding due to the fact that half of the body panels are structural... if you cut and don't rebuild you'll end up driving a oscar mayer wiener down the road. At least with a tube buggy your face wouldn't be stuck to the windshield (ever sneeze in an XJ? you'll end up breaking your nose on the windshield) and you'd have more footroom than an XJ which was clearly designed to be driven by asian women with bound feet. They clearly aren't designed to have manual transmissions.

The "great thing" about the XJ is that it is physically short height-wise. From the lowest part of the unibody's so-called frame to the roof is extremely short. By the time you build a frame for it that shortness disappears and you still don't have any headroom inside... and still have that goddamned sill to try to get your feet over when climbing in and out. Not bad on a 2 door... but a 4 door is like getting in and out of a Honda.
 
Discussion starter · #19 ·
ashmanjeepXJ said:
do the 700R4, a th350, or th400 Youll like doublers if you can swing it, 203-205(twinsticked). I wouldent say a single 2:1 case will (crawl) but a doubled 4:1 will be ok.

I havent trail tested my new setup yet but the auto will be alot of fun to wheel.
Click to expand...

yeah i was trying to use what i have but is it worth doing or what would you suggest you got one so only u would know after doing the swap.
 
#20 ·
I've had a TBI 5.7L in my XJ for five years now, the only issue I had was keeping it cool. I just installed a custom BeCool radiator with three 10" fans (not pictured) and it seems to be running a lot cooler now, but not as cool as I would like.
 

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