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Jeep Wrangler

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Comments

  • davids1davids1 Member Posts: 411
    My 95 Rio Grande seems to have sprung a water leak. I have been able to isolate it to the area where the windshield frame meets the body at the driver side windshield hinge. I have tried some silicone sealant with little success and I don't want to get ugly with the sealant.

    Has anybody replaced the rubber seal that fits between the windshield frame and the body of the jeep. This seal runs the full width of the windshield frame. It appears I would have to lower the windshield frame, and possibly remove the windshield frame altogether. Has anybody done this with any success. I don't want to make a bad situation worse. My carpet stays damp all the time from this leak.

    Also, has anybody replaced the gasket/weather stripping on the door. I think if I do both of these (successfully) then I will solve my problem.

    Thanks for any info.

    David
  • durability05durability05 Member Posts: 142
    Original GSA 225 were 33 psi factory pressure, Bridgestone Revo 30 x 9.50 which is a LT class C is presently at 32 psi, and runs real smooth, except at bumps the mass of the larger tire overwhelms the factory shocks. Jeeps use to offer Bilsteins as HD shocks on Cherokees etc. I wonder if the higher end Wranglers use a version of them as mono tube shocks.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    The only correct way to do it is to fold the windshield frame forward. Use proper weather-seal adhesive in the proper manner (i.e. read the instructions), on a new length of seal obtainable for $30.95 from 4wd.com.

    Problems you may encounter are seized hinges, and corrosion damage to the windshield frame and the cowl beneath it.

    Weather seal for the doors is available from the same source @ $49.95 each side.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    DC recommends 29psi @ full load. When I ran that size I used 26psi with myself and sometimes a passenger on board. Chalk line test confirmed the footprint and the ride was excellent with no excessive heat.

    The difference between the Wrangler shocks is that the high end ones contain pressurized nitrogen which prevents the oil from foaming, thereby maintaining performance. The difference can most easily be felt at speed off-road on a washboard surface. On a smooth road, or travelling slowly off-road, there's little difference. I believe that the compression and rebound rates are similar for both types. I've no idea who makes them for DC.
  • jpk257jpk257 Member Posts: 43
    With a wrangler unlimited on order and plans to upgrade the tires from the stock 30x9.5 GSAs to 31x10.5 Bridgestone revos I have a couple questions: What tire pressure should I use for everyday driving on the street & should I expect any difference in the ride?

    I cannot wait to take delivery of my new Jeep!!! I just hope it get here (Houston) before it gets to hot to really enjoy it with the top off.

    Jeff
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Start at 28psi if you carry a full load. For any given load/pressure combination, the larger the tire the less it will flex, and the firmer the ride will be.
  • davids1davids1 Member Posts: 411
    Thanks Mac!!! Have you gone through the process of changing that seal yourself? Looks easy enuf, but you never know when Murphy will rear his ugly head.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Did you try the Jeeperman Trail Skidz photo link with the photo upload tool? I haven't played with it much myself so I'm not sure how well it works yet. But it should find photos on your computer and post them here.

    Don't forget to wave in your photos, lol.

    Steve, Host
  • erykeryk Member Posts: 6
    not that big probley the bottom of the jeep to be about four or five feet of the ground but i wont to keep it with a leaf spring suspension i herd that if you put leafs over axle and a shackle kit you can get about a seven inch lift. also i was wondering if i could by a four inch suspension lift and then mount that over my axle
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    I haven't done it on a YJ but the principle is the same. You'll probably find the windshield hinges seized and I suggest you go easy freeing them. Use lots of 'PB Blaster', rather than WD40, over a period of several days. Try to move it a little, then give the joint a good soaking and leave it for a day. Same again the next day, working it back and forth, and the next and again until it's free. If you just use force straight away you'll probably bend the frame.

    Once it's folded forward you can see what other repairs, if any, need to be done.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    What you want to do puts you into area of custom fabrication. The 'down and dirty' way to do it is to mount the axles over the springs, with large lift blocks under them, and to extend the shackles. You can then add a body lift to give even more tire clearance. You'll then need the steering and axle location components extended and strengthened, together with alterations to their geometry to compensate for the changes made with the lift.

    To do it properly, you'll need a custom installation of heavy duty (or military) axles, a custom and maybe hydraulic steering system, custom leaf springs or an air suspension, etc., etc.

    The first option won't be cheap, the second will require a very large wallet!

    Either option will require a good understanding of the systems and skills required to complete the work. Neither option will give you a vehicle that's comfortable or easy to drive.
  • erykeryk Member Posts: 6
    so what can i do that will be prity comfortable and not changing the axle. do you no how much of a lift i will i get if i just do the leaf over and a shackle kit with no blocks . also if i do the leaf over will i have to change the angle of the drive shaft or should i keep them under and get a regular lift kit
  • keatskeats Member Posts: 412
    Steve, where is that. I just clicked on the IMG link. Most sites let you browse right to your file when your posting. I should have realized when I couldn't browse that it wouldn't work...
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Why not try a different approach? It sounds like the kind of Jeep you want is the type that is often used for articles in magazines like Off Road, and Four Wheeler.

    Check out the magazines until you find a Jeep that's similar to what you want to do, then study how it was built. Also check out the catalogs from the various Jeep suppliers to get an idea of the various lift kits available.

    An alternative approach might be to decide what size wheel/tire combination you want (or can afford), and work backward from there.

    To answer your specific question about doing a 'leaf over', not only will you have to change the driveshaft angle, you'll have to realign the hubs to correct the caster as well. There's a lot more work to a 'leaf over' than first appears.
  • erykeryk Member Posts: 6
    ok thank you that helps
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You should see it at the bottom of the post window (but it doesn't show up if you just reply to a post - it has to be a new post). So go to the end of the messages and keep going just past the Message box and Emotorcons.

    This is about as clear as the mud in Turkey Bay, right? :shades:

    Steve, Host
  • iconoclasticonoclast Member Posts: 67
    I love Bilstein shocks and have used them on my 97 grand cherokee with great success. But, I like stiff and firm riding vehicles.
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    I don't see anything that allows a poster to upload a picture to this forum directly from his/her hard drive. I see the IMG button, but the pic would still have to be hosted on the Net somewhere and its URL typed in before the pic would show up in the forum here.

    Is Edmunds now hosting pics somewhere?

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Well, I just got back from vacation so it's probably just me. I guess it must just be for hosts at the moment. I think there's a memo about it in my in-box somewhere.

    Nevermind (for a little while at least). :confuse:

    There's a lot of cool stuff in the pipeline around here; implementing stuff is the hard part when you have a couple of million posts to work around.

    Steve, Host
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Well, maybe one of these days, huh, Steve?

    Just got back from vacation? How's the re-training going? :)

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    lol, obviously my head's still on vacation. Even on my good days I have trouble remembering what's what!

    Maybe you can hook Keats up with a hosting site?

    Steve, Host
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    You can get photos hosted at Photobucket.com. They have free accounts.

    What you want is a place where "hot links" are allowed (if I am using the right term). This means that the host site allows you to type the photo's URL on some other website, and that makes the picture show up on that other website automatically.

    Lots of sites DO NOT allow hot links, because every time someone on that other website calls up the page where the picture shows up, that is a "hit" on their server. I'm sure no expert on web stuff, but I do know that there is such a thing as bandwidth, and that limits the amount of "traffic" that a website can handle at once. So, allowing hot links opens up your website to extra traffic, and that can cause a "traffic jam."

    You can upgrade to a "paid" account at Photobucket, but I haven't been a member long enough to try to even find out what you get when you actually pay for an account. I'm just beginning to use my free account.

    Let me see if I can make one of my pics that is hosted at Photobucket show up here. This will be my first attempt to do that with the Photobucket account. Drum roll please....

    image

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Ok, at Photobucket, you get a free 25MB account. Each picture can be no more than 250KB, but you can upload pics bigger than that. They have software that downsizes the file to less than 250KB, if the file is bigger than that to start with.

    If you get the paid account, you can have 250 MB instead of 25 MB. The paid account is $25 per year.

    Photobucket is associated with e-Bay somehow.

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • gman1259gman1259 Member Posts: 209
    THis is a cool picture! A great shot.
  • wheelsdownwheelsdown Member Posts: 250
    It is getting time to give Red Ryder a spring cleaning and wax job. I have been using Turtle Wax. It does a good job but I am tired of trying to clean the white residue out of the recesses around the bolts and other places where it collects.

    What is a good wax that does not leave the residue?

    Terry
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Whoa, Terry, that REALLY brings back some memories!

    I can remember the washing, waxing, and wet paper towel bug gut removal at rest stop days, but they seem to be in the distant past.

    Clean that puppy up good, Terry. Drive Red around Chi Town with pride.

    When ya gonna be down this way? Would love to either have you join me on the trails at Turkey Bay in your Jeep, or you could ride with me, if you don't want to take Red out there.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • dave__dave__ Member Posts: 80
    I really like Mequiar's Tech Wax. It's still the kind you apply and let dry to a haze but the haze is light and removal is much easier than regular wax. I bought my Jeep last fall and waxed it twice before the weather got too cold. Even after a few salt coverings it still beads when I wash it.

    Yesterday was my first topless day of the season! :):):)

    It's supposed to rain today so the top's back up. Come on summer!!!

    Yours in Jeep Coolness,

    Dave
  • keatskeats Member Posts: 412
    Terry, I use Zymol. It's expensive for wax, but it's 100 percent carnuba and goes on and off in a straight motion and it's very easy to use. It's very thin and imparts a great shine to the clear coat.
  • twylietwylie Member Posts: 619
    another (althoguh expensive) option is Zaino. Great stuff.

    -twylie
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    ............. for anyone interested in Zanio there's a 'Topic' here on Edmunds devoted solely to it, and you wouldn't believe it's size!
  • koolbreeze2koolbreeze2 Member Posts: 252
    I don't wax very often but when I do I also use Meguires. Works well and easy to remove. My Jeep is red and it gets very red when waxed. Also looks good dirty. The inside is black but now looks brown because of taking my sons Chesepeak(sp) Bay Retreiver with me all the time. He loves the Jeep and his hair has given the inside a new look. Looks like an expensive Camel hair interior. Only duct tape will remove it. Go Easy, J
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I hesitate to link to it, because people get lost first in the discussion, and then get lost (for years!) in their garage, waxing and polishing. And y'all thought Tom was bad with his paper towels and bug juice. Here goes, but you've been warned:

    Zaino Car Polishes/Products--Your Experiences (Part 2)

    Here's one for the rest of us:

    Store Bought Waxes Part II (No Zaino Posts)

    Steve, Host
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    The inside is black but now looks brown because of taking my sons Chesepeak(sp) Bay Retreiver with me all the time. He loves the Jeep and his hair has given the inside a new look. Looks like an expensive Camel hair interior. Only duct tape will remove it. Go Easy, J

    Sounds like the cargo area carpet in Thelma Jane from Ross Allen riding back there all the time.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • koolbreeze2koolbreeze2 Member Posts: 252
    I let the hair build up because it keeps people from wanting to ride in my Jeep:) Nothing like a good dog and a ride on country roads in the Jeep. Puts a big smile on my face. How did he get the name-Ross Allen. Sounds like an investment banker. Go Easy, John
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    They were already calling him "Ross" at the dog pound when my daughter got him, so she kept that as his name. Well, I thought he needed a middle name, so he could be a proper redneck dog, and Allen seemed to go real well with Ross.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • 1989wrangler1989wrangler Member Posts: 7
    Hi,
    I just bought my 1st Jeep Wrangler (1989). I noticed that the Leaf Springs look awfully flat. My shocks are good but I seem to still have a rough ride.

    Are the springs supposed to be flat?

    Or are they supposed to be rounded like you see on trucks?

    Thanks alot for you help.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Well, they start off curved (but not dramatically so), and will gradually flatten over time. On a sixteen year old Jeep you probably have no way to know if the springs have been changed, but even when new, YJs were known for their kidney buster ride. You really need to ride in a similar model to see if yours is normal or not.

    For a much improved ride and a 2 1/2" lift, have a look at the OME springs and shock kit.
  • por2gesfiremanpor2gesfireman Member Posts: 16
    Hello I've been reading this forum for a few months now and thank you very much for all the great info, but I'll be asking many ?'s for a while. Does anyone know if there are any differences between the 03' to 04' Rubicon and the 04' to 05' Rubicon, any and all info would be great. From what I've seen they're pretty close, all I've seen is that some of the 03' options have become standard and more options have been added. Thanks again (Mike from California) (p.s. I heard that there is a Rocky Mountain Wrangler comin soon any info on that?)
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    I wheeled with a gal today who has an 04 Rocky Mountain Edition. Nice Jeep. You get the Dana 44 in the rear on one of those puppies, and that is REAL important to folks who plan to do more than "light" off roading. Maybe the "05 Rocky Mountain Edition" is just now coming out???

    Welcome, Mike. Glad you are posting now.

    The manual tranny is now a six speed, but it was a five speed in 03's. Not sure about other differences.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Hi and Welcome, 89!

    Sorry, but I have no experience with leaf spings, since the only short wheel base Jeep I have ever owned is a TJ.

    Looks like good old Mac answered your question. Mac knows what he is talking about, so you can believe what he tells ya.

    Just wanted to welcome you.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • iconoclasticonoclast Member Posts: 67
    Yes, the '05 Rocky Mountain Editions are now out...in Colorado, anyway. Great looking seats and the Dana 44...just no trac-loc limited slip with the group. That's sad since it doesn't cost that much to add. Oh, well.... ;)
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    No more TracLoc available? Or they just don't include it as part of the package?

    The gal I was wheelin' with today had TracLoc in her Jeep, and I believe it was really helping her on the trails. Not as good as a locker, but WAY better than an open differential. Also, my bud at work has TracLoc (in a Dana 35), and it makes a difference for him too.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • iconoclasticonoclast Member Posts: 67
    Now here's how you do it (in Colorado, anyway). Grab the wife and head out for lunch at the new Bistro in town. Have a couple of Guiness dark brews (I think that's where we stopped) and then drive down past the Jeep dealer. You see 3 new Unlimiteds sitting there and one just happens to be white with the grey top...just the color you like. Walk up and talk to John (or whatever their name is), take a test drive (in places he never even knew existed), off the side of the road and down through some ditches (he was sure he was with fruitcakes), across a vacant field rutted with deep tire tracks and mud (he knew his boss was going to chew him out with this thing coming back muddy), do some 360's in the field, and then off the curb and head back to the dealership. When you get there, tell him OK, I'll give you $100 over invoice right now, but I want to see the invoice. He brings out the GM with the invoice, we compare the sticker, and shake hands on the deal. One hour later we own a new Jeep and have some new friends (one is a salesman with a whole new attitude about Jeep buyers and their driving habits). We leave the Jeep at the dealership for detail while we go shop for new 31" tires so we can get those awful GSAs (Get Stuck Anywhere or Go See Auntie) off and put something worthwhile on the new Katy Coyote! Then head for your favorite restaurant for some Glenlivet and Greygoose and tonic and then home to write your fellow Jeepers on this forum. See how easy that was?? Not a bad day after all! Oh, yes, for all those interested in pricing...we paid $24,500 loaded with the 6 speed...$100 over the invoice minus the $1750 Chrysler is offering right now...so only $22,700. Of course, this is Colorado and Jeep country so there is hardly any waiting or difficulty in finding the right new toy! And in 3 weeks it will be 10 days in the Utah backcountry to break her in the right way!! Happy Jeeping, All! (A mug of Guiness raised in toast...our kind of Jeep wave) ;)
  • iconoclasticonoclast Member Posts: 67
    It's just not part of the package...have seen lots of them around and none have the trac-loc! Too bad because it really ruins the package.
  • iconoclasticonoclast Member Posts: 67
    Like Tom indicated, the only difference I know of is the new 6 speed manual. Lots of friends in the Jeep business and there doesn't seem to be any other changes. Good luck and welcome aboard.... :)
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Keith:

    WAY TO GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeehawwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Hope you will be posting some pics????

    More details! Options? Top(s)? Are we talking Rubicon Unlimited or standard Unlimited?

    Congratulations! Best of luck with that puppy.

    You gotta post a few times in your earliest days with that Jeep. Tell us about the fun you are having.

    I like your name for her, too. Katy Coyote.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • eggmailmaneggmailman Member Posts: 2
    I'm a first time buyer shopping new jeeps and I find that most of the interiors are grey or black. I live in the deep south and it seems they would be really hot and show more dust than the tan. Alot of exterior colors are not available in the tan and I find myself shopping for a jeep based on which ones I can get with a tan interior but the selection at the dealers is much better for black and grey. Is it what comes on the inside that counts?
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Egg:

    From what I have seen, the black or grey is gonna look the best over the long run. The tan seats will get dark stains that would not even show on the darker fabrics.

    What model are you in the market for? Unlimited? Standard wheel base Wrangler? Rubicon? Sport?

    What use will the Jeep get? Daily diver? For fun only?

    If you are after PURE FUN, you are definitely on the right track in thinkin' Jeep!!!

    We'll be glad to help you decide on model and options, if you want some input. We need to know how you will use the Jeep, though.

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • jacknimblejacknimble Member Posts: 171
    What type of tires did you replace the GSAs with?
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    Love your buying experience - wish I had terrain around here for test driving jeeps, but no such luck. And while Guinness might be Irish, it's a great toasting beverage for anything... And getting the grey top means that you wouldn't have a problem finding it in a parking lot full of other Jeeps - it'll be one of the very few.

    interior color - I've gotten sort of tired of the grey/dark grey interior, but as Tom says, it will wear better in the long run. I don't particularly find the dark interior any hotter than the light blue in our old Tacoma. On the other hand, the black Sport (hard top) doesn't seem any hotter than the Green soft top Unlimited. Perhaps the soft top has less insulating value than the hard top (though not much) and overcomes whatever advantage the green color has over black. It's kind of hard to be thinking of heat at the moment - we had a dusting of snow Friday and Saturday mornings. Today the sun is out and it's back to being spring. Unfortunately most of the trails I like are still closed :cry:
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