4.0L HO Jeep Engine Build

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In conjuction with the front springs, I also installed a full length add-a-leaf from Skyjacker in the rear. It gave me just the height I was looking for and seemed to compliment the front springs quite nicely. With the engine out, I have .5" of rake from front to rear. With the engine in, I expect the front to drop about an 1" which will give me about 1.5" of rake, but I'm sure the rear will settle down some.

Something else I did was score some Wrangler wheels and tires from Craigslist. They are much, much lighter than the stock basket weave aluminum wheels that it came with and look 10 times cooler too. Anytime unsprung weight can be removed, handling improves as inertial forces are decreased allowing the suspension to react more quickly. I'll be installing some poly sway bar bushings too. Here's a few pics of the present stance plus old and new wheels.

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Another note that I'll add is that when raising these vehicles more than 2", the transfer case needs to be dropped with a kit and/or a slip yoke eliminator kit needs to be installed with a new, longer slip style driveshaft. Longer front control arm must be added to retain the geometry and to keep the front tires out the rear of the fenderwell and an adjustable track bar should be installed too. I wanted to avoid all that stuff plus I really don't need that much lift. As it sits right now, I have 21" of ground clearance to the bottom of the rocker panel, that's more than enough to do what I need.

Some hard core wheeling guys are bucking the high lift "Mall Crawler" trend and cutting out the fender wells, stuffing 33x12.5 tires in, keeping the lift no higher than what I have but adding super soft and flexy springs and revolving shackles. This keeps the cg low, costs down and creates a very, very capable rig that can driven on the street without the weird handling issues that go along with a really high lift.

BTW, the tires mounted on these rims wouldn't be my first choice but I got five wheels in great condition, four brand new Goodyear M+S Wrangler 50K rated tires and one slightly used spare mounted and balanced for 600 bucks. That comes out to 120 bucks each. I couldn't have got four new steel wheels and four new tires for that price.
 
I totally agree on the "mall crawler" crowd. My buddy bought his Wrangler with 3" of lift and 33's and it drives like CRAP. No power (he still hasn't re-geared) or top speed, handles like a truck 3x the size and weight, not to mention the steering box is totally worn out with over a 1/4 turn of play... But hey, it looks cool!

I can't wait to see this thing done, in fact I might have to drop by the next time I'm in Denver to check it out in person! I'll have to bring my Jeeping friends with me too so they can see how it's done right, lol!
 
looking good ramcharger. i love the wrangler wheels on there

Thanks 74scamp360! I thought it was a nice improvement without looking garish and since these are factory wheels, they are cast here in the US so I have no worries about excessive runout or the like. Hell, I don't think any aftermarket wheels under $300 a piece are cast here anymore. AND they have the Mopar Pentastar cast in the back. 8)

I totally agree on the "mall crawler" crowd. My buddy bought his Wrangler with 3" of lift and 33's and it drives like CRAP. No power (he still hasn't re-geared) or top speed, handles like a truck 3x the size and weight, not to mention the steering box is totally worn out with over a 1/4 turn of play... But hey, it looks cool!

I can't wait to see this thing done, in fact I might have to drop by the next time I'm in Denver to check it out in person! I'll have to bring my Jeeping friends with me too so they can see how it's done right, lol!

Mope, as you know, there's nothing so unsafe as a poorly done lift. I've seen aluminum blocks wear and break, driveshafts vibrating and tearing up bearings, not to mention the handling and power problems you speak of. Yeah, it looks neat standing still but WTF. It's the difference between looking cool and being cool. 8) No posing here, just the real deal. Feel free to PM me ahead of time and get my number as you are welcome in my shop anytime. You are a thinking man and that's a breath of fresh air from the younger generation. :read2:

While I was in the rear suspension I checked the brakes and found that both wheel cylinders were leaking and had polluted the shoes with brake fluid. In the course of rebuilding the brakes, I twisted off one steel brake line. Doktor_X said I would too, lol. Thanks Dok.... :finga: lol. I got lucky with all the suspension and hitch bolts so this must've been karma. No big deal though, I just made another:

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Well crap, I'm pissed off. I assembled the head (all cool there after setting spring installed heights) and started to degree the cam. The numbers I was getting were way off what they should've been. After I had everything written down I did a little comparison and found that the Sealed Power 4.0L HO stock replacement cam I purchased is nothing more than a cam for a early AMC 4.2 with 4 degrees less duration than the HO cam and .005" less lift. Timing events are way different too and this cam centerlines at 110 degrees vs. the 120 of the HO. Here's a comparison:

Oh yeah, this cam I have has a bit more lift than it shows under the 4.2 column, I measured .4195" vs. the .3950" inches they show. I'm debating on getting the Lunati or just blowing it off and going with what I got. It does centerline at 110 so I won't have to muck with that but I'm betting that Lunati would show some nice gains with the porting I did. On the other hand, that 4.2 cam should run great below 4K... :disgust:

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Man that sucks and is a hard call as to how well it'd perform since their is not a big diff. What are the specs on the Lunati you are talking about?

BTW: I'm edited my part about the lobe centers cause I now realize I read it wrong. You were talking about ICL and I mis-read it as lobe centers.
 
Man that sucks and is a hard call as to how well it'd perform since their is not a big diff. What are the specs on the Lunati you are talking about?

BTW: I'm edited my part about the lobe centers cause I now realize I read it wrong. You were talking about ICL and I mis-read it as lobe centers.

Yeah, the LCA between the cams is only a degree apart, the ICL is 10 degrees different, which was about what I was planning to do anyway. Maybe I'm just using this revelation for an excuse to go with a bigger cam. :-D But, this would entail different springs, retainers and locks plus I'd lose the money I spent on the cam, locks and retainers I already have. It would be a pricey change here in the build and I've got to get this thing done. Summit can't ship this cam until June 20th and I've got to make a 2000 mile round trip with this thing in mid July. Decisions, decisions....

Here's the specs on the Lunati cam:

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I just looked into it a bit further and decided I'm going to stick with the cam I have. The Lunati recommended retainers and locks are for 3/8" valve stems (stock is 8mm), and although I'm sure I could come up with the correct parts, it would be too expensive and time consuming at this point and may require spring seat machining.

The head goes on and bottom end is getting buttoned up tonight.

BTW, If I were to do this again, I would use the Lunati cam. I know I'm leaving power on the table that would have had no decrease in driveability.
 
Another note that I'll add is that when raising these vehicles more than 2", the transfer case needs to be dropped with a kit and/or a slip yoke eliminator kit needs to be installed with a new, longer slip style driveshaft. Longer front control arm must be added to retain the geometry and to keep the front tires out the rear of the fenderwell and an adjustable track bar should be installed too.

This reminds me a lot of my old XJ. I had an 89 Limited 4.0/Auto/242. It had an 8 inch lift with 35's locked front and rear with 4.88 gears. I also had an XJ D44 rear axle. I made all of the bumpers, skid plates, etc. Here are some shots before I finished the tire carrier. It lives in Moab Utah now. The new owner used to send me pictures of him having fun...

The only correction I would make to your statement above is with the need to drop the transfer case. This really only needs to happen with newer model XJ's. I did not have to drop mine, nor did I have to run a SYE. I ran Johnson Valley, Calico and other runs with no issues. Remember, Cherokees all have high pinion dana 30 front axles, so front angle is not as much of an issue. My XJ was dialed in, on my last run to Johnson Valley, I came back from the hammers with the cruise control set to 80, and averaged almost 19 mpg with this set up.

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I wish I still had mine. Your build looks great. let me know if I can answer any questions for you. I am still a member of SOCALXJ. I still have a lot of friends with XJ's.

Thanks,
OldMoparsRule!
 
Very nice XJ!!! Thanks for the pictures too. I keep reading stories at NAXJA (North American XJ Association) about guys having driveline issues with over 2" lift but I certainly cannot vouch for their mechanical prowess not knowing them personally.

Yep, mine has the Dana 30 front and a corporate 8 1/4" rear axle. More than enough strength for what I'm doing. I'll be sure to PM you if I run in to anything and thank you so much for the offer. This build is out of my normal realm so it certainly is a learning experience as well an experiment in what works for my given driving style and intended use. :)
 
Here's my cam degree setup. Maxi seems to approve. 8) I used a 5" extension on the dial indicator to find the ICL. Those lifters are pretty deep in the Jeep block. It all goes to show how necessary degreeing in the cam is. I never would known what cam I had, regardless of part # unless this was done, not to mention the ICL. BTW, the Cloyes timing gear set was dead on.

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I just looked into it a bit further and decided I'm going to stick with the cam I have. The Lunati recommended retainers and locks are for 3/8" valve stems (stock is 8mm), and although I'm sure I could come up with the correct parts, it would be too expensive and time consuming at this point and may require spring seat machining.

The head goes on and bottom end is getting buttoned up tonight.

BTW, If I were to do this again, I would use the Lunati cam. I know I'm leaving power on the table that would have had no decrease in driveability.

That Lunati does look like a nice grind but I can sure see your point. I think I'd button it up and call it good too.
 
That's it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cheers::cheers:
I am moving to Denver Colorado, Just looked at all the great tec work going on here =P~


Ok 8) I will ride in the back seat Maxi :happy10:

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That Lunati does look like a nice grind but I can sure see your point. I think I'd button it up and call it good too.

This way it stays a "Super Stock" build as was my original intention. No fair using non-stock cams. :-D
 
That's it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cheers::cheers:
I am moving to Denver Colorado, Just looked at all the great tec work going on here =P~


Ok 8) I will ride in the back seat Maxi :happy10:

LMAO! :cheers:
 
Very nice XJ!!! Thanks for the pictures too. I keep reading stories at NAXJA (North American XJ Association) about guys having driveline issues with over 2" lift but I certainly cannot vouch for their mechanical prowess not knowing them personally.

Yep, mine has the Dana 30 front and a corporate 8 1/4" rear axle. More than enough strength for what I'm doing. I'll be sure to PM you if I run in to anything and thank you so much for the offer. This build is out of my normal realm so it certainly is a learning experience as well an experiment in what works for my given driving style and intended use. :)

Thank you for the compliment. I spent a lot of time in the XJ world for many years. I ended up at the point where the next step with my rig was to go fairly extreme, which meant that the body would probably get bashed, and I would need to start considering f/r D60's...etc. I decided to sell before I thrashed the body, or needed to go to the next level. For some reason, I cannot leave well enough alone...there is always some new project, or reason to tear it apart again.

Please do reach out with questions. If I do not know the answer, I know a bunch of folks who probably do.

Rubicon Express is a great resource for lift kits for XJ's. When you are ready, I am happy to recommend parts from various suppliers to make an ideal lift.

You are doing a great job with your engine build.

Thanks,
OldMoparsRule!
 
Thank you for compliment as well. As you can see, I'm an engine guy first, then driveline, 3rd suspension and my most hated of jobs, bodywork.... :)

OK, here's a question for ya. Is it possible to convert to a rear disc brake setup and keep the 4 wheel ABS? This isn't something that's going to happen soon if possible but I have been running this around my head for awhile.
 
Dang Ramcharger you are moving right along. That jeep will make a great all around rig. I agree with the lower center of gravity thing.
 
Dang Ramcharger you are moving right along. That jeep will make a great all around rig. I agree with the lower center of gravity thing.

Thanks Badart,

I've worked some crazy hours this week so I plan on having the head on tonight....... After a couple beers. I'm a little stressed right now. :shaking2:
 
OK, here's a question for ya. Is it possible to convert to a rear disc brake setup and keep the 4 wheel ABS? This isn't something that's going to happen soon if possible but I have been running this around my head for awhile.

Sorry to hear about your stress, I hope all is well, or it gets there quickly8)

Great question. A few guys have done the rear disk brake upgrade. A few others have upgraded their Master Cylinder to a Ford F350 master cylinder which made a big difference for him. Unfortunately, I have not chatted with him in a while. Most folks disable the ABS by pulling the fuse. I have not heard of any negative side effects of pulling the fuse, but that is a personal decision. I do not think you can do the conversion and keep the abs...

Here is an article on using disk brakes off a Grand Cherokee.

http://home.swbell.net/rriojas3/reardisk.html

Here is another one where someone put JK disk brakes on a 8.25.

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/fitting-kj-liberty-rear-disc-brakes-xj-cherokee-8-25-axle-750112/

When you look at these articles, remember that the difference between the D35 and the 8.25 with reference to these articles is that the 8.25 will require the middle hole of the backing plate to be enlarged. Everything else should be the same for the swap.

I hope this helps.

Thanks,
OldMoparsRule!
 
Great info oldmoparsrule! The 4 wheel ABS has been handy in the past on this vehicle on icy side streets and this is a daily driver. I'll have to rattle this around in my head for a year or so. I just did the rear brakes with NAPA's super duper pooper stopper shoes and new drums. We'll see how this stops while hauling a pop up camper. It weighs about 900 lbs. so it should be a good test.

The brakes really are not that bad, even with the leaky rear cylinders but the worn suspension was exaggerating some ill manners. This problem may be resolved once the build is done, we'll see. Interesting thought about the F350 master.

The stress is all work related. I don't get paid nearly enough for what I do and although I'm thankful I'm working, these last two days have me about stressed to the max. :violent2: Let's just say that low level management sucks tailpipe, lol. I was fighting Memorial Day traffic all day too and all I can say to out of state people hauling trailers... GET A TURBO DIESEL OR YOU'LL NEVER MAKE IT UP THE MOUNTIANS DAM IT! :toothy10: OK, I'm feeling better now..
 
Great info oldmoparsrule! The 4 wheel ABS has been handy in the past on this vehicle on icy side streets and this is a daily driver. I'll have to rattle this around in my head for a year or so. I just did the rear brakes with NAPA's super duper pooper stopper shoes and new drums. We'll see how this stops while hauling a pop up camper. It weighs about 900 lbs. so it should be a good test.

The brakes really are not that bad, even with the leaky rear cylinders but the worn suspension was exaggerating some ill manners. This problem may be resolved once the build is done, we'll see. Interesting thought about the F350 master.

The stress is all work related. I don't get paid nearly enough for what I do and although I'm thankful I'm working, these last two days have me about stressed to the max. :violent2: Let's just say that low level management sucks tailpipe, lol. I was fighting Memorial Day traffic all day too and all I can say to out of state people hauling trailers... GET A TURBO DIESEL OR YOU'LL NEVER MAKE IT UP THE MOUNTIANS DAM IT! :toothy10: OK, I'm feeling better now..

I am glad you are doing better...Work stress sucks, especially in a down economy with 12% unemployment. Like You, I am thankful to have a job!

I did not do any brake upgrades to my XJ. Even running the 35's, I did not feel like I was lacking. Obviously, I would allow for more space, and did not drive it like it was on rails...but I definitely did not baby it either.

On the traffic note, I used to live in Aurora...I can definitely relate to getting behind folks who cannot climb hills. Seems to be the same folks who cannot drive in rain, or snow...AAAUUUGGGHHH. Ok, now I feel better also 8)

Thanks,
OldMoparsRule!
 
I am glad you are doing better...Work stress sucks, especially in a down economy with 12% unemployment. Like You, I am thankful to have a job!

I did not do any brake upgrades to my XJ. Even running the 35's, I did not feel like I was lacking. Obviously, I would allow for more space, and did not drive it like it was on rails...but I definitely did not baby it either.

On the traffic note, I used to live in Aurora...I can definitely relate to getting behind folks who cannot climb hills. Seems to be the same folks who cannot drive in rain, or snow...AAAUUUGGGHHH. Ok, now I feel better also 8)

Thanks,
OldMoparsRule!

Yep, same people.... :angry7: Some people NEED to take the bus in adverse weather... or every day for that matter, lol. :toothy10:

OK, I'm good... Time to get to work! 8)
 
Heads on. I'll finish the valvetrain, timing cover and oil pan today unless I have to order custom pushrods. If I do, I can still paint the trailer hitch (It's bad rusty and has a "Texas" sticker on it, that's gotta go, lol), install the stereo I had from my old 4Runner, bleed the brakes, install the wheels on a permanent basis, do some engine compartment degreasing, paint the header, etc.

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