Hey all, new to the forums,
I am looking to make my first jeep purchase and get a Cherokee soon, have been doing some research and have read that the 99 is probably the best year? I've also read that the 97 isn't a good year..
I will be looking for one to travel with, modify, and have fun with.
I've read that there are certain years to look into if I'm planning on throwing tires bigger than 31'? I plan on doing big things to it and to have fun with it.
Looking to spend no more than $5k, would like to have less than 130k.


What are things to look into? What should I stay away from?
Like I said, I am looking to modify it, and maintain it very well.
Just researching a lot to know more about them.


Any information is greatly appreciated!
Thanks so much!

 

99-01 have the 0331 head casting which are prone to cracking. 84-86 have terrible engines. 87-91 have Renix electronics which are a pain in the *** to diagnose. 96 is an odd year because its half OBD1 half OBD2. 97 and up without ABS would be ideal for bigger tires, no D35 rear axle and stronger front axle shafts. 91 and up with ABS also have the stronger front shafts, but the weaker D35 rear axle. Don't buy one with a 4 cylinder, they have no power and suck with big tires. Don't let people tell you they have automatic transmission problems, they are mixing up with the grand cherokees. The XJs AW4 automatic is bulletproof.

Also if it cranks but doesn't fire, 95% of the time its the Crankshaft Position Sensor. Mileage is basically irrelevant on a 4.0L, they will easily run past 300,000

 

Just fwiw the 97s were the first year of the newest body/interior and sometimes first gens can be problematic as they work out bugs. With that said Ive had a 97 or 7-8 years and it has over 292k miles on it and no special problems beyond regular maintenance items. If you stumble across a good condition XJ it will be a good vehicle.

 

What year really depends on what you like, after all its going to be your ride. As for my self I prefer 97 up because the up dated interior. Your budget seems high enough to get a fairly low mile xj. Either way absolutey everything on a cherokee can be replaced or modified. Just find one that has more of what you want so there is less to change. Just my .02 but I would stay away from v-6 and i-4 models. Happy hunting.

 

Most definitely stay away from the 2.8L powered XJ's... especially 1986... in fact, if you find a nice '86 2.8L powered XJ, you should lmk ASAP so I can dispose of it properly...

 

87-99 or some say 91-99 get a 4.0 inline 6 skip the 4 cylinder.Find one as stock as you can and taken care of.And look for rust in the floor pans and rocker panels.

 

99 did not have the crappy 0331 head.

 

A lot of the better and HD items on the 97-99 yrs. and IMHO the 99 being the best later model one..

 

if you find a 99 chances are itll have all the best options. the best axles (except for the much earlier d44s) the bigger ujoints that the first new gen models had, the better intake manifold.. there's probably more. if you like the newer looking ones 99 is the best year and i think 98 has almost all the same perks.
im not familiar enough with the earlier years to tell you much about them

 

As far as I can tell, the 98 is just about as good as the 99, unless you get a dana 35 with ABS. It has the HP dana 30 front, doesn't have the 0331 head, etc.. Unless someone could please explain the other differences between the 2 years.

 

Honesty you're not going to get a real answer because....well there is no real answer. They all have their pros and cons and there's a good chance we all own at least one. So were all going to be a little biased. You will have one motto regardless. Just Empty Every Pocket. Look for one in decent condition and go with it. Between the availability of parts and the amazing community these Jeeps are a part of, you will have fun any route you go. Post some pics and share some stories when you decide!

 

Some late 99s did, but they are easy to identify by the distributorless ignition

 

Strong noob post. Clearly gets it.

 

Correction. 1999.5-2001 have the 0331 head casting. My 1999 has the 0630 head. A very good head found in pre-1999.5 models.

 

The only disadvantage to pre-99 Jeeps is they came with the older-style intake manifold and some other out-dated parts that were refined in the 1999 and newer engines to add about 20-30 extra horsepower to the motor in order to make up for the more restrictive exhaust that was added to please the EPA.