simplyhere

Hi there,
Ive had some questions about my newly bought 89 cherokee for Awhile but i wasnt in the brotherhood till now. so here goes:
1) how to i know my letter signing (xj, yj, etc)
2) ive heard that the I6 engine in it is tops as far as reliability goes, true?
3) why is every cherokee i see jacked and tired to the skies? (They have great visual lines that would make jt pretty cool as a lowered truck.
4) how would i know if mine is canadian? The guy i bought it from said it was from what he could tell. I think he just looked at the base model dash and decided, personally.
5) my hi temp light is always on, but it isnt hot, any idea as to whats up with that?

I think that's just about it, if you new brotherhood (and sisterhood) members have any questions you need to ask just post em. Im not gonna be mad and idt anyone else would be either.

Any help would be cool guys.

thebyus

1 - The internet is a great source of info -http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f197/...se-mean-21894/

2 - I've got a 2001 4.0 6liter with 200K on it runs great. I know guys over 350K. I also know guys who have blown them up at 150k usually form poor driving/maintenance. Find out what the particular quirks of your year engine are (the 01's are known to crack the head) so be ready for that stuff and when it happens, fix it correctly. Take care of it like the 25 year old engine it is and it will go for years.

3 - Can't speak for others, but I jacked mine so I could wheel it hard. It is relatively easy to do the work yourself, parts are widely available and relatively cheap, as compared some other vehicles. Mine's on 35" tires with 6"+ of lift. Haven't locked it yet, but I can still run most stuff that a new JK Rubicon with with locked 37's can run (I was just in Moab proving this point!) and I am not even into mine for $10k. By the time I get around to lockers and a front axle swap, I'll be right about there.

4- Again, check the internet - http://www.jeepfan.com/tech/decoding...j-vin-numbers/

5- Could just be a leftover light from a code that was triggered a while ago and never got deleted. Go to Autozone/O'Reilly's, etc and borrow a code reader. Plug it in, read it, clear it, learn what the code is telling you, and then see if it comes back again.

extrashaky

Welcome!

If it's an '89 Cherokee, it's an XJ. (YJ is the designation for one of the Wranglers.)

It is a ridiculously reliable engine up through the '99 model year. The 2000 and 2001 models can be made ridiculously reliable with a head swap. It is not uncommon for people to get 300K miles out of these engines.

I doubt every one you see is lifted. Those are just the ones you notice. There were 2.3 million of them made during the entire run of the vehicle, and there are still plenty of stock-height trucks out there. The ones you do see lifted are like that because they are extremely capable off road vehicles, and lifting them makes them even more capable.

You don't see many lowered ones because people laugh at them and consider them a waste of a perfectly good truck. It's also not as easy as you think it would be with a solid front axle. The last lowered one I saw on here ended up getting scrapped because the guy ruined it.

You could have a bad sender. You'll want to verify the temperature with a laser thermometer aimed at the thermostat cover. If it's truly not running hot, replace the temperature sender and see if the light goes off. One note: With sender units, it's usually better to spend the extra money on a real Mopar sender from the dealer parts department than to use the budget senders from O'Reilladvanceautozone. People here have gone through multiple senders in a matter of months because they just crap out for no reason.

Don't take that temperature light lightly. These things do tend to run hot, and proper cooling system maintenance is critical.

thebyus

x2 for extrashaky's point about them running hot.

I've got hood louvres in mine and I usually run about 200 - 210.

cruiser54

Click on the link in my signature and do Tips 1,3,4, and 5.

simplyhere

My parking brake link keeps falling out.
I adjust my brakes as you're supposed to by backing up n stopping but it keeps happening.
think i should try extending the spring a bit to try and stretch it? Or just get a new spring?

cruiser54

Adjust them yourself.

El_Guapo

1) XJ is downsized Cherokee from 84-10.

2) The AMC inline 6 goes back to 1964, and has always carried a reputation for being as simple and reliable as an anvil. These engines carry a heritage from the workhorse Nash/Rambler and the legendary Hudson sixes.

3) Because lifting increases their ability in the dirt. XJ suspensions don't respond well to lowering and they don't really look all that good lowered, see exhibit "A".


4) There isn't much difference between a Canadian and USA XJ. If the major scale on the speedo is in Kilometers per hour, it is Canadian. Other than that, Daytime Running Lights are standard on Canadian rigs after 89 or 90 and maybe having the hood prop replaced with a hockey stick,

5) More than likely the sending unit. You can check one with a multitester, but at around $10-$15 I prefer just replacing it. Also check and make sure the wires aren't grounding out anywhere. That will throw the light or gauge directly to "oh s--t!" due to the lack of resistance. As a "just because", it might be a good idea to check your coolant temp with a thermometer or an IR temp gun.

cruiser54

Is that your Cherokee?

El_Guapo

Oh Lord no! That's one that came up under "lowered XJ" from Google. Just tacky enough to be a good example.

cruiser54

I couldn't resist. With a name like el guapo............

El_Guapo

Good point! Fortunately the "blingy" phase of my life consisted solely of some really obnoxious 15x10 wire reehms.....I mean rims that came with an 89 Nissan pickup that I used to use as my freeway cruiser.

simplyhere

There was a bad shoe retainer spring i missed some how, made the shoes not fit in the hole right. so next question, would there be an advantage to switching to the disc brakes from either a zj or a crown vic For the rear brakes. I read up and no one seemed to answer it it WAS a good idea, and if so then why. so then, is it?

simplyhere

i actually kinda like the running boards n brush guards... but The rims... just... wow.. makes it look like a range rover but less useful.

andrewmp6

Depends how you want to use the jeep in the end,If its just a daily driver leave it drums.If you want a off road toy with bigger tires then go rear disc,And you can swap zj rear disc do a google search youll find a ton of swaps.