The North American XJ Association: Winterfest

North American Xj Association Winterfest Group Shot

We corralled the majority of XJs in attendance for a group shot. All kinds of XJs from bone-stock to sliced-n-diced were represented.

We corralled the majority of XJs in attendance for a group shot. All kinds of XJs from bon

The North American XJ Association (NAXJA) held their 10th annual Winterfest last March at the Badlands Off Road Park in Attica, Indiana. With almost 100 XJs in attendance, Winterfest is the largest event in the NAXJA event portfolio-but we found that even though it's the biggest, the event felt more like a cozy gathering of friends. The event had a unique ambience that felt like a family reunion of those sharing a common bond. We know that sounds mushy (like most of the trails were at Winterfest, and we'll get to that in a minute), but it's true. The positive vibe and the sense of camaraderie were obvious.

What exactly is NAXJA? Well, it's an Internet-based club centered on the Jeep Cherokee XJ (but also open to the Jeep Comanche MJ). The club was formed in 2000 and currently consists of 10 chapters located throughout the United States. The NAXJA website is a gold mine of XJ info, and it features everything from tech talk to trail talk. Much of the forum is open to the public, but joining NAXJA allows access to members-only areas with even more info and interaction. Each of the 10 NAXJA chapters hosts one major event yearly, and these events happen in some of the hottest wheeling areas the U.S. has to offer. Additionally, these chapters host other events, gatherings, and trailrides as well.

North American Xj Association Winterfest NAXJA Sticker

As we said, Winterfest celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, and as it has for nine of its ten-year history, it returned to the Badlands Off Road Park in Attica, Indiana. The Badlands is a great venue for the event and popular with participants due to its wide range of terrain, front gate-located camping, nearby hotels, and restaurants. Event logistics was handled by the Midwest Chapter of NAXJA. Current Midwest Chapter President Tyler Preston and his crew made sure that everything ran smoothly and on time. Technically, Winterfest was a one-day event in 2010, but we were there a day early and there were XJs wheeling all over the park. In addition to a day of trail rides, there was a Saturday evening catered dinner at the local VFW, followed by a raffle. This year, the raffle included products graciously donated by Rough Country Suspension, JcrOffroad, H.D. Offroad Engineering, Mayberry Farms, Warn, ARB, Master Pull, and Tom Wood's Driveshafts, among many others.

Indiana weather in early March can be anyone's guess, but this year it was actually very good. The winter snow was gone from the western Indiana terrain, but the ground at the park was still saturated with moisture. The night before the event, temperatures dipped into the 20s, which froze the ground solid. By late morning on the day of the event, the sun was shining and a full-scale melt was in process. This turned most of the trails mega-slippery, which was just fine with the Winterfest participants.

Winterfest 2010 lived up to its name, offering a taste of cold weather wheeling and a festive atmosphere. If you'd like more info on NAXJA or Winterfest, visit www.naxja.org.

Why Is The XJ Still So Popular?
It has been out of production since 2001, but the Jeep Cherokee XJ continues to be a popular SUV both on- and off-pavement.

We asked some NAXJA club officers why they thought the XJ is still a fav, and they responded with "durability, accessibility, and price."

Durability: Solid axles at both ends; coil spring (Quadra-Link) front suspension; rear leaf springs; lever-activated transfer case; no complicated traction control or skid control electronics.

Accessibility: The XJ was manufactured for a mind-boggling 17 years, so accessibility is a given.

Price: These machines are very reasonable in cost-far less than a Wrangler costs, for instance.

It's also worth noting that thanks to the long production run there are scores of aftermarket companies making products for the XJ. Building a unibody rig has challenges that a ladder frame rig doesn't, but the aftermarket has answered that call as well, with chassis stiffener kits and the like.

North American Xj Association Winterfest XJ Descending

Late in the day, the trailriding was winding down and everyone's thoughts turned to the catered meal to follow. Apparently, Sean Rafferty was distracted by the pros and cons of chicken vs. beef-on the last obstacle he drove his rig straight into a boulder on a steep downhill, which resulted in a unique view of the Badlands for him and his wife Laura.

North American Xj Association Winterfest XJ About To Roll Over

Fellow NAXJA members sprung into action and with the use of two winches lowered Rafferty's rig into the canyon. They helped remove the spark plugs so that the cylinders could be emptied of oil and Rafferty then drove the rig back to camp.

This wasn't our first Winterfest. We actually covered the inaugural event back in 2001, and we rode in this rig owned by Matt Rowland. Back then, it was still an almost-stock '95 model. Nowadays, the only "XJ" left is from the A-pillar to C-pillar. Some of its mods include an Atlas II transfer case, three-link front suspension with King coilovers, four-link rear suspension with King coilovers, full width axles, and 39-inch BFG Krawlers.
This wasn't our first Winterfest. We actually covered the inaugural event back in 2001, an
John Amann is afraid of almost no trail in his '92 Limited. It has a custom 5.5-inch-lift suspension consisting of a variety of parts from Rubicon Express and BIGoffroad. The rig also has an ARB-locked high-pinion Dana 44 front axle, Detroit-locked Currie 9-inch rear axle, 5.13:1 gears, and 35-inch BFG KM2s.
John Amann is afraid of almost no trail in his '92 Limited. It has a custom 5.5-inch-lift
Patrick Main's '98 XJ may look somewhat average at first glance, but a closer look reveals a very well-built machine with lots of cool mods. Some of its mods include a heavily-built Dana 44 front axle with Aussie Locker; Ford 9-inch rear axle with 31-spline Yukon axleshafts, disc brakes and spool; 5.13:1 Yukon gears; custom 6.5-inch three-link front suspension; 6-inch rear suspension; hydro-assist steering; Hanson front bumper; Warn M8000 winch; interior 'cage; 17x8 Cragar wheels with DIY beadlocks; and 37x14 Interco IROK bias-ply tires.
Patrick Main's '98 XJ may look somewhat average at first glance, but a closer look reveals

We were riding with Steve Luccioni when he pointed his '98 XJ toward an ice-cluttered water hole on the Orange Trail, only to find out it was much deeper than it looked. Even with ARBs, the 35-inch Maxxis Bighorns couldn't latch hold of the Indiana goo and he ended up having to be pulled out backwards. Luccioni's XJ is unique in that it has Dana 44s front and rear, a modified NP231, and a reclocked transfer case.
We were riding with Steve Luccioni when he pointed his '98 XJ toward an ice-cluttered wate
Dan Wheeler (yep, that's his real name) drives this heavily modified '91 when he goes wheeling. It sports an eight-point 'cage, but still seats four passengers. It also has a front Dana 44 axle with Detroit Locker and 5.38:1 gears, Ford 9-inch rear axle with spool and 5.42:1 gears, a front long arm/radius arm suspension with Rusty's coil springs, rear Alcan leaf springs, and 38-inch TSL Super Swampers.
Dan Wheeler (yep, that's his real name) drives this heavily modified '91 when he goes whee
As is often typical of the Orange Trail, the low ground was covered in water. This area can be misery in the making because often the water hides deep holes and/or bottomless mud. Travis Burich traversed it in his amazing '00 rig that sports a full-width Dana 44 up front, a full-width Ford 9-inch in the rear, Detroit Lockers, 4.88:1 gears, and 35-inch BFGs.
As is often typical of the Orange Trail, the low ground was covered in water. This area ca

Some NAXJA members refer to their unibody XJs as "boneless Jeeps." Because they are unibody, more thought has to be put into body mods to ensure the structural integrity of the vehicle remains intact. This XJ has some strategic body cutting to improve its performance. It also has rocker protection and custom bumpers with tow points.
Some NAXJA members refer to their unibody XJs as "boneless Jeeps." Because they are unibod
Winterfest kicked off with a drivers' meeting before all of the organized trailrides departed. Temperatures were in the 20s, but the sun was out and it was shaping up to be a nice day.
Winterfest kicked off with a drivers' meeting before all of the organized trailrides depar
By the end of the day, Neal McFeters' '99 was dangling some body parts and pieces from various run-ins with Badlands obstacles-but the XJ was still going strong. McFeters' rig has a custom three-link front suspension and Rough Country rear leaf springs. The front Dana 30 has an Aussie Locker, while the rear Chrysler 8.25 axle has a Powertrax differential.
By the end of the day, Neal McFeters' '99 was dangling some body parts and pieces from var

That's NAXJA member Brett Worthel on the right, wearing the stylish Four Wheeler cap. Late Saturday afternoon we found him in the campground swapping a new axle into his XJ. Worthel was born deaf, but has overcome that obstacle in a big way. He's an active wheeler and is going to tech school. His dad told us that he routinely wrenches on his own vehicles and can often tell when something is wrong with the rig on the trail by monitoring vibrations.
That's NAXJA member Brett Worthel on the right, wearing the stylish Four Wheeler cap. Late
One of the many XJs we saw running a Ford 8.8-inch rear axle (a popular XJ swap) belonged to Kim & Jennifer Delveaux. Both axles are locked and the rig sports a 6.5-inch front lift and a 4.5-inch rear lift. This '90 rig rolls on 36-inch IROKs.
One of the many XJs we saw running a Ford 8.8-inch rear axle (a popular XJ swap) belonged
This is the type of terrain NAXJA members had to contend with on the Orange Trail. The deep ruts were made even more challenging when the ground thawed and the saturated soil turned into grease. This particular section swallowed Brian Peterson's '00 XJ and required a pull. Peterson's rig is unique in that it has the rare NV3550 five-speed manual transmission. He has upgraded the rig with a front ARB Air Locker, Ox-locked rear Ford 8.8 axle, Rubicon Express 5.5-inch lift, Off Road Only U-Turn steering conversion, Warn XD9000i winch, and 32-inch BFG A-T tires, among other things.
This is the type of terrain NAXJA members had to contend with on the Orange Trail. The dee