Best year?

[cracked-butt]

i say the older the better , (meaning easier to work on & less computer crap to muck up on ya). mine's an 89 well used (240,000miles) with that silly comfort/power button too. havent used it yet.

 

[88XJSport]

I would have to say the 1999 Jeep Cherokee Limited has been very good year. I purchased it new at the end of 1998. I built it on-line exactly the way I wanted it using http://autos.yahoo.com/ and then started calling up dealerships till I found a fleet sales guy that would build the XJ I wanted for invoice and some change. After I placed my order, it was built and ready 2-3 months later. Very cool!

I still have the factory sticker that says: "This vehicle was built especially for...(insert my name) printed right on it.

That is the sweetest thing ive ever heard!!!

Also, verrrryyyy nice speced XJ man!

 

[mgt]

some of the 99's came with a lp d30, most have the hp.
jeep was trying to get rid of the lp so they started putting them on the xj's.

 

[Ray H]

some of the 99's came with a lp d30, most have the hp.
jeep was trying to get rid of the lp so they started putting them on the xj's.

Trying to get rid of them?????
They used them on Wranglers up until yesterday.

 

[falcon556]

i just bought (still have the paper tags on it) a 2000 sport and im liking it so far.

it sounds like most of you would avoid getting a 2000. why is that? the head issue is understandable. but what are the affects of having a low pinion? ive never owned anything but an XJ but i've just recently started getting into the mechanics and wanting to mod my jeep. thanks

It bothers me that it works backwards pushing on the coast side of the teeth.
Two things I don't like in Jeeps, low pinions and drum brakes.
Buying a SUV in the 21st century with rear drums feels like somebody is hosing you.

 

[mgt]

ok, so they stopped making the hp mid 99

 

[much boredom]

I have a 2000 with 190k miles (around 150k are highway) and I havn't had any drivetrain problems. Only things replaced are the battery and starter.

 

[Trail-Axe]

well i plan on lifting my 2000 4.5'' lift or maybe 5.5''. what can i do to solve the low pinion problem?

Keep your eye out for a HP Dana 30 front axle out of an XJ, and do a swap.

 

[Trail-Axe]

That is the sweetest thing ive ever heard!!! Also, verrrryyyy nice speced XJ man!

Thanks Sport. It’s all kind of strange to be honest. When I ordered the Jeep, I was really not into the off-road thing. Use to be as a young man, then got out of it. End of last year I was going to sell my Jeep. Then for some reason I got the bug again and decided to keep it and turn it into an off road/ rock climbing worthy vehicle.

I did some four wheeling with some cool people from the Sierra chapter at Hollister, and I remembered just what it was I use to like about four wheeling so much; it was the people and how they had fun together. So I guess it’s kind of like a mid life pick up for me. I have seen a lot of death in my day, and to be around people who haven’t is very refreshing and up lifting to me.

 

[Trail-Axe]

Yes, but neither the 4.0 HO or the aw4 were done in '92.

Cal, not sure where you got your facts, but the 4.0L came out in 1987, and in 1991 the 4.0L engine was improved with fuel injection, making it the "High Output," (HO) engine. This gave it 190 hp, compared to the 177 hp for the non-HO engines. And 1987 was the first year for the AW4 automatic Trany, which replaced the 3-speed Torqueflight.

:us:

 

[falcon556]

Cal, not sure where you got your facts, but the 4.0L came out in 1987, and in 1991 the 4.0L engine was improved with fuel injection, making it the "High Output," (HO) engine. This gave it 190 hp, compared to the 177 hp for the non-HO engines. And 1987 was the first year for the AW4 automatic Trany, which replaced the 3-speed Torqueflight.

:us:

The 1987 has Renix fuel injection. :us:

 

[Ray H]

I dont think its been mentioned in the thread but wasnt 99 the first year with the stupid short roof rack? That could be something to consider if you plan to carry long items like kayaks or a canoe or ladders or lumber.

 

[Matthew Currie]

Cal, not sure where you got your facts, but the 4.0L came out in 1987, and in 1991 the 4.0L engine was improved with fuel injection, making it the "High Output," (HO) engine. This gave it 190 hp, compared to the 177 hp for the non-HO engines. And 1987 was the first year for the AW4 automatic Trany, which replaced the 3-speed Torqueflight.

:us:

Still not quite right, I'm afraid (or at least ambiguously stated). All 4.0's are fuel injected. The system was changed in 91 from the Renix MPI system to a Chrysler system.

e.t.a oops, sorry, I see falcon556 beat me to it.

 

[XCastleXJ]

Keep your eye out for a HP Dana 30 front axle out of an XJ, and do a swap.

thanks ;-)

 

[Trail-Axe]

Still not quite right, I'm afraid (or at least ambiguously stated). All 4.0's are fuel injected. The system was changed in 91 from the Renix MPI system to a Chrysler system. e.t.a oops, sorry, I see falcon556 beat me to it.

Exactly, in 1991 it was upgraded with a Mopar multi-point fuel injection system, giving it the "H.O." designation due to the increased HP, which was my point. Cal had incorrectly stated that the 4.0 HO did not exist in 1992. I guess I should have said the fuel injection system was improved.

 

[tomcat]

Exactly, in 1991 it was upgraded with a Mopar multi-point fuel injection system, giving it the "H.O." designation due to the increased HP, which was my point. Cal had incorrectly stated that the 4.0 HO did not exist in 1992. I guess I should have said the fuel injection system was improved.

they changed the head too if I am not mistaken

 

[thethinginthewoods]

I want to buy another xj, but I am a little confused. Would it be worth it to buy a 2001 I6 so I can have the distributerless ignition and then swap out the L.P. D30 and the head to an older design, or would it be better to forget that system altogether and get a 1999? I want ultimate reliability and would prefer not to have to deal with a distributer for water crossing, etc.

 

[heyjpark1]

I want to buy another xj, but I am a little confused. Would it be worth it to buy a 2001 I6 so I can have the distributerless ignition and then swap out the L.P. D30 and the head to an older design, or would it be better to forget that system altogether and get a 1999? I want ultimate reliability and would prefer not to have to deal with a distributer for water crossing, etc.

Buy the cleanest Jeep you can for the money. If you end up with a 2001, then replace the head if you need to. Put in the HP D30 if you intend to lift it 4.5" or greater.

If you end up with the 99, you'll just hafta be more careful on you water crossings. Do you really intend to cross water so deep that it can splash the distributor?

 

[thethinginthewoods]

Well, maybe. I sunk my 89 xj a month and a half ago in a lake being a dumb ass. I have a 5.5" RE lift and I had my 33" BFG muds on, and the water got to the instrument cluster! My doors were off, so water thrashed the inside. Fortunately, I managed to keep the motor running (no snorkel) and swam out to get the winch. Long story short, I pulled it out, drove it 150 miles home without a single problem. $150 on fluids and a herculining later, it's a better Jeep today!

 

[sjx40250]

OK, well I got both a 90 and 92. The cross over was 91, new head, new ECU (Chrysler OBD1) without knock senor, new intake and TB, new exhaust manifold and cooling system, everything else pretty much the same. Bottom line, is new engine control system with some design changes to get to the 190HP. Oh yeah, no wing windows.