1984-2001 Jeep CherokeeCherokee XJ

Platform

The 1984 Cherokee XJ was the first Jeep built on a unibody. Up front AMC used what it called Quadra-Link: a solid axle located by four control arms and coil springs, with leaf springs under the solid rear axle. The structure made the XJ far lighter than the outgoing full-size SJ Cherokee while keeping solid axles at both ends, which is why the platform still gets built into trail rigs today. Two-door and four-door bodies shared the same 101.4-inch wheelbase. The Comanche (MJ) pickup of 1986-1992 used the XJ front structure with a rear frame section under the bed.

Engines

• 2.5L AMC four: the base engine from 1984 through 2000. It made 105 hp with a carburetor, 117 hp with throttle-body injection for 1986 (121 hp from 1987), and 130 hp with multi-point injection from 1991, rerated to 125 hp for 1997-2000. The four was dropped for the final 2001 year.
• 2.8L GM V6 (1984-1986): the optional engine at launch, 110-115 hp. Slow and unloved; most were replaced in enthusiasts' hands.
• 2.1L Renault turbodiesel (mid-1980s): offered briefly in North America, mostly in the 1985-1987 window, with about 85 hp. Rare here, more common in export markets.
• 2.5L VM Motori turbodiesel (1994-2001): the later diesel, 114 hp, sold in export markets only and never offered in North America.
• 4.0L inline-six (1987-2001): the engine that defines the XJ. It used Renix (Renault-Bendix) engine management and made 173 hp in 1987, then 177 hp from 1988 through 1990. For 1991 Chrysler fitted its own multi-point injection and a better-flowing head and intake, creating the 4.0 High Output at 190 hp and 225 lb-ft. Ratings moved a few horsepower in later years (some sources list 193 hp for 2000-2001) but stayed at or near 190 hp through the end.

Drivetrain

Two four-wheel-drive systems were offered. Command-Trac is a part-time, shift-on-the-fly chain-drive transfer case (NP207 through 1987, then the NP231). Selec-Trac (NP228/NP229 in 1984-1986, NP242 from 1987) adds a full-time 4WD position with a center differential, so it can run in 4WD on dry pavement. Rear-drive XJs were also sold in volume. Front axles are Dana 30 on 4x4 models. The common rear axle is the Dana 35; a Dana 44 rear came in some 1987 to about 1990 trucks, usually with the towing package, and the Chrysler 8.25 began replacing the Dana 35 in 1991, becoming widespread by the late 1990s. The Dana 35 is the platform's known weak point under big tires.

Transmissions

Four-cylinder XJs used Aisin AX-4 and AX-5 manuals. Six-cylinder manuals were the Peugeot BA-10/5 from 1987, replaced during 1989 by the far stronger Aisin AX-15; the NV3550 took over for 2000. Early automatics were Chrysler TorqueFlite three-speeds behind the four and the GM V6, and the four kept a three-speed Chrysler automatic option (later the 30RH) to the end of four-cylinder production. From 1987 the 4.0 got the Aisin-Warner AW4 four-speed automatic, one of the most durable pieces on the truck.

Year-by-year highlights

• 1984: XJ launch, two- and four-door, 2.5 four or 2.8 GM V6.
• 1986: fuel injection (TBI) for the 2.5; Comanche pickup arrives as a separate model.
• 1987: 4.0L Renix six replaces the GM V6; AW4 automatic and NP242 Selec-Trac introduced; Limited trim added.
• 1991: 4.0 High Output, 190 hp, Chrysler engine management replaces Renix. The 2.5 also moves to multi-point injection.
• 1995: driver airbag standard.
• 1997: the one visible redesign of the run: new front and rear fascias, stamped steel liftgate replacing fiberglass, new dashboard and interior, stiffened structure. Mechanically it stayed a solid-axle XJ.
• 2001: final year, now 4.0-only after the four-cylinder and SE were dropped; the independent-front-suspension Liberty (KJ) replaced it for 2002.

Trims and variants

Early trims included the base Cherokee, Pioneer, and Chief, with Laredo added for 1985, plus an upmarket Wagoneer version of the XJ body sold through 1990. The Limited appeared for 1987 with leather and the 4.0 standard, ran through 1992, and returned for 1998. Sport became the volume enthusiast trim from 1988 onward. The Country ran from 1993 through 1997 as the woodgrain-and-chrome package, and Classic appeared for 1996 as a step between SE/Sport and Limited. The last years settled into SE, Sport, Classic, and Limited, with the SE going away alongside the four-cylinder for 2001.