89 Renix - worth building?

[tahssa]

New to this forum and new to Jeeps, or any type of 4 wheeler (and I mean that literally, I've owned and put many more miles on 2 wheeled vehicles than 4)

After years of chronic under-employment in my home state I moved to North Dakota to find good work in the oil field. My first major purchase was a 89 XJ with a 5 speed, 3" lift, 30x9.5x15 tires, 161k miles, an awesome roof rack, a loud stereo and best of all an incredible patina. It was a great purchase (for $1800 - probably overpayed as I knew nothing about Jeeps but the 2wd 4 cyl S10 with an oversized camper that I had at the time had left most of it's will to live somewhere on the Cascades or the Rockies and was telling me in no uncertain terms it was just going to kill itself next time I confronted it with hiway speeds, an oilfield dirt road or even brisk crosswind) and I've fallen in love with it. A Cherokee can become the exact vehicle I need: capable of taking very rough remote roads in sub zero conditions (with a breakdown or getting stuck resulting in probable job loss and possible frostbite), racking up lots of freeway miles, carrying all my gear with enough room for me to lay down and sleep in, and look good doing it.


Now I'm educating myself as I am saving enough money to start upgrading it, and I'm not liking what I find out about it; the Renix TBI, the quirky cooling system, the Puegot tranny, the 3.07 Dana 30 and 35s, the ugly dropped stock control arms, the lack of opening wing windows, and guage cluster that is literally half fuel gauge (and no tach!), the oil that seems to mist out from under the vent cap that has me thinking about worn rings and top end rebuilds.

I realize some of these will be issues on almost any XJ (the axles for instance) and some aren't that difficult to fix but I'm wondering whether it would be best just to buy a different XJ to invest in?

What are the best years and features of XJs to look for?

Are they a better enough starting place that I should wait on major improvements on my current one until I can find one?

And how the flock am I ever going to get such a cool patina again?

(btw, the next time I parked here, the pile was higher and managed to get high and steep enough to wedge my receiver hitch into the 2" of ice at the bottom and demonstrate XJ's superior angle of departure to the $70k crew cab long bed pick ups that infest this area - no matter how huge their tires or lift - as well it's superior ease of parking)

[4.3LXJ]

Mark, that is a matter of what you want it for and how far you want to build it. As for the D35, they are usable. Mine is locked and I wheel the granite in CA with it without issues. Where the D35 starts to fail is with tires larger than what it was designed for and banging on them. So, I have not gone above 31" on mine. As for the D30, it is a good axle and will serve you well if you don't go above 33" on the tires. The real weak point on them is the unit bearings. They just don't really like wide and tall tires. The Peugeot tranny, if you have it, well not much I can say about them. Peugeot doesn't even make good trannys for themselves, let alone for export. That is the only real down side to your XJ. 161K is not a bad milage. The control arms are serviceable for lifts to 3". Above that, you need to get longer arms anyway. Those arms are not designed to accommodate the angles associated with taller lifts anyway.

[tahssa]

> a matter of what you want it for

I NEED it for a commuter vehicle. But it's a commute that takes me out to remote job sites on dirt roads that are frequently torn to hell, washed out in places and covered with snow, ice and or mud that can be the slickest of the three in tempatures that can easily be -20. So it's got to be competent off road and tough and reliable. So I want 31x10.5s on it (32s if I thought I could), but am concerned about the axles, because I do have a tendancy to drive those roads as fast as conditions allow (aka "with tires larger than what it was designed for and banging on them")

It also needs to handle pavement in the same weather, not only to get to town from the site during my 2 weeks on, but also for road trips on my two weeks off - I plan on taking it from North Dakota to Minnesota, Denver and so that rules out lockers and auto lockers and makes me want for a higher ratio than 3.07 so I can actually use 5th gear other than downhill with a hurricane.
More horsepower would help a lot here as well considering the amount of weight (and wind resistance) the roof rack (loaded with literally all my day to day possessions) and, soon, heavy duty recovery winch bumpers (going off the road at some point is inevitable - as are large animals going on the road) but the Renix TBI seems to all but eliminate the bolt on options 4.0 owners get - on addition to their increased stock HP.

What I WANT it to do is look cool (personally I think it's doing fine on that score and only gonna get better with new rubber, bumpers and a more organized rack with lights, oh and longer control arms to eliminate that ugly drop bracket).
And what I REALLY WANT it to do is to keep up with (as in `embarrass the hell outa') my buddy's Land Rover Discovery when we go off roading and camping during the nicer months.


>and how far you want to build it.

So, if i was to put 31x9.5x15s on it (I hear Cooper Discoverys would be a good compromise between off pavement traction and road noise/weaR/milage - opinions on them?) and regear the axles to 3.73 (or go to 4.10?) would that get me some go in 5th without endangering them too much? Or would I need chomoly shafts and housing braces as well?

Beyond that, just hope the Puegot pukes somewhere convient and try and have a AX-15 sourced, get an aftermarket quality temp gauge to alert me of cooling system shenanigans and keep looking for a way to free up the Renix's breathing without spending $100 a pony


(thanks for the thoughtful reply and thanks esp. for reading through all this. I

[4.3LXJ]

Three inch lift and 31" tires are the combo you want. I used that combo for years on long trips and off road. 4.10s are a good ratio and can be had cheap for the front by sourcing the whole front axel from the 4 cyl or V6 models. If you want a posi, then the Detroit tru track is a good thing on ice and snow, but is better than a posi track. Goodyear Duratracs are a good compromise tire for what you want too

[ArmyGuy45]

Three inch lift and 31" tires are the combo you want. I used that combo for years on long trips and off road. 4.10s are a good ratio and can be had cheap for the front by sourcing the whole front axel from the 4 cyl or V6 models. If you want a posi, then the Detroit tru track is a good thing on ice and snow, but is better than a posi track. Goodyear Duratracs are a good compromise tire for what you want too

I thought you said you didnt need to re gear with 31s?

[XJ Wheeler]

get an aftermarket quality temp gauge to alert me of cooling system shenanigans

Some of the XJs did actually come with the full gauge cluster, it was an option.:crazy: But you can easily swap out your gaugeless cluster for one of the full gauge units. You also have to change out the oil pressure and coolant temperature (the one toward the rear of the cylinder head) sending units, but make sure to get the ones made for gauges and not lights. The cluster has to come from a 87-90 (not sure about 84-86) cherokee due to the mechanical speedometer, later XJs had electronic units.

[bigjim350]

IF your doing things on a budget, I would get a a front D30 and rear 8.25 with 3.55 gears out of a junkyard xj with a automatic. Those would do great on 31's with a 5sp. I know you want more hp, but thats not what you "feel". What you feel is TQ, and the 4.0 has plenty, no matter whether its a renix or ho motor. I say keep it!

[tahssa]

Some of the XJs did actually come with the full gauge cluster, it was an option.:crazy:

Yeah i see XJs with tachs all the time, that what makes me so mad, it's almost like they decided a tach and an automatic trans belonged in the same options package! (well that and the fact that some asshat knocked the fuel float assembly a little putting it back when replacing the fuel pump and now the reatardly oversize fuel gauge isn't even completely trustworthy so it's totally 'teats on boar' status now)

Cupholders too! I'll bet some smart guy decided you only need those in vehicles can drive with one hand anyhow (or no hands if you a tilt wheel)

There is a full guage cluster at my local junkyard, I'm gonna get on that, thanks!



I thought you said you didnt need to re gear with 31s?

I'd already like to regear with 30's - it'll do over 70 in 4th but I can barely keep it at 55 in 5th (and 5th isn't even as high in the BA10/5 as the AX15 IIRC)

Which is also what made me think need at least 3.73, if it's already bogging down more than I want it to, wouldn't only going 3.55 after making worse by add an inch of tire diameter just put me roughly where I'm at now, Bigjim350?

I guess I could go do math and stuff and try and figure out what's closest to stock - but I've never driven a stock jeep - is that really the feel one wants?


Thanks again, everyone! Since you're all in such helpful mood, does anyone know if you can easily convert the fake wing windows to functional ones without replacing the whole door? I'm not about to sacrifice my beautifuly patina'd door even if wing windows are perfect for drawing smoke out and 'not as clumsy or random as a full power window. An elegant window, for a more civilized age.'

[4.3LXJ]

I thought you said you didnt need to re gear with 31s?

Most people don't regear with 31s. But you would be happier if you did. It was just a suggestion. And on that gauge cluster, get the oil and temp gauge sending units for it too.

[XJ Wheeler]

Yeah i see XJs with tachs all the time, that what makes me so mad, it's almost like they decided a tach and an automatic trans belonged in the same options package! (well that and the fact that some asshat knocked the fuel float assembly a little putting it back when replacing the fuel pump and now the reatardly oversize fuel gauge isn't even completely trustworthy so it's totally 'teats on boar' status now)

Cupholders too! I'll bet some smart guy decided you only need those in vehicles can drive with one hand anyhow (or no hands if you a tilt wheel)

There is a full guage cluster at my local junkyard, I'm gonna get on that, thanks!

Yeah, don't know what they were thinking. But surely go for it, super easy.

There is several ideas floating around to build in some cup holders. In fact some did come with two that hung off the right side of the console. Quadratec does sell a new version of that.

Oh and since you have the renix, if you ever have to replace the radiator convert your cooling system to an open system like the later cherokee had ('92-'01). Its not really worth it unless you need a radiator anyway.

[Scout272]

Lifted 1990 Cherokee 5 speed

Text for pics I can't get them uploaded
254-458-3529





152K 4.0 5speed manual with the favored NP 231J Tcase and AX15 transmission combo, high flow cold air intake, header, new serpintine belt, new idler pulley, new thermostat, 6.5in suspention lift, brand new front sway bar quick disconnect kit, 33x12.5 R15 dick cepeck mud country tires 3in recessed wheels, power everything,frame undercoated, HID headlights


UPDATE:just added a forced cold air induction hood scoop I replaced the ignition, installed a front sway bar quick disconnect kit and we fixed 6 vacuum lines, brand new TBI sensor, replaced all the spark plugs, and cap, cleaned and adjusted all the injectors, replaced the stock air intake with a high flow cold air intake, and replaces a metric ton of sensors. of course we did an oil change and wired the electric fan to a toggle switch. I also removed the plastic chip guards from the sides and sanded down the rear rockers/trunk pan and POR-15'd them

[Scout272]

Another pic of the 90 xj