Hey guys I've been looking to buy a used XJ soon. I wanted to ask all you guys for some advice on what to look for, common problems etc..
Another thing I noticed was that some of you guys avoid buying a jeep lifted over 6 inches. Why is that? And if a jeep is lifted 6 inches + what supporting components should it have?
Also if there is a jeep That someone abused I know most will avoid it, but how much would it cost to replace commonly damaged parts and what parts typically get damaged or worn out?

I'm actually looking at an xj that is lifted 6.5". If the price is right i don't see why i shouldnt buy it. But i still do want to know what to look out for to take the price into consideration.

I really appreciate responses, and i cant wait to find a jeep and become a real part of the community, thanks everyone!

 

I have absolutely 0 experience with lifted jeeps.. and this can spark a war really fast if the right people read it..

Personally I would rather buy a non-molested jeep and modify it myself.

When a vehicle is as old as the XJ platform...Everything can go bad.. and sometimes its just a roll of the dice...

Just get ready to constantly dump money...

 

The current one I was looking at was 1700$ for a 6.5 in lifted xj. I was just considering it. The person kept on saying how much they loved their jeep but that they're moving very far because of work and they can't take it. Idk just a thought. Usually people charge around 3 grand so I figured even if there are some bad things I can fix them.

 

And its a manual trans, from what I hear its usually the autos that have problems

 

I'd like to know where you could get a 'new' XJ. ;P

I bought mine 4 months ago. The things I've run into thus far seem to be common.

-Cracked exhaust manifold
-Leaky injectors
-hard to start on first few cranks.
-less than factory fuel economy
-worn out motor mounts
-worn out leaf springs
-window regulator screwy
-worn out rear brakes
-heat not working
-rusted out exhaust and clogged cat

I paid $1900 for the vehicle and put about $750 into it to get it to where it is running like a champ. I sort of expected that.

 

Teehee but yeah that's what I'm saying I'm ready and able to put money into to it to get it running like a champ, hell 750$ is less than let's say a 6.5" lift, rims+tires, bull bar etc.

 

The AW4 (Automatic) is an extremely tough transmission and as long as its taken care of and ran cool you'll have no problems.

 

oh I didn't know that. I see a lot of people like on craigslist saying rebuilt trans or trans replaced at xxx miles.

 

Do you know what year it is? It'll either have a BA 5/10 transmission or an AX15 if its the 4.0. If its the BA 5/10 then I'd recommend investing in the AX15 because most people consider the 5/10 a bad transmission. Also at 6.5 inches of lift I'd be cautious of buying it. At that height everything needs to be done right, but a lot of people like to cut corners. If you can get ahold of the guy, ask what kind of lift it is, what transmission it has, and if you go check it out don't be afraid to crawl underneath and take a look and look under the hood and such. I bought my '91 for $400 and only $150 later its in almost perfect running condition. By the way! Make sure to look really well for rust, these things are plagued by it depending on where the XJ came from.

 

thats because they are idiots

 

The trick to being able to buy certain types of vehicles like a lifted jeep is you have to be very competent at taking a stock Jeep and lifting it yourself. You could replace "lifted jeep" with "turbo honda" or "renegade hybrid porsche" and its the same thing. Pick a car and a modification and there's a right way an a wrong way.

If you don't know how to do it right yourself, you will not recognize when it's done wrong.

I've seen lots of people here say don't buy a lifted jeep but at the right price I'd bet they would buy each others lifted jeeps because they know it was done right. They practically witnessed it through other threads.

All that said, if you know what you're doing its worth looking at. If you don't you could be walking into someone else's money pit.

 

Its either a 98 or a 99

 

Thanks for all the feedback guys! I appreciate the help

 

Do yourself a favor and start googling images of proper suspension and steering, as well as slip yoke eliminators, and proper driveshaft angles. Compare all this to what you see on the Jeep. Also test drive it or ride along with the seller while he test drives it. Make sure he (or you) get it up to 55-60mph so you can get an idea of any vibrations. Also look at suspension designs ie: longarms, control arm drop brackets, coil spacers, (the previous is front suspension. In the rear look for things such as lift blocks, and take a look at the shackle angle (how the spring connect to the "frame"). As already states there's a huge difference between a properly installed suspension and a hacked together 6.5" lift. Best advice do as much homework as you can, don't be swayed by the fact that it looks cool.