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Project ZJ98

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Of course we took a few shots of our stock ZJ.  Okay it did have a front bug deflector which was quickly disposed of.

Project ZJ98 with Teraflex Budget Boost and Rancho 9000's

Phase 1: The first project was to increase the suspension height and add some taller tires.  After comparing the different spring spacer lifts we chose the Teraflex Budget Boost.  If you retain the existing rubber spring spacer you will increase your height by 2" with this kit.   We also added some Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks with the Teraflex lift.  This phase of the project was performed by Bayview 4 x 4 in  Bremerton, WA.  We then went shopping for the right tire that would offer good off road performance while working well on the rain slick roads of the pacific northwest.  BF Goodrich had just come out with a new KO version of their All Terrain tire.  We selected the 30 x 9.50 x 15 size because it would fit our factory wheels without any rubbing or trimming required.   The new lift, shocks and tires gave you the feeling of a more secure ride.

After installation of Brush Guard, Roof Rack, Tire Carrier, Nerf Bars & 30" BFG's

Phase 2: This round  included bolt on additions that provided a more serious off road look then the usual Grand Cherokee at the mall offered.  We first installed a WAAG brush guard with rear tail light guards.  The brush guard supplied a place to install our PIAA 520's.  Then we installed a pair of Smittybilt nerf bars. These made it easier for passengers to climb into our slightly lifted vehicle and also provided easy access to the Yakima Load Warrior rack system that we installed on the roof.  The Smittybilt nerfs also made it easier to reach the roof mounted Mopar tire carrier.  These bolt on accessories changed the look of Project ZJ98 immensely. To top it off we dropped in a K&N filter to help Project ZJ98 breath easier.

  Project ZJ98 loves to play in the water

Project ZJ loves to play in the mud

Phase 3:  Now it was time to enhance the abilities of the V-8 that Jeep supplied under the hood.  The first step was to add some horsepower via the exhaust system.  We compared the different muffler manufactures and the consensus was that Flowmaster was the industry leader in 4 wheeling mufflers.  We compared the different choices that Flowmaster offered and we decided on the Flowmaster DeltaFlow Series 40 muffler.  If offered a quieter inside noise level while supplying that infamous Flowmaster roar on the outside.  We are very pleased with the new sound that Project ZJ98 is emitting,  especially when leaving a stop light.

Phase 4:  With the exhaust in order,  we decided it was time to breath some life into the intake side.  We studied up on the K&N FIPK {fuel injection performance kit}.  This kit had proven on the dyno to increase the performance on the stock engine by as much as 23 HP.  We did not do a dyno on the results but from what we felt in the seat of our pants it by far exceeded our expectations.  This was most definitely the most bang for the buck accessory that we had installed on Project 98 ZJ.  With the new exhaust and this K&N system we were now driving an SUV that demanded respect at the stop light.

Phase 5: After some light duty trails we quickly discovered that we were in need of some real 4 wheeling protection.  Skid plates are not something you want to go without if you plan on doing any serious 4 wheeling.  This was a turning point in Project ZJ98.  It was about to start the transformation from a street rig that saw light duty 4 wheeling to a serious 4 wheeler project. With no aftermarket fuel tank skid plates available we looked to Mopar for our protection.  After applying an undercoating and solar yellow paint we installed the factory skid plate in just under an hour.  The transfer case also needed protection.   With only a few aftermarket suppliers and Mopar offering protection we selected Rusty's Offroad for the 249 transfer case protection.  After our skid arrived we discovered that the pre-drilled holes didn't line up with our cross member.  After several calls to Rusty's we tried to modify the skid with no luck.  It turns out that Jeep supplied several different cross members on the ZJ and we had what is refereed to as the 4 bolt cross member.  After butchering the first skid plate Rusty sent us another with the holes drilled in the right place.  We also chose to go with the higher profile 242 version.  This required us cutting a large hole out of the new skid and welding a plate over the hole to clear the transfer case.  Sorry we don't have pictures yet on this part of the project.  With our vital parts covered on the bottom we could approach trail obstacles a bit more aggressively.

KevinsJeepParts Rock Sliderz

Phase 6: We found that the nerf bars did not provide the protection that the rockers required for the obstacles that we were encountering on the trails in the northwest.  We needed easy access to our roof mounted gear yet needed full protection of the rockers.  About the time that we were researching this project Kevin Fell released his home brewed version of a rocker that had a built in step.  He calls them Rock Sliderz.    After coating them with the same undercoating that we used on the fuel skid we installed them in less then a day.  They provide a place to use the high-lift jack and offer superior protection to the rocker.  We have found that the step not only provides easy access to the roof but the step is handy when you need to exit the vehicle in deep mud.  After several trail runs they have held up superbly and work great as a pivot point around stumps and large rocks.

ARB Bull Bar on Project ZJ98

Phase 7:  As any 4 wheeler will tell you the most important accessory that you can purchase for your 4x4 is a winch.   With the plastic and styrofoam bumpers that Jeep installs on the ZJ it is obvious that a winch was far from the minds of the DC engineers.  Leave it to the members of SEMA to solve this problem.  There are currently 3 big hitters in the aftermarket bumpers for the ZJ.   They are Tomken, Trail Ready and ARB. We choose the ARB Bull Bar for Project ZJ98.  After picking up our new front bumper from ARB in Seattle we found that this was a relatively easy installation.  It holds the Warn 8000 winch within the enclosed section of the bumper.  This will make it quite hard for winch thieves to remove.  With the 4 light tabs, 2  tow points and a built in brush guard it has everything you want in a front bumper.  This bumper has proved itself in the outback of Australia and the forest of the Northwest.

Phase 8: As you encounter more difficult obstacles on the trail your rig will show you its short comings.  Traction is one of the most important aspects of 4 wheeling.  DC engineers got some lame brain idea that they could save some weight and install an aluminum version of the Dana 44 in the Grand Cherokee's with V-8 engines.  This has turned out to be one of Jeeps worst decisions in recent history.  Most manufactures won't even consider offering any aftermarket gears or lockers for this albatross.  The only traction enhancing devise available at this time is the Spicer Trac-Loc.  It is a clutch driven limited slip differential unit.  This unit is inexpensive to purchase and follows the rule of "you get what you pay for."  With the 3.73 gears, that come from the factory, you will be limited to tire size until someone comes out with an alternative.   Your best bet is to save up for either a cast iron Dana 44, Ford 8.8" out of an Explorer or have a Ford 9" built from scratch. For those who have a pre 97 ZJ they have a 35C rear axle and even thought this axle assembly does not have a great reputation it is still better then the Aluminum version of the Dana 44.  We opted to install the Trac-Loc since a little bit of traction is better then none at all.  This was installed by 4 Wheel Parts Wholesalers.

Phase 9:  The rear bumper is frequently overlooked until you come down on it on a trail obstacle.  With a few screws and clips holding the Plastic and styrofoam in place it will not hold up to any serious off road obstacles.  A Tomken rear bumper kind of fell into our laps and even thought the lines on this bumper are somewhat square it still provides a substantial improvement over the factory bumper.  With the built in hitch and home brewed gas can, tire and high-lift jack carrier it serves it purpose.  If you want a better looking rear bumper check out the Trail Ready design.  They both have smooth lines and offer accessories that will fit you needs.

Phase 10:  With  Project ZJ98 finding itself on the trail more frequently, we had to go to the next step in suspension lift.   We took into consideration that this rig would still see a lot of pavement.   We needed to raise the suspension to accommodate larger tires for the trail.   After careful evaluation both Teraflex and Rubicon Express, we chose Teraflex again for this project.  We contacted Central 4 Wheel Drive and they provided us with the Teraflex S3Z kit and a Rancho steering stabilizer.  We didn't want to pressure them so we offered Project ZJ98 for 4 days to install the kit.  Kolak with Multitronics supplied us with the OME long through shocks that we picked up at ARB in Seattle.  The lift surpassingly did not alter the fell or ride of Project ZJ98.  This gave us the lift we needed to install our new tires and wheels.

Phase 11: Now it was time to add some new hoops in order to take advantage of the new lift.  We contacted Michael at the Puyallup, WA Discount Tire .  He supplied us with a set of 5 Black Spoke 5 on 4½" lug 15x8 wheels with 4½" backspacing and Interco Super Swamper SSR 32x11.50x15 tires.  Between the lift and the tires Project ZJ98 is starting to look like a serious 4 wheeling machine.  The SSR's added a bit more noise on the interior of Project ZJ98 as expected.  After all the BFG All Terrain tires are a pretty mild tire compared to the SSR's.  If you ever wanted to know what it is like to conquer some of those obstacles that the big boys play on get yourself a set of SSR's they are worth every penny.

Phase 12:  Every project vehicle needs some good sounding tunes for those long road trips to the trial.  We put a lot of thought into this portion of the project and believe it or not  an upgraded version of the factory radio is what we settled on.  We see too many vehicles get broke into and the dash destroyed in order to steal aftermarket stereos.  We like the look and feel of the factory system so we started our search for a CD/Cassette system that Mopar had available when the ZJ was still in production.  We finally made our way to EBay and found an outfit that was selling brand new factory stereos.  The price was less then many aftermarket systems and compared to the plain jane am/fm stereo cassette that we had been enduring it was a major improvement.  We have been very pleased with the tunes this stereo produces and because it is a factory radio it does not lure in the stereo thieves that lurk in the dark.  To view the complete write up and installation guide go to www.nagca.com

Our new AM FM Stereo CD/Cassette Player with 3 Band EQ 

Phase 13:  When you run larger wheels and take your ZJ on the trail frequently you will become familiar with this next project. Changing the wheel bearing hub assembly is one of those task that is all to familiar to anyone how wheels with the stock Dana 30 axle. No special tools are required and if you change this assembly regularly then the bolts will never get a change to become too hard to brake loose.  We have written up a complete tech report on the procedures to complete this project.  A special thanks to Paul Carey at Randy's Ring & Pinion for supplying us with the Dana assemblies.  Go to www.nagca.com  to view the complete write up.

Dana 30 Wheel Bearing Hub Assembly

Phase 14: So far no aftermarket suspension system company has made the perfect system yet.  Teraflex has a lot of good points and one of them is the user friendly sway bar disconnects.  One of their weaknesses is the sway bar holder.  They send a cheesy little clip to hold the sway bar up when you are on the trail .  We came up with a home brewed dirt cheap version of a way to keep your sway bar up and out of the way while you enjoy wheeling on your favorite trail.  Go to www.nagca.com for a write up complete with photos.

  New Sway Bar holder

Phase 15:  I don't have enough fingers to count the times we wish we had a dash mounted winch control.  It is one of those convinces that is right on the edge of being a necessity. We searched the internet for similar project reports and didn't find one that was quite as detailed as we wanted.  We also wanted to cover the procedures to gain access to the inside of the ZJ's dash.  This is one of the best improvements we have made to ProjectZJ98 to date.  We have written a detailed report with a shopping list and a wiring diagram at www.nagca.com

Dash mounted winch control

Phase 16:  120 volts is something you don't miss until you don't have it.  This project was born for the need for power to run our submersible pump that will supply water for our portable shower.  This is the first part of the project that will include a secondary deep cycle sealed battery mounted in the rear compartment.  We found a "can't pass this up" deal at Costco on a 1000 watt power inverter.  You can read about this phase of the power project at www.nagca.com

 Our 1000 watt 120v inverter

Phase 17: The time had come to change our pretzel of a tie rod.  It had been abused on the trail and was wearing a grove into the front diff cover.  We decide to do a little research and upgrade the tie rod to a heavy duty aftermarket model. JohnJohn a Bigoffroad.net supplied us with a very stout tie rod made by JKS.  Even though they have this model listed for the 4.0L version only we got it from a reliable source, Jay Haines, that it will work on the V-8 steering also. We decided on factory parts for the rest of the steering system and Steve Davenport at Springdale Dodge Chrysler supplied us with all the Mopar parts to complete the upgrade and replacement of our worn out steering linkage.  We found some money saving info while researching this project.  Read all about it at www.nagca.com

Before      After

Stay tuned for more.......

Current Set-up

Attention Vendors, Suppliers and Donators

If you would like to donate products for Project ZJ you will receive a link to your web site and mention of your donation in the write up.  Our product reviews are fair and unbiased.  If you make a good product we will indicate so in the review.  If your product needs modifications or upgrading we will make suggestions based on our experience with your product.  For donation of product contact us at clay@nagca.com or call us at 208-301.3338

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North American Grand Cherokee Association