Finished my first trip with my 5.9

[I want my Lsc]

I recently went looking for a truck to but to make some trips to Florida to help my newly-retired parents relocate. I was looking for a Tahoe since I was originally towing a trailer during at least two of the three planned trips, but that changed to five trips due to the gated community they chose to move to that does not allow moving trucks or trailers to be parked overnight, which is something I have to do. I went looking for a van when I ran across an older couple with a 5.9 with 88k (now 92k) and the owners were fed up with traditional jeep quirks. So I bought it off them the next day, and now for the particulars:

The Good:
They were the original owners, with every receipt associated with the truck
Fairly low miles (I have a feeling the odo didn't always roll forward)
Garage kept
New Tires, tune-up, battery and transmission
$4800 including all new fluids

The Bad:
The VC is shot
No a/c
brake rotors warped
Door lock actuators are worthless
CD player does not work, speakers are blown (that was my fault)
Sunroof only vents, does not slide back
Some minor leaks (f/r diffs, TC is wet)
Some funky BBQ sauce smell, shampooing the carpets and leather treatment could not remedy.

So I spent a day changing all the fluids and removing the rear and passenger seats, the front driveshaft, skid plates and roof rack are in a pile in my parents garage as well. Took it for a ride - I forgot how wallowy these things are stock! I spent another hour swapping over the swaybar and home made k&n from my 4.0 , new busings in the rear and putting new shocks and brakes on it. Took it for a spin with my trusty g-tech, 15.4 was my best run, loading it up to 2200 and barely chirping the tires. It does ping like a mofo in the higher rpm's, but I didn't plan on having it more then a month (actually, I sold it to one of my parents new neighbors already, my last trip is in three weeks and I will leave it there and fly home, thank god).

I loaded up the truck on Thursday and left friday morning, about 600lbs of crap plus me (175lbs) and a full tank of gas. I averaged 13.8mpg in the 1284 mile trip one way, with the cruise set 10mph above the speed limit, whatever it was. The trip back I saw 16.4mpg with just myself and an overnight bag driving the same way. I should have taken my heep, better mileage, an mp3 player and a ton less work.

The power is nice, it is not as fast as my lincoln, but I could live with it if I had to. The gas mileage is attrocious and the problems it already has make it even more of a time bomb in my eyes. All in all, it was a fun experiment but I have no regrets/doubts keeping my 4.0 when my month in the 5.9 club is over.

I forgot to mention this trip was last week, the next two weekends consecutively will finish up my journey.

[ROBZILA]

Thats a lot of problems for a not too high millage 5.9 owned by some old people.

[ptownTSI]

i always got 20mpg in my 5.9 on the freeway. i also averaged 12-14.5 in town.

[94gclimited]

Sounds like a lemon. My 94 had 140k before the CV joints went bad, and the original tranny shifted like new.

Jason

[I want my Lsc]

All the problems are very common to every jeep, and usually happen at around the same mileage. My only cause for concern was the wear of the suspension components considering the mileage and it being stored in a garage. Some receipts don't jive fully(date, miles, major purchases i.e. trans was rebuilt 3 months or 14 miles before I bought it), I disclosed all the info to the next owner and he said I was being paranoid.

Going throught the receipts it has had all regular things go wrong with it fixed (rear diff whine,trans, waterpump being the only significant repairs). My 5.2 that I bought brand new off the lot had many of the same problem with 70k less.

My 4.0 needs to have the a/c fixed, the diffs leak a drop here and there, and the door locks need a changin' but that is the worst of it , it has cost me $1000 in repairs since I bought it in 1999/58k ago (trans cooler line leak, oil pan leak, rear lights not working) the rest has been regular maintenance. That number will double when the a/c gets replaced.

Just for clarification - all times and mpg were calculated with only 1 seat in the rig, no spare or jack, full tank of gas and no front d/s. Well, the mpg was figured with the 600lb load down there and without it on the way back.

All in all I would say this ZJ is pretty average, nothing mechanical that has failed/is failing is unique - just some red flags about the mileage. And I can't get that damn BBQ sauce smel out of my coat.

[ROBZILA]

Both my ZJs have been great. My 93 4.0, I think the only problem I had was a new seal in the rear diff everything else was never replaced, other then fluids and the front brake pads, + the lift I sold it around 90,000 miles. My 5.9 also has been great, I replaced all the fluids last year, a dimmer switch and 1 heated seat, the tranny and everything else works mint at about 95,000. Im not saying they are unbreakable but they have been good to me even if I beat on them.