Hey guys so here is the scoop. I am looking at buying my second car, 17, its a 98 Cherokee classic. Its fairly optioned out, Rust free minus a tiny bubble. Checked the sub frames, and rockers very clean. The only thing the worries me is the miles, its at 190K. Now i heard these things are super reliable, meaning the 4.0 inline 6, but how many other problems might I have? Does electrical short out, fuel pumps, ps pumps, ac compressors, starters? If some ppl can give me an honest evaluation whether to buy it or not I'd be stoked. I'm coming from owning a miata, its been dead reliable never had any issues. Also its 3k and its not going any lower, that's what my dads friend took it in at. Sorry for all the rook questions but I'm new to jeeps.

Thanks Alex

 

They are very reliable. Also very easy to work on.

Parts are fairly cheap as well, which is bedget friendly. Ignition coil is like $50. The most common sensor to fail (crank sensor) is like $30. Water pump is like $28.

The first year+ I had my 87 with 250k+ miles I did nothing to it. Nothing broke.

And anything that HAS broke has let me know WAAAAAY in advance. I have yet to be stranded by that thing EVER.

I made the choice to buy one of the EARLY ones. It came with a trans known to fail. It started making noise, so I knew it was going. I bought another parts truck for $500 and took the trans out. Sold the rest of the truck in parts to make my money back. I even had enough to take the new trans to be rebuilt.

And a whopping 8 to 10 months after the trans started making noise, BAD noise, it finally gave. Almost an entire year of me beating on a trans that was going out. Thats still pretty darn good.

And I was even able to limp home 50 blocks!!!

 

That sounds great to me, my plan would be 3" rc lift and 31" Mt. at 190K miles is this a good idea? Id like to make this a fun daily and light trail/ fire roads for under 5K?

 

The engines in these things are as reliable as anvils. And as long as this thing hasn't been beat on, or neglected of oil changes and the like, it sounds like you've got a good Jeep. As far as the electrical goes, Jeeps have a bit of a reputation for wiring issues. But, in my case, as with many others, it ends up being a cracked wire in the rubber boot between drivers door and jamb or the master window switch. Both of these are a quick fix in the driveway with a wire stripper and some solder. Seriously like 30 min from start to finish for all of it. So, my point is to make sure and flip every switch, ****, lever, switch, etc. and make sure it's functioning properly. I have not had an issue with any of the components you mentioned!
Next I'd check the steering, driveline and steering components. The picture is a great reference for steering components. Make sure everything highlighted is not loose, dry, cracked, worn out... As for the the driveline, make sure to bring it up to highway speeds to check for vibrations. Also, when back to lower speeds, cycle thru all the 4wd options. Make sure for 4lo you are in neutral and either standing still or rolling like 2-3mph. Next crawl underneath and see if there is any play in the driveshafts. If it was vibrating on the highway, then chances are this is where it's coming from. The rear shaft uses a u joint. If the joint is older, then maybe it's time for a new one. Like 25 bucks for a good one! The front shaft is a CV style and just needs to be replaced if worn out. Cost me 80 bucks from the JY. The yokes are fixed and it's held in with a total of 8x 8mm bolts. Easy DIY job. As for the suspension, it usually comes down to the rear leaf packs sagging and worn out shocks. How's the arch on the leafs? Still got some, flat or negative arch?

And the 3k price? Reasonable for sure. I mean, unless the seller doesn't have much motivation, maybe try laying 2k in 100 dollar bills in front of him and see what he wants more. (bring the full 3k, but start there!) good luck man! Just wait till the roads are bad or somebody needs a tug outta the ditch! Jeeps are amazing! Like Gee said, easy to maintain and mod!!

 

Thanks that's very informative, You guys seem like really nice people and hopefully by thursday Ill be driving it home calling it mine. Really much appreciated and it would seem the journey might just be getting started. My autos teacher said one weak spot on his Xj was the auto trans. Is this a common problem. I'm not planning on slamming on and off the gas, just cruising to school, work and Wisconsin on the weekends.

 

5k total, or 5k in mods?!?! If your main function is DD then maybe look into full leaf packs over an AAL. Rough County has a reputation for, dare I say, a "rough" ride.. I have no personal experience, btw.. The 190k has little to do with if it's trail worthy. If properly maintained, this thing should be as reliable as when at 90k. If going to 3-3.5 inches then there's very little to worry about for steering and driveline adjustments. At least an adj. track bar or a relocation bracket to keep the axle centered. Other things like disconnectable sway bar end links, some fender trimming and maybe a TC drop if there are some vibes after lift..

 

Ha. The manual ax-15 and auto aw4 are good trannys and can handle well beyond the usage you've got planned. You rarely see a tranny issue come up on here!

 

I bought my 98 Sport with 186,000 miles on it about a year ago. I'm also 17 And I also paid 3K for mine. Depending on where you live, it may be smart to jump on that deal, where I live, most 4x4s in any condition sell like hotcakes. I was fortunate enough to stumble across a diamond in the rough, rust free and all the goodies (AW4, NP231, Chry8.25) my moms 2000 XJ has more miles and rust than mine so we knew we got a good deal. As far for what to look for when you go to buy, check for oil leaks, see what rear axle you have, it's very important if you plan on lifting and putting on bigger tires. You'll want the Chrysler 8.25, I'll attach a diff cover sheet, ask of they have. Maintenance records, see how soon the tires will need to be replaced, see when the next oil change is due (the seller of mine told us it was up for one in less than 100 miles after we bought it). As for upgrades, most people don't recommend RC, they ride rough and aren't known for having the best quality, good quality obviously costs more (OME, RE, Deaver, Clayton ect) that's ultimately up to you and how much you want to spend. Lights are relatively cheap and are very useful, they're the upgrade I appreciate most, bumpers and rims are nice, but you can save a lot of money by using stock ones if it's only a DD or light trail rig. Install a 2" reciever if it doesn't have one already, that'll be good for campers, small boats, and recovery. There's my Jeep, from when I bought it to now, I've done what I can on a minimum wage budget. It's a great vehicle and I wouldn't trade it for anything

 

I bought my '98 3/4 years ago with 240K on it.Over the years,I put a water pump,CPS,TPS & oil in it.He wanted $2500,I offer him $1500 & he took it cause it wouldn't start (dead battery).

It now has 262K on it & rides on 33's.It gets 17 MPG,city.

Keep oil & antifreeze in the engine & you can't kill them.

 

Thank you 98 XJ the info is very good and educational. Honestly i shouldnt say light trail, more like gravel roads, logging roads and getting lost in the woods with the gf lol. More importantly im hoping to have the jeep by thursday so I can start building before winter hits, snow wheeling sounds awesome!