Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hy people

we just bought our 2nd XJ, a late 97' model (update dash etc) as the mother in law has claimed our first one.

We have only owned the first one (early 97) for 2 months and when she borrowed it while we went on holidays she decided that she was going to but the car from us.

I had been looking at the newer on for a mate before we went away so when we got back I went down and put a deposit on it.

Im a landrover man my self but im very impressed with the little Jeeps but I have a couple of quiries.

A. Is it normal for steering boxes to leak and feel vauge, and roughly how much to fix and is a reco box an ok proposition.
B. Is it normal for them to drag wheels and hop around in 4wd (not on hard surface) on grass and sand/gravel.
C. Tansfercase, Rear diff leaks are they common as well.

We are getting this second jeep for around the $5k mark (145000km) so im not worried about doing a bit to it as we paid $12k for the other one on LPG which I don't think I will bother with unless I can vapour inject it.

B.

g'day congrats. XJs are a well proven vehicle for offroad capability and reliability. Like with any car though, there is always something.

A. Its not normal for steering box to leak...is it box or pump?
Usually the pump goes first? I just replaced my pump with a reco last week, $330. (mines a 96). Might be worth checking that its only your lines that are leaking.

B. Is not normal...maybe rear diff problem

C. Leaks are not common. I suspect related to B.

Get it checked....the rear diff has an LSD, so use limslip or the likes.
Dana diffs dont have drain holes, have to take off cover. But this is good time to check everything is ok. That silly rubber seal will leak if its been overfilled at times.
(some pre 96s dont have LSD)

Only common leak im aware of is a minor one from the rear main seal of the 4.0L donk. Usually not a bigggy though.

Where are you?
Are DIY, or do you need recommendation to anywhere? Spose you already have a disco, so you probably have a good mechanic LOL (only kidding)

This is a good site to check out for your DIY:
http://www.go.jeep-xj.info

good luck
cheers
Dan

I got a phone call from the mechanic that was meant to be replacing the steering box yesterday morning, as he'd rang the owner to say how much the roady was going to be and by now I hope they got his heart started again.
As for an XJ that was going to be our back up and nothing special, just run the misses back and forth to work and pull the landy out when its bogged, it seems that it isn't worth repairing and is now on it's way to a wrecker or the auctions.
It was the steering box that would apparently be around the $900 mark plus the LSD clutches were pretty much locked up and was leaking from the diff cover gasket, Trans and trasfer case were both leaking as was the rear main and the oil filter.
There were also brake issues apparently that I missed as our XJ that weve just sold also has gaunch and a vague pedal.
So after that phone call I went and looked at a lerado that a mate put me onto, a bit more exy but allready has dual batts, alloy TJM bar, long range tank and coopers as well as the tyre size is the same as the landy I can off load my nearly worn out all terrains to the better half and steel the coops for me.
Its getting checked out now and spoke to him a couple of hrs ago and no surprises yet.

Thanks for the reply, Im a mechanic but I work on tracktors and specialised stuff and never really on cars other than my own so I rely on other mechanics and mates that are mechanicly minded for info on this sort of thing.
Some referals to a good Jeep garage in the sth east melb suburbs and a jeep wrecker would be great.
I have already been on the Gojeep site and found it great if you can do it, and I have most of the equipment to do that sort of thing but I want to know how he gets around the engineering certificate side of things.

? what do they call the '96 lerado
thanks again

96 Laredo might be a ZJ but im not 100% sure!

bad luck on the XJ, sounded like it was farked.

Good place foir Jeeps are:

Wombat Offroad Ringwood
USA 4x4 Mordialloc
POLY4x4 Oakliegh

Good place to check out too is ausjeepoffroad.com

good luck

I didn't think of wombat for jeeps as I met him at Wandin and he was there with a Disco but cool thanks for that

Shane is a disco man, but they know Jeeps too. some experience came from an ex-crew member that comped in an XJ. The other mechs their are sufficently versatile and expereinced to even rebuild the DANA diffs. (speaking from personal experience)...as for an inline push rod six (from the 60s), ...you couldnt call yourself a mechanic if you didnt know how to work on one of them. lol

yeah Im not to worried about the donk, I think my 9 yo son could rebuild one but I don't have any more experience on autos, fuel inj etc than what I did at trade school as I've allways been doing the ag stuff and mainly Diesel.
Im heading over that way today so I might call in.

By the way the new cherokee insures as ZG but everyone I talk to as far as parts go says ZJ so Im confused.

Nice car either way but I want to put an XJ trans case in it if it can be done so I can piss off the constant 4wd to try and save a bit of juice and stop the front tyres chopping out as it drags them too (5 out of 5 jeeps that I have checked do it).

It's gone back to the road worthy mech at the moment, you don't do a roady on a vehical that is being sold to a mechanic and leave play in the steering as he is going to find out why that is....(steering box adj, 2 tie rod ends n/s).

Also the back door wouldn't open and the ABS light is on and there is a nice scraping noise coming fron the wear plates on the brake pads in the back.

So im keeping his name for when I need a bodgy done.