Cherokee upper radiator hose too short?

[mulletless]

I've been trying to get an upper radiator hose for my 1995 Cherokee (6-cyl, with air conditioner), and the hose that the computer says to use is too short (it doesn't go all the way round the air conditioner like my old/current hose does). I don't really want to run the hose across the top of the AC (seems like it will get pinched between that and the hood?)

Anybody got experience/advice with this? Anybody know where to get the longer/correct hose?

I even tried ordering one from the jeep specialists 4_WheelDrive_Hardware (4wd.com), and although the salesman said he knew exactly what I'm talking about (he has a Cherokee that he does his own work on), the hose they sent is too short to go around the AC also (although it is the part# that their catalog lists for a 95 6-cyl with AC).

Here's a picture, showing the new/short hose, compared to my old/longer hose that's currently still installed...

 

[bronco man]

that hose should be fine i work as a mechanic and every cherokee i have seen the hose runs over top the compressor be sure to back fill the hose once attached to the t-stat then hook to rad if not u could get air trapped in upper hose

 

[mulletless]

Hmm ... I guess this is the way they're doing hoses these days. I checked the 1995 cherokees on ebay ... only one of them had an under-hood picture, but sure-enough, it had the hose going over/across the AC unit...

 

[mulletless]

Found another one in the finished ebay auctions - this one had the longer hose. So, it's 50% so far

 

[mulletless]

And 4 more that run across/over the AC - I guess that pretty much proves that the over/across the AC hose configuration works, and is actually the most common config.

Here are the pics, for those interested...