Dagostino480

I am in the market for another Cherokee and have a plan on building a nice wj rig for overland use.
Is the reliability the same as the Xj?

What should I look for in a wj (as far as engine size, rear/front ends, and features)?


I love the looks of the wj but I want to make sure I don't get a money pit. The main reason I am considering this is because there are very few clean titled 4x4 xjs for sale.

Thanks in advance guys!

dmill89

In a word: No.

Any WJ is likely to have more electrical issues than an XJ (except maybe a RENIX) due to all the additional electronics and electrical "features" they have.

4.0L I6 WJs have the "weak" Chrysler 42RE transmission, however if properly maintained and not abused 42REs can uaually last 150-175k mi but don't expect it to go 300k mi like AW4s are known to do. The 4.0L I6 will feel somewhat underpowered in a WJ due to the additional weight. 2000-2001 models suffer from the 0331 head issue (known to crack if overheated) like every other 4.0L I6 those years.

The 4.7L V8 is pretty much a disaster, they can hold up if maintained properly (a big "if") but they are known for a multitude of issues including: oil-sludge, oil-foaming, thin block walls known to crack, heads known to crack, sudden loss of oil pressure, and timing system issues. Many of these issues are caused or aggrivated by a lack of maintance, but they ocasionally occur in properly maintanied engines as well.

I wouldn't touch a 4.7L V8 without a full-maintance history and would be leery of them in general.

It is not to say WJs are exceptionally unreliable, but they aren't as "bullet-proof" as an XJ in general. Though they are nicer on-road and are generally easier to find in good shape than an XJ since many WJs were used as "mini-vans" and have seen little if any off-road use.

The 4.0L I6 is your best bet engine wise (as stated above).
I'd probably look for one with the NP231 (Command-Trac / Part-Time) transfer-case which is more durable/reliable and has better after-market support than the NV247 (Quadra-Trac / Full-time 4WD).
The front axles are all Dana 30s.
The rear axle is either a Dana 35 or Dana 44a (aluminum), the D44a is slightly stronger than the D35 but not much (weaker than a "true" iron D44 or Chrysler 8.25") and has less aftermarket support. It is hard to say which is best, the D35 may be the better option since you can make it stronger than a D44a with a few aftermarket "upgrades", but swapping in something else may be the best option if you plan on doing "serious" off-roading, especially with larger tires and/or lockers.
I would avoid as many of the electrical/electronic "features" as possible most of them will end up breaking eventually(look for a base model, they are more likely to have the 4.0L I6 and NP231 and less electronics).

02-04 are probably the "best" years, 99 has some of the "first-year" issues and 00-01 models with the 4.0L I6 have the 0331 head issue.

timberwolf

x2

Tom95YJ

I had a 02 grand limited with the 4.7l for a little stint then the thing overheated one day the head cracked and gasket blew dumping coolant into #8 when my wife kept trying to start it she bent the rod so we sold it and bought our mustang which we sold and bought the xj and pocketed a decent bit of cash

andrewmp6

From what i have seen from people i know,If its been taken care of its a pretty good daily driver.If its been used and abused its a rolling nightmare of problems that always pop up.If i was buying one id look for a owner 40s or older that took really good care of it and a full maintenance history with it.

Fred/N0AZZ

HUM....have had my GC "Overland" 2004 for almost 3 yrs now 4.7 HO every option offered on it now has 209,000 and will run with any new GC with a Hemi

All that time I've had never a single issue "EVER". On the road as a DD its about at the comfort level of my Town Car and off road, in snow, ice does a very good job for the stock height and all terrain tires. I did return it to a Dealership for a recall on the electric seat heaters on it that had not been done.

Oh yes every option works on it also, as for the transfer case I do like also. If it weren't for this Jeep I would have never started an XJ to play with, if I ever do another this will be the platform I use.

caronaxtr

I had a 03' WJ, straight 6, command track. Loved it. Wasn't fully loaded, but had power windows, power locks, not much else. I would deffinatly stay away from 99-01. As stated above bad transmission issues & the potential head issue.

I'm a fan of ZJ's & WJ's. I'm planning on buying one as my DD in a couple months if I can find a decent one & I think the WJ looks cool as hell lifted.

lglase

As a daily driver, I think it's great. I've had my '04 WJ for 6 years, never had an issue with it. I've had it on the beach, taken it on some mountain trails - scared my mother as we're crawling down a mountain snake-like path with hairpin turns and inclines at 28 degrees, drop offs on both sides with no guardrails. She was convinced all the brakes in the world weren't going to stop us from going over the edge! I decided not to tell her I wasn't using them! I love having a reason to drop it in low. Nothing hard core though, since it's still stock.

It handles great in the snow, even ice. The vari-lok performed flawlessly when my neighborhood streets iced over last winter. Too bad it's so reliable, I had no reason _not_ to come into work!

Keep up with the maintenance, and it's been absolutely trouble free. No engine trouble, no transmission trouble, no transfer case trouble, no electrical trouble. The only thing I've had to do was change the headlights because the plastic lenses were so fogged up you couldn't see the deer in the road at night.

This year we're going to have to do some work, though. Rear axle seals started leaking, and carrier bearings in both axles need replacing. But at 10 years old, I'd expect to do a little work on it anyway. (East Coast Gear Supply guys are awesome.) Looking forward to another 6 years with no car payment!

If you want a hardcore crawler/mudder, I'd suspect the WJ is not what you're looking for though. In my opinion, the WJ is a good balance between daily driver and weekend fun on the trails. It can haul all your toys to the beach, pull the boat/jetskis, etc. But leave the hardcore stuff to the tried and true XJs and wranglers.

thatXJguy

Nah..

The XJ has less to go wrong.

Fred/N0AZZ

CORRECT!!

But it does pull my XJ and trailer to some trail area's Older pic of the XJ lot less $$ spent on it then.

lglase

Fred, that's exactly what I bought my WJ for! My boyfriend at the time had a YJ he used for crawling.

If my WJ stays trouble free, maybe I can afford to buy my toy (a 30' boat) with the money I would have spent on 5 years of car payments!

BigSquirrly89

Not IMO the trannys are problematic

Jeepcrazy5722

Easy there what is with the Renix bashing just because we don't read codes to find the problems doesn't mean they are bad. LONG LIVE THE RENIX

andrewmp6

Even as a offroader a zj and wj can be built up just like the xj but most of the parts cost more then the xj.If i ever get the cash to do it right ill build up a zj one of these days.

Fred/N0AZZ

I agree with you mine is in excellent shape inside and out so it I have to spend a few grand to keep it running so be it. My wife was at a Jeep Dealership a couple of months ago with a girl friend and she looked at a new "Overland" as she likes this one. When she came home she told me the Lincoln Town Car (2012) was staying for a while, OK so what. She said that the sticker on one was $59,800 "Discounted" yeah right.

Mine makes an excellent tow package with the 4.7HO, D44, 3.73 gear and a really great transmission for towing all the extras on it also. Even in this mountainous area the engine/trans work well together and never overheat even while towing.