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Hey new to this forum. American US Army vet living in Australia.
My 96 xj is relativly same as my brothers in Arizona. Used to have a 05 Wrangler. Loved the exhaust even stock. Why the heck does my xj not sound the same? I've gotten a 14" muffler new and it sounds like a Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo. Awesome by the way. How is the note different when the engines are the same?
Hey guys just few issues wanting some experience from you guys on.
US Army Vet living in Australia
I've got a 96 XJ in Australia. I'm trying to get the exhaust note to sound like a wranglers. I have a new 14" muffler and doesn't sound right.. longer?
I've found issues with CPS gas cap and auto trans syncros. I've replaced sparks and leads cap and rotor.
Slight misfire at idle of 800 or so rpm. Either that or running too rich by the sounds of it. I'm on the higher end of my mpg as well. 400 kms per tank not sure on conversion. Maybe 240 miles or something..
Also going at a hot temperature I'm going 45 mph and all the sudden the rpm drops to 1500 rpm exactly. That'd be awesome if it stayed like that all the top in top gear! But doesn't sound like it's right.
When I bought it I spend 700 for the shop to fix the transmission and I think he said something like the syncros or something.
I've had it for nearly 2 years now and it's a slow resto mod. Wanting 6" lift and 32 or 33 and full rear steel and top rack etc. When I get money I'd want to drop like an LSA or something in it who knows. But if I get that jeep wrangler exhaust note I'd keep the engine. Sounds horrid. Stock muffler was shot so bought a new 14 universal muffler and it sounds loud but not a wrangler note.
4.0 or 4.0 HO either way should sound similar right? I even want to change the key alarm to a newer sound as well as the starter motor to the wrangler sound. I mean it's a jeep. A jk 4 door that's 20 years old why not.
Don't say I should just buy a wrangler. Barbie drives one. Plus I have 4 doors room for camping gear wife 3 kids and a golden retriever. Only sit 4 in a wrangler.
And to be honest I don't know if I like the new jk 4 doors. Next up would be a commander but why when they just look like a disco. Grand Cherokee is a city car in my book. I want rugged. Might buy a wj 4.7l one day but I'm always keeping my XJ.
A-pillar height test photo
Oh by the way the aerial antennas are popular in Australia plus I think they look mean looking also has a bonus of a blind spot marker. Don't need it but why not.
Be different!
Do not buy those projector lights for the XJ. Theyre not real projectors. I had 100 watt xenon hid in original housing but the reflection was uncontrollable. These are very great. Just worried about scratching the plastic lens. 100 watt hid spots and 75 watt bar with just extra unwired lights until i get LED ones. With the roof cage i want 4 9" hid lights as well. Installing green LED cobs soon and white under vehicle for when the doors open.
I have a 96 cherokee and I'm trying to figure out why the exhaust doesn't sound like a Wrangler. I mean there both 4.0L and the same engine yes? In Australia there's a Ford Falcon XR6. It's a 4.0L straight six some with or without turbo. I've replaced the old crap bean can muffler with a 14" and at high revs it sounds like a falcon and nothing like a wrangler. What the heck is the difference to make the exhaust sound crap to begin with?
Originally it had I think a 21" muffler?
Is it a different intake manifold? Headers are a different configuration?
Also with that 14" it's too loud and needs another muffler but have no space so put the stock one back on and wasted my money on that new muffler I'm not using.
There is a LOT more to an exhaust note than just the muffler. Different compression ratios will alter it, different diameter tubing, different style manifold, resonators, length, bends, number of cats, etc... Only way to know for sure is look at the differences of the whole set up.
I don't know, my stock exhaust sounds fine. But you say a wrangler sounds like a jeep. How the heck does a jeep sound like?? Your xj sounds plain? Maybe your wranglers exhaust was jacked haha Like was explained in post 2 there are alot of factors. The wrangler and cherokee are 2 very different platforms so I would expect them to sound different. My dad has 2 trucks with the same motor. They sound differrent so I don't get your theory about the wrangler and cherokee having the 4.0 so they should sound the same haha.
But again, no need for 2 of the same threads with differrent titles haha
Just drive the thing, if you don't like how it sounds in high rpm then don't rev it up there. Haha
Or go through and have a shop bend you up a whole new exhaust system with 2.5" pipe. My systems all stock with a muffler that's slowly rusting out, but it's a 4.0 so to me they all sound good.
First off, Welcome to the forum, and thank you for your service!
Secondly, are you positive your brother had a stock exhaust/cat/muffler? Stock Xj's don't have much of a sound to them. Obviously they make noise, but its nothing exciting.
Well, for one thing, a 2005 4.0L isn't exactly the same as a '96 4.0L. It has a different intake manifold, a different head, a different ignition system (a waste spark system with no distributor) and different exhaust manifolds (there are two on the '05 as opposed to one on the '96). The '05 also has two additional catalytic converters that your '96 doesn't have.
That's if it's all stock. Put a header on that '05, and it's going to sound different. Even if you put a header on your '96 also, it won't sound the same because of the split manifold design on the '05. Different brands of headers have slightly different sounds as well.
The stock cats on the '05 will make it sound different from yours (just because there are more of them), but aftermarket high flow cats can change either vehicle's sound. And there's also brand of muffler. The size is only one factor. Different brands have different sounds.
Given the major differences in just their stock forms, it would be virtually impossible to get your '96 to sound exactly like the '05. You might get close, but not exact. Throw in the variations introduced by aftermarket components, and you can forget matching the sound.
Wow, my post was delayed for a minute. Weird however that happened.
Yeah, you gotta get off the "wrangler sound". It's not a wrangler and never will be. If you don't like the way it sounds, modify it so it does or go get a wrangler.
That being said, looks like you have a nice XJ. If you are indeed not here to be messing (or trolling) with us, then post a build thread.
11-13-2016, 09:07 PM
Cherokee XJ exhaust
