Hey everyone, I am obviously brand new on this forum and I wanted to jump right in and ask what should I be looking for when buying a Cherokee.

I am looking at a 94 Cherokee my boss is selling. It starts right up, runs pretty decent and 4wd works pretty well. It has like new tires on the front and maybe 60% on the rear. But it needs the valve cover gasket replaced, a front axle boot replaced and brake work, including putting rear breaks on it and an alignment. Not the most labour intensive jobs.

What else should I be looking for in terms of buying a 20 year old Cherokee? I don't know what typically will go bad with them. It does have its' flaws being almost 20, some rust, few dents and no headliner but I don't mind those things.

I would appreciate any kind of advice, especially since he is holding off on putting it on craigslist until Friday. Thanks a lot in advance.

 

Climb under it and look for rusted out floor boards and frame rails. The floors are bad for rusting out depending on where you are located. When checking under it for rust pound the floor with something to look for any soft spot.

 

The cooling system is kind of a weak link for the Cherokee. Look over all of the hoses and the radiator for signs of leaking or wear, replace them if you're in doubt. The Cherokee is a very easy vehicle to work on and parts won't cost an arm and a leg. They do have some quirks, but stick around on this forum and you will learn loads of info.

 

Cherokee or Grand Cherokee?

 

Good catch.

This have the 4.0L or V8?

 

Only grands had the cv shafts no?

 

Correct

 

Unless someone did like me and swapped them in

But, when I researching this, apparently some older models (late 80's?) did have them stock.

 

It is just the regular Cherokee 4.0. The radiator, thermostat and some hoses are pretty new.

 

"some rust"

Where? Does it look like the front leaf spring perch is going to push through the floor? Have you been underneath it and smacked everything with a rubber mallet? If the rockers have holes in them chances are very good the cargo area and floors do too.

 

There is about a 6 inch section on the rocker panels by the rear tires on each side. It didn't look like there was much underneath. I guess I better check the floor area next too.