Candid Thoughts on GC Value

FWIW: Mostly "Personal Choice".

Myself, I'd go for the Limited even with its higher mileage. I like the Ltd amenities and the full-time 4WD.

One of my drives is a 96 JGC Ltd with 175K+ on it and it still looks and runs absolutely great (except for the FM radio).

On the other hand, the lower mileage Laredo is hardly broken in and perhaps underutilized so things "might" break sooner than later.

Good luck.

Bob

The doo-dads, gee-gaw, and bling bling in the Limiteds and Overlands are the most common cause of expensive repairs.

The Limited's automatic temperature control system have a well known tendency of developing the 'blend door' syndrome where you will get in the vehicle one day and find yourself needing a $1000-$1200 worth of labor to get the heat or A/C to work as the dash needs to be removed to replace $12 in parts. There may well be no warning before failure

The nv249 transfer case is also a point of weakness, especially in a vehicle that hasn't had 'severe service' maintenance performed. Pay special attention to ANY noise, stiffness, resistance, clunking when accelerating and especially turning which would indicate failure is approaching. When it fails you will be, literally, stuck wherever the failure occurs. The real 'fix' for this situation is to swap in a nv242 Selec-Trac transfer case.

The Laredo's heat/air system lacks the trouble prone components of the ATC. There is a known problem in the resistor block that controls the fan speeds. It is located underneath the glovebox and is easily replaced in your driveway in a few minutes

If you want tow hooks they are available at the dealer parts department in chrome or black for less than $100 for the front or, if you are handy, you can install them yourself and save the labor charge The CD changer can also be added at anytime, the changer controls are, most likely, already in your factory radio.

Other differences.

Laredos have 16 inch wheels that offer a large amount of choice in highway and off-road tires. The Limiteds have 17 inch wheels and their specific size (235/65x17) is only made by a couple brands.

I should have mentioned it, but both do have the Carfax report. I don't wholly rely on Carfax entirely because of backyard fixes and the like, but it is a good starting point for Louisiana cars. Unless somebody happened to be down there on vacation. Nothing is certain in life is it? Heh. Thanks Bill. I was waiting for you input especially. Doug are you around on this too? D

Thanks Billy Ray. I agree. Most of the problems with my 93 ZJ inline 6 have been the accessories. Does that blend door cause the whole system to fail? I'm sorry, I don't understand your second paragraph here. I assume the nv249 xfer case is the Quadra-Drive? What is the 'severe service' maintenance you mention? There was no binding, stiffness or noise from the underside during a 5 mile test drive. I did try to make several sharp, lock to lock turns during it for that reason. I was surprised a full time 4WD could be so smooth. Do I understand you to say that the Select-Trac is more durable in your opinion than the Quadra? Is this because it is only an occassional part-time use of the system? I would think that gas mileage might be better with the Selec-Trac since you're not driving the front wheels all the time too. I have done the resistor checkout in my 93. I agree, simple and easy fix. I am a recovering shade-tree guy anyway. I don't care really too much about the hooks or the CD changer really. I just put that in cause it came to mind, but thanks. The tire reference is very telling. I do appreciate that type of information. Thanks for your input. Any other thoughts?

Selec-Trac is a 100% mechanical or geared system. That is to say, it doesn't have any friction materials, viscous couplers, or electronic gizmos to fail. Just gears, and three differentials that divide the torque between the front and rear wheels. You can also put the lever in 2H and it is a true two wheel drive system. That would be good for your gas mileage concerns, but the Quadra-Drive system was supposedly designed for improved bad weather on-road manners. I don't know how much better it could be than Selec-Trac. If you really wanted to, I think you could put locking front hubs on a Selec-Trac vehicle too. You have to decide for yourself which concern is more important for you, and add in Billy Ray's potentially expensive repair argument.

Good luck!

Earle

accelerating

There is blend door write up on WJ Jeeps at:

In 'severe service' you replace most of the underbody lubricants on a yearly basis, on the other schedule they are 'lifetime' fluids.

I would also take the vehicle to a dead end street or parking lot at night (when it is quieter) and listen for noises/bindings while at slow speed going from full lock to lock

I was somewhat surprised at the lack of tire options myself. This is compounded by a lack of information about what other 17 inch sizes will actually fit without interference or lifting.

I suspect that mileage would be somewhat better with the Selec-Trac but I've never heard that it was very much.

Billy Ray, What a great site ! ! ! THanks so much! That will really help. So, taking the dash out is a job huh? That's an understatement. Heh. Thanks for the explanation of 'severe service'. I do appreciate all the help. It clears a lot up for me. D

accelerating

If we can get Bill to post you a link to the WJ maintenance and Lubrication Schedule you can get details on the differences.

I read a story some time ago that according to GM over 90 percent of drivers should be following 'severe service' rather than the maintenance schedule the manufacturers advertise.

I assume it is similar or higher for Jeeps.

I've been looking at WJ's as well and another somewhat common problem area I encountered is pulling to the right. An '04 I test drove would lane-change in a millisecond at 70 mph if I let go of the wheel. Even in the left hand lane crowned the opposite way it wanted to go right. A search of this newsgroup and the WJ site turned up something about variations in a weld location causing a bad caster angle on some WJ's. I'm not sure if there's a fix for this, but I passed on that one.

Regarding gas mileage, at least with the I6 trailer tow gets you a lower axle ratio which will probably hurts mileage more than the transfer case. Do V8's with Selectrac have the aluminum Dana 44?

I did run across what I call a 'Katr> The doo-dads, gee-gaw, and bling bling in the Limiteds and Overlands are the

I would go with the 4.0 sixer and selec-trac in an option heavy Laredo. The 4.7 has a powerband that's not far above the six...add a K&N filter and free-flowing muffler to the 4.0 and you will catch yourself trolling for hotrods on the wet streets while in the NP242 fulltime mode. ALL the GC auto trannies have "issues"......do a search. My bud bought his WJ w/4.7V8-Quadra-crap....lousy MPG. I run my '01 4.0 -selec-trac 650 miles a week, good mpg and pass everything on the road in rain/snow/late for work mode. I'm on my third 4.0 powered Jeep and have found these motors virtually bullet-proof.

I really enjoy this group. You guys are giving me such good information! I'm not sure if the V8 w/ Selec-Trac have the Dana 44. Maybe someone else will chime in. I never fail to look underneath. There's always a story there. Thanks for your input Al. D

accelerating

Thanks Edward. I think the 4.0 is actually bullet-proof. Mine's over 276K. Only big problems' been in the accessories. That tells me a lot about the bling bling on the Limited's too. What is a K&N filter? Seems like I should know, but didn't sleep well last night. THanks again. D

Re: Transfer cases

The NV249 (viscous coupling) was in the V8 ZJs. The WJs have the NV247 (gerotor coupling). I was not aware that it's as failure-prone as the 249.

Bob - 1999 WJ Limited V8/QD, Tow Hooks/Skid plates, 245/70R16 BFG AT/KO

- 109k.

The K&N on my '01 cost 27 bucks at Advance Auto parts... clean & re-oil every 30 to 50K miles w/million mile warranty. Better mpg and performance. Look on Ebay for the Quadradrive viscous couplings....I guess they go bad often. In Ohio those WJ prices would get the seller laughed at, or beaten. I saw a Technical Service Bulletin on the alignment remedy(pulls right) thing. If you buy 4.7 V8 , they also made H.O.(high output) in certain years. Do a web search on Grand Cherokee groups.... NorthAmericanGrandCherokeeAssociation(NAGCA) or MallCrawlin'.com are two of MANY. After you get a 4.0 broke in (100K) there are "stroker" kits and other hop-up tricks galore.

The Dana44 in question is the 44a (aluminum), not the regular 44 which is iron. The two share little in common.

There are strength issues for both available axles (d44a & d35c) and it may well be a toss-up as to which one is preferable or superior.

I believe that both WJs in question had the factory tow package which comes standard with the d44a and 3.73 gearing.

The 4 liter engine gets a lot of criticism on some boards in regards to performance. It is true that it won't win many drag races but is perfectly adequate for normal operation and towing. When towing in the mountains it is necessary to lock out overdrive.

On the other hand it had a proven durability of several hundred thousand miles before a major rebuild is required.

Please note that in my previous post I mentioned the NV249 transfer case. While it also has its problems I should have said nv247 AWD case.

In any case be sure to get a 'build sheet' from the dealership (or via e-mail). They offer a wealth of information at no charge.