dutchjeep

Hi All,

This is my first post here and I hope you guys can give me some input. We've been very happy owners of a '92 jeep Cherokee (limited ed.) for the last 5 years. The XJ has served us extremely well. Only the usual things broke (exhaust manifold, water pump) and done basic maintenance (shocks, tires etc), and it has never let us down. Ok, well the water pump started making funny noises while a 100 miles from home, but it let us drive back home nonetheless, so that doesn't count ! In short, we love that thing! It just starts to show its years, and to bring it back to where we want it it will take some money and time, and it may be time for us to let it go.

So we started looking around and we've settled on getting a WJ. Seems just a little nicer on trips than the XJ (comfy, space), we like the looks of that model (we're a little less attracted to the WK), and it's still a jeep!

So which WJ to get? I am mostly interested in deciding on the hardware (engine, transfer case etc.) at this point.

Our XJ has the L6 (4.0 HO) and I love that engine. Simple, robust, and easy to work on. Should we get the L6 in the WJ also? Or is the V8 better? I know that later XJ models with the L6 had issues with heads and head gaskets, any issue with the WJ also?

What about the 4wd? Ours has the selec-trac (N242 transfer case) with a old-fashioned lever to switch between 2wd and 4wd (all-time and part-time), and it works great, but I believe that's done a little fancier in the WJ? So how do quadra-drive and quadra-trac compare? I believe they use the same transfer case, so its there really any difference if you're not offroading and just like to have the 4wd in case you need it? We rarely need 4wd, only when there is a major storm here, or the rare occasion that we get stuck. However, I wouldn't want to do without.

You may have guessed, we're not planning on off-roading (the XJ would probably be a little better for that anyway), mostly commute and trips.

Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions! Much appreciated!

4Doors

I've had 2 XJs with the 4.0 and love that engine as well! It was a no brainer for me to get the 4.0 in my WJ, but now that I've been there/done that, if I had the money for the initial purchase I would love to have the 4.7 HO (I pay cash for my stuff and refuse to get loans). Everyone I see who posts mileage from that motor seems to be getting the same as I do, but with all the extra muscle! The WJ is quite a bit heaver than your old '92 XJ. Thankfully I'm in Florida and don't have to deal with mountains, so the 4.0 still does the job fine for me. On a final note, coming from 2 older XJs, my '99 WJ feels like a luxury vehicle.

Crawler

whatever you get make sure its an 02-04. the newer ones were perfected from defects of the 99-01's. the v8's are pigs around town and eat parts occasionally. Great for hauling tho and are dependable. have never heard someone complain about a 4.0 wj but I dont know any defects of those...

dutchjeep

Thanks for the input guys! 4Doors, we have similarities: love that 4.0 and refuse to get loans:-). It's a little hilly here and although I'm sure the 4.0 will get us up there, I see your point about the WJ being quite a bit heavier. Glad to hear that coming from the XJ it feels like a luxury vehicle though. For the daily stuff the XJ is fine as I don't mind driving a tractor. But for the longer trips I don't mind some added creature comforts:-).

Thanks for limiting the year range! So what exactly are the main issues before 02? Engine related? Which engine? So Crawler, you say that if I want just reliability, get the 4.0 and stay away from the V8?

Crawler

the reason i say this is because we have a 99 4.7 and have replaced just about everything except the engine and transmission. 99-01 jeep introduced and tried out new technologies and parts so some newer replacement parts require and upgrade to the 02-04 style of parts. It probably doesn't matter what year you get but I am just trying to keep your wallet happy and your new jeep in the driveway instead of in the shop

4Doors

The thing that I believe would really help mine out is some sort of tuning programmer that I could use to keep it in 1st and 2nd gears a little longer. It wants to shift so quickly that if I'm pulling out into a highway or starting off on a steep hill (we do actually have a few where I live) it needs to stay in 1-2 gears longer. Now if I floor it then it will stay in lower gear, but I don't ever do that as the problem isn't really a lack of power so much as early shifting. A couple days ago I manually put it in 1st gear to head up one hill in particular and could not believe the difference it made when I controlled the 1-2 shift when I wanted it and the WJ flew up the hill with ease. The vehicle lurched when I pushed it to 2nd so it's not something I will keep doing, but it led me to believe that a tune of the software would probably make this feel like a very different vehicle. There isn't much out there in the way of tuning software for any Jeep, but I do know of a couple and I'm going to do some research this week.

4Doors

I should be careful to mention that although I'm not hard core about towing or anything, I've never felt a lack of power from the 4.0.

I still smile when I think of how I used to ignore all cell calls while driving my old Jeeps, and would nearly yell at my wife and kids just to have conversation. I still usually ignore calls while driving because I hate cell phones in general, but my WJ just feels so smooth and quiet. I remember making the 6 hour trip home from picking it up, stepping out of the vehicle, and realizing that my back wasn't stiff in the least. It's the most comfortable driver's seat I've ever been in, and every passenger I've carried comments on the comfort of the co-pilot seat as well. Luxurious man!