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FIRST UPGRADES
BEFORE LIFT KIT & TIRES
What's the first thing 99% of people do when they get any stock Jeep? A lift kit and tires right. At Everday-XJ
that just doesn't make any sense and it does just a few things, raises your XJ up in the air to fit bigger tires and increase ground clearance...big deal. Spend that hard earned money in the right place and dramatically increase your XJ's capabilities on and off-road. On this page, you will find my top suggestions if you want to turn your stock XJ into a highly usable and capable 4x4.
SKID PLATES - A skid plate is a steel plate mounted to the vital parts under your Jeep Cherokee like front and rear differentials, oil pan, transmission pan, transfer case, gas tank etc. Almost every Jeep Cherokee produced never had skid plates except the rare Up Country Models and those skid plates were made of only 1/8" thick steel which is a bare minimum of protection. I would recommend 3/16" thickness for everything under your Jeep Cherokee if you plan on doing any kind of light to moderate off-roading. 3/16" would be considered Heavy Duty. Keep in mind skid plates are not just for off-roading they also can protect from foreign object damage on back roads and freeways such as parts of blown out tires, fallen rocks, debris from construction vehicles or parts from a collision scattered among the highway.
LOCKING DIFFERENTIAL - A locking differential does as the name implies - it mechanically locks the left and right axles together. A stock differential is very lazy and will send more of the energy to the wheel with the least resistance but once you install a locking differential both wheels will spin at the same time. This is great for being off-road because if one wheel is up in the air then the other will still spin.
Installing one or two lockers in your Jeep Cherokee will boost it's off-road performance tremendously. Getting the right type of locker for your XJ is just as important. There are two basic categories of lockers selectable and automatic. An automatic locker is one that automatically engages or (Locks) when power is applied, whereas a selectable locker requires additional input to engage for example a pull of a cable or a push button.
Now the discussion of lockers is a long one and all depends on your style of driving because not all lockers are created equal. Some lockers are better for everyday drivers while others are better for dedicated trail rigs. That's a job for you to decide. But for those of you like myself that drive their XJ's every day, I would recommend the ARB Air Locker or Eaton E Locker.
Now keep in mind again having a locker in your XJ does more than just help you traverse difficult terrain it also keeps down unnecessary wheel spin, strain on mechanical parts and unnecessary trail damage.
Never underestimate what a Jeep XJ will do with no suspension lift and with quality lockers.
OFF-ROAD BUMPERS AND WINCH - The front and rear bumpers on the Jeep XJ are nothing more than stamped pieces of thin steel that barely fight off bugs or the occasional squirrel and offer little to no capabilities. A Good off-road bumper will do more than just look cool.
A heavy duty off road bumper will protect the front of your Cherokee from things such as deer during your morning commute and more importantly gives you 2 front mounted tow points or should. Do not purchase a plain steel bumper front or rear without attachments for D rings.
A front off road bumper will also give you a good mounting point for a winch. A winch is a must-have for anyone with a 4x4 that does any kind of off-roading or trail driving. Keep in mind a winch isn't just for off-road use. They can come in handy in several situations, removing down trees or limbs from the road or trail, pulling someone stuck in a ditch during snowy conditions.
If you really are the creative type you can use a winch for moving a heavy object. I've seen some Jeep
owners turn a tow bar into a hoist to move odd shaped and heavy objects.
Keep in mind not all winches are created equal and I wouldn't recommend a $100 winch from Harbor freight.If your going to spend your hard earned cash on a winch make sure to get a quality, tried and true brand like Warn.
To figure how the size winch for your application take the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVWR) about 4,900lbs for a Jeep XJ and multiply it by 1.5. In this case, it's around 7,500 lbs. A Warn M8000 is a good place to start but nothing wrong with going bigger so don't be scared.
And lastly, keep in mind an off-road bumper and winch will add a lot of front end weight to your XJ and possibly an airflow issue to the radiator and affect braking. So make sure you keep an eye on these things.
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