what to stay away from

[wally]

Okay my daughter is going to be 16 in June so I am getting ready to start looking for something for her to drive. I was looking at maybe going for a cherokee and she also likes them. My question is if there are certain ones I should try and stay away from and why. Oh my budget will be around 3000. Plus I do not want her to wheel it and if/and when she does I will be with her until I know she knows a little about it.

 

[DaveB]

Stay away from the 84-86 models as they had weak engines. 87-90 had the lower output engines and some had the weak Peugot 5 speed transmissions that are very expensive to fix. The 91 and newer XJs had the high output engines and better transmissions so that is what I would go for.

 

[mbryson]

That's what I'll probably be putting my kids in for a 'first car' as well. I'm with Dave. I like the '91-01 models. They have basicly the same powertrain with the exception of the engine management (OBD vs. OBDII). Being able to read the codes off the service engine soon light was kinda handy at times, so my nod would go for the '91-'95 models.

The 4.0L tend to go until about 180K-??? without much issue, so the less miles the better. The AW4 tranny is rock solid (probably the best part of the rig, honestly). The D30 is fine for light-medium offroading. The later model 8.25 is a great match for the D30, but you'll probably get lucky and get the D35 rear. I wheeled my D35 until I moved from 33" tires. It never let me down, but I wheeled with a light throttle for the most part.

 

[timpanogos]

My question is if there are certain ones I should try and stay away from and why.

Stay away from all the boys (redrum) that will start to show at your door. Especially if you get her a Jeep!

 

[Milner]

Don't rule out 89/90 if they have an auto and/or low miles....Like Marc said, the AW4 seems to hold up well. Angie's had 3 motors and never had a problem with the trans....probably near 300K on the trans!!
The power difference is minimal from the 89/90 to the 91 and newer....don't remember the exact #'s but I have driven plenty of both and it was not noticeable.
Personally I'd like the newer body.
Also lock at state and local gov't surplus. I have picked up a couple xj's for good deals that way.

 

[jdub]

X2 on the 84-85 I picked up an 84 with perfect body and 111k miles. The motor was so weak that you couldn't make it up most hills. This jeep was a true example of a lemon. Everything broke in a matter of a month. I had to get rid of it.

 

[allterrain]

I have been thinking of the same rig. I have 2 15 yr. olds with learner's permits and I know I will need another vehicle in the fall.

 

[cannoncrawler]

Stay away from those cans!!!!!!!!!!


He hates those cans!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jay5.9L]

I had a '90 cherokee as my first car and it was great! Sold it a few years ago with 140K on the odometer. No big problems, mostly little electrical things like sensors and power windows getting weak, etc. I should have got a '91 or newer to get the HO. If you can find one go for a '97 or newer since they gave it a slight face lift.

 

[Herzog]

My buggy drivetrain is from my original 89 Cherokee... The speedo stopped being accurate around 185k. I know by now it has to be up in the 220k - 250k area, both engine and transmission (AW4) stock and original, no rebuild, both still very strong and in great working condition.

The only things that have been replaced on the engine are as follows:
2 crank position sensors, 1 throttle position sensor, and about 5 alternators (don't ask)

I'm a firm believer in th I6 and the AW4. They have both been beaten to hell and back and keep on taking it. My engine / transmission constantly see high RPMs as I love to rally it when possible, especially on the dunes.

 

[BlackDog]

I just bought a 1990 XJ, reassuring to hear positive about my POS du jour, as opposed to the usual "you bought a what?" I get.

In 500 miles, I have enjyed mine, will be a tight fit for 6 of us and a dog, but we will git er dun'.

Always hought they were a well put together drivetrain, and in my opinion ( and I AM a toyota guy at heart) a better platform than the IFS runners, if for no other reason than the I-6 and the SFA aspect, even if it is a weak axle.

 

[mbryson]

....... Always hought they were a well put together drivetrain, and in my opinion ( and I AM a toyota guy at heart) a better platform than the IFS runners, if for no other reason than the I-6 and the SFA aspect, even if it is a weak axle.

I really like having a frame, though.

The unibody and the D35 is kinda the things I don't care for about the XJ. There's nothing out there that's 'perfect' for a family and a wheeling rig, though.

 

[BlackDog]

http://www.jeeps-offroad.com/xj-technical-discussion/9333-how-many-miles-does-your-xj-have-7.html

Agreed on the frame part, kind an "eewww yuck that wil twist like a pretzel" mindset it gives you.

The link above is a really Looooooooooong thread (100 replies) to an affirmation that the XJ is a solid platform.

 

[Jay5.9L]

The high pinion D30 is not that bad nad will take a 33" tire. At about 120K I had to change out a few of the fuel injectors when they started to leak on the exhaust manafold.

 

[BlackDog]

Off topic sort of, but school me, how do you tell HP or not?
is it a year thing?

 

[mbryson]

Off topic sort of, but school me, how do you tell HP or not?
is it a year thing?

Almost all XJ's are high pinion. '00-01 are low pinion, same as a TJ. The easiest thing to do is look under a TJ (or maybe a ZJ?) as they are low pinion and compare to yours. I doubt you'll find a low pinion in your older rig.

The "tricky" part is when you get into axle joint sizes. Everybody will say the '95 and newer ALL came with 297/760 axle joints and everything older than that is 260 axle joints. Not true. From what I've seen, if your XJ came with a 242 tcase and/or ABS, you'll have 297 joints as far back as 1989 (personal observation, it might carry all the way back to 1987?). I've only seen those in 'non-disconnect' versions of the D30 (no vacuum motor thingy on the passenger side). I've also seen ONE non-disconnect D30 with 260 joints (actually had an axle shaft as a spare with that cute little axle joint).

297 joints are 'stock' in most D44 and are 'strong' (760 is the forged replacement for the 297)

260 joints are 'stock' in most (all?) CJ D30 are pretty cute.......(significantly smaller than the 297) They seem to hold up to more abuse than you'd want to give them credit for, though.

 

[BlackDog]

Yes it has ABS, air ride maybe, has a little compressor like a cattlerac that grumbles all the time on the pass firewall, and haven't crawled under to check the t-case numbers, but it is the "selec-trac" as opposed to the q-trac I saw in some of em.
ya know, 2x, 4x pt, 4x ft, 4x l, that is the the selc-trac choice of out put to the wheels.

 

[mbryson]

Yes it has ABS, air ride maybe, has a little compressor like a cattlerac that grumbles all the time on the pass firewall, and haven't crawled under to check the t-case numbers, but it is the "selec-trac" as opposed to the q-trac I saw in some of em.
ya know, 2x, 4x pt, 4x ft, 4x l, that is the the selc-trac choice of out put to the wheels.

You've got the 242 case and ABS. I'm 98% confident you've got a D35 (which is kind of a pile) rear axle, but the front should be pretty decent up to 33" tires. Serviceable with 35" tires, but you'll want spare axles. If you wanted to swap to an XJ D44, I think you could just take the tone rings off the D35 and press them on with your new bearings/seals on the D44 shafts and keep the ABS fully operational. (I just cut my wires---I got looking at the D35 afterwards and wondered if that would work. It might not, but might be worth looking at if you're interested.)

The 'compressor' is the ABS. Kind of annoying when you first get the rig, but you get used to it. Keep fluid in that thing. They are a PAIN to get all the air out of.

 

[Houndoc]

Plus I do not want her to wheel it and if/and when she does I will be with her until I know she knows a little about it.

If you don't want her (or her boyfriend) to wheel it, why the Jeep? Start her out with something with better milage etc

 

[Jay5.9L]

You can get a AWD Subaru. My wife has a forester and loves it. Its a nice little car that is fantastic in the snow and gets good gas millage.