I've been looking into aluminum radiators recently and thinking about getting an aluminum radiator 3 row. Who has had experiences with them? I have heard mixed things about the 3 row radiators.

 

Short answer, avoid aluminum radiators. Been a few threads recently on this. I would go back to find them but I'm barely awake lol.

 

i don't agree with the avoid aluminum radiators. I have used a few, with good luck. There are a lot of crap ones out there tho. I would avoid the plastic tank aluminum ones. I have a pro tuning lab one that is decent.

So so why is everyone saying avoid the aluminum radiators?

 

That is what I am wondering. I hear some guys swear by them and some say stay away.

 

The stock cooling system on these jeeps is fine as long as the maintenance is done on them.And yes these 4.0s run hotter then most think they should and think its running hot or over heating.205 to 210 degrees is its happy place.Back to radiators theres a lot of crappy no name aluminum radiators on the market which are really worse then stock,And honestly i rather have a fully brass/copper one if i can find it.

 

Unnecessary and a complete waste of money.

99% of all XJ's need nothing more than a stock cooling system, and if they're overheating, there's probably just a problem with the system, not a need for upgrade.

An "upgrade" does nothing. If you're not overheating, there's no upgrade to be had. Running colder than originally intended certainly isn't a goal to strive for--run too cold and your oil won't perform correctly, you'll waste fuel, foul plugs, pollute...

3-core radiators suffer from diminishing returns on cooling. They don't cool 3x better, and often a well-built 1-core can perform better.

Also, there is nothing wrong with plastic tanks, not if you buy a quality product the same as anything else. The radiators I've had the most trouble with have actually been the all-metal ones. My OEM replacement plastic/aluminum Spectra premium is the best radiator I've used to date.

 

A well made three row radiator can make a difference not because it has three rows, but because it's thicker than the stock radiator and has more surface area for more effective cooling. The good ones also usually have better fin design. I have a CSF three row aluminum radiator, and it's a good radiator. However, if I were doing it again, I would likely go with the Mopar HD (heavy duty) radiator, which is a single row design that is 5/8" thicker than stock. It has the extra surface area for better cooling, but the larger single row is less likely to get clogged up.

 

If your stock cooling system is all in good working order a stock radiator is all that is needed for cooling, same for water pump.

 

Glad I found this thread. Some good info in here about radiators, that I didn't know. I was considering a 3 row just because it's 3 rows. I've changed my mind.

 

Extrashaky hit the nail on the head.Some aftermarket parts you gotta do the homework on before buying it.They market things as a upgrade but once you look in them its not or maybe a downgrade.

 

Traditional copper-brass radiators actually have better heat dissipation due to their thermal exchanging property, but due to the brazing between the tubing and the fins, it drops off to around the same level as aluminum. Any OEM-equivalent is fine, just make sure it has a lifetime warranty.

I've been using a CSF 3-row for 6 years now with zero problems. Fit just like factory and I run around 206 degrees. Tried a Champion aluminum once...all sorts of fitment issues. Couldn't even install it.