I miss my xj

nsliberty · **Joined:** Thu May 20, 2010 9:34 pm **Posts:** 36

Hey guys this is my first post. I have had my 05 liberty sport for close to a year now and I find myself missing my old 97 cherokee. Has anyone else gone through this? I have been browsing the used car lots and have found a nice 2000 xj with low miles for a good price, it is tempting I must say. I like a lot of things about the kj but am disappointed with the off road performance, the kj suffers from a total lack of ground clearance under the front diff. I have the full skid plate package and that front plate hits everything, I can't go back any of the dirt roads in my ares without hitting something. I have been looking at lifting it, but am tempted to sell it and go back to an xj. Any thoughts?

kskj · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 9:46 am

You just need to lift it, and get some good tires. We are heading home from Moab this morning after a week of fun. My brother has a XJ 4 1/2 inch lift and he went through everything we did with ease. In the KJ I did all the same things but it just was more challenging and I think more fun.

nsliberty · **Joined:** Thu May 20, 2010 9:34 pm **Posts:** 36

I would like to lift it but after reading every thread I could on lifting I am more unsure and confused than ever. It seems as though the frankenlift is best but some of the parts needed to do it are no longer available, so what do I buy? This is also my daily driver and I am afraid the lift will kill it's highway driveability.

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 11:44 am

A good spring lift will not kill your daily driveability at all.
Mines been lifted over 110,000 miles and nothings went wrong except normal wear items.
frankenlifts are still being made. AllJs says they can not get ranchos any more although a few are still out there but they can still build them with OME shocks. Or you can build your own lift and get just as much lift as a Franky with well chosen parts

As far as missing the XJ, I missed mine for maybe a day. After running three of them up over 250,000 miles I thought I may. Ride, handeling, everything is much better in a KJ I think, its stiffer doesn't twist like a pretzel when off road just better! :2cents:

nsliberty · **Joined:** Thu May 20, 2010 9:34 pm **Posts:** 36

I agree the ride and handling are better in the kj, as well as noise or lack of it. I was looking at the BDS lift as well. Is it a decent kit and do I need to buy anything else to go with it, such as bumpstops?

TAHOE · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 12:18 pm

nsliberty wrote:

I agree the ride and handling are better in the kj, as well as noise or lack of it. I was looking at the BDS lift as well. Is it a decent kit and do I need to buy anything else to go with it, such as bumpstops?

The BDS is a decent kit, should net you about 2-2 1/2" of lift. I think you need bumpstops and maybe front struts that do not come with kit... not sure, been a while since I checked into them.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 1:03 pm

No CRD option on the XJ.

InCommando · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 2:23 pm

One of the saving graces of the XJ was that it was never offered with the CRD, true. The chassis rigidity & passenger space on the KJ are head and shoulders above the XJ.

JustinP · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 5:07 pm

I miss my XJ too, but I wouldnt trade my KJ to have it back, I love my KJ. I might buy another XJ one day.

Waldo22 · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 6:16 pm

I miss driving my XJ too man. Thats why i decided to moth ball it until i have time to drive it again. But my good friend sold his and keeps bugging me to help him find another one. I really like my 05 liberty and it is much better on the road and has no over heating problems lol. Id keep the KJ and get a xj at some point. Good luck man

InCommando · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 9:09 pm

JustinP wrote:

I miss my XJ too, but I wouldnt trade my KJ to have it back, I love my KJ. I might buy another XJ one day.

Specs?

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 10:37 pm

In my opinion, it’s really hard to compare the two Jeeps. If you can swing it, I would keep your KJ and buy another XJ when you can afford it. Last October I paid $2,200 for a rust free 2000 XJ with 169,500 miles. Cherokees are cheap, parts are plentiful, and the aftermarket stuff is fairly inexpensive.

InCommando · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 11:13 pm

They are certainly the most affordable Jeeps.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Mon May 24, 2010 11:45 pm

It takes a special man....and better off-roading skills to do it in a KJ.

You must learn the ways of the force, young Skyjacker.

nsliberty · **Joined:** Thu May 20, 2010 9:34 pm **Posts:** 36

I think I would end up missing the kj if I sold it, so the plan is to keep the kj and try to talk the wife into letting me get an xj as well. They are both great rigs and each have their strong and weak points. Now a SFA liberty would be the answer, but that is not in the budget, yet.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue May 25, 2010 1:00 am

JL Rockies wrote:

No CRD option on the XJ.

There was diesel option in the US from '85-'87,more years for exports and yes even the 2.8 CRD engine was offered(export only).

InCommando · **Posted:** Tue May 25, 2010 9:37 am

There ws no CRD XJ sold here, at least.

Give me a nice simple 4BT. THAT is a diesel.

JustinP · **Posted:** Tue May 25, 2010 4:25 pm

InCommando wrote:

There ws no CRD XJ sold here, at least.

Give me a nice simple 4BT. THAT is a diesel.

Im nearly 100% sure that there was a diesel XJ. I doubt it was a CRD, thats Common Rail Diesel correct. But from what Ive heard about the few out there onlline, they were junk. And it was in the first few years. I think tjkj is accurate. which IMO, cherokees were still growing at that point, what with branching off from the AMC stuff to chrysler.

I don't want to hijack, but for incommando, my XJ was a 97 with 6.5" short arm, sway bar discos, SYE, stock axles and gears, rear disc conversion, with 33" cepek crushers with 15" rock crawler steelies, and of course my hi-lift on the back. For a short arm lift, it could flex pretty good, with the sway bars disconnected of course. At the time of that pic, I believe it had around 225K miles

CRD Joe · **Posted:** Tue May 25, 2010 4:32 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

JL Rockies wrote:

No CRD option on the XJ.

There was diesel option in the US from '85-'87,more years for exports and yes even the 2.8 CRD engine was offered(export only).

Prior to 1988 when all DOT crash and import laws standardized for North America the Canadians got a Renault diesel powered XJ. We never got it to my knowledge. At times I miss my XJ as well. I dont miss the 12-15 MPG I used to get.

GO CRD!

L.O. · **Posted:** Tue May 25, 2010 11:23 pm

My wife still refers to my XJ as my "real jeep" :dizzy:

I miss my xj

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