MIKEZJ98

Hi there first of all thanks for the space you hace a really usefull site, im new here so here we go, i just bought a 98 v8 5.9 zj in great conditions, has 170,000 km, and never jeeped, is it a good ride to invest in?? (tires, lift etc) or should i sell it and go for the cherokee sport? can it handle the rigors of off roading like the xj? also if i keep it i will lift it 2 to 3" because its gonna be my DD and i want to clear 31s or its equivalent in metric, it has 16" rims.
in 2" do i need new shocks and relocate track bar? in 3" do i need to relocate track bar and throw in the lower control arms? (i guess in 3" i need shocks) thanks and have a great day.

nw-xj-scott

5.9s are nice rigs. they have great potential.. here is my xj and my brother inlaws 5.9, he is on a 6" lift with 33" km2s..

ol"blue

It has a lot of torque and would make a nice rig if you don't mind ruining it's value to a collector. They were limited in production, and could be worth it to you to re-sell it for a profit and buy another vehicle for modifying. JMO

seed

My old 5.9 was a beast,i wish i never sold it. It had a full 3" skyjacker kit on 32's

taythegibs

5.9's are great jeeps, if you plan on keeping it til it dies then building it is a must, if you are looking only at short term then putting on a lift might not be the best thing because as stated before that will make some people not want to pay as much due to the rarity of it. imo- lift it and proudly display those 5.9 badges!

you can get a bb which can only be a few 2-2.5in spacers or a step up from that is a kit that has spacers, shocks, and extended bump stops. i am going to put on the basic 2in bb on my zj because i plan on doing a bigger lift in the future.

MIKEZJ98

the idea is to keep it around for a while, lift it and make it a proyect to be proud of, i got it for a really good price and is in mint conditiond, it has some work to be done, only minor things in the engine, like a full service no engine rehauling or anything, what can you tell em about the suspension components reliable? trail worthy? thnks 4 the opinnions, really helpfull

taythegibs

if you plan on lifting it i personally would not go over 3.5-4in of lift after that you get to needing a lot more stuff like ca's and the max tire size id go with would be a 32-33inch in diameter.

i dont know much about the mechanics of the 5.9, what t-case does it have?

MIKEZJ98

here are the specs of the 5.9
The Grand Cherokee 5.9 further included additional performance-enhancing features including:

• A stronger 46RE transmission than the 5.2 L with a heavier output shaft
• Quadratrac heavy duty NV249 transfer case
• Standard trac-lock rear differential
• An electric fan
• A high-output 150A alternator
• also an aluminum d44 in the rear
• 5.9 L V8 engine with an output of 245 hp (183 kW) and 345 lb·ft (468 N·m) of torque

MIKEZJ98

unfortunately bi the time i posted this the transmission of my 5.9 blew up the same day i got it from the retailer, i was so mad with him, and the repair of the tranny goes up to $1,300 and of course the seller doesnt want to pay, i have it with the mechanic already and is being fixed, and of course im going to intervein a demand to the seller. sad but true.

Willys55

Hope it all works out for you in the end. I only have the 5.2L GC. Love it , would never get rid of it.

5.9 Ltr.

MikeZJ98, don't feel too bad, I got myself a 5.9L about a month ago and have the same problem - need a rebuilt or recondition transmission, otherwise it is a nice running MPV.

MIKEZJ98

well, updating, i rebuilt the tranny, lifted 2 inches, new shocks, adapted jk shocks in front, hell yea a better ride, swapped everythin in front, new trackar, draglink, tie rods, all the steering components, new diff fluids, Cold air intake, new set of bf km2s oe 16" rims with 245 75 tires, new CA bushings, two fog ligths in front, 2" hitch, radiator hoses, thermostat, i still have a dead spot in the steering, dont know what to do there, the next step is new gear box, any ideas on the dead spot? the GC is an animal¡ has lots of torque and i climb so much better than other jeeps with more equipment, rides helluva fast in kind of happy, i invested alot of money that o could spent in more equipment, but im emocionally attached to it ive spent alot of hours in it, ill keep it around for a while.

jeepnut24

i had a 5.9 limited. thing was a monster. i was running 36's. never got stuck once. 5foot mud pit at rausch creek=nothing lol thing was a tank. id say keep it for sure. i wish i still had mine