Jeep noob is entering the forum

[Initium]

Hi guys & girls:
i am a fresh Jeep XJ owner. Used to drive Mercedes but got tired of them last year. Sold out all, but regrettet this 5months later. When a collegue offered me her 1995 Jeep XJ 4.0 HO, i bought it after a short test-drive around the block.
Since we have to other daily bangers, the Jeep will be used for light offroading and as our SUV ( sports and recreational utillity vehicle ) sounds perfect for this car.

We plan to take it to ICELAND nect summer, as we did with our GD300 in 2010. Whole family spendt 2 weeks, travelling in the higlands and exploring the last reall wilderness of Europe...

I have some regrets about the Jeeps size, but i think we can live with the limitations in luggage space on our XJ. A custom roof rack will make it possible to carry what 4 people will need for 4 weeks i belive.

First modification is to mount to singel seats instead of rear seat. In between we will mount refrigerator / cooler, as we did on our GD300
( pics showing how we solved this on our 300GD )


Perfect solution to divide our boyz 5 and 8 when days get a bit too long in the backseat....

Looking forward to learn more about the XJ...

 

[Scott Brady]

Welcome!

 

[BIGdaddy]

Welcome to the forum. Nice G-wagon, and congrats on the XJ. They're honest, dependable 4x4's with a quality drivetrain. Your 1995 is probably one of the best years to choose from. 1999 being just a bit better, but not by much.

I've had mine for about 4 years, and it's never let me down. I've just kept up on normal oil changes, and have used quality bosch, stant, Moog, Spicer, and Jeep OEM parts.

Other than that, there is a HUGE aftermarket for that roof rack you're talking about, as well as many pieces to strategically strengthen your rig for backcountry use.

Don't be fooled by the advertisements though. Some good armor(t-case skid, engine skid, rock sliders, a 2-3" lift, 31" tires, and some recovery gear will allow the xj's flexy suspension and light weight to mountiain goat it's way up pretty much anything. With that setup, the Cherokee will still be operating within factory specs which is important if reliability and durability are high on your priority list.

 

[old_man]

Welcome. This is a great place for expo types.

If you are interested in support for your XJ specificly, try www.naxja.org

 

[Initium]

Main reason for buing the Jeep, was Jeeps extreme low pricing in Norway.
Mid-size american SUVs like Cherokee, Blazer and Explorer with gas engine, are almost valueless compared to their Japaneese " brothers " ie. Pajero, Patrol, 4Runner / Landcruiser etc.

Since petrol now is around 15NOK/liter( USD 2,67 pr liter ), petrol guzzlers are almost impossible to sell for a reasonable price. To expensive to use on day-day basis, but perfect as an extra car / offroad / expedition ride, that is used now and then...

 

[BIGdaddy]

Main reason for buing the Jeep, was Jeeps extreme low pricing in Norway.
Mid-size american SUVs like Cherokee, Blazer and Explorer with gas engine, are almost valueless compared to their Japaneese " brothers " ie. Pajero, Patrol, 4Runner / Landcruiser etc.

Since petrol now is around 15NOK/liter( USD 2,67 pr liter ), petrol guzzlers are almost impossible to sell for a reasonable price. To expensive to use on day-day basis, but perfect as an extra car / offroad / expedition ride, that is used now and then...

That's the same here(except we call it gasoline, not petrol..). XJ cherokee's are very inexpensive and plentiful.

I do drive mine on a daily basis, and as such fuel is my biggest expense, but I've literally spent less than a thousand dollars on maintenence in 4 years.

Very inexpensive vehicle to own when viewed as a whole. Make sure you don't let it sit TOO long. They don't like that, and will invariably have a temper tantrum due being neglected and feeling left out.

Anywho, have fun.

 

[BlackClassic]

Hey welcome to the awesomeness of owning an XJ! Good luck with your build! I agree with the statement of 3" lift and 31s as that is what I have with the exception of 30s rather than 31s. It works good. Went on my first wheeling trip and for my lack of experience the jeep did not let me down. It was more my experince that got me stuck. So you should be good. Your jeep with 3" can go anywhere a jeep with a larger lift can. a little can go a long way.

 

[Initium]

First issue of all will be new tires. 215/75-15 Cooper wintertyres it not no1 choice for good looks...

I am thinking of BFG Allterrain vs BFG Mudterrain. I think i will keep dimension at max possible for stock suspension. Large, beefy tires are nice to have, but put extra strain on suspension and drivetrain when driving under rugged conditions.

235/75-15 could be a OK dimension. Is 30" max size with stock suspension ? ( have new rear springs, also need advise to increase load capacity, ie add-a-leaf or maybe air-helping suspension ?

Edit: have a set of 235/75-75 General Grabber AT2 on hand, at reasonable price. Anyone able to comment theese for use on a Cherokee XJ ?

 

[BlackClassic]

you should try Falken High country a/ts, quiet and capable.

 

[BlackClassic]

First issue of all will be new tires. 215/75-15 Cooper wintertyres it not no1 choice for good looks...

I am thinking of BFG Allterrain vs BFG Mudterrain. I think i will keep dimension at max possible for stock suspension. Large, beefy tires are nice to have, but put extra strain on suspension and drivetrain when driving under rugged conditions.

235/75-15 could be a OK dimension. Is 30" max size with stock suspension ? ( have new rear springs, also need advise to increase load capacity, ie add-a-leaf or maybe air-helping suspension ?

Edit: have a set of 235/75-75 General Grabber AT2 on hand, at reasonable price. Anyone able to comment theese for use on a Cherokee XJ ?

You could run 31s stock but there is quite a bit of rub mainly when turning. 30s are pretty much the largest you can go stock with no lift. They work well for a temperary tire while you have a lift too as they are not dinky. I would definently recomend 30s if you can get them. 235s wouldn't be horrible either, they look a bit odd after a lift though.

 

[Initium]

Actually i am not sure if i plan a lift.
My preferences are pretty much the " icelandic-style " that means wide, low and wide.

 

[BIGdaddy]

Here's a few pictures of mine. it's lifted about 2" using a custom leafpack in the rear, and a spacer up front. Everything else: brake lines, shocks, etc are stock.

I'm running 235/75-R16s which I think are about 29.8" tall, which for a lot of companies is technically a 30" tire. I could easily step up to 31's if I wanted, but honestly these 30's stuff perfectly into my wheelwells and never rub. I'd be gaining about .5" under the diff, so not really worth it, unless an amazing deal plopped in my lap to buy a set.

View attachment 88237

View attachment 88236

 

[Initium]

Looks a bit narrow, with such high wheels in only 235 with.
Beefy tires are an advantage when running on bad roads, letting out air gives car a chance to " smothen out " that hardly can be acchieved with suspension uppgrades.....

More pics of unlifted XJs with larger tires will be appriciated...

 

[BlackClassic]

mine is lifted 3" with 30s if you would like, my tires are skinny but it still looks good.

 

[BIGdaddy]

Looks a bit narrow, with such high wheels in only 235 with.
Beefy tires are an advantage when running on bad roads, letting out air gives car a chance to " smothen out " that hardly can be acchieved with suspension uppgrades.....

More pics of unlifted XJs with larger tires will be appriciated...

This thread is all you should ever need. It's called XJ lift setups and has 33 pages of pictures...
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/xj-lift-setups-read-first-post-before-replying-45602/