0-60

Does anyone know what the factory 0-60 time is? I am wanting to know because one of my friends with a crappy honda accord with about 140hp(and that's pushing it), and he is wanting to drag me. Also any ways to cheaply improve the time?

I've tried to figure it out but I lack friends competent to adequately operate a stopwatch.

Do some searches around here for things like drag racin, 1/4 mile, etc. , there are some people who have done 1/4 runs with the Jeep and got impressive results with a stock (read: stock tire size) XJ. As far as I'm concerned, my Jeep will take yer basic Honda, maybe not if its lightened and got one of the "good" engines but a normal Honda yes. Motor is rated around 190 HP.

The powr can be improved (slightly) with the basic mods I guess or you can start talking about more involved mods like stroking the engine to 4.5+ with a 4.2 AMC motor crank. Plus, knowing how to drive it when you floor it to optimize the performance, keeping weight down, etc. goes a long way.

Race him on a trail or muddy field

A quick search - http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=0-60+jeep+cherokee&FORM=QBHP shows lots of figures for the Cherokee, including a lip-smacking sub five second SRT8 version. I woud think you would be in the 9 second or longer range though...

Of course, it depends on WHICH jeep you have, how old it is and what changes you've made to it...


Graham

Something I discovered about the old XJ and a few of the youngsters around here to there regret. Is the old iron is pretty darn quick in the mid range RPM's. It takes some technique, but learning to use the torque to your advantage, is actually faster than reving it up to anywhere near red line. If you get much above 4000-4500 or so, you are just making motor noise and really not accelerating as fast as you could be.
I don't shift by the tach. I listen for when the motor sounds like it is running out of cam (acceleration drops off just a little) and shift just before this happens. It takes some practice, to back off of the gas just a little, so it shifts out of first early and to shift it into third well before red line. There is a sweet spot, somewhere between too low of an RPM and too high of an RPM, where my Renix works best.
There are a lot of cars around here that can leave me behind after 60 MPH. But if I run my race, there are many who get a surprise.
The XJ is heavy and makes much of it's torque at relatively low RPM's. The trick is to make the most of what you got.
Mine is a Renix, the wifes a HO, the HO makes it's peak torque a little later than the Renix. The wifes HO is pretty darned quick, but I can out drive her, so it pretty much works out to a tie.
Gas is like $5 a gallon around here, so I keep the racing down to a very occasional thrill.

8Mud said:

The XJ is heavy

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Lighter than most midsize sedans and almost anything with a frame.

8Mud said:

Mine is a Renix, the wifes a HO, the HO makes it's peak torque a little later than the Renix.

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I thought 96+ HO's had even earlier peak torque than the renix...
my 97 seems to do best at around 2200-2500

I agree with the worthless above about 4000 part. If I'm driving fast I let off at about 3500 to get the auto to shift.

By the standards of the continent where 8mud lives, the XJ would be considered a heavy vehicle, right? How's it compared to an E-class?

BCParker said:

Lighter than most midsize sedans and almost anything with a frame.


I thought 96+ HO's had even earlier peak torque than the renix...
my 97 seems to do best at around 2200-2500

I agree with the worthless above about 4000 part. If I'm driving fast I let off at about 3500 to get the auto to shift.

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I was thinking of the weight as compared to a three door import. The wifes 96 seems to make it's peak torque around 2500, a few hundred RPM later than my Renix (ass dino). But hers was tweaked a little by the local dealer (it used to be his wifes XJ), with some programing and injectors. Her peak torque actually seems to be a little later and a bit more peaky than mine. I haven't driven HO's enough for much of a comparison.
Many of the cars around here have 2/3 rds (or even half) the wieght, half the cubes, less torque, roughly comparable HP, but a higher red line. I usually try for a rolling start and shut it down before 80 or so. They will kill me, off the line and top end.

lrsmithwhaley said:

Does anyone know what the factory 0-60 time is? I am wanting to know because one of my friends with a crappy honda accord with about 140hp(and that's pushing it), and he is wanting to drag me. Also any ways to cheaply improve the time?

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You'll beat him even with your XJ in stock form. 0-60 is 8.2-8.5 and the 1/4 mile is 16.3-16.4 for the Jeep so that's definitely quicker than the Honda.
If you remove the spare wheel, skidplates, tow hitch (if you have one), roof rack bars, and run with less than a 1/4 tank of gas, you won't just beat him; you'll annihilate him.

lrsmithwhaley said:

... any ways to cheaply improve the time?

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Remove the air filter.

Eat less Big Macs.

Fill your tires with Helium.

Secretly spray Pam on his tires.

Take out back seat, spare tire, papers, books, tasltle hanging from rear-view mirror and any anything else that weighs something.
Drive Naked!...uh, on second thought, maybe not.

Don't drive with a Beej-ish girlfriend. (You're new here, so I don't expect you to figure that one out.)

.

It is amazing how much difference a little weight makes.

There is a light-to-light sprint I make in my town: floor it when one turns green, and you can squeak through the next yellow just before it turns red.

I took my rear and passenger seats out, along with the spare, and today when I hit it, It didn't turn yellow until I was under it.

I was amazed.