I am looking for a recomendation for a shop in Orange County or LA area to purchase a good replacement radiator for my 98 Cherokee.

I ordered a 3-row CSF from an online retailer and recieved 2 damaged radiators in a row so I am going to shop locally where I can visually inspect it first.

 

Good because you don't need a 3 row. Just get a 2 row OE replacement or an all metal 2 row from radiatorbarn. As for what shop to go to, you can google local reviews. Or post in the SoCal section here or on naxja.org and you should recieve more replies about it

 

I got my CSF 3 core from autopartswarehouse.com and mine was fine.

 

There is abaolutely nothing wrong with a 3 core.

And stay away from the OE stuff, they have plastic end tanks and are crap.

 

For every post I see saying that 2-row is sufficient there are 5 posts claiming that they swear by the CSF 3-row. I appreciate the input, I am just trying to sort it all out. My Jeep has always run a little hot which is no big deal but now if I drive slow and up any hills it will sometimes overheat. Why would 3-row not be better?

Any local shop recommendations would be appreciated. I am familiar with all the recommended online shops (including the one I bought from) and I am not going to buy online.

Thanks for the advice

 

HEY tobtech,
Just wondering. Do you feel you've gone through your cooling system enough to know that a new radiator (ANY radiator) is going to solve your problem?

 

Didn't say there was anything wrong with 3 row. Just that it's not needed. Yes the OE ones with plastic suck but they are cheaper. My highest recommendation would be an HD all metal 2 row from radiatorbarn. It will work just fine and last a long time

OP of course people swear by the 3 row. Everyone wants to stand by their purchase. But if you asked I doubt that MOST of them could tell you the difference in temp drop or the quality of life span. Plus I've read one too many stories about fan blades tearing holes in brand new 3 rows because they are slightly thicker.

 

Hi EZEARL,

Well I think so. I am replacing the radiator, water pump, thermostat housing and hoses if necessary. I bought the Hesco hi flow thermostat housing and 195 deg thermostat.

The Jeep has been a great vehicle for 14 years and we had a leaking freeze plug while we were moving across the country so I put some stop leak in to get us home but I am pretty sure the stop leak also partially plugged up the radiator.

At some point my son is going to start driving the Jeep so I figured that I would go ahead and replace the cooling parts and flush everything out and make him help just to get the Jeep working better. My reasons for going to the 3-row is not to fix the issue (I know a stock unit will fix it) but for better cooling when we go off-road even though we don't do any heavy 4-wheeling I would rather do it all at once.

 

Don't let your motor mounts go to crap and you won't have clearance issues.

 

Spend more money to get new motor mounts just so I can fit a 3 row?

 

I am not opposed to a 2-row metal unit. Just want an upgrade from OEM plastic and looking for a good local shop to buy it. I am new to the area. I also posted in the So Cal section. I am a newbie and did not see that section before.

Thanks

 

CSF 3-Row served me well. Got it from radiatorbarn.com with no problems

 

No. Fix your broken parts (in this case motor mounts) so you don't have issues, clearance near radiator being just one issue. Having worn motor mounts will also aide in cracking your exhaust manifold.

But if your against fixing broken parts because you don't want to spend money I'm wasting my time discussing this with you.

I believe that if something is broken or worn it should be fixed. Not sure why you would seem to feel differently.


Was it his attitude toward regular maintenance and fixing broken parts that lead to the burning of the XJ in your avatar?

 

Those SoCal guys will tell you where to go. Whatever rad you get just make sure it's all metal. That's plenty of an upgrade over stock. I'd rather have the radiator that will last the longest (whichever one that may be). That should be top priority when searching for a radiator. Low priority should be a rad that runs slightly cooler. Temp can be controlled by other things (tstat, water pump, fans etc)

 

Sounds like a good plan to me. GOOD to get your son involved to. That way if (WHEN) he breaks it he can fix it. LOL

I just refurbed my system but the radiator was in great shape so I kept it. It's a stock system except I upgraded to a ZJ fan clutch (mine was weak). Working GREAT even when poking around the back roads with the AC on. That being said when it comes time for a new radiator I'll upgrade to one that's,if nothing else,at least heavier built than the OEM one.