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[eddscott]

So 1 week into owning the new Jeep and I've a couple of questions/comments.  Its a 99 Orvis XJ on 55K.

Firstly its got Goodyear Wrangler 225/70/16 tyres - what PSI should they be?

Whats the largest size tyre I can put on without lifting - its rear springs are straight to almost "U" shaped, not "n" shaped


It seems a big vague in a straight line.  It does wander a little bit.  Is this the tyres or a worn rack?
 

When it starts the first one or two turns sound very slow (like the battery is flat).  Its spluttered once or twice and failed to fire but only on the first turn.


Do they have ABS?  I only ask because the brakes feel a bit "grabby".  Its not very progressive and a little too much effort and your bouncing off the window.  Its not a big issue and I sort of remember the other one being a bit like that. 

Ta!  

[gazjeep]

So 1 week into owning the new Jeep and I've a couple of questions/comments.  Its a 99 Orvis XJ on 55K.

Firstly its got Goodyear Wrangler 225/70/16 tyres - what PSI should they be?

Whats the largest size tyre I can put on without lifting - its rear springs are straight to almost "U" shaped, not "n" shaped


It seems a big vague in a straight line.  It does wander a little bit.  Is this the tyres or a worn rack?
 

When it starts the first one or two turns sound very slow (like the battery is flat).  Its spluttered once or twice and failed to fire but only on the first turn.


Do they have ABS?  I only ask because the brakes feel a bit "grabby".  Its not very progressive and a little too much effort and your bouncing off the window.  Its not a big issue and I sort of remember the other one being a bit like that. 

Ta!  

I ran mine on 30 psi

Think 235's is the largest tyre

Check the tyres are the same pressue & have the same tread depth all round, they are very sensitve to different pressure's & tread wear.

Run it in full time 4WD, the steering is much better & the fuel consumption differencr is about 1 mpg.

Its a big old motor to turn over but if in doubt, nake sure you keep it well charged, if still poor, could be battery

Yes they have ABS, if its pulsing/rubbing through the pedal, could be warped discs or sticky calipers, check the temperature with your hand of all wheels after a run, if one feels warmer than others, could be caliper sticking.

If your discs are new, they can be trued up to the the hub by a dealer

HTH

[scrw]

 

except stick a set of brakes disk & pads on, only around £60 to do the front, unless the jeep has been sat doing nothing for a while & the disk/pads have rusted up. Not worth the hassle of fixing up disks IMHO

[eddscott]

I've been running my Jeep in 4WD but it feels better in 2WD.  When its in 4WD the steering isn't smooth in feel.  It feels notchy as its turned.  It also seems to take longer to change gear but that might be just me.

I found a puddle of coolant under the Jeep this morning and the level was under "add" so I've topped it up.  No further puddles and can't quite see where it came from.   If the rad needs replacing I might have a bash at upgrading the pump and stat (theres a couple of guides suggested on the net)

I had a go at fixing the window motor (Split pins to hold the window mount to the upright) and it would have worked just fine had I not broken the plastic tube the windy bit goes into.  I bodged it to work but will get a working 2nd hand job.

The exhaust is blowing where the cat meets the rear pipe so I might be able to use one of those patch things.  Its not corroded as such just a bad fit. 

A couple of times the Jeep has failed to be able to keep ticking over.  Both times its been used already and is already warm.  It starts fine but just won't keep ticking over.  With a little gas for 30 secs or so it will splutter a bit but keep going. 

[tree man]

My 2000 Cherokee had similar handling problems when i bought it. Replacing the rear very saggy springs made a big difference and also the front anti roll bar bushes. Running it in four wheel drive on the tarmac would wind the transmission up and certainly make slow speed cornering difficult. I also had grabbing brakes (assuming it's the rears)  and found that the setting of the rear shoes is worth getting right and they still need a careful application first thing on a damp day

[gazjeep]

If its an auto there is no issue with transmission windup if full time 4WD is used, that's what its for.

Do not however use part time 4wd on tarmac as this locks the transfer case & is only designed for conditions where the wheels can slip to avoid wind up.

The manuals only have the part time option.

[eddscott]

I've left it in 2WD because it just doesn't feel right in 4WD.  I seem to remember my last XJ felt the same too when in 4WD - slightly notchy steering feel and doesn't shift the same.

I did a search on here about replacing the radiator and found a thread started by a previous owner of my Jeep complaining of the same problem - a puddle of colant on the RH side.  His thread was in 08 and I don't think he changed the rad.  Its a little wet under the RH side of rad but no puddle today.   

[tedthefed]

The little puddle could be from the air con as i get it when its clean. Also some times on start up i need to keep around 1500 revs for a few mins then it tickovers with no problem. I think on mine its lack of use and a poorly battery so the memory gets lost or somethiong like that.

[eddscott]

My last XJ would leave huge puddles from the A/C - it ran through the chassis and out the back somewhere - bit of a panic first time I noticed

The offending puddle this time isn't just water - its oily and tastes sweet.  Although nothing has come out today.  Not convinced the rad isn't on its way out but a random dump of coolant seems a tad odd.