XJ Expedition Basics

[Rosco862003]

Some say that he has to remove his shoes with an allen key, Some say his nipples are shaped like the nuremburg ring...All we know is that hes called the stig and hes on Expo Portal wearing a bow tie...Also nice to see that hes modest enough to drive a Cherokee!

 

[hugh]

Spare rad hoses and a couple of feet of ATF rated hose might also come in useful. Cherokees as a rule are pretty reliable. Having said that, when I go out I like to carry a spare steering link setup. On mine I upgraded to a ZJ steering and keep the old set up as a spare. Experience has taught me the steering linkage on Cherokees is vulnerable to rocks. On that note a spare unit bearing for the front wheels can't hurt, along with the necessary tools to change it out. Also a transmission cooler is nice the AW4 does not like heat.

 

[XJINTX]

I agree with most of this list. I would (time available) replace the top and bottom radiator hoses and serp belt. Good maintenance if you have not already and it gives you spares. Easier to change at liesure at home rather than on road.

A triple A membership is a wise choice too

 

[brockmub]

I am glad that you posted this thread.. I am getting ready for the exact same situation as you haha. Heading out on an 2 or 3 day expo trip! :smiley_drive:
Have fun!

I probably would have done most of the things that are being suggested, without posting on this forum. However, no matter who I talk to or where I go, there are always little grains of information gleaned from the conversation. Maybe 2 weeks is a bit ambitious, but the areas that we are going to hit are pretty safe and well known. Jacob... where are you going?

Can we get more info? Are you camping and being self-contained or are you posting up in hotels? The answer to that questions will direct what I'd recommend from my Baja and other trips

I will probably be posting a trip report as we are travelling and much of it is very open ended. But there are a few points that we HAVE to hit:

1. Denver - new god-daughter born and haven't seen yet
2. Ouray - not exactly interested in rock crawling but growing up on the plains has drawn me to high mountain passes like Imogene.
3. Phoenix - meeting old college friends that are definitely kindred spirits so we can drive to...
4. Puerto Penasco - doing a church mission trip to build a small spec home for a local family
http://www.onemission.us/vision.php

Every where else is up in the air. Coming back from Mexico, we might go north to Utah and east through Wyoming but who knows were we will go. We can probably take highways if we wanted but could also take some dirt. The wife probably won't have the patience for an entire 2 weeks of dirt.

Some say that he has to remove his shoes with an allen key, Some say his nipples are shaped like the nuremburg ring...All we know is that hes called the stig and hes on Expo Portal wearing a bow tie...Also nice to see that hes modest enough to drive a Cherokee!

I never know what to use as an avatar, so Stiggy got the nod on this one.

 

[brockmub]

Fuel pumps do not like heat. So if you happen to pass through AZ in the summer it might not hurt to have a spare. I replaced my serp belt and carry the old one as a spare. I have a few extra 2001 Jeep XJ factory service manuals, so if you happen to pass through mesa AZ on your way to mexico I'll be glad to give you one. They are an amazing help if you need to know how to replace or dianose anything on your jeep.

With all of the mention of fuel pumps, I'm going to put on in my ActionPacker. I think it's probably a good idea to do what you suggested and replace my serpentine belt, and keep the old one as a reserve. We should be through Phoenix on June 10th and then again on the 14th. We might take you up on your offer on the extra service manual.

Can we get more info? Are you camping and being self-contained or are you posting up in hotels? The answer to that questions will direct what I'd recommend from my Baja and other trips

Really thinking about going the B&B route with a few hotels mixed in. There also is a bit of a problem with the mission at Rocky Point so we might be camping there. In case we want to camp more of the trip we are bringing most of our camping gear - 4 man tent, thermarests, and bags. But I would not consider this trip "self contained"

Spare rad hoses and a couple of feet of ATF rated hose might also come in useful. Cherokees as a rule are pretty reliable. Having said that, when I go out I like to carry a spare steering link setup. On mine I upgraded to a ZJ steering and keep the old set up as a spare. Experience has taught me the steering linkage on Cherokees is vulnerable to rocks. On that note a spare unit bearing for the front wheels can't hurt, along with the necessary tools to change it out. Also a transmission cooler is nice the AW4 does not like heat.

Radiator hose - check. I might have some left from my Blazer project. The transmission cooler has always been an upgrade that I've wanted to do. Again, I might do it on my Blazer and then on the Cherokee.

I agree with most of this list. I would (time available) replace the top and bottom radiator hoses and serp belt. Good maintenance if you have not already and it gives you spares. Easier to change at liesure at home rather than on road.

A triple A membership is a wise choice too

I need to flush the radiator and swap out fluid so that would be a great time to change the hoses. The AAA membership is already taken care of. Kind of feel like an old blue haired lady when I think of AAA but its saved me once or twice before.

 

[mudbutt]

Saftey Seal tire puncture repair kit and a GPS are two things I haven't seen mentioned yet.....

 

[brockmub]

Saftey Seal tire puncture repair kit and a GPS are two things I haven't seen mentioned yet.....

Tire Repair Kit ... check. As for navigation it's maps and just in case, my (don't make fun of me) Moto Droid.

Love this phone. Will probably use it just to keep track of where we've been with the GPS My Tracks. I know it's not a Garmin or a SPOT but I think it will do just fine. It's been great for navigating cities, picked up rural South Dakota just fine, and keeps me in touch with the outside world (if I want to). Bring on the GPS vs. DROID hate... but I'd like to rely on maps more. I trust paper for some reason.

 

[XXXpedition]

honestly, i don't know what to tell you...
i put 250k very hard miles on my 94 XJ and the only things i ever swapped was water pump, power steering pump and alternator (except aftermarket stuff).
the engine always ran strong. i'd bring a spare belt and tools if you don't do any serious 4x4ing you should be fine...
i always had slight problems with overheating until i dropped in a radiator from alumrad.com - that did the trick.

i think the 4.0l is an awesome engine and the truck should run for a long time...
have fun on the rip!
sven

 

[Black Dog]

One super important thing to remember too is a nice bottle of wine and some fine chocolates. I know from personal experience that going on a jeep drive for a date can some times turn into more of a guys trip where you are dragging the wife along when it should be the other way around.

 

[brockmub]

honestly, i don't know what to tell you...
i put 250k very hard miles on my 94 XJ and the only things i ever swapped was water pump, power steering pump and alternator (except aftermarket stuff).
the engine always ran strong. i'd bring a spare belt and tools if you don't do any serious 4x4ing you should be fine...
i always had slight problems with overheating until i dropped in a radiator from alumrad.com - that did the trick.

i think the 4.0l is an awesome engine and the truck should run for a long time...
have fun on the rip!
sven

Maybe it's just me, but every time someone mentions something, I notice something about my Jeep that I hadn't before. The steering fluid level dropped a few weeks ago so I topped it off. Now that I just drove it, the level is fine but the wheel doesn't seem very smooth on turns. Probably just paranoid, but does that sound like it's going out?

One super important thing to remember too is a nice bottle of wine and some fine chocolates. I know from personal experience that going on a jeep drive for a date can some times turn into more of a guys trip where you are dragging the wife along when it should be the other way around.

Great tip! Need to make sure we drink it all before we cross the border, right? Chocolate & Red Wine - Check!:chef:

 

[cnskate]

I posted a thread on NAXJA awhile back asking people what sort of breakdowns had left them stranded. CPS came up several times. You might look up the thread.

Depends on how many miles on your truck, I suppose. My starter and water pump crapped out at about a 100k miles. I bought new, not rebuilt, parts before my last month long desert trip.

Sounds like you are not going to far off the tarmac and the AAA lifeline, so I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[SWbySWesty]

Since most of your trip is in the US, I agree with XXXpedition. You don't really need much. If you're staying at B&Bs and mostly paved roads, then a full size spare tire, tire puncture kit, water/food in case, engine fluids (premixed rad fluid, engine oil) and other little doodads I'd call it set.

Unless you're going somewhere REMOTE, then you'll usually be near enough a town or something to call AAA if you have a break down in the US.

In Mexico, that's what you have the toolbox, fluids, and tire kit for, but as has been mentioned, if you maintain the rig (bushings, seals, gaskets etc) then you should always be good to go!

ENJOY!

 

[brockmub]

I posted a thread on NAXJA awhile back asking people what sort of breakdowns had left them stranded. CPS came up several times. You might look up the thread.

Depends on how many miles on your truck, I suppose. My starter and water pump crapped out at about a 100k miles. I bought new, not rebuilt, parts before my last month long desert trip.

Sounds like you are not going to far off the tarmac and the AAA lifeline, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Man, why have I never heard about the Crank Position Sensor issue until now? Have I been living under a rock? I've heard about exhaust heads cracking, o2 sensors going out, rough idle with AC, and blown head gaskets... but no one has ever told me to watch out of the CPS.

Hopefully will get the Jeep in the shop this week to finish up the other loose ends for the trip. Roughly one month left till we take off. Once the Jeeper is buttoned up then I'll need to start focusing on parts of the trip like tips on Imogene, Monument, and other parts.

 

[troy]

I agree with the responses posted above, but not sure I agree with carrying a spare feul pump. '97-01 cherokees have the pump in the tank and it is fairly expensive ($2-300) and is also delicate so you'd have to keep it in the box which is good sized (from memory - 8"x8"x15").

While I agree spare parts are good, a feul pump on these models is not an easy roadside fix. Drop the tank, hope the pump went out when it was near empty. Mine had 3/4 of a tank and it nearly killed me to get it down. To me, this is when you actually use AAA or some other roadside assistance to get you off the road and back to a place where you can do the work, or have someone do it. Through my insurance company I pay about $8 a year for roadside assistance.

A better bet if you are really paranoid about a fuel pump going bad is some rubber hose, hose clamps, small electric fuel pump and some wire.

'97-01 fuel pumps do go bad, but is usually the diaphram that maintains pressure in the line. This causes hard starts, but the pump is usually fine. They start giving these symptons for a long time before it becomes an all or nothing issue. Temporary fix is to cycle the key on and off for 2-3 times, this will put pressure in the line and allow a faster start. Then you can repair it at your liesure when you get home.

Another item that is an XJ specific problem in the Nuetral Saftey Switch acting up and not allowing the Jeep to start. There are some instructions on NAXJA on how to bypass it (print and put in glovebox). Simply crossing a couple wires right by the back of the valve cover. Not the safest thing, since it will allow you to start in any gear, but all you'd need is some electrical tape and wire cutter. It'll get you home in a pinch.

You may also want to throw a couple of extra relays in your glove box. The rectangular fuse box under the hood has a couple relays that are known to go bad on occasion. I know one is for the starter (most important), and there are a couple more. They may be the same relay for all, and they are like $10-13.

I've got 233K on my '98 XJ and I've drive it anywhere. Only major things I've needed to do was Fuel pump and NSS. Basic maintenance and you should be fine. Other items have just been inconvenience items like A/C, power windows, etc.

Sounds like a good time. Have fun.

Troy

 

[brockmub]

I agree with the responses posted above, but not sure I agree with carrying a spare feul pump. '97-01 cherokees have the pump in the tank and it is fairly expensive ($2-300) and is also delicate so you'd have to keep it in the box which is good sized (from memory - 8"x8"x15").

While I agree spare parts are good, a feul pump on these models is not an easy roadside fix. Drop the tank, hope the pump went out when it was near empty. Mine had 3/4 of a tank and it nearly killed me to get it down. To me, this is when you actually use AAA or some other roadside assistance to get you off the road and back to a place where you can do the work, or have someone do it. Through my insurance company I pay about $8 a year for roadside assistance.

A better bet if you are really paranoid about a fuel pump going bad is some rubber hose, hose clamps, small electric fuel pump and some wire.

Troy

Troy Thanks!

You made me feel a lot better and worse at the same time:Wow1: The Jeep has given me 70K miles of problem free driving and I have always maintained and garaged it to the best of my ability. I have the utmost confidence in it getting us there and back. So a belt, relays, and a few other small parts might be all that I take because I don't have a lot of faith in my field repair skills. My repair experience is mostly with my old Blazer and some old motorcycles that I once had. They were projects that I could work on for a couple of hours, then leave if I ran into problems or needed parts. In this case, it's fix it or hoof it.

Maybe as our first long expo we shouldn't get too crazy and as a result we shouldn't need too many parts. This forum has been awesome so far... keep it coming!