X-JOLLY ROGER
STRIKING THE PERFECT BALANCE IN A 1999 JEEP XJ
Striking The Perfect Balance in a ‘99 Jeep XJ
Nate Huro out of Alexandria, Virginia, had been tinkering with autos as long as he has owned them. His first project in college was a ‘79 VW bus. Currently, Nate—like many of us—has had a bit of a Jeep problem. His latest obsessions include a creampuff ‘86 CJ-7 and a ‘06
LJ. However, the focus of this article is on another one of his Jeep obsessions, a ‘99 Cherokee XJ.
“AT THIS POINT THEY GOT SERIOUS ABOUT THE BUILD AND STARTED TO CONVERT THE FAIRLY DECENT SHAPED XJ INTO THE OVERLAND-STYLE RIG THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO COMPLETE NOT ONLY THE EVENT, BUT ALSO THE 1,000-MILE
ROUND TRIP DRIVE FROM VIRGINIA TO VERMONT.”
He bought the XJ in 2013 with no intentions of having it become what it is today. At first it started with some basic modifications, such as an aftermarket front bumper, rear axle, and mild lift, which seemed to be sufficient enough for some weekend wheeling.
Not long after making these mild XJ mods did Nate read about the Vermont Overland Trophy (VOT) rally on Expedition Portal, which naturally piqued his interest. He was so interested, in fact, that he thought about
entering the event. After a friend of Nate’s offered to be his teammate, the pair started researching how they could run the event under a budget they could decide on. Nate says in retrospect, “I pretty much blew my budget, but it was worth it!” Things don’t always turn out the way one expects.
At this point they got serious about the build and started to convert the fairly decent shaped XJ into the overland-style rig that they would need to complete not only the event, but also the 1,000-mile round trip drive from Virginia to Vermont. The vehicle would need to be able to clear the challenges that the VOT rally would put them through while hauling all their gear, spares, tools, and food that they would need for the week.
Having no substantial off-road driving experience and lack of knowledge about camping meant this would be a crash course for learning a host of new things. They were both excited about putting themselves to the test and acquiring new skills in the process, plus it was a great opportunity to spend memorable, quality time with friends.
Fortunate for them, they completed the XJ’s mods early enough to allow some training before attending VOT. After they crammed what they could in the Jeep, after their impromptu training, the pair dove head first into their first VOT experience. The duo managed to be among the few teams to finish the ‘14 VOT event, while still remaining friends afterwards. The rally taught them plenty of lessons, one of which is gear management. It sounds cliché, but they learned that when it comes to gear, carrying less is more. Nate adds, “We carry a lot less stuff now than we used to.”
He also learned that paying for quality parts was important, as outfitting parts on the Jeep that aren’t properly engineered results in failure. In the long run, trying to pinch
“IN THE LONG RUN, TRYING TO PINCH PENNIES HERE AND THERE WILL COST
YOU MUCH MORE IN THE LONG RUN. FAILURES ON THE TRAIL DUE TO BAD PARTS ARE A WASTE OF, NOT ONLY MONEY, BUT PRECIOUS TIME, TOO.”
“HAVING NO SUBSTANTIAL OFF-ROAD DRIVING EXPERIENCE AND A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CAMPING MEANT THIS WOULD BE A CRASH COURSE FOR
LEARNING A HOST OF NEW THINGS.” Custom long arm suspension featuring King Bypass shocks with Terraflex Speedbumps and a Currie Antirock Sway Bar along with custom leaf springs gives this XJ plenty of capability over uneven ground.
pennies here and there will cost you much more over time. Failures on the trail due to bad parts are a waste of, not only money, but precious time, too.
Getting some real-world experience on some rugged trails under their belts gave them a different perspective on vehicle modifications. The first major upgrade they determined they needed had to be suspension, as reliability and capability both on and off road have always been Nate’s primary concerns. Adding 800-plus pounds of gear and crawling up a creek bed was tough on the XJ’s bump stops. AK Whatley of Chaos Fab Shop added hydraulic bump stops that made a world of difference. AK also helped make the move from conventional to by-pass shocks and had the front axle build trussed and gusseted. AK’s willingness to share knowledge of Ultra 4 and Jeeps was invaluable in the first few iterations of Nate’s XJ. The XJ has been undergoing a seemingly never-ending evolution since 2013.
All in all, Nate liked the way the Jeep was outfitted, for the most part. The one thing he did not like was the sheepish power range the motor cranked out. While at VOT, Nate met Wilson and Steely of Wilson & Steely Kustom Coachworks out of Athol, Massachusetts. He approached them about possibly doing a motor swap on the Jeep for a much needed increase in power. At first he was thinking of going the diesel route. After discussing what was driving the idea of the swap, Steve expressed the best bet was to do a stroker hi-performance motor, changing the stock 4-liter into a 4.6-liter, I-6 engine which would result in an over 100hp gain.
With the go ahead, Steve reached out to Golen Motorsports residing nearby in Hudson, New Hampshire, knowing that they make a really good bolt-in Jeep motor that meets the specs that they required. They upgraded ignition to a Davis Unified Ignition FIREPOWER unit, pistons, injectors, stroke crank and a larger throttle body. Gibson stainless steel headers with custom exhaust were installed on the motor, which they tucked up underneath the belly pan. While in the shop, the Jeep was Monstalined in Pyroplastic black since the paint was beat up after being run
through a couple of VOT events. Wider Napier Precision flares were also added to make the XJ’s stance wider and Calico Jack’s Jolly Roger design was applied across the hood for a bit of attitude.
With the second round of mods done, Nate attended VOT again. The new motor, coupled with some hard driving ended in a grenaded transmission. The main shaft sheered and spun a tube on the rear axle. Nate and his buddy had to complete VOT in a JKU, but both still had a great time.
The XJ made its way back to Wilson & Steely where they installed a hybrid AW4 transmission to handle the extra horsepower. The previously installed Ford 8.8 Explorer axle that is a common swap on this type of Jeep platform was taken out in favor of a G2 Core 44 4.88 axle assembly with ARB air locker. Other upgrades included new shock and spring mounts that were fabbed up. Steve also converted the rig to disc brakes and at the same time, upgraded all the suspension joints utilizing an Iron Man Offroad custom long-arm suspension lift kit. They also built a custom leaf spring pack to handle the extra weight in the rear when it is fully loaded.
At this point, almost everything on the Jeep had been repurposed or custom built. This latest version of the Cherokee is completely dialed in for the challenges of camping and completing the Vermont Overland Trophy, finally accomplishing the major goal of the build. After 4 years of competing in VOT, they’ve found the right balance of everything needed to be comfortable living on the trail while making the truck as light and easy to pack as possible. The latter is critical since it dictates how quickly they could set up and takedown camp.
Keeping weight as low as possible also means the off-camber rocks and hills of Vermont can be taken confidently. Every year they learned something new about how to live out of the truck and Nate really feels like there’s nothing major to change at this point.
Nate has been fortunate enough to have
a great network of enthusiasts (or as they call each other, enablers) in the Vermont Overland Club. He credits his teammates for helping him improve his ride with design ideas and specific recommendations. Having received expert advice from off road and racing veterans on this unique build has led to other successful ventures beyond VOT.
“GETTING SOME REALWORLD EXPERIENCE ON SOME RUGGED TRAILS UNDER THEIR BELTS
GAVE THEM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS.”
Now that his XJ is dialed in, Nate can spend all day wheeling instead of worrying about mechanical failures. Thanks to his head long dive into multiple VOT events and his perseverance for dialing in the Cherokee just right, he can soundly make his way back to the camp, crack open his fridge full of ice-cold beers and retire to the campfire completely worry free. We’ll drink one to that, Nate.