Newbie - Cherokee wheel, flare, grille questions

[4LoTJ]

I finally found a full size 1980 Cherokee in good condition. It's on it's way home from Colorado today. I have a few questions before I start restoring/building it.

1. FLARES: It does not appear to be the wide track model so it has almost non-existent flares. I really like the look of the wide flares and I'd like to find a set to install before this baby gets painted. Any suggestions? Can I use flares off of Wagoneers and J Trucks, or just the Cherokees?

2. WHEELS: I will be running 33x12.50 MTRs and I'd like the tires to stick out as much as the flares do. How little backspacing can I use before it creates problems?

3. GRILLE: What parts are necessary to convert the grille to the razor style? Anyone have a good write-up with pics? Ooops, just found the write-up elsewhere on this site. tongue.gif

Thanks in advance for any and all help!
Jennifer

[ March 02, 2003, 07:03 AM: Message edited by: 4x4Play ]

[jeepguzzi]

You can simply swap front fenders from a J truck or Wide trac Cherokee. If your new rig is a two door, you could use the rear flares from a wide track Cherokee, I think the J truck flares are also the same, but not positive. The wagoneers did not really have flares. If you have a four door, then you will have a new set of problems if you want rear flares. There have been a couple of members who have adapted different flares.(Heimeken comes to mind) But, I hear that Riverbeast is putting wide trac flares on his wag. The catch is , he is secretly MOVING THE REAR AXLE. Shhhhhhhh!!!

I am not sure about the wheels. The thing is, the axles on a narrow trac are narrower than the wide trac. I think the J truck's are even a bit wider.

For the grill, that is a simple thing. Did you try searching the site for "razor grill"

[4LoTJ]

Thanks for the input! I guess I should make sure I can get the tires to stick out far enough (wide track look) before I put new fenders on. Perhaps I could just swap axles. Are the wide track axles a direct bolt-on to the non-widetrack Cherokees?

I thought the 2 door FSJs are Cherokees
And the 4 doors are Wagoneers?

[Gwamp]

Most, but not all 2 doors are Cherokees. There are 2 door waggies, but they are fairly rare. There are also 4 door Cherokee's. To run the tires you want to on a narrow track Cherokee you will need to add the flares that you want/and or trim and lift it and least 4 inches. Axle swaps are easilly enough done. You just need to find a donor to swap D-44's with. 1 tons are an option as well. The only limits are the depths of your pocket book and your fab skills. There are tons of posts in the tech forum about lifts and cutting. You should be able to find directions on how to do whatever it is your decide to do to your truck.

[netbear]

I have a complete set of wide track axles from
my 1979 Cherokee available if you
are interested. They are both Dana 44 axles
with OEM 3.54 gears and the rear axle has
the factory limited slip. Brakes are front
disk and the rear are drum. Everything is in
perfect working order, well maintained etc.
Price is $425 if you are interested. I live
in Virginia and can bring them to Kansas on
my way to Colorado late May. The wide track axles
space the tires out to fit under the flares. I
believe they are an easy bolt in swap to a 1980
Cherokee. Just let me know if you want them.

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Of all the rigs I have seen with the WT axles and big tires. Heimeken has the nicest setup, I really like it. :D :D
http://images.andale.com/f2/116/106/4651773/1046716276673_Pics_Transform08.jpg

http://images.andale.com/f2/116/106/4651773/1046716277190_Pics_Bushwacker06_high.jpg

[ March 03, 2003, 11:23 AM: Message edited by: Crazy_Jeepman ]

[netbear]

Cra-Z,
Pics are not working...

[Crazy_Jeepman]

I can see them, no one else?

[mdill]

I can't see them.

If you want stock WT flairs on a narrow track, good luck ! the wheel tub as well
as the qarter panel is different. My advise is if you want a wide trak, buy a wide
trak, hacking up a nice chero is not going to be cost effective (reasle, cost of doing
it ..) and goes against my grain anyway. Just my opinion, there are enough not so
nice rigs out there that need to be hacked that hacking a nice one is not good.

Mike D.

[Max Power]

The first time I ever saw a WT chero I was hooked, those flares and that wide stance. I completely agree with mdill, don't buy a NT and change it over, buy a WT if thats what you want.

[Crazy_Jeepman]

Ok I uploaded them to my server, works now. Nope I disagree, I like the conversion better than the OEM WT body. Then again it just me!!! ;) ;)

[4LoTJ]

It's too late to buy a W/T. Besides, all the ones I found were trashed and expensive. As far as cutting open the wheel wells to fit the W/T flares...
http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/standard?pictid={B6838721-7E84-462D-B099-646E56EC4F24}

As you can see from my TJ project, I'm not afraid to take a cutting wheel to the sheet metal! (And yes, I'm converting a perfectly good rear coil spring suspension to leaf springs) "Resale value" is not in my vocabulary.

Crazy_Jeepman - I like Heimeken's rig, it's a BRUTE! The Bushwacker flares aren't for me, though. I'm going to find a set of W/T flares and see if I can't make those work.

Netbear - I'm definitely interested in the axles, the price is a little higher than I wanted to go, but the fact that you would deliver them to me is quite appealing. Late May gives me a little time to look around locally for a donor.

Thanks for all the advice!
Jennifer

[jeepguzzi]

Originally posted by netbear:
I have a complete set of wide track axles from
my 1979 Cherokee available if you
are interested. They are both Dana 44 axles
with OEM 3.54 gears and the rear axle has
the factory limited slip. Brakes are front
disk and the rear are drum. Everything is in
perfect working order, well maintained etc.
Price is $425 if you are interested. I live
in Virginia and can bring them to Kansas on
my way to Colorado late May. The wide track axles
space the tires out to fit under the flares. I
believe they are an easy bolt in swap to a 1980
Cherokee. Just let me know if you want them.Netbear, your 1979 axles will not work in a 1980. The differentials are on different sides. 1 ;) 980 is drivers side, 1979 is passenger side drop.

[netbear]

Jeepguzzi,
Opps! what a difference a year makes! I'm
going F&R dana 60s and need to find a good
home to my pampered F&R Dana 44s. Thanks
for the info, good to know for future
reference. By the way, I know they fit
'79 Cherokee WTs, do you know how much
earlier they work as a bolt in?

netbear