So, who knows about Jeeps?
 

The motor in my Miata is getting tired from the boost and abuse so I'm about to send her under the knife for a buncha stuff, so I'm looking to get another car. Being in college, I've been able to get away without needing a winter vehicle but now that I'm going to be in a house this year, I need a car to bring to school (and not worried about) and drive through winter.

I set my budget at ~$1,000 and I really wanted something bigger, but it's got to be 5-speed. I've found a bunch of Jeep Cherokee's, which I've heard to be very cheap and reliable. I want something I can buy with no problems and just run it. So anyways, after stalking Craigslist for a while, I stumbled upon a very clean 1993 Cherokee. It's a 2 door, 5-speed with 213,xxx miles. Perfect!

Here's where my questions are... From what I know, it's on the stock clutch. I would hate to buy one of these and have to drop money on a clutch replacement, should I be worried? It's also not 4x4, but they're including a set of fairly new all-seasons and a set of winter tires with one winter on them. She says it's gotten her through everything she's had to go through, should I wait until I find a 4x4 or would this be sufficient?

She wants $1,150, what do you think?

http://images.craigslist.org/5Lc5V15...a5c5db13a6.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/5I35G95...e995511476.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/5I95Ld5...caf8ee18c6.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/5Nf5Lb5...2336ef1e46.jpg

Stock clutch at over 200k miles? I'd be worried. Have you driven it? A test drive would tell a lot.

FWIW, My GF has a 99 Cherokee with 65k miles on it (45k when she got it). Other than a leaky windshield, it has been reliable and problem-free since 2008. The AC in these cars is a very capable system, but I don't think you care about that in WI.

I'd drive it in a heart beat. It'll get 16-18mpg in town being 2wd and as long as you keep it on the road with decent tires, 2wd will be fine in a foot or less of snow.

Pull the oil cap and put a piece of paper over the hole. If the paper blows upward, its time for a rebuild in 50k miles. If it flutters, all is great. The HO's are nice engines and run forever.

The rocker rust is normal. Having street signs under your carpet for the floor rottng out is also normal.

Clutches are like brakes- all in how the PO rode it. They are an easy replacement though, especially with the 2wd units. If you decide you want 4wd, that swap is also fairly easy.

That's what I was thinking. I haven't driven it, just talked to the lady about it. Hopefully we can set something up for tomorrow, but I'm not sure what to look for with the clutch. I haven't driven a bad clutch before, and bought my Miata with the ACT heavy duty one in it. I should be able to notice slipping though.

I've heard nothing but good things about these, almost like they're bulletproof. AC will be nice when I take this two and from work.

My second concern after the clutch is the 2wd. I think with snow tires I should be fine. My Miata is absolutely horrendous in the winter compared to my FWD Ford Focus, so I'm hoping the Jeep being RWD won't be too bad.

I'm not worried about the rust, I'll check the floor boards though. And I'll check that with the oil cap, what do you mean by flutter? Suck in and out?

If anyone has an estimate on cost of a clutch or 4x4 swap that'd be awesome just to get an idea in my head...

Mike makes sense. 200k miles on the highway would be nothing in terms of the clutch wear you would have compared to 100k miles of driving in rush hour traffic every day.

I bought my Miata at 118k miles. I could tell the clutch was on it's way out because it didn't grab fully right as I let off the clutch pedal. I guess the best way to describe it was a soft engagement no matter how fast I let my foot off the pedal. It wouldn't slip so much that RPMs would rise, even when accelerating WOT, but it just didn't engage as hard as my ACT XT does. I even went turbo with a stock Greddy kit for a few thousand miles before I replaced the stock clutch.

To get an idea of clutch condition, get up to highway speed in 5th, then floor it. If RPMs rise then drop back down to what they should be, the clutch is on it's way out. Like this:

A rear main oil seal leak can cause clutch slipping and failure too.

If youre happy with 2wd, what's wrong with the focus? That or a civic. 2-3 times the gas mileage for the same price. Just as cheap maintaince.

For bad clutches, pay attention to the engaging point. If its not engaging until the very last half inch of pedal travel, it's probably very close to done. Although my dads Chevy lasted like this for 4 years with very easy driving. Like someone said, it's all about how you drive it.

That's what the adjustment rod is for. Aye?

The Focus was my first car, I sold it when I went to school. Ended up getting drawn into the Miata and bought that, it's been my only car for almost two years now.

I originally was looking at cheap Hondas, etc. but everything was not up to my standards. I don't NEED something ASAP, so I'm kind of picky. But I love the fact that I won't have to worry about this at school, and don't care if I beat up the exterior. I like having something small like my Miata and something big like this that won't get annihilated if I get in an accident. Plus, it'll be fun to go anywhere with and it's got tons of room to throw things in the back (like a new Miata motor or something :giggle:)

2wd 5spd is one of the worst ones, you want a 4x4 for winter driving. The auto trans is stronger than the 5spds, it's the same trans that came in the supra turbo. I would be looking for a limited. I've owned two of these and they are tough.
http://inlinethumb38.webshots.com/50...600x600Q85.jpg

I'd get a cheep 4x4 and do it up like the one above. Mileage is going to be terrible no matter what, so don't worry about it. At least with a 4x4 you can have some fun, and there are TONS of them on CL with 4x4 and a lift.

I once managed 22mpg on the highway. Had a tire way out of balance so the fastest I could go was 60mph. Lol.

I actually get great mileage on the freeway with those 33's. I'm spinning 1900 rpm at 70mph. Last time I checked I was getting 25mpg. The Cherokee is the Miata of the offroad cOmmunity. Check out naxja.org

Dayum. I think her car needs a little tuneup.

Tuned up on 33x10.5's with 3.55 gears, mine does 17mpg on the highway. 100psi down the row plus or minus a few.

The ex's 01 that was stock with 83k miles and a fresh tune up did 19.6mpg at 65mph strict highway getting on the highway easily.

The GF's trim panels (I forgot the name) are faded to gray. I did a little reading and saw mention of using Krylon flat black paint to restore them. How do y'all deal with them?

Based on Jacob's picture, do you just remove them?

The door protectors are double sided taped on, while the flares are clamped on. The bolts are on the inner portion of the fenders and you'll be lucky not to break every bolt you twist. I had to weld new bolts to the brackets.

33's will also knock the stock flares off constantly with anything short of 6 inches of lift. At 4 inches, I just get used to hearing them rub and have gotten good at putting them back on. One of the guys on NAXJA has a nice set of flares if you want to stay legal.

Speaking of NAXJA, they are nice, but are cult like haha. I sign back up with every March Member drive. They've saved me about as much as this site has.

Heres my white mess. Had to pull the winch off last summer due to overheating.

Stay away from the 4wd's.... PLEASE! They are more addictive to mod then the Miata's. I've been through 3-4 lifts (4.5 inches, 6.5 inches, 8 inches, and now 4 inches... and moving back up to 5.5 inches come fall), 3 Dana 30's, and a few other random things. I will also second the AW4 comment. Mine is beat on constantly from hauling hay bales, pulling manure spreaders, to moving sheds, and playing in the woods. All without a hiccup (minus over-filling and having a small fire as the fluid poured on the hot exhaust from the dipstick).

Mike, why not a TJ? I drove one of those and found it much more like my Miata compared to the XJ. No insulation, one with the car.. etc.

Good luck finding a decent TJ for under 5k.

Uh, not quite dude. It IS an Aisin Warner transmission, however which are normally fairly reliable.


Sad but true. :cry:

Consider a ZJ?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-x...231_134647.jpg

That was only $450.00 and isn't uncommon to find deals like that on CL. My wheelerdealer buddy and I have bought 5+ 95-98ZJ's including 2 1998 5.9 Limited for under $800 each, typically do some minor repairs and resell for 2-5k.

The ZJ's were comfy, but the couple I was around had some odd wiring issues.

The Supra had the A340 which was in the same family as the AW4 IIRC. I know a bunch of the parts go back and fourth and the guys who build the AW4's use A340 parts in them.

One day I'm going to stuff a new VB in mine. At 185k miles, its getting weak.

i second the reliability of the cherokee, but go with the auto if you will ever be using it to tow. I have a 2k classic I bought last year, and have never looked back. Just make sure to throw on a tranny cooler for some cheap insurance. mileage has been pretty decent at about 22-24mpg, but mind you it's basically stock and im 95% highway

I drove a '93 cherokee sport for a year and it was great! It is the only automatic transmission that I have ever actually liked. I bought it for $550, put another $500 in it, and it was bomb proof. I sold it for $950 a year later when I bought my outback. They are great because they are incredibly simple, so there is nothing to go wrong. Mine had 225k miles when I bought it, and it ran rough, but new plug wires fixed that and it purred like a kitten for the whole time I owned it. I got about 16mpg in it I think.

i have a zj with some front end issues. but the car is seriously awesome.
parts are fairly cheap. there are a million jeep forums too

I passed on the white 2wd one, found an awesome deal on a 4x4 2-door. I'll be sure to post pics when I pick it up on Sunday!

Good choice! 5-speed?

Nope, after hearing about how awesome the automatic is, I opened up my search. Plus then I don't have to worry about swapping a clutch.

That would be a smart choice.

Reading this thread has reinvigorated my want for a cherokee.

I have been looking for one for a wile. Great vehicles.

----. Yeah. "Death Wobble." How the hell did I forget about that? Even though it's a POS Chrysler I really do love my jeep.. but seriously, bad tires can actually cause the wobble. Every time it happens I want to punch a Chrysler engineers face in.

Replaced track bar, Outer tierod, drag link, and stabilizer. Checked control arm bushings which looked acceptable for age, balljoints are rock solid, didn't really find ANYTHING that'd cause it except maybe a .5mm lateral movement on the steering box output. Replaced front tires and performed a measuring tape alignment, hasn't done it in months. :loser:

Consider the 5.2 Magnum is the same basic motor as the 5.9 Magnum which came in the 98ZJ-Limited. Off the shelf crank, rods, pistons and you've got a 408 starting with the 5.9 block, which was also found in mid-90s 1500 Dodge trucks. :idea: Yeah, I'm going to megasquirt it, too.

it's getting to much worse...
and it's mainly when turning left. the jeep sounds like ----.
it's not that bad when going straight or turning right, so it's not death wobble. luckily, i haven't had that issue.

Dang, sorry to hear that. I've a strange "click" sometimes when I'm turning wheels while stationary.

My first experience with death wobble was probably the scariest moment of my life. Had NEVER heard of such a thing prior to that.

Tires, stabilizer, and low caster numbers all attribute to the fun death wobble. Lots of trucks get it, not just Jeeps.

That ZJ sounds like poo, but its badassness more then makes up for it!

You ARE hearing it with basically open headers... I like the choppy cam, myself. :D

I already knew my GFs Cherokee with the 4.0 was relatively quick, but had no idea they put a 5.9 in the Grand Cherokees. Holy crap!

We had a '96 Sport VM 2.5lt Turbo Diesel for a while, great fun. It had its moments... oil leaks (new catch can), rear spring sag (gave it a 2 inch lift over the stock diesel 2 inch lift), rear brakes binding when wet (went sideways at stop signs), rear bearings, rear axle (due to bearing wear), clutch slave goes soft (needs removing and pumping up again to remove air), heads cracked twice (common VM diesel issue), EGR replaced, 2 injectors, a piston + bearings + rings, rear taillift struts, headlight tilt switch burned out dramatically (had to jump out, was choking), fuel lines split, rocker bolts stripped (helicoiled) + more, but still loved it ;-)
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7...0/DSCF1546.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5.../Photo1292.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1...edium%2529.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S...40/engine7.jpg

Most of the big issues were related to the VM Diesel and sorted in the end ;-) Would buy another.

You bet your ass they did..

Stock they were rated at 245hp/345tq AWD and weighed around 4000#. Best friend bought one in 98 when they first came out and we discovered how easy it was to troll highschool kids in the 5.0 mustangs and pretty much everything else on the streets with it. Damn thing did 0-60 in upper 6 second range and clicked off 14 second quarter runs..

Only available in 3 colors:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1334258237
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1334258237
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1334258237

gonna have my engine builder source me a new axle...
second axle in like 3 months.

If anybody is interested in cheap but good led lights I've been testing these fo a year with good results.

http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/44...600x600Q85.jpg

I have two of these up front

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewi...id=12034887279

Both 12v plug and play

And two of these in the rear

http://www.ledssuperbright.com/3w-hi...9-module-p-274

Speaking of Jeeps...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m...UNSET%255D.jpg

Received that in a txt today. Guess my buddy was having a little too much fun in his yard.. lol

Looks like a trail jeep now...

Buying...

That's not the first time that one has been on its side.. :rofl: He's fun but a bit of a retard.

I ended up getting a white 4 door, 5-speed 4x4 with 161,500 miles for $1,000.

I'll post up some pictures ASAP.

good deal. what's wrong with it?
lol

As a matter of fact, if you bolt a Supra bellhousing to it, you can bolt a 2jz up to a Jeep AW4.

I know what i'm doing with my XJ when the 185k mile motor finally gives out in 20 years.

Cherokees and Miatas go together, it's just natural.

Proud owner of a 2000 Cherokee Sport 4x4 checking in. Best automotive purchase i've ever made. Solid 9/10 condition, EVERYTHING works exactly as it should, and it drives like a dream. These are truly great vehicles.

my jeep's front drive shaft is gonna come off tomorrow...
see if there's a simple fix to my constant horrible noises up front

It's a little beat up, just stupid little things. It's a mess inside and out because the guy was too lazy to clean it. The key won't unlock the doors, so I have to leave it unlocked or climb in through the hatch (yeah, I'm serious). The rear tow hitch was really rusty and he tried pulling something out, busting it in half so now it's bent, hanging there. The muffler is noisy and rattles. Rusty under the doors, along with dents on both bumpers.

If it stops raining tomorrow, I'll post some pictures of it. Then I'll follow up with pictures after I have at it :)

Which ones did you order? Post up how they turn out for you. I now have 4 down/rock lights and two of those big floods, I'm looking for some goo cheap led spots and I'll be set.

Here she is:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...61203168_n.jpg

Get something preferably with D44 axles unless you want to keep it stock. D35s SUCK. If you plan on doing any offroading, D35s will snap easily. I'm talking, you drop the clutch and that is a snapped D35 axle. 33" tires are the limit of the D35 axles. 35" tires and you WILL have to baby it with no offroad (small snow here and there).

Oh nvm gz on the purchase.

Haven't yet. Toy funds were smashed with a tractor purchase.

As far as axles go, the 29 spline 8.25 is a great axle and will hold 35's without an issue. I have a locked 29 spline unit in mine that was on 34's for a year and a SUPER heavy foot (to the tune of 2 D30's that same year).

Here was mine.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1334963011

Love it! Get some big "UN" stickers for the front doors and you are sorted!

Oh hey. Jeep gurus:

The GF's 99 XJ has 68k miles on it. I'm hearing/feeling a thumping sound when going down slightly rough to rough roads. The thumping seems to occur when the motion of the up/down motion of the axles change direction relative to the body. No wheel bearing problems. I'm suspecting a bushing but there are so many I wouldn't know where to begin. Any thoughts?

Are any of the bushings cracked or dry rotting? The tire rod failed on my truck, so I'd have a look there.

I had 2 jeeps. A Wrangler and a Grand Cherokee. I love them.