Do you guys think I need to replace my timing chain? Jeep Cherokee 1997?

Hello guys, I'm a proud owner of a Jeep Cherokee 1997, 6 cylinders, 4.0L, 2 doors. When I bought my %26quot;loyal friend%26quot; from a senior from Denver, Co, it used to had 117,000 on it,, now It's been 4 years since I bought it and I put a lot of miles on my Jeep. Now it has 158,528 miles and is still working good. I recently change the battery, the alternator and the radiator, this last one I had to do it because the antifreeze was leaking and I didn't realize about it until I got to Vegas. I drove it from Twin Falls, Id, all the way down to Sin City and I didn't realize about this problem. How dumb I was!!! Well the thing is that ultimately I'm driving my Jeep in long trips. I drove it to Seattle, WA, Las Vegas, NV, Boise, ID, Salt Lake City, UT, and I'm really concerned about the timing chain. I've heard that if the timing chain fails, my %26quot;loyal friend%26quot;, will die for sure. And the costs for repairs are expensive so I wanna have it replace it before it'll be too late. Today I went to Shucks Auto Parts and they told me that I don't need to replace my timing chain, since is timing chain and chain is much stronger than timing belt and plus last longer. I wanted hear a second opinion and I went to AutoZone, and they told me that yes, I need to have replaced the timing chain. Now I don't know who says the truth, cause the problem is not the timing chain price (it's just 49 bucks), the thing is, how much a good and HONEST car mechanic could charge me for replacing it?...So I need your opinion guys if I need to replace my timing chain or not if so, how much I have to expect for paying?..and one more question. By doing the replacement of timing chain, Do I have to replace the water pump also?...It's not leaking but since I'm driving my car long trips, I wanna take my precautions. Thank you, I hope you guys could help me

P.D.: JEEP ROCKS!!!Do you guys think I need to replace my timing chain? Jeep Cherokee 1997?
The timing BELT should be replaced every 75,000 miles. I have to assume the previous owner did so at the correct interval. AT 150K+ miles, you're due. If you do, in fact, have a timing CHAIN on a 1997 Jeep 4.0L, it would not need replacement based on mileage alone, but on wear. If you do replace the chain, replace the cam and crank gears also as a complete 3-piece set. Since you have to remove the water pump to get at the timing assembly, it's your call if you want to replace it. It should not be any additional labor, about 2 hours total.

If you just replace the water pump, you can pull the timing cover at that time and see first hand if you have a belt or a chain.

If you have a set of tools and a little mechanical know-how, this is a good afternoon project for the novice mechanic. You will get to know your car better and wil be able to understand why repair shops cost so much.Do you guys think I need to replace my timing chain? Jeep Cherokee 1997?
yes I think you should replace it..Do you guys think I need to replace my timing chain? Jeep Cherokee 1997?
TIME TO CHANGE DAT WHOLE WHIP !!!MAN UPGRADE DAT OL CLUNKER!!Do you guys think I need to replace my timing chain? Jeep Cherokee 1997?
No, you don't need to change it. I had the same thinking along time ago with the same 4.0L. I needed to change to water pump and thought of changing the time chain. I open it up and it was still tight. It's still good because of it being a short chain and a double roller.



If you have no problem with now, it'll be fine. Chain will stretch before it'll break. That stretching will cause the timing to be off and that's when you'll know it needs to change. I had 222k before selling the jeep and it was still running great.