Caish

This is mostly for new owners or older owners that was mall crawlers but would like to go exploring.
After owning one of these things for 7 years or so, just a few tips that will save you grief or a walk out of the woods....

Motor mount bolts: you can spend $$$ and get a yellowdog mount, or can spend $3 at Lowes.
Get new grade 8 bolts for the motor mount brackets, they're 3/8" and I forget the length. THis is a common ailment on XJ and Wranglers.
the factory bolts are grade 5, and doesn't take a long to break them off and you end up with an engine laid over and a need help out of the woods.
...
Bigger tires, replace the tierod or the whole works.
I went with a IronRock Off road, tie rod, but if I was to do it again, I would get the steering parts off a V8 ZJ Grand Cherokee.
the stock Tie Rod is a hollow .060 thick tube, So even a bump off a curb at speed could induce a bend in it. You will also appreciate the improved feel of the steering, the difference is night and day. one of those things you don't believe it till you feel it yourself.
...
Radiators, having owned several XJ's around 200k miles I find its cheap insurance to replace the radiator, get a new one, they tend to develop crust/corrosion internally, and loose effectiveness gradually over time running a little warmer.
Water pump would be good insurance too, but only if you like, wifes 99 around 200k lost all the blades off the water pump impeller it looked like a throwing star on a shaft.
...
Just a few things I've learned the hard way.
1 motor mounts left me being pulled out o the woods, and was a REAL PAIN to change under a buddies carport 50 miles from home.
2. Not really sure what I hit to bend the tie rod, but it was bent with 31" tires.
3. Had a 95 that cracked a head around 220k because it got hot due to radiator crust. THen leaned to inspect closer and figured the $100 was cheaper than a head, and A LOT less work.

fordraceboy

Motor mounts.... If you do any kind of wheeling/crawling- save yourself the hassle and buy the Brown Dog bulletproof rebuildable mounts. Sure, they're double the coin of an Autozone version- but even if the bushings are trashed, it'll never rip through the solid DOM tubing.

xjnm

How hard is the ZJ tie rod swap?

robsjeep

ZJ tie rod swap is easy. I did it when I replaced just about everything else in the steering. I think it was only $10 more than the stock tie rod.

EEVEE

what does the difference feel like with the conversion?

Tbone289

I think the improvement in feel will depend on the condition of your tie rod ends when you do the swap. I did the ZJ swap 3-4 months ago with new Moog parts and felt no difference afterward, but the XJ parts I had in there were still in good shape. There won't be any doubt in your mind that it's a worthwhile swap when you compare the parts side-by-side though.

Here are the part #'s if you're interested.:

MOOG DS1312
MOOG ES3096L
MOOG ES2079S

Total should be about $90

PatHenry

Are there any disadvantages to doing the ZJ tie-rod swap? For example, extra wear on your steering gear or other components or anything of that sort?

Is it just the 3 parts listed?

Tbone289

No disadvantage whatsoever, unless you count the fact that the ZJ rod bends downward slightly, but it's probably only about 1/2". The thicker, solid tie rod and larger ends far outweigh the clearance disadvantage, IMO. The three parts listed are all you need, and it's a direct swap with no modifications.

Here is a pic showing the downward bend (not mine):

PatHenry

Interestingly Amazon is telling me that the adjusting sleeve and driver side tie rod end (MOOG ES3096L and MOOG ES2079S) Fit my 95 XJ - so these are equivalent to the OEM parts? In other words, the adjusting sleeve is basically the same size threads as the ZJ's tie rod end?