It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:42 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: 1985 4x4 of the Year
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2011 3:42 pm 
Offline
LOST Addict
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:23 am
Posts: 2121
Location: Kentucky, USA
Just finished reading the March 1985 issue of Petersen's 4Wheel and Offroad magazine, specifically the 4x4 of the Year contest. The Jeep Cherokee XJ competed with it's all-new 2.1L turbo-diesel. It had aluminum block and heads, overhead cam, and packed a Garrett T-2 turbo. It was rated for 85 horsepower at 3750RPM and 132 lb/ft of torque at a wopping 2750RPM. :-)r (Was this really a diesel? LOL) It turned 26.78 miles per gallon in the testing, which destroyed everything else in the test (worst was the Ford Bronco with 10.5 miles per gallon). The sticker price on it was $18,657 which was expensive for 1985, and the most expensive SUV in the test. In the end, however, the Jeep lost the competition to the new Isuzu Trooper II which shined as a better package overall.

The Jeep couldn't even hit 65 MPH in the 1/4 mile portion of testing. :mrgreen: It was considered high-technology for the times and was praised in the magazine with it's 21.5:1 compression ratio and great fuel economy, but by 2011 standards it would be a complete and total joke and if we drove one we'd probably never get into a Jeep again. Made for some interesting reading.

_________________

2005 Stone White KJ Limited CRD 4x4
Off-Road Pkg
Trac-Lok
Emu 790s/948s
Skyjacker H7088s rear/Bilsteins front
15x7 Black Rock Lobos/31x10.50 Firestones
GDE HOT Tune + TCM Tune
Euro TC
CB radio
Thrush Turbo muffler
AEM DryFlow filter


Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1985 4x4 of the Year
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2011 3:44 pm 
Offline
LOST Addict
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:23 am
Posts: 2121
Location: Kentucky, USA
I should have posted this in the other diesel fueled Jeeps section though.. sorry.

_________________

2005 Stone White KJ Limited CRD 4x4
Off-Road Pkg
Trac-Lok
Emu 790s/948s
Skyjacker H7088s rear/Bilsteins front
15x7 Black Rock Lobos/31x10.50 Firestones
GDE HOT Tune + TCM Tune
Euro TC
CB radio
Thrush Turbo muffler
AEM DryFlow filter


Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1985 4x4 of the Year
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2011 4:20 pm 
Offline
Lifetime Member
Lifetime Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed May 24, 2006 6:52 am
Posts: 3442
Location: Columbus, Ohio. USA
That was back when Renault controlled AMC/Jeep and it was a Renault engine. The transmission used then was from a Pugoet (sp?) and there are still a very few of them running arround and loved by their owners :SOMBRERO:

_________________
Atlantic Blue 06 CRD Limited (his)
Joined by a 2000 XJ Classic (hers)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1985 4x4 of the Year
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2011 5:33 pm 
Offline
LOST Member

Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:21 am
Posts: 110
Location: Front Range
I loved mine (the brown Cherokee on my avatar). It consistently got over 30 MPG and ran great here in the mountains. I paid $700 for it (it had new tires too), and ran it for over 55,000 miles in 3.5 years. It had about 170,000 on the clock when I gave it to the Jeep mechanic who helped me with my first (lemon) CRD that Chrysler eventually replaced (green Liberty on the other side of the avatar).


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1985 4x4 of the Year
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2011 2:41 am 
Offline
LOST Junkie
User avatar

Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 7:10 pm
Posts: 664
Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
LibertyCRD wrote:
The Jeep Cherokee XJ competed with it's all-new 2.1L turbo-diesel. It had aluminum block and heads, overhead cam, and packed a Garrett T-2 turbo. It was rated for 85 horsepower at 3750RPM and 132 lb/ft of torque at a wopping 2750RPM. :-)r (Was this really a diesel? LOL) It turned 26.78 miles per gallon in the testing, which destroyed everything else in the test (worst was the Ford Bronco with 10.5 miles per gallon). .


Hi,
don't knock the Chrockee XJ turbo D with the Renault engine. Actually compare to what was available in those days it was quite good. In 1986 Range Rover came out with 2.4TD the origins of the CRD we all run now, Toyota was running 2.4 TD in the High Lux & Land Cruisers and so was Mitsubishi in the Pajero (known also as Shogun, Montenero, etc.) I all honest it introduced 4X4 to a larger public in Europe as a versatile vehicle and the performance was more than adequate for the time. Chrockee XJ Turbo D sold in vast amounts through Europe and some are still around now ( emit ions killed most of them off in the last 7/8yr or have been sold to Eastern Europe). Up to 2001 you could still get a new XJ with 2.5TD VM engine even with 3 dr ( mainly if I am not wrong in Spain & Portugal not the rest of Europe, I personally would love to find one in good nick).

1985 to 1993 was the big Boom of 4x4 in Europe and the Chrockee was part of it with the Range Rover and I am sure both Jeep & Land Rover & the Japanese manufactures made a mint selling.
Fil.

_________________
CRD 2.5 2003
Image
Snorkel
Curt Front Hitch+Warn M8000 & Cradel
Asfir Front, Gearbox,Transfer Skid + Mopar Tank Skid
BF Goodridge KM2 & General Grabbers AT 245/75R16
OME NS131&790 + NS132L&948, 3/8 Boiler Top Plate, JBA 4.5, 2 Top Rear Isolators


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1985 4x4 of the Year
PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2011 2:20 pm 
Offline
LOST Addict
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:23 am
Posts: 2121
Location: Kentucky, USA
Unfortunately, these engines were hardly reliable and I heard a lot of stories of them losing head gaskets. And... the Pugeot (or how ever you spell it) transmission was absolute garbage. They even tried using this transmission in the new Wrangler that had just debuted in 1987 and that lasted for one model year before they got sick of replacing trannies for owners. That French/European drivetrain had a horrible reputation for quality here in the States and it ended up that a lot of people stayed away from them. This, coupled with other diesel disasters like GM trying to convert a 350 gas engine to diesel power, is the reason why we never saw another light duty diesel in the U.S. again for 20 years.

_________________

2005 Stone White KJ Limited CRD 4x4
Off-Road Pkg
Trac-Lok
Emu 790s/948s
Skyjacker H7088s rear/Bilsteins front
15x7 Black Rock Lobos/31x10.50 Firestones
GDE HOT Tune + TCM Tune
Euro TC
CB radio
Thrush Turbo muffler
AEM DryFlow filter


Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1985 4x4 of the Year
PostPosted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:04 pm 
Offline
LOST Newbie

Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2010 11:27 pm
Posts: 9
Just saw a lot of inaccuracies in this thread, and had to toss my $0.02 in. :2cents:

Engine:
2.1L Renault J8S, Intercooled turbo, 2068CC.

The engine isn't unreliable, it's misunderstood. Because America was so, and is so, afraid of small diesels like this, it's never well taken care of. I would liken it to the CRD in the KJ. When properly maintained, it is a sewing machine of French delight... When people just drive the crap out of it without taking care of it's quirks, it's a nightmare. They are most known for how fragile they are with heat. The block is aluminum with steel wet liners. The head is also aluminum. You can imagine what will happen when you expose an engine made of so much soft metal to excess heat. Also, with these, as much as the KJ CRD, the timing belt is of utmost importance. They also are interference engines, as the CRD. Overseas, this engine is well loved and liked. It also gets the attention it requires though. Many of these are still on the road to some extent in foreign countries, few in the states. Not many people could stomach the rather large cost of the option in the states, as well as it was mostly a special order option. There are very few left in existence over here.

Trans:
AX5 Same as used in the gasser 2.5L's, different input shaft.

The Peugot's were only ever used in 4.0L's. The Diesels only had the AX5, which is a very stout transmission, especially behind the diesel. Same trans used behind the 2.8L V-6 in '86 also in Comanche's.

Other than that, if anyone has a question about these, please ask away. I would be happy to teach all I know.

Image

Rob :mrgreen:

_________________
The Fleet
'86 MJ 2.1L 4x4 MT LWB - Diesel Fuel Only - Jeep Made a pickup? Annnndddd a DIESEL!?
'87 MJ 4.0L 4x2 AT LWB - The Farmer
'98 ZJ 4.0L 4x4 AT Limited - U.A.V. Urban Assault Vehicle
Moderator, http://www.ComancheClub.com :SOMBRERO:


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1985 4x4 of the Year
PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 12:30 pm 
Offline
LOST Newbie

Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2012 12:10 pm
Posts: 1
I recently purchased a 1985 Jeep 2.1 turbo diesel 5 speed. It is amazing! Getting between 28.7 and 29.6 mpg. It has better pickup than I thought it would have. This one is spotless. Yep I'm willing to sell it for a quick buck! Brian :D


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group. Color scheme by ColorizeIt!
Logo by pixeldecals.com