YouTuber Repairs Crash-damaged XJ Cherokee at Home
Once the damage is repaired, this ‘Cheep Cherokee’ XJ is a great base for a project Jeep.
Besides the JK we all know and love, Jeep’s XJ platform Cherokee is one of the most popular off-road platforms around. It’s practical, capable, and has a ton of aftermarket support.
Unfortunately, it’s been nearly twenty years since the last XJ Cherokee rolled out of the Toledo, Ohio factory. As a result, finding clean, rust-free examples can be a challenge. It’s at the point where fixing crash-damaged – but otherwise solid – examples like this is actually worth the effort.
That’s exactly what the Power Nation crew intend to do with this battered two-door XJ. As co-host Kevin Tetz explains, “We’re going to build this jeep back up again, give it back some of its self-esteem, and, hopefully, pass on some real-world tips to you.”
Crashed XJ: Low Risk, High Reward
They’re calling the project “Cheep Cherokee,” and their intent is to get it back into shape and ready to hit the trails. Unlike most TV builds, this Jeep will be built on a strict budget, and use many junkyard parts. Finally, something for use regular folks!
Before the real fun can begin – beefy drivetrain, lift kit, big tires – the front end damage must be addressed. The first step is to carefully inspect the entire Jeep to find out what else may have been damaged in the wreck. In a crash, impact forces ripple through the entire vehicle, so it’s important to assess the vehicle’s overall needs – not just the point of impact.
Even though the crash crumpled the front frame horn, the rest of the truck seems relatively unscathed. Besides the obvious damage to the right front corner, the door hinges need to be repaired, but that’s more than likely a result of years of use and abuse, not the crash.
While Tetz works on disassembling the Jeep’s front end, co-host Ryan Shand heads to the junkyard to find some undamaged sheet metal.
Even though this is a budget build, you still need the right tools to get the job done. Tetz shows us a frame straightener that’s specially designed to repair crash damage like this the right way.
With the bumper removed, he gets a good look at the frame rail. “The good news here is that none of this stuff got up into the engine.” It looks like they’ll even be able to re-use the radiator!
Straighten Up, Fly Right
Straightening the frame rail is dangerous work, but with the right tools and safety precautions, it’s easier than you think. One thing about stamped metal is that it wants to retain its original shape, even after being damaged. That makes the job far simpler. Remember, you’re not forming metal for the first time, you’re just helping it to get back to where it wants to be.
After some light cosmetic work on the frame rail and inner fender, Tetz and Shand are ready to hang the new sheetmetal. While they were able to grab several goodies at the junkyard, they struck out on body panels, so they ordered new panels, which are surprisingly affordable.
They opted for the ’97-’01 facelift body style for their new sheetmetal, since they were replacing everything forward of the windshield anyway. We like both XJ front end treatments, but the newer style looks a lot smoother to us. We understand why they changed it.
With all of the new panels aligned, Project Cheep Cherokee is off to a great start. We’re eager to see what’s next for this reborn trail machine.
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