Jeep Wrangler Wave and Meet the Owners

lauryn2000

Hello

Lauryn
Living in New York City
Army Veteran

I've always loved Jeeps but they were not "practical"
for the family back in the day.Son is grown and is on his own.So....I'm hopefully going to purchase the newly redesigned Jeep Wrangler this coming fall.

I've owned a Bronco II when I was in the service in the late 80's.Did a lot off-roading with my fellow soldiers.

I currently own a 1990 Toyota Camry,but last winter the poor thing was having fits in the snow.So,this winter she will be kept in the garage and the Wrangler will take up those duties and whatever else I can think of.

aphaltcommando

Hi folks,
I just found this group while reading the mail on the Hyundai Elantra group to which I belong.
I own a 1990 Wrangler with the 4 cylinder engine which I bought used off a buy here pay here lot on Phoenix, in 2000.
Right after I bought it, it would occaisionally refuse to start when hot. After it would cool down for a couple of hours, it would start just fine. At first, the dealer thought "O.K., dumb female" untill it happened to HIM after it was towed to his shop. They rolled it off the wrecker, and he tried to start it, no luck. It was late so he waited till the next morning, tried again with the tech. standing with him, no dice. So they pushed it to the tec's bay, hooked it op, turned the key and it fired right up. He told me that unless it did it while on the machene, they could not troubleshoot it.
Sooo... I went to the local wrecking yard, and bought an intake manifold for a CJ-7, went to Checker auto parts and got a rebuilt CJ-7 carb, pulled the fuel injection off, and installed the carb system. I then took the engine management computer out of the car, and threw it in my burn pit.
The induction system taken care of, I went back to the Checker store, and a sixty year old parts clerk there told me that a distributor off a 1968 Ford pinto would drop right in, so I bought it, along with the spark control box, dropped it in, and rewired the engine harness, installing mechanical guages. The Jeep runs better that new. (Guess I'm not such a dumb female after all).
I'm going to keep the jeep till they come out with a 4 cylinder diesel powered Wrangler. I rock collect, and have had mine in places where only mountain goats would tread.
Name: Sabrina Hill
Occupation: Retired Army
Location: Salt Flats, Texas, ofer by Guadeloupe Peak.
Kids: none
Single, always been, I'm married to my 1940 Taylorcraft

ben_420

Hey guys just found this forum. Newish to Jeep ownership, but I have always always always wanted one.

Black 2001 sport, no mods (yet-bwahaha).

Name is Ben. Live in Atlanta. What's up with so many of you in Atlanta not waving? Jeez, I have only been driving mine for a couple of months, but I figured it out.

graywolf

I wanted to say hello to all my fellow Jeep Wrangler owners out there. I love riding with my top off. I recently suffered a serious motorcycle accident and Dr's say I can't ride anymore. So I was looking for next best thing and this is it. I love it so much. Not like being caged in a normal vehicle.

I also have a question, I hope someone can answer. I bought a 2005 Wrangler 'X'. I have been looking for a "cover" that I cn put on it to keep the weather out when my soft top is off. All I can find say they fit submodel TJ. Is my jeep considered submodel TJ?

Any ideas or suggestions out there is greatly appreciated.

Best regards and hope to wave at you on or off the road, -graywolf

mac24

I have been looking for a "cover" that I cn put on it to keep the weather out when my soft top is off.

Something like this?



Try here:

Bestop Cover

erickpl

Graywolf, glad to see ya here and glad you survived!

Wranglers come in 3 flavors:

- YJ's have the square headlights and were made from 86-95 IIRC.
- TJ's have the round headlights (like the older CJ's and tradtional Jeeps) and have model designations 97-06).
- JK's are the new kids on the block and you can surely tell them.

Bestop, as mac pointed out, makes a cover. If you want a cover you can use when the doors are off, try http://www.jeepcovers.com. They are about the ONLY ones I know of that cover the open door area.



The image above is a YJ, but they make a version for the TJ and even the TJ Unlimited (longer wheelbase version).

It works VERY well and is the top I use on mine during the summer months.

-Paul

graywolf

Thanks for the info on the covers for the Wrangler. I wasn't sure whether to order it because it said it fit submodel TJ and I wasn't sure if it would fit on mine. It looks like you guys are saying that it will. I had the impression that mine was somehow "extended", but not sure. Thanks for the info. I definately will order one because putting the top on for every little rain shower is not what I want to do. I like driving with it off.

Take care -graywolf

skyking49

Why pay over 100 dollars for a besttop cover when you can get one for around 50 or 60 dollars? Is the quality that much better?
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Browse/tf-Browse/s-10101/N-111+10208+60001405- 8/c-10108

erickpl

They do have the extended version... called the Wrangler Unlimited. If you have a slightly longer than normal TJ with a fair amount of storage it is an Unlimited.

This is an unlimited...


This is a standard Wrangler (TJ) - okay not so 'standard' but standard length


Notice the difference in the sheetmetal right behind the door and before the rear wheel. If you have an Unlimited and don't tell them you have one, the cover you get will be too short.

BTW, the Jeepcovers.com Rain Gear cover sells for right around 100 AND you generally get a free hat with it.

-Paul

graywolf

Thanks Paul. I looked at my jeep compared to the pics you sent, and I definately don't have the unlimited. It helped to look at the distance between the door jam and the rear "fender". I'm just confused about the "X" designation on my Wrangler. Have you seen those? Apparently something new in 2005. Let me know if you have any other info on this. Thanks, -graywolf

erickpl

The X model is just another package for the TJ's... Basically you have:

SE - 4 cylinder model - basic
X - Like the SE but with 6 cylinders
Sport - most popular 6 cyl and lotsa other goodies
Sahara - the 'luxury' version of the Wrangler, if there is such a thing
Rubicon - the offroad ready, D44 front/rear loaded Jeep

TJ X will use a standard TJ jeep cover. You are good to go.

-Paul

mac24

I'm not too fussed about the title, just so long as there's a 'community' forum. It's what keeps so many of us coming back.

I hope there'll be a link to this one when Jeep Wrangler becomes read only.

erickpl

Even better would be for it to redirect it to this discussion.

Mac, I'm glad you're here. You've provided me with a lot of information in my quest to get my Jeep to where it is.

I try to help out in the problems area too when I can, but I'm nowhere near the resource that Mac is!

-Paul

ocean_shipper

This COULD work as long as the 'community' is moving over and sticks around.

-- Chuck

wheelsdown

I'll give it a try here.

I'm not sure I even understand what Edmunds is trying to do.

So, this is where we "hang out"?

Terry

jerrymcshane1

Would like to know what dealers are charging on these new Wranglers. How much (%-wise) off of sticker?

erickpl

I think I know what they are trying to do - basically have an area (group) for each type of vehicle, then break each topic for that vehicle into its own thread. I see this on model specific forums all the time (for Jeeps, Vettes, BMW's, etc) and there ends up being a LOT of threads. Multiply that by each model that is covered on Edmunds and it has the potential to be huge. That could be good and help make Edmunds into a great tech resource when researching a new vehicle or working with older ones. That could also be bad and create a lot of useless 1 or 2 post threads that just clutter everything up.

Time will tell.

-Paul

mac24

So, this is where we "hang out"?

Just think of it as the new "Jeep Wrangler" forum. Come here instead of the old one (and don't worry about the logic, or lack thereof).

brazuca

I got it...this is the new place where we will "get together". I have a question, perhaps this will be first one, does any one have experience with Jeep Wrangler underbody rust protection ? I have a '97 TJ, the body is in great shape, no rust, the underbody shows some superficial signs, but I believe those are completely normal to any older car. I checked with Ziebart and they have a thick coating which looks like a truck bed liner, it looks nice but my concern is that if it would add too much weight or do more damage than good, I'm also afraid they would spray that over some of the fluid drains. I also heard that you can spray a black paint anti rust which gives a good look and it's easy to apply without implications. Any experiences or suggestions ? :confuse:

mac24

I didn't realize Ziebart was still going, but Google reveals them to be alive and well.

Probably the most common problem with post production applied undercoating is the propensity for incomplete adhesion, causing skin failure in those areas which is followed by moisture penetration and entrapment. It's not long after that, that the inevitable appearance of rust occurs.

TJs have an excellent reputation in regard to corrosion, both of the body and the chassis. I'm sure that there are the odd few that have suffered badly in the 'winter salt' states, but if you have one of those........it's too late!

I suggest that you use a pressure cleaner to clean the underside, followed by a product called POR 15 on the chassis as necessary (Google will tell you all about it). Just keep everything clean after that and you should be fine.

tidester

Keep it up!

tidester, host

erickpl

x2 on the POR 15. It actually takes the rust, adheres do it, and does some kind of chemical bond, making it EXTREMELY strong. Quite a few people I know who have done Jeep rebuilds have applied POR 15 to the chassis with the tub off and totally covered it. Some have used it on their offroad bumpers as well.

I'm just using Rustoleum for touchups right now, but as my skids take a beating, I'm considering POR15 black as a way to keep the skids looking good and preventing them from rusting.

-Paul

koolbreeze2

Hmmmm? So do I now monitor both sites? What about the story of the large 7 legged spider living in my Jeep for the last six months that eats only red M&M's and tries to drive once in awhile. Where does that go? Lets keep it simple somehow. I like the info but I also like the stories. I also don't want to miss anything and don't want to travel all around cyberspace to get info or hear Jeep stories. Do I stay here now? If I do , do I miss anything at the "home" site? Thanks, John

mac24

As I understand it, the 'Jeep Wrangler' forum will become "Read Only" soon. This forum has been created to take its place, so I'd keep track of both of them until that one finally becomes locked.

I shall be following them both until that happens, and I'm also tracking the 'Jeep Wrangler: Problems and Solutions' forum, assuming that it too doesn't disappear or become locked.

Don't ask me about the logic, I just hang out here.

ocean_shipper

Hi Everyone - I have an 03 Wrangler and an 05 Grand Cherokee with 5.7L Hemi engine. We live in Northern VA and have a house in the mountains of NC. With the wife and 5 mid to upper teenage daughters (two are here full time, the others are in college), driving both cars is not the best option when we go down there next month.

Last weekend, the wife and I were coming back from a quick weekend getaway (just the two of us). I was watching to see how folks were towing Wranglers and found quite a few of them were towing 4 wheels down behind RV's and a couple behind an F-250 and one behind a Dodge 2500.

I know that I have the power as well as a heavy duty hitch installed on the GC, but the question is: "what is the best way to tow; 4 down, 2 down, or 4 up?" :confuse:

If 4 down, what would anyone recommend as a good tow bar to purchase? We are all going down to NC for Thanksgiving and would like to tow the Wrangler in order to have it to play with while we are down there. Also, we are going want to take it down to Florida after Christmas.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated!

Happy Jeepin' - Chuck

mac24

Depends on what you mean by 'best'. Best for the Wrangler is with all four wheels up on a trailer. Zero wear and tear, and a rig that's easy to back-up. Downside is the rental of, or purchase/maintenance/storage of, the trailer.

Two up on a dolly works has the advantage of easier storage, but the downsides are also as above plus added wear on the Wrangler, and the inability to back-up easily.

Four down on an 'A' frame removes the disadvantages of rental or purchase/maintenance/storage of a trailer or dolly. Downsides are, even more wear on the Wrangler than on a dolly, even harder to back-up than a dolly, GC won't be the best vehicle to tow with.

To elaborate on the last, when towing with an 'A' frame you rely on the self centering action of the steering of the towed vehicle to keep it in line. If you make too tight a radius turn with the tow vehicle, the steered wheels of the towed vehicle will go past the point at which they can return easily and will go to full lock and stay there. The short wheelbase of a Wrangler exacerbates this tendency.

If you use an RV as a tow vehicle it will be hard to turn the Wrangler tightly enough to trigger this effect, but your GC will manage it easily. The other issue is the leverage that the Wrangler can exert on the rear of the tow vehicle. It will will be much harder to push an RV around than it will your GC.

Cost, convenience, and safety all factor in. Best for me might be different to best for you.

xthecat

With all this, you would think our Host would start a tread pertaining to the "NEW" Jeep, so everyone can relate to the actual model discussed.
Anyway, I'm thinking of ordering a new 2 door Sahara, but I'm concerned by the early "bugs" and potential water leaks that I have heard about. Can anyone elaborate on what the normal time frame is for a company to catch and rectify these problems (if they exist) at production?.

mac24

A good general rule of thumb is avoid the first model year of production, two if possible.

The TJ appeared in late '96 as a '97 model. It basically took until the '98 1/2 model to come good. That's not to say that the first models were all rubbish, but there were major running fixes all through '97 until midway through the '98 model when the HVAC controls were changed.

Obviously, changes have been made since '98 1/2 but they have mostly been model changes and facelifts.

So personally, I have no desire to be the 'first on the block', but do remember that even the first one off the the line comes with a warranty!

mac24

With all this, you would think our Host would start a tread pertaining to the "NEW" Jeep, so everyone can relate to the actual model discussed.

I think that the current main forum (this one) should be retained under one name or another. However, if the 'Problems and Solutions' has to be subdivided then it might make sense to have 'P&S: pre 1997', a 'P&S: '97-'06', and 'P&S: '07 on'.

What do members and hosts think?

xthecat

Sound advice. Especially since "most" new members will be driving a new and mechanically different Jeep.

tidester

What do members and hosts think?

The P&S board will also undergo "fine tuning." Your point is well taken and we'll have to think about how to work it.

tidester, host

brazuca

Thanks for the reply....I don't think I need to go that extreme with POR15, my "rust" is just a superficial change in the color, therefore, I will probably paint with with the rustoleum as suggested in another reply. My car is from Indiana, which has winter salt, perhaps the previous owner took good care of it. What gives me good hope of not having problems is the upper body without any rust....let's see....time will tell, for now, I will touch-up the underbody for a nice "newer" look. I went to the website and found very interesting the POR15 solution for rust surfaces. I will definitely not to post productionn undercoating due to the risk of incomplete adhesion. Great forum....great tips...

ocean_shipper

Thanks for the info Mac.

Having towed a boat for many years, I am not worried about the backing up issue. However, I am concerned about the possibility of wear and tear on the Wrangler tranny. Also, I wonder about any potential problems of the towing on the GC.

What possible problems would I encounter to the Jeep and the GC if I towed with an A-frame? If I did use the A-frame, what position would be best to put the shifter in assuming that I put the 4-wd trans shifter in neutral?

tsjay

I'm here and willing to see what develops. I still can't imagine having separate threads for every question that comes up.

A long time ago I suggested that we set up a few discussions that would answer some of the most frequently asked Jeep questions, and there was an overwhelming sentiment among the members at that time that doing so would keep new folks from "joining the community." It was felt that they would just go to the thread that pertained to their question, get their answer, and then disappear.

I could see what the folks were talking about and became convinced that they were right. I decided that it would NOT be a good idea after all.

Now, it looks like that is going to happen, and it will be carried much farther than what I proposed back then. I was only suggesting that a few new dicsusions be set up for the very most common issues, not a thread for every subject.

What will happen if someone comes into this general discussion and posts a technical question? Will his post be moved? If we want to he helpful to others, do we have to check every single discussion to see if there are new questions posted there?

Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mac24

Backing isn't an issue with a trailer, but it's difficult with a dolly and virtually impossible with an 'A' frame. Just think about the thrust path and the number of components that can turn/steer.

The GC should be fine if you're within the recommended limits, but a transmission cooler is always a good idea.

Biggest problem with the Wrangler will be tire wear, especially the fronts. They tend to shimmy when pulled instead of pushed, though if you adjust the toe to a minimal positive setting it may counteract it. Transfer case should be in neutral with the transmission in 'Park', or in any gear if it's a manual. Remember to unlock the steering as well!

Unless you're going to do this regularly, it probably makes sense to just rent a trailer for the trip. 'U Haul', Hertz, Penske etc. should all have something suitable.

div2

I've about decided to replace the TJ with a four door vehicle of some sort. The new Unlimited would be nice, but I'd almost certainly wind up serving as a beta tester for Daimler Chrysler- no thanks. While looking around I happened upon a Jeep Certified 2003 KJ Limited. It has Selec-Trac and ABS so it meets my minimum standards for a new(to me) vehicle. My other main concern -aside from the "cute-ute girly car" image and the atrocious "Pimp My Ride" OEM chrome wheels- is the truck's overall build quality and long term reliability. Do you have any service experience with the KJ? Thanks!

jacknimble

Its exactly like the old forum, just different.

middleageguy

I am checking in for me and my son, co-owners of a 1989 Jeep YJ. The son has the Jeep at college which is 40 miles away, but I am having fun driving it when it is home. Jeep has the 4 cylinder, but seems to good power with the 5 speed manual.

Wrangler is red with a black hardtop. The previous owner put on nice Jeep aluminum wheels and Goodyear Wrangler tires.

We are owners only since August 31st, but this group is the best at offering comments on Edmunds. I also follow Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Highlander. Although new to Jeep Wranglers, I have already found some of best of Jeep shopping and internet sites.

It may be of interest that my son is a drummer and we fit the entire drum set in the Jeep by temporarily taking out the back seat.

I will be going over Wrangler: Problems and Solutions later.

Bob

mac24

Unfortunately, I can't really give you a positive response. I don't dislike the Liberty, but a lot of people do seem to have a lot of problems with them. I can't say that I'm overly impressed with the DC Certified program either (you can read about it on Edmunds here).

My personal exposure to the Liberty is rather limited, so the problems I've seen may not be representative of the marque as a whole. Perhaps you might like to read the views of quite a few '03 owners here.

mac24

Welcome middleageguy. Isn't it cool how a Wangler of any age, will appeal to people of any age! :shades:

div2

I don't dislike the Liberty, but a lot of people do seem to have a lot of problems with them.

Thanks, Mac; I've since talked with a few owners and that's been my impression as well.

I can't say that I'm overly impressed with the DC Certified program either

That wasn't a major selling point for me, but I'd still hate to pay extra for an inferior CPO program.
Guess I'll have to explore options outside the Jeep fold...

brazuca

Hi, I'm an owner of a '97 TJ, my wife has a Toyota Matrix AWD, so you can see that we're not big fans of Large SUVs, even though we may need something like that in the future. Anyway, my neighbor got a Jeep Commander, it's big but very well built in my opinion, I liked it, perhaps you should check it out. There always the GC, but I don't have experience with quality on the latest versions of Grand Cherokees, I'm just trying to keep you in the Jeep family

div2

Thanks for the suggestion, but the Commander is just too big for my tastes. As for the GC I've heard waaaaay too many horror stories to even consider it; one friend had DC buy back his first GC for peeling paint, and its replacement lost reverse gear with less than 20 miles on the odometer.

ocean_shipper

Even though this is a Wrangler forum (of which I am a very proud owner), I am also a very satisfied owner of an '05 GC Limited w/5.7 L Hemi engine with all the expected bells & whistles.

No problems yet, except a minor fuse blew that wouldn't allow the car to start (if you can call that minor /major).

We have just over 20,000 miles on it. Taken it on the beach in Florida, the mountains in NC (off roading - slightly), and of course all over northern VA which is where we are from.

Didn't consider the Commander, but assuming that you have the same package as the GC, I would expect that you could get the same happiness from that car as we have from the GC.

HOWEVER, it ain't no WRANGLER and there is absolutely no comparable vehicle to the 'original', no matter what the Japanese wannabee's say!

Chuck

erickpl

If you are wanting a Liberty, you MAY want to wait and see what 2008 will bring . The spy shots I've seen show it looking a LOT like a mini Commander and a grown up Cherokee. Better lines, more aggressive, and some kind of huge sunroof, convertible type option on the top.

-Paul

keats

I think there is a huge quality difference between the TJ and other Jeep models. I have not had one issue other than a door rattle with my 04 Rubicon. Our 04 Grand Cherokee has had 10 or more issues. I have been extremely disappointed in it to say the least. I plan on keeping my Rubicon for years to come, but I'm not sure I'd look at other Jeep models, or any vehicles made my Daimler Chrysler. The quaility just isn't there. I've already read reports that the engineers weren't given enough time to work out the bugs in the Wrangler, so Mac's advice is sound. Wait a couple of years. Of course, I waited 5 years to buy a Grand Cherokee and that didn't seem to help!

erickpl

Consider, overall, the Wrangler is a much simpler Jeep than the GC, or even the Liberty, esp with electronics.

My TJ was a first year of production. Other than the manifold breaking (still fairly common in newer TJ's), and a nagging pinion seal leak, it is has been a good Jeep.

It had the radiator leak that still happens (cuz it is essentially the same radiator) to newer TJ's as well, but I fixed that myself.

-Paul

div2

...that whatever I buy is also going to serve as my daily driver AND I'm not going to spend over $20K- preferably much less. I think I've found a couple of potential purchases, but nothing certain- yet, anyway...

wpowell

OK, I reserved judgement when the idea of splitting up the generic Wrangler forum was raised; I wanted to give it a chance. Well, I for one don't care for it. Previously, if I wanted a specific piece of information the "search" function would usually spit it right out. But, more often I just wanted to "hang out" here and see what was on everyone's mind or to-do list. Edmunds, you rearranged the furniture which I'm sure seemed like a good idea. Please put it back where it was; I'm tripping over the couch on the way to the bathroom.

Edit: please note that this is the first post in 3 days to the new "hangin' out" forum.

99tj

couldn't agree more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edmunds Brass (this is not directed at our friendly hosts) - -All your doing is killing this forum. When we were told that the forum would change to this format, there wasn't one positive response by the folks that frequent this site the most. I've been monitoring this forum for about 2 years now and try to contribute now and then if there's a subject I feel confident about. Mac, Tom, Mtgrl and many others have been here longer and are nice enough to field most of the questions. None of us feel like perusing 500 topics with one or two posts. (it will reach 500 in no time by the way.....actually it probably won't without anyone to answer the questions!). I've used this forum for many do-it-yourself projects and have saved a lot of money from the great suggestions from Mac and the gang.

I wonder what Daimler Chrysler thinks about this? I'm sure in one way or another they contribute to your site. There's a whole lot of talk about 2007 Wranglers on this site. It'd be a shame to drive away DC's best advertising. Word of mouth and good testimonials go a long way in someone making the decision to buy a new vehicle.

Listen to the folks that make these forums what they are. Go back to the way it was!!!!!