The Repair List for this Cherokee Chief is Getting Long!

[@Overland_eXploits_Oklahoma]

Fan shroud will do wonders for actually pulling air through the radiator vs all around it. What a fun project.

[@TXH1138]

I bought a 1980 Cherokee Laredo new and had it for 28 years. So many fun memories of the adventures I had in that thing. Do whatever it takes to keep that one on the road.

[@alexh9800]

I own such a 1979 Cherokee Chief in Germany and while it is a challenge to find parts, it is such a pleasure to drive, feel an hear !!! Keep yours alive, Brad, they are getting rare!

[@stevenrogers2457]

It's a labor of love, coming from a 1988 Chevy Blazer owner. Beautiful Cherokee Chief!

[@bcbliss5147]

that thing is magnificent! What a great vehicle. Talk about evoking an emotion rather than wow you with performance.

[@rustybarbacles355]

My dads Cherokee chief was named the blue toad. Tailgate window never went up or down property. Interior smelt like decaying headliner and sun baked dashboard. Love it

[@nrolfsen]

The sound takes me back. Awesome rig, Brad! She deserves you, bud

[@trevoragranger]

Wow... what a cool Jeep! Those old vehicles are worth the aches and pains of restoration!

[@cmcullen]

I 100% approve of restoring this Chief. Get it, Brad!

[@TrailRecon]

Thanks!

[@TheWright03]

Glad to see the Chief again. Really looking forward to this series. Thanks.

[@robinbutler5536]

I just bought a 1989 ford bronco with the 351w. I too have to upgrade mechanics. I have replaced radiator, pan gasket, power steering, tie rods, ball joints adjusted the steering box, replaced the rear piñon seal. The heater was not working, but back flushed the heater core a few times and it works fine. Just trying to make it trail worthy before I drive any distanced. Trying to keep it stock. I did have to replace the tires as the rig had set for a while and the tires were cracked. I enjoy the channel. I have owned two other broncos, a 1970, and a 1979. I should have kept them. I used them for search and rescue. The old iron has character!

[@jimwhitman5805]

Someone up here scored a full sized 1980's Grande Waggoneer for under 6K. It was perfect, a really nice time peice. It's so hard to find them without major flaws or rust. I remember as a teen my dad was getting his old 72 Chev C10 painted by a local shop where he traded plumbing for the body work and paint. He had a stepside Honcho, I loved that truck....He was moving some stuff around and banging into it and dad commented about him putting dents in it. He came back with 5lb sledge and pounded on the fenders which shocked us both, because there was no damage not even the paint. He sold that shop and move to an acreage that had old trucks & cars sitting in the bush. Some were sitting there so long trees had grown between the frame rails. I guess he had plans to restore them and sell them as retirement funds.

[@iowafarmer5418]

Its Awesome to see some modern video of an American Classic out in her natural habitat. Thanks

[@nandorweiss374]

Ab absolute love the old school way. No modern technology at all, just the motor and the driver.

[@roadhouzz4275]

First vehicle when I was 16 was a 1977 copper colored with white "pleather" interior... Loved that beast!!

[@aberdeenbelfry316]

I’d love an early 70s blazer. Classics bring a smile. Good thoughts on your build. Can’t wait for more videos. Also thank you for your service.

[@dsimpleman67]

I know a guy...

[@TexanUSMC8089]

I had an 80, 84, and a 94. I wish I still had all of them. An early 70's would be great.

[@dirtheaddavis366]

I can't wait to see all this go into that beauty! I seriously wish I could find a Cherokee, Wagoneer, or J-Truck to start a project. Love those old things. Your Chief looks sweet with those STT Pros. Perfect mix of new and old.

[@onetruebob_tj]

Absolutely love this rig. Looking forward to seeing the next video. 👊👍

[@TrailRecon]

Thank you!

[@NorthOz]

I know the feeling. I own an old truck, WRX and motorcycle. I never feel truly on top of the maintenance 😆 Always something to do on our old trucks

[@V8AmericanMuscleCar]

I wish the new vehicles still looked so good.

[@tyrannystopper4972]

I'm restoring one right now. This video has me re-energized with excitement.

[@aidanupdegrove2984]

This video really felt different than most, more personal. I really enjoyed the overall style and the way brad filmed this video. I look forward to seeing more of this type of stuff

[@zonylandy]

This is why I love my 71 Land Rover Series IIa 88... just keeps going on knacks and rattles included

[@sxshethean3069]

I have an 82 Cherokee Laredo. One of my favorite upgrades I did was the Edelbrock Pro Flow 4 efi system. Strongly recommend

[@kiltedoverland4551]

Keep the father/son events going as long as he will participate! That makes this adventure worth all the effort and expense.

[@americaunboxed1449]

What a beautiful Cherokee Chief! My first Jeep was an 84 Cherokee that had a carburetor held on with bailing wire and a water pump that had JB Weld to keep it attached. It was a mess but it was my first Jeep and I loved it. Im looking forward to following your progress on the Chief. Also, your choice of music on this video really set the tone for a classic on the trail. Nicely done!

[@chrisjeepsj]

Cap and rotor with timing check. Will make that start up amazing, electric choke helps too. Sweet rig, I have a 74 Cherokee, 74 J10 and 75 J20 myself. Love the full-size ones!

[@josiahmacinnis7315]

Sure is a beautiful color on the chief! Looking forward to a trip with this beast!

[@3jsoneb]

What an awesome Jeep, nothing better than an oldschool trail monster, the chief or even a International I'd take over any old bronco or blazer !

[@johnjoseph911]

Greetings from England Brad. So happy you are enjoying your classic Jeep with your son. It doesn’t get any better than that and looking forward to following your restoration journey.

[@chknlyps2373]

Brad, on the slow start when it is warm... I had that on a big block chevy, all the forums I read pretty much pointed to one thing. The hot engine is quickly evaporating the fuel from the vented float bowl while sitting. The long cranking is happening because your fuel pump has to get enough fuel back in the bowl for it to start and with a mechanical fuel pump this takes a few cranking rotations to fill. My solution was a phenolic spacer between the manifold and carb. Works wonderful now.

[@greggbenshoof2626]

Love the direction you are taking with the Cherokee. I know that you said you do not like to mess with the wiring and I am with you on that. It can be a real pain, but bad wiring has burned more than one classic vehicle. If you can, I would get a replacement harness for under the hood and the body. They can be expensive, but it is better than calling the fire department when something shorts out and... Looking forward to watching the transformation into a restored and capable trail rig!

[@tylerhughes8117]

I absolutely love those Cherokee chiefs. But it is an old Jeep, it seems that finding one the wiring hasn't been messed with is a challenge in itself. My 91 YJ has had issues because of the wiring, not the same rats nest you have there. But I 100% agree on a rewire. The piece of mind knowing that the electrics are not an issue is worth its weight in gold. As for the leaf springs, I have an old rancho lift that came on the jeep and it rides like hell on the trail too, the best advice I can give, air down when you see dirt, thats the only way I've found to smooth out the ride and not lose fillings. Obviously short of a nice set of springs. Good luck getting that beautiful machine into tip top shape, and keep up the great work!

[@bosse641]

So fine these classics. Simple. Beauties.

[@CharleyMur]

I’m about 75% of the way through a complete rewire on my 74 two door Cherokee (adding AC and some other things while I’m at it). I had never done a rewire before and it’s actually been a lot of fun. Looking forward to future videos.

[@Wrangzilla]

The list will totally be worth it though. As a 5th Wrangler owner with my current being a JLUR on 37’s, THIS is the build I’m looking forward to the most.

[@cespool]

Those square cut leaf springs can be dog eared. You can also install nylon sliders between the tips of the leaves to make it ride better. It's great to see you driving that old guy on the trail. Keep up the good videos.

[@e.c.8668]

So cool. The first 4WD I drove was a 74 Grand Wagoneer. The first truck I owned was a 79 Ramcharger. I had a lot of slop in my steering. Turns out that the universal joints on the steering shaft were a horible design and went bad. It's been almost 20 years since I sold that truck, but when I was thinking about fixing it all (including rebuilding the engine), I think Summit had a replacement steering linkage. The breaks were spongy as well. And the forward drive shaft would go bad every couple years because the front hubs didn't unlock. Oh and the transfer case wouldn't shift into 4WD well. There was just too many things so I had to let it go. I regret it because the thing was a tank. Good on ya for taking on the task of keeping yours running.

[@spikes1092]

Wow that rig has such character and its cool to see you taking the channel in this direction.

[@jameshall4385]

I love that jeep. It looks so cool going down the trail. That hot start issue might have something to do with the fuel line and filter sitting on the hot intake manifold, it is probably boiling the gas. I would move them or get some insulation wrap.

[@TrailRecon]

Great point and when I tackle the fuel system I'll be sure to consider that!

[@samueljewell5712]

@@TrailRecon Knowing that carbs are pure voodoo magic, I quickly converted my '83 Bronco to a TBI based Fi system! Unless you just like carrying a live chicken to sacrifice to the carb gods for trailside repair! Then again, you Navy guys do love your odd traditions!

[@bigslacker666]

So cool to see that old rig out on the trail! In my 20's I had a grand wagoneer as my winter beater and I LOVED that truck!

[@jmumm422]

Love seeing that on the trail brings me back to my 76 Cherokee

[@OldGoatStillGoing]

Those were the good old days. Some of my best. My dad had a pickup around that year and I had a 74 CJ5. If you contact Dirt Every Day , they know someone who makes wiring harnesses. Happy trails

[@markmacdonald6452]

Great video and a nice classic Cherokee. I partially restored a 1983 4 door Cherokee with my father quite a few years ago. It's a I6 with the 5 speed. The old Cherokee gets a lot of looks when we get it out.

[@austincorbiniv]

Brad, Just a quick check that you can do for the suspension. Leaf sprung rigs are sensitive to how you tighten the spring bolts. With the Jeep sitting on its own weight, losses all of the spring bolts. Then check to make sure they spin easily with a wrench. When you tighten the nuts back down don’t over tighten them. The bolt should still rotate with a wrench but with more drag.

[@albolt31]

Been waiting to see more of the Cheif!! Awesome truck....

[@jasonlakomy9565]

YES finally the Chief getting love. Glad you’re kinda going back to the early vids of working in the garage and the Chief is the coolest/best rig in you’re fleet.

[@JDR1971]

1976 Jeep Cherokee narrow track. I was four years old and we did Panamint Valley and Death Valley trails. Mengal Pass to Striped Butte and also Surprise Canyon, among other trails. No wonder I own four vehicles and they're all four wheel drives.

[@jonathan9739]

Can't wait to see you start knocking out those items on your list! I've got a 78 Wagoneer and dealing with all the same issues. Keep up the good work, and thanks for putting out some great content.

[@johnday71]

Coolest rig in the fleet!

[@TrailRecon]

My favorite for sure!

[@tfcooks]

Honestly you could just read the weather report and I'd just sit here and stare and drool looking at that beauty.

[@IDAHOverland]

Brad, So happy you have this rig. Love it so much and can't wait for your future videos. Here are a few suggestions I have from building my 77' J-10 (many moons ago)... I had to fix/replace just about everything on my J-10, but only once (done right it lasts). Have fun, (and I'm totally jealous)... Cooling System: I found that the fan shroud is extremely important. The previous owner probably didn't have one and tried everything else to keep it cool. I'd definitely replace the radiator just to avoid expensive maintenance in the future. I added an Aux oil cooler in front of the radiator. Aux Tank: Remember that the overflow return from the Carb probably flows only back into the main tank, so you have to always run off of the main first, then when empty switch to the secondary, then back to the main as will have a several new gallons of gas (from the overflow). If you run from the aux tank first (with the main full), gas will spill out the main tank fill neck from the overflow return line. Wiring: What a rats nest. My J-10 had wiring like that and started a fire in the engine compartment. I had to replace with factory wiring harness, and then built my own harness to extend the factory harness in many places so I could get it out of the way from heat, make it easier to add new stuff (factory AC and aux lighting, winch, etc...).

[@TrailRecon]

Awesome information, thank you for taking the time to share all that... extremely helpful!

[@roberthahn3710]

For the cold start, put your foot in the gas one maybe two times to prime the carb. That’s what we did when it was new.

[@offpvmt1379]

Can't wait to see all that you do with the old FSJ. He does have character.

[@kenwelch198]

I had a 78 that my kids still talk about. It had a orange and black paint so we called it the great pumpkin. Had pretty much the same issues as this one. But it was a beast. Practically indistructable

[@dagsct]

Can only think of one word for this video @Trailrecon, MASTERFUL

[@Anders0nic]

My 78/79(can’t remember, it was in the nineties) had serious electrical gremlins. It also had the same hot starting issues. I had found the electrical ignition module would overheat, thus affecting its ability to perform correctly when it was hot. Plus, the carburetor needed a rebuild. Essentially, a lot of the same issues you are currently experiencing. Including a loose steering box. I think a new harness from Centech/Painless would be a great foundation. Look into a smog legal Fuel Injection kit to solve the carburetor issues and a better ignition system and it would be a lot more mechanically sound. Your video brought back a great flood of memories from the ol banana tank of my youth. I look forward to following along on this endeavor.

[@johnbarrios1598]

1979, a good year. My senior year in high school!!! Great looking jeep.

[@TrailRecon]

Right on!

[@danieldalluge9435]

Being a big Mopar fan... 84 Omni, 2018 Power Wagpn, & 2019 Cherokee Trailhawk. I am so thankful for your 2nd episode of the Chief! 👍👍 And that you are moving fwd with the Chief project. I like the plan to breath new life into the old work horse. My Omni will be sold this year. Still undecided if i want to go the Chief, Ram Charger, or W100 Power Wagon route. Needless to say, I am envious of your project. Keep up the great content. 🤘

[@snehlatarai8347]

You are such a cool guy. When you said that you are a retired army veteran, I could not believe you

[@regenakowitz]

Maybe because he’s retired Navy. 🤷🏻‍♀️😉

[@TheJoeSafari]

Great video! I’m restoring a 79 chief in Arizona and have done everything you mentioned minus paint and body. I put in a new radiator with electric fans and deleted the clutch fan and so far it’s been perfect temp. I also put in Skyjacker springs and bilstein 5100’s for a 4 inch lift and it smooth as a baby. Also did the brakes.. new discs, pads and drum rebuild. Stops on a dime. Instead of rebuilding the carb, you could add a TBI kit. I have a Howell TBI on the Chevy 350 that is swapped from the OG AMC engine.Starts right up even after a year of sitting. Please post a video of your build process or post-build!

[@rmpruitt228]

Thanks for sharing! I love these old jeeps. The rust and the other maintenance and repairs can outrace the budget though. I do miss my grand wagoneer.

[@jamesrcgarage6733]

Great project truck, that's awesome cant wait for the repair videos!

[@jaxtraxtv]

sweet to see this jeep rolling

[@jonnyweston]

This just purely reinforces every last reason I have for loving this channel sooooooo much!!

[@TrailRecon]

Thank you!

[@jcblackmon]

My first ‘ride’ was a 1976 Ford F100. Although 2wd, there was nothing better than driving an American carburetored hunk of steel! Enjoy!

[@beachlander_pnw]

Thank you Brad for all the great content! Have inspired me so much over this last year and now I've decided to film and narrate what I do thanks again Brad you are a class act for the community

[@rescue_ranch_ca7353]

Recommend checking the timing before diving into the carb. The previous owner may have advanced the timing for easier cold starts but it may be causing your slow start when warm and from what I hear, running rough issue. A cheap timing light will help nail it down.

[@TrailRecon]

I've got on old timing gun somewhere from when I had my 72 Firebird... time to dust it off I suppose.

[@buildlife]

Can't wait to see more on the '79. I had a '79 CJ7 the same color.

[@67chevy4x4]

Love the older ones I regularly wheel a stock 57 CJ5 I can't keep up when we get on blacktop but off-road in low she goes like a tank

[@tinkerjeeppublications9823]

Edelbrock 1400 series carbs do get heat soaked. Insert a fiber insulation gasket between the carb and Edelbrock Performer intake. 3/8 inch thick works well. Also, you can try to give the truck a bit of gas when hot starting. It'll either improve hotstarts, or make it worse. I also switched over to electric fuel pumps on my Jeeps, past and present and future. it removes carb priming problems while cranking the motor. I'd also recommend sticking an actual aircleaner housing with snorkle back on to suck air from outside of the hot engine compartment.

[@sewallm60]

In 94 I bought an 84 K-10 got a EZ Ride 4"' lift, pulled one short leaf off each spring pack, got rid of the sway bar since I don't road race, and Rancho 9000 shocks and ended up with a nice ride. Still tow and 4wheel with this truck.

[@martinshea6967]

What a great project to have. Real beautiful and I appreciate your sharing.

[@istudiowebmstr]

Forget the carburetor, get a Holley EFI system with a good fuel system and it will give you years of trouble-free service. Get rid of the open air filter, get the original filter base and install a heavy duty paper air filter element, will keep your engine healthier. For longer trips you will need a single belt sepentine system, changing belts in the middle of nowhere is a pain. Congrats and nice truck!

[@Deathtrap81]

I would ditch the carb and go with a throttle body injection kit, auto adjusting for elevation, temp etc, better fuel economy and power, easy starting etc. Would make it a lot more reliable.

[@davidwpaul3815]

^X2 the benefit of fuel injection will save you a lot of hassle. Especially off-road ( incline , off camber , decline , etc) carburetors don’t hold up well to the rigors of off-road use. Unless you like to tinker on them and carry a spare. Cheers from Okinawa 🌊🏄🏻‍♂️🤙

[@johnhand2992]

I put a Holley EFI kit on my Grand Wagoneer and it is amazing compared to the old carb.

[@moabwheeling]

I love that chief , it just looks so cool Brad . Looking forward to your videos on getting it running and driving better . Take care and be safe sir.

[@reafkennedy3069]

Love the classic Jeeps. If you decide to rewire I recommend a Painless performance harness. That's what I did on my 85 CJ7. If I can figure it out I'm sure you can. Lots of diagrams in the manual. Great product. Very happy with it.

[@gogerwi]

Cool old Jeep Brad. You got a lot of nice toys to work on for sure.

[@shawnk8802]

I happened across one of your older videos some time back and subscribed .... I will be honest now I stay for this old Jeep ... way to cool and looks like you are in my area and hope one day to see this old Blue out on the trails !!!

[@Stuka87]

Here are a few notes, some you may know. If you have questions, feel free to him me up. 1: Those are rough country springs. They are terrible. Not that rough country is a bad company, but they are just budget springs. No tapers, no spring pads, they are known for a bad ride. 2: The brake locking up could be the e-brake cable catching. Its kind of common. 3: The steering is always very light on these. But the box could be worn, rag joint bad, or the caster may be off. 4: For the AC, SonoraEd on FSJN does it professionally, has installed a lot of vintage air units, and can make hoses for FSJs if you need them. 5: And yeah, aluminum cross flow radiator with a shroud and thermostat will do wonders for the cooling system. 6: For the carb, honestly I would swap it out for a Truck Avenger. The 1406 can be made to work, and it is cheaper to rebuild it. But the TA will just be better in all situations. But hey, you have a great rig, and glad you are loving it :)

[@TrailRecon]

Great information, thank you for taking the time... I'm taking notes!

[@RogueCorps]

Love this project! Also, saw your banners, thank you for your service. Oorah!

[@jimmyrioux9145]

Nice truck i think you got every one's heart with that one ! For the roof , i think that's fixable with a couple of patch ! And spray with bed-liner from the rain gutter up for a good cost effective repare !

[@jerridgossett62]

I Love this rig and am currently looking for one of my own. Thanks for bringing us along,Brad and Devon.

[@millenniumoverland]

What an awesome ride! Glad you’re diving in and taking good care of her. 😎🤘

[@BOOMERSOONER01]

BJ’s Offroad has almost everything for these.

[@bah5310]

In 86' when I was 20 I had a 78 or 79 Grand Wagoner with the 360. It always ran hot. Someone told me that AMC would bid out the pats for the engine and you could have a Ford block with Buick heads. The quadratec was fantastic. There was a dial in the center glove box that locked all 4 wheels together and was unstoppable. Glad to see this series.

[@Stuka87]

AMC V8 blocks/heads/intakes were cast in the same place as Buick V8's (good quality high nickel blocks), and were designed by the same guy. Their downfall is oiling, just like buick V8s. But easily resolved these days.

[@yorkchris10]

It was the Jeep v8 that had corrosion problems?

[@GAPS67]

Definitely more Cherokee Chief videos!!!

[@TrailRecon]

You got it!

[@jcollins2826]

Another great episode! After watching your video tips and tricks, I can’t help but see all the work you put into these videos. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[@TrailRecon]

Thank you!

[@hanswurl583]

This is such a great Jeep, Brad. I'd suggest SERIOUSLY considering EFI like Holley Sniper. Also, Redhead Steering gears in WA are likely your best source for a rebuilt box and they may even be able to offer a quicker ratio.

[@timgardner3130]

I had a Cherokee like that one only bronze colored and they tend to run a bit on the hot side so addressing the cooling is a great start. There is a company out of Washington called full sized jeeps that sell a lot of one and aftermarket parts like a cool rear bumper with a swing out tire carrier.

[@TylerDurdenDoesNotExist]

Loved the New Camera Angles & Zoom Shots when you started the jeep!! Road to 500K!!

[@TrailRecon]

Thank you! Fingers crossed.

[@MootsKLAdventure]

Man I'd love to get a hold of one of those. The baby blue color is perfect.

[@TrailRecon]

Crazy thing is, I wasn't sure about the color before I bought it... totally love it now!

[@antjb7641]

One thing at a time, good list to start from.

[@johncrowder4297]

I have a 1976 dodge van with a 360 ,it had a 2 barrel carb and now a 4 . I bought it brand new off the lot . I had over heating problems till I switched to a 3 row radiator and a 180 thermostat . Now it get close to normal runing tincture on average days and running timture on those 100 + days . Considering it still has a lot of my camping gear in it all the time . I am real happy . Please don't speed ur videos out to far apart it's to harden to find good ones .

[@Steveindajeep]

This really brings back great memories. My family had one when i was a kid in "Captain Blue" 👍

[@matthewgoins87]

Been waiting to see more videos of this rig

[@boostdtalon]

I would replace the fan clutch as well since you’re in there. I’d also look into deaver leaf springs or off road designs for suspension.

[@Ramblin_Rob]

It’s a big project you’re taking on but take this advice from an old Jeeper from the ‘70’s. You need disc brakes all around and some type of efi to replace that carburetor. The rest looks like fun

[@mohammadbinbishr5167]

Enjoy your life to the fullest and have a great day

[@TermiteOffroad]

We have a Grand Wagoneer and it’s our only overlander. We try and post lots of videos on all of the maintaining and work we do to it.