I have the Cherokee....

4L Cherokee 4 Dr. '95 Sport, 4wd, Auto. 178k miles.
New: Radiator, H2O pump, Battery, Starter.
231 Transfer Case (prior 242 was grinding)...used T-case. Used (2 Y.O. Alternator)
Floors rusted out....replaced with 16ga Sheet Metal and then bedlined. Rockers panels mostly rusted away.
New Tires.

Needs: 2 Front U Joints. Rest of front (ball joints, tie ends) seems good.

Not sure on: Rear brakes (not off the vehicle yet).

Should I swap for:


'94 Ranger. 3L 6cyl. 4wd. Auto. 150k miles.
No Rust.
New tires...fresh inspection (so presumably most parts OK)
New rear main seal, shocks, trans filter.
(not sure on bed or cab size)


Not going to tow any significant weight (small garden type trailer...maybe) or go off-road with the vehicles. More for hauling stuff around...shooting gear, kayaks, fishing gear, etc.


I used to have a '94 Explorer (4L engine 2dr, 2wd, Manual)...was a pretty good vehicle for me...traded it away (instead of the POS Windstar van....BAAADDDD mistake!)





Any thoughts from this forum (I've been reading the Cherokee forum and can guess their opinions without posting the same info over there. On another regular board I'm a member on ...non auto related...the general consensus is keep the Cherokee...but thought I'd ask here to see what the pluses are for the Ranger...since I've never owned one.

 

I6 owns 3.0L
302 swap owns both
how any people are going to be hauled?
more people then stuff? cherokee
more stuff then people? ranger

those xj's are nice and classic looking. more aftermarket for them then the ranger. you do have a plus being a ttb front suspension over t-bars.

honestly, the only way i would is if i knew it was a ext cab. if it was a reg cab, i'd keep the jeep.

 

Ouch...from the Ranger Forum makes it unanimous. Really not sure on the cab size. More to haul fishing stuff, shooting gear (not enough of a hunter to justify it with that term...haven't been out in years), and Kayaks...and those can go on a roof rack easily enough.

Hauling...Me, the two kids max (obviously).
Wouldn't be a daily driver...however either one would be the only 4wd vehicle we have for use in the winter.
We are in the process of moving (putting things into storage to make the end of the month move easier), so either would probably help...all the furniture is going on a moving truck..so boxes, etc. in whatever vehicle is going to the storage place is the usual MO.

Thanks for any opinions.

AFARR

 

For winter driving I would rather have the ranger. My dads Cherokee sucks in the winter compared to how my ranger did.

Sounds like I would pick the ranger for the things you haul. That bed space would be nice.

Only problem is the extended cab sucks to ride in as a adult. I would assume your kids are smaller though

 

14 and 15 Y.O. girls.

99% of the time it would be Just me or one kid in the vehicle. The Cherokee has the 231 T-case installed (only Part Time 4wd). I took the 242 T-case out of it (pretty sure the chain was too lose...slipping over the gears)...but that could be rebuilt (thus giving it the 4wd Full Time option).

Honestly...most opinions (aside from the above) are for keeping the Cherokee. I'll still take a look at the guys Ranger...my concern was more for the durability of the 3.0L and the Auto Trans it's mated with (esp. with 150k miles)....the AW4 and I6 are (supposedly) both pretty good.

The Cherokee was purchased for $400...and it had new tires (and it was worth about what the tires were....needed enough work). I'm into it for $1200 total (purchase/title/parts, etc.)..so not a lot of $$ invested one way or the other...

My Daily Driver is a '91 BMW 318is that I keep running with 225-250k miles on it (I put about 75k of them on it myself). It gets 30mpg. So whatever I do, it will probably be a sub 6k/year vehicle for a while.

Thanks!

AFARR

 

Wirelessly posted

I've own two Cherokees a 95 sport 4.0 and a built 99 4.0 swapped to a golen 4.6. They were both great jeeps but they broke often. They suck in the snow compared to my truck. The jeeps have the unbeatable engine and tranny. I would get a ranger more reliable

 

Ask yourself, do you have nuts? Yes, then get the Ranger.


If you don't have nuts, then a Heep is the thing for you.

 

I use to have 2 Cherokees, Had a 91 that i traded for a 98 and then I got into a tiny 15 mph crash and it totaled the Jeep out due to that stupid unibody. Been real happy with the Ranger though seems to do much better off-road sits up higher from the factory and does waaaaay better in the snow. But in all reality the pluses and negatives of both equal each other out and I would own both if I could afford to. So I would say go with whats best for you as both are reliable vehicles.

 

the floors where rotted out what else is rotted out and the rockers a rotted out its a unibody thoes fram rails are prob toast to

 

Frame rails are solid.

The rust was from some kind of a leak that dampened the carpet...and the guy I got it from (heard from someone else) had lost his license due to drinking...the Jeep sat for 2 years before I bought it (had to change out the alternator and belt in his yard...the alternator had frozen).

AFARR