Jeep Cherokee XJ

[Mtn_Nomad]

I bought a 1994 XJ about a year ago and so far its been reliable and done what I needed it to do. Its currently close to stock and in need of some upgrades/upkeep before this upcoming season. Just curious who else uses one as a hunting rig, how reliable has it been for you, and what are some of your favorite mods that has made it more efficient on hunting trips? Its' currently sitting at 124k miles

 

[xsn10s]

I bought a 1994 XJ about a year ago and so far its been reliable and done what I needed it to do. Its currently close to stock and in need of some upgrades/upkeep before this upcoming season. Just curious who else uses one as a hunting rig, how reliable has it been for you, and what are some of your favorite mods that has made it more efficient on hunting trips? Its' currently sitting at 124k miles

Wow you scored on a low mile XJ. I've been using mine for almost ten years now. It's reliable but it is a older rig. Some capacitors has known to go out on the computer, mine is fine but I have a back up computer. The neutral safety switch on automatic transmission is another thing to watch. I thought mine was going out but it turned out to be the temperature sensor. I have a 4.5" lift and 33" mudders. But a stock one with 31's and Bushwhacker fender flares would be great. Or keep it close to stock and run it the way it sits. North Georgia I think I'd get some mudders that fit, a winch, an electric fan switch to bypass the AC fan switch and run it.

 

[Mtn_Nomad]

Wow you scored on a low mile XJ. I've been using mine for almost ten years now. It's reliable but it is a older rig. Some capacitors has known to go out on the computer, mine is fine but I have a back up computer. The neutral safety switch on automatic transmission is another thing to watch. I thought mine was going out but it turned out to be the temperature sensor. I have a 4.5" lift and 33" mudders. But a stock one with 31's and Bushwhacker fender flares would be great. Or keep it close to stock and run it the way it sits. North Georgia I think I'd get some mudders that fit, a winch, an electric fan switch to bypass the AC fan switch and run it.

It was a security vehicle in Tennessee so it was also clean with no rust. Consider myself pretty luck to find it.

 

[browning2480]

Get on YouTube and start watching some videos. Lots of people building these due to them being cheap and sharing so much with the YJ/TJ wranglers.

If you really want to know what they can do, watch Matt’s Off-road Recovery. He has the greatest XJ on the planet lol. But with complete fabrication of course

 

[xsn10s]

I bought a 1994 XJ about a year ago and so far its been reliable and done what I needed it to do. Its currently close to stock and in need of some upgrades/upkeep before this upcoming season. Just curious who else uses one as a hunting rig, how reliable has it been for you, and what are some of your favorite mods that has made it more efficient on hunting trips? Its' currently sitting at 124k miles

How hard do you want to wheel with it? As far as making it more reliable they're pretty reliable from the get go. If you do a lift then then it's best to do a slip yoke eliminator for the transfer case. Other things come into play like "death wobble", wear and tear on suspension and axles and so on. Will this be a daily driver?

 

[signing off]

I'm due to inherit a 98 xj from my dad. He put highway tread tires on it which is fine for him. But it is the Up Country model, so super capable except for the tires.

 

[92xj]

All depends on your budget and wants out of it.
For a better ride cruising the forest roads, just upgrade shocks, slap some nice tires on it and purchase an air compressor that rides in the back. Air down your tires and the ride is nice. Air up before heading home.
Once you start with the small mods, there is no end.

I bought a 1992xj stock and threw on a 3" lift and 31s. and then I did more...and more...
This is the second to last rendition of my bone stock 92xj. i cant find pictures of the last phase before being sold.

 

[Mtn_Nomad]

How hard do you want to wheel with it? As far as making it more reliable they're pretty reliable from the get go. If you do a lift then then it's best to do a slip yoke eliminator for the transfer case. Other things come into play like "death wobble", wear and tear on suspension and axles and so on. Will this be a daily driver?

ITs my daily for now. I have a pretty good idea on suspension. This is my 4th Jeep but first XJ. I dont plan to wheel it hard, just whatever it takes to get me to camp and to hunting and fishing spots.

Have you made any sort of rack for the cargo area?

 

[xsn10s]

ITs my daily for now. I have a pretty good idea on suspension. This is my 4th Jeep but first XJ. I dont plan to wheel it hard, just whatever it takes to get me to camp and to hunting and fishing spots.

Have you made any sort of rack for the cargo area?

No I haven't made a rack. Has enough room for the way I hunt. But I usually hunt/ fish near where I live. I've thought of towing it behind the motorhome for serious hunting/ fishing trips.

 

[DenimChicken]

I had an XJ for a number of years, and occasionally miss it. I did a mild lift, 31"s, and a variety of other upgrades including header, throttle bottle spacer, etc. It never let me down. The lift and tires were money, everything else was a waste. I would put some decent tires on it, gear it if necessary, and call it good. They will never have good power and never get good MPG. But they will make a great, reliable off road rig.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

I use one as my hunting rig, and have owned 5 of them in my lifetime. Easy to work on, reliable, tough, simple. The mods on my current rig are pretty basic. Heavy duty unibody mounted bumpers, 9500 lb winch, dual batteries, flat gutter mounted roof rack, heavy duty suspension that gives it about 2 inches of lift. Mines a '96 and only has 160k. Some people go crazy with modifications but even completely stock these things are really capable. Enjoy.

 

[Rob5589]

Would make an excellent hunting rig. Good wb and width for trails, enclosed for gear, a ton of mods available. I had a 95 that was mostly an off roader and it was very capable with the mods I did.

 

[Gutshot007]

Sway bar disconnects are cheap

 

[98XJRC]

I had a 98 XJ which I honestly miss. I had a 3” lift on 33’s with a front locker and it went anywhere I asked it to. I also beefed up the steering linkage and put rock sliders on it. I had plans for it but life got in the way and unfortunately no longer have it. Now that my kids are getting older I wish I still had it to go wheeling with them.

Other then death wobble I really didn’t have many issues with the vehicle.

 

[Gutshot007]

Had a 96 . Moss green . Was a pretty one . Liked it as much as a tj/wrangler . Kids came and jeep went for a burb . Miss that one

 

[IH8Cali]

I had a 98 and 01, OME 2" with an SYE, Spartan in the front, would do anything I needed it too. Loaded down with gear and iron though it was greatly under powered. I moved on to 100 series LCs, but those little XJ's are pretty solid rigs. Like all platforms, each iteration has their flaws, but parts are cheap and plentiful.

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Some XJ Packouts of mine...

 

[LoggerDan]

CAD delete!!! If you really like to bash on er, a ford 8.8 rear end with limited slip and disc brakes. Pretty easy swap and well worth it.

 

[turbobrick]

My XJ project got a wee bit out of hand, but I have a known carcane problem so it wasn’t a surprise. You rally don’t want my input, in building one, but I’d advise getting extras of all the sensors and carrying them with you, swap to a rear D44, and heat wrap all the injector wiring.

 

[ztc92]

ITs my daily for now. I have a pretty good idea on suspension. This is my 4th Jeep but first XJ. I dont plan to wheel it hard, just whatever it takes to get me to camp and to hunting and fishing spots.

Have you made any sort of rack for the cargo area?

If it’s your daily, one of the best upgrades you can do for cost vs benefit is increased power to the headlights via an upgraded wiring harness. This will also allow you to run more powerful headlights in the future. There are tons of explanations about it on Cherokee Forums, but to get started check out post #25 here:

H4 Conversion - Jeep Cherokee Forum

Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here - H4 Conversion - I decided to finally get some brighter headlights. I got the ones in the picture below. These ones have the h4 bulb and then below it, a smaller blue bulb (just cause I like the look). Curious though, just want...

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