Learn Me: 2nd Gen Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer and Jeep ZJ

Today I finally unloaded my wife's Volvo 850 wagon, which I'm pretty sure was possessed by demons. I'm also thinking about selling my 86 F250 and consolidating my fleet by replacing them both with a single vehicle. I know these things aren’t the most fun to drive, but for my purposes as a family/dog hauler winter ski rig and trailer puller I think it may work well. I’m looking at the 5.0 V8 models. I’m also considering a 1st generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, also with the V8. Anybody have any experience with these or advice on what to look out for on them Thanks,

-Bryan

I had a 98 Ford Explorer with the 4.0L SOHC V6.

Best damn vehicle I ever owned. I have heard they are even better with the 5.0.

Check the transmission. The 5 spd autos can have a problem with the 2-3 shift.

I have heard of problems with the transfer cases sticking in low.

Avoid the motor I had - they are known for having timing chains go (the back one require you to pull the motor to change it).

People will tell you to avoid the Jeep due to trans problems. I'm sure the trans has been rebuilt by now. The ZJ is a great vehicle, I've had two of them. Drop in a 242 t-case to get 2WD and gain 2 mpg in the process. The only real thing is to make sure the electrics work. The door jumper harnesses have been known to fail but are easy to replace.

5.0 explorers make great tow vehicles, iirc they can tow nearly as much as similar year f150s.

I think the 4.0 only got the 5 speed auto, which used overdrive on 2nd gear to create 3rd, which could cause some issues down the road. The v8 ones came with the trusty aod-e, and they all have 8.8 rearends.

Thanks for the information. I test drive a Jeep yesterday but the steering seemed darty. Is that typical or was there probably some steering system wear? Im going to look at some explorers and another Jeep today.

Thanks again, keep it coming!

there are non-ohc 4.0's too in the fords.

but get a V8 anyway. they're not meaningfully more expensive to get/own.

bgkast wrote: Thanks for the information. I test drive a Jeep yesterday but the steering seemed darty. Is that typical or was there probably some steering system wear?

The steering gear box has an adjustment that nobody ever seems to know about. You can go from turning a toothpick in a warm marshmallow to something that resembles steering feedback.

DrBoost wrote:

bgkast wrote: Thanks for the information. I test drive a Jeep yesterday but the steering seemed darty. Is that typical or was there probably some steering system wear?

The steering gear box has an adjustment that nobody ever seems to know about. You can go from turning a toothpick in a warm marshmallow to something that resembles steering feedback.

And it doesn't help they are overboosted from the factory.

If you're looking at GCs, you might also want to consider the 6 cylinder version. IIRC that engine is more durable than the V8s.

The 96 - 00 V8 explorers get crap fuel mileage. Around town I had to work for 15mpg in the last one I drove, but it was an every option limited with 16 inch wheels (my mom's that I "forced" her to buy). My wife drove a V8 Mountaineer for a while. I loved that truck. I recommend them to anyone who needs a good solid vehicle and isn't concerned with fuel consumption. Don't get the V6.

I owned a mid 90s grand cherokee. After that I won't even buy Jeeps to resell...

I've got a 97 Exploder with a 302 and almost 200k on it. I love that truck. The transmissions seem to have issues for some people, but most chattery shifts and such can be cured or greatly improved with synthetic fluid and a new filter on a regular basis. It's a 4R70W trans in the V8 models, and it's a pretty robust piece. If you get one in good shape, look up the J-mod as an easy modification that will keep it in good shape.

Mine has the factory tow package and is rated to tow 6750 lbs or so. We tow a 2500# popup camper all over the north GA mountains with no problem. It actually is better towing our popup than my buddy's 2005 F150. I'm pretty sure with a brake controller and a WD hitch I could tow my Mustang on a decent trailer if I needed to.

Mileage is....not bad, actually. On a flat, interstate run to Florida TOWING THE CAMPER with the OVERDRIVE OFF I still get 16mpg. Interstate, no trailer, cruise on, I get around 18. Around town, it's no worse than my 05 Mustang, and easily better than most pickups. I have seen a guy on the internet getting almost 30mpg from a 2wd 302 with a LOT of minor tweaks and careful driving. But it's not realistic for any other driver.

Parts are cheap. Like, the cheapest vehicle I've ever looked up on Rock Auto. Parts vehicles are readily available nearly free.

Points of interest: interior pieces in good shape are getting scarce due to age. On the 302 there's a metal downtube from the EGR to the exhaust manifold that likes to develop a hole. At idle and under load, it can be mistaken for a tap in the motor, but is easy to fix. Cruise Control buttons are all melting from age but replacements are available for about $100. Avoid the leather interiors at this age, out cloth XLT interior still looks great. Beyond that, normal wear and care issues apply.

For more info than you ever wanted, hit ExplorerForum.com. They have more posts in a day than we have members. And some of the 4x4 built trucks over there are insane. Signal-noise ratio is a little high, but there's a ton of info if you search for it.

Can you tell I'm a big fan? Our truck has been the most reliable, ready vehicle I've ever owned. In 07 we contemplated replacing it, but there was nothing on the new market that could do everything it can as well as it still can.

Thanks for the info. I have decided on the explorer or mountaineer. I'm sure the fuel mileage won't be great, but I'm used to RX8 mileage so it should be about the same.

Is the leather really that bad? I've seen a few with tears, but also several in good shape. Leather is easier to get various kid spills off of. The interior seems to be the same as my mom's 2002 ranger which has held up well.

Any years better than others? Should I be afraid of high mileage examples (170k plus)? They seem to be about half the price of lower 130k mile examples. Thanks

I had been really seriously looking at Broncos. Now I am considering a Mountaineer. Hmm.

Maybe I've just seen poorly cared-for examples, but the leather always seems to be cracked and delaminating. Of course, I'm talking second gen. Later models may be better off.

If you can find leather in good condition , go for it. There are always neoprene seat covers if it craps out.

High mileage is like any vehicle. Worn suspension, more chance of trans issues. The 302 of course runs forever with half assed care.

I'm thinking age will have done more damage to the rubber suspension bits on vehicles this old and an extra 40k miles won't matter too much.

Any common issues with the suspension I should look at? All of the ones I'm looking at have AWD.

My dad had a 1998 Mounty 5.0 AWD. I busted a lot of knuckles on that truck... seems like that generation of Exploder is known for rusted fasteners even in areas not known for rust.

Overall it was a rock solid truck. The only weak link on the 5.0 models is the AWD t-case viscous coupler will take a dump at around 150k. We found one from a cash for clunkers rig and swapped it in. The truck had very little done to it from the time he bought it at 128k miles to the time it was totaled by some idiot who couldn't put his phone down at 220k miles. My dad being the maintenance minded person he is never flushed the transmission until around 205k when it started acting funny. Trans flush and it shifted like new again.

These trucks have some quirks. The flapper in the heater box is controlled by a motor and it likes to break. Replacement part by Dorman is much stronger, but it can be a pain to replace. Sway bar end links are known to break, but you're replacing them anyways along with the suspension rubber

It was definitely a very easy truck to work on though other than the stupid heater box. The drivetrain is rock solid other than the AWD T-case.. which can be replaced with an F150 4x4 case if you're willing to do some custom shafts.

I also had a 1993 4x4 Explorer that my mother is now driving. The A4LD is the weak link in those but if you take care of it and don't tow it will last. Change the trany fluid ever 25k miles along with the filter and it will hold up, especially the 93 and later A4LD's.

People knock the Explorer... but they are good vehicles and well built.

Wow. A Google search for "2nd generation explorer buyers guide" pulls this thread as the #4 result.

What are the symptoms of a dying transfer case?

Thanks again.

When the t-case was dying in my dad's mounty the front end was shuttering and clunking really bad when you got on it a little bit from a stop. When it finally went it was clunking all the time. Thought it was the front diff or a cv at first. When we replaced it, we realized that it may have been going bad since the day he got it since the truck felt a lot different and the front wheels actually had traction and power.

Wow, people praising the Explorer? I had an older one, a '92 XLT with an auto-OD trans and the 4.0L six. Sold it at 130K to finance the rebuild of my BGT motor, and had recently bought my W123 and things were starting to break on the Explorer and I just didn't need it. Transmission had been rebuilt already at less than 100K and it was starting to slip again.

With that being said, it was built like a tank and survived its share of fender benders unscathed while removing the other cars involved from the automotive gene pool. Off roaders dismiss the Explorer, and I guess its not a rock crawler, but they have always struck me as well put together. There are so many still on the road. I checked with the DMV when I renewed my plates and my old one is still tagged. I have a strange fondness for the last of the Mountaineers.

I'm starting to get discouraged. I've looked at 6 so far and they all seem to have more issues than I want to deal with or are over priced or both. Last night I drive an hour to see one that sounded great. Low miles, owned by an old man and well cared for etc. I crawled under it and the front drive shaft is missing. WTF?

Well I finally found a good one. It's a 97 XLT with 140k miles. I bought it on a Thursday, gave it a once over and left on a 3,000 mile road trip Saturday. I lost the (original?) radiator on the second day of the trip, but other than that it ran flawlessly for the 60 hours of driving. Fuel mileage improved through the trip to a max of 20.5 and an average of 18 or so, not bad with all of the elevation changes I went through. I think it will serve me well.

bgkast wrote: Well I finally found a good one. It's a 97 XLT with 140k miles. I bought it on a Thursday, gave it a once over and left on a 3,000 mile road trip Saturday. I lost the (original?) radiator on the second day of the trip, but other than that it ran flawlessly for the 60 hours of driving. Fuel mileage improved through the trip to a max of 20.5 and an average of 18 or so, not bad with all of the elevation changes I went through. I think it will serve me well.

Congrats on the find!! My '99 limited( awd/302 ) got right at 20mpg loaded to the gills w/ people and luggage a few times to New Jersey and VA. I am actually parting mine out in a few days( overheated enough to shut off twice on my wife, and still started and was driven home two days later ). We had ours for 6 years and had 210k on the clock, didnt require unreasonable amount of maint and just ran forever. My leather was just starting to crack on the drivers' seat bolster but thats it. Only major items that needed replacement were the driveshaft and lower ball joints( after two trips in the mountains driving up and down trails) egr tube, rad and I think thats it. Tranny even shifted fine.