98 grand cherokee issues to look out for ?

[AA1PR]

hello,
tomorrow I'm going to look at an 98 grand cherokee & was wondering what issues to look out for ?
he claims it has lockers blah blah blah
I know these unibody frames are susceptible to rot & being here in VT that worries me
rig is supposedly clean in & out
heres the beast on 33's & 8" of lift


any help is greatly appreciated & thanks

 

[Smksignals]

that's not a ZJ Grand, that's a XJ Cherokee. 98 is a good year for a XJ.

 

[AA1PR]

that's not a ZJ Grand, that's a XJ Cherokee. 98 is a good year for a XJ.

OK thanks
I dont think I said ZJ
I guess my lack of knowledge of jeeps shows

 

[Mitch502]

Cherokee are nice, really the only thing to look for, which is obvious, is rust. Anything else with the exception of motor/trans issues should be obvious.

 

[mtbxj87]

Besides the horrible ride that thing will have, rust is the biggest dictator of yay or nay. Lift up the rear seat and lift up the carpet there and look for rust. Expecially above the muffler. Floor pans are easy to replace tho, structuall stuff like leaf spring mount are not. Check for cracks around the steering box too

 

[AA1PR]

Thanks guys for all the help & advice

I'm not a jeep guy so its all a learning process for me
no rust & clean frame I liked
it was in really bad shape, not sure when he took the pic, interior was mud riddled
I couldnt get it to move forward without a loud popping noise & it felt like the front end was locked up
it wouldnt even turn
he claims its a sway bar link
I looked & it appeared fine
guessing it has bigger issues I dont want to know about

we want one thats used but not abused

so back to shopping

 

[BigDaveZJ]

OK thanks
I dont think I said ZJ
I guess my lack of knowledge of jeeps shows

The title of the thread says "98 Grand Cherokee" which implies it's a ZJ.

 

[Weeds]

That looks like a roll over special. The neighbor kid bought a 98 ZJ with 6" of lift an no sway bars. He rolled it going straight down a hill on a FS road. It was totaled. He was not cited by the Sherriff.

 

[AA1PR]

The title of the thread says "98 Grand Cherokee" which implies it's a ZJ.

Ah OK didnt know that

my son has a 98 grand cherokee laredo is it also a ZJ ?

 

[burton58]

Ah OK didnt know that

my son has a 98 grand cherokee laredo is it also a ZJ ?

That's correct.

93-98 grand cherokee =ZJ
99-04 grand cherokee =WJ
84-01 cherokee =XJ

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[AA1PR]

That's correct.

93-98 grand cherokee =ZJ
99-04 grand cherokee =WJ
84-01 cherokee =XJ

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Thanks

still looking for one for my daughter...

 

[F40]

Look for a stock one. 95% of modified XJ's are cobbled together death traps, especially when they look like that one.

 

[AA1PR]

Look for a stock one. 95% of modified XJ's are cobbled together death traps, especially when they look like that one.

Yes, thats what I'm learning
& noticed a couple where they drilled across & the holes didnt line up with not much metal there....

 

[Fursphere]

There are many suspension lift kits for XJs. Most allow the use of 33" tires and are a in the 5" range. Above that, be very scared. XJs are cheap and people put the minimal amount of money into them to trash them on the trails - because they are so cheap they're seen as "throw away" jeeps.

You can spend a lot of money building one the right way though.

Also, with 33" tires the stock axles are being pushed to their limits. And if they haven't been re-geared for the tire size, expect more pain.

I have had three cherokees. (I still have one). I would NOT buy one for my kids thats been modified in any way at all.

 

[AA1PR]

There are many suspension lift kits for XJs. Most allow the use of 33" tires and are a in the 5" range. Above that, be very scared. XJs are cheap and people put the minimal amount of money into them to trash them on the trails - because they are so cheap they're seen as "throw away" jeeps.

You can spend a lot of money building one the right way though.

Also, with 33" tires the stock axles are being pushed to their limits. And if they haven't been re-geared for the tire size, expect more pain.

I have had three cherokees. (I still have one). I would NOT buy one for my kids thats been modified in any way at all.

Thanks good points to know