Newbie just starting out

I just bought a 1996 XJ with 163000 miles on it for 350 dollars. I found this forum by just searching jeepforum.com, and I can't believe there is so much info out there on jeeps. This site is great!!!

Back to my ride........It is an all stock '96 XJ. Runs like a top, and tranny seems to shift great. Needed a battery and starter, and tires and shocks, and a freeze plug replaced.(It has been sitting in a driveway for who knows how long). Other than that it is road ready. I am going to pick it up on the 17th(Mon.). My father in law found it and has completely checked it out (he's a retired Mechanic) and grabbed it for me as he knew that I was looking for a ride. (Just sold my Toyota 'cause I needed something more family friendly with an auto tranny).

It needs a little body work (parking lot rash), but I will probably just leave it as is seeing that I need a hunting/work rig........ For 350 bucks , I can ride in a dented up vehicle. Besides, if I do any wheelin in it, I don't have to be concerned with scratches and dents.

I had budgeted a lot more for another vehicle, and was just wondering what ya'll might do for your rigs with a little extra cash. I would like to a little off-roading, but also have to drive about 60 miles round-trip 3 times a week.

I am leaning towards at least some new wheels, and possibly 1 to 2 inches of some type of budget lift. And maybe even a primer/camo/homegrown/redneck paintjob depending on the overall condition of the body. But don't want to sink a whole lot into it.

WHERE SHOULD A NEWBIE START?????

I know that this site is at least the place to start.

Thanks in advance

From experience, I can just say, save your money for when you break stuff. If you wheel, you may end up breaking things, and if that's your only mode of transportation, that's not good.

Otherwise, as far as lifts go, there are a ton of cheapish 1-2" lifts out there. Also, keep your eyes out for used stuff on here. If you're lucky, you'll find something cheaper than what you could pay for it new and it'll be in good shape. As far as what you'd need, just try searching - there's a ton of info on lifting and such on this site.

Most of all, have fun with it.

Great deal!

When I got my '96 first thing I did was change out all the fluids, replace the belt and worn tires. Plenty of quality time was spent under the truck finding little things to tighten and adjust.
I'm sure I've spent more time here at learning than I spent actually fixing.

IMHO, the things that need to be fixed / replaced will become appearent soon enough on their own.

Because the Jeep is already wired for almost all of the available factory options, if you have a "pull your part" yard around you can easily add all kinds of stuff you might not have and learn even more about how they're but together.

Have fun and welcome to the 'club'.

Mike

If the engine and drive-train are all sound then I would just get some nice tires and call it good. IMO Cherokees are off-road ready stock. As long as your not doing anything too crazy. Save your money and go big once you know your ride.

jesusjeep19 said:

If the engine and drive-train are all sound then I would just get some nice tires and call it good. IMO Cherokees are off-road ready stock. As long as your not doing anything too crazy. Save your money and go big once you know your ride.

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X2. Get good tires and skip the lift initially for two reasons. First to get familiar with the way it handles before you modify it, and second to figure out what kind of terrain you're going to use it in before bothering with a lift. A stock XJ well driven can get through some pretty interesting places. I have happily trundled my stocker with 235/75 tires through wood roads in the Green mountain area that show signs of serious off-road mishaps - paint on rocks, pieces of bumpers ripped off, etc. Maybe it's my imagination, but many of the stray pieces have a kind of Chevy-ish aura about them.

If you want to toughen it up a little and spend some money on dressing it up, get some correct tow hooks and a really good strap without any metal on it. If you're in the market for new tires, be aware that you can go to 235/75 on the stock rims without any problem.

I may be all wet, but to me one of the silliest things I see around is clean, shiny, lifted XJ's with big tires and aftermarket wheels, but no hooks or hitches for recovery. They probably look at my drab, unmodified XJ with its factory steel wheels and think "ha, look at the old fart with the grocery cart," but you know who will be pulling whom out of the ditch when the snow flies! And if they have no hooks, I make them crawl under at their end.

That's my initial plan...It needs tires, so as soon as I have it down here in Chattanooga I'm gonna take care of that part. I will definitely change all of the fluids, and probably just do a lot of tinkering. I can't wait to get it. I am going Sunday to pick it up in Delaware and drive it (hopefully) 600 miles home on Monday. It has been checked over by a mechanic, and he thinks it should make the trip fine. At least I will be able to get to know it real well right off.

Thats deffinatly enough time to get to know her. lol. I agree with matthew on the looks. I would rather have a vehicle thats uglier than poop but can get through just about anything. I guess the question for that topic is "Who are you trying to impress? The forest or the mall shoppers?"....just my .02 cents.

Wow $350. I feel like I got raped on mine.

As far as what to do IMHO I'll share with you what I'm about to do. I bought one for $1500 runs and looks good, but I'm gonna go through it this weekend. Here's what I plan to do in no particular order:

Degrease Engine and Undercarriage

Change Fluid: Oil

Change Fluid: Transmission (Dexron II ATF)

Change Fluid: Radiator Fluid

Change Fluid:Crankcase

Change Fluid:Front Diff

Change Fluid:Rear Diff

Change Fluid:Transfer Case (Dexron II ATF)

Check Front Wheel Bearings

Check Battery, Terminals, Water, and Cables

Check Belts & Pullys

Check Drive Shaft Seals

Check Exhaust Pipes, Muffler, Heat Shielding, Hangers, etc.

Check for Blown Fuses

Check Front Brake Pads

Check Fuel Lines, Connections

Check Headlight Alignment

Check Hoses & Clamps

Check Shocks

Check Universal Joints

Check Weatherstripping and Apply Silicon

Check Wiper Blades

Check Wiper Fluid - Add Rubbing Acahol

Clean EGR Passages

Clean PCV Beather

Engine Compression Ratio s/b 9.2:1

Flush and Fill Engine Coolant

Inspect C/V Joint Boots

Inspect Underside for Bolts and stuff

Lube Ball Joints, Steering Linkage, & Suspension

Lube Door Locks

Lube Drive Shaft U-Joints and Slip Spines

Lube Front Axle Drive Joint and Pivot Bearings

Lube Front End & Stuff

Lube Prop Shaft

Lubricate Caliper Slide Rails

Lubricate Door and Hood Hinges with Light Engine Oil

Replace:Air Filter

Replace:Fuel Filter

Replace:Trans Fluid & Filter

Replace:Oil & Filter

Replace:CCV Valve

Replace:Spark Plugs

Replace D-Cap, Rotor and Plug Wires?

Replace:O2 Sensor?

Rotate Tires and Adjust Air Pressue (Wheel Lug Nut Torque to 95 Ft. Lbs.)


Not to hijack your thread or anything, but since I'm a newbie too what do you experienced Jeepers think about this?

i would say thats a great plan to start with...you can get done just about all of this in a weekend and it will really save you, when you buy a vehicle you never really know how it was maintained so try to start fresh with as many new fluids and "wear out" items as you can.

im running 235/75's on stock rims and no clearence issues they look great and bring up about an 1 1/2" on there own. i would definatly check the brakes closely, when i bought my 96 HO both rear wheel cylinders were bearly even moving. check all the brake lines, fluid, master cyl, and prop. valve. after all if one morning you cant start it big deal... if your driving down the road and cant stop it very big deal

also like previously mentioned...grease grease grease and more grease...especially hood latches (BOTH!!) and rear hatch mechanism, you couldnt even count the xjs with siezed shut hood and latches...

WELCOME!

do all that except the degreeasing undercarriage- leave it there for rust prevention lol

AlabamaDan said:

As far as what to do IMHO I'll share with you what I'm about to do. I bought one for $1500 runs and looks good, but I'm gonna go through it this weekend. Here's what I plan to do in no particular order:

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Good list. Couple of things:

Degrease Engine and Undercarriage

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If it's seriously oily under there, expect to find either a valve cover leak, main seal leak, or both. Neither one is particularly fatal or astronomically expensive to repair, but the main seal is something of a PITA to do.

Change Fluid: Transmission (Dexron II ATF)

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This is correct. More:

Change Fluid:Transfer Case (Dexron II ATF)

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This should be regular ATF, no additives per the manual. It's not the same as the stuff that goes in the transmission, so figured I'd mention it.

Other than that, that's probably the best prep list I've seen anyone make here yet. I'm impressed

casm said:

...If it's seriously oily under there, expect to find either a valve cover leak, main seal leak, or both. Neither one is particularly fatal or astronomically expensive to repair, but the main seal is something of a PITA to do.

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Agreed. I do have some leaks around the valve cover I think, and it looks like lots of oil blow-by from where the hose to the air filter is broken. I've got to get things clean before I can find out where the leak is. I don't think it's major because I haven't had any puddles on the driveway over the last week or so.

casm said:

This should be regular ATF, no additives per the manual. It's not the same as the stuff that goes in the transmission, so figured I'd mention it.

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Huh? I'm not a 4x4 mechanic historically so I'm not used to transfer cases and stuff. So there is a different fluid that goes in the transfer case than the Auto Tranny? I've been reading a FSM that I downloaded from the net and I thought it said to use the same fluids.

I hope the list is helpful for more folks. I'm just anal I guess.

Great list, Dan

I will probably utilize the biggest part of that. I just ordered my tires and wheels, so that will be first. Then all of the fluids/filters/plugs-n-wires/belt and any other wear-out stuff. Then on to the tinkering. It will have new shocks when I get it. I will probably pull off and clean the NSS pretty soon too as it was giving us some trouble when we first found the jeep. But hey, for 350 bucks..I'm not gripin'

What kind of lube do I use on the hood and lift gate?

hmmm I shouldnt be putting mobile 1 synth ATF in my T-case????

Sting25 said:

hmmm I shouldnt be putting mobile 1 synth ATF in my T-case????

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My 2001 owners manual says Mopar ATF+4 Type, 9602.

I sure would like to know where using transmission fluid came from. I have seen it before.

dspilot said:

What kind of lube do I use on the hood and lift gate?

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It's Hood and Door Hinges and the answer is Light Engine Oil

What ATF seems to be sorta up in the air from what I've read around here. It appears that some say do not use synthetic as it performs poorly. Once that's decided it appears to some that only Dextron II/III shoudl be used.

BTW, if using ATF in the T-case stumps you, how about using ATF in the power steering pump. :confused1

Seems like a good case of Dextron II/III and some 10w-30 is all that is needed for most things.