Mission Improbable - Our Musclecar Jeep XJ Starts To Give Up Her Secrets At The Strip
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 เม.ย. 2024
- Since our last time out, we've gone through our XJ from bumper to bumper optimizing everything and pulling a whopping 260 pounds out of it.
It should have been an automatic 3 tenths gain on the strip, but it actually slowed down significantly and became harder to drive.
Here are the two things we discovered and how we plan on fixing these issues.
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you missed the open door buzzer that can definitely go 😂
My first thought when I heard it too 😅
ALWAYS! The first thing out of my rides. LOL!
I'm the kind of guy to add weight to a Miata and that buzzer still had to go
LOL.
its a jeep you want to turn it into a dragster?, your idiot or waht??
I love this project. Not swapping engines not spending 15k, just goofing off and seeing what the stock vehicle can do at the edge. Keep going!
Goofing off that what it is
Reminds me of the small track in porter tx I cut my teeth on. Bracket racing, dudes in 17 seconds citation running a 9 seconds Chevelle and they cross the finish line at same time. Street rides having fun.
Wednesday night at New England Dragway. 20 bucks to get on, another 20 to run times
@@yehornaumov5893 Don't forget bracket money under the table.
Saw one of these XJ's around where i live, the guy was driving it like he stole it, it was red in color as the one in the video, for a moment i was like: "Oh shit it's Tony!"
Then i remembered i live in a different state. but anywho, it's cool to see someone else aside from Tony is "Hotrodding" an XJ.
You never know. If Tony can move from New York to Tennessee without any hassles, nothing says that state boundaries can keep him from stealing XJs, if he isn't outright buying them
@@al_dente4777 Point taken, I'm just going to go with Tony teleporting cross states to get every XJ under the sun. XD
It's always a super minute detail that throws off your entire ET. It's never something obvious that would be too easy.
leave that latch out of the hatch!!!! Fill the hatch with lead shot and let it shift back farther behind the wheels on the launch.
Ah yes the active chassis, hope those are strong hinges lol
Gaining 2.1 seconds without going to the aftermarket is gonna be a damn hard won victory.
i think he can do it.
But a great reward
yes and no. in the old days there wasn't much aftermarket, so folks "massaged" their parts.
All good thoughts but I am sticking with the back hatch Not Opening anymore 😁
"Having fun with run what ya brung"....right on Uncle T! Back in the day I and a couple of my buds had old beater 6 bangers for our back up rides when our "fast" cars were down for whatever reason. I had a 55 Ford 2 door sedan with and OHV 6 and 3 on the tree. Bud #2 had a 50 F1 with a flathead 6 and a 3 speed. Bud #3 had a 51 Ford 2 door sedan with a flat head 6 and 3 on the tree. They were all slow AF, but we had just as much fun street racing them as we did our fast cars! The 55 would out pull either flathead easy, but it wasn't about who won, it was about racing.....dark of the night, moon and the stars overhead, summertime, deserted highway, girl friends and non race buds yelling from the finish line...it was magical for 17-18 year old gear heads!
HATCH SLAMMER!!!!! That weight was all that was giving that one tire any traction lol
Can’t beat the 4.0 straight 6!
Go XJ!
Yes u can
@@user-nd5eq6yb9sno
@@user-nd5eq6yb9s lol, beat on em, and beat on them and they only eat a piston skirt every 300k. :) what a strong gasser she is.
You can't hand the keys to anybody because not everybody can drive a standard especially these days
Shoot, not even some older folks can drive 3 on the tree. Millennial here with a 70 Oldsmobile F85. Guy who was transporting it Gave up trying to figure it out. Had to teach the next guy to drive it in order to ship it.
Probably, the best current anti-theft device, today!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
GenX'r here i didnt own an automatic until my 30's mostly fox bodies and trucks, and alotbof them were raced. stick shifts are an overrated fascination of generations that havent experienced them. unless you popping 7-10K for a real stick shift like a G-Force101-a or a Liberty's equalizer a built automatic is the way to go. theyre also quicker and morebconsistant and less parts breakage.
I've been building cars for 30 years. And I still learn stuff from you all the time.
We had a 70 torino with a 460. Traction sucked. We moved the leaf spring mounts rearward and made them asymetrical. Thanks to me read Dick Landys books, what a difference! She hooked, then the doors wouldnt open!😂
Asymmetrical how? As far as how far back or forward each wheel was, or are you talking about modifying spring stiffness with a couple odd leaves?
@@tacomas9602 yes, how far forward the axle is on the spring. The dodges always had a short front section and long rear section. We moved the spring perches 3 inches back. Instead of squating on the launch, it lifted the front and rear. If the rear of the body is rising, its pushing down on the rear axle, more traction. The gtx was a great example of the geometry.
4 cylinder xj's had 4.10s available, pretty common.
🤔
. . . In the manuals. The 4-cylinder autos got 4.56s. The 6-cyl gearing was 3.07 in manuals and 3.55 in autos.
different gears and welding the diff, along with the spring changes, maybe even add a leaf??? would probably make a significant difference.
Weight is good. My old ‘80 2-door box top Fairmont weighed 2900 and change with an iron headed 302.
Yeah that’s definitely the route to go. SCT tune, raise rpm limit to 6k, and adjust SA down low to increase torque in the area that you need it….
And get some traction to the off side wheel.
its an old jeepp
I think getting a used leaf . Cut it in half and load it on the leading side of the spring pack , falls within a basic driveway upgrade.
On my Ranger I picked up trailer shackles and put 2 clamps on both sides in front half of leafs made big difference
I'd like to see Tony try this with a 2wd Dakota.
Would smaller tires fit your plan for "available for any stock 96?" What about those LED headlights you got on the white XJ? Caltracs (even home made?)
Put an A/F gauge on it and watch it at WOT. These things run in the 10's stock. Bump it up to 12.5 and you'll get at least 10 more HP to the ground under the entire curve with no timing changes. Be careful adding timing without a dyno as they love to ping.
Rock on U. T . ✊🏼⛽️
88 and earlier just had rear lap belts if you wanna have something in there. (2dr and 4dr are the same and will just bolt up in that 96)
XJ is a Legend
I deep-sixed the auxiliary fans in my XJ when I had it, and my MJ, and I never looked back. As long as there were no leaks it was just like you said: middle of the gauge and stays there.
5 XJs? 😂
I went from a 94 XJ to an 05 WK, Hemi and AWD is a fun combo
Tony the jeeps are cool and all but you have some really cool cars that don’t get any air time. The charger, road runner(s?) etc. please do some more ratty muscle car videos. That charger is amazing and is helping people understand you don’t need to make it perfect just make it cool.
Damn straight! Bloody epic video. I remeber racing in 1/4 Mile being stoked with a 13 second pass, It's as much the people around you as it is the event itself, family, friends or fans, it doesn't matter. It's all the same thing. Love what you do, cheers from a bloke Down Under.
With rear leaf springs, a rear sway bar generally doesn't help straight line traction, but in the GM cars with rear coil springs, a rear sway bar often helps straight line traction, maybe by reducing wheel hop that those cars often have. Advance the camshaft? Replace the valve springs? With regular hydraulic lifters, I'd get lifter pump up at a lower RPM with oils heavier than 10W30. A side terminal battery can be about 11 pounds lighter than a top post battery, of the same capacity. Back in the 1970's, I had a 1969 Roadrunner in high school, that had the rear seat removed, the floor covering removed, the front seat replaced with Pinto buckets on spacer blocks, the sway bar removed, 6 cylinder torsion bars, 6 cylinder front drums, aluminum wheels, the hood center cross braces cut out and an AC Delco side terminal battery saved over 20 pounds, over old the top post battery. When it came off of the line, the whole car would lift up, front and rear. An aluminum intake, tube headers and lightweight Hush Trush mufflers helped to reduce weight too. It had solid engine mounts and the whole hood would shake and wrinkle when it idled at a traffic light.
Temp and humidity air pressure can make 2/10 of a second difference. A stronger clutch a posi rear axle will help. Put the rear sway bar on. It'll understeer but its just for the track. Maybe some better tires
It's cool to see you figure out new things. I like hearing your thought process. Keep it up. Don't listen to people who complain about videos being too long. They aren't your people 😁
She needs a limited slip to really slap. SUCH a fun project! LOL Kiwi on the cam voiceover
I'm a Mopar guy, as much as a lot of you. I'd LOVE to have a '68 Charger, or '70 Challenger/Cuda convertible in my stable. But! I have as many memories in other makes, to. Straight up; It wasn't that badge on the fender, that made those you still carry. It was the people you were with. Even at 54 years old, I'm not sure if every one of the Statute of Limitations has run out yet.......... 😉😉😉
Tony, I love the enthusiasm you have (& have had) for your projects. Keep going!
Think I would reverse your plan. Sure grip and then the tires.
And crazy wheel hop. Fix suspension first, then add traction
Slower .lol..spit happens lol.
Let me know if you're interested in me to check out this road runner .I could pm you a video. After I set an appointment for such...
Not able to post the pic 69 roadrunner almost no rust looks like no front suspension or tires on blocks 3:32
332 is mistake.
Grammar here is not looking correct lmk if interested 69 very solid body..
Yes--any vehicle. Thanks for the universal tips, tricks, and advice!
Brings back memories of my old stock eliminator days , My Camaro had orig motor trans and rear end and I whittled it down to almost a second under the NHRA G/SA index
I’ve had my 2 door xj since 2005 and I still love it… great video Tony
Here we go on the spinning excuses. If you're going to get that xj in the high 13s, you'll need to remove the interior, doors, and hood , chop the whole top off, add sticky tires, remove the ac compressor, and weld up spider gear. Then, find someone who weighs half of your weight that can shift it perfectly like a stradivarius 🎻. Violin, but On the other hand, it's lots of fun to watch you try getting those numbers. Remember, 1/8 mile doesn't mean anything, but a quarter mile can tell if it can maintain the time slip that you're trying to achieve. That's the real golden test.
It's certainly coming along, thanks for sharing, all the best to you and your loved ones
Automatic transmissions run the fluid through the bottom of the radiator. This adds heat when stopped. I bypass this to a separate transmission cooler and never had a heat issue.
Yeah, it's the loving of the game. You get to wondering "Why?" and it keeps rolling through your head all night long and then you get up and ignore the important things while you look at the things your mind came up with during the night and then you can't hardly wait to get all the important things done so you can make a change and see what happens.
It gives you a reason to get up in the morning.
YES!!!
Since you want to use original parts I would read up on the upcountry suspension package. Basically it was a factory 1" lift and off-road package that included heavier duty springs, monotube gas shocks and a trac-lok rear. All of which which would help with the traction and axle wrap.
Thanks
COOP
...
I like the restrictions on the project, it makes a lot of cool stuff come to the surface
I hear there's a type of FUEL that will speed things up...
Water injection???
Do you oxidizer?
Getting hard to find hydrazine nowadays.
Nice weight job. Battery’s to the rear
*are 4wd rear springs any stiffer?* this is a great project and it's too bad these 2wd jx jeeps are rare in the north east. and rusty!
Tow springs are good to use.
Love the 4.0, thing has plenty of power
The XJ content is GREAT!!! I have a 9 second Mustang collecting dust while im having WAAAAY more fun with my Explorer 302 swapped 97 Ranger. Similar situation with it as i want to see just how fast it can go using OEM parts!
I rented one of those north of Durango Co. I remember I was on a bad hill in 3rd and I thought for sure I was going to have to make a perfect downshift. Nope, it just chugged straight up the hill. Perfect off-road engine.
Tony, you are in my wheelhouse. I love Jeeps, and I am a Jeep guy.
Now, granted, I am an off-road guy, but I used to be a valiant guy also.
I am a big fan of the XJ and ZJ models. They are my favorite of that era.
I think another part of the equation you are fighting is the weight transfer dynamics.
They were kind of built to be weight center biased or more level for off road. The 2 wheel versions were dropped in front a little, but the weight dynamics are still somewhat center biased.
I would say use it to your advantage and fill the gas tank full to throw some weight behind the axle. Those jeeps have the tank hanging back there to protect them when off reading, use it to your advantage.
Swing some of that weight back there to help squat that thing on take off. It will probably help not hurt your end goal.
Also a good set of multistage bilstien shocks. I ran them for off road and they helped slow the deep sag on the ass end when you did not want it to bottom out over the rear axle.
It is still just basically factory parts and not a Wild upgrade. It also helps with axle wrap.
Off road guys don't want axle wrap either.
Rear springs are 5.625” longer at the rear of the spring, 23f x 28.625r
Also put a turbo style muffler on it, you'll get more low end. I have two 96's, have done several cheap modifications. One used to run 4.15 in a 150 foot mud pit,( in 4 Low, 31's, and 3.55 gears.
Thank you for your fuel tank/sending unit video. I had to fight with a 1993 Corolla fuel system.
Put in the heaviest available factory optional towing / HD spring that the vehicle could have been ordered with. It makes a good deal of difference in the Dakota and Durango symmetrical spring platform for traction.
I thought the lose tailgate was doing it. Good luck UTG.
Put the rear sweyybar back on.
Master of empiricism!
love these videos 😁
Epic ending thank you
Hi Uncle Tony, I'm a fan of your contents. I would like to suggest you to put a go pro in the vehicles that you drag race. To get a POV. It would be interesting. Much love from Mauritius 🇲🇺
When I put a pinion snubber on my 340 Dart it made a huge difference. Too bad the xj didn't come with a factory snubber option. Lol
I may end up fabbing one
I fully support your xj obsession, and I think people need to chill out. Last time I checked it was Uncle Tony's Garage, not subscribers garage. Xj's are brilliant. I love the other content too, but like you I have seasons of obsession so I know how it is. I learn something new every time you put out a video, and I am very grateful
I love your channel but your always learning.
The super stock shirt is a pure troll!! Love it!! XJ heaven!!
Jeep had a high output version of those 4.0 6 cyl engines, could be performance options there
I agree tony, rev limiter delete will help.
When you get to building your rock crawler XJ I have a recommendation that has made a huge difference for me. My 01 XJ had an intermittent problem that no shop or those on XJ forums could resolve. It would occasionally start running rough and throw random cylinder misfire codes. It was immediately fixed (temporarily) by simply turning off and restarting the XJ. That didn't clear the codes but it ran smoothly again. I tried everything including replacing the computer. The guys at K Suspension thought it might be the coil pack. I installed their high performance Viper coil kit for the XJ. Like your Seafoam discovery, I was blown away by how incredibly smooth it runs with a noticeable power increase. What is really great, however, is that there are no more rough running issues or codes. I am not sure what year your new build is, but if it has a coil pack, dump it.
on stock mopars the snubber seems to be way too far away to make a difference but if you make a custom one that actually works without limiting the travel it needs daily couod be worth adding 5lbs
It’s the “air gate” hatch!!! You closed the hatch and lost it off the line!
You have Axle Wrap, very common on jeeps and solved with a traction bar. This solution is documented for off road as there is more torque in low range which you are doing now at the drag strip launch. Lots of traction bars use 8", I suggest 12" separation at the axle. Place a camera to record your rear leaf springs when launching. Or go the universal leaf spring traction bars for a car, either way you have already explained why it is happening... the springs are flat, which is good for flexing leaf springs and one reason XJ's are good off road.
I've been just recently studying dynamic compression ratio, so I agree with Tony that advancing the time to a certain degree can help with intake vale timing. If you can get the intake valves to close earlier on the compression stroke without creating too much dynamic compression, it'll give the engine more beans. The thing I don't know is if they made different cams for the 4.0 in the mid 90s. Probably not, but it may be worth a look if you want to adjust valve timing.
XJs are cool.
I don’t know how you can find one that cheap!! Plus!! You have bumpers! The rest up here is so bad you are lucky that the windshield is still intact. I would love that car. Also. I have not seen a 2 door around here. Nice job.
Excellent comment @ 20:46 👏👏👏
The AW4 automatic is a beefy trans but it puts out just as much heat as the 4.0 itself. I moved my trans cooler on my 96 to a external Hayden 679 and the thing would take nearly 3 times as long to get up to temp in below zero temps.
When this was designed, AMC owned Jeep, not "The Company Formerly Known as Chrysler", so the rear leaf spring design is not Mopar.
It’s not, but then a Dodge Ramcharger of the 80s would have had the same symmetrical leaf setup as the Jeep does. Symmetrical leafs and spring-over-axle is common on all trucks, Mopar included. Mopar *cars* are unique in having the asymmetrical axle-over-spring setup in back.
And after Chrysler bought AMC, the XJ leading-arm 5-link front suspension design (scaled up and beefed up) found its way onto Dodge/Ram full-size 4x4 trucks. It’s still used there as well as on the JL Wranglers and JT Gladiator.
Drove a bike with a really old front tire. Contributed to a couple spills before the tires wore the dry rot layer off.
good luck finding a rear wiper delete block off, ive only ever seen one on a XJ it was on a 88 2 door i owned a couple years ago, super rare.
That's why the stroker works so well. Move the peak hp/tq lower. More mpg and more power.
I did a little research and found another of cool factory “option” that was available for the 4X2 XJ that was available. Manual steering and brakes. That would be worth a little more weight savings and free up a little power. There’s probably a sweet spot in late eighties where so many government agencies or other fleets thar used XJs that you could find a very spartan model that would make a really fun similar project. It’d be fun to do one with the 4.0 258 stroker 4.7 to see what it could do once set up to get some traction.
My only problem with those Jeeps is the ride height. I would have to lower it
Those Jeeps always have those very straight leaf springs. I noticed that years ago when I had buddies with them and they were all over the road
Tony take 36 GRIT on a grinder and GRIND THE TIRES it will make the tires like new ITS A DIRT TRACK THING
Hope you sort this out before I sell the 12 XJs you talked me into buying!
Awesome
Hey Tony, XJ leaf springs are asymmetrical, with the axle 2-3” further towards the front of the spring than the rear
I'm with ya UT. Race everything. My build would possibly interest you. It's been a fun ride to this point. And now it's time for that next step. Nothing crazy. Just some ingenuity, patience.. super low cost, smiles per gallon. Probably never run it down a strip tbh. There's not one close by me. Maybe I could get it dialed well enough for a long drive to a strip and back.
I knew an Old timer, that would take the back shackle,swap sides and flip it backwarsds. It moves the rear location up and in.
That other axle,absorbed some of the 39 hp we was working with.
Tell Dr. We got to spin the crank faster. I think there is tractor, clutch disc couple inches smaller with that spline.
Would winter tires be cheating? They are a bit softer.
Maybe taking the fan off was like taking a propeller off an airplane. 😂
Uncle Tony’s XJ Garage lol. I love it. So simple so basic.
I ditched the belt pulley fan and used a 2nd 97-01 ten-blade electric fan. That'll free up a tenth. . .
I mentioned before, an Eaton Truetrac is the way to go. My XJs all get Addco swaybars for better street handling. Oh yeah, base ignition timing can be advanced a few degrees if you take the crank sensor and U the passenger side bolt hole and oblong the driver hole.
It would be cool if your channels style allowed you to pick up some sort of dynamometer.
I wanna hear this story. 👍
I met an old Mopar guy at the dollar store and one of the things he said about my duster was cut the rear spring clamps off the originals haven't broken all the way off but they are floppy
Definitely need a posi and maybe gears. Check the pitch of the rear end too. You are not making enough power to need trac bars. Put the rear end on top of the springs and figure out a way to lower the front to match. Port the heads and the exhaust manifold. Port the carb and put bigger jets in it. See if Mopar makes a bigger cam for that engine. Lighten and polish the crank. Put some roller rockers in there. Nobody will know. You can get a little extra lift.
Pitching the power steering pump, hoses and fluid would also count. Replacing all fasteners that are too long will also add up
Got myself a Track peanut buster.
2007 3 pedals Honda 1.5 with a 100miles on it. I onky change filter FILTER3. I Just changed the oil and filter for a frenchstart. Well'e see if it helpped.