1992 Jeep Cherokee XJ Two Face

Have you always dreamt of desert racing but couldn't afford it? The Jeepspeed Challenge may be the hot ticket into your dream seat. In three simple steps you can be out there racing in one of the biggest classes running. Step one: find an '84-to-'01 Jeep Cherokee XJ (much like this '92) online, anywhere from $500-$2,000. Step two: take your truck to the guys at T&J Performance in Orange, California, and drop about $10,000 in parts on their Jeepspeed Products Kit. Step three: sign up for a race and go for it!

This month, we checked out Tom Barnett's '92 XJ, loaded up with T&J's Jeepspeed Kit and a few extras. Tom worked closely on this project with Clive Skilton, the owner and promoter of Jeepspeed. Jeepspeed is a race series that quickly gained a great deal of respect in the off-road community, partly due to it's grassroots competitive restrictions. Tom wanted to create a vehicle that would be competitive and fast in the dirt while still remaining street legal to get around town. Teaming up with T&J and Currie Enterprises, the team brings more than 25 years of experience to the project.

The truck you see filling these pages is more than the kit offers. The list of options available in the kit is vast so we will list just a few. A few of the items include; a pre-bent interior sports cage, front shock mounts, front suspension, heavy-duty steering, rear suspension, Bilstein shocks, 30-gallon fuel cell, race seats, BFGoodrich tires, and more. Upgrades include a 9-inch rear end, triple bypass shocks, fiberglass front fenders, a pre-bent engine cage, coolers, a 62mm throttle body, a 4.0L race engine or 4.7L stroker, race tires and more. Contact T&J for full specifications.

The pre-bent eight-point Barnett cage starter kit has been modified by T&J with mandatory gussets and diagonal tubes in order to remain race legal. This entire truck was built and raced in 18 days. We dare you to try and replicate that feat with the same price tag. Oh yeah, did we mention it took eighth place in a shakedown run race with 22 other trucks? Not too shabby.
The pre-bent eight-point Barnett cage starter kit has been modified by T&J with mandatory
Tucked into the original fuel tank location is a new Jazz 30-gallon fuel cell with an aluminum floor jack resting atop. The new Jazz tank fits in place of the stock tank and remains under the cargo area instead of intruding into it.
Tucked into the original fuel tank location is a new Jazz 30-gallon fuel cell with an alum
The rear end is a Currie 9-inch stuffed with 35-spline axles, spool and 5.14:1 gears. Powertrain Industries custom made the driveshaft to fit the kit specifications. Rear suspension includes Currie leaf springs and Bilstein shocks. Travel is limited to 11.75 inches and raises the rear of the truck 3.5 inches. Currie also upgraded the rear brakes to disc for extra stopping power.
The rear end is a Currie 9-inch stuffed with 35-spline axles, spool and 5.14:1 gears. Powe

A PCI Race Radios Race Air inline blower is supporting clean air for both occupants. Don't skimp on this product when building your project. It may save your life on those long hot summer days in the desert. Be sure your helmet supports the inline hose.
A PCI Race Radios Race Air inline blower is supporting clean air for both occupants. Don't
Located behind the rear seats is the main support wall keeping the passengers protected. Here you can see the dual Die Hard batteries as well as the main center support section for the cage.
Located behind the rear seats is the main support wall keeping the passengers protected. H
Supporting the cage from under the cabin are Barnett Performance unibody frame stiffeners. These stiffeners help support the structure of the vehicle at suspension load points and in case of an accident. They also help prevent the body fatigue that off-road XJs see over time. The Cherokee unibody isn't known for being the strongest; give it the extra support it needs.
Supporting the cage from under the cabin are Barnett Performance unibody frame stiffeners.

T&J built a front light bar for protection and also to hold four Delta Lighting HID lamps.
Front suspension includes Currie upper and lower arms, traction bar, steering and coils. Bilstein 2.5-inch smooth body shocks were used for this project......
Front suspension includes Currie upper and lower arms, traction bar, steering and coils. B

......Front lift height is set at four inches and travel measures 9.5 inches. Everything is built and limited to class specifications.
......Front lift height is set at four inches and travel measures 9.5 inches. Everything i
Beard race seats and Crow padded straps are installed for safety. Looking along the cage line you can see where T&J added corner gussets to the cage kit. If you plan on doing a lot of racing in your XJ, we recommend you do the same. Nobody will ever frown at you for making your truck stronger (or safer).
Beard race seats and Crow padded straps are installed for safety. Looking along the cage l
Under the hood reveals the Barnett Performance pre-bent kit engine cage, which is completely removable. A nearly stock 4.0L inline six-cylinder engine pushing 190 hp fits perfectly between the bars and uses an AEM intake system to keep the dirt and silt out of the engine.
Under the hood reveals the Barnett Performance pre-bent kit engine cage, which is complete

The guys at T&J's were doing a little testing for Goodyear on this truck, running their race-only Kevlar mud terrain tires. The tires measure 33x12.50R15 and are mounted on 15x7 American Racing wheels.
The guys at T&J's were doing a little testing for Goodyear on this truck, running their ra
As part of an upgrade, a PWR transmission cooler and mount was built into the cage along the roofline.
As part of an upgrade, a PWR transmission cooler and mount was built into the cage along t
This spare tire carrier was custom made for this truck but will become an available option through Barnett Performance by the time you read this. With the tire removed, you can still access the rear hatch. As you can see, looking over this truck with no stickers on it, you would never guess its race ready-and that's the point.
This spare tire carrier was custom made for this truck but will become an available option