Best made

[dycksonjl]

What was the best year for Jeep Cherokee? Best front and rear differentials? what is the best combo?

[tblack]

Originally Posted by dycksonjl

What was the best year for Jeep Cherokee? Best front and rear differentials? what is the best combo?

Your question is a bit general but I'll bite.

As far as the best Cherokee if you mean the ones with the best engines for fuel economy and bullet-proof reliability and acceptable torque I would say the AMC 1987-2001 4.0L which evolved from the straight 6 cylinder 1964 "Hurricane 6" found in the Rambler Classics of that year.

Most trouble-free transmission was the AW4 four-speed automatic, also produced from 1987 to 2001 and is still found in new Wranglers. The AW4 is made in Japan and does have an annoying auto overdrive that kicks in a little soon but the 4.0L engine has enough torque to overcome and pull you out of it without needing to downshift unless you are racing a rice-rocket or something. I've had a 1994 and now have a 2000 and the engine and transmission beats all the Toyotas I've had for reliability at least.

Best front and rear differentials are the old-school 1963-1988 Cherokees and Wagoneers with the Dana 44 front and rear axles coupled with the 360cu V8s. That was a kick-ass set up. The later axles don't compare to those. But that was a much heavier vehicle than the later box-Cherokee XJs and so the acceleration was not that better off the line.

tb the gearhead

[Ray H]

Ok, this is going to be a long one but I'll try to stick to the specific questions asked to keep it short. If you want more specifics, ask away.
Lets see what I can remember. This list only includes the mid sized XJ Cherokees, no full sized, they are a totally different animal and I dont really know as much about them.
The mid sized Cherokees havent changed alot since they were introduced in 84 but there are some small differences. First off, this is opinion, but I'll get it out of the way so you dont have to read the book, Probably the stoutest drivetrain, overall, for the XJ can be found on a late 96-99. Alot of the stronger components came together in those years, heres a rundown of the strongest for 96-99. 4.0 engine, AW4 tranny, 231 t-case, reverse cut D30 front axle with 297 u-joints, 8.25 rear axle with 29 spline shafts.
The best rear axle offered in an XJ was a D44 but it was only offered from 87-89 in some vehicles with tow packages. They are getting few and far between. The next strongest rear axle offered was the Chrysler 8.25, two versions of this axle, a 27 spline used from 91-96 and a 29 spline from mid 96-01. The 29 spline is almost as strong as the D44 but much better than the D35 that has been offered along side the 8.25. The D35 rear has always been the weak point of the drivetrain but can be avoided from 91-01 by getting an 8.25 instead. An 8.25 never had antilock brakes in an XJ.
Front axle has always been the D30. There have been 3 basic variations of it throughout the years though. 84-99 was the reverse cut D30. Its the strongest available. In 96 the ujoints were upgraded to X297 from X260. Some of the earlier D30s until about 91, I think, had a vacuum axle disconnect that can be problematic. In 00-01 they had a low pinion D30 which is not as strong as the earlier HP D30.
I didnt go into the engines, trannies and t-cases available on purpose because you didnt really ask and thats a whole other book.

[Ray H]

Originally Posted by tblack

Most trouble-free transmission was the AW4 four-speed automatic, also produced from 1987 to 2001 and is still found in new Wranglers. The AW4 is made in Japan and does have an annoying auto overdrive that kicks in a little soon but the 4.0L engine has enough torque to overcome and pull you out of it without needing to downshift unless you are racing a rice-rocket or something. I've had a 1994 and now have a 2000 and the engine and transmission beats all the Toyotas I've had for reliability at least.

tb the gearhead

Actually the Wrangler has never used the AW4. I forget what the designation for the current Wrangler 4 speed auto is (36RH4 something or another) but I do know its not the AW4. Its funny you would compare the AW4 to Toyota because its the same tranny used in many Toy trucks. They have a different designation and the electronics are different, but inside, its the same tranny.

EDIT, Its a 42RLE 4 speed auto since 03.