Jeep Strokers

Ive read and read and read too the point my head hurts. I'm not the best when it comes to all the numbers. My first question is i have a 258 crank 4.0 rods but have a perfect motor and really want to know if there is a piston out there that will run stock bore i would like to run stock bore at all possible or .20 or .30 over being the last case. I'm really not in the mood to run the high dollar KB pistons. this is more a toy than a driver. is there really any benefit of a aftermarket cam? ive read enough that a lot of them fail. if there is a benefit which one would be the best? I'm looking for reliable for my trail rig that does see the road from time to time. Ive pulled one dead jeep back off the trails over 5 miles and swear ill never do it again. All this is going into a 97 TJ

If you want to run the 258 crank with the 4.0 rods the kb pistons will be your cheapest option ,I'm sure they come in standard bore but if your rebuilding anyway you might as well do a .020, overbore to be sure your cylinders are round and true! Only other option would be get some 258 piston rods and run stock 4.0 pistons either way you'll be out a few hundred bucks and I personally think unless you have 258 rods laying around already ,the kb pistons with the 4.0 rods are the best (cheapest) option!
Camshafts are a whole other can of worms and there's a lot of options depending on what your wanting to do with your jeep and they play a BIG factor in your powerband ,but with cams with more than 450 lift you gotta buy new valve springs =more $$$ there's not a lot of options other than stock replacements that work with stock springs.
Hopefully that helps a little, good luck

there has to be another route than the KB and 258 rods.

Keith black ic944 / 945 's go with 4.0 rods anything other than that with the 4.0 rods is considered "custom"= big $$$
Other options get 4.2 rods and run stock pistons! After machine work and buying rods ect... Your still out a few hundred! I was in the same boat not long,ago trust me I exhausted every resource,if you want a stroker and don't already have the 4.2 rods suck it up and get the kb.ic944 pistons for the 4.0 rods its called a modified poormans stroker,get new bearings and gaskets ,run a stock cam and call it good!
Look in project section,or dinos website, I just went through the same crap and a wiseman told me you gotta pay to play!!!
If you find any other options please share and help the rest of the community!

Stock 4.0 pistons run $226 from rock auto. Bulltear custom pistons $429 so for $200 more you can get custom pistons, lower your quench # and get whatever compression ratio you want. Iv'e gone through this myself and decided to save up the extra coin for the bulltear pistons.

see thats the one thing i do not understand is the quench #. i would like to run some where in the 9.5:1 compression range. running low grade fuel does not bother me cause i always run 93 octane fuel

Zach87 wrote:see thats the one thing i do not understand is the quench #. i would like to run some where in the 9.5:1 compression range. running low grade fuel does not bother me cause i always run 93 octane fuel

You could build a replica of the 4.6L low buck stroker recipe on my site but if you're leery about swapping in an aftermarket cam and would rather save a few bucks, do a modified poor man's instead.

Cheromaniac wrote:

Zach87 wrote:see thats the one thing i do not understand is the quench #. i would like to run some where in the 9.5:1 compression range. running low grade fuel does not bother me cause i always run 93 octane fuel

You could build a replica of the 4.6L low buck stroker recipe on my site but if you're leery about swapping in an aftermarket cam and would rather save a few bucks, do a modified poor man's instead.

I want a cam that will last and have low to around 3500rpms. i read all over of cams giving out which i do not want

People seem to have luck with stock H.O. cams in strokers and they have a decent powerband,I'm sure It's probably happened but ive never heard of a stock cam failure! All the horror stories seem to be aftermarket related
Quench is another debatable subject but from most the engine builders I've talked to 40-50 is where you want to be #wise
If you search it here ^ I'm sure there's plenty of threads on it

Zach87 wrote:I want a cam that will last and have low to around 3500rpms. i read all over of cams giving out which i do not want

Precisely the reason why I suggested you build a modified poor man's stroker which has the stock cam (+++ low rev torque, wider lobes, no known reliability issues). If your original stock cam is still good, reuse it with a new set of lifters.