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Jeep Cherokee

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Comments

  • rockyroadsrockyroads Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 cherokee sport. How does one go about replacing the bulb for the fog lamp? If anyone has done this, knows how,---please----a step by step would be appreciated!

    thx
  • vinneyvinney Member Posts: 43
    I have a 2001 sport which is making a creaking noise when accelarating a little. Dealer says its the sway bar bushings. Has anyone experienced this with their Cherokee. The dealer ordered a sway bar bushing kit to be installed this Friday. Any opinions on this. Everything else was checked O.K. including other suspension parts and engine mounts.
  • vin_weaselvin_weasel Member Posts: 237
    I'm assuming you still have the original rubber bushings on you vehicle?

    If you have basic hand tools, its an easy job to replace them yourself. You might even want to look into getting some performance poly bushings to firm up the ride a little. But beware, you need to grease them or they will squeak like crazy. I'd be worried the dealership would try to overchare for something like this.

    Oh, I see it's a 2001. If they're doing it under warranty, let them go nuts.
  • checkmecheckme Member Posts: 73
    vin_weasel nailed it.
  • bcon2bcon2 Member Posts: 1
    I am looking at purchasing a 1996 Jeep Cherokee Classic. I am unsure as to what model this would be using the edmunds price guide since the "classic" does'nt seem to match anywhere. I would appreciate any help.
    Jeep is clean (edmunds rating) 69,000 miles, with very basic extras. The man is asking $8,900, any thoughts?
    thanks
    bcon
  • bilt4_speed1bilt4_speed1 Member Posts: 3
    About the above post, $8900 is about $2500 too much, plus, you do not get the benefits of the improved 97 and newer Cherokees. Those benefits include better front buckets, better instrumentation, much-needed electrical wiring improvements, higher quality dash materials. Read the road test here at Edmunds of a 97 Cherokee (look in the Jeep archives). Have a cylinder leakage test done before you buy anything. Good luck...........
  • snowy_owlsnowy_owl Member Posts: 1
    I'm just about to buy a '97 Sport 4dr which doesn't have rear seat headrests, which i'd like to have. I phoned the dealer and found '97 Sport's had rear seat headrests only on export models (i'm assuming outside north america) . I don't know if the Grand or Country or Ltd have rear seat headrests in years close to mine. If they do are the backseats interchangeable? ie. could i snag a backseat with headrests from a wrecker? thanx,
  • sandyboysandyboy Member Posts: 114
    I have known and seen photos of the Cherokee with rear seat headrests, for the European market, and for a long time I have wondered why an American Car (well, at least in 1977/1998) made in American and designed by Americans had a corporation that deemed it more important to protect the necks/heads of Europeans than of home market Market Americans!! I do not think much of anything will fit a Cherokee from a Grand Cherokee. I'd guess that the hardware located INSIDE the rear seat - seatback is lacking from our cars, so that would mean no recepticle for the headrest post. Being that there are no Euro Market Cherokees in USA salvage yards, I doubt that avenue would lead to success. Perhaps the parts are available from your local Jeep Dealer's Parts Dept., but don't bet on it!
    I'd add them in a heartbeat, regardless of cost.......(Ever get whiplash) can't put a price on NOT getting it!!
    S A N D Y
  • sandyboysandyboy Member Posts: 114
    Anyone familiar with this model? Anyone have one? By far, the rarest Jeep option package ever made.
    By the way, does anyone know how many 2001 Cherokee Sport 2-Doors were made in Solar Yellow? The answer is ONE (1) ~ !!! The 2-Door was phased out of production prior to the end (June 22 2001), by about 90 days. The week that it was phased out, was also the weekthe Solar Yellow was phased in. They actually crossed paths for 4 days!
    S A N D Y
  • superpj00superpj00 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 sport.. have 40,000 miles on it so far,,bought it with 11,000 ml on it. Already had my rotors cut and now replaced b/c they were so warped. I also have had it to the dealer 3x to fix a rumbling noise in the rear when I come to a stop when the car is cold..... Each time they gave me a different reason why it was rumbling and not to worry they fixed it...NOT...of course it came back so I went right into the garage and started talking to the " 5 star tech" he told off the record that A LOT of 2000 plus cheerokee's were coming back with the same thing and it was the drive shaft.... but they really don't fix this under warrenty...now that my jeep has 40 plus miles I"m sure if i brought it back they will have no problem fixing it and charging me $400....The dealer kept telling me they did not here any noise and they can"t fix what they don"t here yet their own tech described they symptons to me and knew immediatey what the problem was??? If anyone can give me some advice other then selling it ( which I"m trying to do) that would be great.......
  • superpj00superpj00 Member Posts: 2
    My father has a 2000 sport. He has had the a/c blower fixed 32 times the last of which they tried to charge him b/c his warrenty was up. however after much debate they still fixed it...However they told him next time it happen that it would caost around $400 b/c they would have to replace the whole unit?? Our question why not do that they first time...My father knows one of the mechanics at this wonderful 5 star dealer and he told him " I can"t beleive they have not recalled cherrokess for thisI"ve fixed so many already"......Is it me or is this not to comforting?????
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    "...rear seat headrests, for the European market, and for a long time I have wondered why an American Car (well, at least in 1977/1998) made in American and designed by Americans had a corporation that deemed it more important to protect the necks/heads of Europeans than of home market Market Americans!! "

    Well, there is cost, demand, and regulations. If there are no regulations requiring it, and it costs more to do it, and nobody is asking for it, why WOULD they do it? They are not a charity or a public service, they are a corporation looking after the bottom line. Why would they increase their costs, and pass it on to the consumer, which would make them less competitive?
  • sandyboysandyboy Member Posts: 114
    Anyone on here have a 2000 Cherokee SE equipped with the Freedom Appearance Group ??

    S A N D Y
  • ed96ed96 Member Posts: 20
    i didnt know there was a 1990 freedom package?
    according to my dealer the freedom package was intro in late 2000 for 2001. its primary purpose was to use up the parts that were in stock from eminent demise of the cherokee.
    so if unique is what your after that is your jeep. every one is different. with options from sport to limited . in random config according to what was lying around. so you could get leather seats and manual locks.
  • sandyboysandyboy Member Posts: 114
    1990? I didn't say that. The Sales Code ADF "Freedom Appearance Group" was NOT available on ANY 2001 Cherokee!! It was a 4 month only package on the next-to-last year, the 2000 model SE. The top of the line was the Limited, then the Classic, then the Sport, then the SE Freedom and at the bottom, the SE. The SE Freedom came out just after New Year's Day - I think the first week of trhe new year - 2000 - and was available for like 4 months or so. It was ONLY available on the entry-level "SE" Cherokee. It was very, very unusual. There were many options that were taboo on the SE. However when you ordered the FREEDOM APPEARANCE GROUP (Code ADF) these options became available to you!! So to say, it opened the door to ordering formerely taboo options on a "SE" - in addition, there was one FREEDOM ONLY exterior color: Solar Yellow. This, the same Solar Yellow that was brought back mid-year on the 2001 Sport 4-Door. In addition, the 2000 FREEDOM was available in Stone White, Silverstone, Patroit Blue or Flame Red, plus the Solar Yellow. The items that one could order, after selecting the FREEDOM APPEARANCE GROUP on their "SE" were:-
    * Power Windows & Power Door Locks with Remote Keyless Entry & Illuminated Entry

    * Light Group with Auto-Off Headlamp Delay
    * Up Country Suspension Package
    * Trailer Tow Package
    * Deep Tinted Sunscreen Glass
    * Heated Exterior Mirrors
    * Bodyside Protection Moulding (N.A. on "SE" normally)
    * Cargo Area Security Screen
    * Skid Plate Group

    The FREEDOM APPEARANCE GROUP also included the Chrome Grille & Chrome Headlamp Frames From the LIMITED Model, as part of the package. In addition, the "Ultra-Star" 16" wheels & 16" tires from the 2001 60th Anniversary Sport made their debut on the FREEDOM APPEARANCE PACKAGE.

    But, the really ODD thing, that makes this car so unique, is that it HAD to be ordered on the dealer's FLEET order form. Right! FLEET, because a dealer had to take 5 of them at a clip. The car sold at regular price (you know list minus a discount) BUT the dealer made a bigger profit, because he got FLEET money back. From what I can tell, from collecting VINs from SE's so equipped, they made more than 1,100 of them - but less than 1,500 of them with the FREEDOM APPEARANCE GROUP, and NO, no SE, SE FREEDOM, SPORT or CLASSIC had leather, Leather was the domain exclusively of the LIMITED from 1998 thru 2000. The 2001 Limited did come with cloth, leather moved over to the option list on the Limited in 2001.

    On the exterior of the FREEDOM APPEARANCE GROUP cars, the "cherokee" the 4x4 and the JEEP emblems were chrome raised letters. On the "SE" these were silver mylar decals. Also, undere the "cherokee" on the front doors was a bright blue decal, outlined in silver in lower case script that said:- freedom

    Here is a link, to see one:-
    http://www.thejeepgoddess.com/Jeeps/Laurena.htm

    If anyone has one here, please post your last 6 #s of your VIN, and car's color.
    It's a very unusual piece, and was not repeated for the final year, which by the way was actually a year and a half, since 2001s went into production in May of 2000 and ended June 22 of 2001.
  • ecatecat Member Posts: 11
    I went down to my local jeep dealer to buy the all ecompassing Cherokee Sport. I ended up with a '96 Cherokee Country. I had a hitch put on and the guy installing it asked me what a country is. I had no idea. I specifically wanted the '96 model to have the last year before the revamp (known problems versus unknown problems, plus I'm a tinkerier and I know my limits on technology). Anyway, the Country model strikes me as a poor mans Eddie Bauer, especially since mine is the green with tan interior.

    Anyway, its my first jeep and I pretty much knew what I was getting. Its my daily driver, I've owned it for 6 months and I've put almost 4K miles on it. It currently has 86K.

    So here are my questions:

    Occasionally in stop and go traffic but mostly related to just starting up, if I gradually give the vehicle gas to accelerate (translation - normal driving) there is a spot around 15mph where the car will miss out, lose power and generally cough back at until I let off the gas and reapply it.
    After purchasing the car I had it tuned but I still have the original spark plug wires, distributor, etc. I had the fuel filter and the air filter replaced. Any ideas? I'd like to avoid the "let me guess while you pay for each time I'm wrong" routine at the local mechanic.

    Second question - Road noise. I had to replace the radio with a 45watt number so I could actually hear music when I'm driving 75mph. I'm thinking tires are a big issue but its really just a very noisy car. Is trading off for more civilized tires worth the investment, like some all season radials instead of these AT/DC/ET whatever snow eaters? I live in Ohio so its not like I'm taking lumber trails thru the tundra here. I read the Dunlop RV? in 235/70/15 which is often onsale at sears for $69 a pop is a good quiet tire. Any other tips for quieting down the interior?

    Finally, in low speeds, I have almost what I call a "roar" from my transmission until I get up into a higher gear and then after the shift into 3rd then its a very noticeable difference in volume. I had the transmission flushed the week I bought it and the mechanic said everything looked good. Normal? Worrisome?

    Other than that, I love the power and how nimble this SUV feels. Since I'm only putting about 6 miles a day on it, then its not like all this noise is going to bother me too much, but if I can civilize it a tad, I'd like to.

    as a side note, I installed the Bulldog auto starter for those cold mornings. I picked one up that also unlocked/locked my doors and trunk with two key fobs for $60. About an hour to install myself. Great for cold mornings.
  • ed96ed96 Member Posts: 20
    not to argue s.b. but in post 660 you did write freedom 1990.
    also ,according to my source. just because it shows as being an orderable item does not make it so. the way it was explained to me , if there was one made with the options you desired and available you could get it . but no special orders. if you know someone that configured a freedom with only the the things they wanted and got all of them , i will stand corrected (been lied to before). also ,i was just exaggerating about the lordly leather seats.
  • sandyboysandyboy Member Posts: 114
    No, I do not know anyone, but I do have the ordering guide for dealers, which I pretty much printed out in my post above. Also a photo of both a Silverstone and a Solar Yellow. Solar Yellow was not available on any 2000 Cherokee, except the Freedom. it was a Freedom exclusive color. It then came back Mid-Year in 2001(the color - not the Freedom) only on the Sport 4-Door, mid year color. There was a single Solar Yellow Sport 2-Door made & sold by Yark Jeep in Toledo, Ohio, as a "gift".
    Yes, it was a typo, the 1990.
    Yes, the form states:
    Retail Orders are now being accepted for the Mid-Year Cherokee SE with Freedom Appearace Group, Code ADF. It then went on to tell what I told above. Retail Orders are orders from the public. Dealer orders are called "wholesale" orders, and that indicates that the cars are UNsold, and are for inventory. If it's a "Spec" car, that means it is only built one way, with pre-set options, in one (or maybe two) exterior colors, and one interior. The Mfgr' runs through a bunch, say 1,500 or so and then the dealer zones allocate them to their "favorite" dealers..... (Politics, here now).
    What made THIS car so UNusual was just that! The dealer had to order it on a FLEET order (recall mandatrory 5 units), YET it went in as a RETAIL OR WHOLSALE order! In other words, either ordered to spec for a consumer, or for inventory! That is what is so weird. A FLEET order comes in, and usually goes out within 2 days of
    hitting the ground.

    My contact states that he has 1,084 shipping bills for Freedoms, but acknowledges that he does not think that he has them all....

    The "suggested" 5-unit order was for 1 in each color...i.e. Solar Yellow, Patriot Blue, Silverstone, Stone White & Flame Red.
    Don't forget, there was back end money on these to the dealer as FLEET orders that they were. So, that is the part where the politics came in. (As in here's a gift of a car that you can sell for a bit more money 'cause it's SPECIAL, and you'll get a nice back end check as well. "Gift" see ??? There's a whole bunce of them on the web, 4-sale right now. You can do a search. I have found 2 Silverstone, 2 Solar Yellow, and 2 Stone White. Obviously the Patriot Blue & Flame Red have been kept longer ???? !!!

    I think it's a pretty nifty & rare piece! Probably not as rare as my '01 Limited ~ but still pretty unusual sighting.
    S A N D Y
  • buphalobuphalo Member Posts: 1
    I have a 98 Cherokee Sport (45,000) and I have recently noticed a rattling sound in the front end. All of the the front end components are fine. I then noticed that the brake pads can be rattled when I climb under the truck. The dealer told me that the 98 does not use the "anti-rattle clips" (which are not on the calipers of my truck)and that perhaps the previous owner used "aftermarket" pads that do not fit quite right.
    Is this info correct, and is there anything i can do, aside from replacing the pads, that will eliminate the rattle?
  • buzzbrain101buzzbrain101 Member Posts: 2
    Hello fellow Cherokee people.

    I am leasing a 2000 Sport 4WD with only 16000 miles which is up Aug 3. Was wondering if others have had similar problems that I have had. Had the exhaust rattle but after 3 trips to dealer it seems to be fixed. Had, and still have, an intermittent brake noise although since having the rotors turned (by the dealer after much arguing; aren't rotors covered buy the warranty?) seems to be much better. Also had thumping noise in back, especially when wet which seems to be gone also since rotors were turned.

    The biggest problem is the vibration at about 50 mph. My 98 also did this but much worse and my sisters 2000 was really bad. Had my 98 in several times for the vibration but dealer could not find anything. Kept rotating tires and telling me it was "normal" for a 4WD vehicle. (which seems to be the answer any time they can't find a problem.) Had this one in a couple of times for it also, but couldn't find anything of course. Was wondering if anyone else has had similar problems. Would bad rotors cause this? Had rotors turned because of vibration when braking which has stopped since they were turned. I think it is ridiculous to have brake problems at 16000 miles. Would appreciate any advice on this problem.

    I really like the Cherokee and am thinking of buying it. Don't really care much for the Liberty. The buy out on this car is 15000. It is pretty much loaded with a sunroof. Anyone know what they go for on the used lot?

    Thanks in advance.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I have a 2001 with 46K miles.

    Mine had the thumping in the rear (matched wheel speed) when it was raining/wet but that went away on it's own. My guess is the brake shoes just weren't seated yet and the wet made them slip a bit. This would not be effected by rotors as there are no rotors on the back.

    Front rotor vibration is a pretty normal problem on trucks and suv's these days and not just the cherokee. Turning them is a band-aid fix. Mine started vibrating at 15K and the dealer replaced them under warranty at 25K. The rotors are technically not part of the 36K warranty, but are the 12K. However, the dealer DOES have the ability to get this stuff fixed. I wasn't going to pay for factory rotors again as a good set of aftermarket rotors (high performance) will last much longer, but they are expensive. However when they offered to replace mine instead of turning them, I let them go at it. When I need pads (still on originals) I'll upgrade to high performance rotors.

    The vibration is plain and simple: Tires. You have Goodyear Wrangler RT/S and they are junk. I put 35K on a set and absolutely hated them. I had them rebalanced 5 times and everytime within 1000 miles they were vibrating again. I stuck on a set of Michelins and it's smooth as glass straight up to 90mph. Steering wheel has zero shake and the passenger seat doesn't shake like a wet dog anymore.

    As far as value goes, best you'll do is check edmunds pricing. $15K seems high for a '00, however your mileage is rediculously low so I can't even comment on what it's really worth. Seems like you've worked out whatever kinks you've got (and I wouldn't do a thing with the tires until you decide if you're keeping it) so I'd probably consider buying it. You know the history of it and appreciate the vehicle. There isn't a small SUV on the market with the power and capability, and many of the bigger ones don't compare either.
  • buzzbrain101buzzbrain101 Member Posts: 2
    Wow, thanks for the response.

    Should have put 2 and 2 together on the vibration. Had Goodyears on other Chrysler vehicles and hated them also. When my 98 was vibrating, made the dealer replace tires at their expense because they told me, after 5 or 6 times bringing it in to service for the problem and having tires rotated, it was "poor maintenance". Needless to say I disagreed. Can't remember a problem after that but only had it for a few months more and they replaced them with the same tires.

    Guess it was just coincidence that the thumping went away after rotors turned. Thought it was odd, but my 98 had the same thumping and had brakes replaced one week after I took it home. Had no problems after that. I thought the 36K warranty was bumper to bumper. Guess I will have to fight for that repair if I decide to buy it and need it again.

    I agree about the power and capability. I can't find an SUV I like in my price range with a V6. Considering the Honda CR-V but hate to go down to a 4 cylinder. Plus was told that I might be able to negotiate the buy out price. Just tired of leasing and having to go through the new car thing every 2 or 3 years. Besides I take good care of my vehicles and have taken pretty good car of my 2000. Little worried about the engine fire thing but had the debris shield installed. Hopefully if nothing has happened by now nothing will.

    Anyway, thanks you have been very helpful.
  • jsstoverjsstover Member Posts: 40
    I agree with the Goodyear tires being rough. They are expensive to replace too. What specific model michs did you put on? Thanks.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I put on Michelin XCX-APT. These are sold through Sears and NTB (maybe sams too) and they are LTX-AT's. You can't buy the LTX-AT in a 225/75-15, but you can get the XCX-APT in that size. Does that make sense?? (no!) These have a more aggresive tread (they are all-terrains, where the goodyears are all-season) and with the exception of emergency lane changing, these handle, ride, sound much better and much better traction. There is slightly more vehicle motion if you have to change direction quickly, but otherwise they feel very secure. I had to emergency brake the other day to miss a deer and they grabbed better than the goodyears. The goodyears would slide very quickly and smoothly where these Michelins grab the pavement much harder.

    Michelin also makes an LTX-M/S which is an all-season like the RT/S. The RT/S was bare minimum tread style for the mud/snow I drive in. Someone seeing normal snow and rarely mud the LTX-M/S would be my choice. Those came standard on my Ram diesel and were very good tires, but didn't handle mud too well. They come in the stock 225/75 size through Michelin dealers as well.

    If I wasn't driving as much on-road, there probably are some better choices for off-roading but they just don't have the all-around excellent characteristics of the Michelins. Plus the Michelins (in my experiences) last a good bit longer. They are usually alot more expensive so there probably isn't much of a monetary gain by using them, but they seem to wear smoother and drive very good all the way to the end of the tire life. My Goodyears still had pretty good tread left, but after about 20K miles they were a real pain and by 40K they had driven me crazy. I had an F-150 that came with the RT/S and they were actually pretty good tires on that vehicle, but sucked on the Cherokee.
  • jsstoverjsstover Member Posts: 40
    Thanks for the info. I have 25K on them now, hopefully replacing them soon.

    To anyone that this applies to...How difficult is it for someone moderately mechanically inclined to do your own 30K service, such as tranny and transfer fluid flush and fill? Any hints or tips?

    Thanks!!
  • 4dnice4dnice Member Posts: 1
    Hello all, I have been reading messages about Grand Cherokees. I purchased a 2000 Grand Cherokee with 28,000 miles on it in Jan. 2002. Up until June 20, 2002 I had no problems. I had the intake manifold cover replaced due to the manufacturers recall and after that I began having problems. My Jeep has been cutting off sporadically. It has been towed to the dealer twice in less than a week for this problem. It will run fine and without warning it will shut off. I was stranded in a thunderstorm the last time. I waited 1 1/2 hrs. for the tow truck and my Jeep never re-started. After towing it to the dealer it started immediately and has been running (according to the dealer) fine since. The dealer says they can't find anything wrong with it. It has been in the shop now since last Friday June 28, 2002. The week before it was there from Friday June 21, 2002 until Tuesday June 25. The other issue is the dealer will not authorize payment for a rental because they say the warranty only covers rentals when they have diagnosed a problem. In my case they have not. I had to pay for my rental. Has anyone else had this (these) problems? Is it common with Jeeps? Is it a 2000 model problem? What if anything was done to repair it? Thanks in advance for any feed back.
  • jsstoverjsstover Member Posts: 40
    I am sorry to hear about your problem. Could the dealership possibly pinched or cut some wires while installing the shield? Have you noticed a recurring pattern when your Jeep shuts down, like being very humid or wet out?

    I have had my shield installed too, and I haven't noticed anything yet. My Cherokee is a 2001.
  • mkhoosiermkhoosier Member Posts: 1
    I have a 97 Jeep Cherokee with 65,000 miles on it. I have now had it into the dealer 3 times because of issues with the car shuddering excessively over 40mph. Never had an issue before the dealer told me the brake pads needed to be changed and have now been in 3 times since then, every 5000 miles to have the rotors remachined or replaced. I see this issue on the NTHSA website complaints, so is there a big issue with this?
  • ecatecat Member Posts: 11
    anyone installed an aftermarket 3 row radiator?

    In this 95 degree weather my jeep has decided to started jumping up to about 245 degrees when idling, and then dropping down to about 220 when I get on open road.

    I just replaced the thermostat to no avail. When running the heater, the temp stabilizes at 210.

    I've heard that cherokees are notorious for overheating because of an undersized radiator (2 row).

    I'm thinking of going full blown 3 row radiator, engine oil cooler and tranny cooler for my '96 with 86K miles.

    If I do the work myself I can do it all for about $225. I think its a good investment. Any advice?
  • vin_weaselvin_weasel Member Posts: 237
    The radiator is between $100 and $140 and its one of the best. The other one to look for is the heavy duty Mopar rad (performance part maybe).

    The thing is the Cherokee runs hot.

    Doing all of those things together will help with the longevity of the vehicle, I believe. I've got all of those included in my towing package.
  • bfassettbfassett Member Posts: 17
    I have a 1999 Cherokee Sport Classic. The AC will run fine for about 5 minutes, The cooling fan cycles on and off and the AC goes on and off. THE AC THEN STARTS TO BLOW WARM/HOT MUSTY AIR AND THE COOLING FAN RUNS CONSTANTLY. I HAD THE DEALEER CHARGE THE SYSTEM-NO LEAKS AND CHANGE THE COOLANT.NO CHANGE.I TRIED SWITCHING THE BLACK RELAYS IN THE POWER CENTER FROM THE COOLING FAN AND THE FOG LIGHTS.NO CHANGE, THE LARGE GREEN RELAY GETS VERY HOT , THE OTHER DAY THINGS WERE WORKING JUST FINE AND I PULLED THE 40 AMP IN LINE FUSE AND( THEN PUT IT BACK IN )FOR THE COOLING FAN AND THE FAN RAN CONSTANTLY, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ALS0 ON.I HEAD BACK TO THE DEALER SOON ANYONE WITH ANY THOUGHTS.HOW DOE YOU GET AT THE FOG LIGHT SWITCH TO REPLACE IT?
  • ecatecat Member Posts: 11
    GDI seems to be the defacto standard for Jeep Cherokee radiator upgrades. Thats what I was planning on going with.

    Thanks for the info

    One other thing I considered, even though I personally believe it would look silly is a modest hood scoop, more for the chance to let heat escape more than anything else.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I would really concentrate on just getting the radiators in. They will much more effectively keep the engine running at the optimum temp. The Inline-6 does like to run on the hotter side and getting it too cool isn't good for it. Heat's only a bad thing when it exceeds what the engine was designed for.
  • ecatecat Member Posts: 11
    I hear what you're saying.

    Its hard to believe that an engine that size in such a tight space is performing optimally at that temperature. It just goes against everything I've ever been taught.
  • gjblegjble Member Posts: 23
    My neighbor has a Jeep Cherokee with full time 4 wheel drive and a big V8 with about 140,000 miles, well kept. The other day ,the Jeep was backed into her garage and she started it to drive out, normal idle, and with her foot on the brake, put it into drive and the vehicle took off, full power, with the tires spinning and she ran into her retaining wall head on.They had a mechanic over that night and he duplicated the feat. I looked at it and turned the key on without the motor running and put it in drive to see if the throttle moved, it did not. Anybody have any answers for this behavior?
  • vin_weaselvin_weasel Member Posts: 237
    the simple solution would be to repost this under the GRAND Cherokee Problems thread. :) No Cherokees were ever offered with a V8.

    Wasn't this a known problem with the Grand's? Something about the transmission slipping into or out of gear? I think it even made the news.
  • ed96ed96 Member Posts: 20
    beg to differ. i have heard of special order v-8 cherokees. not grands. late models i believe the last i heard was a 98 around the time the grand got the smaller vortec engine that would fit in the cherokee . never seen it but i do know from friend at dmv it has been done
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    The Grand got the 4.7L in '99. There are a few cherokees in existence with 4.7L stroker V8's but these are NOT factory ordered. Jeep has never built a V8 Cherokee that was sold as a street legal vehicle. Vortec has never been a Jeep engine name, that would be Chevy. There's cherokees around with Chevy V8's as well. Again, you can do anything with the time and money. I can remember a V10 Dodge Neon in one of the car mags awhile back. Not sure how they kept the rear wheels on the ground.....

    But what's more likely is that your DMV friend might have a simple mistake on their hands or just a registration glitch. I've seen Grand Cherokees registered as a Cherokee, the VIN being the only indication that they were actually Grands. So a Cherokee with a V8 is quite possible on a DMV record. Plus I don't know why anyone would want to alter a title of a vehicle to reflect the fact they completely modified the vehicle. Insurance will eat you alive on a modified registered vehicle.
  • vin_weaselvin_weasel Member Posts: 237
    from what I've heard on a few other message boards, you'll never pass emissions in certain states with an engine that was never offered in stock form. There are quite a few chevy 350 swaps out there but you may never be able to get them legally on the road. I've read of one swap of a 4.7L V8 (Grand Cherokee) into a TJ so you might be able to put one in a Cherokee. The 4.0L can be stroked to about 4.7L and get over 300+ ft/lb torque (http://www.accuratepower.com/Jeep/Stroker.html).

    Bottom line: The only engines offered in the Jeep Cherokee (XJ) are the 2.8L Chevy V6 (until about 87-88 I think), 2.5L I4 and 4.0L I6. The Grand Cherokee has had the 5.2 (318), 5.9 (360, only in '98), 4.0L I6 and the new 4.7L V8.
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    Older, pre 1984, Full Size Cherokees could be gotten with a V8. Is this perhaps what you are referring to?
  • ed96ed96 Member Posts: 20
    look, im not a motorhead. what i meant to say was that my friend spoke to the gentlemen who bought and registered a new cherokee, not grand with a v-8 this was a 98. and he ordered that way . he drove for a living and wanted the power . so i say if it walks like a duck ....
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    about people driving up to the factory and custom building these vehicles, but I never see any of them and the folks I know in the auto industry says it doesn't happen. Now the factory engineering/design departments have been known to do some wild stuff as testing, but the are supposed to be destroyed. Sometimes they don't always get destroyed.....but they aren't going to go out the door with a certificate of origination. A custom shop could do all the mods prior to titling it as a new vehicle. Depending on the state, it could be registered with the mods I suppose. Beyond ego, I still can't imagine why anyone would want to register the vehicle with the changes. An insurance company is going to boo-hiss regardless of how it was registered.
  • dunkmydonutdunkmydonut Member Posts: 35
    Hello, I'm a little short on time, so I didn't read all 700 posts. I have a friend with a Cherokee who wants to sell or trade it in. I like it for driving, not much for off roading. Nothing with the Jeep. I just don't enjoy it much. I know a wrangler can handle a small plow, which I need for the driveway. Also know the Grand can't handle a plow well because it's missing the needed frame strength strength. Hope one of you Cherokee guys can tell me if the Cherokee can handle a small personal plow. If so, could kill two birds with one stone. My friend wouldn't have to worry about the trade in dance, and I could take it off his hands at a reasonable price. TIA......Leo
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    Apparently so. Check out this website:


    https://www.mysnowsport.com/htmls/order.asp

  • sbyrumsbyrum Member Posts: 7
    FYI - my '98 Classic (43,000k) needs a new distributor. Mechanic tried 5 different ones from various places (including a dealership) specified for the '98. The plug on each one would not fit my vehicle. He finally called another dealership whose parts person happened to know from previous experience what the problem was. Seems that for 1997 & 1998 Chrysler used a different plug, then after that, went back to the old plug. Of course, no one in town stocks these - they have to be special ordered and cost double and a half times as much!!!
  • ecatecat Member Posts: 11
    Advanced Auto Parts does.

    They gave me one by mistake.
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    You could try these folks.


    http://www.auto-parts-direct.com/jeep.htm

  • sbear1140sbear1140 Member Posts: 1
    i am considering buying a 99 cherokee sport. I have a 2500 lb. 17-foot boat. can the cherokee sport tow this load? I would be towing on normal highways. has anybody towed boats or campers with your cherokee sport? If so what is your opinion....good or bad. thanks.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    The weight shouldn't be too much of an issue. You'll know it's back there but that's a comfortable towing weight for the Cherokee. I might be a little concerned about the length on such a short vehicle, but you should be able to get anti-sway bars to help. I'd check with your trailer shop before buying the Jeep so you have an option if you don't like the stability. A Long-bed 1/2 pickup would pull that very well, but the cherokee is so short it can get pushed around alot by a long trailer. I normally pull a 15' trailer and Kubota tractor with mine. Does fine, but hills slow you down a bit.
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