I accidentally a Cherokee

"Justino6969" (justino6969) 09/23/2016 at 21:12 • Filed to: None

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Well, I did it. I took the plunge and bought a 1996 Cherokee Classic. Has a 3" Skyjacker lift kit sitting on 31" tires. Needs an alignment (badly), so it has the death wobble from 45-55mph. Everything else seems tight in the front end so hopefully that will fix it. Other than that the check engine light is on for bad O2 sensors (new exhaust; probably not even plugged in), and the brakes need bled (but it does have new pads and lines). Not a bad for $2000, in my opinion. Let the shenanigans begin.

Tristan > Justino6969 09/23/2016 at 21:19

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Welcome to the club, and say buh-bye to your money. Check your panhard bar (aka Track bar). The frame side has a ball joint which wears out and is the most common cause of DW.

XJ pic just because!

Justino6969 > Tristan 09/23/2016 at 21:26

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Already check the track bar; no play what-so-ever. I might order a new one anyways. Advance Auto Parts has one in stock in my town and they price match online stores plus shipping, so a MOOG would only be $60 (RockAuto price). I’m getting plates tomorrow and an alignment if any shop has an opening. Then I guess we’ll go from there.

Alfalfa > Justino6969 09/23/2016 at 21:29

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Offroad all the things!

Justino6969 > Alfalfa 09/23/2016 at 21:30

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Oh don’t you worry. I will.

Tristan > Justino6969 09/23/2016 at 21:32

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I recommend an adjustable track bar, but it’s not totally necessary with a 3". Get someone to sit in the driver’s seat and have them saw the wheel back and forth violently while you crawl around under the front end looking for anything that’s moving like it shouldn’t. I’ve enlisted my wife to help with this several times over the years.

Justino6969 > Tristan 09/23/2016 at 21:41

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I can do that! Thanks for the advice.

XJDano > Justino6969 09/23/2016 at 22:00

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Good stuff and a good price from what I can see. I really liked those a Erica racing wheels but never got that series when I was buying wheels used.

3" & 31's look great on XJs.

I agree with the adjustable track bar. Rubicon Express is what I have. I have heard JKS is also good.

Here is a photo of mine 12 years ago in Moab.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Justino6969 09/24/2016 at 02:23

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Do you know what components went into the lift? If there’s a drop pitman arm or trackbar mount drop without the other, that’ll be your DW problem right there. For 3" you shouldn’t need either. If you draw a straight line (when viewed from the front) between the pivots points of the trackbar and again for the drag link, the two must be parallel. If the two aren’t parallel, it over-constrains the steering, leading to continuous load and release. Anything that upsets the precise steering geometry cam cause a similar situation (bad bushings, worn rod ends, bent/worn suspension or steering links). Another source of vibration that could set it off is tire balance. If the DW has been bad enough for long enough, the steering stabilizer will be hosed as well, which means DW will happen more readily the next time. One other thing to check, especially given the lift, is caster angle. Unfortunately not many shops check it because there’s usually not a whole heck of a lot you can do about it. 3" is about the most you’d want to go before the stock control arms are no good anymore, but you maybe could use some slightly longer lower control arms to get the caster back to spec.

Also as a heads up, ‘96 is a bastard year with the implementation of OBD2 before the facelift in ‘97, so there’s a lot of one-year and partial-year parts in the engine management system.

Tristan > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 09/24/2016 at 02:56

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Drop pitman arms are always a terrible idea. Been there, done that, threw it in the trash. ZJ rear lower control arms work great in the front of a lifted XJ to correct the castor angle. My current setup is ZJ rear LCAs, stock XJ uppers, control arm drop brackets, Iron Rock double shear track bar, V8 ZJ tie rods, BDS 6.5" coils and Bilsteins. I came up with this setup after running long arms for several years and always being disappointed with them. It drives almost like stock, it’s quite and comfy with the stock rubber bushings, and it flexes great. Best of all, it’s dirt cheap.

Matsayz > Justino6969 09/24/2016 at 05:30

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Awesome! We picked up a ‘98 a couple years ago and it “takes me back”. Super easy to work on and everything is on YouTube, I mean everything. Plus parts are CHEAP!

functionoverfashion > Justino6969 12/21/2016 at 09:42

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For some reason this is showing up in my feed today of ‘recommended posts’ or whatever. So here you go, this is what happens when you’re a) 23 years old b) living on Maui for no reason and c) buying the first running 4x4 vehicle you look at via local want ads (pre-craigslist).

Yes, those are 31's I think. No, there was no lift. Yes, there was a lot of rubbing. But you know what? That thing got around everywhere and never let me down, even with my limited knowledge at the time, and despite its 160k miles. It was the 4-cyl 5-speed manual. I loved it. When I visited the island 3 years later I saw it on the road, still going, probably the same tires.

Clearly this guy was caring for it better than I did. Best of luck with yours, I’m sure you’ll love it!