Hi, I'm glad to have found this forum. I have had 3 Grand Cherokees since 1994. On my current one, which has a 2" lift, I was driving home and my frame broke while I was driving. I had to go 5mph to get home. Upon closer inspection I could see where it had broken due to rust. It was the rear drivers side and the area next to the sway bar was rusted away and broken as well as part of the frame about 8 inches before you get to the sway bar area.
So I bought good sturdy angle iron and flatiron at tractor supply. Then using self tapping heavy duty screws reinforced and reconnected together the ares that rusted away and then TIG welded these areas. Took it for test drive and was fine for about a mile or two then it starts making a thumping noise coming from the left rear wheel. I'm wondering if this could be the axle shaft since it started after the frame broke. Also when I was jacking the back end up the Jeep slipped off before I could get the jack stand in place. It hit the ground on the same side I had welded.

 

I don't know where you're from, but I had the very same problem with my 97 ZJ. After bolting and welding about 100 lbs of steel into it, no state inspector would pass it for safety. I sold it to a kid to use on a farm. I never heard from him again so IDK how long it lasted. He got a deal because it had a good 4.0, a rebuilt tranny, and 4 brand new tires. I got $600 for it and he was happy.

 

With out a frame table to jig it up you could have welded it back together not straight.

 

^^Yes, this too^^! After fixing mine, if I nailed the throttle, it would pull right, and heavy braking would make it dive left. I found both upper control arm mounts were about ready to go also. Because of space limitations, those were difficult to fix.

 

All contributors have given me great input. I would be hesitant to drive my Jeep between the thumping sound and not being confident my repairs to the sway bar will hold up. But I just hate to sell a Jeep with a good engine, a good body, and lot's of new parts for hardly anything. If I understand correctly 93-98 Grand Cherokees have interchangeable parts. If so I will start looking for a 4.0 Jeep in that range with a good frame and use my current Jeep as a parts vehicle. What I would really like is a Jeep with part time 4WD. Guess it's time to start shopping around.

 

The most common t/case in the 4.0 Laredo is the np242. That gives you 2wd,4pt,4ft,N,4lo. The Limited tends to have the np249, constant 4wd, hi,N,lo

 

The break up years are 93-95 96-98 the 96 and newer got a passenger side air bag and odb2.Besides the v8 ones having a dana 44a and the gearing is different v8 and 4.0 they are the same.Where are you from tho?If its a place that uses a lot of road salt thats why you got the rust bad and might wanna look out for it on any car.

 

If you're asking me, Yes, I'm in the Salt City, Syracuse NY! The jeep was used in Watertown, NY on the Tug Hill area where they get MOST of the snow in NY. My 97 was totally perforated with rust.