armadillo

First post here.
I'm getting ready to buy a Cherokee and want a little advice.
I want a 1996 or newer Jeep with 4x4 and inline six banger.

Which are more durable, manual or auto trans?

Which years are the most trouble free?

Are two door Cherokees available in later years?

If I buy one and drag it home behind my Tundra do I need to remove the rear driveshaft or anything to prevent damage to the transmission?

What is the tallest tire I can put under a stock Cherokee (I don't want to lift it or have wide tires)?

stumper

i have a 98' cherokee. 4.0l auto. 4wd 4 door

manual or auto? depends on how you drive, or the person b4 you, i can blow up either, just hand them over.

check for the usual stuff, leaks, bad smells, poor wiring, rust, etc.

oil pan and valve cover gaskets like to leak slightly after 100,000kms, easy to fix though.

have it inspected, pay the $29.95 for a 43 pt, it's a second opinion from an outside source.

remove the drive shaft??????? does this unit have part time 4wd? if so, put it in neutral, this disengages the transmission.

4Doors

Stumper, I love your sig!

Both auto and manual transmissions mated to the 4.0 in Cherokees are solid.

I prefer the 91-95 myself. You get the "high output" engines starting in 91. As for the 96+, I'm not a big fan of Chrysler's electronics in the later years. You may never have any trouble at all, but I've just heard of some issues. My bro-in-law has a '99 with full power and my father-in-law has a '98 with no power windows or locks, and he's had fewer issues than my bro. I prefer the older style interior myself, but that's just me.

I'm not familiar with the 2 doors enough to help you with that one.

x2 on putting the t-case in neutral for towing.

For tallest tire, you'll get different answers on that and it depends on the shape of your suspension. I'll go ahead and vouch for 235/75/15, which is about 28". My dad put that on his and he was fine with a stock suspension, whereas I put 30x9.5 and scrubbed a little (but it gave me the excuse to go ahead and get a cheap 2" budget boost, so I was glad for it...).

armadillo

Thanks for the replies. Certainly the less "electronic wizardry" the better, I thought the 91-95 had lots of that stuff as well. I thought the 235-75/15 was the stock tire because I saw them on government Cherokees.

Also I understand some have command-trac conventional part time 4WD and some have some kind of part time 4WD, which I don't think I want.

armadillo

If you have a transfer case like this http://www.jeep4x4center.com/jeep-tr...-219-parts.htm

and you're towing your Cherokee behind another vehicle with transfer case in neutral how does the output shaft bearing get any oil?? I though you had to remove the rear driveshaft, put the transmission in neutral and transfer case in 4H and have hubs locked (if you have them), so oil would circulate in the transfer case via chain and lubricate the output shaft bearing. That's what I remember doing with an old International Scout decades ago.
Is it different with Cherokees?

Anything else you guys wish you had checked before buying a Cherokee?

edit: or does the chain turn when the tranfer case is in neutral?

losingxinsight

2 Doors were available past 96, but that's all I know

troy fritz

I have a 96 4 door with command trac, full power including seat and leather. No problems with anything yet. Knock on wood. Well ,I had one problem when I burried it to the windows in mud. Every sesor went out. besides that, nothing. Command trac is great, dont know much about selc trac though.

armadillo

Another question for Cherokee gurus is the wheel bolt pattern. Does the pattern interchange with any other stock rims like Dodge, Ford or Chevy?

Wrecked

I know that the bolt pattern is the same as some models of ford rangers and explorers. It is 5x4.5

sandstone

Same.

97-99

Yes.

4Doors

As previously stated, Ford Ranger/Explorer, and Toyota Tacoma. That's all I know of, but very well could be others.

armadillo

Thanks for the replies.
Asking a question like "which years are best?" can be a little divisive because some folks like to think they chose the best, but I've already been told by a GM line mechanic who drives a Cherokee that the "late 90's models" were the best ones and better than any GM equivalent.
I'll be looking at models from 1991 to 2001 but with particular favor to late 90's.
I've been a Toyota man since 1987 but it seems that a Cherokee offers much more for the dollar than an equivalent Toyota Fourrunner.

tampaviking

Check underneath for rust, the rear hatches leak pretty easy. And the rear cargo area rusts easily.

armadillo

What's the deal with book values on Cherokees? I have looked up several on Kelly Blue Book and NADA and it seems the sellers are not obeying these books? Don't sellers know who their bosses are, hehe?
Asking prices around here (Missoula, Mt.) are consistently a thousand to $1500 over book.
Is it the same everywhere?

85on32+4

my two cents: never get an automatic
and if its a fivespeed you can just put it in neutral and tow it...if auto then you gotta remove driveshafts...
31 inch tires for stock ( i think)