smalltires

Hello all, new here from IL. I plan to buy a Jeep and I am looking at the ZJ for its comfort and room as a family trail rig. This will be an extra vehicle to beat up on trails, bring home, wash off, and not worry about dents and scratches. I found a 97 5.2l Grand Cherokee for $800 dollars needing tires and a rear window regulator. The only problem I have with it is the all time 4wd. Does anyone wheel with the factory T-Case, or does everyone swap to selectable 4wd? It will be, as I said, a family toy. Basically some mud, trails, and small rocks. Nothing drastic, Probably 2-3.5" lift and 31 or 32" tires. Anything I should look out for when looking at them?

Thanks for any help,
Mat

dave1123

Welcome to CF!

JMHO, the weak link on this rig is the viscous clutch in the 249 t/case. Before you buy it, try some low speed sharp turns and see if the front wheels hop or jerk. Some of this can be bad axle u-joints or a burnt viscous clutch. The clutch requires a complete t/case teardown to replace and it costs about $400 for the part. Most people, when faced with this repair, switch to the 242 or 231 t/case because, in the long run, it's easier and cheaper to do so.

OR sell the jeep. V8 ZJ's are getting scarce and usually come up for sale because of problems with the 249.

Also, check the lower control arm mounts in the rear. They tend to rust out on the frame end because of road salt.

The ZJ is a nice comfortable family vehicle, but for unbeatable off-road use, get an XJ.

smalltires

I honestly would prefer an xj but everyone wants a lot of money for something i just plan to beat on. And it seems the ZJ is easier to find here and usually cheaper. If i decide to go look at and test drive this jeep I will check those things out. Thanks for your help!

smalltires

Ive searched about 20 times and everything I have read conflicts. Does the 97 v8 ZJ have limited slip, a least in the rear diff? And it has the d44a rear correct?

dave1123

Limited slip was an option when ordering a new jeep. It was never standard equipment on Xjs or ZJs. As far as I know, the D44a came with the V8s, but when they started IDK. These have aluminum center sections and are easy to spot.

When I went looking for a jeep, I really wanted a TJ, but any that I could afford were beat or extensively modified. I was really looking for a reliable snow machine to deliver newspapers with. What I bought turned into a money pit. It was a nice, clean '97 ZJ 4.0 with a 242 t/case and tow package. It was owned by a soldier who was going to Iraq and needed to sell it before he left. I fell in love with it, paid $1500 for it, and proceeded to put another $3000 into it for a transmission and rear axle! Not my best move. Then I tore a lower control arm out of the frame, fixed that, and then the other one tore out. I sold it for parts.

I went looking for another ZJ, but when I found my '00 WJ, I couldn't pass it up. It is a 4.0 with the 242 and had been a mom's grocery getter. It looked like it had never been off-road and had immaculate service records. It also came from western PA where, I understand, they don't use road salt.

The only thing is it weighs 4000 lbs and the 4.0 isn't what you'd call powerful. I does, however meet my criteria of being a reliable snow machine. The 242 does the trick for me. I've pushed snow as high as the headlights and it just keeps going.