New England Snow Runner

halmotors · 10-20-2009, 02:08 PM

Alright, so I just got home from picking up my new (to me) 1995 Cherokee Country. Picked it up for a cool $500; 149k miles on the clock. 4-door, automatic, 4x4. It came with an extra transmission, transfer case, rocker panels, exhaust, spare rim and tire, and a set of taillights. I can't really argue with the price of it, considering the extras it came with and the fact that the only rust on it is on the two existing rocker panels (which are getting replaced with the extras I got ASAP).

This vehicle is going to serve duty as my winter runner, as my current DD is NOT a winter vehicle by any stretch of the imagination. I love my Bimmer, but snow is not its forte. We get some pretty hefty snowfall here in New Hampshire, so the goal is to have the Jeep road- and winter-ready by the end of November.

Planned mods to start off with include:

Moderate lift (I'm thinking 3" or so...it doesn't have to be massive)
Upgraded tire size (again, something moderate...31"-33" tires suitable for both offroad and snow running)
New bumpers front and rear
Stripped carpeting being replaced by bedliner sprayed on the floor (the interior in this thing is pretty hideous; plenty of dirt, pet hair, etc.)
New shocks all around. The current ones are pretty much gone at this point. Pushing down on the front of the vehicle causes it to bounce quite a bit. (I'm open to suggestions for good shocks)
Fix the front wheel shimmy (apparently at high speeds the wheel shakes a bit; I didn't experience that on the interstate coming home, but my thought was the front stabilizer. Correct me if I'm wrong)
Install CB radio for weather watch
Upgrade the $25 crap stereo the PO installed
Install my Sirius radio from my Bimmer

I'm not exactly on a budget, but I don't have tons of money to throw around, either. I'll be cutting corners where it's safe to do so, but of course I'm open to any suggestions anyone has. And now, some pics!

Here you can see some of the spare parts it came with, along with the nasty-*** carpeting. The entire carpet looks like this...

Rocker panel cancer. This will be one of the first things fixed, to prevent it spreading.

Another ucky interior shot. The people left cigarette butts in the ashtray, trash in the car, etc. Not really happy with that, but it was a $500 Cherokee...I couldn't pass it up.

I'll update more as I do more to the vehicle. For right now, I'll be waiting until next paycheck to get it registered and inspected, and I need to go to the local pick and pull to get some miscellaneous parts it needs.

warrpath4x4 · 10-20-2009, 05:14 PM

Not bad for $500

halmotors · 10-21-2009, 03:45 PM

After spending the majority of the day thinking about the direction I want to go in with the Snow Runner, and also spending the day gnoshing with one of my coworkers (who's an experienced offroader), I've made a decision on how I want to mod the SN. With the small amount of harsh offroading I'd be doing, it behooves me to keep the Jeep fairly close to stock to help maximize comfort and driveability. That being said, I've made the decision to go with a 3" suspension lift and 31"x10.5" tires. For the tires, I've settled on Interco TrXus Mud Terrain Tires, in a 31x10.5 size. I've heard a lot of good things about the snow and ice capabilities of these tires, but of course I'll listen to user feedback on them. I'm undecided in regards to the suspension lift. I'm looking for a quality 3" kit that won't break the bank; I'd like to spend under a grand for tires, wheels, and lift. I'd love some suggestions on this, as well.

COSXJFAN · 10-21-2009, 04:36 PM

Check out Rough Country, their prices are decent!! Wheels, tires, & lift for less than 1K, good luck with that one!! You might be able to do it, but it will be a chore!! Good luck!

djlarroc · 10-21-2009, 04:46 PM

TrXus are great tires. I used to have them on my 4Runner. You can easily do a budget boost to fit the 31s for about $100. Or you can do the RC kit for about $250 +/-. Black steelies should run about $40 each from summitracing.com.

halmotors · 10-21-2009, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djlarroc

TrXus are great tires. I used to have them on my 4Runner. You can easily do a budget boost to fit the 31s for about $100. Or you can do the RC kit for about $250 +/-. Black steelies should run about $40 each from summitracing.com.

I was thinking of potentially doing a bastard S10 pack in the rear for that lift. What else would you suggest for a budget lift that's not going to ruin my suspension geometry and leave the vehicle unstable?

And since I'm actually at my computer now, and not trying to reply on my cellphone, here's what I'm looking at for tires and rims, for anyone who's interested:

Tires:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ICT-RXM-05R/

Rims:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CRR-3975812/

With the RC 3" kit, rims, and tires I'm looking at just slightly over $1k, which is not too bad. If I had more time and money to put into it, I'd do more to it, but for the time-being this will work for me.

*edit* I just realized that I picked out the exact same rims that you did, DJ...

djlarroc · 10-21-2009, 07:29 PM

Lol. Nice.

Carparts.com has some good prices.

If you have the D35 axle, this is a great price on the lift. Looks like the control arms are included: http://www.carparts.com/autoparts/It...32490610612334

'Course people have also had good luck calling RC straight up and getting better deals.

Better price on tires here and free shipping: http://www.carparts.com/autoparts/It...D:100000383163

...Or, you can do treadwrights for cheaper. Members here have been really happy w/them: http://www.treadwright.com/shopnow/p...d-dog-m-t.aspx

Here are the wheels. A bit more, but maybe less overall w/the free shipping. http://www.carparts.com/webapp/wcs/s...atalogId=10618

Total I see for lift, wheels and trxus is $1047 shipped and including the heavy item charge. HTH!

halmotors · 10-21-2009, 07:37 PM

To be honest, I have no idea what I've got for axles on it, nor what transfer case I've got. How do I go about finding this out?

djlarroc · 10-21-2009, 07:44 PM

Actually... better deal to get wheels from summit and rest through carparts.com. Will save you another $35! ...

Transfer case you most likely have is the NP231 which is very good. Or you will have the NP242. Pretty good too, but the 231 is better for 4wheelin. You can tell that by your 4wd selector. NP231 has 2H - 4H - N - 4LO.

242 has a selector for all time 4WD I think.

On the axles, you'll either have the Dana 35, or the Chrysler 8.25. If you have ABS, you have the 35. If you don't, you have the 8.25 which is the better of the two. Either will be fine for 31s though...

heep92 · 10-21-2009, 07:55 PM

if you want to find out for sure what exactly your jeep came stock with (and what you may still have depending on if the previous owner did any mods or not) i went to the local jeep dealership and if you give them your vin they can give you printouts of what your jeep came stock with...very helpful if your new to jeeps instead of having to guess

halmotors · 10-21-2009, 08:08 PM

Alright, then I've got an NP231 and Dana 35.

djlarroc · 10-22-2009, 12:03 AM

Yeah, just give a call to the stealership. They will ask for the last 6 of the VIN I think and can tell you what axle you have etc.

From the looks of your interior and body cladding, it looks like you have the country edition. In which case you have the NP242 I think. And most likely the D35. Looks like you have dual fans too. Do they work properly?

halmotors · 10-22-2009, 05:55 AM

Yes, I've got the Country edition. Both fans seem to work, although I haven't let it run long enough to check the electric fan. Would I still have the NP242 even though I've got the 2H-4HI-N-4LO selector?

I'll put a call in to a dealership today and see what I can find out.

halmotors · 10-22-2009, 10:18 AM

alright, and update. I called the dealership, and they informed me that i've got a 231 transfer case, and no abs...so the chrysler axle

djlarroc · 10-22-2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by halmotors

alright, and update. I called the dealership, and they informed me that i've got a 231 transfer case, and no abs...so the chrysler axle

Nice! You got the better of the equipment options. I went to see a country edition recently and it had the NP242. The guy told me all country's came w/it. Glad your's is the exception.

10-20-2009, 02:08 PM	#1
halmotors Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 115 My Photos 1995 Cherokee Year: 1995 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0L Transmission: Automatic Transfer Case: NP231 Tires: 31"x10.5" Bully Dog MTZ Lift Specifications: 3" RC	New England Snow Runner Alright, so I just got home from picking up my new (to me) 1995 Cherokee Country. Picked it up for a cool $500; 149k miles on the clock. 4-door, automatic, 4x4. It came with an extra transmission, transfer case, rocker panels, exhaust, spare rim and tire, and a set of taillights. I can't really argue with the price of it, considering the extras it came with and the fact that the only rust on it is on the two existing rocker panels (which are getting replaced with the extras I got ASAP). This vehicle is going to serve duty as my winter runner, as my current DD is NOT a winter vehicle by any stretch of the imagination. I love my Bimmer, but snow is not its forte. We get some pretty hefty snowfall here in New Hampshire, so the goal is to have the Jeep road- and winter-ready by the end of November. Planned mods to start off with include: Moderate lift (I'm thinking 3" or so...it doesn't have to be massive) Upgraded tire size (again, something moderate...31"-33" tires suitable for both offroad and snow running) New bumpers front and rear Stripped carpeting being replaced by bedliner sprayed on the floor (the interior in this thing is pretty hideous; plenty of dirt, pet hair, etc.) New shocks all around. The current ones are pretty much gone at this point. Pushing down on the front of the vehicle causes it to bounce quite a bit. (I'm open to suggestions for good shocks) Fix the front wheel shimmy (apparently at high speeds the wheel shakes a bit; I didn't experience that on the interstate coming home, but my thought was the front stabilizer. Correct me if I'm wrong) Install CB radio for weather watch Upgrade the $25 crap stereo the PO installed Install my Sirius radio from my Bimmer I'm not exactly on a budget, but I don't have tons of money to throw around, either. I'll be cutting corners where it's safe to do so, but of course I'm open to any suggestions anyone has. And now, some pics! Here you can see some of the spare parts it came with, along with the nasty-*** carpeting. The entire carpet looks like this... Rocker panel cancer. This will be one of the first things fixed, to prevent it spreading. Another ucky interior shot. The people left cigarette butts in the ashtray, trash in the car, etc. Not really happy with that, but it was a $500 Cherokee...I couldn't pass it up. I'll update more as I do more to the vehicle. For right now, I'll be waiting until next paycheck to get it registered and inspected, and I need to go to the local pick and pull to get some miscellaneous parts it needs.

10-20-2009, 05:14 PM	#2
warrpath4x4 Seasoned Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: 97838 Posts: 306 My Photos 1987 Cherokee Year: 1987 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0 Transmission: 5 speed Front Axle: 30 Rear Axle: 35 Tires: small Lift Specifications: stock	Not bad for $500 __________________ AMSOIL DEALER MEMBER OF: wheelers for the wounded, blue ribbon coalition, and tread lightly

10-21-2009, 04:36 PM	#4
COSXJFAN BROWN CHICKEN, BROWN COW! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 5,770 My Photos 1987 Wagokee Year: 1987 Wagokee Engine: 4.0 Renny Transmission: AW-4 Transfer Case: NP 242 HD drive shaft Front Axle: HP non-C.A.D. Dana 30 w/ 4.88s (locked) Rear Axle: Dana 44 w/ 4.88s (locked) Tires: 33X12.5-15 Pro Comp MTs Lift Specifications: Hodgepodge 6.5 front 5.5 rear Misc Accessories: custom 2.5" exhaust, cold air intake, homebrew bumpers & armor, winch	Check out Rough Country, their prices are decent!! Wheels, tires, & lift for less than 1K, good luck with that one!! You might be able to do it, but it will be a chore!! Good luck! __________________ STEELER FAN TIL DEATH!!! BAN OWNERS, NOT BREEDS!!! AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIERS ARE GREAT PETS!!!

10-21-2009, 04:46 PM	#5
djlarroc Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 779 My Photos 1995 Cherokee Year: 1995 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0 HO Transmission: AW4 Transfer Case: NP231 Front Axle: Dana 30 4:10 w/Truetrac Rear Axle: Ford 8.8 4:10 w/Aussie Tires: 34x105.50 LTB Lift Specifications: 4.5 Rusty's Misc Accessories: Radio Shack CB, skids, sliders, lockers, Rusty's quarter guards, SYE	TrXus are great tires. I used to have them on my 4Runner. You can easily do a budget boost to fit the 31s for about $100. Or you can do the RC kit for about $250 +/-. Black steelies should run about $40 each from summitracing.com. __________________ '95 XJ 2DR: Rusty's 4.5", 34x10.50 LTB, 15x7 soft 8, sliders, skids, steering support, Iron Scorpion front, JCR rear, Plasti-Kote liner, Rusty's quarter guards, Revolver shackles, Ford 8.8, 4:10, Truetrac front, Aussie rear, Crown SYE

10-21-2009, 07:29 PM	#7
djlarroc Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 779 My Photos 1995 Cherokee Year: 1995 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0 HO Transmission: AW4 Transfer Case: NP231 Front Axle: Dana 30 4:10 w/Truetrac Rear Axle: Ford 8.8 4:10 w/Aussie Tires: 34x105.50 LTB Lift Specifications: 4.5 Rusty's Misc Accessories: Radio Shack CB, skids, sliders, lockers, Rusty's quarter guards, SYE	Lol. Nice. Carparts.com has some good prices. If you have the D35 axle, this is a great price on the lift. Looks like the control arms are included: http://www.carparts.com/autoparts/It...32490610612334 'Course people have also had good luck calling RC straight up and getting better deals. Better price on tires here and free shipping: http://www.carparts.com/autoparts/It...D:100000383163 ...Or, you can do treadwrights for cheaper. Members here have been really happy w/them: http://www.treadwright.com/shopnow/p...d-dog-m-t.aspx Here are the wheels. A bit more, but maybe less overall w/the free shipping. http://www.carparts.com/webapp/wcs/s...atalogId=10618 Total I see for lift, wheels and trxus is $1047 shipped and including the heavy item charge. HTH! __________________ '95 XJ 2DR: Rusty's 4.5", 34x10.50 LTB, 15x7 soft 8, sliders, skids, steering support, Iron Scorpion front, JCR rear, Plasti-Kote liner, Rusty's quarter guards, Revolver shackles, Ford 8.8, 4:10, Truetrac front, Aussie rear, Crown SYE

10-21-2009, 03:45 PM	#3
halmotors Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 115 My Photos 1995 Cherokee Year: 1995 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0L Transmission: Automatic Transfer Case: NP231 Tires: 31"x10.5" Bully Dog MTZ Lift Specifications: 3" RC	After spending the majority of the day thinking about the direction I want to go in with the Snow Runner, and also spending the day gnoshing with one of my coworkers (who's an experienced offroader), I've made a decision on how I want to mod the SN. With the small amount of harsh offroading I'd be doing, it behooves me to keep the Jeep fairly close to stock to help maximize comfort and driveability. That being said, I've made the decision to go with a 3" suspension lift and 31"x10.5" tires. For the tires, I've settled on Interco TrXus Mud Terrain Tires, in a 31x10.5 size. I've heard a lot of good things about the snow and ice capabilities of these tires, but of course I'll listen to user feedback on them. I'm undecided in regards to the suspension lift. I'm looking for a quality 3" kit that won't break the bank; I'd like to spend under a grand for tires, wheels, and lift. I'd love some suggestions on this, as well.

10-21-2009, 07:37 PM	#8
halmotors Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 115 My Photos 1995 Cherokee Year: 1995 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0L Transmission: Automatic Transfer Case: NP231 Tires: 31"x10.5" Bully Dog MTZ Lift Specifications: 3" RC	To be honest, I have no idea what I've got for axles on it, nor what transfer case I've got. How do I go about finding this out?

10-21-2009, 07:44 PM	#9
djlarroc Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 779 My Photos 1995 Cherokee Year: 1995 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0 HO Transmission: AW4 Transfer Case: NP231 Front Axle: Dana 30 4:10 w/Truetrac Rear Axle: Ford 8.8 4:10 w/Aussie Tires: 34x105.50 LTB Lift Specifications: 4.5 Rusty's Misc Accessories: Radio Shack CB, skids, sliders, lockers, Rusty's quarter guards, SYE	Actually... better deal to get wheels from summit and rest through carparts.com. Will save you another $35! ... Transfer case you most likely have is the NP231 which is very good. Or you will have the NP242. Pretty good too, but the 231 is better for 4wheelin. You can tell that by your 4wd selector. NP231 has 2H - 4H - N - 4LO. 242 has a selector for all time 4WD I think. On the axles, you'll either have the Dana 35, or the Chrysler 8.25. If you have ABS, you have the 35. If you don't, you have the 8.25 which is the better of the two. Either will be fine for 31s though... __________________ '95 XJ 2DR: Rusty's 4.5", 34x10.50 LTB, 15x7 soft 8, sliders, skids, steering support, Iron Scorpion front, JCR rear, Plasti-Kote liner, Rusty's quarter guards, Revolver shackles, Ford 8.8, 4:10, Truetrac front, Aussie rear, Crown SYE

10-21-2009, 07:55 PM	#10
heep92 Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 164 My Photos 1992 Cherokee Year: 1992 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0 Power-Tech 242 I6 Transmission: AW4 Transfer Case: NP231 Front Axle: Dana 30 Rear Axle: Dana 35 Tires: 33 A/T's Wrapped Around Cragar Soft 8's Lift Specifications: 4.5" Rough Country Misc Accessories: CB Radio and Antenna	if you want to find out for sure what exactly your jeep came stock with (and what you may still have depending on if the previous owner did any mods or not) i went to the local jeep dealership and if you give them your vin they can give you printouts of what your jeep came stock with...very helpful if your new to jeeps instead of having to guess

10-21-2009, 08:08 PM	#11
halmotors Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 115 My Photos 1995 Cherokee Year: 1995 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0L Transmission: Automatic Transfer Case: NP231 Tires: 31"x10.5" Bully Dog MTZ Lift Specifications: 3" RC	Alright, then I've got an NP231 and Dana 35.

10-22-2009, 12:03 AM	#12
djlarroc Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 779 My Photos 1995 Cherokee Year: 1995 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0 HO Transmission: AW4 Transfer Case: NP231 Front Axle: Dana 30 4:10 w/Truetrac Rear Axle: Ford 8.8 4:10 w/Aussie Tires: 34x105.50 LTB Lift Specifications: 4.5 Rusty's Misc Accessories: Radio Shack CB, skids, sliders, lockers, Rusty's quarter guards, SYE	Yeah, just give a call to the stealership. They will ask for the last 6 of the VIN I think and can tell you what axle you have etc. From the looks of your interior and body cladding, it looks like you have the country edition. In which case you have the NP242 I think. And most likely the D35. Looks like you have dual fans too. Do they work properly? __________________ '95 XJ 2DR: Rusty's 4.5", 34x10.50 LTB, 15x7 soft 8, sliders, skids, steering support, Iron Scorpion front, JCR rear, Plasti-Kote liner, Rusty's quarter guards, Revolver shackles, Ford 8.8, 4:10, Truetrac front, Aussie rear, Crown SYE

10-22-2009, 05:55 AM	#13
halmotors Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 115 My Photos 1995 Cherokee Year: 1995 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0L Transmission: Automatic Transfer Case: NP231 Tires: 31"x10.5" Bully Dog MTZ Lift Specifications: 3" RC	Yes, I've got the Country edition. Both fans seem to work, although I haven't let it run long enough to check the electric fan. Would I still have the NP242 even though I've got the 2H-4HI-N-4LO selector? I'll put a call in to a dealership today and see what I can find out.

10-22-2009, 10:18 AM	#14
halmotors Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 115 My Photos 1995 Cherokee Year: 1995 Model: Cherokee Engine: 4.0L Transmission: Automatic Transfer Case: NP231 Tires: 31"x10.5" Bully Dog MTZ Lift Specifications: 3" RC	alright, and update. I called the dealership, and they informed me that i've got a 231 transfer case, and no abs...so the chrysler axle

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