azdave35

new guy here looking to buy a used grand cherokee..i'm looking at the years 1996-2002,,is any of those years better or worse than others?..any year to stay away from?...i'm definatly wanting a 6 cyl...i'm located in phoenix az..thanks in advance..

dave1123

Welcome to CF!

IDK how familiar you are with jeeps, but the 93 to 98 models are known as ZJ's and are boxy shaped and have more aftermarket support for modifications than the later 99-04 WJ's. I'm not saying the WJ is not as good because I own one, and support is getting better every day, but there are mechanical differences that make finding used parts more difficult. Besides the obvious body style change, the older motors won't fit and the transmission and transfer cases have changed is well.

If you are looking for a good daily driver and don't plan to off-road, the WJ is a good choice. The 4.0 inline 6 is, in my opinion, a good choice as well. Be aware that there was a cylinder head cracking problem with the 99-01 new design head that was fixed with the 02 models, although my 00 didn't show up until 170K miles. The 6 cylinder models came standard with the Selectrac transfer case which gives you the 2WD option and creates the least problems. I'm not saying the Quadratrac constant 4WD is a bad case, but it is a lot more costly to repair. You'll find most of the V8 jeeps come with them. The WJ is a little more streamlined and rides a little smoother that the ZJ does. Also, with both models, the TOW PACKAGE jeeps come with lower axle gearing than the others, having 3.73 gears as opposed to 3.55. They also have an aux trans cooler and a trailer lighting module.

The ZJ, on the other hand, is more rugged and takes to off-roading and modifications better. Of course, the Cherokee, or XJ, is the best off road jeep made short of the Wrangler. It has leaf springs in the rear rather than the 4-point coils the ZJ has.

If you want an education about the WJ, go to wjjeeps.com and learn about models and option packages available in them. Also how to identify different things about them.

That about covers the basics, hope it helps.

azdave35

thanks for the reply...i dont do any serious off roading so i will be leaving it stock..i didnt realize they had 2 choices on the transfer case..i thought they were all full time fwd..i'm thinking about a 96-98 now and going with the selectrac...did all 6 cyl. models come with this or did some have quadratrac?...can i tell by looking at the shift pattern if it is selectrac or quadratrac?

dave1123

Well Jeep had, or still has, a program where if someone wants to, they can order their jeep built with whatever they choose for equipment. Most of the jeeps delivered to dealers came with standard setups with the 6's having Selectrac and the V8's having Quadratrac.

The Selectrac's (NP/NV 242) shift bezel has this pattern from front to rear; 2WD, 4WD part-time, 4WD full time, neutral, 4WD lo. The part-time options lock both axles together and should be only used on slippery or loose surfaces. 4WD lo is part-time also. The full-time option can be used on dry pavement constantly because it connects both axles thru a differential in the t/case. It's really nice on changing surfaces like snow with dry spots. Except for 4lo, it's a shift-on-the-fly system that can be used at any speed just by lifting your foot off the gas to shift.

The Quadratrac, or NP/NV 249, is a full time case that drives both axles at all times thru a viscous coupling that allows for changing axle speeds when turning sharply or with changing traction conditions. It's sort of a drive-and-forget 4WD system. The shift bezel only has 4WD, neutral, and 4WD lo.

The Cherokee, or XJ, uses the NP/NV 231 which has 2WD and 2 ranges of part-time 4WD. I only mention this because it's a common swap for a failed 249. When the viscous clutch in the 249 fails, it costs between $300 and $400 just for the part and requires complete disassembly of the t/case to install. That's why most guys swap to something else.

The NP/NV designation of the t/case has to do with the company changing from New Process Gear to New Venture Gear sometime in the 80's or 90's. The plant was located here in Syracuse and was bought out by Magna Powertrain and then closed and the equipment sold off. The end of an era. New Process was owned by Chrysler and built transfer cases and manual transmissions for anyone who wanted to buy them. GM bought a lot of them, basically the early 205 and 208. This division of Chrysler started by making the heavy-duty 5-speed truck transmissions for Dodge.

More than you ever wanted to know, right?

azdave35

actually that was exactly what i needed to know...thank you

azdave35

i have a couple more silly questions....on the models with the cyl head problem 99-01...if i were to get one of those and down the road the head cracked...can a head from another year (one that isnt prone to cracking) be installed on the jeep?...also you said some of the cherokee's have 373 gears and some 355...is there a way to tell what gears the jeep has?...i'd rather have 355

Cherokee_Mike

I have a 2000 WJ 4.0 6-cyl with Quadratrac II - had it almost 4 years now and very pleased with it. Only done 70k miles and is in great condition so will be keeping it for a long time yet.
I've replaced a few bits - serpentine belt, heater resistor unit, tie rod ends, brake calipers & discs and the flexible brake hoses and also a fuel pump since I've owned it - parts are reasonably priced and the vehicle is not that difficult to work on as a home mechanic.
It's very comfortable to drive and I would definately buy another.

dave1123

Actually, yes. All the jeep 4.0 cylinder heads will bolt on. The problem arises with the exhaust manifold not aligning with the earlier heads and the coil pack mounting bolts not having threaded bosses to screw into. AS I said, the 02-04 0331 head is supposed to not crack, but finding one can be difficult. I bought a new heavy casting from Clearwater Cylinder Heads (actually Odessa) for $455 complete with valves, shipping BOTH ways (core return) and a 5 year guarantee. It weighs 7 lbs more than the original one. It's designed to fit all 4.0's from 93-04.

The gearing can be difficult to determine if the metal tags on the differentials are gone, however, generally the tow package jeeps have the 3.73's. Look for the trans cooler in front of the A/C condenser. A trailer hitch is not a good indication of a tow package because of so many people putting them on themselves. The difference in fuel mileage between the 2 is negligible.

azdave35

lol..thats the next question i was going to ask...gas milage..my friend has a 96 grand cherokee with a straight 6 and he gets 20 mpg on the highway...will the v8 cherokee's get that kind of mpg?

dave1123

Right now we have to make it clear the differences between the Cherokee and the GRAND Cherokee. I could be wrong, but I'm not aware of a Cherokee ever having a V8. The Grand Cherokees have had the 5.2, the 5.9, and now the 4.7 OHC. They all seem to get the same average mileage of the 6 with actually a little better because they aren't straining so much to pull the weight.

The ONLY time I got over 20 mpg with my 4.0 was a 4 hour run on the highway at a constant speed and flat terrain. Most of my driving around town averages 14 to 16 mpg. It doesn't seem to matter much whether I use 4WD or 2WD because of the drag of turning all those gears, powered or not.

Now is the time for you guys with the V8's to speak up! Do you agree or not?

azdave35

thanks for the reply...the reason i was wondering about the milage is i was originally looking for a 6 cyl gc..but i'm having a hard time finding one around here..i'm finding a ton of v8 gc's but no 6 cyl,,i was thinking maybe the reason everyone is selling there v8 gc is because they are gas hogs..but if the mpg is close to the same i may have to settle for a v8

Fred/N0AZZ

Welcome to the forum!


Ok here goes I have a 04 WJ Overland edition with every option offered by Jeep that year, even the very few not included in this package. Its a 4.7HO (extra 30-40 HP over the std. 4.7) motor, Full Time 4wd, towing pkg. 3.73 gear, all skid plates, etc.


It has 217,000 mi on it now and the engine is in perfect condition as is the inside/out. It runs and drives as well as our 2012 Lincoln Town Car with 24,000 mi. on it and a few more options on the Jeep.


We had a thread not to long ago about mileage on the GC's and with what engines they had. When it was finished most all of us were surprised with the results, myself most of all. As I have a 4.0 in my 99 XJ my 4.7HO had as good or better mpg's in most cases over the older V-8's and the 4.0's old and newer. Plus it had tons of more power HP and Tq. both this was my first Jeep and I have now owned it for 5 yrs.


Its my DD year around and great all seasons in snow and ice with auto traction locked front D30 rear D44 has never let me down even in deep snow 18" and drifted (Ilive in the country on a farm). My wife loves it as she has to do nothing when it needs 4wd it there all the time when needed.


The 2004 is the last year of GC that I would own though and the 99-04's are the most comfortable with options which most have.

dave1123

Thanks Fred! I've got to step in here and say that the 4.7 sometimes gets a bum rap because they are noted for warped heads and blown head gaskets. They are a good engine if treated properly, but DO have this problem if not maintained or overheated badly.

When this problem first showed up, many people dumped their GC's because they were afraid they'd have problems with it. Even I bad-mouthed the 4.7 before I researched the causes of the failures.

From my research, most engine failures in jeeps of ALL models are due to cooling fan malfunctions. I'm not saying this is the ONLY reason, but it tends to stick out most often. Jeeps still have a temperature gauge, BUT YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT!! A lot of people don't! The only gauge most people watch is the fuel gauge.

As with any used vehicle, most times you don't have any way of knowing how it was treated before you got it. When I bought mine, it had maintenance records and was a one-owner that was garaged. The price was a little high, but I couldn't pass it up.