Ford could have taken a few lessons from... JEEP? July 11, 2010, 03:27:17 PM So now the Cherokeer's roadworthy again, after installing the front bumper, connecting the lights, and replacing the rear wheel bearings. Today I decided to start swapping the Wagoneer's options into my very basic Jeep and am so far amazed at how easy it is to do all of this.First the lights. I went from two headlights to four plus fog lights, and was expecting to do some wiring. Not necessary. The Wagoneer's headlight harness plugged directly into the Cherokee's harness and everything was spiffy (the connector for the factory fog light switch was already in the dash!).Then the rear wheel bearings. In a Fox, when the rear wheel bearings go bad the axle shaft is pooched. Not so the Cherokee, which does not use C-clips (older ones, anyway, and my axle is out of an '89) and has an inner and outer race on the bearing. Pop the drum, undo four nuts holding the backing plate on, use a slide hammer to pop the axle out, press (or, in my case, cut) the old bearing and retainer off, press on the new bearing and retainer, bolt everything back in, and you're done. Not a drop of gear oil spilled.Today I installed the power windows, locks and mirrors. Popped the door panels, removed the manual mirrors and window regulators, installed the power ones (and lock motors), connected them to the harness I'd gotten out of the parts rig, plugged the harness into the fuse panel, and done. Everything works fine, thanks to the self-contained harness that only connects to the rest of the vehicle via two power wires and a ground, all of which have provisions already in the fuse panel. I was very grateful that the '89 four-door window regulators directly fit my '96 two-door with zero mods, even though the 2-door's doors are about 8" longer.My Cherokee only had the base cluster (speedo, fuel gauge, and idiot lights). Swapping in a full cluster (tach, speedo, oil/temp/volt/fuel gauges) is a mere matter of removing the old one, installing the new one, and replacing two senders on the engine. We all know how easy it is to swap clusters in a Fox...It's almost as if AMC (and later Chrysler) actually wanted to help their owners out. Actually, it's more likely a case of wanting to keep manufacturing costs down so they made everything modular, but still, those old Jeeps are easy to work on. Pull codes? Turn the key on and off three times and watch the engine light (this still works in my '05 300, except instead of flashing the light, the actual code is displayed in the dash).Then there's that fact that this is a 4WD SUV that weighs more than 200 pounds LESS than your average Fox T-Bird or Cougar, with an inline 6 that is as powerful as the top engine and more powerful than any other engine ever factory installed in a Fox 'birdcat ...Don't get me wrong, I love my T-Bird, but you really start to question some of Ford's methods when you see how somebody else did it... Quote Selected
Ford could have taken a few lessons from... JEEP? Reply #1 – July 11, 2010, 04:31:44 PM :flame: J/K, thanks for the info.Still not sure I want to buy a Cherokee though... Quote Selected
Ford could have taken a few lessons from... JEEP? Reply #2 – July 11, 2010, 06:20:59 PM But Ford did do similar things. When I swapped in a passenger power seat, all I had to do was unplug one harness and plug in the other. Everything else bolted up just fine.Shiny Side Up!Bill Quote Selected
Ford could have taken a few lessons from... JEEP? Reply #3 – July 11, 2010, 06:24:22 PM I've found my Jeep Grand Cherokee quite easy to work on. Change front U-joints? No problem, couple hours, tops! Do that on a F150? Take all fricken afternoon. The whole idea behind Jeep in the first place was that they were utilitarian. All Jeep has done over the years, is add more glitz without reinventing the wheel, so to speak. But with such few different model types, they are able to concentrate on one thing, and that they do well, IMO. Only in recent years have they added 3 or 4 more different types. Quote Selected
Ford could have taken a few lessons from... JEEP? Reply #4 – July 11, 2010, 08:04:45 PM Quote from: ProTouring442;327978But Ford did do similar things. When I swapped in a passenger power seat, all I had to do was unplug one harness and plug in the other. Everything else bolted up just fine.Shiny Side Up!BillMaybe, but that's the exception, not the norm. Try adding power windows to one that never came with 'em. Hell, like I said, just a cluster swap is major surgery.Quote from: HAVI;327979I've found my Jeep Grand Cherokee quite easy to work on. Change front U-joints? No problem, couple hours, tops! Do that on a F150? Take all fricken afternoon. The whole idea behind Jeep in the first place was that they were utilitarian. All Jeep has done over the years, is add more glitz without reinventing the wheel, so to speak. But with such few different model types, they are able to concentrate on one thing, and that they do well, IMO. Only in recent years have they added 3 or 4 more different types. Yeah, the Daimler years were not kind to Jeep. The Wrangler is about the only true "Jeep" remaining. The Liberty could've been allright but looks too soft (it should've had the Nitro's looks and the Cherokee name), the Commander is just a mess (looks like a really poorly done retro Cherokee) and the Grand Cherokee is just too hi-faloootin' to be a real off-roader, especially now with the 2011 model sharing the Mercedes M-class structure (overcomplicated POS that the M-Class is). The Compass and Patriot don't even deserve to be mentioned. Glorified PT cruisers is what they are...Quote from: jrad235;327973:flame: J/K, thanks for the info.Still not sure I want to buy a Cherokee though...Don't get me wrong, I love my T-Bird and the Cherokee will never replace it. For the few things Jeep did right they did many wrong, too (such as making a floor with the structural integrity and corrosion resistance of a tin can). Quality control was virtually noexistant, and just like our beloved foxes they had no cupholders (until later, when a cheesy ad-on one was offered, I happen to have one). I only wish Ford had taken the modular construction approach that Jeep obviously did. Would've made modifying 'em much easier... Quote Selected
Ford could have taken a few lessons from... JEEP? Reply #5 – July 11, 2010, 11:21:47 PM Quote from: Thunder Chicken;327985I only wish Ford had taken the modular construction approach that Jeep obviously did. Would've made modifying 'em much easier...But, maxwiring everything would make them more expensive. I'm not saying, I'm just saying. Quote Selected
Ford could have taken a few lessons from... JEEP? Reply #6 – July 12, 2010, 12:12:11 AM Quote from: Scott D;328004But, maxwiring everything would make them more expensive. I'm not saying, I'm just saying.I dunno....one harness for all three ranges of cars (TC, Sport, and 3. that had provisions for every available option bundled in?Easier yes, cheaper, who knows....a lot more Cherokee's were made than Fox Cat/Birds though...so it might have cost more.Oh, the real reason why Ford didn't do such a thing:It makes too much sense! Quote Selected
Ford could have taken a few lessons from... JEEP? Reply #7 – July 12, 2010, 05:12:42 AM Quote from: ThunderbirdSport302;328016I dunno....one harness for all three ranges of cars (TC, Sport, and 3. that had provisions for every available option bundled in?Easier yes, cheaper, who knows....a lot more Cherokee's were made than Fox Cat/Birds though...so it might have cost more.Don't forget that manufacturers have weight to worry about, and when it comes to weight in a car every little bit helps. Manufacturers will frequently ask all suppliers for ways to reduce the weight of their product by 5 or 10%. While it might seem silly to worry about the weight of an item like a door lock , when you reduce all parts by 5 or 10%, the resulting vehicle is 5 or 10% lighter with the accompanying increase in fuel mileage.Shiny Side Up!Bill Quote Selected
Ford could have taken a few lessons from... JEEP? Reply #8 – July 12, 2010, 06:57:55 AM I'm not even talking about maxwiring every car, I'm talking about making modular harnesses with breakouts for different options, so they'd plug in rather than having to be spliced in. Quote Selected
Ford could have taken a few lessons from... JEEP? Reply #9 – July 12, 2010, 11:15:01 AM I wish ford did the rears like that,, my 20th needs rear wheel bearings now with side to side slop i hear. never done it before but i have a small clue of what to do,,small clue mind you. Quote Selected
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