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Hi, new member

Rayman1007

NAXJA Forum User
Location
NE Ohio
hi, ever since i was a kid i have always wanted a jeep. well my first car was a 1990 honda prelude si auto, 76k miles on it, now it has 84k after about 2 years. i still have it and love it, but ill sell it so i can get a jeep, eventually ill get another one and make sure its a 5speed. ill be turning 18 in 2 days, on the 19th. and i have been lookign and looking around deciding if i want a wrangler or cherokee. im about 95% sure i want the cherokee because its cheaper, and more friendly for a daily driver, nicer interior.

i found a couple online, and there is one that really stands out because it only has 10k miles on it. there were a few others that have about 20k on them, i dont want one with more than 20k on the clock.

i have a few questions:
1. this is a unibody construction correct? is this really strong for an offroad vehicle? it it stronger than a frame since its the whole body, and will have less flex? are there any things to watch out for on the late model cherokees?(2001 year, because thats the one im getting)
any problems at all, name them all, big or small, i just want to know. thanks

well the first one is the one im hoping to buy within the next week, and the few others are ones im considering also if this one has something wrong with it or if something doesnt work out:

number one

number two

number three

number four
 
IMHO go with the cherokee. you wont regret it:) i have a 99, and have never had any problems with it.
 
They all look like pretty good vehicles, it just comes down to personal preference as to stereo and such. I just bought a 96 in January and of the 3 vehicles I've had before it (plus the countless vehicles I've driven) I enjoy this one the most. Just the right size to give a decent amount of cargo room (I can't stretch out in the back for truck camping like with my Trooper) but it fits through traffic and parking lots a lot better. It has more power than the Trooper, same as a Blazer, but is lighter than both due to unibody construction and it shows when you hit the gas! It handles very good (definitely has the sport side of sport utility going on). It won't beat your Prelude, but hey its not meant to. Gas mileage is ok, I see 15-16 in the city and 18-20 on the highway and I have a fairly heavy right foot...My only problem was a worn radiator hose and a bad water pump that the dealer replaced. Thats just all normal wear items and at 106,000 miles that's pretty good.
 
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ladywolf said:
IMHO go with the cherokee. you wont regret it:) i have a 99, and have never had any problems with it.
Of course, Kris rarely drives her Cherokee so maybe that has some bearing on it :laugh3:
 
Go with the cheapest one with the highest mileage. They'll run for over 200,000 miles so only one is over it's tenth life. Hell, they're not even broken in yet.
 
thanks guys. in the future after the jeep is payed off,i want to get a RE lift, i really like the 5.5" long arm extreme duty kit. id rather get this one instead of changing stuff to upgrade later, i would rather do it once the way i want it. what else will i need? what brand SYE do you recomend for a 2001 cherokee sport? what axles, front and back, custom? i would like 33" tires instead of 35" for more travel and articulation. what gears would you recomend for the 33" tires? mostly daily driving, occational offroad. what gears do you guys run front and back, any lockers? thanks
 
BlackSport96 said:
It handles very good (definitely has the sport side of sport utility going on). It won't beat your Prelude, but hey its not meant to.

I would disagree if you have the 4.0 HO motor. My 92 Sport would take almost any V-6 around me. Yes, those that are tuned and stuff could beat me, but, they are cars, and the Jeep is an SUV. But, anyways, the 4.0 HO is a VERY strong motor! But, if you plan on lifting it, kiss the speed goodbye unless you regear, but even then, it's not quick. But, i really think you will be very happy with the cherokee.
Tylor
 
Yucca-Man said:
Of course, Kris rarely drives her Cherokee so maybe that has some bearing on it :laugh3:


gee yucca, i wonder why...hmmm....i'll haveta think on that;) oh yea, i remember now, i'm stuck in IRAQ!

thats ok, i'm sure it'll have plenty of gremlins i'll need to work out once i get back to germany here in a month or so........new tires, new fluids, a REALLY good wash and vacuum job, and hopefully everything will still work right:D
 
92jeeper said:
I would disagree if you have the 4.0 HO motor. My 92 Sport would take almost any V-6 around me. Yes, those that are tuned and stuff could beat me, but, they are cars, and the Jeep is an SUV. But, anyways, the 4.0 HO is a VERY strong motor! But, if you plan on lifting it, kiss the speed goodbye unless you regear, but even then, it's not quick. But, i really think you will be very happy with the cherokee.
Tylor
I meant on the handling front it wouldn't beat the Prelude. I've surprised a good many "sport compacts", many of which have multiple speed adding mods like loud myfflers and bits of plastic attached to the nose and scraping the pavement...I think they call those body kits...:)
 
the 3rd generation prelude is the best handling car ive ever driven(if you have the chace to drive one youll see why i like it so much), thats why i dont know if i really want to sell it, its such a great car. plus i have tokico struts, H&R sport springs, chikara(heddman) header, K&N intake. but none of that darn ricey crap, i hate that so much.

but thats partly the reason i want a jeep, i dont really like the sport compact scene anymore, its all about your 1/4 mile time, and if your car is slower then the next guys, well then your car sucks, thats how it is. of course magazines are a totally different subject, those cars are nice. most cars in those magazines have at least 500hp. they dont have bratty kids with their 1.6L civics that have a wing, body kit, decals and muffler. and think their car is faster than a vette, if anything, their cars are slower than before from all that added weight lol. heres a picture of mine, nice and clean:
499680_14.jpg

499680_15.jpg

499680_18.jpg
 
were 2001 cherokees avaliable with a 5speed? i would rather have a 5speed, but they seem more rare for the newer models. when was the last year they were avaliable? whats better anyways? for daily driving an auto would be better right? i know 5speeds are fun. if it was an option on 2001's, then ill hold out and wait to find a low-mile 5 speed cherokee.
 
'00 and '01 SE models were available with a 5-speed, as a matter of fact it (the NV3550) is often considered a stronger manual tranny than the earlier AX-15 used from mid-89 to 99. The lack of manual trannies isn't a reflection of problems with the tranny, but rather because there's a growing population that doesn't know how to drive one. Whether it would be better for daily driving or not depends on your drive. My commute used to consist of 65 miles each way and the manual tranny saves an mpg or so, but if you're in heavy traffic fairly often it's much easier to go with an auto.
 
this should be my jeep within the next week, as long as they still have it, my plans for the future are a RE 4.5" super-flex kit, and whatever else i will need to finish it, but after looking on cardomain.com, i really really like the 4.5" lift with 31" or 32" tires. i cant wait to go look at it tomorrow at the dealer. its gonna be like brand new, only 10k miles on it. im REALLY happy that im getting an american car, im sick of imports, i feel like i owe this country something especially after 9/11. im gonna get an american flag decal in my back window like pickup trucks have.

the lift wont be for a while, ill be paying my parents back for it for a while. they are buying it, and then each month, what i have left after gas and insurance from my paycheck, im giving them, approximately 350-375/month. even more after i get my new job at a cabinet shop buolding cabinets and countertops. my job now is pushing carts at giant eagle getting $6.05, at least 25hrs a week. im supposed to get a raise when i turn 18, but it still isnt going to pay enough. the cabinet shop is going to start me off at about $9
an hour, and then once im more experienced, ill do different things and get payed more.
what width of a tire would you recomend?
31x?
32x?
what about the wheel width? i want a 15" wheel. either chrome or black, i cant decide what i like best on this maroon color.
874626765.164286628.IM1.MAIN.565x421_A.562x421.jpg
 
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Okie Terry said:
Go with the cheapest one with the highest mileage. They'll run for over 200,000 miles so only one is over it's tenth life. Hell, they're not even broken in yet.

Bite your tounge, 200,000 is barely broken in, I figure my 98 is good for atleast another 200,000. I expect this baby to beat my 82 S-10 which had 680,000mi when I sold it.. I'm at 198,000mi now...
 
Rayman1007 said:
this should be my jeep within the next week, as long as they still have it, my plans for the future are a RE 4.5" super-flex kit, and whatever else i will need to finish it, but after looking on cardomain.com, i really really like the 4.5" lift with 31" or 32" tires. i cant wait to go look at it tomorrow at the dealer. its gonna be like brand new, only 10k miles on it. im REALLY happy that im getting an american car, im sick of imports, i feel like i owe this country something especially after 9/11. im gonna get an american flag decal in my back window like pickup trucks have.

the lift wont be for a while, ill be paying my parents back for it for a while. they are buying it, and then each month, what i have left after gas and insurance from my paycheck, im giving them, approximately 350-375/month. even more after i get my new job at a cabinet shop buolding cabinets and countertops. my job now is pushing carts at giant eagle getting $6.05, at least 25hrs a week. im supposed to get a raise when i turn 18, but it still isnt going to pay enough. the cabinet shop is going to start me off at about $9
an hour, and then once im more experienced, ill do different things and get payed more.
what width of a tire would you recomend?
31x?
32x?
what about the wheel width? i want a 15" wheel. either chrome or black, i cant decide what i like best on this maroon color.

The normal building progression is:
Factory service manual if you are going to do this work yourself, invaluable and the best $100 you will ever spend.
Skid plates, Tow points, rocker skids second, both front and rear, you can do this with brackets, you cant just mount hooks to the XJ frame, or bumpers that have them built in.
www.tomken.com good prices on bumpers
www.quadratec.com for jeep stuff and a whole bunch more.
Tow straps, fire extinguisher, cb radio, local off road club
Bigger tires need bigger gears, 5 speeds XJ's come with 3:07's stock, autos come with 3:53's stock. 4:10s are ideal for 30 - 32 Inch tires.
Stick with the stock steel wheels, they are less prone to breakage on rocks.
Start reading the postings here, you will learn alot..
 
ok guys, im back, that cherokee was sold when i got there. but lately i have still been thinking between the wrangler and cherokee, i like the cherokee a lot more, but are not 100% sure because of the unibody structure vs the wrangler frame structure strengthness. i like the wrangler and cherokee overall the same way. but for me to buy one, its harder to decide. is the uni-body structure of the cherokee strong? does it have frame rails running from front to back? is the uni-body actually better then the wrangler frame? will it flex less? i dont know why im paranoid about unibody structures, they just dont seem as strong as a frame to me, could you guys explain the cherokee unibody to me? any chassis pictures? under body pictures of the frame to see how beefy it is? thanks for the help.

ill be looking for a cherokee with about 30k-40k miles on it, they are a lot cheaper that way. but i still want a 2001. is the automatic in the 2001 cherokees really good and strong/reliable? what about the 4wd systems in the 2001 models, are there comand-trac and selec trac? whats the difference? whats better? whats more reliable? whats more popular.

THANKS for all the help guys, this is going to be a lot of money to me, and just want to make the purchase worth it and for me to be happy. you guys are great.
 
Rayman1007 said:
is the automatic in the 2001 cherokees really good and strong/reliable?
The 4.0 has (as far as I know) only ever been factory-mated to the AW-4, which is known in some other automotive circles as the Aisin-Warner 30-40LE. It's shown up in a number of vehicles in the Toyota/Lexus lines, with different valve bodies. You couldn't ask for a more solid, reliable automatic tranny - many people have gone well past 200K miles with them (I'm just over 200K myself), and there are even a couple with over 300K in the woodpile. A couple of guys here have actually opened up these units, and their findings indicate that it will take a LOT to kill one of these things (look for posts by Beezil and 5-90 about rebuilding the AW-4 to see what I mean). The only caveat is that with (so far) very few exceptions, AW-4s don't like synthetic ATF, so you're better off with dino juice in the pan.


Rayman1007 said:
what about the 4wd systems in the 2001 models, are there comand-trac and selec trac? whats the difference? whats better? whats more reliable? whats more popular.
Yes, there are both selec-trac and command-trac, but you'll find that the selec-trac is harder to come by. By and large, most XJs got the command-trac case from the factory, but selec-trac was available as an option on many of the trim levels (some top-of-the-line trim levels got it standard, like the Limiteds of the early to mid 90s).

The only difference is that the selec-trac has a full-time mode which allows the use of 4-wheel-drive on all surfaces. The 4Hi and 4Lo modes (common to both cases) should not be used on dry pavement or other high-traction surfaces. If the t-case shifter shows 2Hi-4Hi-N-4Lo, you're looking at command-trac (the 231 case). If you see 2Hi-4Hi-4Full-N-4Lo, that's selec-trac (the 242 case).

Manufacturer specs show a slight difference in strength between the two (don't recall which one has the marginally higher ratings), but practically speaking, the two cases are equally capable and durable, as most folks here will tell you. I can personally testify to 208,000 miles of service from my tcase with regular fluid changes, and I'm far from holding the mileage record. So far, all I've had to replace on my tcase was the vacuum switch (turns on the 4x4 indicators on the dash, not an essential part) somewhere around 140,000 miles, and the rear output seal at 208,000 miles.

Speaking of SYEs, there are two types - "hack-and-tap", and the kind that replaces the whole output shaft. Information abounds on these over on the modified board - a simple search could provide days of reading enjoyment. Aftermarket support is generally better for the 231, but there are a few companies making SYEs for the 242 now.

HTH,

Rob
 
Yeah, I drove one of the 3rd gen Preludes (a 91 I believe) and it was a nice nice car. If I could have 2 vehicles that might be the other. I believe the auts came with 3.55s, at least in 96. That's what mine has. My XJ has been the best I've owned. I learned in a Tracker (a lot better of a vehicle than one would think), bought a 92 Trooper (a lot worse of a vehicle than one would expect), then reacquired my original Tracker which I crashed and then bought a Samurai which had the original oil from 1990 circulating in the engine and burnt onto the dipstick. My XJ outshines all of them plus my Mom's Lumina, my Uncles Frontier, and any other vehicle I can think of that I've driven. The only exceptions are my friends Toyotas (2002 Taco and 91 4Runner) the XJ is about even with them.
 
ok, i have a few more questions. does anybody make a header or an exhaust system for the 2001 4.0 automatics? i finally decided i will part with my prelude, it was a great car, but it time to move on to something more......"me", something more fun. will the rubicon express bolt right on to the 2001 cherokee sport? someone said another time that the 97-up cherokees areent as good to lift as the 96 cherokees. and i heard something is different between the mid-year 2000 or 2001 cherokees. like the skyjacker lift wont fit on 2001 cherokees after mid year 2001 models or something. could someone clear this up?
am i going to have problems finding stuff for a 2001, or would i be better off with a 96? because part of the reason of me getting a new car is because it more modern, and the 96 interior isnt as nice(IMO) as the 97-cherokees interior, i care about that because its my daily driver, i know the 96 inside is still nice, but i prefer the 97-up because its newer/more modern.
 
Rayman1007 said:
will the rubicon express bolt right on to the 2001 cherokee sport? someone said another time that the 97-up cherokees areent as good to lift as the 96 cherokees.
Actually, 96+ have the newer t-case output that is more prone to vibrating when lifted.
and i heard something is different between the mid-year 2000 or 2001 cherokees.
The 2000 and 2001 XJ have a low-pinion front axle. This makes driveshaft angles steeper when lifted, and can lead to shorter u-joint life.
like the skyjacker lift wont fit on 2001 cherokees after mid year 2001 models or something. could someone clear this up?
Not sure what's up with the Skyjacker - I prefer RE and haven't heard of any model year problems like you're referring to. A 99 might be the best mix of new body style/interior and old-style front axle for you.
 
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