After about 45 seconds of being on, it stops squealing but the first minute is SO LOUD! I just read about the 90 degree thing and was just wondering if that would work on an 01 Cherokee sport or should it be a little tighter or looser?

WELCOME

A lot of guys are swearing by these:

http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo....915781&jsn=294

Got my own method but these are easier as you can do it by yourself. I'll be getting one with my next order.

I found with my '96 I used to have I could buy the cheap Napa belt, throw it on, get to the point where it looked right and that was that. My '00 on the other hand seems to be a bit more finicky. Used the good Napa belt, which is a Gates, adjust it to where is seem OK, get a bit of a squeak, make some adjustments, get it good, then try with the air, play with it just little more, and finally get it right. I am investing in one of those tension gauges that EZEARL posted at some point though.

I use the Gates 91132. Brand doesnt really matter with these tho, as long as it can read up to 200 ft lbs. New belts should be in the 180-200 ft lb range. Used belts are closer to 140-160.

found brand makes a difference, especially on my wife's 01. I don't use gates.

If the "90 degree thing" is where you twist it with your fingers, it's wrong on all Cherokees. It's like saying, "Tighten the head bolt until it feels tight enough." It would be silly to install a head without a torque wrench. It's silly to guess at the tension on your belt when you can get a tension gauge for less than $20 and do it right.

Additionally, the Continental Elite/Gatorback belt is the best you can get. It resists slipping even when it's not tight enough. Next time you replace the belt, use a Gatorback and set the tension correctly. If you get a squeal after that, you can be pretty certain you have some other problem.

This may or may not be relevant since you said the squealing stops after about a minute, but when I got my Jeep the Harmonic Balancer was bad, after a long time the rubber and metal parts separate. Mine was grinding into my timing chain cover, causing an extremely loud squeal when the engine was operating. Just something to think about
if you seem to exhaust your options in terms of belt alignment and pulleys.