I am sure this question has been asked many times and I searched long for it before asking again but to no avail. I've been looking for a late 90's Cherokee XJ. They appear in my area from time to time but there are tons of Grand Cherokees and usually for less. Some people I was talking to say stay away from Grands for desert vehicles. They don't (usually) have the 4.0, they cost more to lift and installing the lift is more work. If I am looking for that late 90's Jeep do I really want to stay away from Grands if Grands are so dang plentiful? I mean, come on. They have a sunroof.

 

What exactly are your plans for the build and what purpose are you building it for? There are good and "bad" about both. Depends on alot of factors

 

I own a both, a 97 Cherokee XJ and a 98 Grand Cherokee ZJ, after doing extensive work on both I will say that the only reason to buy a 94-98 ZJ is for the V8. The XJ is far easier to work on for the most part and has a better transmission, axles, and transfer case. The 98 ZJ I am building will have a front axle, transmission, and transfer case that came out of an XJ.

 

I am looking for a desert/camping truck that can handle rough terrain and get me anywhere and back again.

 

Isn't the 4.0 part of what makes the xj so famous? Would you say the V8 is better than the 4.0?

 

ZJ and WJ's are perfect for somebody who wants to off road, but doesn't want to go too extreme. coils all around give a better ride, but finding taller lifts for them are harder (and far more expensive) than an XJ. they also tend to have more electronics than an XJ, so you have more possibility of failure. But they are larger inside, so if you need to carry people or stuff, they are a good choice. if I could I would get an 4.0 WJ. I looked and just couldn't find any in my price range that were not beat to hell.

 

The 4.0 is a very good engine but when you get a 4.0 ZJ it comes with a weak Dana 35 rear axle, low pinion Dana 30 front, 42RE transmission and either a NP242 or NP249 transfer case. You can get a 4.0 XJ with a AW4 auto or AX15 manual transmission, NP231 transfer case, Chrysler 8.25 rear axle and a high pinion Dana 30 front, all of which are better than what the ZJ has to offer. The 5.2 and 5.9 are good engines and have more power than the 4.0 thats why I said the only reason to get a ZJ is if you want the power of a V8, if you want a 4.0 the XJ is a far better option.

 

Thank you, gentlemen (I assume you are all gentlemen, anyhow), for your input. I think the XJ is the way to go to meet my needs. Now on to the next step...does anyone have an XJ for sail? And now a more serious question. I know the renix engines are more challenging to diagnose and work on but are they something that should be avoided? If you saw a late 80's with a renix that was a good deal would you pass it up and keep looking for a post renix?

 

I agree, the XJ's are better for complete offloading purpose due to less electronics and wider variety of aftermarket parts. The ZJs are still great rides, but I much rather prefer them as daily drivers.