Hello all! New to Jeeps and new to this forum. Just bought a 1999 Cherokee Sport, Selec-Trac, 125k miles. I'm all excited to start "tweaking", but not sure where to start. It will be a daily driver with occasional weekend fun. It's currently all stock, with 235 tires.

So, the question posed to those in the know, if you had a stock Cherokee with a few hundred to spend, what would you do first?

 

well the first thing i did was a bumper and winch and some extra lights, but then again im in upstate ny and got mine right before winter started, but most will tell you, give it a while give it time for something to go wrong before you dump money on something you dont need then when you do need something you are broke. but if you wanna go ahead and get some good stuff, i would start with bumpers, then lights, then lift and tires, a good tune up with plugs, wires, dist cap, coil, rotor, change ALL the fluids. stock cherokee's can squeeze i think 30's in there

 

first things i did oil change and diagnosis check, then new rear leaf springs and rear shocks new breaks all the way around with new spring kits in the back and new break lines, then put in a aftermarket kenwood radio in with subs and a amp in the back then just fixed the AC today.. any ides of what else i should do i was planning on putting in a cool air intake in to improve horsepower and gas mpg and redoing the exhust next

 

Since it will be a dd and you need reliability, take care of the ordinary and safety stuff first before splurging on goodies, especially if you have limited funds. Obviously, tune-up, fluids, filters, lube would be first on my list. Check for fluid leaks...think rear main seal. Check the brakes front and rear. Do the brake lines look OK and not dangerously rusted? Tires have enough tread? Check the front axle u-joints...no play, check the ball joints...no creaking sounds while slowly steering and allowing the front suspension to flex. How about the cooling system? Is the radiator in good shape? Thermostat working OK? Check the hoses and serp belt. How is the fuel mileage?...O2 sensors have big affect on mileage if they are "lazy". How about the exhaust system? look good or about ready to let go? Test the battery...will it get you thru next winter? There, probably forgot a few things but probably spent your "few hundred". As somebody mentioned, drive it a while and see what happens before going crazy on mods. btw...235s are the largest tires that will fit and not hit on a stock suspension but they are plenty good enough for dd duty. Good luck with your new XJ.

 

I'm with Carl48, plus batt. cables and save enough money for the PS pump, water pump, Alt, or whatever it is thats going to crap out the first month.