LR3 Builds a 1:1 - 2003 Grand Cherokee

[It usually runs fine]

Go check out Mallcrawlin.com and we will get you set on the right track with modding a grand.

[LR3]

Originally Posted by It usually runs fine

Go check out Mallcrawlin.com and we will get you set on the right track with modding a grand.

I knew the haters would hate.

[RANOVRU]

I owned a '02 a few years ago. I used it as a daily for the most part but at the end of its time with me I took it wheeling a couple of times. Mine had the part time 4wd though. I didnt know they even made the full times for anything but the 8cyls??

Bottom line from my experience, great driver (never had a problem with anything not working) & suprisingly capable offroad in stock trim. I thought my i6 had great power. Mpg was avg for what the vehicle is.

I looked into lifts when I had mine and there wasnt but one or two companies that actually made anything. I think the biggest was a 6" and even the company had a warning for how bad it tracked. From what Ive read anything over stock (susp wise) makes these things more unsafe on the road. Something about the way the straight axle suspension works with a unibody I believe?? Who knows though, its been a few years so maybe manufacturers have improved on them.

[LR3]

Originally Posted by RANOVRU

& suprisingly capable offroad in stock trim.

I noticed that with mine. My friend has a 1990s F150 with a 4 inch lift and my WJ can keep up with his rig easily even with street tires. We bushwhacked a trail up the local mountain Sunday afternoon and I was able to get mine over and around anything and everything I needed to. Gotta love a jeep

[xgerstandtx]

Originally Posted by It usually runs fine

Go check out Mallcrawlin.com and we will get you set on the right track with modding a grand.

Mallcrawlin is a joke. Negative arrogant people good luck.

[jaydubya2003]

Originally Posted by xgerstandtx

Mallcrawlin is a joke. Negative arrogant people good luck.

They can be...but also some serious hard-core info over there. I'd say they're kinda the "pirate 4x4" of the Grand Cherokee world. Where NAGCA is a lot like here...pretty laid back for the most part unless you just act like a complete ass...or don't get the common sense functionality of how a forum works...lol

[crawlmaster18]

im a regular cherokee guy not gc but i know gc's prtty well it will have 8.25 rear 99% sure if not 35 rear straight six you made out good way better unless you have the 5.9 but just gotta see what tranny u got but like most said aim for 33" tires and like a 4'" and that will give you decent crawling and if you regear and lock they can crawl decent and the tcase shift points you said means its a 242 which most swap out but its fine for mild stuff just go on cherokeeforum.com and you will have the best luck on my profile you can see a pic of my 84 XJ (XTREME JEEP) but you know what WJ means WRONG JEEP

[jaydubya2003]

The 242 is actually a real good all around T-case, switching to the 231 is common for ZJ owners only because it allows for re-gearing of the case. Most ZJ guys will swap from the 249 to the 242 to keep their "AWD" function with the 2wd option, and the low range. And the 5.9 was only offered on the 98 Jeep ZJ, nothing before or after. The WJ's had the 4.7 HO as the "power house" motor for them (not that I would want it over the 5.9...lol) or just the regular 4.7. As for the axle's I believe "crawlmaster18" is correct...but I don't know the details of the WJ's as well as the ZJ's.

[OllllO]

Nice car! I love the Cherokees, the only thing I dislike is that it only got automatic transmission, but that is personal preferences
edit: I found out that you can get it with stick shift on the 2,5l diesel

[LR3]

Originally Posted by OllllO

Nice car! I love the Cherokees, the only thing I dislike is that it got permanent 4x4 and only automatic transmission, but that is personal preferences
edit: I found out that you can get it with stick shift on the 2,5l diesel, and some of them doesn't have permanent 4x4

mine dosent have permanent 4x4, you can put it in 2 wheel drive mode, part time 4x4, full tine 4x4, and 4x4 low

[OllllO]

Originally Posted by LR3

mine dosent have permanent 4x4, you can put it in 2 wheel drive mode, part time 4x4, full tine 4x4, and 4x4 low

Yes, i found out that it could have part time 4x4 ;) Here in Norway it's very rare with part time 4x4 on these trucks

[crawlmaster18]

ok i had zj and wj backward cause right now at my shop we have a 96 gc with 5.9 and 46rh with 242 and we are replacing the tranny for the guy

Originally Posted by jaydubya2003

The 242 is actually a real good all around T-case, switching to the 231 is common for ZJ owners only because it allows for re-gearing of the case. Most ZJ guys will swap from the 249 to the 242 to keep their "AWD" function with the 2wd option, and the low range. And the 5.9 was only offered on the 98 Jeep ZJ, nothing before or after. The WJ's had the 4.7 HO as the "power house" motor for them (not that I would want it over the 5.9...lol) or just the regular 4.7. As for the axle's I believe "crawlmaster18" is correct...but I don't know the details of the WJ's as well as the ZJ's.

[It usually runs fine]

Originally Posted by xgerstandtx

Mallcrawlin is a joke. Negative arrogant people good luck.

I remember you, made it hard on yourself if you ask me. It's really a great site if you read alot and talk a little until you learn your stuff, come on back.

[It usually runs fine]

Originally Posted by LR3

I knew the haters would hate.

[OllllO]

Take some more pics!!

[LR3]

Originally Posted by It usually runs fine

Thats just wrong...

Originally Posted by OllllO

Take some more pics!!

Sure!

[LR3]

Been about a year since I updated this. Since then I have started massaging the offroad performance of this thing, and it actually does not do bad at all offroad. Mods are:

Iron Rock Offroad 3 inch lift
31 Falken Rock Mountain ATs (Getting 33x12.50s sometime soon though)
Dana 44 rear end swap
3.73 Gears
Flowmaster 40
K&N Drop In
Uniden CB
Verious forms of trail damage, just to prove that I do use it as a Jeep

And current pictures:






NEVER LEND A CAR TO A FRIEND:

[Scale_Crawler]

Originally Posted by Tommy R

You need to learn how to park!

I'm a TJ guy, so take this is with a grain of salt... If the rear axle has a rubber plug on the diff cover for the diff fluid, it'a s D35. It's it's metal, then it should be a D44. That's the easiest way to tell them apart. But again, I'm not a Grand guy so as far as I know it could be an 8.25" Chrysler rear in there or some other axle I'm not familiar with. But any of them would be better than a D35.

I'm not familiar with Selec-Trac. Does that have a low range? If not, it'll definitely hamper your crawling ability, but I guess it depends on what you plan to do with the truck. So what are your plans/goals for it?

Looks nice!

Correct me if im wrong, but every jeep after the CJ's (not sure years, i just know this from lube tech work) and every dodge truck, and light duty vans from around the same year until present have rubber plugs front and back? (except jeep liberty's have a 3/8" plug in the front)

[Tommy R]

Originally Posted by Scale_Crawler

Correct me if im wrong, but every jeep after the CJ's (not sure years, i just know this from lube tech work) and every dodge truck, and light duty vans from around the same year until present have rubber plugs front and back? (except jeep liberty's have a 3/8" plug in the front)

Consider yourself corrected. My '01 TJ (D30/D44) and my '01 Dodge 2500 (D60/D70) use conventional metal fill plugs.

[bluechevytuber]

Looks good Ryan. Its getting there slowly but surely.