ctrick98

Hello forum,

I read a few threads on this, but I can't really seem to find a definite answer to my questions/ concerns. So here's my situation, I have a 95 Jeep Cherokee Country, and I have owned it for a little over 2 years. In this period it has been great to me and been very reliable. The only problem I have had was a bad radiator a month or so ago, so I redid the radiator, water pump, t-stat, and hoses, and flushed it real good. As of now the jeep is running nice and good, and I am feeling better about my impending road trip.

I just graduated high school a few months ago, and next month I am going away to college. I definetely want to bring my jeep, and I will get it done somehow. I currently live in Southern California, and I am going to school in Florida on the East Coast. This is a 2500+ mile road trip and is something I have never done before. So I am feeling a need to prepare. I plan on doing an oil change, spark plugs, and air filter before I leave. Is there anything else I should do to prevent any problems/ make sure everything runs good on the way there? And also maybe do I need to bring anything other than motor oil and some coolant, which I will pick up before I leave. I also plan on bringing tools such as sockets, pliers, and all the stuff I have used to work on my jeep before.

My Jeep is all stock, other than some basic appearance mods and a basic sound system. It has the 4.0l with the 4 speed automatic and it is 4x4. Thank you for any ideas on the preperation for my journey!

EZEARL

Where abouts in Fla?


If your not sure on the history of the clutch fan replace it.
Make sure the auxiliary fan is working properly.
Have a fan shroud in place.
Use a GOOD oil filter(NAPA Gold).
Have a "real" spare tire and tools to change it if needed.
Do a transmission fluid change if needed. Take extra fluid.


Guess that's a start.

Reble

Like Nike says: Just Do It.

Fluids, a good spare, set of hoses, a belt and tools.
Anything else would require a shop visit anyway.

The good thing is that a road trip from SoCal to Florida is splattered with towns with shops and auto parts stores. Might be some huge dead areas in Texas.

Ask your insurance company what roadside assistance would cost for a quarter or so.

Also keep in mind that heat will play a factor. In Arizona we are up to 100 regularly.

Lastly, have fun!

NM-XJ

What an exciting adventure for you! There is always a little bit of concern before a big trip with an older vehicle (I'm doing 1000mi in mine next week for vacation), but keeping your head on straight is an important part.

Oil change, plugs, and air filter are a good start. Don't forget a good oil filter as well, I like Wix. Do the plug wires, cap, and rotor as well when you do the plugs. Check you coolant level. Check your transmission and transfer case fluids. Check your differential fluids. Top off as needed. If transmission, t case, and diff fluids are at correct level and not worn out, just roll with it. Otherwise, change it out.

Drive it daily. That will help reveal any issues which are related to frequent use. After you do all the work above, do a shakedown run - take a day trip somewhere. One evening after dark, check all of your exterior running and signal lights.

Bring a complete basic tool kit to fix minor problems on the road. Zip ties and electrical tape can be pretty handy sometimes. Wire cutters, a newspaper, hacksaw blade, pipe wrench, and putty knife are also good. Do you have a chain or tow strap? Jumper cables? I carry a spare serpentine belt under the rear passenger seat. Have a couple short pieces of 2x4 along to block your tires with. Make sure your jack is working. Make sure you have a full size spare and that it is aired up...and holding air!

If your Jeep is running well and is up to date on routine maintenance, you will be just fine. Best of luck!

ctrick98

I am not sure on the fan clutch so I will look into doing that. I will make sure to get a good filter and I always have tools to change my tires in my jeep. Thats another thing I am doing, I need new tires so I will be getting a full set. I have never changed the transmission fluid so I guess I should look into that. Hopefully it isnt to hard, but Im sure somebody has a write up.

And I am moving to Daytona Beach, which is where I believe Jeep Week is so I am super excited to see that!

ctrick98

This is much more helpful than I thought it would be. Thank you guys! I drive it daily, and 4 days a week I drive 25 miles round trip for work. In a week and a half I am going on a 3 hour trip to the coast, which is gonna be my test trip. I live in a very hot climate as well, gets over 100 very often, and had a few days at 109, 110. So I am confident in the cooling system as far as I can tell. I also plan on putting a new catback on my jeep, because my glasspack that dumps behind the axle will not be fun on a cross country road trip.

How hard is it to change transmission fluid and diff fluids? I have some knowledge, but not a lot. My experience includes doing that cooling system rebuild, valve cover gaskets, oil changes, brake jobs, and I helped my dad rebuild a carburetor once. I dont want to get into a job I cant finish.

Edit: I also have Triple A roadside. Which I used when my radiator took a dump, so roadside assistance is covered

EZEARL

Here you go:
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/tra...change-223534/


Fan clutch:
NAPA. #272318 is the OEM replacement.

As far as how to do. You Tube is your friend.

ctrick98

Sweet, that doesn't sound too bad. I will give it a try if I get the chance.

I also have jumper cables and I put in a new serpentine belt 2 weeks ago. So hopefully I wont need a new one. Can't thank you guys enough for the tips!

Larry's XJ

You changed both rad hoses ? What about heater hoses?
How many miles are on it?
Do you know if axle or transfer case ever been changed?
If any of these are low I would change them.
Considering that they might never been changed, wouldn't hurt if you have the funds.
Four quarts should do both axles.
Be safe, be smart !!
New wiper blades wouldn't hurt either.

ctrick98

Yes, all the heater hoses and radiator hoses are new. It has about 147k, so not super high, not super low. And I will look into the costs of all these fluids, I have the funds to do most of this stuff, and to do it the right way, but I am about to go to college so I am trying my best to save. I will try and do everything I can. And I didnt even think about wiper blades since it never rains in my location! Thank
You.

Larry's XJ

Things mentioned are all routine maintenance, which doesn't cost, It pays !!

Be sure to let us know how it goes !!

Good Luck !!

Cummins93

Spare CPS in the glove box.

ctrick98

To anyone that cares (probably nobody),I am updating how my trip went. Haha, it has definetely been a while since I started this thread, but college is pretty hard! I have been really busy, and totally forgot about the forum! Now I have an urge to do some modifications to my jeep, so I am back, which is why I am finally updating. The jeep did great, it ran great, and never had any problems mechanically, which I was very pleased about. My jeep did not do as great in fuel economy as I wouls have liked, but I found the faster I went over 65, the worse my mpg got. Probably because the xj is a brick, and the texas speed limits were totally awesome, but didnt help my fuel economy.

The one problem I had was with the new catback I mentioned. I ordered The IRO catback and it came in the mail like 3 days before I left, so I cut it pretty close. I got it out, and mocked it up under the jeep, only to find that the tailpipe was bent incorrectly... Now because I am a procrastinating sort of person, I didnt have time to resolve that with IRO, so I made it work. The bend was made so that the tailpipe rubbed against the leaf spring, and I spent hours trying it every which way but it never worked. So I cut it off right by the leaf spring area so that it would stop banging into it. Also sadly, my time crunch meant I couldnt borrow a buddys welder and properly install it, so I did it the less favorable way with clamps, and now the clamps come lose and the tailpipe starts hitting and makes a loud banging noise anytime I hit a bumb. Luckily I dont drive that often since Im required to luve on campus, but it still pisses me off a lot, I had to retighten the clamps 3 times on my roadtrip, which all things considered is a good problem to have on a 20 year old jeep. I do not have a welder here in FL, and so I am stuck with it. If anyone has a suggestion, I am all ears.

Now that my rant on that tailpipe is complete, I will finish my road trip review. This is for anyone thinking about a long road trip and is wary. As everyone who commented before said, (thanks again for the tips) just do it! It was definetely an experience, and I am glad I did it instead of just flying. If you have worked on your jeep before, chances are you can fix any problems that come up, and youll be fine. Just bring tools! I brought the basics, sockets and combination wrenchs, along with pliers and such. That is enough to ensure some back up plan safety, and make sure you have a spare tire. Also I recommend having a person you enjoy being with for a copilot, because you will spend a LOT of time with them. Haha, luckily my dad came and we had a pretty good time. But that is my overall review, I was pretty nervous, but it isnt a big deal. My jeep rolled 150k on the trip, so it is by no means a low mileage jeep, but I take care of it. Just prepare for the basics, and itll be okay. So good luck to anyone who tries in the future! Hopefully this thread can help anyone who is looking at preparing for a road trip, because it was a help to me!

CurrySoSpicy

Thanks for the update, I read your first post on this thread and was excited to see how it went.

Jackem

Good job! Did you check your gas mileage at different speeds? I'm about to takeoff on an 1100 mile trip and would love to know what speed is the best compromise between time and cost.