XJ Shopping Tips?

[TwoTrack]

This weekend we pushed our 2wd Ford Ranger over the edge of its capabilities, there was a gouged out hill climb that I just could not pass. We ended up parking the truck and hiking to the end of the trail as that's where we wanted to camp. Lugging all of our gear was a pain. A good winch would have gotten us up, but so would a 4x4. Our trips are starting to get longer and more adventurous the more my wife comes along. So we talked about it and have decided that its time to change our platform. We decided that a SUV is much better suited to our family (My wife and I along with 2 black labs). I have pretty much settled on a 99-01 4x4 Jeep Cherokee even though I have yet to drive or even sit in one.

We would like this vehicle to be comfortable for long highway stretches and then able to tackle moderate trails. We are worried about the storage space and also reliability on an older vehicle. My plans for it would be ARB bumper, winch, OME HD lift, and 31' tires. I have lots of questions about these rigs:

How reliable are they? Any known flaws that need to be addressed?
What are common failures?
Is there a package that I should seek out? The Sport?
Do they have a problem with the heads?
Will 31's be to much for stock gears?
Am I expecting to much of this vehicle?

Our budget for the vehicle is about 5k and plan to shop till we find exactly the one we want. Hoping to get one with right at 100k miles or less.

All opinions and comments are welcome.

 

[Black Dog]

Some things to think about are:

Look for a non-ABS Cherokee. The ABS came only with a Dana 35 axle, non ABS has the much stronger Chrysler 8.25 axle (identifiable by the flat spot on the underside of the differential housing). Dana 35 is a common failure point.

With 31s you'll probably want to regear to 4.10. Depending on your particular trim level it may already have 4.10 or it may have 3.55, the book High Performance Jeep Cherokee Builders Guide does good detailing which comes with which.

Reliability is amazing. Even when you think they are past their lifespan they will keep going.

Another failure point is the rear main seal on the motor. If it leaks oil there is a 99% chance that this is where the leak is. I always thought that if it doesn't leak its probably already been fixed.

Third common problem is death wobble. Mine started doing it after I put my lift on, and I fixed it by getting better tires and having it aligned. That was an easy fix although not typical, guys can spend years and tons of money finding the problems.

Think about getting some disconnects for the front sway bar when you're off road also, its amazing how much articulation you'll gain. The rear sway bar can be removed completely and get you more articulation, but at the cost of increased body roll.

Finally a slip yoke eliminator on the transfer case is a good idea. For 3" lift and 31s you could probably get away without it but its best to play it safe, any higher and you are tempting fate.

 

[TwoTrack]

Thank you!

Some things to think about are:

Look for a non-ABS Cherokee. The ABS came only with a Dana 35 axle, non ABS has the much stronger Chrysler 8.25 axle (identifiable by the flat spot on the underside of the differential housing). Dana 35 is a common failure point.

Very good to know.

With 31s you'll probably want to regear to 4.10. Depending on your particular trim level it may already have 4.10 or it may have 3.55, the book High Performance Jeep Cherokee Builders Guide does good detailing which comes with which.

From what I found the Towing Package had 3.73 and the Off-Highway Package had 4.10, everything else got 3.55. I'm not sure how you would be able to tell other than the differential tag.

Reliability is amazing. Even when you think they are past their lifespan they will keep going.

Exactly what I wanted to hear.

Another failure point is the rear main seal on the motor. If it leaks oil there is a 99% chance that this is where the leak is. I always thought that if it doesn't leak its probably already been fixed.

I'm dealing with the same thing on the Ranger at the moment.

Third common problem is death wobble. Mine started doing it after I put my lift on, and I fixed it by getting better tires and having it aligned. That was an easy fix although not typical, guys can spend years and tons of money finding the problems.

This is something that I have read a lot about and worries me the most. I have read threads that go on for 2+ years and the owner ends up selling it because he can't take it anymore.

Think about getting some disconnects for the front sway bar when you're off road also, its amazing how much articulation you'll gain. The rear sway bar can be removed completely and get you more articulation, but at the cost of increased body roll.

Finally a slip yoke eliminator on the transfer case is a good idea. For 3" lift and 31s you could probably get away without it but its best to play it safe, any higher and you are tempting fate.

I would definitely go with a SYE, reliability is a major key for me. Also the discos sound like a great idea.

 

[Bbasso]

View attachment 121514
View attachment 121515
TUPY mark is GOOD. 0331 is BAD. 630 is GOOD.
31X10.5-15 BFG A/T tires with 3.55 gears and I can literally smoke the tires from a stop, I can out run a normal riced civic, and still get 20-24mpg Hwy. In other words, if the motor is in good shape there is no reason to regear unless the terrain warrants it.
Imho stick with the 97-early99 they have the 630 head and I haven't heard of one issue with those.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_Cherokee_(XJ)
I was minuets away from getting the OME 3 inch, then heard about BDS and am one VERY happy customer. http://bds-suspension.com/

if you want to see mine: http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/i-bought-99-xj-lots-questions-141101/#post1874595

 

[tatuedrednek]

Well I was going to add something to this discussion, but it looks like the bases have all been covered. I love my Cherokee and it has taken me all over western Colorado and eastern Utah. The only time it has ever let me down was through no fault of it's own. It's usually the loose nut behind the wheel that causes the problems!

 

[prerunner1982]

I have lots of questions about these rigs:

How reliable are they? Any known flaws that need to be addressed? Reliability depends on maintenance, but the 4.0 liter is known for hitting 300K miles.

What are common failures? Since you are looking at the 99-01s the late 99s? -2001s 4.0 liters have a head (casting # 0331) that are known for cracking if over heated, check floor boards for rust, gauge cluster has bad connection and will cut on/off (retro plug available through dealer), valve cover leaks, oil filter adapter leaks, rear main seal leaks, and as mentioned death wobble, door hinges pulling away from the body (more evident on 2 doors), seat frame welds breaking, Crank Position sensors commonly fail, rear upper shock bolts tend to break when changing/replacing shocks, exhaust manifolds crack. It may sound like a lot, but it really isn't that bad and you may not experience any/every one of these issues.

Is there a package that I should seek out? The Sport? It depends on the options you want. The Sport is generally the low end, my 93 has no A/C manual locks, manual windows, 5 speed, but it does have the full gauge cluster as opposed to the "idiot" light cluster.

Do they have a problem with the heads? Yes, they are prone to cracking if they get over heated much.

Will 31's be to much for stock gears? You could get away with it, but ultimately you and your Jeep would be happier with a regear. If you get the manual trans you will have a 3.07 gear ratio.
Am I expecting to much of this vehicle? Not at all, it is a great platform to build on.

Our budget for the vehicle is about 5k and plan to shop till we find exactly the one we want. Hoping to get one with right at 100k miles or less. The 100K miles or less are getting harder to find. Don't rule out something with more miles though, unless they were abused they can last a long time.

All opinions and comments are welcome.

My 93 has almost 240K on it. I can squeeze 20mpg city out of it on 30" mud tires and stock gears as long as I baby it around town but I have the manual trans, and auto probably would not get as much.
A good Jeep Cherokee specific forum is www.XJtalk.com.

 

[Black Dog]

I've had a 95 and 99 Sport package, the 95 was manual trans and 99 was automatic, neither had cruise control, but I did have a/c and power windows and locks. You'll just have to shop and see what you find.

 

[TwoTrack]

After Bbasso's and prerunner1982's comments I am leaning towards a 97-early 99 due to the head issues. Looks like I will need a re-gear with 31's.

So narrowing it down to 97-99 for the 630 heads.
No ABS.
Check for oil leaks.

Is it possible that a 99-01 could have the 630 heads?

 

[prerunner1982]

Also with the 2000 and 2001 they did not have a distributor, they had a coil on plug ignition system.

Generally the early 99 model year is regarded as being the best. They were the last with the high pinion front axle (2000 and 2001 had a low pinion, which really only comes into play if you are lifting it up 4" or more), they had the large axle u-joints, it did not have the 0331 head, and last year with distributor.

If you get one that does NOT have ABS you could have either the Dana 35 or the Chrysler 8.25 rear end. The Chry 8.25 is regarded as being stronger. If you get one with ABS you WILL have the Dana 35. The 8.25 has a flat spot on the bottom of the differential and has larger 3" axle tubes (Dana 35 has 2.5").

 

[rockhead]

I drove my 97 with stock gears and 31"s and it really was not that bad. You can really only feel it on hills. I switched back to 30's due to having to navigate 3000' hills every day.

 

[Black Dog]

I drove my 97 with stock gears and 31"s and it really was not that bad. You can really only feel it on hills. I switched back to 30's due to having to navigate 3000' hills every day.

Thats why its good to regear is that you do lose some power when you put bigger tires on. You can totally drive with 3.73s and 31s or 32s, but when you are needing to speed up to pass someone on the highway or something you won't have as much pep.

 

[XJCamper]

My 99 is a daily driver with 33x10.50's and factory 3.55 gears. It travels great anywhere I need it to go. the only time I wish I had changed out gears is when I jump on the highway at over 65 miles an hour. It starts to search for gears on any incline. As far as death wobble. There is no guarantee of if your JEEP will aquire this problem or not. Mine has about 4.25 inches under it and (knock on wood) I have never had any problem with Death wobble. Keep everything in the front of the Jeeep tight and it should be fine.

 

[reece146]

Regear for 31s.

I'm pushing 265s on 5" of lift with 4.56 gears and I can't imagine how miserable driving 33s with stock gearing at highway speeds woud be, especially if hauling a trailer. Not to mention having your foot to the floor and burning extra fuel all the time...

 

[Hill Bill E.]

Regear for 31s.

I'm pushing 265s on 5" of lift with 4.56 gears and I can't imagine how miserable driving 33s with stock gearing at highway speeds woud be, especially if hauling a trailer. Not to mention having your foot to the floor and burning extra fuel all the time...

My '99 had 33's and stock 3:55 gears, towed my M416 w/RTT around CO and to Moab twice.

Overdrive was useless, so I just left it in Drive. Only time I had any issues was on some of the mountain passes in CO.

Still managed 16+ on the highway with the trailer, bit better without it.

Doing a regear with 31's, to me, would be a waste of money (if you have 3:55's), unless you plan to jump up to 33's or bigger down the road.

A few things changed in the '99 model year, later '99's had different rotors and unit bearings, and some had the bad head.

Late '97 to early '99 is what I would look for.

 

[reece146]

Expectation levels are everything on this topic (gearing).

I don't imagine a M416 even registers behind a XJ. Try towing a 3000+ lb trailer.

If you want it to drive like a slug keep the stock gears.