Thinking of an XJ

[Schattenjager]

As I'm trying to put a deal together on my Cruiser, I'm thinking of something to replace it with. I had an 89 XJ for about 5 months - it was a horrible car. Leaky Y pipe, leaky fuel injectors and un-cureable overheating made me ditch it ASAP. I've been told that the issues were neglect and fixable, but it was too much too soon for me. Well, there was no ExPo then, so I thought I would post my re-considerations here for your input. I like the car-like nature of the Cherokee and the smaller size compared to the Cruiser for just a puppy and me to explore around with.

To replace the cruiser, I want a few nonnegotiable things: better MPG (not hard) GREAT reliability (4.0 ?), low operation costs, and an inexpensive buy in - sub $4K area. Decent off road ability is somewhat important - but not critical. If I get a stocker (hopefully) I'll add an OME lift, some Treadwrights tires, and a set of LightForce 170's and call it a day. Since this will be a second car, it will have a RTT, hi-lift, CO2 tank and related gear always packed and ready to take the pup and I canoeing or camping.

Something like this:

Am I nuts? Is this a good idea? I am not too interested in Grand Cherokee's and would like to keep this focused on the XJ.

 

[gophere]

I drove a 98 XJ for 6 years stock. It went everywhere I wanted and would only get stuck up in the mud(AT tires).100,000 miles from Baja to northern Canada and only issue besides rock damage was an alternator.
Replaced it last week with a Montero, North Dakota rust had its way with the XJ.
Only issue I see is size and seat height. Mine was cramped on long trips and you sit in them like a car not a truck.

 

[Root Moose]

Where to begin...

I've been told that the issues were neglect and fixable, but it was too much too soon for me.

Yes.

I like the car-like nature of the Cherokee and the smaller size compared to the Cruiser for just a puppy and me to explore around with.

The size is a big deal up this way. Not so certain it is a big deal where you are but I've never wheeled down there so take that with a grain of salt.

To replace the cruiser, I want a few nonnegotiable things: better MPG (not hard)

Late models can get ~22mpg if in good nick, higher if "hyper miled". Highest I've ever seen is 24.x (~sea level, flat lands, ~90 km/h, stock except the ARB bar, wth needs a diesel?)

GREAT reliability (4.0 ?),

Arguably the most reliable Jeep ever built. Avoid one that has ABS. The system is lack luster and it will have a Dana 35 rear axle. The late models without ABS have a Chrysler 8.25" rear axle. Plenty big enough for any reasonable usage of a XJ. That's not to say that the Dana 35 is unreliable per se, they just tend to lead to issues in either heavy usage or upgraditis (can't get there from here)

low operation costs,

200,000 kms and I've only replaced wear items and fluids. I had an issue with misfire / vapour lock on #3 cylinder but the TSB cured it.

Read up on the cracking cylinder heads for ~2000-2001 XJs. I haven't made up my mind whether it is something overstated like the FZJ80 head gaskets or a real problem. In either case the fix is cheap relative to other vehicles.

Decent off road ability is somewhat important - but not critical.

Out of the box these Jeeps wheel like mad.

Do a lot of reading before buying anything. There are changes throughout the entire seventeen year model run. These Jeeps are truly like the ultimate mechano set and can be made into anything.

#1 thing: check to see if you fit.

#2 thing: the newest one is ~10 years old. If you can't deal with getting an old Jeep into spec then look at something newer. That said, parts are everywhere and cheap.

 

[Amauri]

XJ's are solid, sometimes I wish I would have gone with an XJ instead of my ZJ.

Anyway, the 4.0 is bullet proof, I have almost 150k on mine and it runs perfect.With proper care and maintenance there is no reason I shouldn't get another 100k out of it. With an 4k initial budget you might be able to pick up a 97+ XJ which got an exterior and interior update.

 

[czenkov]

2 door XJ

Drove a two door 5 speed 1994 from '96 through 2004. Great truck - drove it everywhere stock except for BFG AT's. Went everywhere in Utah and never left me wanting. A lot of people have bad things to say about these - I have nothing but great memories. Besides it failing its emissions - check engine came on - two weeks prior had changed the oil - nothing but white milky on the stick. Should have rebuilt the engine or replaced in hindsight.

 

[The Adam Blaster]

I've had my 1998 XJ that I bought used for about 8 years now, 2.5 of those years it sat in various stages of a 4.5" lift. I've got just over 200,00 kms on it now.
I was VERY happy with it on 31's with a 3" lift. It's cheap and easy to put a lift like that on, and you don't have to alter any other driveline components. (No SYE needed, or new driveshafts etc.)
On muddy trails, I was usually able to keep up with other higher modded Jeeps etc with much larger tires, 35" plus.

I put the larger lift on it because I wanted to get larger 33's on it, and be able to get myself over more difficult obstacles/through tougher trails.
I drove it pretty hard on 31's, sucked water into the engine 2-3 times before I got my snorkel. Changed the oil each time and it ran fine right afterward.
After it sat with a 1/2 tank of gas in my garage for 2.5 years, I charged the battery up and it turned over like it was my daily driver. Crappy old gas, same oil in there as it had when it was parked etc. I was impressed.

From the factory it is rated to tow 5000 pounds, and I could always get 8' long 2x4's slid along the passenger side and braced against the pass. door.

In my opinion, it truly is one of the better SUV's that has been produced for actual "U"tilitarian purposes, and it works really well offroad, especially if you get a locker in at least the rear.

If I was to buy an XJ right now, for general trail riding and adventuring, this is what I'd do:

Get the newest/lowest mileage one you could find. (Try to find one with the 8.25 rear end, it's pretty strong, and PLENTY strong for 31's.)
Put a good quality 3" lift on it. (Add M/T tires in a 31x10.5R15 because they will fit on the stock rims.)
Get a skid plate for the transfer case, and transmission if possible. A lot of the later XJ's came with a factory skid covering the gas tank.)
Get a snorkel.
Get or make an offroad bumper with winch mount for the front, and a matching rear bumper with a spare tire and jerry can carrier.
I would also get some sliders for it, but that option is dependent on what sort of trails you'll be seeing.
If you move the pass. seat all the way forward, you can sleep on that side of it, but the RTT is definitely an option. You'll definitely lose some of the relatively good fuel mileage of the vehicle if you go that route though. I'd personally try the sleeping platform first to see if it works - cheaper and you can boondock more discreetly.

You won't have to get different gear sets if you go to 31" tires and the lift, but it is an option. I wouldn't advise going any shorter than 4.10's though, that's all you'll need to keep good mpg and power offroad.
(I still haven't re-geared, but with these heavy and wide 33's, I really should, I will eventually be going for 4.56's.)
But, if you're looking for the most traction offroad, you'll want front and rear lockers, I'd go with ARB air lockers. If you're putting lockers in both axles, you might as well do the ARB's because it's one of the best options to keep driveability very high, especially in wintery/slippery conditions.
And if you're doing lockers in the axles, THIS is the time to do the gearing because you're pulling all the guts out anyway. If you're paying someone, you're going to save a lot of money having them install the gears and lockers at the same time. I was quoted about 9 -10 hours of labour to do gears in both axles, apparently it takes longer for the front axle than the rear.

Anyways, hopefully I've helped you spend a bunch of money, and don't forget to enjoy the XJ!

 

[nbleak21]

I picked up mine bone stock (still even has cassette player!) for $3600, w/ just over 100k on it. Sub 4k shouldn't be a problem at all.

 

[T>D>C]

Great choice. My 91 has over 272,000 miles on it. I bought it with 134,000 miles on it for $3,500 and with mods and repairs I have spent over $10,500 on mine in 7.6 years of ownership.I keep very detailed records. I tried to do most of the work myself if possible. If I would have left it stock (no lift, gear changes, et) I probably would have only spent about half that or less.

For the DIY person, I think this is a great site to repair/mod or link to repairs/mod on anything Jeep - http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/

I have only been on this site a short time but there are very mechanically sound people here as well.

For the money, I think the Cherokee is perfect for low budget off road adventures. It will fit down small trails. It has enough room to carry what you need (what you need is not what you want sometimes). And it is a very capable 4x4 (or it would not have "Jeep" any where on it).

As for as I can tell, stay away from any that or not 4.0 and any earlier than 1991.

Good luck.

T>D>C

 

[4xdog]

I've been delighted with my 1988 XJ, which I've had for almost twenty years and 300 000 miles. I like the earlier body style mainly for the interior. I'm 6 foot 6, so leg room is a high value to me. The earlier style dash has no significant knee bolster taking up room. I think the Limited seats from the late 80s were some of the most comfortable. The earlier dash is also lower in front of the windshield, and visibility is easier.

The 4.0 L motor is strong and easy to work on. The older XJs have a proprietary engine management system called RENIX (Renault + Bendix) that is kind of orphaned now, but generally reliable enough not to matter.

The most important thing about older XJs is the cooling system. The closed system with pressurized expansion bottle takes close care to keep reliable. Air pockets in the system congregate in the head and can lead to hot spots. Pressure leaks will lead to overtemperatures. The plastic expansion bottle eventually fails under pressure, and will normally need replacement every 5 years or so. Quadratec make a better one than Mopar for replacement.

The NP242 (Selec Trac) full time / center differential transfer case is a nice thing to have for a daily driver.

Cherokees are not perfectly reliable, unlike, say, my old Toyota pickup, but they'll almost always get you home and they're pretty easy to work on.

They hold a surprisingly large amount of stuff, especially if the spare is relocated to the exterior, as with some of the swing away rear bumper mounts.

Don

 

[jeepdreamer]

The .02 cent club...

Here's my 2 centavos!
I've owned 5 XJs. I've wheeled and gotten groceries and everything in between. My thoughts are that dollar for dollar they can't be beat.!.
Find an ex-soccer mom owned version made AFTER 1991 and enjoy. '91 introduced the HO 4.0 and said good bye to the Renix fuel injection system. The Bosch system is better...cleaner install, easier to troubleshoot, no stupid in line fusable links! Plus a better flowing head.
Find one with about 100-150k miles and enjoy it! They all develop a rear main seal leak at between 80-and whenever thousand miles. The exhaust manifold (really a header) will....WILL crack at the collector. Don't waste your time trying to reweld it...buy a Banks and enjoy!
Avoid the ABS as mentioned above UNLESS...its the reason it is being sold. My 91 Briarwood (fancy-schmancy high end thing) was GIVEN...Free...to me since the breaks were out. It had 120k miles on it and had sat for 3 years. I put a battery in it, checked the fluids, and drove it home using the E-brake. Once it was in the garage I nabbed an regular, non ABS booster/master cyl from the junk yard (22.50) and removed all the ABS garbage. Took a slow evening and a tastey 6 pack to fix it. That jeep is still on the road with little to no regular matainence being flogged by my ex girlfriend. Last communication it was almost at 300k! And I mean ZERO love....Add gas, check to see if the oil leaked out, and drive it like a mad woman. Sitll runs like a top!
For these...the AW4 is hard to beat. I am a manual transmission guy but this little auto is outstanding! Works great and lasts forever!!!! Can't go wrong with an XJ!!!

 

[deadbeat son]

You've come from Toyotas, the Tacoma followed by the Cruiser, so be prepared for some serious differences. In 2001 I bought a '99 XJ Sport (4.0 5spd) with 24k miles on it. It had been someone's mall crawler, no signs of offroad useage at all. With 24k miles, it had more creaks, squeaks, and rattles than the Miata I traded in with 105k and probably more than my FJ60 that I owned concurrently with 195k miles.

That being said, I drove the XJ until it had 98k and traded it in. I never did anything except change the fluids and replace the front brake pads and turn the rotors. The rear differential (Chrysler 8.25") always made a clicking and popping noise, but the dealer could never recreate it while it was under warranty. Regardless, the diff never failed.

The fit and finish is where I think you'll see discrepancies compared to the Toyota. For instance, the rear view mirror hogs a valuable part of my field of vision. The seats are uncomfortable for long trips; I drove mine from Denver to Syracuse, NY by way of Columbus, MS. I was in my mid-20s, so it wasn't unbearable but I don't think I could do that in an XJ today.

In my experience, they're good solid vehicles, but are lacking in a couple of the comfort and aesthetic areas where Toyota excels. Good luck with your search!

 

[Root Moose]

The fit and finish is where I think you'll see discrepancies compared to the Toyota. For instance, the rear view mirror hogs a valuable part of my field of vision. The seats are uncomfortable for long trips; I drove mine from Denver to Syracuse, NY by way of Columbus, MS. I was in my mid-20s, so it wasn't unbearable but I don't think I could do that in an XJ today.

In my experience, they're good solid vehicles, but are lacking in a couple of the comfort and aesthetic areas where Toyota excels. Good luck with your search!

Except for the fit and finish comment these are subjective things. Yes, fit and finish is typical American car like (i.e. crap).

I find the seats fine. Not sure what is being said with respect to the rear view mirror. I've never noticed anything like that.

As for aesthetics, thank goodness it doesn't look like a Toyota. Toyota doesn't have anything on anybody with respect to aesthetics.

$0.02

 

[winkosmosis]

I drove on some washboard roads a couple days ago. With every bump I could feel the unibody losing a little structural integrity, rattling apart. I really wished I had an IFS vehicle, rather than a solid axle with a lift (and accompanying angled control arms) up front. I've decided that for a small lift and slightly bigger tires, driving on trails, a Toyota or Nissan is a better option than a Jeep. Solid axles are for rock crawlers with massive lifts.

 

[winkosmosis]

You've come from Toyotas, the Tacoma followed by the Cruiser, so be prepared for some serious differences. In 2001 I bought a '99 XJ Sport (4.0 5spd) with 24k miles on it. It had been someone's mall crawler, no signs of offroad useage at all. With 24k miles, it had more creaks, squeaks, and rattles than the Miata I traded in with 105k and probably more than my FJ60 that I owned concurrently with 195k miles.

That being said, I drove the XJ until it had 98k and traded it in. I never did anything except change the fluids and replace the front brake pads and turn the rotors. The rear differential (Chrysler 8.25") always made a clicking and popping noise, but the dealer could never recreate it while it was under warranty. Regardless, the diff never failed.

The fit and finish is where I think you'll see discrepancies compared to the Toyota. For instance, the rear view mirror hogs a valuable part of my field of vision. The seats are uncomfortable for long trips; I drove mine from Denver to Syracuse, NY by way of Columbus, MS. I was in my mid-20s, so it wasn't unbearable but I don't think I could do that in an XJ today.

In my experience, they're good solid vehicles, but are lacking in a couple of the comfort and aesthetic areas where Toyota excels. Good luck with your search!

My XJ also squeeks more than the 1995 Miata with 100k I just sold :sombrero:

 

[BIGdaddy]

XJ's suck. Definitely don't buy one...