I was going to buy a used Jeep Cherokee (the old style,not grand cherokee) with an auto tranny. Is this a good beach vehicle? What about tires?

I was thinking 95-97 4WD auto 4.0L Is there a thread about sand driving techniques and etiquette?

Thanks, Rocketman

Etiquette? = #1 Air down
2 move off the rut when you are coming on to let others by who are leaving, they have right of way.

Don't do it! A Cherokee is a money pit. At least mine was. That's why I dumped it.:af: :af:

Well, I guess they can't all be good, sorry you had bad luck fishaholic, but a 4.0 Cherokee is one I would recommend. the 4.0 is one of the most reliable long lived engines made.

My son had a regular Cherokee 4.0 (stick) and had great luck with it, and now has a Grand Cherokee 4.0 (automatic), and this is a real nice ride.

Great on the beach, both of them.

Quick guide for beach use and the gear you will need:

http://www.mbba.net/Beach%20travel.htm

After rule #1, (Air Down)
I'd also suggest that anybody should take note of these simple suggestions... :D

http://www.mbba.net/Code%20of%20Ethics.htm

Rocketman, I see alot of Jeep's out there!! I have a friend that has one and loves it!! It rides the sand great!
I have never owned one so I can't tell about there repair bill??
But I have a full size Blazer and there is no bigger money pit then it!! But i weould not part with it for anything!.

I have a ??? I just bought new tires and I have been told by one guy that they will never pass for use on the beach?? He says they are to aggressive?? They are:

Futura Dakota RVT, 31 X 11.5 x 15, Load Range C, the thread is about 1/2 inch deep

macojoe, the Futura's are made for pep-boys by cooper, pretty good tire.. the HT or LT would be more suited to highway/beach use, the RVT is more of a mud tread. Depends on who looks at them when you get your sticker, I know that they would probably not let them pass at Nauset if the inspection nazi was there. You already have the sticker at P-town, that usually is good for a quick lookover when you renew, maybe the ranger will let you thru.

I already have a sticker! So i hope that will be good?? I guess i should have thought about it better before i bought them :smash: And yes i did get them at Pepboysm:D $480 installed and Bal, air stem, and trash the old. And alingment. we will see in the spring?? I might be headed to the salvage yard and get some steel wheels and crap tires, in the spring?
Should have thought about it first! :af:

not my truck!! But a shot at the tires??

I think you will be fine!
I just hi the Race's web site, and read the tire regs.. they do not mention aggresive tread as a factor!

Nauset DOES however...... "Tires must have a non-aggresive tread"
:huh:

Those don't look too aggresive from the picture Joe!

Thanks Karl!! we will see in the spring??

Mine is a 94, 133,000 and never a problem. Keep fluids in a 4.0 and it will never fail ya. I have never been stuck either.
http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshots/MomentOfFame/l63225.jpg
http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshots/MomentOfFame/m63231.jpg

red...nice vehicle but those tires do not appear to be aired down:eek:
Though the sand looks hard where you are....no excuse though.

Karl...thanks for those links!! they should be in a prominant place on this site for all to see. excellent info!

No excuse? Excused by who? It's my Jeep and my tires. That particular beach didn't require airing down. Would you air down unneccesarily, I wouldn't.

red, I was not trying to be hostile. If the beach does not require it then you don't air down. That beach looks rock hard.

Yeah, that beach is pretty hard. I do pull people out alot though. Last year some moron in a AWD Subaru was buried to the hilt. I asked him where his beach pass was and he said he didn't think he needed one. I yanked him out. The idiot was below the high water mark too. 2-3 more hours and bye bye Subaru!

FWIW---I don't air down on the north side of Montauk, because the beach is mainly gravel AND I believe that ground clearance is more important there than traction. Airing down does lower your clearance.

Cherokees are beach warriors. They're light and have a great engine and drive train. The only problem is the lack of cargo room and the fact that a full grown adult, or even a big kid, can be miserable riding in the rear seat. Most of the problem Cherokees I've heard about are those pre-1988 that had the crummy GM 2.8 aluminum block V-6 engine.

Thanks everyone, I have some friends who have or have had 4.0L Cherokees and they have all had very favorable reviews. Every vehicle seemn to have horror story cases,but I think they are the exception not the rule. The cherokee seems to be the most bang for the buck. I think it's the dated styling that people are avoiding. I have always liked the styling. As to the back seat, It's just me and my wife, plus two dogs. We have a nice car for the times we need a back seat. I just needed to be sure it would work in the sand. Again thanks for the feedback, and I hope to be on the South County sand soon.:)