Really slow build of 77 cherokee by husker77

[husker77]

Here is my new to me 1977 Jeep Cherokee Chief. We had a small blizzard a couple of weeks ago, and unfortunately I can't just call in to work, so I got the wife's Expedition stuck in a 3' tall 20' long snow drift. I decided I needed my own 4x4 so I didn't tear her's up. I posted a for trade ad on cl seeing if I couldn't get someone to bite on my 77 f100. So here are some pics.

The truck I traded, had lots of problems, but I doubt I was $600 in to it.



Picture from the po



He delivered it. I had to replace the accelerator pump gasket, a brake line and the battery. One tire wouldn't hold air so I searched for some used tires locally. It looked like I had a lot of room with the 31's that were on it so when I found some 35's for $100 on rims I took the chance.

They fit.







So it turns out it has lift springs in the front and a 2" block in the rear. The tires are not to good but hopefully they will get me by till a big swap meet in March. Both bumpers are mangled so I plan to build some custom ones. I am going to throw my massive stereo system in it. Try and get the body repaired, finding replacement panels seems to be a challenge. What else I'm not sure, I doubt I will ever do any rock climbing or anything like that, just to far away, but maybe some mud and snow. I would assume with a 2" body lift I could throw 37 or 38's on her. I would love to throw the eaton elocker in both axles, but should probably upgrade to d60's first I suppose. I don't know if I would ever have a problem with the d44's really, considering the planned usage.

So I haven't had a 4x4 in a long time, and never a jeep. I am looking for a place I can learn some stuff and get ideas. Most of the fsj forums don't seem all that active, but I suppose it is a fairly small niche.

[Stuka]

Welcome!

IFSJA is very active, but always has some issues. We have a growing community on this site, not nearly as big as some other Jeep forums, but we are a good group of people

Looks like you got the good side of the trade.

As for your plans. I would not go larger than 35's on the stock axles. D44's are pretty durable, but have limits. And with the stock gearing (Most likely 3.54's), 35's are already pushing it as far as gearing goes. But for your intended usage, 35's should do everything you need.

Your Chief (If its an auto) will have a BW1339 Quadra-Trac. This is a full time 4wd system that was the best on the market when it came out. The center differential is a limited slip setup (uses clutch cones) and has the ability to lock (Emergency drive switch inside the glove box). Going to assume its most likely a 360, although you may have a 401. Trans will be a TH400.

Looks to be a pretty solid rig. Most parts you may need can be had from BJ's Offroad or Z&M Jeeps. Both have websites.

[husker77]

I did do some research on the quadratrac and such. Yes it is supposed to be the 360 according to the stickers on the engine and it is an auto. I don't know what the gearing is, but it seems to be decent enough on the power and such. If the edrive light comes on on the dash then it has to be locked, correct, incorrect?

Pressing issues right now are the...

1. Fuel gauge doesn't work
2. Left turn signal doesn't work, I think it is in the switch. Right turn always seemed to work, but left didn't. Couldn't hear the relay when left was engaged.
3. Rear brakes need some attention. The PO had broken the right rear brake line right where it comes out of the rubber line tee, and just left it open for who knows how long.

I can not seem to register for the ifsjr.org? I like the format of this forum so far.

[Jagged]

Nice find. I love me some Cherokee Chief. I agree with Stuka: it looks like you came out ahead on the trade.


And registration of ifsja.org may take a bit as an admin has to approve you manually. They had to do that because of the spam bots that kept hammering the site. It's been around a long time [in Internet years].

[jaber]

Hey Husker, glad you made it...

I agree, you got the best part of that trade. Congrats.

Flint has the QT bible posted in his link, here...

Borg Warner QuadraTrac http://www.jubileejeeps.org/quadratrac

It should answer most of your questions.

[Brizio]

Welcome!
Nice rig, congrats!

[Stuka]

I did do some research on the quadratrac and such. Yes it is supposed to be the 360 according to the stickers on the engine and it is an auto. I don't know what the gearing is, but it seems to be decent enough on the power and such. If the edrive light comes on on the dash then it has to be locked, correct, incorrect?

Pressing issues right now are the...

1. Fuel gauge doesn't work
2. Left turn signal doesn't work, I think it is in the switch. Right turn always seemed to work, but left didn't. Couldn't hear the relay when left was engaged.
3. Rear brakes need some attention. The PO had broke the right rear brake line right where it comes out of the rubber line tee, and just left it open for who knows how long.

I can not seem to register for the ifsjr.org? I like the format of this forum so far.

1: Very common, could be anything from the gauge, sender, or wiring between. It's typically the sender though.

2: can you feel it click? It could be the switch, or the wire going to the relay.

3: nobody makes the hard lines, so you will have to bend it up yourself. Not real hard, just take your time.


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[husker77]

1: Very common, could be anything from the gauge, sender, or wiring between. It's typically the sender though.

Ya just havent' had time to trouble shoot, it is freakin cold here. We had to deal with this all the time in boats, used to be a certified marine technician.

2: can you feel it click? It could be the switch, or the wire going to the relay.

Only when the right turn signal is going, not the left. Once again haven't gotten a looksie.

3: nobody makes the hard lines, so you will have to bend it up yourself. Not real hard, just take your time.

Already bent the new line, I am going to guess that the wheel cylinders are bad from basically being open for I'm guessing several months.

Supposed to get up into the 30's today, so when it hits double digits going to go do some troubleshooting. Brakes are the big thing, the rest can wait as I have time.

[Stuka]

1: Very common, could be anything from the gauge, sender, or wiring between. It's typically the sender though.

Ya just havent' had time to trouble shoot, it is freakin cold here. We had to deal with this all the time in boats, used to be a certified marine technician.

2: can you feel it click? It could be the switch, or the wire going to the relay.

Only when the right turn signal is going, not the left. Once again haven't gotten a looksie.

3: nobody makes the hard lines, so you will have to bend it up yourself. Not real hard, just take your time.

Already bent the new line, I am going to guess that the wheel cylinders are bad from basically being open for I'm guessing several months.

Supposed to get up into the 30's today, so when it hits double digits going to go do some troubleshooting. Brakes are the big thing, the rest can wait as I have time.

If it only clicks on one side, its most likely the plastic piece inside the column. Had to replace the one in my J10. Its not a huge deal. Pull the steering wheel, and another piece, and then you can get to it.

[husker77]

Thanks for all the advise so far stuka.

Well when you push the brake pedal the wheel cylinders do not move AT ALL. I do have fluid back there. I am going to make a new line for the driver side also. I should replace the rubber line also, but no one has one it stock and I would like to put some stainless hoses on. Hopefully the old rubber one will work till I get some ordered.

The driver seat was all wobbly, the PO must not have liked the way it sat and had put some spacers under the rear of it. By spacers I mean an old garden hose quick change adapter and some other piece of scrap with a hole through it, then used goofy studs ands bolts that he must have had laying around. I was pretty disappointed, I have 2 pairs of leather power seats that I have collected, the one pair is out of a newer chevy, would have been real nice, but didn't fit. The second pair are out of like a 94 grand wagoneer, they would fit but the mechanism underneath has rusted a little and they don't work. I will get some bolts and get the stock seat put in right then see if I can get the wagoneer seats working and see about swapping them in.

I think I have a tilt column out of a 1988 suburban, I have read that it seems to be a fairly easy swap. I hate not having tilt.

[lindel]

The wheel cylinders should be the same as pretty much any full size Chevy, say around the early 70s if you can't find ones to "fit" your Cherokee.

[husker77]

So I got into town yesterday, I live in a town of 300ish people that is about 15 miles from a city where I work and shop, picked up wheel cylinders, shoes and a chunk of hard line to make a new line from the rubber line to the driver wheel. By the time I got home I figured I only had a hour or so of light so I didn't feel like getting all geared up to work for that short of time. Went out today and got the wheel cylinder and shoes replaced on both sides. I do not care for working on drum brakes. Got em all together but I guess I am not getting fluid back there. I took the line off the master cylinder and when I pushed the pedal fluid squirted out, but the pedal doesn't seem to go to floor like I would assume it would with one of the lines off. Not real sure what is going on, but got cold and tired and decided to call it a day.

Do I need to maybe make a thread in a different section since we are past showing and telling and are into screaming and cussing?

[REDONE]

Probably your proportioning valve working like it should. A new thread will probably get some fresh eyes on this. Nice cherk by the way!

[husker77]

Probably your proportioning valve working like it should.

Do you mean "not" working like it should?

I need to pull the front line and see what happens.

I can't seem to find a new proportioning valve, are they still available?

[mrtazwrench]

Probably your proportioning valve working like it should.

Do you mean "not" working like it should?

I need to pull the front line and see what happens.

I can't seem to find a new proportioning valve, are they still available?

Looks like a solid truck to work with.

You need to put a tool on the valve to hold it in place to manually bleed the rear brakes. Here's a link to a pic of the valve, it should be on the frame about under the driver's door. http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/termlimits.asp

Here's a link to a related thread at IFSJA, there are quite a few other threads addressing this over there, some may have been moved here as well. http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthre ... t=bleeding

[husker77]

Thanks for the tip on the valve. My next question is, it seems that you only have to worry about it when applying the brkes, ie; when you push the pedal. What about just having the line open, will fluid drain out through the open line? I had the line off at the rear where it connects to the rubber hose and didn't have any fluid there.

I kind of got in the habit of "gravity bleeding" my brakes. I just open all the bleeder screws, attach a little rubber hose to each and let it drain into a can or something. You just have to watch the master cylinder that you don't let all the fluid drain out. I had read about it one time and it was just so easy and it really seemed to work good, plus it kind of drains out some of the old fluid.

[mrtazwrench]

Maybe is all I can say about gravity bleeding, I would also suspect any old hoses may have a restriction in them.

[husker77]

That is why I took the rubber line off the at the rear, thought maybe it had collapsed inside. I just have to look at it more tomorrow and see what I got. I have decent front brakes, it's just the rear, I thought I had the problem tackled with new wheels cylinders but there might be more. It just struck me as odd that the pedal didn't just go to the floor when I had a line open. But now knowing the way the proportioning valve works explains that. Is that a jeep thing? Never ran into something like that before.


Can someone also tell me is rear quarter panels, rocker panels, floor pieces and front fenders the only new body parts a guy can get for these?

[bigwalton]

Looks like a cool rig, I just got my NT 4door 77 Cherokee home today. I do like the WT look though, very nice!


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[husker77]

Just read your thread bigwalton. It's not nearly as pristine as yours, notice no real interior shots of mine yet? But the floors seem real solid. I need to get the brakes finished, I want to drive it! At least more than the 5 or 6 I already have. It really surprised me how well it ran down the road. The speedometer was reading 60 mph and it tracked nice and straight as was pretty darn smooth. I thought with those big ole tires that are almost wore out and probably not balanced very well it would be pretty shaky, but it wasn't.