MOOSE 843

I've read somewhere that some years were better than others but I don't know why. Better body? frame? motor? gears? So what is the best years and why?

MonacaYankee

This has been discussed countless times on this forum.
Search these year ranges Cherokees
84-96 early body style
97-01 new body style new interior
00-01 0331 heads cracking
84-86 Amc cherokee
87-90 Renix first years of I6
91-96 High output years Chrysler ignition system

Check out the Wikipedia article for cheroke xj.

BrawnyDog

From what I have gathered the 99 was a good year. Pre 0331, post old intake manifold, pre coilless system (not a big deal), post something else, tired and need sleep

JamromXJ

Everyone will have an opinion on this. It's really up to you to read and be satisfied with your choice.

If you are a Hands-on buyer, the 94-96 years are reliable, but will keep you busy. They have a classic 90's look and are build very well.

The 97-98 are very good, and made use of a simpler EEC system but restrictive intake manifold. The interiors are cheaper with a lot more ABS plastic. This theme continued with the XJ's until EOP (end of production) in '01.

The 99 is really a funny year. You NEED to look at the production dates to get the best version of the XJ. The 99 was the cross-over year in many ways. Take a look at the production date on the dataplate on the drivers door. If you find a mid-year unit.. go for it. Look at the head casting number, located between #3/#4 intake ports.. might be covered in crud. If it's a 0630 you're golden... you not only found a HO intake manifold, and better front brake package (cast compared to forged), you found the best version of the 4.0 before they changed to the troublesome 0331 head. They began using the 0331 sometime in late 99, so there are 99's with that head in it. The 99 HO intake can be used on the 97-98 with ease, but the wheel bearings and brake rotor castings on the 97-98 are not the same as a mid-year 99.

00+ with 0331 head and coil packs... it's a crap-shoot. Some say no issues, others die a quick death of head-crack/cooling leak failures. Upside is that the Chrysler 8.25 rear used a 29 spline rather than the 27 spline. So they have a solid rear to start with for off-roading. The head can be replaced with a better unit so that's something to consider if you find a nice unit really cheap. They are more complicated with a more intricate ignition system, but like all XJ's are a friendly and fun vehicle to work on... as compared to Asian cars of the same years (extra joints not needed to work on an XJ).

Bottom line.. do your research. If you don't beleive me.. go to your local Junkyard.. take a look and see what models you see the most. I'm willing to bet it's 00+ on the reg.

I hope that helps.

JR

lukc22

I settled on a 94... Post Renix... high pinion front... Chrysler 8.25 (27 spline but better than a d35)... They all have their own issues, so just decide which ones you are willing to tackle... Mine found me, was in the year range i wanted, and was 400 bucks... here is a vid to help:

Fred/N0AZZ

Another downside to the 00/01 models was the Low Pinion D30's they were weaker than the HP's and had less clearance.


If there was a single year IMMO it would be a 99 as it had the best of all previous years plus quite a few improvements over them and none of the issues that plagued the 00-01 XJ's.

SteveMongr

Late 1996, it's original. lol

cruiser54

Well stated for a grumpy fart needing sleep...LOL.

jeepkid03

I prefer the pre-97s. The interior on the 97+ is way too cheap and creaky. With that said, finding one with the least amount of rust is a higher priority than anything, which is why I have a 2000.

ASAPJON

Pre 97s I prefer but I have a 2000 97+ is fairly reliable im just more old school of a person Im not a power window fan,and the simpler on a jeep the better I like em.

JeepMN

Not to say you're wrong or anything but are you sure they started making the 0331 head in 99? I thought all XJ's without a coilpack came with the 0630 head? I'm guessing there might be a few but I have personally never seen a 99 with a coil pack so I'm just curious.

Bustedback

Produced in late 99 for the 2000 model year. The emissions label will tell you what year the vehicle really is. The build dates can make things confusing.

extrashaky

I have read it both ways, that it started in late '99 and that it started in '00.

I think the confusion has to do with build date. Obviously some of the '00 Cherokees had to be built in 1999 in order to be able to deliver them on schedule. If it was sold as a model year 2000 truck, it should have the 0331 head, because the 2000 model had the coil rail and the different exhaust manifold for the 2000 emissions certifications, both of which require the 0331 head. If you look at the door of a 2000 and see that it was built in late 1999, it will still have the 0331 head for this reason.

A 1999 model year truck should NOT have the 0331 head, because the 1999 truck did not have the coil rail or the new emissions. Just because it was built in 1999 does not mean it was sold as a 1999. If it was sold as a 1999, it was certified with the earlier emissions that would not use the 0331 head.

It's easy enough to verify for yourself. If you pop the hood and see a coil rail instead of plug wires, it is almost a certainty that it originally came with an 0331 head. The coil rail looks like this:



But you can't stop there...

Some people have replaced the crack-prone 0331 heads with 0630 heads and rigged up brackets to hold the coil rail. So your next step should be to look at the head identification number cast into the driver's side of the head next to the #4 cylinder. It will peek out from under the edge of the valve cover, like so:



But you can't stop there...

Some people have replaced their original crack-prone 0331 heads with newer 0331 heads that were made by a different foundry in Brazil called "TUPY." These heads had "TUPY" cast into them between the #3 and #4 cylinders to differentiate them from the earlier defective heads. So if you find an 0331 head, your next step is to take a flashlight and look down into the oil filler hole in the valve cover between the #3 and #4 cylinders to see if the word "TUPY" is cast there.



No 2000 or 2001 XJs came from the factory with a TUPY head. If you have one, it's because you or a prior owner swapped it in. It's unlikely you'll find an XJ for sale that has already had this swap, but it's worth it to check just to be sure.

So, to summarize:

Coil rail instead of plug wires = probably an 0331 head, but check anyway
0331 non-TUPY = bad news
0331 TUPY = good news
0630 = good news if the person who did the swap knew what he was doing

If you're not comfortable with all this, it may be better to avoid 2000 and 2001 model years. I would buy a 2000 again if the price were right, but then I've been through a 2000 0331 head crack and know what I'm getting into. I would not let the coil rail or the low-pinion axle deter me, but I would factor everything into the cost of the vehicle, depending on what I intended to do with it.

Bustedback

Well said^^

extrashaky

Great minds think alike.