Part of it is figuring out how to drive it. 2nd. I do not care how "new" your tires are. Get some better ones. Maybe do some maintenance and make sure your brakes are good to go also. I have some of the best all terrain tires money can buy and my jeep drives perfectly fine, regardless of road conditions.

 

I have an older model 87 with 4 pretty bald mismatched tires (same sizes just different brands) and I don't seem to have a problem on wet roads. Had it for about a year now and I think I have only broken traction a few times... 2 on purpose and a couple when I was taking off and had a rear tire in some loose gravel.

 

mine only occured while braking down hill after a fresh rain. Road was really slick and the tool in front of me decided to come to a dead stop while everyone else was still moving. All four tires were locked up so the jeep was like a bobsled. I have found it hard to find traction while moving from a dead stop and sitting in traffic on a hill. Thats only happened a couple of times.

 

When roads just become wet, they are actually slipper the in a heavy rain. And certain tires do better than others. Certain all seasons especially, like Goodyear's. Thats why I put Cooper CS4 on my wifes Matrix. (Had Yokohama's, They suck) The Coopers are a good all season (M&S) with rain grooves in them. Work Great. I also have Cooper ST's on my XJ..........................................JMO!

 

I'm surprised no one has said it. Goodyears suck. Plain & simple. For years I used to read on Jeep forums all the time (not this one) about how bad they are on XJs. I avoid them like the plague. Recently I bought some 20" Goodyears for my Dodge and kept them only about 4 months, if that. They dipped on corners so bad, chirped, slid, and so on. They were terrible. Now I'm running Hankooks. Much Better.

My XJ holds the road like glue at 5" lift and very aggressive driving. I don't mess around, even with an auto locker in the rear. I've never lost road traction.

 

x2.. my xj had 4 brand new goodyears on it when i got it and i ran em for just as long as it took to save up money for decent tires and then got rid of em for a set of hankooks..

 

I have the same problem with my 98 XJ. I dont have a braking problem but if im not carefull the assend will come out from under me.

 

Hi all,
'yer, yay'... My gal has had the little beast a month or so (95 XJ Sport) Outed it a week or so after I had just done the front rotors and pads, 280 ks of wear-in, pulled them to check bed-in... seemed ok... went for a tramp on a route I drive just about every day and have driven a dozen or so riggs over and lost it on a left hander in the wet...(Right hand drive vehicle)... a rotion and a half later I got it pointing the wrong way... Well I tell you I've been peddling 56 years, apox maybe 2 million ks + under my foot, 40 cars and trucks from Porches to Peterbuilts, kentworths... built 7 dunebuggies (mainly VW cut pans Powered by Porche and Yankee flat motors)... 5 Land Cruisers etc, etc...chopped and changed a load of Yankee imports from left to right hand drive... I know a little ****...though the older I get the more I realize how dam much I still have to learn... BUT I did learn this ....The Xj is a supurb little motor...With a Quarter Horse under the lid and as tough as carbon, it has loads of 'get up and go', and grunt to spare...
But the rear gear is from the cave of the ancients...it is disturbingly Neandathal... I'm redesigning the **** of this little mustang (Brumbie, Downunder)... and I may go Dedion, we'll see. No damage, a little sweat...No grief.... I just warned, 'Her in Doors' and this gal is a peddler, she has 50 years of driving to her soul...hammering around sugar plantations on wet irrigated mud runs... "Don't tramp it out of a turn"... "It's an off road thing and it is too light in the **** for wet tarmac, especialy after, first rain, on oiled up surfaces..." she got it!..., Now I'm sure that there'r a number of patches/fixes out there and the're also the couple of bags of sand fix too, (A bit like p*****g in the wind though), and so be carefull a lot of you out there in XJs. With Regards and care ...Bonehunter in Oz.

 

 

You need new tires, all treads are different and perform differently, also make sure your shocks are all good and that your rear leafs are not shot, because they make a difference i handling and breaking.

I have a pair of good year territory AT tires and they hold the road really good.

 

Thanks everybody. Well I guess the jury is still out on this one. Some experience same problems as I do, others don't.

Irrespective I'm going to try and improve the handling somewhat. This weekend replaced all bushes and swaylinks of the front stabilizer bar, parts for the rear one are on order. Also, got four new shocks. Took it for a test drive yesterday. Dry road, but it certainly seemed to drive better. Not sure how to figure out whether the leafs are still ok. Any thoughts?

Jeroen

 

Lol, I wanted to say this. My BFG A/T's hold a wet road really good.

 

Hi there. I have a 97 Cherokee sport 2.5 and on dry roads it's fine but when wet the jeep does understeer when going round corners. I made sure the tyre pressures were correct and I am always aware of this and drive accordingly. Take care.

 

Why spend the money on new bushings for the rear swaybar? It does a better job in the trashcan.

 

your tires are no good in the rain. Just get BFgoodrich A/T, problem solved.