Hi, newby needs advice please.

[IronBack]

Hi everyone. New to the site and the "JEEP". Need some advice on header choice. Did a search and really didn't come up with what I was looking for.
Got a '99 Cherokee Classic. AW4, 4 door. Love it! I've replaced shocks, tires, added a tranny cooler, changed fluid and filter. (ALL of it) I put a Gibson cat-back on it and now want to do put a header and replace the twisty straw head pipe. My question: Which header? Wanted to do a Banks until I found out they don't offer a head pipe for XJ's. That leaves me with Borla, Hedman, Thorley or Pacesetter. I need some input on real world experiences that you experts on our favorite vehicle have. I'm getting ready to go to Summit for AAL's and might as well pick up a header while I'm there. TIA and best regards, Dave.

[jeepguy97]

Borla if I had to. But I wouldn't do it at all, the stock exhaust manifold is not restrictive, and you probably won't even notice a difference. And for the huge price of a header you could make many more functional mods. My .02.

[bigwhitey]

Banks should be coming out with a head pipe in january.
I have banks headers, a gibson cat back exhaust, K&N FIPK, and a 62 mm throttle body.
I have have noticed very little difference with all this and would recommend to anyone else to use that money to regear the axles for more power.

[Los11]

Save the cash and do some better upgrades for wheeling you wont notice any difference by doing headers.....$400 + sink that into your axles or tires lift etc... Just my .02

[IronBack]

Thanks for the replies, you've given me some good advice. I hadn't thought about re-gearing and other mods. I hadn't planned on a lift yet, I just got the XJ a month ago. I forgot to mention that I put on a larger TB (DUH) and up-graded the ignition also. Guess I'll take the header money and put a locker in the rear. Thanks for the advice.

[jeepguy97]

I think you will be much happier. Especially when you pass XJs with headers and full exhausts stuck in the mud with open diffs. :shhh:

[johnnyc]

Wait until your stock manifold cracks before you get a header. When that happens, THEN get a header over a stock replacement.

[sidriptide]

Wait until your stock manifold cracks before you get a header. When that happens, THEN get a header over a stock replacement.

my thoughts exactly... there are guys who throw thousands under their hood to go a lil faster.. i dont see that as reasonable.... a 4.6L stroker with a header and other upgrades would wake things up but the stock 4.0L has plenty of grunt.. get skid plate and rocker protection and some basic saftey items... i wouldnt waste $$ on regearing yet either.. if you think you may lift it for biger tires in the future you will need steeper gears than you could live with right now.... and regearing 2 times is also a waste.... 4.10s would pep it up a bit but if/when you step up to 33s one day you will really be better off with 4.56s.... if you dont think you will go that big ever then some 4.10s would be a good choice..

[98_jeep_XJ]

Banks will have a complete header to tailpipe exhaust system out in mid Dec. I talked to them a week or two ago. I am holding out with a rattling cat til I can do their system. Merry Christmas to me!!!

[jeepguy97]

My advice (and this is what I did for the first year). Skid plate every concievable area, add tow hooks and a reciever (recovery), rocker skids and go wheelin. You will soon find out what you do and do not need.

[Gil BullyKatz]

Wait until your stock manifold cracks before you get a header. When that happens, THEN get a header over a stock replacement.

Ain't that the truth.....

That's my excuse to buy a Borla or Banks...Whichever I get a good deal on... Thorley's are nice but pricey... avoid pacesetter, lot of guys have had probs with them

[IronBack]

Thanks for the sound advice guys. Going to put a locker in the rear (Powertrax?) and armor up the vitals along with some hooks. Also going to fab up some kind of sub-frame connectors. While lying underneath scoping out the bottom for armor, I noticed the XJ could use some help in that area. Man, I'm really starting to get into this little beast. I hardly drive my TA's anymore!
Glad I found this site, you people know your stuff! On a side note, I noticed a slight ticking noise I thought was in the valve train or noisy injector. After some preliminary investigation, I think the stock exhaust manifold is starting to crack at a weld. LOL! I'll give it time and see what develops. Thanks guys, I owe you!