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.
2015 Randomly
Junkyards are marvelous places, but sometimes Craigslist can be a pretty good dumpster dive too. There were several items that I was constantly on the lookout for, and with the right amount of patience I was able to pick up a few treasures for the build.
As already shown I had found an OEM gas tank skid plate, but had also picked up two other OEM bits of protection. The transfer case “skid” is a glorified slab of steel that runs diagonally from the transmission crossmember over to the uniframe rail. I guess it protects things, but no matter since I’ve got an aftermarket t-case skid that does a better job. The big one in the picture is the front skid.
I grabbed a spare Ecco rim with the intention of having a full-size spare with the finished project. I’m not intending to buy some fancy aftermarket wheels for the Jeep, and since these 15" wheels clear my brakes with no issue I don’t see the need to go bigger. I’ll paint it up black to match the others.
And since I’m going to use a full-size spare and a larger tire size than stock, the spare will have to find a home outside the rear cargo area. Here’s where my first Craigslist score came. I found an OEM rear swing out tire carrier for sale. There are two OEM styles of this, and both are engineered for the pre-'96 style Cherokees. Those had a fiberglass rear hatch, while the newer style has a steel door. This is the “less-desirable” version that mounts to the corner of the rear bumper. Not sure If I’ll be able to make it work, but it’s worth a try.
I also met a guy that had a whole basement full of junkyard plundered Cherokee parts. Part of me wanted to hate the guy for grabbing all the goodies and hoarding them, but I did manage to grab a few interior panels that I had managed to booger up over the years.
In keeping with the parts bin upgrades I was able to snag a ZJ Grand Cherokee tie rod. It is the same dimensions as the XJ Cherokee tie rod, but the ZJ unit is a thicker, solid piece of steel, while the XJ’s is a thin, hollow tube. They’re very prone to bending, and while the ZJ’s isn’t bomb-proof, it is at least a cheap and significant upgrade.
And the best junkyard score I came across for the build were these leather seats out of a WJ Grand Cherokee. So rare to find leather seats that aren’t already shredded, soaking wet, or already gone at the local pick-n-pull. They’ll make the interior much better when they finally get repurposed to fit.
