2001 Jeep Cherokee, no longer cheapbeater

[78K30]

Mainly hiding this in here, since I always said I’d never own one and now own three .

This is a 2001 XJ I bought wrecked about a month ago, normally I wouldn’t have been all over it but since it was very rust free (by Iowa standards), has an NV3550, and was only $500 I didn’t let it slip by. Initial plans are for a quick and dirty 3” lift/31’s, clean it up some since mice had made it home for three years, and some body armor to make it survive better than the F150 it’s replacing.

Here it is in the operating room after I first bought it. This is the good side


and a few of the ugly side that met the brige abutment on ice







It is nice that the previous owner bought a new radiator, header panel, marker light housings, and headlight bezels even though I won’t use most of it since my donor jeep is also a black 2001.

 

[78K30]

Used the wrecker that’s convienently sitting at home to drag the parts jeep into the operating room along side of it.



Tear down and parts swapping. Ended up using the alternator and AC mount from the parts rig since the good one took a hit in the accident.


Getting the required inner fender spot welds cut and removed from the parts rig.


Didn’t get a ton of pictures due to it being hot and me being in a good working mood despite the heat. But got the replacement pieces installed followed by the donor fender.



Got the header panel and lights switched over to it and taken for a test drive. Drove good for its first drive in over three years of sitting. Did not put the good bumper on from the other jeep because this way I force myself to build a good one for it instead.

 

[GWeakland620]

Nice! I'm glad to see a build thread.

I like these Cherokees. They're cheap. They're easy to work on. And they are plentiful. And they are surprisingly reliable.

 

[78K30]

Got the good hood swapped on as well, due to the good being shoved into the cowl and bending the heck out of it this was not easy. Had to do some very hillbilly pulling and body work to the cowl to get the hood to even fit somewhat straight.


Next project was rust repair to the drivers side floor. Didn’t take a ton of pictures of this either, but overall it went very well.

Old floor out and new panel test fitted. Getting the factory seam sealer ground off was horrible. Not sure what they used but a wire wheel and lots of pressure was the only thing I found that worked.



Getting started on the welding. Not as pretty as I would’ve liked but it’s now hidden.



Got the seats front mount repaired, the front panel was very rotten with both bolts broken off in the weldnuts. This got repaired with new steel and some 3/8” flange nuts welded to the inside



Also cut out the rotten chunk behind the main floor pan where the left rear seat mount bolt goes through. Welded a nut to the bottom side like factory. Should’ve used a stud like I did on the passenger side but oh well.


All primered up using rustoleum rusty metal primer just in case


Roll on bedliner installed. Not a fan of how it laid down but it’ll be covered mostly with a floor mat so I’m not too worried. And it’s a beater not a show queen.

 

[78K30]

Nice! I'm glad to see a build thread.

I like these Cherokees. They're cheap. They're easy to work on. And they are plentiful. And they are surprisingly reliable.

Thanks Greg! My only grievance is that being 6’6 and 300 lbs I don’t fit well at all. But I don’t really have the budget to be building a full-size at the moment. Wheeling with my friends ZJ on 31’s has shown me that he can go most places my solid axle swapped F150 on 35’s goes. So this should keep me happy for a couple years I hope.

 

[78K30]

Tagging @campfire so he can make fun of me for building a Jeep

 

[GWeakland620]

Other than beating around in my own back yard, I took my Cherokee to Tuttle 1 time. I had so much fun sliding and bouncing around, it was a blast. Plus having heat/ac was something new for me. I will have another some day.

 

[campfire]

Tagging @campfire so he can make fun of me for building a Jeep

Not making fun of you. Melody is still hoping you'll sell it off cheaply after it's all fixed up.

 

[GWeakland620]

sell it off cheaply after it's all fixed up...

I didn't know Cherokees were sold any other way

 

[78K30]

Other than beating around in my own back yard, I took my Cherokee to Tuttle 1 time. I had so much fun sliding and bouncing around, it was a blast. Plus having heat/ac was something new for me. I will have another some day.

I didn’t bother putting the AC condenser in this one yet but I probably should and get it functional. How did it do? On 31 or 32” tall tires and planning on spartan lockers front and rear I can’t imagine I’d be too helpless but I’ve bever been there

Not making fun of you. Melody is still hoping you'll sell it off cheaply after it's all fixed up.

I’ll sell a rusty blue one with an auto and good engine, that I still need to do something about either selling or parting out.

I didn't know Cherokees were sold any other way

They’re stupid cheap around here, Facebook marketplace is full of $500 cherokees. Only kicker is they’re all rotten

 

[Truckman4life]

Cherokee's fit great down atv trails in the mtns of Utah. Ive had a few also. I had an '01 with 3" lift Rusty's cut out flares no sway bars and a little trimming and it would really flex 32s. I would do some weld on frame stiffeners. Helps a ton unless you can cage it. I love our mostly rust free Western vehicles. I have a '99 for my run around truck at work. 228k miles, came from our fleet in Wyoming. Zero rust and burns no oil.

 

[78K30]

Cherokee's fit great down atv trails in the mtns of Utah. Ive had a few also. I had an '01 with 3" lift Rusty's cut out flares no sway bars and a little trimming and it would really flex 32s. I would do some weld on frame stiffeners. Helps a ton unless you can cage it. I love our mostly rust free Western vehicles. I have a '99 for my run around truck at work. 228k miles, came from our fleet in Wyoming. Zero rust and burns no oil.

I’ve been eyeballing ruffstuffs stiffeners and eventually plan to run them from front to back. I had planned on doing them before ever seeing the trail but the funds just won’t be there for them before the end of October. 75% of my rough country lift showed up last night, I’m hoping the last leaf spring is what’s showed as “out for delivery” at this very moment or I’ll have to start making phone calls

 

[78K30]

I did cheat and order these to start the bumper build off of. 1/4” and laser cut should be a great starting point. Would love to build it for a winch, I’m tempted to swipe my 12K from the receiver mount and just stick it on the Jeep. Or maybe if it fits an OLD 8K Ramsey I got for free

 

[GWeakland620]

I didn’t bother putting the AC condenser in this one yet but I probably should and get it functional. How did it do? On 31 or 32” tall tires and planning on spartan lockers front and rear I can’t imagine I’d be too helpless but I’ve bever been there

That truck would rock out there with some meats and a locker.

I was on a set of 30x9.50 BFG AT's and did better than I thought, but it was supper slippery that day too.

 

[78K30]

That truck would rock out there with some meats and a locker.

I was on a set of 30x9.50 BFG AT's and did better than I thought, but it was supper slippery that day too.

Excellent! It’ll have full tube sliders and hopefully some skid plates too. Wish I had a money tree

 

[GWeakland620]

Excellent! It’ll have full tube sliders and hopefully some skid plates too. Wish I had a money tree

That was my next suggestion. Some of the obstacles require some speed, and any extra protection helps.

 

[TerryD]

Looks good! I loved my 98. I think I have a pdf of the bumper mount plate around here somewhere.... I used them to put a receiver behind the factory front bumper.

 

[78K30]

That was my next suggestion. Some of the obstacles require some speed, and any extra protection helps.

I’m hoping to keep the body on this thing better than I kept my F150. I may have beat on the F150 a little too hard.

Looks good! I loved my 98. I think I have a pdf of the bumper mount plate around here somewhere.... I used them to put a receiver behind the factory front bumper.

Thank you! I’m hoping to do decent on the front bumper. Some go way over the top I just like simple and effective

 

[GWeakland620]

I’m hoping to keep the body on this thing better than I kept my F150. I may have beat on the F150 a little too hard.

Keeping it straight is a lot easier to do in a Cherokee than a fullsize while at Tuttle Creek. Just ask @85k5witha6.2 Lol

 

[beags86]

You three need to move over here.
https://www.jeepforum.com/#/

I can think of alot of better things to spend money on then a Jeep Cherokee