Radiators and Parts for Jeep Grand Cherokee
Your cooling system in your Jeep Grand Cherokee includes a wide variety of components, each vital to proper system operation. Make your future journeys smooth ones by keeping an eye on your Grand Cherokee cooling system parts and making any necessary replacements.
What cooling system parts need periodic replacement?You can enhance the reliability of your cooling system if you include its major components on your preventative maintenance list, and change them on regular schedules.
- Radiator: This is the anchor of the system, and keeping this part in good shape is vital for vehicle health. Aluminum and copper are materials commonly used to manufacture radiators.
- Hoses: These components carry hot and cold liquids through the cooling system. Common hose construction materials include tough EPDM rubbers.
- Water pump: This part keeps the cooling fluid circulating through the system.
- Heater core: The core is a kind of mini-radiator. It extracts thermal energy from hot cooling fluid by directing blower-driven streams of air over cooling-fins, after which it routes the warm air into passenger vents.
- Gaskets: Gaskets help form liquid-tight seals between cooling-system components.
- Vent cap: The cap is a vital part of the pressure release system.
- Overflow tanks: Coolant-overflow tanks capture excess liquid expelled from relief valves and return it to the system when temperatures cool off.
Some Jeep Cherokee models produced during the mid-eighties and early nineties included the closed radiator system as a staple. These designs featured cooling cores without the traditional pressure-release cap. Most newer Cherokees made after 1991 include the commonly seen open-systems that use vent-caps in conjunction with overflow reservoirs to help equalize system pressure and deal with overheating episodes.
Should you take cooling fin density into account?Cooling fins may be small in size, but they still make a big impact on radiator fluid cooling. The fins absorb the brunt of incoming streams of air delivered by the fan and by the speed of the vehicle. As this happens, the air cools the coolant. The number and density of the fins have a big effect on the cooling rate, and thus denser fins offer more surface area which results in enhanced chilling potential.
Can water pump design make an impact on cooling efforts?It certainly can. Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts with the same specifications as your old parts will likely provide similar flow levels. That said, you can also get aftermarket or performance Jeep water pumps that deliver higher flow rates and potentially more cooling capacity. If you are considering trying an aftermarket Jeep pump, take careful note of the pressure limitations of your present system, as using an over pressure pump could cause damage to other components. To find information about your system limits, check your Grand Cherokee owners and/or repair manuals.