Entering a new realm of Jeeps - The ZJ

[terrawombat]

I've never been a big fan of the ZJ body style so I've declined the half dozen or so offers I've had from friends/family getting rid of theirs and often skipped over the many deals on CL that I've seen. However, pending the cash for title deal that should transpire this afternoon, I will be the owner of a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited.

 

I figured, if I'm going to get one, might as well go big :D Truthfully, I had been looking at '97-'98 black on black Limited's since my friends father used to own one and I always liked the color combo with the gold rims. I stumbled upon the 5.9L by accident and couldn't really bring myself to justify spending more than my usual $500 on it, but it being bonus season and my inheritance of a portion of my late grandfather's estate, I figured it was time to actually get a vehicle of luxury, even if it is 12 years old, going on 13.

 

I don't know what my plans for it are yet, but I'm excited. I actually remember when I was in 8th grade and this thing came out. That was about the same time I started to really get into cars and wrenching and I remember reading all of the magazine articles about this truck. At the time, there was nothing else like it. A SUV w/AWD and 250HP and 350ft-lb of torque - who would want that? ME!

 

The mileage will be horrendous, gas prices are going up, but I don't care. I just have to have this :D

 

Details to follow once I have the signed title in my hand. I'm basically buying it sight unseen, sans a few pictures, but the price is right. I'll see if I can snap a few pictures of it while I'm there, but it may be too dark by that point.

[KYMJ]

I actually started with the Grand Cherokee thing. I preferred my ZJ over my WJ, thus the WJ was sold long before the ZJ. NAGCA is your friend. The 5.9 is quite popular with that crowd.

[mjeff87]

buddy of mine just sold his DD ZJ and flew to Florida and bought/drove back home a 5.9 a couple of months ago. The thing is a beast, and gets surprisingly (at least for a V8) mileage if you keep a brick under the gas pedal.

 

They tend to eat motor mounts, so check yours (his were shot).

 

Jeff

[jeepdoggydogB]

Loved my wife's 1997 red laredo with the 4.0 and selec trac, never let us down.

[Suuperman]

I guess I will be the devil's advocate with this one...but RUN AWAY FAST!

 

I think the ZJ is one of the worst vehicles chrysler ever built for jeep.

 

Too many crappy bells and whistles to deal with and is often times tougher than a renix system to dx and fix. And you're looking at a 5.9 limited...both the best and worst at the same time!

 

Horrible front driveshaft. Even more horrible CV front axle shafts. And worse still the aluminum D-44 that basically interchanges with nothing. I think the ZJ is/was probably a fine rig until it gets some mileage on it...then look out.

 

I honestly have not known ANY ZJ owner that had good luck with one.

 

Good luck though :D

[terrawombat]

I guess I will be the devil's advocate with this one...but RUN AWAY FAST!

 

I think the ZJ is one of the worst vehicles chrysler ever built for jeep.

 

Too many crappy bells and whistles to deal with and is often times tougher than a renix system to dx and fix. And you're looking at a 5.9 limited...both the best and worst at the same time!

 

Horrible front driveshaft. Even more horrible CV front axle shafts. And worse still the aluminum D-44 that basically interchanges with nothing. I think the ZJ is/was probably a fine rig until it gets some mileage on it...then look out.

 

I honestly have not known ANY ZJ owner that had good luck with one.

 

Good luck though :D

 

I actually would have a hard time disagreeing with a lot of your statements and that's the reason why I have often glanced over the ZJ in my searches for Jeeps. However, your statement of "both the best and worst at the same time!" is basically what is driving me to get this. I can overlook all of the 'bad' if I have a 5.9L engine under the hood :D

 

And I LOVE bells and whistles. If you want to talk about unnecessary, but functional, garbage, I could talk to you all day long about my '91 3000GT VR-4. Mitsubishi packed so much crap into that thing that is so useless (a movable front and rear spoiler, a servo that changed the tone of your exhaust, and all-wheel steering that hardly does anything) it makes me laugh every time I think about it, but they were fun when they worked!

[Sir Sam]

And I LOVE bells and whistles. If you want to talk about unnecessary, but functional, garbage, I could talk to you all day long about my '91 3000GT VR-4. Mitsubishi packed so much crap into that thing that is so useless (a movable front and rear spoiler, a servo that changed the tone of your exhaust, and all-wheel steering that hardly does anything) it makes me laugh every time I think about it, but they were fun when they worked!

 

Never driven a VR-4, but my 300ZX TT with the 4 wheel steering is impressive, I love the way to feels when hitting the corners.

[terrawombat]

The HICAS on the 300ZXTT was far superior to the 3000GT VR-4 all-wheel steering. When you're on the highway and you switch lanes, the VR-4 rear end feels like it's playing "catch up" to the front.

 

Also, aren't you able to turn the HICAS on and off on the 300ZX?

[KYMJ]

Most replace the CV axles w/u-joint axles. Alum.d44<8.8 Ford

[Automan2164]

I love my ZJ:

 

 

It's a '98 4.0L 42RE NP249... 140K.

 

It's on its second set of axles due to some problems with the front. I think it was caused by an unbalanced front driveshaft that wallowed out the seal and blew the fluid out on a 100 mile drive... :roll: So it was cooked. I used that as an opportunity to snag a D30/D44HD (alum) with 3.73's. The rear ended up having spun carrier races, so that got changed to a 3.73 D35, and now the front is making noise with excessive backlash. So, I have another D30 in the wings waiting with u-joint shafts, and nice backlash. The 249 bit the dust when I bought it, and I pulled the front shaft after the axle incident. I have a 242 in the garage waiting for me to get to the axle and get everything swapped at once.

 

Overall, its been a really nice Jeep, and very trouble free. It doesn't ask much of me. The biggest pain in the butt has been the constant messing with the axles, but they are easy in, easy out. No biggie.

 

But the bells and whistles... Boy howdy... Keyless, sunroof, radio controls in the steering wheel... Pssh. Never knew I needed controls in the wheel, but I miss them when I rock the MJ...

 

Good luck with the new purchase. If I could do it all over, I'd be pulling for a 5.9 also.

Rob L. :cheers:

[terrawombat]

Welp, I got the title to a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited in my name. Good thing there was a motor vehicle agency right down the street from the Jeep that was open late tonight.

 

It's slate black with black leather interior. All the normal 5.9L Limited fixins'. Starts and motor runs good. No knocks, no weird noises, good oil pressure, doesn't overheat. Interior is in really good shape - no cracks or tears in the seat. Needs a good vacuuming and cleaning, but it will clean up nice. Car has just about new tires all the way around and the seller threw in a brand new Interstate battery w/2 year warranty in it for me. Has 160,011 miles on the odometer and I paid $1,500 for it. The bad - the trans won't go into reverse, but shifts through forward gears fine. It tried to go in reverse, but baaaarely moves. If I put it in 4-lo, I can get her to move in reverse fine, so it's not completely useless.

 

Going to pick it up tomorrow night. Guy said he would check all fluids and air pressure in the tires. This will be one of the first vehicles I've bought where I can actually drive it home.

 

I'm stoked :D

[87Warrior]

Welp, I got the title to a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited in my name. Good thing there was a motor vehicle agency right down the street from the Jeep that was open late tonight.

Where is the sig update?!?!?!

 

Congrats on the purchase :clapping: I have not yet started to appreciate the ZJ. Not sure why, I just don't find them that attractive :hmm:

[whowey]

tougher than a renix system to dx and fix.

 

I honestly have not known ANY ZJ owner that had good luck with one.

 

 

Considering how dirt simple and easy Renix are to work on... that's a pretty big compliment. It's OBD-I owners and their constant pissing and moaning about Renix's that are tough to live with.

 

 

But hey... what do I know... 211k on my ZJ and still going.

 

Nothing matches a V-8 power slide on a snowy night.....

[terrawombat]

Welp, I got the title to a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited in my name. Good thing there was a motor vehicle agency right down the street from the Jeep that was open late tonight.

Where is the sig update?!?!?!

 

Congrats on the purchase :clapping: I have not yet started to appreciate the ZJ. Not sure why, I just don't find them that attractive :hmm:

 

I've decided I'm at that "point" of Jeep ownership/enthusiasm/idiocy where I can no longer list every one that I own. I originally used my signature to distinguish between the two MJs that I had because it was often confusing for others to figure out which one I was speaking of and what drive train components it had in it. With the seven that I own now, the signature is a little lengthy so I think I'm going to cut back to the Jeeps that are currently on my insurance plan ('01XJ, '98ZJ, and '92MJ).

 

tougher than a renix system to dx and fix.

 

I honestly have not known ANY ZJ owner that had good luck with one.

 

 

Considering how dirt simple and easy Renix are to work on... that's a pretty big compliment. It's OBD-I owners and their constant pissing and moaning about Renix's that are tough to live with.

 

 

But hey... what do I know... 211k on my ZJ and still going.

 

Nothing matches a V-8 power slide on a snowy night.....

 

I've seen plenty of the 5.9L ZJ's go to 200K miles and beyond, but usually not on the original transmission or transfer case.

[Automan2164]

Be sure to check all the sensors before axing the trans... They are known to be a bit finnicky when they get some bad sensor info, and will act funny. I just talked to a guy this weekend who bought a ZJ for $300 because the trans was stuck in second, he replaced a $50 sensor, and drives it everyday.

 

Rob L.

[terrawombat]

Be sure to check all the sensors before axing the trans... They are known to be a bit finnicky when they get some bad sensor info, and will act funny. I just talked to a guy this weekend who bought a ZJ for $300 because the trans was stuck in second, he replaced a $50 sensor, and drives it everyday.

 

Rob L.

 

I'd love for that to be the case. I did some very limited and brief testing when I went down to see/pay for it. When cold, it'll go into reverse and creep along and make some less than ideal noises from the trans. I can also pop it in 4-Lo and it seems to move in reverse fine. I need to do a lot more testing when I get it and I'll be crossing my fingers that it's a solenoid or servo, although my initial instinct is worn reverse band based on the whirring noise I heard.

 

The Jeep was brought into the shop I got it from and the shop owner basically said the transmission was shot and would need to be replaced. I guess the shop owner bought it from the guy and was going to fix it, but never got around to it.

[Comanche County]

5.9s with that mileage are going for 4-5K on ebay. You stole it friend.

 

I've had two Niners, still DD a Deep Slate 5.9 and like the MJ, I doubt I'll ever sell it. Fastest SUV made until the SRT8 came along. Here's some good tech articles from Kevin's...http://www.kevinsoffroad.com/cart/index ... =page&id=5

 

Here's the Motortrend review from way back: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/112 ... uscle.html

 

"As the stoplight flashes to green at a late-night intersection circa 1969, a herd of leaded-fuel-slurping ponycars is about to experience the might of muscle-bound luxo/utes. Emerging from our fantasy time machine onto Woodward Ave., the bravado-emanating Grand Cherokee could casually choose its prey. Sidling up next to a '68 Camaro SS 396 at a stoplight, it would be hard to convince the other driver that you are serious about racing. After all, how fast could a truck really be? As the 325-horsepower Camaro spins its 14-inch wheels fruitlessly, the Grand Cherokee is well on its way to reaching 60 mph a full second ahead of the 7.8-second big-block GM ponycar. Attracting the attention of other ponycars, a '65 Shelby GT-350, '67 Barracuda 340, '68 Pontiac Firebird 400, and '69 Mustang Mach 1 bravely take on the high-tech challenger, only to be sent whinnying back to their garages. It would take an extraordinary car indeed to tromp the Grand Cherokee-a '70 Hemi 'Cuda (5.8 seconds), '70 Mustang Boss 429 (5.3 seconds), or a '67 Corvette 427 (5.6 seconds). Losing to a high-compromise, race-intended musclecar brings no shame to a sport/utility, after all, how good are those coupes off-road?"

[Myron]

This came in at work a couple days ago. I could only snap this one pic because my boss gets upset when I take pictures at work.

 

 

I want to know more about it but have been too busy to search. Maybe someone just put the TSi stickers and purple trim on it? I know it's been on there a while whoever put it on.

[terrawombat]

The TSi was a trim level for the ZJ in 1997 and 1998. Here is the blurb from Wikipedia:

 

"A sporty TSi model (1997–1999) briefly debuted, exterior features included single color body paneling, with lower indigo blue striping and TSi accent similar to that found on the Eagle Talon model. They could only be ordered in select colors, which included Black, Platinum, and Deep Amethyst. TSi packages came equipped with 5 spoke 16-inch (410 mm) alloy wheels, 225/70R16 tires, sport tuned suspension and steering, fog lights, Luxury group, featuring: "Highland" perforated leather seats, overhead computer, power driver's seat and a premium sound system with steering wheel mounted controls. The 4.0 litre I6 and the 5.2 litre V8 were the only two available engines in this package. The TSi was priced between the Laredo and the Limited; however, it was comparatively unpopular and a limited number were sold."

[Myron]

I looked all around it trying to find if it was something special. Didn't notice anything out of the ordinary so I thought it was put on by the PO. I've always known TSi to mean boosted... Imagine a 318 ZJ with 7-8 psi stock. That would be awesome.

[terrawombat]

Me and a buddy drove down to get the ZJ. Had one good car going down and came back with two broken cars. The XJ developed a real nasty sound in the rear end that is dependent on speed of the vehicle. Thinking a broken gear or bad bearing. Getting AAA to tow it home now.

 

[terrawombat]

Drained the transmission on the ZJ and dropped the pan. Not surprisingly, I found the snap ring from the OD clutch pack sitting in the pan in about five pieces. This is a pretty common failure with the Chrysler 46RE transmissions. It can be fixed by purchasing a new or rebuilt OD assembly, which bolts onto the back of the trans, but the trans in my ZJ has other problems too. The low band is pretty worn down and has scored the drum it rides on creating lots of metal flakes in the transmission pan and the magnet is completely covered. Figured it's not worth it to take a chance and replace the OD housing and have something else fail down the road. Found a 73K mile trans out of a Cash for Clunkers 5.9L Limited nearby. Thing is, they can't test it because the engine is seized, but gave me a pretty good warranty on it so I should be covered. Even offered to deliver it to my door for a very low shipping cost. Should have it tonight or tomorrow...guess I better get the old one out.

 

This will also be a good time for me to swap in a 242 transfer case. The 249 case that came in it is a viscous coupling case with full-time 4WD with no option for 2WD. Only full time 4wd and 4wd-lo. The VC doesn't normally last that long and I'd rather get the 242 case in there so I can pop it in 2WD and spin those rear tires :D

[Sir Sam]

Good plan, and your buddy has good taste in wheels.

[terrawombat]

Good plan, and your buddy has good taste in wheels.

 

Those are both mine. My buddy and I drove my XJ down and he drove it back.

[Comanche County]

Whoever traded in a 5.9 in the C4C program should be shot, multiple times by various high caliber weapons...