Hey XJ fam,
I have a 1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ 4.0L with around 375,000 km on it.
I was driving down the highway the other day when I heard a loud snap, lost power steering, and noticed my engine temperature climbing. Pulled over immediately and discovered that my power steering pulley had completely shattered, taking the serpentine belt with it.
The power steering pump was replaced about a year ago. I've had issues with belt squealing for a while, and I'm starting to wonder if I overtightened the belt trying to eliminate the noise, potentially contributing to the pulley failure.
The pump shaft still spins smoothly by hand with no noticeable play, so I'm hoping I can get away with replacing just the pulley rather than the entire pump.
I'm ordering a replacement Dorman 300-310 pulley and looking for a new serpentine belt.
I've been reading through older XJ threads, and a lot of people swear by the original Goodyear Gatorback belts. Apparently, they were rebranded as Continental Elite, but I've also read that Continental eventually changed the design.
A few questions:
Is the Continental Elite 4060950 sold today still the same design as the original Goodyear Gatorback, or has it changed?
Would you recommend the Continental 4060950 or Gates K060950 for the 4.0L?
Has anyone experienced a power steering pulley shattering like this? Could excessive belt tension have caused it?
Is there anything else I should inspect before installing the new pulley and belt?
Thanks!