Jeep Wrangler - Pro's and Cons

[Brett_J]

Ok went and test drove a new one yesterday, stupid yank inspired crappy interior turned me off.
So decided the mid 90's version onwards with the 4.0l was a better option and cheaper, plus half will be modded anyway.
So why should I or shouldnt I get one?
The allure of rolling doorless and open roof is appealing for summer.
It will be thrashed hard off road as well.

[Butcher]

Do you want o buy a thrasher or build one? If you want to build one to your spec could possibly tee up an unlicenced body cheap?

[Passage GT]

great off road and the most modified forby in the world, so the aftermarket choices are limitless, brother has one with the 4 litre and 33s and it goes awesome off road, can be twitchy to drive on road, even compared to other shorty's and they're not the most fuel efficient things in the world, i was seriously considering getting a diesel unlimited for the missus next year but there's just not enough room in them for our family, i'll be getting another patrol
but if i was single i'd probably own one
oh and make sure you fit a snorkel before going in any water, i had one follow me through a puddle at the powerlines one day and stop dead in the middle, locked it up and needed a new motor, standard air intake has a trumpet about halfway down the radiator so it doesn't take much depth before it's sucking in water

[Mariuszfc20b]

Jeep= Stay away full stop. shit cars

[Lasoya]

The wranglers were rated the best 4wd offroad with stock suspension and capabilities

[Brett_J]

Jeep= Stay away full stop. shit cars

Great informative well thought out reply.

[Lump]

longshot, but maybe this is still 4 sale
http://www.antilag.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33953&highlight=jeep

[mr_mike]

pro's- awesome offroad, huge amount aftermarket parts, roof and doors off in summer, look tough as nuts when lifted on big tyres.

cons- american, if you buy parts locally you will be stung hard in the pocket, be fuckin cold in winter with soft top. security aint to great again due to being a soft top. thirsty in stock form even more thirsty once big tyres go on.

[Risk10k]

Had a 2003 TJ, great bus.

Engina; I6 or fuck nothing. Its fucking tough, and its fucking thirsty, torquey enough to pull you out of sunk to axle in sand if you forgot to change to H4...

Box; Low range stuff is great, I found myself starting off in 2nd unless I was proper stuck. Shit for everyday driving, 5th gear is WAY to fucking tall.

All suspension was top notch, lots of clearance, nice ride, not a shitload of give in it - so you dont feel like your driving a marshmellow. BS about it being cold in winter, heater works so well you can drive with the roof down in winter and still be warm.

Shipping is the biggest killer for parts, but service bits are all available locally - so your biggest problem is choosing what you want for it.

I'm savage I sold mine, did 50,000k in it, just to buy the missus a camry.

[devilfish]

Join ausjeepoffroad.com ask away the JK wrangler is a much better vehicle than the old TJ with the i6, and the new v6 is more powerful and less thirsty than the old version.

There is a huge club scene here in wa, and bits are cheap to get and to fix if you know the right people.

I have a 2010 JK rubicon and it kicks ass, factory lockers, electric swaybar discos, 80:1 crawler transfer, big brakes and HD dan 44 axles - ALL STANDARD there is no 4by that even comes close, expecially now all the mainstream 4x4 are IFS

my wrangler

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm281/Tojoconvert/Powerlines%2005_12_2010/IMG_0127.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e175/BVA_HNTA/Powerlines%20Dec%202010/36-1.jpg

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h108/real_mofo69/DSC_0407.jpg

[joshg123]

Ive personally never seen a great run with the mid 90's jeeps in regards to reliability. They go great when things are good, but strange things happen when they go bad, and you find yourself with a heater core burst or needing some rear axles.

The later versions as spoken about, and the pictures above show, are far better in the reliability department ive found.

[Brett_J]

Its a matter of cost as well turning me off the newer versions,but yeah the interior is fucking hideous, it reminds me of the rest of the crap chrysler shit we get here like the Nitro's and shit.
I don't mind fixing shit, chances are I'll be upgrading to a lot of aftermarket stuff as well, I can change those sparker plug dealies if someone helps,I even changed oil once, just a prick fixing the hole in the sump you have to bash to get oil out, then filling oil up in that tiny dipstick hole is tedious too :P


Oh and I will be getting an auto,it's not a race car so I don't care, plus I'm a lazy driver, just wondering how good they are strength wise, not that its an issue,I can rebuild an auto box,plus will be doing another 2 week course on rebuilding auto's in a few weeks as well.

Fuel's not an issue, I live 2 mins from work and in all honesty I dont care about consumption.

Anyone know if the motor turbo's well?

[T-Diddy]

mate has just bought one,

pros = 4wd heritage
get the turbo diesel
with the aussie dollar being on par with the U.S. atm, stuff from the states is dirt cheap
i did springs an shocks in a mates the other day, an it now looks the shit

cons=
make sure its had all its recalls carried out, there has been a few, an some of these if not done, can be heaps expensive to do by youreself, or fix, when they brake,

the autos when in low range, love to creep on downhill desents, if ure a novice 4wd'er you'll shit you're pants

everyone calls you a hairdresser.
thats about it

personally ive been in them an like them, but going for a hj61 cruiser to one of these, i cant do it, if i NEVER had a cruiser, they would be a close 2nd or 3rd option on my list

[devilfish]

Its a matter of cost as well turning me off the newer versions,but yeah the interior is fucking hideous, it reminds me of the rest of the crap chrysler shit we get here like the Nitro's and shit.
I don't mind fixing shit, chances are I'll be upgrading to a lot of aftermarket stuff as well, I can change those sparker plug dealies if someone helps,I even changed oil once, just a prick fixing the hole in the sump you have to bash to get oil out, then filling oil up in that tiny dipstick hole is tedious too :P


Oh and I will be getting an auto,it's not a race car so I don't care, plus I'm a lazy driver, just wondering how good they are strength wise, not that its an issue,I can rebuild an auto box,plus will be doing another 2 week course on rebuilding auto's in a few weeks as well.

Fuel's not an issue, I live 2 mins from work and in all honesty I dont care about consumption.

Anyone know if the motor turbo's well?

Why would you want to turbo a 4WD? the standard engine is powerful enough in the jeep its not an asthmatic hilux??????

and the interior is actually great for a 4x4 it cleans up easy, you can pull the plugs out the floor and hose the wrangler out, its not a lexus.

[180SXTCY]

if i remember correctly, wasn't the earlier jeeps catching fire for some reason? think i may have seen something on the news about them a while back.

[Brett_J]

Why would you want to turbo a 4WD? the standard engine is powerful enough in the jeep its not an asthmatic hilux??????

and the interior is actually great for a 4x4 it cleans up easy, you can pull the plugs out the floor and hose the wrangler out, its not a lexus.

Ok you're not allowed to post in this thread anymore.

[devilfish]

Ok you're not allowed to post in this thread anymore.

turboing a jeep is gay, fit a hemi if you want more power, its cheaper.

[deeman111]

i had a 2001 TJ and it was pretty good once fixed all the problems.

It had 33" muddies, and 4" lift. Only problem being they took a cheap option with the lift. Which meant the tailshaft liked to fall out. One particular time while driving down the freeway at over 100km/h.

When that happened it shattered the casing for the transfer gearbox, 2nd hand rear casing (just a cast alloy thing with no bearings etc) cost me $2100.
Then i got a better tailshaft called a slip yoke eliminator shaft. COst about $1500. Then the clutch died a horrible death and that was a pain to gt parts for as it cracked the clutch fork. In the end i found a place in the US that was cheaper for parts than local.


So once that was all fixed, it never skipped a beat, i never dropped tyre pressure for sand, never got bogged no matter how hard we tried (2wd FTW), just chuck it in low and crawl your way out. FUel economy sucked balls, and then getting a yellow for the tyres slightly outside the guards sucked even more as i had to find stock wheels and tyres (with very low air pressure) to get it back under the correct height at the pits


Would i get one for a daily, hell no, there thirsty, soft top is loud as fuck on the freeway, and the abo's break into them way too easy.

Would i get another one for a toy, definately. Go hit the dunes, mundaring powerlines etc etc, great fun. And there are tons of people out there with the same car who will love to go for a bash somewhere

[devilfish]

Yea lifting Tj's has to be done properly, JK's just need springs and shocks for 35"s :)

getting stuff from the states is the best bet consult the jeep bible -

http://www.quadratec.com

as far as getting broken into i lock all my shit away in the locking glove and center console when rocking the softtop, hard top is as secure as any car, get an alarm.

[Halle Terry]

Just buy a Buick you old pingpingpingping.

[Brett_J]

Just buy a Buick you old pingpingpingping.

Don't you have a rice field to tend to?

[deeman111]

as far as getting broken into i lock all my shit away in the locking glove and center console when rocking the softtop, hard top is as secure as any car, get an alarm.

yeah they were both ripped open with ease. Best bet when using the softy is to take everything with you

[NVIOUS]

I own a '05 TJ auto, feel free to ask me any q's. Later model 4speed trannies are what you want, stay away from the earlier 3 speeds.

There have been a few turbo builds done, you can buy exh. manifolds from the US (or whole turbo kits, but intake piping is different from US models). But 4L has bulk torque for offroading, would only really be beneficial for high speed overtaking or something, as they run out of puff at high revs (though prob just my 33's killing hp). You can also get stroker kits etc to pump out 4.6/4.7L or LSx conversion kits aswell if your cashed up later.

Parts-wise arent the cheapest locally (dealership) but most parts can be sourced from US if your prepared to wait a week or 2. Obviously aftermarket gear is friggin mind blowing for these, can get anything you can think of.

As for door-less cruising, I believe its actually illegal in WA, but know of people writing to DPI to get a letter stating they dont provide any structial protection etc - was overeast but I've thought about doing the same here.

Topless cruising is awesome, heater gets hot enough to keep you warm even in winter. Security kinda sucks, but can get a few aftermarket steel lockable storage options though (console, under seat drawers, rear boot etc).
I have a new bestop softop and its quiet as even at freeway speeds, though 33" muddies howl a fair bit. My factory hardtop is just like a car noise-wise, but is friggin heavy as if you're considering removing it regularly (again you can even buy dedicated hoist-pulley setups to help)

Had it for a few years now and only drama was an engine light telling me thermostat needed changing (never got hot though). Bar that never had a problem with it. Ignore the patrol/cruiser crowds rants about reliabilty, the 4L engines are tough as a rock. My only negative is fuel consumption (even without my 33's) isnt too crash hot, but dont really care

Once you're a jeeper theres a pretty big scene/community, always get a wave from fellow wranglers, and turn a few heads when on a set of decent tyres. Log onto www.ausjeeepoffroad.com forum for more info/pics/ideas etc

[Brett_J]

Cheers man, exactly what I wanted to hear :)

[ben351]

dont get the soft top !

[suburban]

ive been around jeeps since i left the rice scene back in 05

first was an XJ that started stock and ended up being one of the biggest in perth on short arms. 6", adj upper / lower arms, offset rims, 33's, bushwackers - had a patrol diff to replace the D35 but i decided to change and traded it with my mates TJ

Jeeps are in the same box as landrovers. People are shit scared of them and generally have no idea outside their redneck circle of patrol and cruisers.

sure, no car is perfect and the jeep is one of them

problems
Axles. D30 in the front is no patrol diff and will start to get shitty if you run anything more then 33's with constant shock loads (hell a patrol will shit a cv if you do the same thing)
4L has about the same economy as the TD42 / TB42
softtop security issues. Dont lock the doors, if someone wants your shit, make it as easy as possible for them to get it otherwise the chance of having your softy slashed is way higher
3" suspension is about the limit before you need a SYE (slip yoke eliminator plus double cardon driveshaft - $150 SYE $500 DS + labour approx 1k installed)

Pros
plenty of power standard
sound good with exhaust + power
turbo = forget it - sprintex do a blower kit for 4k
remove / disconnect the swaybars and you will surprise many people stock as a rock
remove the carpet and wash it out - thats what i did. All elecs are up high and there are big rubber bungs in the floor plan to drain water

do it...

BTW before those slag me on the patrol comments, i sold the jeeps to get a TD42t coil cab ute. Slow, thirsty and BIG - it was built as a tourer not a showpony (how does 1000kms from 170l sound hwy driving - or around 18.5l/100...)

sold that and got a pathfinder as my touring car (yes, getting softer in my age)

BUT im going to be looking for another XJ jeep as a play thing

fight the haters, get a jeep and you will get the last laugh on the trails

[mild_to_wild]

Totally agree with Suburban...

I still have a TJ jeep on gas 2 inch lift with BFG 32" i love it i only use it for shooting,beach and 4x4ing and its great,goes everywere i put it, everything is simple and parts from the US is cheap .

Just sold a 4.2 GU last week there good as a tourer or towing..


ive been around jeeps since i left the rice scene back in 05

first was an XJ that started stock and ended up being one of the biggest in perth on short arms. 6", adj upper / lower arms, offset rims, 33's, bushwackers - had a patrol diff to replace the D35 but i decided to change and traded it with my mates TJ

Jeeps are in the same box as landrovers. People are shit scared of them and generally have no idea outside their redneck circle of patrol and cruisers.

sure, no car is perfect and the jeep is one of them

problems
Axles. D30 in the front is no patrol diff and will start to get shitty if you run anything more then 33's with constant shock loads (hell a patrol will shit a cv if you do the same thing)
4L has about the same economy as the TD42 / TB42
softtop security issues. Dont lock the doors, if someone wants your shit, make it as easy as possible for them to get it otherwise the chance of having your softy slashed is way higher
3" suspension is about the limit before you need a SYE (slip yoke eliminator plus double cardon driveshaft - $150 SYE $500 DS + labour approx 1k installed)

Pros
plenty of power standard
sound good with exhaust + power
turbo = forget it - sprintex do a blower kit for 4k
remove / disconnect the swaybars and you will surprise many people stock as a rock
remove the carpet and wash it out - thats what i did. All elecs are up high and there are big rubber bungs in the floor plan to drain water

do it...

BTW before those slag me on the patrol comments, i sold the jeeps to get a TD42t coil cab ute. Slow, thirsty and BIG - it was built as a tourer not a showpony (how does 1000kms from 170l sound hwy driving - or around 18.5l/100...)

sold that and got a pathfinder as my touring car (yes, getting softer in my age)

BUT im going to be looking for another XJ jeep as a play thing

fight the haters, get a jeep and you will get the last laugh on the trails