kissthis66

Planning on driving from California to Iowa for a new job. Roughly 1700 miles. my Cherokee has well over 200K miles on it. Besides doing an oil change on the tranny/transfer case and motor, what are some other things I should check before i make the journey? Ive recently (within last 6 months) replaced the following:

fuel pump and filter
spark plugs
radiator
upper and lower radiator hoses
heater core hoses
water pump
thermostat
front and rear u joints
driver and passenger front wheel hubs
clutch kit
will be getting new tires as of this saturday (31x10.50x15 Big FOOT X/T)

It runs and idles fine, no issues that i can think of. I just dont want to get half way there and find out..oooh should have replaced that 0.o

Also, as its pretty much all highway driving, considering the age of the jeep, should i stop frequently to give the motor/parts a cool down period or will i be ok with a straight drive through?

Thanks for the help everyone!!!

4.slow95

check craigslist for a new vehicle haha

kissthis66

you should be banned from this site!

benstoker

How far have you driven your jeep in one sitting before?

89Laredo

Take lots of fluids. All the tools you can carry, a good spare.
Sounds like you did most of the stuff I would recommend, the next part is planning for the worst.
Im sure youll be fine.

tjwalker

Congratulations on your new job! Iowa will be quite a culture shock for you coming from California!

Stopping for a cool down period really doesn't buy you anything. If the vehicle is operating efficiently, you should be able to drive straight through if you want......but not many of us can or want to drive 1700 miles without a bathroom break or some chow!

I see spark plugs mentioned as having been replaced recently. But I don't see spark plug wires, distributor cap and rotor. Replace those if they have 50k on them.

Otherwise, you can only do so much. If you have NO symptoms of any kind now, pack er up and hit the road. HOWEVER, be darn sure that you have a decent fully equipped tool box with you, (that gives me confidence as I can repair most anything roadside) some duct tape, flashlight, and a credit card and you should be okay. Verify that your spare tire has good air in it.

Keep an eye on your gauges periodically and LISTEN to your vehicle. If something sounds amiss, pull off at the next exit and check it out!

Good luck!

kissthis66

Thank you!!! I'm pretty excited about it, leaving a job I've been at for 3 years...time for a change.

Toolbox...that's like my wallet!!! I never leave home without it. I don't own a lot of tools so they all fit in the toolbox, but I get by with what I got. Will need to pick up some duct tape as well as a flashlight. Been meaning to get me a mag for the door.

Plan on taking a couple gallons of water, oil and tranny fluid as well as a spare tire. Thanks for the input everyone, is always appreciated. Hopefully once i get out there i can find some 4 wheelin buddies to check out the sights with!!!

Knucklebuster

I took my 98 XJ Classic AW4 175,000 mi to New Mexico and back last October. 2,000 mi each way and about 1,500 mi touring in New Mexico (3Weeks). Bring a spare serpentine belt. Do a test drive at 70 mph to make sure the suspension is o.k. Allow for 2 overnight stops and 12 hour driving shifts. Plenty of coffee and beef jerky. My Mileage was 19.33 mpg average for 4.000 mi. Have a safe trip.

djb383

New fan clutch and rad cap?

red_dog007

Get AAA. It is like $125/yr for the top end membership and you get a 200 mile tow. If something happens, especially in nowhereville, a 200 mile tow is some big bucks!!!

In case you do need a tow, $125 is cheap cheap cheap, and if nothing happens to you at all, at least you have AAA for a year. There are also some other perks that AAA has that might benefit you on this journey, especially if you do brake down or just need some help. Out of gas, flat tire, bad battery, travelers insurance, etc.

http://autoclubsouth.aaa.com/Members...hip_Plans.aspx
Plus a lot of places take AAA for discounts on items, hotel rooms, etc.


Also whatever state you go through, know their road side assistance # if the state has that service. Tennessee has TDOT, and they have vehicles that run up and down the freeways helping people who get flat tires, out of gas, etc, and may end up responding faster than AAA.

I have had help twice myself. Once here in TN, ran out of gas, and once in Texas on a road trip. Battery died and they came and jumped us off.

N8N

If you posted it I missed it, but I'd consider changing the gear oil in the axles as well, and if you have a pressure bleeder go ahead and push some fresh brake fluid through there (this will give you an opportunity to check your front pads as well) finally hit all the zerk fittings with some grease - but you do that every oil change, right?

Have fun and good luck. AAA really isn't a bad idea. I just signed up myself as I'm going to be picking up my "new" XJ tomorrow and am planning on driving maybe 400 miles before I can even really take a good look underneath it. Have been getting by with just my toolbox and a cell phone for years but figured I might be pushing my luck, even if it is a recent ex-daily-driver with no known problems.

kissthis66

@benstoker - each weekend I drive up to my parents for a visit. Roughly a 150 mile round trip. Havent had any issues so far *knock on wood*

@Knucklebuster - wow almost 20mpg..i sure i hope i get something close to that. I honestly have never checked the milage i get as i mostly do all city driving living in Sacramento, CA. And thanks for the idea about grabbing another belt, that would really suck to have it go out on me.

@djb383 - i replaced the cap when i got the new radiator. havent touched the fan clutch

@red_dog007 - never thought about getting AAA, I will look into it.

@N8N - I will be sure to add changing the axle oil to the list of things before i head out. Saturday after I get my new tires put on, heading to the shop to change out all the oils, top off all the fluids.

Thanks again for the ideas and input everyone!!! I will be sure to post the results of the trip once i make it there.

tjwalker

Serp belt was a good catch knucklebuster! Definitely do not leave home without one!

I prefer the Goodyear Gatorback belt as long as you have a few days to find one. Less stretch and less noise potential than some other brands.

89Laredo

x2 on gatorback.
Doesnt seem to slip as bad when wet either.


You mentioned bringing water, make sure it is DISTILLED.
Dont want to gunk up your new radiator.
...You did use distilled water when you filled it and not tap water, right?

VTJeep

Are you hauling much? Be careful with the diffs. Sometimes older/high mileage ones don't do so well when fluid is replaced. Maybe add a B&M tranny cooler. They are like 30 bucks, easy to install and takes the tranny cooling duties off the existing system. Good alignment, u joints, and some backup supplies are other thoughts..