Ford Explorer vs Jeep Cherokee

[4.0B2]

a long armed caged XJ is awesome...period.
but so is a long armed caged explorer...

 

[shane96ranger]

a long armed caged XJ is awesome...period.
but so is a long armed caged explorer...

I agree. I couldn't ever own one, but my buddies XJ is pretty badass. He was just giving me a big list of things he still wants to do to it. For some reason he wants to get it painted, LOL. I'm going to try and talk him into rhino lining all or part of it.

Sent while I should be doing something else

 

[4x4junkie]

I don't know if anyone cares, LOL, but I went over and took some more pics of my buddies set-up on his XJ.

I'm kindof liking those rollcage clamps. You know the source for those by chance?

 

[shane96ranger]

He was down at Moab with the owner of Rock Hard, and the guy gave him a deal on it. They call it a fabrication collar on their page. They are a bit pricey, but it allows you to remove and move pieces if you need to. Luckily he was able to move the bar across the top if the dash because after he installed it, his glove box wouldn't open.

http://www.rockhard4x4.com/default.asp?m=0

Sent while I should be doing something else

 

[4x4junkie]

Cool, thanks for the link. You're right about the price... I got a small bit of the 2" DOM left over from when I built my radius arms I wonder if I could successfully make some out of...

 

[shane96ranger]

My buddy put a high steer on his Jeep last week, and I thought I'd share the pics I took:

This is the new bracket he put on it. The OEM piece got bent up when he tipped it on it's side.

 

[wildbill23c]

The first generation ford explorers with the solid axles would make a great offroad vehicle, the newer ones with independent suspension should be trashed, I don't know but the whole independent suspension just turned me against it when I bought my Toyota pickup and first washout I hit pulling an ATV trailer knocked the alignment out. I never had a problem like that with solid axles in my jeep, the old explorer I used to drive for work, or my old Dodge Ram.

However the weak link in a jeep is the cost of accessories because it is associate with a "JEEP" the price triples on everything it seems like.

The only good jeep out there came with the Selec-Trac transfer case IMO best 4WD system ever made, gave mechanical selection of 2WD, 4WD High Part Time, 4WD High Full Time, Neutral of course, and 4WD Low. I never played with the AWD setting in the explorers but have heard it was never that great, but who knows. I could care less about who says what really its all a matter of which brand you want to buy.

 

[kryptonitecb]

My only beef with the new Cherokees is the uni-body. And the fact that Jeep's have the worst drivetrains IMO. I wouldn't want an Explorer either except the 302 so I can scavenge it for parts.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[bobbywalter]

stock for stock year for year 4.0 to 4.0 i would take the jeep any day.

the cherokee blows the explorer away stock to stock off road. and the explorer is no slouch in any terms. the xj is just that good ime over the other offerings except certain year full locking center/front/rear Landcruisers/Sequoya, that went for hi-40's to 50k back then!!



but when it comes time to majorly upgrade for serious off road/expedition type use i am definitely gonna build an explorer over a xj. just too easy to go past the stock axles in the xj....but that is why the xj works so well stock...its right at the limit.

 

[Krwlnrx]

To the OP...
A lot depends on the use the vehicle will see. For a patrol type vehicle, I'm assuming a mild build, nothing crazy. IMO, a XJ would be the way to go. 91 or newer to get the H.O. engine and less problematic renix electrics. A 91-94 should also have a high pinion D30, which is stronger than a LP D30 in the newer jeeps. (LP, or low pinion, use a reverse rotation cut on the gears). A mild 3" lift, which you can install in your garage in under 2 hrs with hand tools, clears a 31-32" tire easily and still has really good street manners.The Explorers have a little bit more complicated suspension and are a little more involved install, although I'm sure it can be done in the garage. Explorers do have the manual hub advantage, but again, in a patrol vehicle, in an emergency, the ability to just engage 4wd on the fly, like in a jeep, is the way to go. Jeeps dont use vacum hubs either like some of the earlier fords, so more reliable 4wd that way. The NP242 case is also a great feature with 2wd, full time 4wd, 4hi, N, and 4L...which if you send the case to Terraflex, they will install the 4:1 low range kit, and the 2 low kit, which gives you 2wd, full time, 4hi, N, 4L, and 2 low, all with one lever.
Try to find an XJ with a Chrysler 8.25" rear axle, fairly common, this axle has very similar strength as a D44. An 8.8 w/ disk is an easy swap also, and cheap if you an weld the brackets on. The aftermarket support and popularity of the XJ means you will have readily available parts more or less at any auto parts store. Older Jeeps are often more well cared for and better maintained, at least in my area, than exploders, which are generally all beat to crap and junky. As far as off road and hard to access areas, the Jeep is going to get you in and out with less work and effort than the same year explorer. Especially when you pull the front axle sway bar disconnects. The mechanical aspect of an XJ is just better suited to rough terrain use.
Explores of the same era were not built to be used off road in harsh conditions like an XJ, they had less robust suspension and less travel, and were more based towards daily driving, occasional light off road use.

Ramblings from a Jeep addict....that's my .02c worth.

 

[4.0B2]

To the OP...
A lot depends on the use the vehicle will see. For a patrol type vehicle, I'm assuming a mild build, nothing crazy. IMO, a XJ would be the way to go. 91 or newer to get the H.O. engine and less problematic renix electrics. A 91-94 should also have a high pinion D30, which is stronger than a LP D30 in the newer jeeps. (LP, or low pinion, use a reverse rotation cut on the gears). A mild 3" lift, which you can install in your garage in under 2 hrs with hand tools, clears a 31-32" tire easily and still has really good street manners.The Explorers have a little bit more complicated suspension and are a little more involved install, although I'm sure it can be done in the garage. Explorers do have the manual hub advantage, but again, in a patrol vehicle, in an emergency, the ability to just engage 4wd on the fly, like in a jeep, is the way to go. Jeeps dont use vacum hubs either like some of the earlier fords, so more reliable 4wd that way. The NP242 case is also a great feature with 2wd, full time 4wd, 4hi, N, and 4L...which if you send the case to Terraflex, they will install the 4:1 low range kit, and the 2 low kit, which gives you 2wd, full time, 4hi, N, 4L, and 2 low, all with one lever.
Try to find an XJ with a Chrysler 8.25" rear axle, fairly common, this axle has very similar strength as a D44. An 8.8 w/ disk is an easy swap also, and cheap if you an weld the brackets on. The aftermarket support and popularity of the XJ means you will have readily available parts more or less at any auto parts store. Older Jeeps are often more well cared for and better maintained, at least in my area, than exploders, which are generally all beat to crap and junky. As far as off road and hard to access areas, the Jeep is going to get you in and out with less work and effort than the same year explorer. Especially when you pull the front axle sway bar disconnects. The mechanical aspect of an XJ is just better suited to rough terrain use.
Explores of the same era were not built to be used off road in harsh conditions like an XJ, they had less robust suspension and less travel, and were more based towards daily driving, occasional light off road use.

Ramblings from a Jeep addict....that's my .02c worth.

actually 95-99 XJ would be ideal for the d30 purpose... larger 297 joints and high pinion.

hubs? you could just leave the explorer's manual hubs in the locked position and the t/case in 2wd... same thing as the jeep lack of hubs.

explorers are just as easy to lift. the suspension is not as "simple" but just 2-4 inches and if you use proper steering, you have zero issues.

PLUS with ttb, you have the "go-fast" capabilities in rough terrain with the right coils and shocks.... will ride better than solid axles at higher speeds PROVIDING you get soft coils and good shocks.

I don't see how the cherokee really is that much, if any, greater than a first gen explorer.

but that's just my .02 cents from someone that is in a jeep club and around them enough to like them....yet owns basically an explorer (my 4.0 b2 is almost all explorer drivetrain) plus I have a first gen explorer.

 

[bobbywalter]

actually 95-99 XJ would be ideal for the d30 purpose... larger 297 joints and high pinion.

hubs? you could just leave the explorer's manual hubs in the locked position and the t/case in 2wd... same thing as the jeep lack of hubs.

explorers are just as easy to lift. the suspension is not as "simple" but just 2-4 inches and if you use proper steering, you have zero issues.

PLUS with ttb, you have the "go-fast" capabilities in rough terrain with the right coils and shocks.... will ride better than solid axles at higher speeds PROVIDING you get soft coils and good shocks.

I don't see how the cherokee really is that much, if any, greater than a first gen explorer.

but that's just my .02 cents from someone that is in a jeep club and around them enough to like them....yet owns basically an explorer (my 4.0 b2 is almost all explorer drivetrain) plus I have a first gen explorer.

wow.


i also have extensive experience operating and have also owned all the vehicles you mentioned.

4.0 b2 with a manual trans is an awesome animal and an even better wheeler then the xj. on road its the bottom choice.

i find all the explorer, b2, and xj comparable for sure.



but stock for stock the explorer and b2 i find very different in key areas.

comparable but blatantly different on key points..

off road b2 is king. hell its firmly in wrangler territory.

on road the explorer wins handily.

so i am perplexed by your view....

this is a sploder vs xj comparo of course, and i find in the suggested area of comparison the xj is a much better balanced machine in the general. i have had them back to back head to head on the same course and the xj made most of it very easily and runs on the road excellently to boot.

of course when the heavy mods start the opinion changes.

perspectives are hard to quantify sometimes.

 

[4.0B2]

wasn't trying to bring the b2 into the discussion...
guess I should have left that part out.

there are gonna be pros/cons to each vehicle. I think what we have done is just showed the winner comes down to personal preference for a xj vs ex for a patrol type vehicle. Either of which would provide a well worthy patrol vehicle, winner comes down to who is deciding the choice.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The first generation ford explorers with the solid axles would make a great offroad vehicle, the newer ones with independent suspension should be trashed, I don't know but the whole independent suspension just turned me against it when I bought my Toyota pickup and first washout I hit pulling an ATV trailer knocked the alignment out. I never had a problem like that with solid axles in my jeep, the old explorer I used to drive for work, or my old Dodge Ram.

Yeah, the Explorer really started going downhill when they switched to IFS in '91...

I wouldn't own an Explorer (unless to part out for my Ranger) that wasn't independant all the way around. They are a far, FAR safer and more comfortable rig on the street. I put the borrowed parent's '02 through an emergency manouver two weeks ago that would have rolled the old '94 at least two times. When they were shopping for the '94 they also test drove a new at the time '96 Grand Cherokee, for as bad as the Ex was on the street it made the GC look like a fool.

Jeeps dont use vacum hubs either like some of the earlier fords, so more reliable 4wd that way.

Ford hasn't used vacuum hubs until recently, Explorers have never had it. $9.99 at the local JY will get you a pair of the most stupid simple to operate Warn lockout hubs and all the stuff to convert to them.

Old SUVs of any make are pretty beat down in my area, most older Chryslers sound like diesels whether they are or not...

 

[4.0B2]

Yeah, the Explorer really started going downhill when they switched to IFS in '91...

what??? all explorers are IFS; 91-94 is TTB and after that is true IFS.