4WD (Cherokee?) recommendations please
#21
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 4WD (Cherokee?) recommendations please
Matt Macchiarolo wrote:
> "Steve" <xjlifter@bogus.com> wrote
>
>>Until mid 1995, the Cherokee came with a Dana 30 front end that has a
>>problematic vacuum actuated axle disconnect and weak u-joints. Later
>>Cherokee Dana 30s are always turning and have stronger u-joints.
>
> My '93 with part-time T case had the non-disconnect axle. Earlier the ones
> with full-time T cases had the non-disconnect axle, IIRC.
Thanks. I stand corrected. I had assumed the Dana 30 disco was used
until the mid-95 switch from 5-260X ujoints to 5-297X. Seems the NP231
always came with the vacuum disconnect through 1991 and the NV242 never
did in any year. Also just learned that the 2000 and 2001 XJ used a less
desirable low pinion standard cut Dana 30.
So for the original poster who wants the full time NV242, the best
choice from an axle perspective is non-ABS Cherokee from 1997 when 29
spline axles were first used, through 1999, last year for the hi-pinion
Dana 30.
Steve
> "Steve" <xjlifter@bogus.com> wrote
>
>>Until mid 1995, the Cherokee came with a Dana 30 front end that has a
>>problematic vacuum actuated axle disconnect and weak u-joints. Later
>>Cherokee Dana 30s are always turning and have stronger u-joints.
>
> My '93 with part-time T case had the non-disconnect axle. Earlier the ones
> with full-time T cases had the non-disconnect axle, IIRC.
Thanks. I stand corrected. I had assumed the Dana 30 disco was used
until the mid-95 switch from 5-260X ujoints to 5-297X. Seems the NP231
always came with the vacuum disconnect through 1991 and the NV242 never
did in any year. Also just learned that the 2000 and 2001 XJ used a less
desirable low pinion standard cut Dana 30.
So for the original poster who wants the full time NV242, the best
choice from an axle perspective is non-ABS Cherokee from 1997 when 29
spline axles were first used, through 1999, last year for the hi-pinion
Dana 30.
Steve
#22
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 4WD (Cherokee?) recommendations please
I like my Command-Trac ... let's me 2 wheel it most of the time which saves
a bit on gas ... with the 4H there on demand for snow, rain, gravel. A note
on the 4 low ... not selectable on the fly ... from what I've read the
majority of us have to select neutral before selecting/deselecting 4L. And I
like my lockup 4 spd auto for smooth trailer pulling and saving a bit on
fuel. And I like that 4.0 litre HO ... a bit of performance/torque. And it's
light ... 3100 lbs ... with that uniframe or whatever it's called. And ... I
find the open differentials work just fine. Still going strong at 240,000 km
.... oh yeah, had to replace the starter last week ... got to the point where
I had to whack it to get it to work ... and the cost was only $188 cdn at
the dealers ... about half what I was expecting.
"coyotefred" <coyotefred@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b8883a35.0406171053.33fabf34@posting.google.c om...
> Hello!
>
> After 240K miles, my trusty old Toyota pickup is going out to pasture
> (literally, as a ranch work truck). I need a new main ride now, and I
> think a used cherokee may be my best choice. My driving habits are
> about 70% pavement (with pretty good snow/ice coverages in winter
> though), 20% dirt/gravel rural roads (sometimes pretty muddy in wet
> springs) and 10% off-road (not recreational 4-wheeling, but getting
> back on lousy 'roads,' 2-track or worse to hunt, fish, hike, etc.).
> 'No kids, just the girlfriend and a buddy or two now and then (and
> plenty of gear) for trips. 'Maybe some light towing now and then
> (small horse trailer). And I want to stay under about $15,000 if I
> can.
>
> Like other folks with similar driving needs, I thought about some of
> the compact SUVs like the Subaru Forester and the Honda CRV. I like
> the idea of a full-time AWD system to leave "on" at times when in my
> neck of the woods you're not sure where your next patch of black ice
> is going to show up. However, the lack of a 4-low option for slow
> crawling and pulling concerned me, as did the basic fact that (based
> on my reading the opinions of others) these are on-road vehicles with
> *some* limited off-road capability. I do spend a fair amount of time
> "off-pavement," and I need a vehicle that can deal with that.
>
> When I put everything together, it seemed to me a used jeep cherokee
> might be a good choice. While I'm not thrilled with jeep's
> reliability compared to the likes of Toyota, Honda & Subaru (my
> immediate and extended family have driven jeeps for as long as I can
> remember, and they've spent more time in the shop than I think they
> should have), I need to think of performance as well as reliability.
> And when things do go wrong, my chances of getting decent service on a
> cherokee out here in rural America seem a whole lot better than Subaru
> or Honda.
>
> From what I've read, it seemed like maybe a late 90s Cherokee sport
> with the Select-Tract drivetrain (which apparently has a selectable
> full-time AWD option or something similar) would be an ideal choice
> for my needs. I would appreciate any thoughts others might have on
> the matter though-esp. any known "good" or "bad" years for Cherokee,
> features to look for/avoid, etc.
>
> Thanks so much-
>
> Coyotefred in Wyoming
a bit on gas ... with the 4H there on demand for snow, rain, gravel. A note
on the 4 low ... not selectable on the fly ... from what I've read the
majority of us have to select neutral before selecting/deselecting 4L. And I
like my lockup 4 spd auto for smooth trailer pulling and saving a bit on
fuel. And I like that 4.0 litre HO ... a bit of performance/torque. And it's
light ... 3100 lbs ... with that uniframe or whatever it's called. And ... I
find the open differentials work just fine. Still going strong at 240,000 km
.... oh yeah, had to replace the starter last week ... got to the point where
I had to whack it to get it to work ... and the cost was only $188 cdn at
the dealers ... about half what I was expecting.
"coyotefred" <coyotefred@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b8883a35.0406171053.33fabf34@posting.google.c om...
> Hello!
>
> After 240K miles, my trusty old Toyota pickup is going out to pasture
> (literally, as a ranch work truck). I need a new main ride now, and I
> think a used cherokee may be my best choice. My driving habits are
> about 70% pavement (with pretty good snow/ice coverages in winter
> though), 20% dirt/gravel rural roads (sometimes pretty muddy in wet
> springs) and 10% off-road (not recreational 4-wheeling, but getting
> back on lousy 'roads,' 2-track or worse to hunt, fish, hike, etc.).
> 'No kids, just the girlfriend and a buddy or two now and then (and
> plenty of gear) for trips. 'Maybe some light towing now and then
> (small horse trailer). And I want to stay under about $15,000 if I
> can.
>
> Like other folks with similar driving needs, I thought about some of
> the compact SUVs like the Subaru Forester and the Honda CRV. I like
> the idea of a full-time AWD system to leave "on" at times when in my
> neck of the woods you're not sure where your next patch of black ice
> is going to show up. However, the lack of a 4-low option for slow
> crawling and pulling concerned me, as did the basic fact that (based
> on my reading the opinions of others) these are on-road vehicles with
> *some* limited off-road capability. I do spend a fair amount of time
> "off-pavement," and I need a vehicle that can deal with that.
>
> When I put everything together, it seemed to me a used jeep cherokee
> might be a good choice. While I'm not thrilled with jeep's
> reliability compared to the likes of Toyota, Honda & Subaru (my
> immediate and extended family have driven jeeps for as long as I can
> remember, and they've spent more time in the shop than I think they
> should have), I need to think of performance as well as reliability.
> And when things do go wrong, my chances of getting decent service on a
> cherokee out here in rural America seem a whole lot better than Subaru
> or Honda.
>
> From what I've read, it seemed like maybe a late 90s Cherokee sport
> with the Select-Tract drivetrain (which apparently has a selectable
> full-time AWD option or something similar) would be an ideal choice
> for my needs. I would appreciate any thoughts others might have on
> the matter though-esp. any known "good" or "bad" years for Cherokee,
> features to look for/avoid, etc.
>
> Thanks so much-
>
> Coyotefred in Wyoming
#23
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 4WD (Cherokee?) recommendations please
I like my Command-Trac ... let's me 2 wheel it most of the time which saves
a bit on gas ... with the 4H there on demand for snow, rain, gravel. A note
on the 4 low ... not selectable on the fly ... from what I've read the
majority of us have to select neutral before selecting/deselecting 4L. And I
like my lockup 4 spd auto for smooth trailer pulling and saving a bit on
fuel. And I like that 4.0 litre HO ... a bit of performance/torque. And it's
light ... 3100 lbs ... with that uniframe or whatever it's called. And ... I
find the open differentials work just fine. Still going strong at 240,000 km
.... oh yeah, had to replace the starter last week ... got to the point where
I had to whack it to get it to work ... and the cost was only $188 cdn at
the dealers ... about half what I was expecting.
"coyotefred" <coyotefred@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b8883a35.0406171053.33fabf34@posting.google.c om...
> Hello!
>
> After 240K miles, my trusty old Toyota pickup is going out to pasture
> (literally, as a ranch work truck). I need a new main ride now, and I
> think a used cherokee may be my best choice. My driving habits are
> about 70% pavement (with pretty good snow/ice coverages in winter
> though), 20% dirt/gravel rural roads (sometimes pretty muddy in wet
> springs) and 10% off-road (not recreational 4-wheeling, but getting
> back on lousy 'roads,' 2-track or worse to hunt, fish, hike, etc.).
> 'No kids, just the girlfriend and a buddy or two now and then (and
> plenty of gear) for trips. 'Maybe some light towing now and then
> (small horse trailer). And I want to stay under about $15,000 if I
> can.
>
> Like other folks with similar driving needs, I thought about some of
> the compact SUVs like the Subaru Forester and the Honda CRV. I like
> the idea of a full-time AWD system to leave "on" at times when in my
> neck of the woods you're not sure where your next patch of black ice
> is going to show up. However, the lack of a 4-low option for slow
> crawling and pulling concerned me, as did the basic fact that (based
> on my reading the opinions of others) these are on-road vehicles with
> *some* limited off-road capability. I do spend a fair amount of time
> "off-pavement," and I need a vehicle that can deal with that.
>
> When I put everything together, it seemed to me a used jeep cherokee
> might be a good choice. While I'm not thrilled with jeep's
> reliability compared to the likes of Toyota, Honda & Subaru (my
> immediate and extended family have driven jeeps for as long as I can
> remember, and they've spent more time in the shop than I think they
> should have), I need to think of performance as well as reliability.
> And when things do go wrong, my chances of getting decent service on a
> cherokee out here in rural America seem a whole lot better than Subaru
> or Honda.
>
> From what I've read, it seemed like maybe a late 90s Cherokee sport
> with the Select-Tract drivetrain (which apparently has a selectable
> full-time AWD option or something similar) would be an ideal choice
> for my needs. I would appreciate any thoughts others might have on
> the matter though-esp. any known "good" or "bad" years for Cherokee,
> features to look for/avoid, etc.
>
> Thanks so much-
>
> Coyotefred in Wyoming
a bit on gas ... with the 4H there on demand for snow, rain, gravel. A note
on the 4 low ... not selectable on the fly ... from what I've read the
majority of us have to select neutral before selecting/deselecting 4L. And I
like my lockup 4 spd auto for smooth trailer pulling and saving a bit on
fuel. And I like that 4.0 litre HO ... a bit of performance/torque. And it's
light ... 3100 lbs ... with that uniframe or whatever it's called. And ... I
find the open differentials work just fine. Still going strong at 240,000 km
.... oh yeah, had to replace the starter last week ... got to the point where
I had to whack it to get it to work ... and the cost was only $188 cdn at
the dealers ... about half what I was expecting.
"coyotefred" <coyotefred@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b8883a35.0406171053.33fabf34@posting.google.c om...
> Hello!
>
> After 240K miles, my trusty old Toyota pickup is going out to pasture
> (literally, as a ranch work truck). I need a new main ride now, and I
> think a used cherokee may be my best choice. My driving habits are
> about 70% pavement (with pretty good snow/ice coverages in winter
> though), 20% dirt/gravel rural roads (sometimes pretty muddy in wet
> springs) and 10% off-road (not recreational 4-wheeling, but getting
> back on lousy 'roads,' 2-track or worse to hunt, fish, hike, etc.).
> 'No kids, just the girlfriend and a buddy or two now and then (and
> plenty of gear) for trips. 'Maybe some light towing now and then
> (small horse trailer). And I want to stay under about $15,000 if I
> can.
>
> Like other folks with similar driving needs, I thought about some of
> the compact SUVs like the Subaru Forester and the Honda CRV. I like
> the idea of a full-time AWD system to leave "on" at times when in my
> neck of the woods you're not sure where your next patch of black ice
> is going to show up. However, the lack of a 4-low option for slow
> crawling and pulling concerned me, as did the basic fact that (based
> on my reading the opinions of others) these are on-road vehicles with
> *some* limited off-road capability. I do spend a fair amount of time
> "off-pavement," and I need a vehicle that can deal with that.
>
> When I put everything together, it seemed to me a used jeep cherokee
> might be a good choice. While I'm not thrilled with jeep's
> reliability compared to the likes of Toyota, Honda & Subaru (my
> immediate and extended family have driven jeeps for as long as I can
> remember, and they've spent more time in the shop than I think they
> should have), I need to think of performance as well as reliability.
> And when things do go wrong, my chances of getting decent service on a
> cherokee out here in rural America seem a whole lot better than Subaru
> or Honda.
>
> From what I've read, it seemed like maybe a late 90s Cherokee sport
> with the Select-Tract drivetrain (which apparently has a selectable
> full-time AWD option or something similar) would be an ideal choice
> for my needs. I would appreciate any thoughts others might have on
> the matter though-esp. any known "good" or "bad" years for Cherokee,
> features to look for/avoid, etc.
>
> Thanks so much-
>
> Coyotefred in Wyoming
#24
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 4WD (Cherokee?) recommendations please
I like my Command-Trac ... let's me 2 wheel it most of the time which saves
a bit on gas ... with the 4H there on demand for snow, rain, gravel. A note
on the 4 low ... not selectable on the fly ... from what I've read the
majority of us have to select neutral before selecting/deselecting 4L. And I
like my lockup 4 spd auto for smooth trailer pulling and saving a bit on
fuel. And I like that 4.0 litre HO ... a bit of performance/torque. And it's
light ... 3100 lbs ... with that uniframe or whatever it's called. And ... I
find the open differentials work just fine. Still going strong at 240,000 km
.... oh yeah, had to replace the starter last week ... got to the point where
I had to whack it to get it to work ... and the cost was only $188 cdn at
the dealers ... about half what I was expecting.
"coyotefred" <coyotefred@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b8883a35.0406171053.33fabf34@posting.google.c om...
> Hello!
>
> After 240K miles, my trusty old Toyota pickup is going out to pasture
> (literally, as a ranch work truck). I need a new main ride now, and I
> think a used cherokee may be my best choice. My driving habits are
> about 70% pavement (with pretty good snow/ice coverages in winter
> though), 20% dirt/gravel rural roads (sometimes pretty muddy in wet
> springs) and 10% off-road (not recreational 4-wheeling, but getting
> back on lousy 'roads,' 2-track or worse to hunt, fish, hike, etc.).
> 'No kids, just the girlfriend and a buddy or two now and then (and
> plenty of gear) for trips. 'Maybe some light towing now and then
> (small horse trailer). And I want to stay under about $15,000 if I
> can.
>
> Like other folks with similar driving needs, I thought about some of
> the compact SUVs like the Subaru Forester and the Honda CRV. I like
> the idea of a full-time AWD system to leave "on" at times when in my
> neck of the woods you're not sure where your next patch of black ice
> is going to show up. However, the lack of a 4-low option for slow
> crawling and pulling concerned me, as did the basic fact that (based
> on my reading the opinions of others) these are on-road vehicles with
> *some* limited off-road capability. I do spend a fair amount of time
> "off-pavement," and I need a vehicle that can deal with that.
>
> When I put everything together, it seemed to me a used jeep cherokee
> might be a good choice. While I'm not thrilled with jeep's
> reliability compared to the likes of Toyota, Honda & Subaru (my
> immediate and extended family have driven jeeps for as long as I can
> remember, and they've spent more time in the shop than I think they
> should have), I need to think of performance as well as reliability.
> And when things do go wrong, my chances of getting decent service on a
> cherokee out here in rural America seem a whole lot better than Subaru
> or Honda.
>
> From what I've read, it seemed like maybe a late 90s Cherokee sport
> with the Select-Tract drivetrain (which apparently has a selectable
> full-time AWD option or something similar) would be an ideal choice
> for my needs. I would appreciate any thoughts others might have on
> the matter though-esp. any known "good" or "bad" years for Cherokee,
> features to look for/avoid, etc.
>
> Thanks so much-
>
> Coyotefred in Wyoming
a bit on gas ... with the 4H there on demand for snow, rain, gravel. A note
on the 4 low ... not selectable on the fly ... from what I've read the
majority of us have to select neutral before selecting/deselecting 4L. And I
like my lockup 4 spd auto for smooth trailer pulling and saving a bit on
fuel. And I like that 4.0 litre HO ... a bit of performance/torque. And it's
light ... 3100 lbs ... with that uniframe or whatever it's called. And ... I
find the open differentials work just fine. Still going strong at 240,000 km
.... oh yeah, had to replace the starter last week ... got to the point where
I had to whack it to get it to work ... and the cost was only $188 cdn at
the dealers ... about half what I was expecting.
"coyotefred" <coyotefred@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b8883a35.0406171053.33fabf34@posting.google.c om...
> Hello!
>
> After 240K miles, my trusty old Toyota pickup is going out to pasture
> (literally, as a ranch work truck). I need a new main ride now, and I
> think a used cherokee may be my best choice. My driving habits are
> about 70% pavement (with pretty good snow/ice coverages in winter
> though), 20% dirt/gravel rural roads (sometimes pretty muddy in wet
> springs) and 10% off-road (not recreational 4-wheeling, but getting
> back on lousy 'roads,' 2-track or worse to hunt, fish, hike, etc.).
> 'No kids, just the girlfriend and a buddy or two now and then (and
> plenty of gear) for trips. 'Maybe some light towing now and then
> (small horse trailer). And I want to stay under about $15,000 if I
> can.
>
> Like other folks with similar driving needs, I thought about some of
> the compact SUVs like the Subaru Forester and the Honda CRV. I like
> the idea of a full-time AWD system to leave "on" at times when in my
> neck of the woods you're not sure where your next patch of black ice
> is going to show up. However, the lack of a 4-low option for slow
> crawling and pulling concerned me, as did the basic fact that (based
> on my reading the opinions of others) these are on-road vehicles with
> *some* limited off-road capability. I do spend a fair amount of time
> "off-pavement," and I need a vehicle that can deal with that.
>
> When I put everything together, it seemed to me a used jeep cherokee
> might be a good choice. While I'm not thrilled with jeep's
> reliability compared to the likes of Toyota, Honda & Subaru (my
> immediate and extended family have driven jeeps for as long as I can
> remember, and they've spent more time in the shop than I think they
> should have), I need to think of performance as well as reliability.
> And when things do go wrong, my chances of getting decent service on a
> cherokee out here in rural America seem a whole lot better than Subaru
> or Honda.
>
> From what I've read, it seemed like maybe a late 90s Cherokee sport
> with the Select-Tract drivetrain (which apparently has a selectable
> full-time AWD option or something similar) would be an ideal choice
> for my needs. I would appreciate any thoughts others might have on
> the matter though-esp. any known "good" or "bad" years for Cherokee,
> features to look for/avoid, etc.
>
> Thanks so much-
>
> Coyotefred in Wyoming
#25
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 4WD (Cherokee?) recommendations please
I like my Command-Trac ... let's me 2 wheel it most of the time which saves
a bit on gas ... with the 4H there on demand for snow, rain, gravel. A note
on the 4 low ... not selectable on the fly ... from what I've read the
majority of us have to select neutral before selecting/deselecting 4L. And I
like my lockup 4 spd auto for smooth trailer pulling and saving a bit on
fuel. And I like that 4.0 litre HO ... a bit of performance/torque. And it's
light ... 3100 lbs ... with that uniframe or whatever it's called. And ... I
find the open differentials work just fine. Still going strong at 240,000 km
.... oh yeah, had to replace the starter last week ... got to the point where
I had to whack it to get it to work ... and the cost was only $188 cdn at
the dealers ... about half what I was expecting.
"coyotefred" <coyotefred@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b8883a35.0406171053.33fabf34@posting.google.c om...
> Hello!
>
> After 240K miles, my trusty old Toyota pickup is going out to pasture
> (literally, as a ranch work truck). I need a new main ride now, and I
> think a used cherokee may be my best choice. My driving habits are
> about 70% pavement (with pretty good snow/ice coverages in winter
> though), 20% dirt/gravel rural roads (sometimes pretty muddy in wet
> springs) and 10% off-road (not recreational 4-wheeling, but getting
> back on lousy 'roads,' 2-track or worse to hunt, fish, hike, etc.).
> 'No kids, just the girlfriend and a buddy or two now and then (and
> plenty of gear) for trips. 'Maybe some light towing now and then
> (small horse trailer). And I want to stay under about $15,000 if I
> can.
>
> Like other folks with similar driving needs, I thought about some of
> the compact SUVs like the Subaru Forester and the Honda CRV. I like
> the idea of a full-time AWD system to leave "on" at times when in my
> neck of the woods you're not sure where your next patch of black ice
> is going to show up. However, the lack of a 4-low option for slow
> crawling and pulling concerned me, as did the basic fact that (based
> on my reading the opinions of others) these are on-road vehicles with
> *some* limited off-road capability. I do spend a fair amount of time
> "off-pavement," and I need a vehicle that can deal with that.
>
> When I put everything together, it seemed to me a used jeep cherokee
> might be a good choice. While I'm not thrilled with jeep's
> reliability compared to the likes of Toyota, Honda & Subaru (my
> immediate and extended family have driven jeeps for as long as I can
> remember, and they've spent more time in the shop than I think they
> should have), I need to think of performance as well as reliability.
> And when things do go wrong, my chances of getting decent service on a
> cherokee out here in rural America seem a whole lot better than Subaru
> or Honda.
>
> From what I've read, it seemed like maybe a late 90s Cherokee sport
> with the Select-Tract drivetrain (which apparently has a selectable
> full-time AWD option or something similar) would be an ideal choice
> for my needs. I would appreciate any thoughts others might have on
> the matter though-esp. any known "good" or "bad" years for Cherokee,
> features to look for/avoid, etc.
>
> Thanks so much-
>
> Coyotefred in Wyoming
a bit on gas ... with the 4H there on demand for snow, rain, gravel. A note
on the 4 low ... not selectable on the fly ... from what I've read the
majority of us have to select neutral before selecting/deselecting 4L. And I
like my lockup 4 spd auto for smooth trailer pulling and saving a bit on
fuel. And I like that 4.0 litre HO ... a bit of performance/torque. And it's
light ... 3100 lbs ... with that uniframe or whatever it's called. And ... I
find the open differentials work just fine. Still going strong at 240,000 km
.... oh yeah, had to replace the starter last week ... got to the point where
I had to whack it to get it to work ... and the cost was only $188 cdn at
the dealers ... about half what I was expecting.
"coyotefred" <coyotefred@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b8883a35.0406171053.33fabf34@posting.google.c om...
> Hello!
>
> After 240K miles, my trusty old Toyota pickup is going out to pasture
> (literally, as a ranch work truck). I need a new main ride now, and I
> think a used cherokee may be my best choice. My driving habits are
> about 70% pavement (with pretty good snow/ice coverages in winter
> though), 20% dirt/gravel rural roads (sometimes pretty muddy in wet
> springs) and 10% off-road (not recreational 4-wheeling, but getting
> back on lousy 'roads,' 2-track or worse to hunt, fish, hike, etc.).
> 'No kids, just the girlfriend and a buddy or two now and then (and
> plenty of gear) for trips. 'Maybe some light towing now and then
> (small horse trailer). And I want to stay under about $15,000 if I
> can.
>
> Like other folks with similar driving needs, I thought about some of
> the compact SUVs like the Subaru Forester and the Honda CRV. I like
> the idea of a full-time AWD system to leave "on" at times when in my
> neck of the woods you're not sure where your next patch of black ice
> is going to show up. However, the lack of a 4-low option for slow
> crawling and pulling concerned me, as did the basic fact that (based
> on my reading the opinions of others) these are on-road vehicles with
> *some* limited off-road capability. I do spend a fair amount of time
> "off-pavement," and I need a vehicle that can deal with that.
>
> When I put everything together, it seemed to me a used jeep cherokee
> might be a good choice. While I'm not thrilled with jeep's
> reliability compared to the likes of Toyota, Honda & Subaru (my
> immediate and extended family have driven jeeps for as long as I can
> remember, and they've spent more time in the shop than I think they
> should have), I need to think of performance as well as reliability.
> And when things do go wrong, my chances of getting decent service on a
> cherokee out here in rural America seem a whole lot better than Subaru
> or Honda.
>
> From what I've read, it seemed like maybe a late 90s Cherokee sport
> with the Select-Tract drivetrain (which apparently has a selectable
> full-time AWD option or something similar) would be an ideal choice
> for my needs. I would appreciate any thoughts others might have on
> the matter though-esp. any known "good" or "bad" years for Cherokee,
> features to look for/avoid, etc.
>
> Thanks so much-
>
> Coyotefred in Wyoming
#26
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 4WD (Cherokee?) recommendations please
Monte Castleman <qmdcastleman@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<N1qAc.15768
[snip]
> Cherokees were viewed as "budget" vehicles in later years, so they tend
> not to be as "loaded" as other SUVs. You may not care about lighted
> vanity mirrors, but AWD (Select-Trak) and limited slip differentials
> (Trak-Lock) seem to be fairly uncommon. After about '97, the interior
> got a lot more ergonomic and refined, but other parts of the vehicle
> were cheapened, like plastic instead of metal bumpers, and a metal
> instead of fiberglass liftgate.
Hmmmmm...tough call...97 thru 99 for the drivetrain, but pre-97 for
non-cheap parts...probably better to stick with the better drivetrain,
etc. ?
[snip]
> Cherokees were viewed as "budget" vehicles in later years, so they tend
> not to be as "loaded" as other SUVs. You may not care about lighted
> vanity mirrors, but AWD (Select-Trak) and limited slip differentials
> (Trak-Lock) seem to be fairly uncommon. After about '97, the interior
> got a lot more ergonomic and refined, but other parts of the vehicle
> were cheapened, like plastic instead of metal bumpers, and a metal
> instead of fiberglass liftgate.
Hmmmmm...tough call...97 thru 99 for the drivetrain, but pre-97 for
non-cheap parts...probably better to stick with the better drivetrain,
etc. ?
#27
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 4WD (Cherokee?) recommendations please
Monte Castleman <qmdcastleman@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<N1qAc.15768
[snip]
> Cherokees were viewed as "budget" vehicles in later years, so they tend
> not to be as "loaded" as other SUVs. You may not care about lighted
> vanity mirrors, but AWD (Select-Trak) and limited slip differentials
> (Trak-Lock) seem to be fairly uncommon. After about '97, the interior
> got a lot more ergonomic and refined, but other parts of the vehicle
> were cheapened, like plastic instead of metal bumpers, and a metal
> instead of fiberglass liftgate.
Hmmmmm...tough call...97 thru 99 for the drivetrain, but pre-97 for
non-cheap parts...probably better to stick with the better drivetrain,
etc. ?
[snip]
> Cherokees were viewed as "budget" vehicles in later years, so they tend
> not to be as "loaded" as other SUVs. You may not care about lighted
> vanity mirrors, but AWD (Select-Trak) and limited slip differentials
> (Trak-Lock) seem to be fairly uncommon. After about '97, the interior
> got a lot more ergonomic and refined, but other parts of the vehicle
> were cheapened, like plastic instead of metal bumpers, and a metal
> instead of fiberglass liftgate.
Hmmmmm...tough call...97 thru 99 for the drivetrain, but pre-97 for
non-cheap parts...probably better to stick with the better drivetrain,
etc. ?
#28
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 4WD (Cherokee?) recommendations please
Monte Castleman <qmdcastleman@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<N1qAc.15768
[snip]
> Cherokees were viewed as "budget" vehicles in later years, so they tend
> not to be as "loaded" as other SUVs. You may not care about lighted
> vanity mirrors, but AWD (Select-Trak) and limited slip differentials
> (Trak-Lock) seem to be fairly uncommon. After about '97, the interior
> got a lot more ergonomic and refined, but other parts of the vehicle
> were cheapened, like plastic instead of metal bumpers, and a metal
> instead of fiberglass liftgate.
Hmmmmm...tough call...97 thru 99 for the drivetrain, but pre-97 for
non-cheap parts...probably better to stick with the better drivetrain,
etc. ?
[snip]
> Cherokees were viewed as "budget" vehicles in later years, so they tend
> not to be as "loaded" as other SUVs. You may not care about lighted
> vanity mirrors, but AWD (Select-Trak) and limited slip differentials
> (Trak-Lock) seem to be fairly uncommon. After about '97, the interior
> got a lot more ergonomic and refined, but other parts of the vehicle
> were cheapened, like plastic instead of metal bumpers, and a metal
> instead of fiberglass liftgate.
Hmmmmm...tough call...97 thru 99 for the drivetrain, but pre-97 for
non-cheap parts...probably better to stick with the better drivetrain,
etc. ?
#29
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 4WD (Cherokee?) recommendations please
Monte Castleman <qmdcastleman@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<N1qAc.15768
[snip]
> Cherokees were viewed as "budget" vehicles in later years, so they tend
> not to be as "loaded" as other SUVs. You may not care about lighted
> vanity mirrors, but AWD (Select-Trak) and limited slip differentials
> (Trak-Lock) seem to be fairly uncommon. After about '97, the interior
> got a lot more ergonomic and refined, but other parts of the vehicle
> were cheapened, like plastic instead of metal bumpers, and a metal
> instead of fiberglass liftgate.
Hmmmmm...tough call...97 thru 99 for the drivetrain, but pre-97 for
non-cheap parts...probably better to stick with the better drivetrain,
etc. ?
[snip]
> Cherokees were viewed as "budget" vehicles in later years, so they tend
> not to be as "loaded" as other SUVs. You may not care about lighted
> vanity mirrors, but AWD (Select-Trak) and limited slip differentials
> (Trak-Lock) seem to be fairly uncommon. After about '97, the interior
> got a lot more ergonomic and refined, but other parts of the vehicle
> were cheapened, like plastic instead of metal bumpers, and a metal
> instead of fiberglass liftgate.
Hmmmmm...tough call...97 thru 99 for the drivetrain, but pre-97 for
non-cheap parts...probably better to stick with the better drivetrain,
etc. ?
#30
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: 4WD (Cherokee?) recommendations please
Hello! What year/model do you have with that Command-Trac?
"Bowgus" <bowgus@rogers.com> wrote in message news:<HcKAc.342024$Ar.137531@twister01.bloor.is.ne t.cable.rogers.com>...
> I like my Command-Trac ... let's me 2 wheel it most of the time which saves
> a bit on gas ... with the 4H there on demand for snow, rain, gravel. A note
> on the 4 low ... not selectable on the fly ... from what I've read the
> majority of us have to select neutral before selecting/deselecting 4L. And I
> like my lockup 4 spd auto for smooth trailer pulling and saving a bit on
> fuel. And I like that 4.0 litre HO ... a bit of performance/torque. And it's
> light ... 3100 lbs ... with that uniframe or whatever it's called. And ... I
> find the open differentials work just fine. Still going strong at 240,000 km
> ... oh yeah, had to replace the starter last week ... got to the point where
> I had to whack it to get it to work ... and the cost was only $188 cdn at
> the dealers ... about half what I was expecting.
"Bowgus" <bowgus@rogers.com> wrote in message news:<HcKAc.342024$Ar.137531@twister01.bloor.is.ne t.cable.rogers.com>...
> I like my Command-Trac ... let's me 2 wheel it most of the time which saves
> a bit on gas ... with the 4H there on demand for snow, rain, gravel. A note
> on the 4 low ... not selectable on the fly ... from what I've read the
> majority of us have to select neutral before selecting/deselecting 4L. And I
> like my lockup 4 spd auto for smooth trailer pulling and saving a bit on
> fuel. And I like that 4.0 litre HO ... a bit of performance/torque. And it's
> light ... 3100 lbs ... with that uniframe or whatever it's called. And ... I
> find the open differentials work just fine. Still going strong at 240,000 km
> ... oh yeah, had to replace the starter last week ... got to the point where
> I had to whack it to get it to work ... and the cost was only $188 cdn at
> the dealers ... about half what I was expecting.