is there a thread that tells all the pros and cons for the different year XJ cherokees. Looking to buy and lift for a trail/daily driver and need some info on what i might need to be looking for.

 

stay away from 2000-2001 cherokees due to the 0331 casting heads...they are prone to cracking

 

A lot of guys like the 99. I've owned 3 XJ's and my vote goes to the 97+'s. The interior is about a million years better, but other then that they are mostly the same. 97+ also have an available 29 Spline Chrysler 8.25 rear end that is said to be nearly as strong as a D44. The other reason beyond the 0331 casting of the 00-01 is they have a LP30, which might not be a big deal depending on how your going to build your XJ.

As far as the 0331 casting in concerned as long as you keep up on the cooling system and make sure it never overheats you'll probably be fine. That said its my opinion it would just be easier to find one that doesn't have the 0331 head all together

 

he's rite ya know, mines 13 yrs old, 175k on it and it could crack at any moment

 

99 and older have high pinion front axles and dont have the head issues that 00-01 had. The body style changed in 97. Avoid V6 Cherokees like the plague, the 2.5 and 4.0 are both about bulletproof though, 4.0s had a stronger transmission behind them than the 2.5s too, if youre looking for a 5 speed.

 

Looking at a 87 with 210000 miles

 

Check for rust. Especially the rockers and floor pans.

As far as mileage, mine has 242000, has only needed a couple little things. Never has let me down, and is really the most reliable vehicle I've ever had other than my motorcycle.

 

87 is Renix era (87-90) and they have there quirks. No check engine light is nice to me. Plus i like the old interior. You should look into Cruiser's Renix Tips. He knows a lot about them.

 

but once it cracks and you replace it your going to have a badass jeep

 

This has been moved to chat to gain more opinions.