Newbie assistance

[vjz]

Hello all

I am new to Explorer world.

I decided I need an SUV that canb suit my needs

I landed at either the Grand Cherokee or the Explorer.

I have owned a few Jeeps, but never a Ford. So, I am familiar with the 5.2 V8 and the 4.0L Jeep U6.

Obviously, I know many of you are biased about which SUV is better, and I understand that.

I just need some help in decided where I want to go.

I don't really want to off-road. I wouldn't mind a small lift with some newer Explorer wheels for the look though

However, I do want amenities. So, the Eddie Bauer is what I am looking at. I found a Sport two door EB with 120K on the clock and heated seats with sunroof. Those are kind of important to me, so I was intrigued. It had the 4.0L 6 with 4x4 and not AWD.

Anyway, in any Explorer, what should I look for in a daily driver mindset? Reliability bits and such.

What should I expect for longevity with exceptional maintenance? I take very good care of my vehicles. Is 250,000 miles unreasonable?

Any insight on what I should look out for is helpful.

Thank you

 

[gmanpaint]

They differ from year to year and model to model. there are a few drive trains offered, but in the sport, they only offered the 4.0L, both in a OHV & SOHC I believe. Both have good & bad points.

I'm sure the EB has auto everything in it. Depending on the year, they have different transmissions, and transfer cases. Also gearing varies, but 4:10 is common in a sport, but an EB might have 3:73 ratios for cruising.

My advice is to take a picture of the sticker in the door jamb. Then look up everything you need to know based on that sticker here on this forum. It will tell you engine, trans, gear ratio, wheels & tire size, spring rates, and more. Once you have armed yourself with knowing how to read a door sticker, you will have all the knowledge you need to pick & choose the model that suits your needs.

All the info you want is posted here already. Searching out specific items is easy, once you learn to navigate here.

 

[vjz]

I've been poking around. I didn't wind up getting the ones I looked at last weekend. I've tried to be patient for a sport, but they just aren't popping up.

Tonight I'm going to look at a 98 Mounty. If its as nice as the guy says, I'll pick it up.

Doesn't need much.

 

[vjz]

Turned out to be a POS.

And it smelled like marijuana. High schoolers...


I looked at a rust free white 99 XLT last weekend. The front brakes made a grinding sound upon application of the brakes, the door locks didn't work (power) and the driver seat is stuck ALL THE WAY forward. Imagine driving that one with me being 6'2". No noise, so I assume its the switch or motor. I don't care, as I want to swap it to leather seats anyway.

I drove it last weekend, and aside from the stuff mentioned and needing a new battery, that's all I could find wrong.

But...there was ZERO rust ANYWHERE. Not even a tiny paint chip that no one addressed. Its the cleanest one I have looked at, and I'd rather have the minor issues it has than rust holes all over.

It doesn't have a moon roof though, which is usually a deal breaker, but I need to get a vehicle by Monday to start my summer college course. Perhaps I could fix this one up a bit, sell it for a little more, and go buy an EB 4.0L/4x4.

At least I wouldn't have to drive my beloved 76 Celica into the ghetto to the college.

 

[Turdle]

The v8 was only offered in a 4 door Explorer or Mounty but that is what I would hold out for. If the awd bothers you it can be easily swapped out for a manual 4x4 transfer case--using a BW 4406. There is a great "how to " thread for this swap on the forum.

The V8 will run circles around either v6 in both terms of reliabilty and performance. Economy is about the same.

IMO the timing chains are the killer for the sohc engine. They "will" need to be changed at some point, usully will not go over 130k miles reliably, and, this "service" requires removal of the engine, also, some expensive tools--parts. The transmission is also a weak point.


Look for 373 gearing which will allow you to run up to a 31" tire.