Jeep Cherokee Rollover Damage Assessment

When you hear that a Jeep has rolled over you instantly think the worst. My son was recently cut off going down the highway and rolled the Jeep x2 and thankfully he walk away just fine. Our 1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ on the other hand has a lot of body damage that is going to be sorted out. This is just a quick video to show you the damage, more to follow on how we are going to bring her back to life. #rollover #jeep #cherokee
Project XJ First Video: • Jeep Cherokee - Projec...
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[@touchnova]

Never seen a rollover with that little damage. Wow. Glad to hear your son is safe.

[@TrailRecon]

Yep, it could have been much worse, thank you!

[@aidanmakinster922]

Yeh I'm amazed at how little damage there was. Talk about shear luck

[@Castor1Troy1]

I wouldn't put a penny into fixing the body damage. Massage the fender and roof so that the doors opens without crunching, and call it good. It now has battle scars and character. Do the fender flares and fix the steering and call it good.

[@jad6126]

Glad your son is ok! As long as the frame is straight and it drives true, the rest is fixable. Some of the minor damage, you may not want to bother with, it gives the Jeep some character...

[@sgthotrod1]

Agreed. Get the frame checked and as long as the drive train and suspension is ok everything else is fixable. For me personally I would fix the doors, make sure the hood and tail gate works and leave the rest. It gives it character.

[@KJsProjects]

I would check the alignment and make sure everything is square. Hopefully your upgraded suspension was able to absorb the impact. I think the sheet metal just needs pounded out and jams will need readjusted. Now cage it and roll it.

[@bradpopwell7053]

Well entire body is the frame. These are uni's.

[@drtone]

what frame

[@JS-tb9hu]

Google It what's a uni body? Is there no chassis?

[@OVRLNDX]

Man! There's hardly any damage!

[@pssita]

Glad your son is ok. You may need to re-upholster the drivers seat.

[@odesseyrider273]

why replace it just rock the scars it has, don't waste money if ur gonna do it again on the trail. its not a sema build... rock it

[@notahacker2107]

Ferris Costa agreed!

[@token112]

X3

[@georgeetrata8365]

x4 scars are cool

[@makeyourownadventure1653]

Most importantly everyone walked away, some of those dents just add character - the roof hopefully is fixable.

[@WeekendHandymen]

Glad to hear he walked away. The structural integrity of that roof has been compromised: if you pound the dents out it will never be as strong as it originally was because the metal has been stretched/fatigued and will likely not behave as well if the Jeep were to be in another crash/roll. The proper repair procedure is to replace the roof skin and any damaged supports/cross members underneath. If you would rather just push the dents out of the roof, I'd HIGHLY recommend considering a roll bar as your next mod. That being said, if you do choose to sell I'd be very interested in buying...I've been looking for a clean XJ to chop the top off of and make a custom pickup.

[@erikhoeffner]

The damage to the roof is not significant enough nor is it strong enough in those areas to make a difference in another roll over. The pillars are good and there are no crimps or bends in the roof

[@erikhoeffner]

And you can't cut off the top without reinforcing what you remove as XJs are unibodys. Cutting up (or off) the roof will compromise the entire XJs structure to body flex

[@Draimen89]

Wow, the fact the XJ survived with that little damage in a roll over is simply amazing. I don't think the roof will ever look 100% again, just too much sheet metal has been damaged. I like your plan. Fix what you can to the best of your ability and cover up the rest. Glad your son is okay, get a dashcam, the other driver could have been potentially liable for damages.

[@EvanMoon]

Normally you talk about road rash and trail damage as stories and character. This jeep has a story about flipping over in air and your son walking away unscathed just some bruises. Don’t fix the bumps just fix what you need to make it work because that is so an awesome story.

[@fatboy19831]

I am with you on this. I would only fix the rear door roof rail and put an new plastic mud gard on the front.

[@jake-mv5oi]

Sounds to me like you're overthinking it. My XJ has far more body damage than that from just trail riding. You'll have much more fun on the trails when you can hammer down and not worry about getting a dent or scratch on it.

[@fatboy19831]

Mine looks far worst also. Mine drives fantastic.

[@mariodesmo]

Firstly, Thank God your son is okay and that the damage to the vehicle was minor. Wow, I would never guess that your XJ was in a roll over from seeing the damage. It seems more of a typical fender-bender accident (plus the roof) but not a roll over. The damage does not seem that bad at all. I think you're on the right track with making it a home/friends/new-and-improved project! Here is what I would do: 1 - I would push/pound those dents out. As you mention the hood can probably be handled by a paint-less dent pull guy. I would get a good book on body repairs and start reading! :-) 2 - For the roof, I would remove the headliner and simply use whatever tools you can muster up; jacks, posts, body shop tools, whatever it takes to push that roof panel back up. I bet it will look good enough that most folks won't notice the repairs unless they know exactly where to look. 3 - Have the body/frame inspected by a reputable 4x4 shop with XJ experience to look & confirm that the frame/body has not been compromised at stress points, welds, seams, etc. Also, have them confirm that the whole vehicle is square and not bent out of square. Typical body inspection. 4 - It seems that the gaps between the doors and body can be adjusted and repaired. This leads me to think it is square, and should be repairable without too much body work. 5 - Amazing that not one piece of glass broke! That is a good indication (to me anyway) that there should be no significant structural damage to the frame/body unit. Which means it's worth repairing back to it's pre-accident condition! I think once everyone's nerves settle down, and you take a good look at the needed repairs you may see that this is an opportunity to work on the rig more than you had planned, but still good project rig. It all seems all very do-able! I am sure there are more than enough local friends that will be willing to give you an experienced hand to get the rig back to tip-top shape! Looking forward to updates! Good Luck!

[@pferris3591]

I'm also glad your son is okay, and think the XJ is very salvageable. I think mariodesmo has excellent points, but feel the XJ may be a little tweaked. The ripples in odd places make me think the overall structure has been slightly compromised. I agree, take the Jeep to a place that has the right equipment to check and straighten the chassis. Pop out the dents to your satisfaction, and then I'd recommend strengthening the chassis with frame stiffeners, (it's been a while since I saw your build series so I can't recall if your Jeep has them.) Even if the chassis is straight, the welds have been stretched and could use some backup. Then I might suggest a cage; It'll add to the overall strength and, if you plan on wheeling the Jeep more, it's just a good idea. I'm no expert though, I'm sure wiser, more experienced minds will correct me. Lol. 😉

[@ArtofHunter]

I wouldn't put a lot of money into it. It's a trail rig so just rock it imo. You can try and cheaply sort out the dents but I wouldn't go much into it.

[@TheBeardedJeeper]

Wow glad your son is ok. He was really lucky. For the door problem my Cherokee just had the same problem. A friend showed me a body mans trick. Open the door slightly and stick something like folded up cardboard between the door and fender and slowly close the door. It took a few attempts and folding the cardboard more but it worked now the door opens perfect

[@VisualOverland]

It looks good and structurally, it looks solid. I wouldn't file a claim. Get an estimate at a reputable body shop. It's not that bad! the classic and upgraded look is clean! The investment in "sucia" is worth it! An XJ this clean is extremely hard to come by now a days, especially with the popularity of overlanding and off-roading. Also check the motor mounts!

[@JS-tb9hu]

Visual Overland or maybe get insurance to pay for a new one but keep the mods

[@fotomotoxxiii]

I'm so glad your son is ok. I'd first check to see if unibody isnt tweaked. I'm sorry to say this but from experience it usually is. If it is I'd say still keep it and cut it up some and cage it, turn into rock crawler. If no unibody twist then replacing hood, fender, lining up rear bumper again and kicking the roof back up would make it look so much better without breaking the bank too much. Then go from there.. I'm local, could help if you need a hand or advice. Ran a jeep shop before. .

[@scottdeney5970]

Pull the rack off , get inside with some bottle jacks and some 2x4s and pop that top up. replace the fender and hood and pop the dents out of the read quarter.... sounds like some fun to me....

[@67wildwolf]

Sounds like Scott just gave you a plan Brad.

[@jimcharles7252]

I agree with Scott. A bottle jack and 2x4s will do the job. Replace the front fender. Glad you sons ok. Just a testament to how sturdy that jeep is.

[@blindsaint2]

That's a what I was going to say. Put a jack on a board to disperse the weight. Use a 2x4 to push up the roof. A little at a time, should be able to make it pretty solid. Roof rack will cover the rest. I've seen other Jeepers do it when they've rolled.

[@donaldpine3543]

I'm with you! Exo cage it!

[@andyofalltrades]

Dents are conversation starters. You guys will have quite a story to tell anytime someone mentions them. I would straighten out the rain gutter and get to top straight enough to mount a basket with no leaks but the rest just adds character.

[@RockyXTV]

Like you said, the most important thing is that your boy is okay.

[@georgelukemire5743]

Glad your son is ok. I’m an insurance adjuster, and you are right the car would total. If it were me I would put in an insurance claim and let them total it. A car is just a car. You lucky that there were no injuries. I would take off all the A/M upgrades and return the car to as stock as possible and let the insurance company take it. It will cost less to get another one in good condition and start over. You will already have the wheels, tires, and bumpers w the winch. And that may be your quickest option too. If you are OCD and don’t want to see any dents or color mismatch then you will likely need to have a professional body shop do some of the work like repair the roof. I’m glad that your son is ok and not injured. That is the most important thing!! The car while special to you is just a car and you can still make memories w your kids building another one. I do respect the fact that you want to fix yours tho. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[@derekhartman6600]

Glad your son is ok! For a rollover it’s amazing how well the XJ held up!

[@DSC800]

Your son must of rolled it on a pile of pillows. Least damage I've ever seen. Glad he is ok. I'd say tweak what you can and drive as is.

[@stonechief8161]

Harbor freight porta power and push those dents out. My brother in law rolled his toyota up in the snow, the roof of the cab was dented in far worse. Windshield was busted and doors were pushed out. We managed to push it all out and bought a new windshield and got it to seal. He still dailys it to this day no leaks. Check the frame and you should be good to go! Glad your son was okay and good luck!

[@kencramer1697]

Before saying that you are not going to go one way or the other take it to a body shop for an estimate. Let someone who knows not only body work but structural damage inspection look it over. At that point you will have a wealth of information on what to do. If the body shop finds that it is structurally sound then you can make a decision on how to go about fixing the damage yourself back to the way it was, fixing what you can and mods to cover what you can't or going the rock crawler route. However if the body shop finds that is is not sound then your decision is easy, claim it on insurance and get what parts you can off of it. Your children are worth more than sentimental value. :) You can also look at what the body shop will charge to get it back into Grade A shape, Grade B shape or Grade C shape. When my XJ was T-boned I let the body shop know I was ok with salvage parts if it help them come under amount that would have caused it to be totaled. Do some homework, talk to some pro's, talk with your boys and if you are of the persuasion pray on the matter. Whatever your choice, good luck and glad your boy is ok.

[@Slaters_RC]

Pound the roof out. Pull out the fender. Build a cage/roof rack. Don’t worry about the body damage. Just less things you have to worry about when out on the trails hitting rocks and trees.

[@ericjacobsen6901]

First priority = safety, like everyone says. :-) Second priority = spend time with your son -- soon there won't be so many opportunities. If fixing could take away time together then accept the XJ''s current condition and focus on time together. If the valuable time together is fixing and improving things, then you are blessed with more opportunities.

[@zoranallen5205]

I bet the boys are crushed! Sorry to hear it brad. You guys will get it figured out. Glad your son is okay too, car wrecks are a scary thing...

[@MrGigaHurtz]

Oh man I am so sorry, glad your son is okay! This is my worst fear for my XJ. Good for you for trying to fix it! It really doesn't look too bad all things considered! On the positive side it will make for some really interesting and unique videos watching you guys repair it! I'll make sure to watch! Let me know if you need any help I am in LA too!

[@brucewootten3143]

Wow the damage isn't that bad considering that is rolled several times and really amazed the the glass held up. I was thinking of buying a project XJ at some point. Now after seeing how well it held up it's confirmed.

[@justinperry4587]

Glad to hear your son was okay. I actually found you on YT because of this build. I had a 97 just like it at one point. I understand the sentimental aspect of this vehicle, but that roof damage is going to be extensive to fix. Especially the gutter not lining up properly. Also, accidents happen especially when off-roading. With that said, it’s been in one rollover, what will happen if it’s in another? Will your son be okay with a second? In my opinion, purchase another and swap parts. Sentimental value is earned by wrenching with your boys. Any vehicle can gain sentimental value. Best of luck! Hope to see more XJ videos in the future.

[@BernonCars]

I’d leave some of the dents - those are memory marks :)

[@blackbeard308]

Glad your son is OK love the way your picking up the broken pieces stay strong keep going god bless

[@reafkennedy3069]

The most important thing is that your son is ok. That said at the end of the day you're left with a 20 (almost) year old jeep and it is a JEEP. They all end up with a few dents after a while especially if you wheel them. I'd take the head liner out and try to flatten the roof back out as best as I could and then hide it under a full length safari rack. The dents in the door (in the video at least) almost just look like parking lot dings. Fix/replace the hood and fender do a coat of paint and I'd call it good on the body side. At the end of the day it's a Jeep.

[@seanmacdonald8476]

Glad to hear no injuries! I for one am interested in seeing how TR will take a stab at fixing this up as much as possible, can be seen as an opportunity to bring the channel a little deeper into the "oh shit what now" repairs that we XJ owners know all too well =] GL

[@notahacker2107]

Man Brad I am so so so glad your son is ok. The xj doesn’t matter like he does, as far as the xj goes.... sort the body work and keep going on it

[@poohonmyspace]

Strongly recommend a dashcam of any kind. Spend as much as you want to, but my ebay $40 1080p cam WITH rear cam has paid for itself with the things I've caught. Just a friendly suggestion. Glad he's okay. I've rolled an old SUV with a close friend inside and we will probably never forget it. As far as the door and roof catches, man if it was me I'd use a hi-lift and just pop it back until it doesn't catch.

[@williamgrayson4181]

It's a Jeep now it has character leave it alone and enjoy

[@flhtcui2000]

Brad: You got this, just more memories with you kids. Smiling! Don't know how I missed this one till now. Once my daughter crashed my truck and the insurance totaled it. I bought it back for a fair price and fixed it myself. State Farm would only let me get liability because they paid for it once, but that was ok. Glad you son was ok, thank God!

[@balablue1717]

I see the damage as very repairable, this XJ has been a blessing for your son, it saved him. The honest built quality of the 90's. Fix it, any body guy can do it, get back this rig back to family. Junk yard can get you all what you need, hood and fenders, roof needs attention and we fans wishing you all the best. Lesson tools go inside the latched box and no loose stuff inside a suv

[@Thelil9]

I rolled my xj on July 14th. Guy went in my lane headed towards me I swerved to avoid a head on and hit the start of a guardrail on the drivers side where the headlight is then rolled it down a hill. Completely smashed the roof and front end in Glass was everywhere but it started up and drove. They towed it of course there was no fixing it but hopefully gonna buy another!

[@TrailRecon]

Sorry to hear about your XJ! Hope you find a new one soon!

[@HobbiesRfun]

Sounds like old school Cherokees are really tough vehicles, and do a good job of keeping the occupants safe.

[@sotgecho]

Glad to hear your son is okay. A testament to the strength of the jeep. It is crazy to know that it has been rolled over and only body damage. Cut the roof off and put a pop top like a ursa minor camper.

[@yohanfu2807]

Omg😯,,thanks God your son is ok.

[@trail-wolf4x4]

My friend rolled his 89 much worse, he slowly bent-back what was fixable and it lived as a daily driver and trail beater. It's good to go really, unless you want to cut it, it's worth saving

[@jkkrubicon677]

I’m glad you son is safe👍🏻, fix the xj even if it’s not perfect, with a bottle jack and 4x4’s you can get the roofline close and it will give me a lot more videos to watch😬

[@offpvmt1379]

First, glad your son is ok! Pretty impressive, that's not a lot of damage considering. Hood, fender, quarter panel, all easy fixes. Replace hood and fender brush up on your paint skills. Armor for the quarter panel. Pull the headliner to make sure the roof joist haven't pulled away from the sheet metal and start pushing it out. Should be able to hammer that gutter back into place with a block of wood and a dead blow hammer. Finally try your hand at welding and install an exocage. If she's straight and true, keep her alive! Long live the XJ!

[@steveredmond1377]

Fix nothing - wheel the shit out of it !! Send it !!!

[@brucewootten3143]

Wow that's scary so glad he wasn't seriously hurt. Very thankful :)

[@dugldo]

the boy is good - thats what matters. all that damage makes for good camp stories and character. its an off roader - drive it till the wheels fall off!

[@rustedpower7994]

I buy alot of wrecked vehicles from a salvage auction i also have had alot of experience in mine or my familys vehicles being totaled. I currently have 3 of these xjs so know alot about them as well. This car will be totaled if you turn it in. But you can buy it back from the insurance company for next to nothing and they will give you a check for the cost of a replacement. The money is yours hopefully for more jeep mods and repair costs. The title would be stamped salvage but if your not gonna sell it anytime soon its a good idea

[@coletonmorris6866]

Wow!! So lucky their wasn’t anymore damage then that. Very glad no one was hurt. Jeeps are re placable but lives aren’t.

[@sebastianharris2191]

The body work your looking at is actually really easy and can be done in a drive way with little to no experience you all got this glad to hear your son is safe

[@ronaldbakerjr2480]

Brad, glad to hear your son is still healthy. Unfortunately this is a unibody construction. The roof, tailgate and door alignment after the accident says the whole truck is tweaked. I owned a 1998 that was actually the same, exactly, even the color. Loved it. This is a trail project now. Unfortunately, the steel in the unibody seams is really thin and not easy to weld on unless you're an experienced builder. I didn't roll mine or even have a collision or hard contact, just some trail use in situations I wasn't experienced enough. I was learning. I banged it around harder than I had built it for, as I said, I was still learning how to drive it. Gremlins krept in. Leaks around the windshield, window motors, switches, wiper motors all started to go. Find another and start again. Use this as a trail rig.

[@zoranallen5205]

I see some guys saying to leave the scars, I’m not sure I agree. The damage isn’t as bad as it could be but if I were you, I’d do my best to repair or replace what I could. I’m fine with wear and tear over time but body work issues would bother me for sure. Good luck brad!

[@claytonkinnikin3451]

Glad your son is ok, he definitely had someone watching over him. And I agree with what most people said on here, don’t bother with insurance fix what you can and hide what you can’t with armor. One thing I would do since the XJ and ZJ are known for heating issues, get I louvered hood or fix what you can on the hood and wherever the creases are the worst(if feasible) cut out and install louvers. I have a ZJ and looking to do that myself lol and would love a video of that. Take care and God bless.

[@gilmeacham8109]

Glad your son is ok. I'd start buy taking off the hood and fender, straighten the dents, then skim coat with bondo and paint them. For the roof, Rent or buy a porta-power, then start slowly removing all the dings and dents. again, skim with bondo and paint. For the rack, just install rhino rails (or equivalents) and put on a rhino rack. If you take your time, and maybe get some help with the porta-power on the roof, it willl be great looking jeep (again). Keep posting progerss on it, please.

[@505xjk6]

Glad your son is ok.it all can be fixed.

[@phill1491]

1. Glad your son is ok. 2. Seems like a fairly easy fix. Check frame and alignment etc and if that's all good most of those dents could probably be pushed out from the inside. Might want to have a pro do the roof, but the other dents should be fairly easy to fix in the garage.

[@Jpulg006]

Glad that your son is ok. I cant fathom the relief you have just seeing him alive and well. Like everyone else is saying; the dents add character. God bless you.

[@4x4_travel]

Claim in on insurance, buy it back. Pound out the big dents, get the doors working, and put an exo-cage on it. Now go rock crawling without the worries of a scratch or dent.

[@MCQBushcraft]

Main thing is your son came away from that safe and sound. The XJ did very well for a rollover! From the looks of what you have shown all of that is repairable and some of it can be done at home. The hood and front wing could be fixed with a dentless repair guy. The tricky part is the lower part where it meets the door but that could all be sorted by doing a box rocker install, aligning the panel as you install and weld it and then sanding back the lower of the doors at the body line and under the fenders and Raptor lining them. I've done a similar thing on my XJ and with the damage you have shown you would never know. The roof is a pain but also fixable. I would push it back out and get it straight as you can and Raptor line it as well. I had to cut my drip rails off and weld on new ones due to rust and you honestly would never know. You wouldn't need to go that extreme but it could certainly be straightened and painted with the Raptor liner stuff and it would look really good.

[@TrailRecon]

We dodged a bullet for sure, but repairs have begun and our learning curve for fixing dents is big, but we are going to give it our best shot. #savetheXJ

[@SchmitzGarage]

Love this series. Still cleaner than most XJs in Illinois, looking for one to buy to start my build. Hope to see more videos and glad everyone’s ok!

[@mattheweburns]

Glad he's ok! I'm surprised no glass busted and the mirrors look so good. Thanks for the videos, cheers!

[@mcchuckle7287]

Shows how good a jeep😄 is built glad your son is ok

[@JKsouthwest]

Glad your son was OK ! She truly is dirty now.

[@davidmoyer6051]

Had a tree fell across a truck of mine one time several years ago.. I used a floor jack and and a 4x4 post and took my time and straightened out the roof..it can be fixed.. You can do this. Have fun with it..

[@TrailRecon]

I didn't think about using a jack inside the Jeep.... thank you for that tip!!!

[@davidmoyer6051]

On corners and things when you use the jack, you can cut the 4x4 to shape the top of it to fit the creases.. wish I had taken the pics to show you how it turned out. But I was able to drive it and it worked out wonderful for me. Had to have the glass replaced In mine. It did a number on my truck. But I had to have a way back and forth to work. So I just got the tree cut off it and got after it..Wish you the best from an ole country boy...

[@davidmoyer6051]

Brad, I was in a head on collision back in February on the 26th. Totaled my truck due to the fact i had liability and the guy that hit me had no insurance. He was driving under the influence of alcohol. He had no insurance, no driver's license, the truck he hit me with, he didn't own.And drunk, He walked away with out a scratch. My left arm had a hematoma about the size of a football, and my arm was black. It totaled the truck. He gets away with it and I am trying to piece a ride together. I have a jeep Cherokee XJ that I have been trying to get going, but my back is played out and I don't have help. I have had 5 back surgeries before the accident. I found out 3 wks ago I have 4 more buldging disc. Going to have to go to.the table again it seems. But anyways, I really do wish you and your sons the best! Glad he wasn't hurt,the vehicle can be replaced. It's just the thought. Also, thanks for the service to our country!

[@gibthegrey2214]

As an xj owner my advise it to try and bend the roof back but if worse comes to worse you may be able to find a roof panel or replace it and put in a soft top

[@adamaydelott8877]

glad your son is safe. bump up the rain guard and open the door gap up. those are war wounds. a reminder everyday to be more of a defensive driver. great build. I am building one myself with my two girls and my 2 yr old boy they have enjoyed watching what yall have done!

[@xXThePointXx]

Only time I've seen rollover damage with no scratches is from the dunes. Please don't open that door again until you pry out the fender. Just stick anything in the door gap and pry it out. I was looking at doing a rag top conversion on an XJ with an exo /overland cage. Probably beyond your plans, but would you trust that top to another roll with your kids in it? Think of it's sentimental value after something like that. Not trying to be dark MC, but drawing a picture of a possible reality. Glad they're safe and you have these options to consider!

[@misterrc51]

Pull out the left fender out, it will allow the door to open and not rub.

[@sonnicman]

Brad, first off I'm glad your son is ok. Everything on the vehicle is repairable. Hood and quarter panels all can be pulled and hammered out. The roof isn't shot, it's just where I think you need to focus all of your energy. From what I can see by the camera angles, your roof is now racked to the left, which would explain the left side door closure issues. All of that can be pounded out, but I think it would be to your advantage to pay for 2-3 hours of time on a frame straightening machine to get everything lined back up. The little cosmetic dents, dimples, etc. Leave em. Remember it's a trail rig, it's gonna get banged up. Call them war wounds. It adds character to the vehicle, and give you one hell of a story to tell around the campfire.

[@gremlin326]

Glad to hear your son is okay.

[@lobo176]

Option #3 will make it look even better with body armor and a roof rack. Most anybody that looks at it won't ever be able to tell it was rolled. Glad your son is ok and I think in the end you will still have an even better looking rig.👍

[@georgerosemeyer1900]

Glad your son is ok. Keep the XJ. Don't turn it into a crawler. You can hide the damage with a big roof rack and armor panels.

[@connorbracken9453]

I’m so happy that he was ok that’s the beauty of an old steel car

[@supercharged00gtp]

Glad you're son is ok. The dents will not all go away, you'll spend thousands trying to get that all fixed. Find a shop and get it put on a frame machine to see if the vehicle is still square and get some input from the shop if it's structurally sound or not.

[@N_scale]

Glad to hear son is ok! Now write it off and do a grand Cherokee 1st gen. Building the build is the best part!

[@usernameTheInnerTube]

First off let me say I'm glad that your son is okay, and second it looks like most everything is totally fixable but it depends on how much time money and effort you want to put into it. From what I can see it looks like he must have caught a tire on the driver side flipped up and went airborne and rolled driver side first landing on the driver roof and then flipping on over onto his wheels, hence the damage on the roof and the C and D pillar. If you look closely at the back lower corner of the driver side rear window you can see a wrinkle, and the fact that the rear hatch is out of line tells me that the cabin is no longer Square. I'll bet if you open the hatch and measure diagonally from corner to corner across the opening you'll see that the cabin has shifted to the passenger side, hence the Oil Can dents on the roof and the passenger rear fender. If you have full coverage on the vehicle have them write you a check for the damage minus you keep the vehicle. And then find a competent Body Shop. I would bet two or three hours on a frame machine with a porta power they could push most of that out and square it back up and most of the dents on the roof and the right rear fender would probably straighten themselves out. You would probably have to pull most of the Interior out of the vehicle so that the body shop doesn't have to mess with it and possibly have the two rear windows removed which isn't that tough and then have them straighten everything out. Once that's all done then you can put it back together get you a new hood and Fender and start working on paint. all that being said the condition it's in now it would make a perfect boonie basher to hit the trails and not worry about scrapes Dents & Dings! Third option, see if you can find another clean Cherokee, I know that's going to be a tough one, but if you can find one, take all your cool parts and swap them to the next one. Lots of options, Good Luck! 😀

[@MyAdventureContinues]

We are so glad you son is ok!! I would suggest the even if you are going to do the body repairs yourself, take it to a body shop and let them do an assessment. We learned that when a jeep is in an accident internal parts that are not visible may need to be repaired. That assessment may prevent surprises in the process. My daughter was in a collision in our JK and even though the body panels where the fuel filler is was not damaged, the filler pipe was slightly crushed and needed to be replaced. I would have never checked that side since all the damage was on the other side.

[@Koshunae]

Like most other people have said, it's a jeep, not a show car. Make sure all the doors open without issue, no broken glass is a miracle. Rock the scars, they're stories to tell later.

[@ManleyMachines]

Fix the fenders so the door would open, hammer out what you can and run it. It shows that the Jeep is perfect for protecting you in the future!

[@4LowRocks]

That XJ did it's job well. Your son is ok, and I'm very glad go hear that. It must have spent most of the rollover in the air to sustain such minimal damage. Good luck with all the repairs.

[@vgullotta]

Glad your son was ok!!! Holy cow that sounds scary! Probably a good idea to revisit the way you store tools, tools flying around the inside of the vehicle can kill someone too. Also, check out the way Matt and Jeremy from BleepinJeep fixed the roof on the Comancheep. Basically using a jack and a piece of 2x4 or 4x4 to push the roof back into shape.

[@seanmacdonald8476]

Was thinking the same thing.

[@JimS6025]

Brad, I know im just a person on the interwebz, however all you really need to do is replace the front quarter and the door (at most), based on your video the dents are fixable, and I could have those banged out with in an hour or less, the roof, may need a tad of work but again that can be slid hammered out, as for the rain gutter not entirely sure, but you most likely will have to drop the head liner to get to the dents for the roof, as far as I would be concerned, fix it as best as you can and rock it on the trails and just call it a trail rash. glad to hear all involved are ok. Keep on Jeeping on, worst case I would just pull off all the modded bits total the XJ out (would be a sad thing) and get another one similar to it and put all the mods back on that one, one way to solve the issue at hand :)

[@Mike-xt2ot]

Sons safety's is such a blessing!! Jeep actually looks good for what happened. On a lighter note my trucks got more damage in a Walmart parking lot. Lol.

[@Casey250]

Glad he is ok. Keep building it. Buggy time !!! Tools and gear is always a fear I have, got to keep everything secure, locked down and in strong storage.

[@aggrex]

Best news is your son didn't get hurt from the rollover. IMO other than the roof damage all the other damage is relatively minor. Fenders can be replaced and doors, rear bumper and lift gate aligned. The XJ looks no worse than many others on the road. Straighten the roof damage as bes as you can with both feet and go for the roof rack or overlanding pop up tent. Don't forget to give them the single ARB compressor so you can buy a twin like mine that was bought last month for my JK thanks to you...LOL

[@carpscustom6662]

Wow this is the cleanest minor damage roll over glad he is ok recently rolled a zj and lost 4windows including windshield and body damage on almost every panel is dented bad good luck on the rebuild. Im still roockin a ugly zj after a small rebuild

[@07cummins3500]

That sucks. Still has less body damage than my Cherokee. Previous owner was a drink so he wrecked it a few times.

[@as300567]

Important is your son is healthy. Everything else can be repaired. Many things should be done by yourself. This is a new challenge.

[@robedmund9948]

Jeep saves son. Man saves jeep! Tough little Cherokee. Maybe add an interior roll cage just for good measure. SO glad your son is okay.

[@GoneBroke]

Jeeps will always be just glad your son is ok.

[@Wreckitralph54]

You guys got very lucky. Just rock it how it is

[@Jeep79]

Brad im a father too that jeep save the life of your son the jeepwas a life saver after that rollover the jeep almost don’t have nothing bend and dent here and there bro they no make strong cars like those any more keep the jeep and feel the conexion between man and machine very glad you son is fine god bless bro

[@99sport]

1st glad to hear everyone was ok with only minor injuries. 2nd get a BFH and knock what you can back into place and don’t worry about the rest. It’s a 99 jeep...Rock it and enjoy. 3rd on the lighter side ... place sticker “if you can read this role me back over”...never really like the sticker but it does seem appropriate.

[@richardsiemienczuk9001]

Your son is very lucky to come out relatively unscathed. Your xj is also lucky to have minor body damage. As a fellow xj owner I am concerned with potential wheeling accidents and a possible rollover especially with my two sons driving in the near future. I am close to completing our xj build with lift, skids, bumpers, and the rest but still plan to fabricate a custom cage. I had considered an interior (hybrid) cage but have decided on one that is strictly outside or exoskeleton. An xj is extremely limited on interior space so for the safety of my passengers I decided to build on the outside tying into the rock sliders and rear bumper. The cage on top will double as a roof rack plus it will be easily removable for any future repairs. Another step in my planning is an interior wire cage or safety netting between the passenger and cargo areas to protect from flying objects when something does not go as planned.

[@blueskymut]

Trail rig... run it. The fact that it rolled and no glass was broken is a miracle. Sounds like the grace of God at work.

[@ArsathSally]

Hey Brad, really sorry to hear this.. Glad that your son is okay.. Inspires me to hold on to my Landy despite all the trouble she gives.. Take care..

[@fancypolak]

Glad your son is ok! As your description says, it has a lot of body damage, but from what I see the only thing you might need to address is maybe flattening the roof out. I also have an XJ that I bought from a guy who said he rolled it, looks just like this one. The roof was bent inwards a bit but according to the guy all the body shop did was pop the roof back out a bit and all was good since none of the pillars were bent/collapsed. Unfortunately, I doubt the roof on your XJ will be perfectly flat again or as strong as it was, which is something you should consider. I personally don't care about all the dents and scratches mine has, but if you want to fix all the cosmetics go for it. Regarding the door rubbing on the fender, you can just take a crowbar and bend that sucker back then touch up the paint, it's what I did on mine!

[@marioayala5881]

Glad your boy is ok.

[@kv996s]

First, I'm so happy your son is ok. From a licenced collision appraiser, the roof and supports have been compromised (supports are probably buckled if you drop the headliner to look) and needs to be replaced.Those supports will not hold up again God forbid another roll over. The Lt rear door is hitting the door frame/apiture panel due to it being pushed down by the roof and may need replacing as it is HSS or UHSS, you possibly may be able to section in the roof rail (possibly the inner as well) if recommended by Chrysler. The dents you see in the Rt and Lt quarters are not dents but buckles from the unibody moving. The XJ should be set up on a frame rack and digitally measure the door openings. My guess is its not good by those buckles in the quarters. Honestly for the safety of your family you guys shuold replace the XJ with another one and swap the components over, probably would be the most cost effective way to a nice structually sound XJ. Sorry for your loss, loved watching your build.