Bought a jeep cherokee xj about 2 months ago, it locked up on the side of the highway a few weeks ago and I just found a shop to take it to, they are too expensive for me to get the more minor work done, but they got the engine to function again and the jeep running because there was a problem with the wiring harness.

They gave me a list of more minor work to be done with the jeep which is work that should be able to be done without a shop, stuff like oil change, coolant change, change transmission fluid pipe, ect.

The report the shop gave is below, Im trying to find ways to do this work cheap but safe and likely on my own since it is smaller work.

 

Most everything at the bottom is absolutely doable even for a beginner. I will however suggest that you leave the ball joints and u joints to the shop as a beginner...ball joints are notoriously difficult at best and downright diabolical at worst, even for seasoned home mechanics. Yes it can be done, but I highly recommend not tackling it as a beginner, unless you have a knowledgeable mentor helping you and have the luxury of a second vehicle in case you get stymied.

My first recommendation is to get a FSM, or factory service manual, for your year xj. You can get one in pdf form online cheap, or even free in some cases. It will show everything in there...procedures, torque values, wiring diagrams and schematics, engine, transmission, axles, etc.

 

Just to cheer you up some of the part prices in that quote are crazy high. I suppose it's possible that if you bought heater hoses from a dealer they would be $30 each but what you will do is go to a real car parts store , tell them how many feet of what diameter hose you need and they will chop it off a spool- saving you a huge amount of cash.

On the other hand stay away from "economy" China parts.

 

Part of the fun of owning these XJ's is doing the work yourself and learning about it as much as you can. Don't be intimidated by it. Alll of those things are normal wear and tear and maintenance items that you can easily do yourself if you have the desire and a few basic tools. The tools you don't have are available through most parts store loaner programs. Ball joints on the XJ are challenging with the basic ball joint kit, but can be done and there are several good videos out there to help you along.

 

A big part of how difficult suspension and other underneath jobs are is where did this Jeep live all it's life. All that stuff is dead easy for me with thrity year old Arizona cars. However a three year old Michigan car can be seized up too tight for a hobbyist to do at home without several more specialized tools. Torch, air impact, angle grinder, ball joint press tool, etc.

Check out a video or two and see how the tools needed and effort/procdure compare to your skill level and if you feel that your location and situation allow for you to do the learning on the job. As above, a friend with more wrench time and an alternate vehicle can really help.

 

Banned and links removed. Bad bot.

 

True! My XJ spent 4 years up north and when I rebuilt the entire front end don't think hardly a single bolt come off easy. More than half I had to cut and that was after trying kroil and heat.

 

Most everything besides the ballpoints can be done as a beginner mechanic in my opinion. Especially with how much content and how-to support is out there on youtube. I will say one of the standout shocks to me is the price and labor to do u-joints on the rear driveshaft and at nearly $40 a ujoint holy smokes!

 

tools needed for U joint and ball joint repair can be rented free of charge by some auto parts stores.

hose changes are easy