Hack's 2000 XJ Build Thread

Hack12

New member
After hijacking Eddie's PLAN C Thread for long enough, I've decided to start my own build thread for my recently acquired 2000 XJ. As many of you already know, and much to everyone's disappointment, I traded in my 2008 JK about 6 months ago. I had finally had enough of it's sluggish 3.8L engine, gratuitous oil consumption and dismal gas mileage. Rest assured, I will buy a newer Wrangler sometime within the next few years, but until then I needed something to get me through the harsh New England winters. Also, I'd be lying if I didn't admit to missing the WAYALIFE community much more than I could have imagined.

This brings me to the point of this thread. After what seemed like an endless amount of searching, I found a reasonably priced 4-door 2000 XJ in very good condition, inside and out. The only real cosmetic issue with it is a little bit of rust along the lower crease of the passenger side front door. The mileage is a bit higher than I wanted (160K), but that didn't scare me off considering the I6 4.0 workhorse it has under the hood. Here are a couple shots of it from the day I picked it up.

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The first thing I did after purchasing it was bring it to my mechanic so he could give it a good once over. After replacing the Tie Rod, thermostat, oil filter seal, a couple belts, sway bar links & bushings and changing all the fluids, it runs beautifully.

Following the same line of thinking as Eddie in his Plan C build, I won't be using my XJ for any hardcore wheeling, merely exploration and snow survival. With that in mind, I chose to be a bit more frugal in my aftermarket choices. For starters, I decided to go with 265/70r15 General Grabber AT2's mounted on 15x8 American Racing AR23 Aluminum wheels. After installing this tire/wheel setup I quickly realized that I was going to need to raise the XJ up a few inches if I ever wanted to partake in such activities as turning or driving over speed bumps. To remedy my clearance issues I found a new SkyJacker 3 inch lift kit, with full leaf packs, on ebay for a little over $400. Here's my XJ with flat rear leaf springs and absolutely no clearance.

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The next mods I purchased were two of my favorite things, lighting and music. As for the lighting, I only know two words...Truck-Lite. Done.

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As for the music, I went with the Kenwood KDC-152. Simple, functional and most importantly, not a 15 year old cassette player.

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The only other thing I have planned as of right now is tint for the rear windows, like many came with from the factory, which I'll be getting installed in a couple days.

I haven't put much thought into where I'd like to go from here with the build, but I certainly welcome any suggestions.

Here are a few pics of the XJ as she sits right now...

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Thanks for reading guys! :thumb:
 
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One of these things would make an awesome sidekick for a JK. :yup:

They're a dime a dozen up here in New England, it's just very difficult to find one in decent condition. I would imagine our west coast counterparts would have an easier time finding them without any rust.
 
Well, after my mechanic diagnosed the oil filter seal as the culprit of the drip coming from my oil pan, it seems the pan is still leaking a bit of oil, though much more slowly than before.

The passenger side of the pan appears wet from oil and it now appears that I'm getting a drip or two per day coming from the rear most point of the pan, off the drain bolt.

Here is a shot of what it looks like right now. I wiped it off about an hour ago and have since drove approximately 20 miles.

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As you can see, there is no drip at the moment. I'm hoping that it won't come back but I'm not optimistic.

I really hope it isn't the rear main seal, though I am aware that RMS failure is a common problem with these XJ's.

I'll be keeping and eye on it over the next few days to make sure it doesn't get any worse. Seeing that I'm diligent with oil changes, I'm wondering if it's even worth repairing such a slow leak?
 
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mainly due to being extremely low I had lots of oil leaks from broken oil pans and only worried when it got worse than some drips a day. My Subaru leaks something but havnt tracked down what yet.

I would say it could wait till spring at least, then investigate further, just my :twocents:
 
mainly due to being extremely low I had lots of oil leaks from broken oil pans and only worried when it got worse than some drips a day. My Subaru leaks something but havnt tracked down what yet.

I would say it could wait till spring at least, then investigate further, just my :twocents:

That's exactly what I was thinking. I appreciate the feedback!
 
As suspected, I had a few drips in the driveway this morning under the oil pan. As I mentioned, it's not nearly as bad as it was before my mechanic replaced the oil filter seal.

It's still accumulating at the drain bolt in a little bead. Seems to only drip a few times a day.
 
Good looking jeep. I've always liked the xj. Glad to see your back in a jeep, Looking to plan some light wheeling someday for a bunch of us hacks. I have had a few people ask about going out. I'll let you know.
 
Good looking jeep. I've always liked the xj. Glad to see your back in a jeep, Looking to plan some light wheeling someday for a bunch of us hacks. I have had a few people ask about going out. I'll let you know.

Awesome bro! Let me know! :)
 
Me likey! That looks to be in pretty good condition considering its age and location. Nice score, I love that colour which I believe was only available in '01.
 
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