I am going to mention what is probably considered a bad word on this forum, but I am mostly a <cough, cough> Bronco guy <cough> and am basically completely unfamiliar with Cherokees and their weak points. I recently purchased a bone stock 01 XJ and although I am not looking to go wild with it, I would like to have a capable offroader. Other than the weak cylinder head, what else do I need to look at beefing up in the near future.

 

No worries... you'll be hooked on Jeeps soon enough. The forum is full of common issues, so I'm sure you'll find everything you've ever wanted to know, but I'd say, if they are still the stock leaf springs, be prepared to replace those sooner than later... looks like you're in Texas, so rusty floor pans shouldn't be to much of an issue, and as for the rest... well, I own a 90 and 96 so am not super familiar with the 01 XJ's but I'm sure others on here will chime in, but I'd say get to searching the forum too.

 

The two negative issues that jump to mind are the head that's prone to cracking, and the low-pinion D30 axle that's prone to vibes when lifted.

My neighbor had a Bronco II ... the XJ is way better

 

I'm a ford guy too but anyone is welcome here,Like said rust is the big killer of the xj.It all comes down to how you want to build it.Are we talking 35s and bigger or 35s or smaller?The jeep xj is the honda civic of the off road world it has a monster aftermarket and it grows every day.I would think about armor first aka gas tank skid plate t case skid plate rock sliders and off road bumpers front and back.And you could do frame stiffeners which take a lot of flex out of the body.The stock axles if you don't have a dana 35 rear can be built to handle 33s or 35s if you drive smart.

 

I don't plan on going any taller than 33's AT's and maybe a 4" lift. I would like to build my own bumpers just for the shear satisfaction of doing it DIY.


I appreciate all the input so far. Keep it coming!

 

Glitchy electronics, i.e. power windows, weak lights, loose grounds, turn signal anomalies, etc.

 

Head light harness upgrade!!