96CherokeeCountry

Hello everyone,
I just registered for the site. I hope someone can lead me in the right direction here. I have a 96 Cherokee 4.0 Country Edition. I just purchased it 3 months ago and i am now a Cherokee fan for life! I live in Central Texas so the heat here is an issue but my truck is running between 200-220 when i drive down the highway. The truck is totally stock 54k on the clock and the Red Top battery is the only upgrade under the hood. The Jeep is lifted but im not sure that matters with this issue. I just feel the stock radiator is not capable of cooling the truck. Ive switched out the fan and the thermostat and it still runs hot. Also if you try to run the ac and the headlights the truck does not want to charge. I also switched out the alternator and installed a new Red Top battery........no change in performance. So my question is this. I need to find an affordable upgrade for the cooling (Radiator) and i have been trying to locate an upgrade from the 90 amp alternator. Any help would be great. This was purchased to be my daily driver but with the temps here reaching 95-100 degrees outside its a little rough in traffic with no ac and running this hot!

NorCalJeep

Can't help you with the heating problem from what you told me, but the pros will get on and help you out. As for the alternator, you could do a ZJ alternator swap. There is a write up on here.

96CherokeeCountry

Ive read on some posts that you can take the stock alternator to an alt/starter shop and get it "upwound"? Does this / would this work? Or is doing the swap easier?

XcherokeeJ

I had a cherokee that had problems with over heating and I installed a three core radiator like this one: http://www.radiatorbarn.com/search.php?product=radiator. Something along those lines would work great. I cannot remember where I got mine though, it was about 6 years ago... Hopefully that helps.

CrawlerXJ

Here you go... Fix the heating issue for $35. Do both the Hayden fan clutch and 180* t-stat with 1/8" hole drilled "mod". 2nd vehicle I have done. Same results. Cool Jeep!

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/put...photos-140789/

96CherokeeCountry

Oh BTW That temp range from 200-220 is with the ac OFF. If i turn it on its at 240+ within 5 minutes or less.

kyledye25

X2 on radiatorbarn.com. I purchased a 3 row all metal rad from them and couldn't be happier. Here in Western Pa we don't see very high temps often....but this summer has been hot. We have seen many many 90+ days and one or two 100+ days. Which isn't normal. But my jeep did fine. Stayed at 210. If I have the ac on it won't go much over 210. With it off it will creep up to the 217 mark where my efan kicks on and sends it back down. Never any issues. Love the radiator. I have also upgraded the rest of the cooling system with factory parts. Only thing not factory is the rad. Good luck.

kennzz05

the gauges are notorious for being incorrect, is it boiling over? as you would expect at 240? get an electronic thermometer and check the temp at the thermostat housing

offroadordnance

did you set belt tension with a gauge like the Krickit? Could be slipping under the load of the A/C causing the Alt not to spin as well as slow fan speed

freegdr

^^^^what he said...is aux fan working when ac is running?

CrawlerXJ

Good call. I think they say 80% of the belts are adjusted wrong. If you don't have tool to check the belt. I try to do the red neck way. Push on the belt. It shouldn't push down no more, no less than 1/4". So, some play, but not much. Use tape measure.

Lead Foot

Is your fan shroud still on? A Cherokee will not cool correctly of the mechanical fan shroud is missing.