I don't know too much about internal engine mods or upgrades, and I don't want to buy or build (I wouldn't know how) a stroker or something similar. I'm all for built not bought, and I've done all the work on my Cherok myself since I've had it, but what could I have done -if anything- to my cherokee to turn it into a real stump puller? I want as much torque as possible out of the engine. Go easy on me, please!

Gears.

Gears, gears, gears. Gears gears gears, gears gears gears gears.

Gears.

Yeah, thought about regearing, don't know much about that either. So, nothing I can do for the engine? No way to build it a little differently to increase performance?

The 4.0 is pretty close to maxed out unless you really wanna crack it open. IE, stroker.

Cold Air Intake (Snorcle), 63mm Throttle body, Headers, High Flow Cat, High Flow Muffler. That will net you a few ponies and torque (mostly high end though).

Or if you really want more tq. Throw in a Cummins.

I think the right gears would get more benefit.

Gears, like has been said, as well as the header, big bore throttle body, cold air intake, etc...

let's add the neon injector upgrade, 99+ intake upgrade, port and polish the head (can get the kit at jegs). There's cam upgrades. Free-er flowing exhaust always helps, as long as you don't open it up too much with this engine. There's quite a few little things you can do, and none of it is very hard. I'm running a 99 intake, APN Header, Flowmaster Delta Flow 40, neon injectors, and a comp cam in mine atm.

Basic stroker & gearing will be the best "bang for bucK' mod - although the stroker would have more effect than gearing, if you have an automatic and tyres are 31" or less. Gearing takes a bit more thinking to select properly than merely stroking your engine - so we go back to the same question I'd ask the boys: "Speed is a question of money. How fast can you afford to go?"

You're looking to improve torque, not speed - but the idea is the same. What are you trying to do, and what are you trying to do it with? I'm perfectly willing to help you figure this sort of thing out, but I need to know more...

Well, I've got 3 Inches of lift all around, and I think the largest tire I'd run on my Jeep is a 31. Also, I do have the AW4 automatic trans. I was just wondering (and wanting) to get some more low end torque out of my Jeep. I'm starting to see that regearing will be the best bet for me, but I'd love some more input as I don't know much about that either, or how to select a correct ratio for it.

3.55:1 will complement that setup well - if you really want to regear, you can go with 3.73 (would be closer to ideal, but you're "in between" gear ratios,) and I wouldn't got higher than 4.10 for a DD (you start wandering into diminishing returns, losing fuel economy.)

Your best bet is still going to be getting 6-258 crankshaft and rods, and throwing that in. Rather than changing how the torque is put to the ground, you're going to be setting up to make more torque in the first place - which is going to put you farther ahead of the game. Going with 3.73:1 or 4.10:1 gearing will still be helpful, but not strictly necessary, since a stroker has a torque curve that is similar to the stock 6-242 (just higher output.) All up, I'd consider a recrank to be simpler than a re-cam, since run-in after you're done is simpler. It's somewhat more work mechanically and physically to do it, but you don't have to run in the cam & lifters so they don't get wrecked (that's already done. Just prelube everything, prime the engine, and check oil pressure before you go and monitor it for about a week to make sure you're not having trouble. I'd replace the oil pump while I was about it, if I was doing that much work (relatively cheap insurance.)