SonicCougar99

Hey guys, just wanted to ask a question here. I have an 89 Cherokee 4x4 4.0 and I need a new battery. I work the shipping department at a Ford dealership so I get a good deal on Motorcraft batteries and they have a really good warranty, so I was going to pick one up through work. What size battery will fit that has good CCA's? I know OEM is Group 58, but our 58's are only rated at 540 CCA's and I want something higher. I really wanted to go Optima but they are just so damned expensive I can't afford that right now.

I know it might sound silly putting a Motorcraft battery in, but it's convenient and inexpensive for me so that's my best option right now. Any advice on what other group sizes might work, please give your input, thanks!

Oh, I don't have the Jeep with me to check fitment, I am still driving my "gas mileage" car since it's a 130 mile round trip to and from work each day, 30mpg works much better than 15mpg lol.

EDIT: We can also get stuff from Autozone and I'm curious about the Duralast Platinum's (AGM) and if anyone runs any of those as those are an option as well. My only aftermarket stuff on my XJ are my Autopal H4 conversion headlights that are 90w/100w so those are my only aftermarket power draw.

MtnHermit

There are at most three companies making batteries for the whole country. They'll put any name you want on the battery. So the brand name means little. If you can get under $100 at work . . . go for it.

Just Google the group size, measure your battery box and you'll quickly find one that will fit.

PocketsEmpty

How much money are you looking to spend? lol. I have a ****ty 540 CCA Battery Warehouse in my XJ now that came with it. It actually works fine, even runs the winch for the little bit I've used it. When I have the cash I'm going to throw a Diehard Platinum AGM in.

Gonna research on the Duralasts. Haven't read about those yet.

SonicCougar99

I was told they are basically the DieHard's but with the AutoZone labeling. I don't off-road a lot right now, but I might get a spur up my *** on a random day off and go out exploring so that's why I'm interested in the AGM's.

PocketsEmpty

I would stay away from the Optimas. I've heard not much good about them in recent months.

freegdr

Die Hards ...

cruiser54

Group 34 for the highest CCAs and drop-in fit.

5-90

The Optima BCI34/78 fits neatly, so you can go with a BCI34 and probably have more options.

SuperRA

Why, your jeep has Ford parts in it already. For one, I'm pretty sure the distributor is ford. The underhood light says ford on it and probably a slew of other parts.

If you can get the motorcraft battery cheap, I'd go with it. Just get the right size (as other's have mentioned above). I personally have an interstate, by chance, in my XJ. I also use kirkland (costco) batteries in my other cars and they work fine too (great warranty as well). Like someone mentioned already, there aren't too many battery manufacturers. A Die hard or interstate or Duralast is just a re-badge of one of those manufacturers.

belvedere

+1. I use the NAPA 7534 or 8434. Made by East Penn/Deka and are high quality.

salad

Actually there's a good reason to stay away from the highest CCA flooded battery you can get: They're too dense. The lead plates are so close together that after a few years of vibration, internal structure deteriorates, the plates touch, and you get shorted cells. Look at any reviews for the super dense batteries in automotive form factors; they're never any good! Up here MotoMaster Eliminator goes up over 1000 CCAs in the same format the OE battery came in with only 500 CCAs. The OE batteries, from the same manufacturer, easily lasts over 10 years. The only thing that kills them is extreme temperature, extreme discharging, and sulfation. 500 CCAs was good enough from the factory. Don't run SAE60 oil in the winter, make sure your battery cables are in good shape, and fix the oil leak that's been packing the start full of crud. A stock XJ in no way needs a larger battery.

My advice is to get a good brand battery, smallest size close to OEM with the best warranty. People love to say "batteries are all the same, there're only X companies that makes them", but remember that all OEMs built to spec, regardless of industry. Champion Labs builds budget filters for STP as well as premium filters for K&N. There's no reason to expect a $60 battery to behave as well as a $100 unit.