msh441

I've had a pair of Toyotas (4cyl pickup and 6cyl 4Runner) and a pair of Jeep Cherokees (Sport and Grand Cherokee).

Loved both the Toys (still own one today, obviously)... despite them being gutless as all heck, they were terrific rigs.

I was 50/50 on the Jeeps. The V8 Grand Chrokee was an electrical nightmare from new and the engine provided less than average reliability.

The sport was pretty good. Loved the inline 6. The only significant thing to go out was the front diff.

Both Jeeps, despite some nice interior amenities, just felt cheap and plastic inside.

I could see doing a new Jeep... with the new lifetime powertrain warranty... it would be nice to know the engine, tranny, diff were covered forever. Probably some clause against off-roading or modding, though.

I'd vote for selling your Toyota, but buying another newer Toyota to replace it, myself.

Fo_SheeZy

Lmao that says it all...

wardriver

Hilarious...I almost wrote the same thing. My back kills me after about an hour.

DanStew

Why do you think you have to use a MIG for the SAS? The Arc will do just fine, unless it is a small machine then you may have trouble. I use stick religiously, only thing it really sucks for is doing a cage, but it can still be done, it needs lots of patience.

1stgen4gunner

dont get a jeep, jeeps are for girls and wimps.

1stgen4gunner

and it will die the second you buy it.

INFINITY

go ahead get the jeep........ i think that is the only way you will find out what a mistake it was.

toy_tek

This is a good seemingly non-biased post. But what is even more telling is the sig below it:

Similarly, I had a 95 Cherokee and now have a 97 4Runner. I loved the 4.0 engine torque. Hated everything else about the Jeep. Engineering is virtually non-existent from the reliability and driveability standpoints. I had more problems with the Jeep in the time I owned it (60k miles to 75k miles) than my 4Runner (49k to currently 151k).

Red_Chili

The comment about axle strength is spot on. Take a look at the inside of a D35 versus a Toyota 8" some time. Especially note bearing sizes and ring gears. Now imagine regearing yourself. I'd much rather work on a Toy dropout on the bench than a Jeep crawling underneath.

So what is the difference between swapping axles on a Jeep and doing a SAS, in the final analysis? Very little.

dirtoyboy

Jeeps are like a-holes...everyones got one

4biker

Yeah, once I started working out, I ditched the Cherokee.

111db makes a good point, in that I now own the 4Runner. When I graduated from college and got into my career, I wanted something with more interior room, but not full-size. If you look at a (stock) cherokee next to a Subaru Forester, they are pretty comparable in size. My brother's Excursion made my Cherokee look like a toy.

My previous post was intended to say that Cherokees are not all bad, and mine worked like crazy for me with very few complaints. If I had to choose between anything new from the Jeep fleet vs. anything from the Toyota fleet, I'd choose Toyota. I still think the Cherokee is a great vehicle for the right person.

T-1000

All the instructions and guides I've read recommend a MIG welder...I guess they're more precise?

CJM

Arc welders generally are only useful to those with alot of welding experience and skill. They make nasty looking welds and coming from someone who learned on arc, mig, tig is so much easier to use.

X-AWDriver

On Jeep forums do they rip up a 4Runner the same way? I don't see how they'd dispute quality.

T-1000

I never posted over there...I imagine the conversation would be pretty vitriolic...

swerks

Part out what you got and buy a better Yota. You will come out way ahead

blueyoda

I have owned a yj and charokee and I will never go back. I often think "what would it have been like to drive a yota from day one DAMN". I wheeled both jeeps and they didn't take the continued abuse the yota can. They were easier to work on than the 3.0 but I would not trade off the fact that you have to work on it WAY LESS. Do a diesel swap if you want milage, 3.4 for power but the yoda is less work. my.02

jjrgr21

a buddy of mine is a jeep lover, and personally i have no problems with the vehicle, people can spend their $$ on whatever they want. but i've helped my buddy w/his latest... a 95 grand cherokee, and it's a POS and hard as hell to work on. the quality sucks. his old 88 cherokee was an ok ride but still the reliability wasn't there.

yotaboy66

Blasphemy!!!!!!!!!!!!! you should be kicked in the nuts for speaking of trading down to a jeep and jeep axles blow balls same with transmission 4.0s are about as reliable as a yugo compared to a 22re

Chainlink

I am in jeep land, most of my friends have them, and a few times in the past i even thought of going to one......then a few things happen.
1. I can't pull the trigger, I have a lot of expirence with toyotas. Even though I know plenty about Jeeps the more I am around them the more I dislike them.
2. I see the most mundane crap break on their jeeps. Even the mall crawlers are in a constant state of repair.
3. 95% of jeepers are haters on all other rigs.....saying yotas are garbage while you are helping them fix their heep. The first time you break something on the trail or a wear part needs to be taken care of they will really show how much envy they have for yota reliability when they start telling you "see that's junk". Mob mentality.
4. I can't see myself wrenching with standard wrenches and sockets, I like metric.
5. Out of the Box, money versus money stock versus stock I have never seen a Jeep come close to out wheeling a Yota.


Now I saw a few comments that I strongly disagree with. The 4.0 HO is a solid performer plain and simple and easy to work on. We see in our shop plenty of 4.0's with over 200k. Stock mind you. In fact most of the Jeeps I have been around are easy to work on, and trust me you will learn this first hand because you will constantly be turning wrench if you wheel it. The 4.0 other than milage I am envious of, torque in the low rpms plus parts are dirt cheap and a super abundance of them around.

I would stick with your yota, I am sure what ever the woes are they will be found and that could be right around the corner, do you want some one else to get a rig that you have fixed so much already. You know your truck why start over. I will tell you this also I see jeeps for sale all the time, rarely do I see the buyer as a previous jeep owner, most will never own one again.

Disclaimer, I have many Jeep buddies as I said before and I like a lot of jeeps myself CJ8 or Willies or any Jtruck. But I am a yota guy. BTW I have been where you are at many a time....but everytime I fix the problem that has me stumped I fall in love all over again. Stick it out you won't be sorry.