Is The Jeep Cherokee XJ The Best Affordable Off-Road Rig? We Take It Through Deep Mud To Find Out!
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
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In this video, Roman and Jeep Cherokee XJ owner Adam take on the onX Offroad Course at Tumbleweed Ranch!
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#jeep #cherokee #xj
Watch ANY of Matt’s Off Road Recovery videos and he alone proves how good Harbor Freight winches are. I would NEVER buy one of the other brands at this point.
Not to mention the XJs.
Important to note that Matt's Off Road Recovery is sponsored by Harbor Freight.
I don't know about not buying another one. Warn makes really good ones for example.
Roman, the Harbor Freight Badland winches are probably the most highly-touted and praised winches of all the similar UA-cam channels I watch. I'd be careful to discount them as "cheap" for their use.
He's a know nothing boomer.
What a clown, Roman disparaged something he knows nothing about. Roman needs to tell us what is wrong with the HF 12k synthetic vs any other winch on the market for less than 2x the price.
There is so much value in the Badlands Apex 12k synthetic winch. Wireless controller, remote mount control box, all required wires for multiple configurations, etc.
@@mpeugeot yup.
All the off-road recovery UA-camrs I watch all use Badland winches 🤙
@@matthewhatton3637 That's what i have as well.
Was a blast running the course and that mud was humbling to say the least! Has me rethinking the next additions to the build for sure! 😃
Love that rear tire carrier you got. Where'd you get it? Looking for on for my XJ.
@@suzukhawaii I got it from down'n dirty. Not sure if they are still around. Required some extra hardware to ensure it tied in to the frame rails properly for weight distribution.
I was glad to hear you say that unibody stiffeners are on deck. If you want your rig to last many years to come you definitely need them otherwise the unibody will be cracking before you know it. Consider putting front and rear Eaton Truetrac LSDs for some affordable diff upgrades or if you have the cash just go with selectable lockers front and rear. Personally,I will be going with an Eaton Truetrac in the rear and a selectable Ox locker in the front. You should also look into skid plates for the oil pan and transmission pan. Taboo Customs makes some really nice ones that are very reasonably priced. Great rig overall.
Some good MTs would help with that mud. Unfortunately, MTs tend to suck on wet roads or in light snow. Even the MTs with the very best traction are just "ok" on wet roads. It's why I went with Ridge Grapplers. Better off road traction than something like a KO2, and while the it won't perform as well on-road in the snow or rain as a KO2, it'll have much better grip in the rain than a KM3 or Trail Grappler.
I'm sure someone will be "I've run MTs on my rig for years and never had a problem in the rain" but my rig is my daily and I transport my 1 year old in it. She's my world and I won't compromise for her safety.
@@backwoodstherapy yeah the performance of the k02 on the rocks and in the snow as well as their over all road manners are why I run them. I just don't encounter mud all that often out here and when I do I usually have a bypass option. Mud rusts these jeeps out as well.
I've always loved those XJ's with the 4.0 motors. To find one with a manual makes it that much more rare.
The in-line is a boss. Same, I’ve only seen 2 manuals, both 2 doors, which I love. Never seen a 4 door manny.
My favorite things about the xj were the 4.0, the dimensions, and the turning radius!
Many old ones had manuals pieces crap. Last year is one best xjs
@@96kylar I have '92 5-speed 😁
@@96kylar I bought a stock 1990 xj laredo 4 door with an ax15 5 speed manual transmission a few months ago. Got it from original owner who was a lady and here in Northern California we don’t salt the roads, this thing is completely rust free with 138k on the odometer. I love it
Actually Harbor freight Badlands winches are a great reliable buy.
Sorry Roman your absolutely wrong Apex winches "Harbor Freight" are some of the best winches out there at a fraction of the cost!
Absolutely
Ditto!
Matt from Matt's Off Road Recovery uses those exclusively. So does his friend Paul from Fabrats. They are *hard* on their stuff and I've never seen them break one.
@@backwoodstherapy only person I’ve seen break one was Wranglerstar burned one up trying to yank out some stump. That was 100% his fault though
nah bro. those things burned up pulling our SxS's out of mud.
A 12k badlands saved me yesterday. I rolled through a mud hole and was about 6” deep and on the way back out it became bottomless lol. To be honest I’ve heard more people complaining about warn than badlands.
Cherokee XJ and Grand Cherokee ZJ are both great platforms for off-roading .
Saw this one and had to watch it. Love my '88 XJ, I've had it 23 years, and will have it for many more. (4.5" lift and 33's)
I like my XJ. With just 3 inch lift kit and 31s I go where big boys go.
My first car was a 1999 XJ, chili pepper red just like this one! If it wasn't such a rust bucket I would have kept it to build it up like this eventually. Still one of my favorite vehicles ever.
Windor towing does everything with the harbor freight winches and the swear by them. It works for them and they are a a professional business.
I love my XJ's (5) they never let me down when it counted. Many uneventful trips 65 miles down Padre Island.
As always, Great Video guys! As an XJ owner this video was more special to me.
happy to see an XJ taking hitting the course. Those things are so capable and beautiful.
Same here. I still think mine would make it. But we will never know because I am not driving to Colorado from N.Y. the biggest issue with those ko2's is you really need wheel spin to clean them out which in turn damages the trail. Which where I used to frequent was aok because the wheelers and side by sides were just going to anyhow. But we ran the risk of snapped axles everytime we went out. Infact it happened several times, axles, tie rods, springs etc. 2 day recoveries broken spindles on a dodge ram 2500 Cummins all kinds of carnage. I flexed my xj so much I broke the steering box. I had to replace the entire coolant system because the holes were too deep and it ruined everything. Old 97 xj overheated for 250 Miles to get home and never left me stranded boiling antifreeze the whole way. And then for a month after till I could get it fixed
Used to be affordable. Bought mine in 2014 for $5500. I’ve seen up up to 10-12k now
I love the idea of viewers bringing their vehicles to the Tumbleweed off-road ranch!🙏💪🏼
The xj will always hold a special place in my heart, it was my first vehicle, sadly the fuel line Burst and I decided to sell it 4 years ago but hope someday to get one in amazing condition, that was my fishing vehicle there was nothing like loading my poles and tackle box up on a hot summer day and cruising down backroads afterward.
Snub their nose at them? I remember XJ’s were considered right up there with the Wrangler TJs. Like a TJ with more Utility. Like the bread and butter of off-roading. Very nice!
Nice build. I think he might've made it through if he had lockers even with ATs. He has great ground clearance, approach and departure angles. No worries about pinstriping, just run that thing!
I also agree with Roman that EVs aren't going to ruin motoring, but autonomy probably will.
Viewer from Maine here! I loved my 99 XJ it went anywhere!! 20+ inches of snow too in a winter snow storm and went through it like a tank lol
My 96 XJ does everything I needed to do and I don’t care about the other things. My badlands winch works great and all my XJ squeaks and rattles gives it character
Cool ride and Great video 👍. My first 4x4 was an XJ and my joy for off-roading started with it and has continued for the past 30+ years since 😊. Nice built Jeep in this video!
I have Eaton truetracs front and rear in my XJ and couldn't be happier. I wish mine was a manual tho!
How are the road manners with that truetrac in the snow? My buddy who built his XJ up with me put a lunchbox locker up front and it's like the jeep fights itself up front when driving through snow and makes for bad handling and white knuckle driving on the highways.
@@The_Samsquantch I live in Southern Nevada so not too much snow experience, but it acts just like most LSDs in most situations. The truetrac is just more durable. It's a plug and play LSD without the wear. It'll last damn near forever. It has better traction bias than most LSDs. You get a tire up in the air and hold down on the brake and it acts like its a locker. Very easy, no hoses or switches. Just goes.
The locker up front will do that in snow though. It will pull side to side wherever the traction is. Its a constant 50-50 to each wheel. The truetrac will constantly shift torque from one side to the other depending on slip. Meaning better control.
You should look up some of the videos on it if you're interested. I initially wanted lockers front and rear, but after reading on the truetracs I was sold. Have had them for 4 years now and not stuck once.
@@umadbrew Awesome! I'll definitely look in to them more. Would honestly allow for me to change out the front a rear at the same time then, budget wise. Kinda wish I held off on the re-gear last year and did my lockers at the same time. But the 5 years with 33" tires and 3.07 gearing were pretty brutal when the jeep was loaded down on overlanding trips.
I have a 1998 XJ sport and I’m the original owner. I still love this vehicle! Still stock and I take it upland hunting. I can fit 2 dog crates in it and all of my gear- perfect for what I use it for.
I love driving my XJ and when a snowstorm hits with a foot I just smile!
I love XJ'S. That shape is awesome
great course. watching roman doing the recovery is mildly painful. just waiting for a winch cable failure to cut him in half. proper hand signals while directing a driver helps a lot over just trying to yell over the engine noises. food for thought.
I love it! Nothing beats the fun to drive off road factor of the XJ. And fun around town with the manual.
Unless you live in a traffic infested city like Atlanta! Everyday stop and go on the expressway headed to the burbs will eventually change your opinion! I’d drive manuals still, if I still lived in Rural Tennessee.
19:56 Roman dropping a quick f bomb 💣😂
😂
Last year I was given a 1998 XJ for my birthday as my first car. I spent the rest of that summer saving to lift it and and couldn't be happier with it. It's far from perfect but I plan on keeping it forever.
Take care of that thing and don't let mud or salty road slush stay on it for prolonged periods and you'll avoid most rust issues.
Don’t lift it too high it only needs 3-4in max. And don’t treat it like a beater so many guys beat them up and I cringe! Mine was $3,000 in 2007 for sale and bought it right away, I’ve been offer $11,000-$12,500 this year that’s because I treated it well. They aren’t something to beat up or get a pathfinder.
I have a H.F 9000 pounder on my XJ. It's mounted backwards since the grill interferes with the wires. Still works great.
Wouldn’t get HarborFreight winch??? If it’s good enough for Matt’s off road it’s more than enough for me
I just love watching you guys putting vehicles thru the course. It's so entertaining and informative, thanks TFL.
@TFL I will email you guys about putting my stock preserved 2008 Hummer H3 V8 Alpha Offroad Package to the test at Tumbleweed
XJ's were always the best offroaders and woods rigs! thing are unstoppable! they were always cheap to find to, and even today they have a great look to them! as iconic as the wrangler!
It got stopped.
@@cpscps2679 cause it had open diffs!
@@cpscps2679 lol!
Nice XJ, I want one😄, Roman nailed it....lockers are a must have and mud terrain tires needed in mud!!!
I have to admit, this is not how I thought it was going to turn out, until I learned it was open differentials. Was all set to say, another Jeep has completed the course, where is the 4R TRD OR? But here we are.
Roman, it's not "hard" it's just the fact that he has k02s which suck, and bad guidance. you told him to go slow and put him in the deepest hole on the obsticle which was easily avoidable. you just want people to get stuck because you know the course is easy. let the driver drive his own damn vehicle and just shut up!
Love watching this series with my morning coffee.
That’s right bro u have the right idea. Now I have to make some coffee before I watch it😅
Nice Jeep. XJ's are quickly becoming one of the more popular platforms to build off of for an off road rig. Love the 5 speed manual too.
XJs have been one of the most popular off-roaders for 25+ years.
I think if the XJ had a front locker that could have pulled itself out unwinched!
Maybe even with just MT tires.
@@V8AmericanMuscleCar As much as I would love to put MT's on it, we don't see much mud in Colorado to justify it and MT's out here in the winter are about as useful as all seasons on a FWD car.
Pizza cutters 🙌
Add a locker and get rid of the BFG ATs and he'd have no problem
I don’t know anyone that snubs their nose at an XJ. They are awesome even on road. Enjoy it and hope you have yours for years. I wish I still had 1, we had 3 through the years but should have kept 1.
I've been snubbed by a lot of wrangler and yota owners. but then I go wheeling with them and they are mostly shocked at how well it climbs with just a Limited Slip in the rear. 😂
More skinny petal. A little momentum and the mud wouldn’t have been an issue. We run 4xjs of different builds. Very clean and well done sir.
Xj' s are legendary. With over 365 Km on mine and still going strong, nothing comes close. Properly equipped, absolutely the best off road machine ever, bar none.
The Jeep Liberty will forever have my heart.
Now finally a straight up course with stock equipment and xj's lol this I can watch all day!!
a thousand bucks for a winch that you'll use a few times is way overpriced - you can get a decent winch for 300 bucks
The XJ would have really benefitted by at least having some lunch box lockers for the Difs. Makes me want to bring my XJ with lockers and mud tires.
Same here. I only have a rear locker but I've been thru way more gnarly stuff than any of that as far as steep loose climbs and hasn't even spun a tire lol
👏👏👏ALEX Always GETS GREAT SHOTS 👏👏👏...
Nice Jeep, love the manual trans 4 liter combo
I wish jeep brought back xj like this back , but they won’t 😢
I think was kills most vehicles that goes to that section of the Course is that the angle. But overall the course is great and I can’t wait to try it.
Lived at Bross St, Longmont for 2 months . Dec 1st 2017 - Feb 1st 2018. Then moved to Henderson, CO and worked for Adam's Polishes. Had my 2017 WRX and my 2001 Mint Tacoma Xtra Cab 4x4 5 speed.
Good video, but cuts the guest off a little too much. I prefer the other on screen personalities
After seeing what Matt’s Off Road Recovery does with an XJ, they seem absolutely amazing for the cost.
Happy to see an XJ! I believe the XJ, ZJ, and WJ are the best budget off roaders out there. ZJ and WJ are great for offering V8 power if you don't mind a slightly more complicated rear suspension. Lately, I've been thinking that a WJ with V8 and quadra drive would make a great base for an overlanding/ wheeling rig.
I have a WK QDII with 5.7L. I put a 2" Old Man Emu HD lift. A leveling kit and Upper Control arm kit from Rocky Road Outfitters. Its been a great vehicle so far. You should really think about the WKs for overlanding. Plus, if you look hard for one, you can still find them with a Mercedes Benz turbo diesel, it does not need DEF.
@@paladin11C40 That's a good point, those are a good choice as well. I love that you can get the Hemi in them. I haven't seen a diesel version for sale since they were fairly new though. The one thing that I don't care for is that they have the IFS. The older ones have such good front articulation with the SFA. I find the clearance and articulation of my IFS 4Runner very disappointing.
I feel like he low key just kinda roasted this man’s jeep the whole time 😂
I honestly feel like it just needed some better, fresher tires and it would have been fine. Those looked like some fairly well used KO2s. Some new ones or some Mickey Thompson Baja Boss ATs might have dealt with the mud a little better.
That's what my '96 XJ looks like Every time it rains out here in Central Arizona, and haven't been winched Yet knock on wood!🤣🇺🇸
Nice XJ! Next time air the tires down, I bet you'd make it through with some mud tires at 15 psi.
Put lockers on that thing and it'd be unstoppable. Don't even think MTs are necessary if you got lockers
I Just wrote an article on the XJ for Hotcars , I agree it’s the perfect unibody off roader
I read that article lol
This jeep needs some lockers, MTs, and some unibody stiffeners. Great rig overall.
That is such a great course. I usually hate it when somebody gets stuck just because they are proud of their machines and want to do well. But I find myself wanting the course to get them, since it's all in good fun. Lockers seem to be a must for this course now. Super fun video. Thanks guys
Get yourselves a snatch block and a tree saver for cottonwood creek, it'll make your lives much easier
All that work and he didn't spend $500 on a set of spartan lockers, all the obstacles would have been a breeze had he had those
Great course with no shortcuts! I wonder if a first gen Tundra could do it??
I was never a Jeep fan, but I always had a soft spot for an XJ.
The off-road community may snub their noses at XJ's but XJ people know. That's why I have two on the road and another for parts.
XJs FTW
This is a cool change to the new expensive vehicles. Do you really need mud tires in Colorado?
Didn't even let him try, that would have came out
Yes, they say they are "stuck" as soon as forward movement stops. And the whole winching part was a clown show.
Honestly this is a dirt road, not enough momentum into the mud, one lunch box locker in the rear would make a lot of difference,
Roman, stick with running the office. You’ve got a crew that is much better on camera.
Even the Jeep Wrangler with the 392 and lockers got stuck on the course, so anything can get stuck.
my 87 Cherokee Laredo 8'' lift goes through that just getting to the highway from my house every day with no winch lol ,I run on MT = no problems
XJs are awesome, just look what MORR are doing with the Banana.
Having something like a Teralow 4:1 in the t-case makes things a lot better with a manual.
This video reminds us that the Cherokee XJ is not just a vehicle; it's an offroading companion that can conquer anything.
Chili pepper red!
99 Cherokee done Mojave Rd once in November and once in July 😅 did Rubicon and trails you never heard of!
The torque converter is also nice when you live in a city like Atlanta. I used to be a hardcore manual driver growing up in the mountains of Rural Tennessee. I’ve had cars that I commute into the city with from the burbs, and my first commute car was manual but when our family got bigger my wife’s car needed to be bigger to accommodate 3 kids, I inherited her auto diesel Jetta and I unfortunately sold my Mk4 GLI with a 6 speed manual for a VW Routan! (I still wanna cry over this one! 😢) 8 years later, I still drive Autos now based on where we live. If I ever need reminding I just go into the city and take my manual MJ Comanche! I-85 at rush hour will wear that left foot down! So when I started building an XJ I didn’t blink an eye at an automatic. And after having had a manual MJ, everything he says about trail riding and sweet spots in obstacles is TRUE! But then again when living in the mountains the manual is nice in steep mountain grades!
i love your watching people try your off road course. have you ever thought of inviting Mat Wetzel from Matts Offroad Recovery or Paul Cox from Fabrats to give it a try?
The XJ is one of the best 4x4’s ever made.
I don’t believe Roman has done ANY of the hard trails in Moab
It's like a video of Roman talking crap about this guys jeep. Sorry it's a better rig than the new chevys and fiats you buy
This guy looks more like Roman's son than Tommy does.
If an Apex is good enough for Matt's offroad, Apex is good enough for me!
The back burner thought behind the sarcasm of the xj is that jk and jl owners blew there wad on something that doesn't go as good as a built or simply built xj... and as reliable , end of story.
AWESOME XJ! 👍
What’s wrong with harbor freight winch I’ve abuse mine for 3 years still going strong. The last warn I had burn up🤷🏼♂️
Nice XJ. Are those stock gears or did he change gears in the axle?
Gears are upgraded from stock 3.07 to 4.56. Kept the Positrac in the rear as well.
Surprised to learn you're both from IL as an Illinoisan my self. But at the same time I'm not because a lot of friends have moved out that way.
CO is no comparison but here in IL we are centrally located to about 5 national forest so it's nice and easy to get away.
Delete this, you're going to make them expensive.
You are over stating the influence of TFL. lol They have some, but not going to change the market that has already been impacted before this 1 video. lol
Hey Roman check out fabrats and Matt's offroad recovery before you bad mouth harbor freight and badlands winches
Come on down to Florida I will show you a good time in the back country of Florida in my Jeep!!!
Tommy Had? Did he get rid of his Jeep??
I got a badlands winch on my xj go ahead a snub them and pay twice the price but I’ve never had an issue with mine and have never met someone who has had issues
use the parking brake and when you feel the clutch grab release the parking brake with a manual. i thought it had lockers
My 99 XJ Classic has 265k, and still kicking.