Chrysler Repair: Bypassing ac, jeep line, chrysler line

Question
I have a 1995 grand jeep cherokee and my ac clutch is going out and instead of spending lots of money i was wondering if i could just get a shorter belt and just bypass it?

Answer
Hi Nicole,
I would believe that if the Jeep was sold originally with the AC as an option that you could indeed do just that, but I don't have a specific belt routing diagram to test that out. If that doesn't turn out then I would believe you could replace the clutch which shouldn't be so expensive compared to also replacing the compressor. But check it out at a good parts store. Given the large variety of belts I would suspect that even if the engine only was sold with an AC unit that there will be a belt with the same cross-section and shorter length that will allow you to by-pass the clutch. Sorry to say I am not 'expert' in the Jeep line, unless by chance an engine that also was used in the Chrysler line is used in your car. So let me know the displacement and cylinder number, just in case.
Roland