HI EVERYONE my name is Eric i live in central florida, and ive been in love with jeeps my whole life, I need help my last xj had a ax15 i believe, manual tranny i am curently looking for a new project cherokee but i want to try an auto tranny , my last xj was an 87, however i want to start with a little newer one this time, can you guys give me your advise on what year and tranny to look for that will best suit my needs, for starters im goin to put a 4.5in lift and some 33in tires, latter i might get crazy with it, but for starters i dont want to buy an xj and have to change trannys rite off the bat, im open to buyin older to get a better auto tranny if ness, thanks in advance for any imput, and heres a pic of my last xj

Eric

 

First off, if it was an 87 5 speed, it was not a ax-15, it was a Puegot B10/5. I have the same tranny... As for going for a specific auto tranny, Im 95% certain that all XJ's came with a AW4 which is a great tranny, so you really cant go wrong when it comes to getting an auto.

 

If you want a new cherokee get one thats 97+, there awsome, ive owned three of them and never had a complaint ever with the two that were auto's

 

97-99 are arguably the best years with the 98 being THE best. Its all opinion between the 97-99 range but as long as you're somewhere in there you're good to go.

 

Thats your best bet, anything past 99 isnt as good due to the fact that some of them have "heat soak" issues when off-roading as well as a few other things. Stick to the years stated above and youll be all set

 

That heat soak issue can be solved by a $6 or less piece of insulation, and 10 min of your time. There is info on the TSB all over this forum.

If it comes down to it and you find a dime that is newer than '99, don't sell yourself short and pass on it.

 

Sorry for the insult? I never checked on the issue because ive never experienced it and yes you can fix im just making sure he knows that its out there.

 

Noooo, no insult whatsoever. I was just putting that up so the OP knows as well. If he found a clean '00+ with super low miles I would hate to see him pass on it.

 

I can agree to that for sure

 

thanks guys thats just what i needed, as for the year on my old one now that i think about it it was a newer year than 87, it deff had a ax15, with np231, case that was one of the reasons i bought it, well im searching craigslist auto trader and local papers ,i cant wait to get started,i will keep posting as i start building

thanks again

Eric

 

welcome. i just moved up north from south west flawda

 

I found mine on good 'ole craigslist. $900.

With goodies included.