Any of you guys do this?
- Thread starter mgreenspan
- Start date
4 is absolutely crazy. I am down to 3 and hoping to be at 2 in the next week. Then 1 by the fall. Need to make room for a 110, new or old, just not sure yet.
I'm not concerned about the frame, and the axles hold up just fine unless you get a bit extreme. Either way, it's a Jeep. I'm sure someone offers a kit to swap them out for something more resilient when it's required.
I'd like to get one before the price goes through the roof for immaculate examples; and that will indeed happen. It's just too aesthetically brilliant not to happen, and many were cannibalized for off pavement performance.
A clean, stock, single-tone Cherokee Classic is going to be a prize in the garage eventually. This was a vehicle eight inches shorter than an original four-door Freelander; it was the absolute king of it's class, and it may still be; if there is even a class for it. The thing was one of a kind, and it's beautiful.
It's also one of the few vehicles that look just as good in four doors as it does two; perhaps even better.
Cheers,
Kennith
How does an XJ stand out beyond every other Explorer, 4Runner, etc SUV of the 90s? I always thought they looked like a YJ fucked a Winnebago.
They arent a bad looking vehicle. If built correctly they are pretty badass. The problem is very few are actually built correctly. Most have been hacked by high school kids or rednecks.
Well, it's almost a thousand pounds lighter. That's one way to stand out. There's also the overall packaging. It's about as small as it can be in any direction and still haul people, go places, and get stuff done in... Relative comfort.
It's a well-designed vehicle from bumper to bumper, and I'm sure it still looks just as much like a YJ that fucked a Winnebago today as it did back then.
I guarantee that thing has found itself into an art museum somewhere. They all had the same geometry to work with, but Jeep is the only one that made a car that (with an updated interior) could be sold new today. It looks newer than it's last two replacements (Liberty=Cherokee in Jeep's mind).
The latest model went too far. That'll look new for about five more years and then it'll look ten years old overnight.
An XJ is an "everything you need; nothing you don't" kind of vehicle that can be parked anywhere. It's probably about as close to Land Rover as Jeep ever got; it's a well-proportioned, convenient, everyday car that can be driven round the world at a moment's notice.
I genuinely do not believe they've beat it yet. These days it lumbers a touch, but not too badly; and it's nothing a few hundred bucks won't help alleviate. The interiors kind of suck, but so did everything shy of a Land Rover product at the time. Land Rover kind of stepped up the whole market, in that regard.
Kudos to Jeep for keeping the Cherokee light all the way to 2020 so far, though. The newest model is heavier than the XJ, but it's still 500 pounds lighter than it's competition in 1995, and as much as half a ton lighter than the same depending upon equipment; 25 years later with all that modern crap on board.
It's always been good; but it was best in the classic, when it was still simple. Too bad the interiors were ugly and cheap; not exactly fragile mind you... Just cheap. There was a lot of variation inside, though, so there's a little something for everyone depending upon year, and they can all be aesthetically cleaned up without much of a hassle.
That last part is pretty important. Let's face it, some of the earlier stuff could use a "livery transplant"; with all the browns, golds, chrome, and dated graphics. That's where the wildness is, though; with the two doors, the Comanche, and so on... Nice to know they look just as clean with modern finishes.
To my mind, however, this vehicle is by far best served in four door trim these days, because it doesn't ruin anything and you get better side/rear access. That means more stuff can be placed more conveniently for use. Finding a nice two door will shave some pounds and parts if that doesn't matter.
Cheers,
Kennith
That's too high, and defeats the purpose of the vehicle. It's a trail rig at that point.
On an XJ, a good sweet spot is about 3-4.5" of lift and 32-33" tires depending on wheel choice. That'll do everything it will stock, and everything you need to go anywhere you'd like.
This guy nailed the "tall XJ", depending upon spring, shock, and anti-roll bar stiffness; then fucked up with that sticker:
This guy made a VERY poor wheel choice in every direction, but the lift is still right at the limit, at 4.5":
This guy made an odd, yet acceptable wheel choice. It comes down to what he wants out of the vehicle; but this is the sex position for an XJ:
It doesn't matter what vehicle you're talking about. People lift them too high and use tires that are too big. You don't need that shit, and it just fucks up everything else. Jeeps are notorious for it, but there are plenty of Land Rovers out there that handle like a sailboat with 500hp of outboard...
Now, given the obscene range of after-market parts available, the associated infinite ability to fuck things up, and the the number of well-sorted vehicles I've observed, the Toyota crowd seems to be the brightest of the bunch.
The Jeep guys just can't fucking help themselves, apparently, but again there are so many choices available, and people have to try so hard to be different, that most end up making the same mistakes along the way. They're at the family reunion with a big gulp and an open tailgate.
Many Rover enthusiasts fuck up for years and then finally figure it out, hoping everyone will believe they were always that clever. If you fuck up with a Rover, you had to try. There is not enough available after-market to easily screw yourself. As a result, given the number of fucked up Rovers and the tiny amount of parts...
We may well be the stupidest fucks in the industry.
This is kind of like that grail scene in Indiana Jones. Jeep and Toyota got the whole table to choose from, so it makes sense more people make bad choices. When Land Rover owners show up, there's only one cup, and yet they still manage to grab the wrong one.
Cheers,
Kennith
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If I was currently in the market for one, I'd be giving this one a higher than average amount of mental attention, as an example, if I couldn't go stock:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2000-Jeep-Cherokee-No-Reserve-Low-Miles-Off-Road-4x4-Jeep-Cherokee/223592296557?hash=item340f23b06d:g:W4gAAOSw4yJdMRQc&LH_ItemCondition=3000|1000|2500
Someone needs to tell those dealers you only need about a quarter of those pictures at the absolute maximum. Some people take too few, and some take too many. Only a select few sellers take the appropriate number of pictures for a car. The rest are idiots.
There's usually a few nice Cherokees available on Ebay, but prices are slowly climbing; like everything meant for out and about use from the era.
Cheers,
Kennith
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2000-Jeep-Cherokee-No-Reserve-Low-Miles-Off-Road-4x4-Jeep-Cherokee/223592296557?hash=item340f23b06d:g:W4gAAOSw4yJdMRQc&LH_ItemCondition=3000|1000|2500
Someone needs to tell those dealers you only need about a quarter of those pictures at the absolute maximum. Some people take too few, and some take too many. Only a select few sellers take the appropriate number of pictures for a car. The rest are idiots.
There's usually a few nice Cherokees available on Ebay, but prices are slowly climbing; like everything meant for out and about use from the era.
Cheers,
Kennith
I agree, that's a little over the top, but it seems to be done right for what it is. I'm having a hard time not making an offer on this. Got to many irons in the fire.
Yeah, if he wanted a trail rig there's nothing at all wrong with that. This is when you get into going out of your way to find the biggest rocks you can, but that's how some people like to enjoy off-pavement driving. So long as you know what you're giving up, you're good; just drive responsibly if it's not on a trailer.
I'm not sure how those springs and shocks are rated, but I'd certainly want a test drive or the specifications.
Vehicle choice comes down to aesthetics when you go that far, though. Once you start chopping, extending, fabricating... When you get there, you can pretty much start with anything you like. Comes down to body style and dimensions; but some people get to hacking there, too.
Honestly, though, if you're going that far, this is actually a pretty damned good platform choice. If you know you don't want a Wrangler, it's a solid move that will be more stable, anyway.
I actually think you'd have a tough time getting anything more stable than the Cherokee in that "class" (it's kind of an outlier). It never handled like a Rover, but it's not half bad for a Jeep; or anything else, for that matter.
Cheers,
Kennith
You have to remember that the XJ appeared before 4Runner, before Explorer, and before pretty much anything in that size.
As far as off-road abilities - on one snow- and ice-covered side-slope where I was about to have to winch myself in the D1, a bone stock XJ on street Michelins flew by as there was dry pavement.
Down to 2 myself and feel a sweet spot as 1 is totally stock (D1 SD) and the other slightly changed (RRC LWB).
Yeah, but I could keep the wheels and tires, and the rest of the vehicle seems to be in great shape. It's just hard to tell through that stupid HDR photography.
The engine is honest, the under-body is clean, and most of the interior is in nice shape. There are a few bezels that could stand to be swapped out and stuff like that, but nothing difficult or expensive. It could look new in there in an afternoon. The suspension can be swapped for something better designed.
HDR makes it difficult to analyze paint, but this is something that should cause one to ask for more pictures without the effects, or just go drive it in person.
Like I said: It would be getting more attention than most; that doesn't mean I'd just run out and buy it. I'd just give it very serious consideration and ask questions as well as request "normal" pictures. HDR has it's place, and that's not it. He's risking his ass with those shots, because someone may be very disappointed with their purchase if they think that's an actual paint color.
It ain't. It's a photographic trick that's better used for landscapes, clouds, and skylines.
Cheers,
Kennith
Kennith... Lower control arms on the XJ Cherokee are 16.5" long. 4" of lift point them down at an angle of almost 14 degrees.
Just picture yourself hitting a speed bump at the mall - and consider what'll happen to the front of 3500-lb vehicle when the control arms are parallel to the ground, or angled down.
Now, upper control arms on the XJ are shorter. So top it off with wonders 4" lift does to caster.
Not taking it away from the little Cherokee, but consider that radius arms on a Classic/D1 are 52" long.