Goodbye ZJ....

[JeepZJ4.0]

...Hello WJ!
For those who don't speak Jeep. My 1995 Grand is now in the hands of my father and little brother. My brother wanted it for when he turned 16 and my father wants him to learn how to repair it until he gets his licence. My dad also likes it since he claims it gets better gas mileage than the WJ. Speaking of which, say hello to this:

A 2000 Grand Cherokee Limited. 4.7L V8, sunroof, leather, heated seats. It's not 4x4, but thats ok. I will drive this for a year. After I graduate, I will be looking for a car. I think it gets the same gas mileage due to the 5speed auto. Very quick and comfortable.

My little brother has put a lift on the 1995, and I bought him wider offset wheels so it will be more stable:

 

[mcrn]

How do you like your WJ? Thats one vehicle I have thought about buying. How does it compare to your ZJ?

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Sniff, sniff.....

 

[JeepZJ4.0]

mcrn - the WJ feels bigger. Especially going from a I6 to a V8. It is heavier, and it is apparent in turns. Maybe it's the tires. They are really bad. That picture is kinda old. The car now has some General Ameritrac tires... very bad. I'm not being fair though. My ZJ had poly bushings in a lot of places to help with handling. It also has better shocks. The OEM ones were changed with OEM ones before we bought it. If I had just a pair of shocks and some good tires, it would be dead.
That being said, the WJ is nicer to drive around town and on the highway. It's quieter. More comfortable. A good upgrade. Drive it. Get the V8. The mileage is about the same. It's a long discussion on JU... but most will say, get the V8.

 

[mcrn]

Thanks for the info. I test drove one WJ with the V8 and I really liked it. Very nice ride, especially for a SFA. I love the I6 too though. I like that you can put your hand on everything under the hood. How does that V8 seem like it will be to work on? Such as regular maintenance like tune ups?

 

[JeepZJ4.0]

Well, spark plugs, which need to be changed every 30K, are a PITA but everything else is easy. That's because the engine has no problems. Accessories are working well. If you get a V8, try and get a Special Edition or Laredo. Limiteds made before 2003 have a problem with the dual AC auto climate system. It will break once every 10 years if you always use "AUTO" and costs 800-1500 to repair at the dealer. The "Blend Door" problem.

 

[cousincletus]

From what I can remember I had to take off the air breather ducting in order to get at the plugs on the 4.7 in the wife's Durango. That frees up a lot of room. The plug in the back on the pass side is the hard one, but I used a Snap-On fine tooth ratchet and a flexible extension. The coil-over plugs are pretty easy to remove.

 

[cousincletus]

BTW I like the wheels on the 1995. What are they?

 

[JeepZJ4.0]

Those are "Canyon" wheels from a TJ Wrangler. 96-98 ZJs had their own version of Canyons with more conservative backspacing and was a 15x7, not 15x8 as pictured.

 

[JeepZJ4.0]

oh, thanks BTW. The little brother was happy to see those on there.