Getting Tanked
[Project | Jeep Cherokee | Part 22]
The previous part of this story can be found here, but if you’re just joining us the beginning is all the way back here if you’d like to catch up.
September 2015 | 181,250 miles
I have no idea how my fuel tank got this dent in it. I was not a rock crawler, nor had I ever been in any kind of accident that would have left this kind of damage. It must have been something lost to history, known only by the previous owners.
Well, in an effort to prevent future damage similar to this sort in the likelihood that this Jeep did get off-road in the future, a gas tank skid plate would be needed. Luckily for me I had recently found an OEM tank skid at the junkyard. But since it was for the older generation of XJ (pre-'96), it would require a bit of modification to fit the newer tank. More death wheel work ahead.
Those relief cuts were needed to allow the rear of the tank to bend over a bit. I knew just the guy to do this part of the operation, and he even volunteered to mount the tank up for me when he was done.
While in there (and since the leaf springs were still out of the way) I wanted to also tackle the fuel filler hoses. They were old and falling apart by this stage of their life, and the protective cover needed a little rust remediation and modification with the death wheel to fit the new leaf spring perches anyways.
With those final items taken care of I could start hanging things off the rear of the Jeep again. Trailer hitch, trailer wiring loom, gas tank skid plate, and rear leaf spring hangers completed and installed. Next time I’d turn my attention to the rear axle and the bits that keep it stuck under the rear of the Cherokee.
