Muddfreak

I know this is a dumb question prob to ask but i am lookin to buy a jeep cherokee, i dont know A WHOLE lot bout them. I do know quit a bit bout how to work on vehicles i am mainly a toyota man but i really want a cherokee to have as my daily drive / second toy. SO my question is what is the best to go for. I know the 4L inline 6 is like bullit proff but is there anything else i should look for. like maybe a certain model? or maybe a 2dr instead of a 4rd? idk im just trying to figure out the best one to start with. Id prefer a 5 speed, and id prefer the inline 6 but i know theres a v6 and i think a 4cly? so help me out guys thank you very much!

dodge007

get the 4.0 inline 6 if you want the best engine there is a v6 and 4 cylinder too but if you add bigger tires etc, you will be wanting more power

Muddfreak

alright sweet so another question i was reading around and the 4L has the dana 35 in the rear and dana 30 up front now are those strong axles? Meaning what i ultimately wanna do is lift whatever cherokee i get 4 or 6 inches with maybe 35s if i can fit them and locked front and rear but i want the axles to hold up. Also ill be regearing but i have NO clue one what gears these cherokees have.

dodge007

the Dana 30 can handle the 35's with a little bit of extra support, the best bet for the rear is to get the Dana 44

about your gearing, I think 4.88 is fairly normal for 35's

Muddfreak

hmm is it hard to find a dana 44? and i dont know how much money ill be spending on this build. Um heres a question is this worth it i have a guy that is selling a 88 cherokee with a 4L he said the engine was put in bout 6 thousand miles ago it was brand new, and that he bought it from his co worker who put the engine in but he stopped driving it because the sunroof leaked and it ended up getting really damp inside and all moldy. NOW hes selling it for 700 bucks, i havent seen it yet but idk if its worth it if tho whole inside basically has to be redone. IM not lookin into a full restoration project just a good strong running rig that i can tinker with till i start school.

Muddfreak

i was going to askk if 4.88s would work but i didnt know if that would work in a jeep rear end lol i been around toyotas alot and my dads running 35s on 4.88s so im thinkin thats what ill do.

dodge007

Dana 44's can be found in junkyards, i'm looking for one right now actually and if you are willing to pay a bit a lot of people have them. If you are looking for a good price range start looking at your local craigslist, I picked up a 90 4.0 4 door for $300 in decent condition, so deals are definitely around, personally I would go with a bit better of a starting project.

I gotta go sleep now tho, I will look at this again in the morning

cherokeefreak

Yes they do have those axles. The D30 up front is a fairly good axle if you upgrade axle shafts and do some trussing. The D35 in the rear however is a different story, not to say its a bad axle, but it doesnt have a very good reputation compared to most others. Most cherokees came with 3.55 gearing, or 4.56 if its the I4.
The best years to look out for(In my opinion) would be a 97-99, reason being they changed the exterior and interior in 97, as well as put a steel tailgate on instead of a fiberglass one. In 2000 the High pinion D30 in the front was changed to a Low pinion D30 so try to stay away from these, unless you plan on upgrading axles.

Just do some research on this forum and you will find plenty of info.
Good Luck!!

Muddfreak

yeah im not into the newer body style or the v8 i want the classic look and a decent on gas truck lol but thank you im reasearching and im learnin alot. hopefullly i can sell either my car or truck soon and get on this cherokee business lol um so if you guys have any more tips or secrets or whatever let me know!

and PS i am thinkin that the 700 bucks would be a great find if it wasnt allll moldy lol but ill find something soon!

asatxj

If you are looking to spend $700 try really hard to find a 91 or newer, better electronics systems and transmission. There is a tiny chance it may have a 44 rear axle also. I just saw a 93 ZJ Grand Cherokee for $950. I have half a mind to get it for my daughter. BTW if you are getting it for decent gas mileage you will be disappointed 15-17mpg is about where you will be before lifts and bigger tires.

Donnie_K

Mine came factory with a 29 spline 8.25 in the back, and that's a pretty good strong axle.

IMO look for the 97 or newer with the 8.25, avoid 00's and 01's with the cylinder head problem. I'd look at some pics on here how to identify the 8.25, older 8.25's were not the 29 spline though.

Muddfreak

about gas no thats fine, lol ill have either a 3rd vehicle my car ( dodge neon ) which get really good gas mileage or if i end up selling it cuz i will be owning a jeep a toyota then i might go buy another little but newer toyota 2wd cuz my lil 2wd get REALLY GOOD gas mileage lol. but no im not worried bout gas and as far as i have looked up threw my insurance its actually cheaper then what i pay now. SO it should be good, but thanks for all the advice. So i should go with a 91ish 4L ???