My buddy just brought to my attention a 94 Jeep Cherokee Country. I currently Own a 87 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. My jeeps body is crappy and very rusty though it has low miles, 75k on it.
The 94 ive been looking at is fairly rusty, pretty bad but not as deep as my 87, i can get it cheap, only problem is the 4 wheel drive lever is stuck and wont shift to 4 wheel? strange problem. It has 160k on it and the interior and exterior are in way better shape than my 87, it looks identical everywhere. Im almost certain the xfer case and tranny are the same. and the engines too.

Am i nuts or what? Are the parts compatible between the two?

 

yah most are compatible. Between both vehicles you can get anything to work. The main diff is going to be the engine management and computer systems. The 87 is a renix and the 94 is a odb1. If both vehicles are the 4.0 and automatic your looking good. Personally i would keep the 87 and fix the rust with parts from the 94. You can also swap the interior. The 87 xj is my fav jeep of all time. It is the last year for AMC xj's before they were sold to Chrysler, also they were the only AMC xjs to come with 4.0. The 87 is going to be more of a PITA as renix engines usually require more work to keep em going. So if your not mechanically inclined or you take your jeep to a shop the 94 odb1 is going to be more user friendly. Its personal preference. Good luck with your choice!

 

the tcase input sline count changed in 91? someone correct me if im wrong. as stated obdI will be more user freindly plus more power options for the HO

 

Yes in 91 it did change to a 23 spline count. The body parts are pretty much the same and the interior is the same well as far as most bolt in I belive.

 

So your saying if the reason it wont shift into 4wheel (on the 94) is the tcase or something major, i wont be able to use parts from the 87?

the guy said he used to all winter and it was fine but now its stuck in 2wheel. i just dont wanna make a bigger offer if its a major problem, but i dont wanna under offer if its a nothing problem with that 4wheel drive lever.

 

The linkage could be bent or off, climb under there and remove the linkage and try shifting it from under the jeep to see if you can get it in and out...Tj

 

it could be as simple as that.