[happyharold4]

I've been riding my quad on a dirt road for years---Stop talk to the Rangers----had no problems---Brand new rookie comes in and stops me and says no more quads allowed on that road---I ride almost every night---so it's like cutting off my, you know whats-----So figured I try to get a 4x4 so I can LEGALLY mess around in the same area.---Was going to get a Samarai but decided I would rather 4x4 in comfort----I own a 2004 Grand Cherokee, but it is 2wd inline 6.

I want to have enough power to play on dirt roads like I do with my quad----Don't care about rock climbing----So I'm sifting and sorting through the 94-99's Cherokee's with 5.2 V8 Auto.

Don't understand difference in ZJ, TJ, WJ----Also some show a 4.7 instead of 5.2---Any suggestions or help would be appreciated----I'm in So Cal area----Thanks

Happy

 

[seed]

93-98 grands(ZJ) will have 5.2's...99-04(WJ) will have 4.7's

 

[championapbt]

The Zj and Wj's also both come with 5.9s the 4.7 is junk its way to expensive to replace and just not worth it.

 

[championapbt]

tj's come with inline 6 and 4 bangers

 

[happyharold4]

OK---Understand---Thanks---Any tips on what to look for---There are so many out there and most have like 120K-180K on them---Also I noticed that most of them are very well kept int/ext and it's hard to buy such a nice looking vehicle when you know it's going to get all scratched up etc. I ride dirt roads in high desert and they are narrow with lots of briars and bushes----Someone suggested to try and find a white one as the desert pin-striping won't show nearly as much---So am I on target looking for 93-98, 5.2 V8 Auto---Thanks

Happy

 

[seed]

The Zj and Wj's also both come with 5.9s the 4.7 is junk its way to expensive to replace and just not worth it.

WJ's do not come with 5.9's. They have 4.7HO's.

The 4.7 is junk??

 

[championapbt]

the 4.7 is junk.. Its way to expensive to replace and just not worth it the inline 6 is much better.

 

[happyharold4]

So what do you think of the 4.0 inline 6---vs the 5.2 V8 for 4x4 off roading or do they even make the 4.0/6 in 4x4's

Also do most of the ZJ 5.2's come with factory headers and dual exhausts----Thanks

Happy

 

[wheelZJs]

i have a 6 in my 93 4x4 and it has plenty of torque in low4. also makes for more room in engine compartment.

 

[championapbt]

i have a inline 6 in my 93 ZJ and i would not give up for anything else. Its easy to work on and just like wheelzjs says its got plenty of torque. the V8 is nice if your gonna tow but just offroading the inline 6 is the way to go.

 

[happyharold4]

Hmmmm----Didn't expect that---Maybe some others will chime in from the V8 side

Do the V8's 93-98 come with factory headers and duals?

Happy

 

[mhamilton3]

I love the 4.7L V8. I have to admit, have never driven the 6 so I have nothing to compare it to and thus I won't talk any smack about it.

My 4.7L has well over 100k miles on it and runs like a tank. I recently did a trip from San Diego to north-eastern Utah and she just sails along on the freeway at 75mph on cruise-control without breaking a sweat. And that is on 32+ tires and stock gearing (with the AC on). The 4.7L also climbs like a banshee. I am often up in the eastern Sierras where there are long grades climbing to up over 10,000 feet in elevation. Many vehicles with lesser engines have to drop a couple of gears to prevent overheating and crawl up the grade at 35mph. My 4.7L WJ just flies up the same grades without slowing down and barely warms a couple of extra degrees in the process.

If the 4.7L is junk, well, it is my kind of junk and I'll happily keep it. ;0)

But then again, I'm one of those crazy ba$tard$ that is running a Quadradrive setup and like it (though 32+ tires are pushing the system to its absolute limit).

Mike

 

[BigClay]

Happy - here is my advice: set a price that you are willing to pay for a ZJ or WJ and look for ones in that range regardless of the engine. If your quad was fast enough for you then you will have no problem with the V8s or I6. There are a bunch opf threads on here about the pros and cons to the 5.2 and the 4.0. Biggest complaint of the 4.0 is lack of power, biggest pro of the 4.0 is reliability and longevity with normal wear and tear and maintenance.

You also need to think about what you plan on doing with the jeep, will stock height stock size tires be good enough for you? Is it going to also be a DD?

 

[mhamilton3]

One other thing to be aware of is aftermarket support.

I love my WJ but there seems to be a TON more support for the earlier ZJ models. From lifts, to bumpers, to just about everything else, the ZJ has more options available.

Mike

 

[BigClay]

One other thing to be aware of is aftermarket support.

I love my WJ but there seems to be a TON more support for the earlier ZJ models. From lifts, to bumpers, to just about everything else, the ZJ has more options available.

Mike

Exactly, that is why I was asking him if a lift was in the future.

 

[happyharold4]

Appreciate you guys input----I own a 2004 GC Laredo with I6 and 2wd as a DD. Funny thing as bullet proof as the I6's are, I had the engine replaced at 55k even with perfect maintenance. I really don't know for sure what I'm after---I like to have the power to break the wheels lose and power slide alot on dirt roads---The 4x4 comes in to play when I get too far down a road and it gets too sandy or climbing small hills where 2wd craps out----No rock climbing---A lift for me would only be like spacers over the springs and taller tires--mostly for appearance---Plus the V8 would probably work better at towing a couple of quads on a trailer to the dunes---Thanks

Happy

 

[championapbt]

a V8 is would be a good choice if you plan on towing quads but an inline6 can pull also. but there are much more choice for a Zj then there are for Wj's and the ZJ comes with inline6 4.7V8 5.2V8 and 5.9v8. so basically comes down to just what you want.

 

[BigClay]

I don't think the ZJ ever came with a 4.7 v8, and the only year the 5.9 was offered was in 1998.

 

[championapbt]

no the ZJ's didn't come with 4.7s my mistakes they came with 2.5L diesel 4.0L, 5.2L, 5.9L

 

[mhamilton3]

If you aren't planning on doing major mods, then you may want to try and find a GC that came with the UpCountry package.

Different years may be slightly different, but the package usually included slightly larger tires (around 29.5 inches), slightly taller springs/shocks (about 3/4 inch taller), some good basic skid plates, and tow hooks front and rear.

All of this can be added after the fact, of course, but is pretty capable right from the start. Add a 2 inch spacer lift to the UpCountry package and you can easily mount 31 inch tires (at least on a WJ, ZJ owners will have to confirm for UpCountry availability/tire fitment) and have a heck of a rig without a lot of investment.

This is pretty much what I did back in 2004. I really liked the WJ body style and I looked for about 4 months until I found a WJ with the 4.7L, QuadraDrive, and the UpCountry package that was under 30,000 miles. She was pretty capable from the start and I have had a ball over the last 6 plus years slowly building her up.

The key is to not be in a hurry, do your research, truly evaluate your wheeling style, and buy something appropriate.

Me personally, if I were looking for a daily driver that could wheel on the weekends and I wasn't going to modify a lot then I would look at a WJ. If I were looking for a weekend only pleasure rig that I could modify a bit more, but still drive to and from the trail heads then I'd look at a ZJ. If I were looking for a trail only rig I could really build then I would probably look down scale and go with an XJ ( but with a WJ tow rig to get it there ). But that's just me.

For engine, if towing or multi-hour freeway driving were necessary then I would look for a V8, otherwise I would just look for something with a good price.

Mike