I bought this trucklet in '99 to replace a troublesome '94 Grand Cherokee Ltd. V8.  Nice truck, but with transmission woes, a slightly binding viscous coupling in the t-case, and a freshy leaking rear main seal, all this at 65K miles, it was time to move on.  This, and the thirsty V8, which you'd expect it to be of course, felt like an asthmatic 4-cylinder above 8K feet of elevation, which is where we lived at the time.  The t-case coupler alone was a $700 part, and where we lived, not having bona-fide 4WD was not an option in winter.   I couldn't figure out how to get the transmission into the trunk of my wife's Intrepid to take it to town and have it rebuilt.  I wasn't about to pay to have someone yank it...that's not all that difficult, just greasy and heavy.

The GV has its issues, most of which I've either fixed or learned to live with.  The cheesy interior panels which scratch if you look at them wrong I've learned to ignore.  The uphoulstery is wearing a bit faster than I'd expect for a car with 76K miles on it, but hey, it's an off-road truck, I don't care what it looks like, I just don't want metal tearing holes in the seats...then my slacks.   The shifter doesn't stick in gear when hot, anymore.  Nice.  Hell, there is less than a quarter inch of fluid used in the clutch master cylinder.  In theory, and I've checked this on a few vehicles, the clutch should last pretty much forever given the rate the fluid is falling.  It really does work like brakes...when it gets to 'min', start shopping for a clutch.

I put coil spring spacers in the rear to even out the stance after putting KYB's in all the corners.  That and BFG AT's in the 225/75/16 size make it a better performer and aid in appearance.  The KYB's added just enough 'lift' to require use of camber adjustment bolts to tweak the front-end alignment.  I've even managed to get the alignment just right so the dreaded steering shake is gone about 90% of the time and tire wear is almost non-existient.

I keep it because I absolutely must have a vehicle to tow with all wheels on the ground behind our motorhome.  We've been travelling for almost three years, and it's been fun...diff replacements notwithstanding.  This rules out most cars...at least the ones I'd own.  Me driving a Saturn...nope, don't think so.  I'd rather my partially-crippled ass walk to wherever I need to go.  I'd be late, but I wouldn't be driving a Saturn, either.

I've even gotten good A/C performance out of the system by replacing the OEM condender with an 'old-style' tube-and-fin setup.  Rocks got behind the electric fan's 'guard' while behind the motorhome in Alaska, yet could not drop out the holes in the bottom, so the first time I fired it up, the A/C happened to be 'on' (we had come from Vegas...in July), the rocks, being spun by the electric fan blades, flattened the fins in about 3.5 seconds.  It was marginal to begin with, as over 103F, or so, had me considering opening the windows, so with flat fins, it was worthless above about 85.  No more, though.  It's freakin' frigid.

After the first two diff failures, I decided to go with old 5.13 'Kick diffs, as the tires threw the gearing just enough to notice how pokey the machine is in city driving.  I did the manual hubs while I was at it...easy enough.

I've now blown up the OEM diff, the used GV replacement, the 5.13 'Kick replacement, and this last 'Kick diff lasted all of 2K driving miles & 6K towing miles.  The towing miles don't really count, as there isn't any power being transmitted.

I'm up for suggestions as to why this is torturing me in this way.  The OEM diff lasted 52K, not a foot of towing on it, cracked pinion.  The replacement used GV diff lasted about 5K miles driving/2K miles towing, another cracked pinion.  The first 'Kick diff lasted about 20K miles of driving and a whopping 40K miles of towing...maybe more.  The ring gear was torn up, I have pics of it if anyone is curious to see it.  This final one sounds like a quarter-sized chunk of metal is periodically getting caught up in the gears (I've heard what a bolt sounds like in a late-60's Dodge van, it's a bad, bad sound)...lasted 2K miles driving, 5K of towing.  I'm at 76K and ready to take it to the worst neighborhood I can find and leave the keys in it with it running.  I'm concerned a potential thief would take it 100 feet and say, "screw this...I'm not making it around the block in this POS."

Oh, and it's seen Mobil 1 in everything since new.  I changed all the fluids in everything oil-related to synth between 1500 and 2K miles.  Took until after 30K miles for the oil control rings to seat 100%.

Thanks for letting me vent.  I'd do the XL-7 rear axle swap, but I don't have a garage in which to do it, and that's a bit more than I'd like to bite off right now.  Ironically, I've been shopping used Grand Scarakees, and one which is identical to the one I traded for the GV, is for sale here in Dallas, where I bought the last one.  Even the color is the same.  Has all of 54K miles on it.

I'm tempted, even though I know I should know better.  At least the Jeep never had me walking, and it never, ever got stuck...even after a four foot snow.  The GV, with decent tires, requires a goodly amount of snow to become immobile, but 20 inches can do it.  I'm not sure what it was with the Jeep, might just have been luck, though I think the automatic trans helped in this case.

Kelly
'99 JLX+, owned it since mile 40, babied most of its life, and it's given me a bunch of grief

On the loss of clutch master cylinder fluid...check and see if it's leaking out the BACK. You'll see fluid leaking inside above the pedal where the brake rod pokes through if it is. Mine was and I replaced it with a new master cylinder.

Sorry for all of the other probs.  My 99' has the original clutch and diffs w/209,000 miles on em' if that helps. I DO need to fix a new prob though. The left rear diff axle seal started leaking. 

Oh, you misunderstood...based on the amount of fluid required to fill the area in the slave cylinder due to friction disc wear, this clutch will last forever...at least the way I drive it.

Over on the Grand Vitara Yahoo! group, we've decided mine has a bent banjo/axle housing.  Not good, and while I was going to replace it with an XL-7 unit earlier this year, I can't see sinking that kinda money into a car I'm past hating.

I'd like to hear more about this condenser of yours.  Got any pics of the plumbing?

I sorta' see your thoughts on your clutch fluid level.    You're drawing a comparison btwn level and wear.  I guess that has merit, but really doesn't completely define clutch failures in pressure plates, release and pilot bearing issues and nor engine or trans seal leakage ruining the disk suface, nor driving style of abusing / ruining the clutch for that matter, some of the major causes of clutch replacement needs. Either way,  I see where you're coming from now. 

Novadon, I see where you're coming from.  Yeah, I'm using it purely as a wear indicator on clutch disc wear.  I've had more than my fair share of disc spring breakage, bent plate fingers, a couple of throwout bearings, etc.  I've replaced way more clutches than I'd have liked to...ever.  Wasn't all the same vehicle, either...three different ones.

When you carry a spare disc and plate with you, and the tools to do it, you know you've become a bit paranoid....  Oh, and those did come in handy, though thankfully not roadside.

Tip:  If, like me,  you're 'old school', working with three speed manuals and the like, don't try to bench press a five speed.  I did that when I was about 20, and the damned thing liked to squish me.  Didn't have anything remotely resembling a trans jack, floor jack, nothing, so it was my only option.  College does a good job of keeping a body poor.

Back to the GV.  The tube-and-fin condenser bolted right in.  The fan doesn't seal anywhere near as well as it used to, but that can be expected.  Some foam stuck inbetween the two would help at low speeds and when stopped, though I think the electric fan is also very borderline in it's efficiency.

Let me see if I can find the place I bought mine.  I deleted that link not three days ago, and I cannot find the receipt.  I shopped it online, so I should be able to find it.

Here's the place.  The price is right, compared to the new-style of condenser, which, like I said, didn't work as well.  Go figure.

http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByDepartment/A!C_Condenser/SUZUKI/GRAND_VITARA

Oh, and one other thing on the A/C....  I'd also put in a new expansion valve, the old one stuck open, for joy, the spring before, and I replaced the receiver-dryer, just 'cause I'd had it all apart.  Only wanted to do it one time, and I had it all apart, anyway.  Cheap insurance as we were in Vegas at the time, so....

I like your style! (one old timer to another) 

I like your style! (one old timer to another) 

Amazing how quickly you get 'old', isn't it?  I'm still pissed off songs I have on album, there's a tip, are being played on what used to be bona-fide oldies stations.  I like 50's and 60's rock as much as the next guy, but Billy Joel???  C'mon.

I cannot believe how difficult it has been to find a diff for a '96-'98 1.6L manual trans 'Kick in a city the size of Dallas, TX.  One guy claimed to have two...for $100 each.  I was prepared to hit an ATM and buy 'em both.  Turns out one was in a '92, the other in a '95.  Guys...gas is expensive, at least make an attempt at telling me what you've got before I have to trek 80 miles to get to Junkyard Mecca, a.k.a. Jefferson.

To make matters more interesting, all the freeways into Dallas' center have been closed since 9:30 AM, so a nice, scenic trip through the backroads of South Dallas were in order.  Glad I lived here for my first 27 years, so I still have an idea of which roads go where.

Well, if you didn't have bad luck, what would you have? lol

Man, I feel for you.  You've had diff problems since day one.  You light be right on the bent housing.  How you managed that, I dunno.  With all the thrashing my GV went thru, I've had nothing like what you mention.  Maybe the extra grand for the Limited package payed off? LOL

Did you check the driveshaft for balance? This can cause excessive wear on the pinion bearings and subsequent R&P failure.  A slightly uot of balance D/S can be hard to feel thru the wheel or pedal.

How about the axle shafts?  A bent shaft can cause excessive wear on the diff.

FWIW, brand new 5.12 diffs come up on Ebay for $99 each from time to time.  Or you can follow me, (and Blacknight if I can press him enuff) and swap in Toy solid axles. 

Why not?  This little bugger doesn't owe you anything (well, on second thought) and you could always need a new toy (can never have enuff of them).  That way we can meet in Moab some year, and break our shiit and feel good while doing it.  You can smile with a busted R&P when you made it thru Lower Helldorado, but you get no giggles with a busted R&P while in the mall parking lot.

When in doubt, throw a new diff in, and check your shafts.

BTW- I kinda miss the Yahoo! Group.  Is Lilly still got her ride?

Yeah, I've been king of bad luck for about four months, now.  I'm due the freakin' Powerball at this point.  Even didn't go on a long-planned 10 year anniversary with my lovely wife 'cause I took what turned out to be a job working for idiots which lasted all of 5 weeks.

I've not had it checked for balance, but I did have my wife wind it up to about 70 MPH while I had the wheels/drums off  the second time this happened.  I'd hope I'd see/hear something with my head a stupid four inches from the shaft.

One shaft snapped, the left one, and I checked the replacement when I got it and man that sucker looked straight...took a straightedge to it, and I don't know what kind of tolerance there is on these, but they were good buds the entire length.

I'm going with diff #5 at this point.  I'll surf ebay, you never know. 

Actually, I started laughing a demented laugh when I found #4 bit the dust while on Elvis Pressley Blvd.

Oh, and dude, I'm the owner of the Yahoo! Group, now, so c'mon back, there are a few of us regulars which keep it going.  I think Lilly still lurks around there, though I can't remember her posting in at least six months.

Yeah, I've been king of bad luck for about four months, now.  I'm due the freakin' Powerball at this point.  Even didn't go on a long-planned 10 year anniversary with my lovely wife 'cause I took what turned out to be a job working for idiots which lasted all of 5 weeks.

I've not had it checked for balance, but I did have my wife wind it up to about 70 MPH while I had the wheels/drums off  the second time this happened.  I'd hope I'd see/hear something with my head a stupid four inches from the shaft.

One shaft snapped, the left one, and I checked the replacement when I got it and man that sucker looked straight...took a straightedge to it, and I don't know what kind of tolerance there is on these, but they were good buds the entire length.

I'm going with diff #5 at this point.  I'll surf ebay, you never know. 

Actually, I started laughing a demented laugh when I found #4 bit the dust while on Elvis Pressley Blvd.

Oh, and dude, I'm the owner of the Yahoo! Group, now, so c'mon back, there are a few of us regulars which keep it going.  I think Lilly still lurks around there, though I can't remember her posting in at least six months.

Email me a link to that list, I'll lurk around as well.  Last I remember, a few were pist because I talked too much rockcrawl stuff.