Njshore732

Hey guys! I've recently been shopping around for a Cherokee. Found a couple with too much rust underneath, gotten great advice on here about them. Wanted to check with you all about another Ive come across. This one's a 2000 Cherokee sport 4.0 4x4 with 121k miles 3 inch lift. What do you all think about the rust underneath? Surface or deeper? Rest of body intact and in great shape. Let me know, appreciate it!

dmill89

Looks like mostly surface rust with a little rot starting around the drain plug in the floor pan. I'd poke at any rust you see with a screwdriver to verify it doesn't go deeper. The area in the floor around the drain plug would probably be an easy fix (but there is always the possibly there is more hidden rust), but will need to be addressed ASAP, once you get a hole in the pans (doesn't look like there is a hole yet, but there probably will be in a year or two if it isn't fixed) if you don't address it ASAP water will splash in and rot out the rest of the pan quickly.

Njshore732

Thank you for the advice. I'm new to Jeeps completely this would be my first, how would I go about repairing that? Just covering it with preventative paint like por-15?

dmill89

It depends if there is still solid metal. If there is, you can just clean it up and treat it with something like por-15. If it is completely rusted through and there is no solid left the bad area will need cut out and patched, welding in new metal would be the "correct" way to patch, but metal held in with epoxy or rivets and seam sealer, or fiberglass would be ok for a small area like that if you don't weld or know someone who can, just make sure it is sealed and coated properly to prevent additional rust.

andrewmp6

What part of the country are you in?And honestly i would look for 91-99 as virgin and as clean as you can afford.

Njshore732

I'm in West Virginia. Is there something wrong with the 2000's?

Rambler65

I'm hardly an expert, but some things I've learned here about the 2000-2001 models... The cylinder heads are prone to cracking, leaking coolant into the cam bearings and causing damage. There is a more complex/expensive emission system with dual pre-catalysts in the exhaust manifold in addition to the main converter underneath, and multiple O2 sensors to monitor it all. The last 2 years also have a distributorless ignition system with individual coil packs, though I don't really know if that's more trouble-prone than the older setup.

1999 seems to be generally regarded as the best model year. I bought one just out of dumb luck, didn't know at the time it was the best choice.

andrewmp6

The head is the problem,The factory one is known to crack but a lot of them have been replaced by now and they did have a recall on it.How to id the head from the cracking one to the upgrade TUPY head http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/t...1-head-977498/ the exhaust changed with 2 pre cats so if you want to run a header later on those for the 00-01 are pricey and not that many options.The front axle is a low pinion dana 30 while the 99 back used a high pinion dana 30.The high pinion is stronger then the low pinion.If you want a big lift and 35s you can keep the low pinion but i would think about swapping in a high pinion its a bolt in swap.The ignition system has a coil rail which is like coil packs but they all stuck together and i believe you have to replaced the whole thing if it goes bad but they are cheap enough online.And the xj has two options for a rear end the abs ones have a dana 35 while the non abs have a chrysler 8.25.The chrysler 8.25 is the stronger of the two and again can be swapped in but you'll lose abs.

Njshore732

I think this ones got a leaking front differential pinion seal, andremp6 called it out, can you all confirm that by these photos too? Or have any other opinions? If it is that, is it an expensive repair if I need someone else to do it? If I buy it on Saturday I've got to drive it back home 4 hours so will this impact a long trip? Any info or advice is appreciated I'm trying to get everyone's opinion before buying- here's the photos I've got

dmill89

Fairly simple repair as long as it hasn't been run dry, a shop will probably hit you for an hour or two of labor (I had to have the rear pinion seal done on my Mustang under warranty, I think the book called for 3hrs. but it really only took about 1.5 hrs.). You should be fine to drive it as long as the fluid is topped off.


If it has been run dry then there could be gear/bearing damage, I believe a Dana 30 runs around $150-$200 at most junkyards, figure 3-5 hours to swap the axle if you need to have a shop do it.

Njshore732

Thanks for the advice, I think I'm gonna go for it & buy this one.