Old ZJ's...Who's got 'em?

[Singbush]

Disclaimer: I did a search for this first, but wasn't satisfied...

I'm looking at getting a '96 ZJ as a daily driver. It's a 5.2L Laredo with leather and about 130k miles. I've had two XJ's in years past. Plans would include a 2" BB and 31in A/T's. After that, drive it and do general maintenance while hauling my two boys around the hills and trees.

What kind of MPG's can I expect (mostly city driving)? Any issues I should look for before purchasing? Does anyone have a similar setup that they use for expo'ing? Highlights v lowlights is basically what I'm looking for...

Thanks guys,
Mike

Shameless plug...I will be posting my 2005 KJ CRD in the for sale section. I think I'll give the expo group first crack at it before listing it on the Atlanta craigslist.

 

[PGW]

I have a '95 ZJ with a 5.2, 3" budget boost, and 31's (came like that when I bought it). In the city I get around 12mpg, but have gotten as high as 19mpg on a highway trip >200 miles.

Since it is a V8 ZJ, you have the NP249 transfer case which is full-time 4wd and uses a viscous coupler rather than gears to send power to the front. To test if the viscous coupler is bad, drive some tight figure eights and check for binding, etc. The blend doors in the A/C can be a problem, so check out all the climate control settings.

My ZJ is at 172,000 miles now and it runs like new. The 5.2 always fires right up and spins like a top. Other than preventative/routine maintenance I haven't had to do anything to it. Some ZJ's have electrical problems which can make ownership a nightmare, so make sure you pick a good one.

 

[Singbush]

That's exactly what I was looking for. I was hoping to one day swap the t-case for an xj np231.

Anyone have any experience with the OME 2" lift? Trying to figure if the extra $500 over an RE 2" lift is worth it.

Thanks
Mike

 

[njjeepthing]

That's exactly what I was looking for. I was hoping to one day swap the t-case for an xj np231.

Anyone have any experience with the OME 2" lift? Trying to figure if the extra $500 over an RE 2" lift is worth it.

Thanks
Mike

Yes for sure, a friend of mine has the OME on his ZJ and loves it, it drives great.
PM coming your way.

 

[Binksman]

I've got a 1996 ZJ Limited. Around town it gets 13-14 mpg, highway trip usually 18, and hard break that 19 mpg barrier. I'm running 30" AT tires (almost a snow tread). It is our preferred daily driver and it works absolutely brilliantly in the snow and ice. I spent an hour and a half yesterday trying to get the tractor and a Chevy Malibu up a driveway that the Jeep literally crawled right up. For a daily driver, it works great. And this is the first vehicle my wife has ever felt comfortable and confident driving in bad weather. That alone is enough to make me give it a ringing endorsement. It does pretty well on trails and the moderate off-roading I do.

With 200,000 miles, I have had to make some repairs. I got the Jeep for free as scrap because the PO let a transmission line pop off and he burned up the tranny. I swapped in a low mileage tranny which has worked fine ever since. The viscous couple went bad, so again, I swapped in a low mileage unit. I did have to replace the water pump, radiator, and CV joints but I consider those as maintenance for any vehicle with 200k miles on it.

Highlights:
Yes, it has the "dreaded" NV249 transfer case, and you know what, I LOVE IT. For a daily driver, it is about perfect, and the manual tcases don't gain you much if any fuel efficiency.

Lowlights:
The radiator is a pain to work with if you keep the mechanical fan. I went electric and all is easy-cheesy now. Belt swaps in a minute, and I can change a water pump in 15 minutes.

The NV249 tcase- try to find a low mileage unit if you need to replace it. Replacement viscous couplers are hard to find and overpriced like hospital billing.

If I changed anything on this Jeep I'd regear with 3.90 or 4.10's. There's plenty of power from the V8, but because of high axle gearing and carlike shifting from the tranny (to get better mpg) the engine really seems to be lugging at times.

 

[Singbush]

How bad is it if there is some binding when driving tight circles? Does ghat mean the t-case is bad or will it last a while longer?

My buddy has a 5.9l Limited and he has swapped his NV249 for a NP231 from an XJ. Seem pretty straight forward if you luck out and get the right output shaft spline count.

 

[FishPOET]

What kind of MPG's can I expect (mostly city driving)? Any issues I should look for before purchasing? Does anyone have a similar setup that they use for expo'ing? Highlights v lowlights is basically what I'm looking for...

The 5.2 is a very reliable engine. When I was stock I was getting 15mpg in the city.

I had a 2" BB and 31x10.50s and they rubbed. Be prepared to extend your bumpstops or cut the fenders. I would not suggest 3" pucks as you will have trouble keeping the rear springs on the vehicle.

The 96 with a 5.2 comes with the 249, CV front driveshaft and CV front axles and Aluminum 44 rear end.

The 249 works well as an AWD transfercase. It is fine for mild off highway travel. The 96 thru 98 249s lock the front and rear axles together in 4low. The 93-95 249s did not have that 4low locking feature. The viscous coupler acts like a differential between your front and rear axles. If you have binding in the figure 8 test it means that one front tire and one rear tire are locked together. Very stressful on components.

The CV driveshaft should be fine with mild flexing. Mine went bad (popped out) at 3-1/2" of lift.

The CV axles are fine for mild off highway travel but they cannot be fixed on the trail if they go bad. Keep them lubricated and keep the boots in good shape.

The aluminum 44 rear end only has one locker option (Aussie). For mild off highway travel the A44 is plenty strong.

I didn't regear for 31s and it was fine for mild off highway travel.

The only lowlight is the lack of a frame. For mild off highway travel it is a non issue.

The blend doors in the A/C can be a problem, so check out all the climate control settings.

The blend doors were mostly a WJ problem.

 

[The Swiss]

Disclaimer: I did a search for this first, but wasn't satisfied...

I'm looking at getting a '96 ZJ as a daily driver. It's a 5.2L Laredo with leather and about 130k miles. I've had two XJ's in years past. Plans would include a 2" BB and 31in A/T's. After that, drive it and do general maintenance while hauling my two boys around the hills and trees.

What kind of MPG's can I expect (mostly city driving)? Any issues I should look for before purchasing? Does anyone have a similar setup that they use for expo'ing? Highlights v lowlights is basically what I'm looking for...

Thanks guys,
Mike

Shameless plug...I will be posting my 2005 KJ CRD in the for sale section. I think I'll give the expo group first crack at it before listing it on the Atlanta craigslist.

We have two '95 ZJ in the family. MPG about 12 - 16. Only problems we had so far was the viscous coupling going out on my son's; $550 fix, if you want to do it yourself and the heater blower motor going out on my mom's. Over all, they are very good and solid vehicles. There are a lot of good, cheap used ZJ on the market. You should be able to find a good one.

2" BB ad 31's sounds great for a daily driver.

 

[Singbush]

Thanks for the input guys. This board never fails. All good info. I'm going to have it inspected tomorrow and we'll go from there. I'll keep you guys posted.

Mike

 

[BigDaveZJ]

FishPoet's info is dead on. Owned and built several ZJ's, they're good rigs.

 

[madZJ]

I've been very happy with my OME HD springs, rides better then stock especially when loaded.