C.Shontz 2001 Jeep Cherokee (Progress)

[cshontz]

Congrats Chris, I have always thought a Miata would be a fun run around.... they just don't carry my hobbies well, but I bet you will love having it and the Jeep repaired!

Thanks, Jay. Absolutely. A small, fuel-sipping run around car, and the Cherokee which I don't have to modify quite as sensibly anymore - and I can stop piling on the miles. I think trying to keep up with the wear and tear on the rapidly aging Jeep has been one of the main things keeping me off the trail.

Furthermore, I think I'll be much more inclined to do work myself. For instance, if I tear it apart on a Sunday, I don't NEED to get it back together by Monday anymore. I could let it sit to the following weekend. I've seldom had two vehicles simultaneously if you can't tell.

 

[cshontz]

This was pretty much the breaking point.

 

[d67u57]

ouch. that's a health hazard right there!!!

 

[Haggis]

It could be worse Chris; this was for Ally's Jeep back in January…

Thankfully Al an Adam came up and gave me hand swapping the motor, and as cold as it was it was a feat beyond the call of duty. Between the PA rust, the lack of accessability, the inability to pressure wash the Jeep because of the cold and the cold itself it was a pure pain in the ********. If it wasn't for Al and Adam's good sense of humor I might have burnt that XJ to the ground just out of spite. So if you see me acting as a man servant for those two at the next few runs its because I owe them big time and not because of some dark secret that they are blackmailing over.

 

[cshontz]

It could be worse Chris; this was for Ally's Jeep back in January…

Whoa! What was wrong with it?

 

[Haggis]

Best that I can determine the water pump seized suddenly and without warning on a very cold January morning. Allison noticed a sudden loss of heat and was trying to find a safe place to pull over when the motor gernaded. The number 5 piston exploded pretty spectacularly. I found a good used engine for $500 and was a set to R&R it myself when Al and Adam stepped up to give me a hand. It was a damn good thing too as there was no way I could have done it myself. The top bell housing bolts where a two man job to reach just on their own. I don't have to tell you but that bunch we run with are some of the finest people anybody could ever meet. Allison has made Al and Adam local Jeep heroes in the Arthurian vein of sorts here abouts and now refers to them as her "Uncles". Even though it was a crappy job, at the same time it was fun too.

 

[d67u57]

nice.

i see jeep owners helping others on the road, land rover too but not the snobby ones that bought them to pimp the mall yo

 

[Main Line Overland]

Nice to see you back in a miata! Let us know if you ever need any parts...we have parted out a few miatas and have everything from drivetrain to body panels & interior.

 

[cshontz]

About time for an update. I picked the Cherokee up last month, about $1000 poorer, but the important bits were fixed. I got a new heater core, and the poisonous green cloud inside the cab is gone.

I had the shop rotate the tires before I picked it up, which resulted in a fairly bad wobble at 50 mph. It didn't render the Jeep undrivable, but it was violent enough that I was concerned about it breaking something. It was pre-death-wobble. I'm not calling it death-wobble, because I had that once on my TJ, and that was far worse. So long story short, I took it to another shop (ok4wd) to get that fixed.

Now the Cherokee is for the most part, vibe, and wobble-free.

Just yesterday, I replaced the struts on the tailgate, which was long past due. That was a simple repair that I've been putting off for far too long. It feels like a new Jeep. It's nice to be able to attend to the little things now. It feels like I'm catching up with it finally.

I still struggle with that Jensen stereo I installed dozens of pages back. I'm on my 3rd one, because my iPhone kept disconnecting from it while playing music. Well, guess what. This one is doing it too - which I might've already stated a while back. I've been so stubborn with this one, because I really want to love it. Any normal person would've replaced it with something else long ago.

However, I was just on Crutchfield, and found that a new version is out with a USB input on the front. That may be all I need!

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_522JHD1630/Jensen-Heavy-Duty-JHD1630B.html

 

[Chi-Town]

The iPhone series had always been known for radio connection issues (OEM & aftermarket), so it may not be the head unit.

 

[jim65wagon]

Chris.....obviously the HD Jensen is NOT HD enough for your usage.....please, please, please, buy something else! Glad you got the Jeep back minus the green gas.....

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

Glad to see things turn around for you :costumed-smiley-007

 

[cshontz]

So I'm becoming a bit more of an active off-roader again. Since I acquired the Miata, I've been able to keep up with the Cherokee maintenance a bit better. I've used my winch (out of necessity) roughly 4 or 5 times in 2013, which is the most it's been needed in the last dozen years. Mind you, this is more a commentary on my activeness rather than the quality of lines that I pick, which I assure you, are solid.*

*unless I'm showing off in front of my 10 year old son and discarding all common sense

New tires are going to be needed soon, and I'm determined to try the Falken Wildpeak AT2, however, I'm not sure if I want to get 245s, or step it up to 265s.

The conundrum is this:

I've been attending the local off-road park, enjoying circuitous technical trails (devoid of having a point), and putting the Jeep through its paces. It performs brilliantly, but in this environment where the trails are tailored to be challenging, a little more ground clearance would be beneficial. On the other hand, I'm an overlander at heart, and TRUE joy comes from travel and not knowing what challenges await around the bend. In which case, minimal lift and 245s are usually sufficient.

It's hard, being at the off-road park, as you pass tall-tired vehicles that evoke "oooooohs" and "ahhhhs". My inferiority complex kicks in as I wander around in the Jeep that's easily mistaken for stock. I'm sure many of my similarly minded ExPo friends can relate. How would another couple inches of ground clearance hurt?

I think I already know the answer, but I thought I'd pose the question again anyway, because it makes great conversation.

 

[Chi-Town]

I'm 4 inches up and that's about as far as I plan to go for a couple reasons. The biggest one being center of gravity. I plan on loading my roof rack when the time requires, so stability is crucial. Second reason is cost. To go above 4" on an xj and not completely butcher the suspension angles (ride quality & handling) is a significant investment in time and money. Add the price of big tires and the loss of fuel economy from the rotating mass of this tires and it just doesn't make sense to me for overland and mild off-road use.

 

[FKreider]

I have a 88 CJ/YJ that is pretty tall. Its about as short as it can be with stock fenders and flares, no body modifications, and 35" tires. I run in a few clubs here in the north east and I've been on some of the hardest trails that new england has to offer.

That being said, I feel exactly the opposite of you, I look at smaller Jeeps on 31's to 33's with less lift and I think "That thing must be so nice on the road." I daily drive a 99' two door cherokee, and I love the way it handles, it came from the factory with the up country package which I beleive lifted the Jeep 1" and I run 235's on it. It's mint on the highway and can still take me down cart roads and mild terrain.

In my mind the 33" tire is about as good as it gets for a great combination between on road manners and off road capability. If you want your Jeep to be more capable in the off road park then add some lift and tire size, however your on road manners drasticly decrease in my opinion, in my mind this decreases the long-range capability of driving the Jeep to further away destinations.