Bens 1997 Jeep Cherokee XJ
Let's go back in time a bit. When Sean bought this Jeep in his Army days in North Carolina in 2012, He had no idea it'd be the catalyst for Trail Forged. It was mostly stock, and he immediately started modding it to fit his off-road needs better. After some parts availability issues, Sean started manufacturing his own, and ultimately decided to do so for others. This chain of events evolved into a much bigger thing, or things - Trail Forged, and the 4X Forge. The intense pressure of building business left this XJ on the back burner, and the Jeep sat partially disassembled starting in 2017. After 5 Years dormant, Ben bought in 2022 it as a disassembled pile of parts to start his first Jeep Journey.
Reviving the dormant Cherokee
Sketchy car-getting trips are nothing new for us, but this is one for the books! With no rear axle, no front track bar, and the transmission + T-case missing, we had to get really creative. After plenty of redneck engineering, it landed on Ben's side yard. He immediately got to work finishing the axle build including pressing the inner Cs on the front Dana 30 at the correct angle and welding them in place, welding all mounts on, etc. Ben also sourced a transmission and transfer case along with driveshafts, leaf springs, shackles, etc. to get the Jeep back together. With all the parts sourcing and no prior Jeep experience, Ben barely got the XJ together in time for its first big wheeling trip.
Moab Utah for Easter Jeep Safari & the Rubicon Trail
Yeah - that's right, after assembling the rig form a pile of parts, Ben towed the XJ 950 miles out to Moab and took the Jeep out to Fins-N-Things for its maiden voyage. We discovered issues with the front air locker and destroyed a rear brake line. After some clever trail repair work, the Cherokee performed flawlessly over many trails around Moab including Poison Spider and Top of the World. After towing it back to California, it made a trip across the Rubicon Trail with Jeepers Jamboree 2023. After the last of the much needed maintenance, the Jeep has gone on to do countless other trips/trail since then with great results. This XJ no longer goes on the trailer, and finds its own way to the trails both near and far. This Jeep continues to get modifications as the use-case demonstrates the need for it.
Further mods:
After a few nights sleeping on the back seat in the snow, a better solution became necessary. Ben built a custom sleeping platform/storage box that occupies the majority of the truck and contains a Dometic drawer fridge. It is easily unfolded toward the front of the Jeep to provide a nice sleep platform in under a minute. He also worked with David to develop a vented mount/cover to install the ARB dual compressor in the void behind the passenger rear tire. Ben also figured out using some JK take-off Fox 2.0 IBP shocks and installed a MetalCloak track bar and front springs to get everything dialed in. See the full build list below for all the details on this XJ:
Build Info:
Engine
- Original Legendary HO 4.0L In-Line 6
- 62mm Throttle body spacer
- BBK 62mm Throttle Body
- Late model intake manifold (98+)
- Dodge Neon Injectors
- DUI Performance Distributors Firepower Kit
- CARB compliant header
- PowerMaster XS Torque Starter
- Brown Dog Motor Mounts
- Aluminum Radiator
Drivetrain
- AX-15 5-Speed Manual Transmission
- Stinkyfab Transmission Mount
- NP231J 2.73:1 Transfer Case
- Teraflex 2-Low kit
- Slip Yoke Eliminator
- Tom Woods 1310 Driveshafts Front and Rear
- Trussed (Artec) and Sleeved front HP30 Axle
- Artec JK Style(Standard) Shock Mounts
- Nitro 4:56 Gears
- ARB Locker
- RCV Axles
- HD Front Diff Cover
- Inner Cs rolled 5° to correct caster for excellent road manners
- Trussed (Artec) Ford Explorer 8.8 Axle
- FRANKENBUILT Custom rear shock mounts
- 4.56 Nitro Gears
- ARB Locker
- Barnes U-Bolt Eliminator Kit
- Super Yukon C-Clip Eliminator Kit
- 1310 Yoke
- HD Diff Cover
Suspension
- MetalCloak 3.5" Front Springs
- IRO XJ 3.5" Rear Leaf Springs
- IRO No-Lift Rear Shackle Boxes
- IRO Adjustable XJ Boomerang Shackles
- Fox 2.0 IFP Remote Reservoir 10.5" JK Front Shocks
- Fox 2.0 IFP Remote Reservoir 11" JK Rear Shocks
- CAV-Fab front lower short arms
- TrailForged Adjustable Upper Short Arms
- MetalCloak Adjustable Front Track Bar
- Rusty's 3" Front Bump Stop Extensions
- Rusty's 4.5" Competition Style Bump Stops + 2" Spacers
- JKS Removable Sway Bar Links
Steering
- Redhead Standard Ratio Steering Box
- PSC Power Steering Pump
- Mocal 5-row Power Steering Cooler
- OG TrailForged Prototype #1 Drag Link
- OG TrailForged Prototype #1 Tie Rod
- Synergy Ball Joints
- No Steering Stabilizer
Brakes
- Stock Front
- ECGS Ford 8.8 Rear Disc Brake Conversion
Wheels/Tires/Pressure
- American Racing 15x8 Steel Wheels 4.0" Backspace
- 35x12.50R15 BFGoodrich KM2 Tires
- 2nd Set = Hutchinson RockMonster 15x8.5 Beadlock Wheels
- ARB Air Down Kit
- ARB Dual Compressor on FRANKENBUILT mount/cover in Right Rear Quarter Void
Stereo
- Sony Xplod - old-school
Electrical/Communication
- Odyssey Extreme Group 34 AGM Battery
- 137A Mopar V8 Alternator
- Upgraded ground and power cables
- Integrated accessories using free space in factory fuse block
- Midland MXT-575 GMRS Radio
Lighting
- Hella H4 E-Code 5x7 Headlights
- Hella 90W-130W Halogen Bulbs
- Custom harness/relays to support high wattage headlights
- JCR Taillights
- Baja Designs Squadron Sport Wide Cornering Amber Front Lights
- Baja Designs S1 Flush Mount Work/Scene Lights in Front Fenders
Interior
- Late Model XJ Overhead Console
- Etsy OE Look 6 Rocker Switch Panel in Dash
- Center Console Modded for ARB Rocker Switches
- Etsy VisualWorks Rear Window Vent Screens
- Custom Built Sleep Platform With Dometic CD20 Drawer Fridge
Safety/Recovery
- Come-Up 9500 Winch
- Lots of Factor55 Recovery gear
- Rear mount Fire Extinguisher
- First Aid Kit
Exterior/Armor
- Front Bumper
- Rear Bumper
- Custom Built 2x6x.25 Box Tube Rockers with 1"x.188 DOM kickers
- TrailForged Unibody Frame Stiffeners
- Cav-Fab Alpha Transmission Cross Brace
- Cav-Fab Transfer Case Skid Plate
- JCR Rear Quarter Armor
- Custom Reinforced Factory Fuel Tank Skid
Misc
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