This is a 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4×4 that has a Dominator Track System installed, giving it impressive off road capability – particularly in snow, ice, and mud.
The Dominator Track System is bolted directly to the unmodified Jeep hubs, so it can be quickly removed and the original wheels and tires (which come with this vehicle) can be fitted in their place for standard road driving.
Fast Facts – A Jeep Cherokee XJ On Tracks
- Though it’s often forgotten, the Jeep Cherokee XJ was one of the most influential 4×4 vehicles in history, with its impact still being felt today. The XJ was introduced in 1984 as a compact SUV with a unibody platform and all the comforts offered on road cars of the era.
- The Cherokee XJ was developed to replace the older and larger Cherokee SJ model, the XJ was 1,200 lbs lighter, 31 inches shorter, 6 inches narrower, and 4 inches lower than the SJ – yet it still maintained 90% of the interior space.
- Jeep offered the XJ in both two-door and four-door versions, with petrol and diesel engines, manual and automatic transmissions, and it was built in factories in the USA, South America, China, Egypt, and South East Asia. Production ran from 1984 until 2014, though production ceased in the USA in 2001.
- The 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4×4 you see in this article is a four-door, 4.0 liter, six-cylinder model that has been fitted with lifted suspension and a Dominator Track System from American Track Truck. It also comes with the original wheels and tires, so it can be converted between wheels and tracks when needed.
The Jeep Cherokee XJ: The First Modern SUV?
Many have called the Jeep Cherokee XJ the first modern SUV and it’s a claim with plenty of merit. The XJ was the first mass-produced American unibody SUV, it offered car-like handling and interior comforts, better fuel economy and aerodynamics than its 4×4 rivals, and it proved wildly popular with consumers – helping to kickstart the global SUV trend.
When it was released in 1984, the Jeep Cherokee XJ enjoyed global praise from the motoring press, and it strongly influenced the future direction of SUV design and engineering. Image courtesy of AMC Jeep.
The development of the XJ started back in 1978 when Jeep was owned by AMC (American Motors Corporation). A team of engineers from AMC and Renault working under AMC’s Dick Teague created sketches, refined the design, and then created a number of clay models to improve on the final shape before production.
The XJ was given a Quadra-Link suspension system developed by AMC vice president of engineering Roy Lunn, this was a four-link suspension system that helped give the vehicle less body roll and more “car-like” handling on the road.
When compared to its immediate predecessor, the XJ was 1,200 lbs lighter, 31 inches shorter, 6 inches narrower, and 4 inches lower than the SJ – yet it still maintained 90% of the interior space, largely thanks to the use of modern unibody construction. The external styling was far more modern than the Cherokee SJ model that had come before, and it’s been heralded as one of the most important SUV designs in history.
When it entered production in 1984 Jeep had trouble keeping up with consumer demand, sales were strong across North America, and many other automakers quickly realized that the XJ was being bought by customers instead of more traditional sedans and station wagons – as a result they began development work on their own XJ-competitors and the modern SUV craze was kicked up a gear.
Over the course of its production run the vast majority of XJs would be powered by the bulletproof 4.0 liter Jeep straight-six gasoline engine, though other engines were offered including diesel and gasoline units.
This Cherokee is fitted with a Dominator Track System from American Track Truck, making it all but unstoppable on snow and mud. The system can be quickly removed and replaced with wheels when you need to drive at speed on roads or highways.
The XJ would prove to be remarkably resilient to the passage of time, remaining in production from 1984 till 2014, though production in the US factory stopped in 2001 to make way for the new Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ (and to a lesser extent the Jeep Liberty KJ).
The Tracked Jeep Cherokee Sport 4×4 Shown Here
The vehicle you see here is a four-door Jeep Cherokee Sport 4×4 fitted with the original 4.0 liter straight-six, 4-speed automatic transmission, and dual-range transfer case. This engine was factory-rated at 190 bhp with 225 lb ft of torque.
It has been modified from how it originally left the factory, it now benefits from the fitment of lifted suspension and a Dominator Track System supplied by American Track Truck.
The Dominator Track System is able to be fitted to vehicles without modifying them, it bolts right up to the hubs and the original disc or drum brakes remain in place working as designed. The use of tracks is ideal for when you need to cross snow or mud, and the original wheels and tires can be bolted back into place when you need to travel at higher speeds on the road.
The vehicle is finished in black with an interior trimmed in gray Agate cloth, it has reclining front bucket seats and a rear bench, an overhead console, and a a rear window defroster.
This XJ is powered by the original 4.0 liter straight-six which sends power back through a 4-speed automatic transmission, and dual-range transfer case.
This XJ comes with both the tracks and wheels/tires, and it’s fitted with aftermarket bumpers at the front and back, each of which has a Warn winch connection, a receiver hitch, and recovery shackles. It also has modern LED headlights, front disc brakes, a roof rack, an AM/FM/CD/cassette stereo, air conditioning, and cruise control.
It’s now being offered out of Ramsey, Minnesota on Bring a Trailer with a clean CarFax report, and a clean Minnesota title in the name of the owner’s business. If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
