nismo300zr2

im looking to get an older (2000ish) Cherokee (sport?) for a DD and light offroading here in the extreme heat of the middle east. Any certain things i should be paying attention to and or staying away from when scouting one out? seems there are a pretty abundant amount of them. I just need reliable no frills 4x4 with great AC.

club_xcursion

check the cooling system(water pump ,radiator) .its always nice to get one with this stuff already replaced IMO. oh and check to see how the transmission shifts after it warms up,ive had bad luck with auto trannys in XJ's

actionpaintball

X2 on checking the Cooling system-make sure the temp gets up to full operating range and radiator is solid. Preference for a 4.0L (other choice 2.5L) and triple check for frame rust. Most common problems are related to the crank position sensor, clutch system (just make sure hydraulic clutch master, lines and slave have no moisture around them), the dreaded P0420 code (plugged CAT). Double check the heat/AC works on all speeds and switches from floor, defrost, vents (vacuum engaged and can be problematic). Make sure it starts within 1 second of cranking and/or bring a fuel pressure gauge-bad fuel pumps (and regulators) are common. If it has ABS-this system on a 10 year old truck tends to have issues.

nismo300zr2

aweesome. thanks guys. this is exactly the kind of stuff i was looking for.

comegetsome

i would also try to stay away from the dana 35 rear axle. but if your not going to be doing anything serious or going bigger than 31s it should be fine. but then again once you get bitten by the mod bug you get addicted. lol.

nismo300zr2

oh yes. i know about the mod bug with 4 different projects going on at once..

but i am out of country for just a bit and am looking for this to be a reliable DD with only light trail riding to explore the country side/dunes a bit during my time here in Oman.

I'll be selling it again in about a year when i head off to my next post.

cherokee96xj

stay away from the 2000s and 2001s they have the dana 30 lp, and weaker head castings which are prone to cracking. 99 is one of the best years with the better intake manifold and chrysler 8.25 29 spline axle and dana 30 HP. the abs models have weaker dana 35. The 95 and up if i remeber correctly has the better and bigger U joints in the front dana 30 HP and non disconnect. The chrysler 8.25 29 spline is a decent real axle and can handle 33s locked and 35s unlocked. 96 was the last year of the older style body cherokees but is the best older style cherokee with a more ridged unibody to the previous years. In 90 or 91 the beefed up the output shaft to a 23 spline unit instead of the older 21 spline. Make sure you check under the carpets for rust through the floorboards, mainly near the cat convert, most common spot. Just some things to remember when buying one. Id say go for a 96-99 Non abs model with tow package. hope this helps!!

Kris.Is.Foamin

Okay, making this short. I had a 95' 2 door 5 speed and I L O V E D it.

4" lift on 33's was a blast.

Also- check the rear main seal, they're known to be bad.

nismo300zr2

allll right, i just pulled into my driveway a 98 Cherokee sport. 240,xxx mi, 4x4 (are they all?) Auto, COLD A/C, non-abs, radiator replaced last month. 4bridgestones at @75%tread

drives straight. has squeaks here and there. The only things i've noticed not working so far is the drivers side fender turnsignal (drivers headlight turn sig works), lock function of the power doors (unlock works) and the rear hatch struts wont hold up the door.

1350 Omani Rial isnt a bargain, but thats the market here. i've scouted out over 20 of them and they have ranged from 850-2200 Rial
1omr=$2.6

i cleaned it out before calling it a night, wash/detail/pix this weekend.

what forum(s) should i be jumping on? any free/cheap mods to knock out? It seems completely stock.

White Devil

Links4Jeeps.com
JeepHorizons.com

Stay away from Jeepforum.com, they are REAL ASSHOLES there. (also called JeepForeskin)