Wrangler Owners - Need your .02

[Tony_SS]

I'm considering one. 2000 and newer. I'm looking for pro's and con's, why you like them or dislike them.

I'm of the touring mind, and I know they are anything but, so that has me mulling this over carefully, but if you have any great advice on owning one, please share. Thanks!

[Vegas69]

Tony, I have a 99 Cherokee that I utilize for my hunting truck. From my research, the 2000-2001 4.0 has some issues with cracked heads due to a redesign for emissions. I seem to recall some late 99's having the same issue. I have heard the 4.0 Jeeps are in high demand vs. the v6.

Jeeps don't cruise worth a crap, they 4x4.

[DBasher]

I'd say with the kids see if you can find/afford an unlimited. The longer wheel base makes for a better ride as well. Saharas have the better rear axle, 44, Rubicons have 44 and lockers front and rear. The inline 6 has exhaust manifold issues, header solves that problem. I'd stay away from the 4 banger.

A great dual purpose DD set up is a small lift and 33" tires, some arb lockers and some skid plates. Do a header and a throttle body spacer and you're set. My brothers was set up this way along with some steering upgrades and it did very well. It was his DD for a few years, made its way to Utah, South Dakota and all over Washington state, his only complaint was the short wheel base on long trips.

If I do another one it will be an unlimited with lockers, no lift and 35's. Bumpers and some armor...done.
Check out AEV, they have some great products and some killer real world builds.

[GrabberGT]

We have a 09 Wrangler 2-door. We test drove a 4 door but just didnt like the ride or feel on the road. Turning radius felt strange compared to my car. I guess if you are used to driving a truck you might find the Unlimited turning radius comparable. We then drove the 2 door and loved its nimble, go anywhere feel. We do have a 7 yo boy who doesnt mind climbing over the seats to get into the back. It wont be long before he can sit in the front anyway. When the top comes off, he just climbs over the side. So far, all we've done is change tires and wheels to 34" tires and a 1.5" spacer lift. I call it my wifes mall crawler. Its a fun ride that we enjoy taking on family outings on Sunday afternoons into the country. Neither of us commute more than 15 miles a day so the gas mileage, though horrible, is manageable. This after all is not something you get into to cruise fast in or worry about mgp's. I will say that it is a little inconvenient when loading up groceries, the kid with baseball gear, my laptop bag for work, the wife with her 5 gallon purse... You just dont realize how convenient trunk space or rear doors are until they are gone.

[Tony_SS]

That's one thing I hated about my ext cab truck.. the turn radius. So I will only consider a 2 door Jeep and possibly the unlimited, as long as the radius doesn't suffer with that.

The wife and I rented a Wrangler on our Honeymoon in Sedona AZ as we had a blast... this was years ago, so I think it was around a 01 model. I was amazed at to what that thing could do with a 2" lift and 33" tires. So I'm not looking to go radical, I want to keep it practical. It will be a nice toy for us, and serve as a winter ride when we get a foot of snow as we often do here.

I guess I'm concerned about a soft top being too noisey, and the hard top being a PITA to remove and store.

The other guilt I have is that I will probably be spending more on this toy than I did on her Honda Odyssey (which is great BTW)...

[DBasher]

The factory soft tops on the TJ (97-06) are NOT quiet. Look into a good quality aftermarket set up.

If you have the room to store the hard top it's not so bad. My brother had a lil harbor freight winch that would pull it off and up to the rafters of his shop. Takes longer to put the soft top on than to pull the hard top off.

These Jeeps are fun, the inline six is a great low end motor and with good maintenance will last a long time. I'm on my 3rd Jeep, this one being a Grand with a V8. The other two had the six, one 5spd and the other an automatic, both went well past the 150k with no major issues.

Dan

[Tony_SS]

So is the 4.0 inline > than the newer V6's?

It will be a manual either way. Just trying to narrow my search here.

Thanks

[DBasher]

I haven't spent a lot of time with the new V6, I've only driven two. The stock 4dr with an automatic felt a bit sluggish. It needed to be wound up a bit, not like the inline with it's low end torque. Just felt restricted.

A friend had his sisters Rubicon for a week or two, he put on a small lift with 35's, cat back, CAI and a Bully Dog tuner. Even with the 35's and stock for Rubicon 4.10 gears it felt really nice, hers is a manual.

These are both the new body style JK (07-present)I think 2011 maybe 2010, Jeep made some small changes to the motor. I'm almost convinced that the new V6 is a decent motor.

It's all about the money you want to spend. 97-06 was the TJ and you could get the 4 or inline 6. 07-present is the newer body style only offering the V6. If you want to spend 9-15k you'll end up with a nice TJ, hard to find a JK for under 20k.

Jeeps are like hot rods, they start off cheap and easy but can end up sucking up all your money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubvic2XmBFU

Or get one of these to replace the truck!
http://www.aev-conversions.com/vehic...ute-double-cab


Dan

[HEEP]

J - ust
E - mpty
E - very
P - ocket

There is a reason my user name is HEEP. My CJ7 was towed home. You either love or hate a Jeep. I love mine. Will probably only get rid of it to get a 4 door.

The problem with mine is I'm the only one in the family that loves it.

HEEP

[Spiffav8]

Glad to see this thread as the wife and I have been kicking around the same idea. Nothing to crazy, but still setup for some light off road adventures.

Anyone have an alternative to the Jeep?