Jeep Wrangler

tsjay

Those flares sure don't float my boat. How about you? You like 'em?

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

bored

It seems like overkill to me.

However, I'm curious as to how they would look on a '97-'01 Jeep XJ, and on the '03 Beijing Jeep 2500.

tsjay

Mac could give you a better answer than I can, but my guess would be that either engine would last a LONG time if not abused and if given proper maintenance. I would have to say that, other things being equal, the 4.0 would have the longer life. Like Mac said, the good old 4.0 is not stressed. I think normal use would put the 2.5 closer to its limits than would be the case for the 4.0.

Mac?

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mac24

Those flares don't do much for me either but I find it interesting to see the different specs that export models get. Did you know that some euro models get (or got) headlights that were electrically adjustable for height from the drivers seat?

I can't add anything to Tom's post on the 2.5, (which I find supremely uninteresting, the engine that is)!

arizonajoe

Guys,

What's the maximum highway speed you've been able to achieve with your Wrangler Sports/Saharas? I'd also be interested in knowing the same for the Rubicon. It's much heavier, so I'd assume it's slower.

geepers

In the words of George Carlin, throw the boss a change up. Don't call in sick, next time call in WELL. Tell the boss you're feeling way too good to come to work today.

Those flairs are similar to the Liberty Renegade style I believe. They look even worse on it.

Arizonajoe, anything near 75 or so in a Wrangler makes me nervous. That's all the faster I care to go in one of these up in the air short wheelbase vehicles.

tsjay

I've seen 90 MPH in mine, and it would have gone faster, but NOT WITH ME IN IT! I didn't stay at 90 MPH very long. It was on a nice straight stretch of interstate, and I was just playing around.

A Jeep ain't exactly something you want to drive much over the speed limit. I feel pretty comfortable up to about 70 or 75 on interstates.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mullins87

I looked at a YJ yesterday. Pretty much exactly what I am looking for. The price is nice too. However, the guy told me that 5th gear was out. I know next to nothing about trannies. He said there was a "key" somewhere in the rear of the tranny that was either broken or had fallen out. 5th gear just isn't there. You put the shifter into the 5th gear slot and feel it engage, but it feels like you have it in neutral. Any of you ever had this or a similar problem? Is this something that can be fixed fairly easily or should I run far, far away? I would think if it was something easy and cheap, he'd fix it.

The local Jeep dealer told me yesterday that he was getting several Jeeps in my price and condition range this week. He told me to go by today before the shop has a chance to clean them up. I'm hoping to find something there.

drosketer

Wow, I hated the look of them on the Liberty, and think they look even worse on the Wrangler... They look rather cheesy.

I have taken a look at some '04 Rubicons at the local dealer and am happy to report that the flares appear to be of the old variety... at least on the two that I had a look at.

Andrew

erickpl

Sure, I'll take the tow hook if you are not going to use it!

Tom, my daughter looked at those Rubi flares and she liked them. Then I showed her a TR Rubi that had them, Brand new on the lot and those things were filled with dirt. She doesn't like them now. I told her a real Jeep flare would be simply designed and made so that they are easy to clean! heheh

-Paul

mac24

105 mph measured by GPS, still air, flat, straight, (private) road. Vehicle was surprisingly stable. This was with a hardtop. A soft top loses you several mph. Normally, I rarely go above 65 mph unless I'm on an Interstate.

mac24

Parts may be not be too expensive, but the transmission will have to be removed and torn down to effect a repair. Don't be surprised if this reveals more work needing to be done.

mullins87

That's kinda what I figured. The labor would be the killer. He said "all you would have to do" is to remove the tailshaft housing and slip this "key" into place. Yeah right!!!

I've got a '97 I'm keeping my eye on. It's got a couple of cosmetic problems, but right now the price is nice and I'm hoping since it's not very pretty, I'll be able to snag it. I'll let you guys know what happens.

tsjay

You didn't say what year or engine for the YJ, but if that thing has the Peugeot transmission, you don't want any part of it. Is it a six cylinder engine, and is it a model year from 87 thru 89? If so, that would be the Peugoet tranny.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mullins87

OH NOOOOOO!!!! It is definitely NOT one of those! I do believe it to be a '95.

But, like I said just a few minutes ago as you were replying, I'm hoping to snag that '97. Keep your fingers crossed.

erickpl

As I've found out, cosmetic problems are easy to fix on a Jeep.

-Paul

billy318ti

Just a few questions for ya. Can a car wash mess up your soft top. And how the heck do you post pics?? Copy and paste doesn't work.. Tried some other methods but just doesn't seem to work.

mtngal

I prefer the good old black flares on the Sport and below. I don't much care for the flares on the Sahara, but don't dislike them. Those in the picture remind me too much of the Nissan Frontiers. I couldn't believe how Nissan could take a perfectly good truck (the old Hardbody) and come up with that fake looking Frontier (I know, that's another topic...).

Photos have to be put on a different web site, then linked to it. This forum doesn't have the capability of keeping the photos here.

I think it would depend on the type of carwash as to what it would do to the soft top. Some car washes won't accept a soft top, but most around the SoCal area are brushless and are more or less hand washed, and I've seen some soft tops going through them.

Speed - my Wrangler can do a whole bunch faster than I'm willing to drive it! I've had it over 75 once or twice, but really don't like the way it handles. If there is any wind at all, don't plan on going over 70. When there are wind advisories out (my commute goes through a wind-prone area) I sometimes don't go above 60.

tsjay

As mtngal said, the first thing ya gotta do is get your pics posted on some other web site, and it needs to be one that allows "hot links" (not sure if that's the real term or not, but that's what I call it). What I mean by "hot link" is that you can type in the Internet address (URL) for that pic, and it will show up as an actual picture instead of just as a link. Lots of web sites DO NOT allow hot links, since, I suppose, it would put extra load on their server (I'm getting over my head here).

If you have your pic posted in a place that allows hot links, then you call up that pic and right click on it with your mouse. A menu will appear, and you want to click on "properties." Then, you highlight and copy the URL, using your mouse and the "copy" function.

Then ya come here and type [img src="blahblah"]

You have to change the [ to < and the ] to >

I tried to use the < and the > in my example, but then the server thinks its looking for a picture, and you just get a red X, since it can't find blahblah
 
Insert (paste) the URL where I have the blahblah. Use the quotation marks, like I have them, and the URL goes between them. The last thing in the URL should be .jpg. (sometimes the site where you have the pic posted will add something after the .jpg.

Clear as mud?

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

erickpl

Did I do this right?



I always wondered how to do that.

-Paul

tidester

You do it like this:

<img src="http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media- /nav/headerlogo_140x55.gif">

which produces this:




tidester, host

erickpl

Looks like got it right!

*shuffle*boogie*scoot*

BTW, that background is the view from my driveway. Looks great in the winter.

-Paul

mullins87

I had a '97 on ebay for $3,850 and someone slammed me in the last 5 seconds for $4,150! Oh well, I really didn't want to drive 1,500 miles to go get it anyway.

erickpl

I had that happen to me when I was bidding on some Rubicon Moab wheels. Oh well, I got a MUCH better deal on some Canyon wheels. Just look up 2 or 3 posts to see what I got on eBay. Just keep your eyes open and check frequently. I've noticed quite a few Jeeps up there.

There is also another site that has stuff for sale. But that place has lots of JEEPS and nothing but Jeeps. In fact, you have UNLIMITED options.

-Paul

tsjay

You're sure in a frisky mood today!

Was your objective to get that red X, or were you really trying to post a pic?

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

Hang in there, man. There's a Jeep out there somewhere with your name on it.

I like your idea of going for a TJ, if you can find one within your price range. You can immediately hit the trails with an unmodified TJ, but you're gonna need to do some things to a stock YJ.

Remember, try to get one that has the Dana 44 rear end. Do you know how to identify the 44?

If the rear diff is symmetrical along its vertical axis and is pumpkin shaped, and if it has a rubber fill plug, then that's the 35.

If the diff is symmetrical along its horizontal axis, and if its shape resembles a pare laid on its side (big part is left of center), and if it has a threaded metal fill plug, then its a 44.

The shape difference is a little more subtle than the pumpkin vs pare analogy, but the plug is a quick and dirty means of identification.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

It looks like what might have happened is that your pic appeared only until your log-in on the host site expired. Could that be the case?

You need a host site for your pics that will allow your pics to be linked and will allow them to show up even after your password expires.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

billy318ti

Seems somewhat difficult to post some pics. When i get some good shots on the trails i'll post em up. Thanks for all the info Tom, and mtngal. Hope to get some pics up as soon as i figure it out.

 About the speeding in a jeep. I got mine over a hundred on a long straightaway. A bit scary but i was just was curious to see what it could do. My last car was the 318ti and and would often speed over a hundred...just wanted to see how the jeep compared to the 318. I was actually really impressed with how comfortable i was in the jeep. The 6 cyl has a much better feel then the 4cyl 318ti.,, . Wouldn't ever go that fast in the jeep again!, but still i was impressed. Can't wait for the cold weather to come around though. Some nights have gotten in the low 50's here, and the jeep feels much more powerful in the cold weather.
Looking forward to the winter. Can't wait for the first snow storm!!

tsjay

Many ISPs provide their subscribers with a limited amount of web space where you can post your own pics or even make a web page.

I have Earthlink now, and I have some free web space, and when I had AOL, they allowed some free space also.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

Tried to email ya at the email addy in your profile, but my message got bounced back to me... says you are over your quota.

If you have a different email addy, email me. My email addy is in my profile.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

Another thing about the spacers is that they can still be used if you get longer springs later.

In other words, you could put the spacers on now and have a two inch lift. Later on, you could geta two inch spring lift and still use the spacers to make a four inch lift all together. You would need shocks for a four inch lift, though.

Of course, at four inches, LOTS of other things would come into play, as was pointed out in earlier posts.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mullins87

Thanks for the heads up on the rear ends. I didn't know how to tell the difference. Of course, on the internet it's hard to spot that metal plug! I have a Dana 80 or 90, I can't remember right now, on my truck. So I know that pear analogy you're talking about.

tsjay

It IS pear, ain't it? NOT pare, like I spelled it. I knew something didn't look right.

I USED to be a decent speller, but in my old age, the spelling has slipped. The fruit is a pear, and the verb is pare, as in "I will pare the skin off the apple."

Anyway, Jim, you really, really ought to do your best to get the Dana 44, which means you will need a TJ, or else a YJ that has been upgraded.

You don't want to be limited in where you can go at Turkey Bay. Some of the best stuff involves some tire spin, and that spinning and grabbing can be followed by the "pop" of a broken axle shaft in a Dana 35.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mtngal

Glad I'm not the only one who can't spell. Of course, I wasn't very good at it at the best of times, but I've gotten significantly worse since I passed the half century mark.

I've sometimes just posted a link to where my pictures are. I use imagestation quite a bit for my photos and I like them, but they wouldn't let me "hot link" (I've never heard the term, but it sounds good) the one time I tried it. Whenever I've had photos, I've just put the web address of the album here.

You might try using webshots - some people on my timeshare BB use them and have been able to link their photos to that BB. I've never tried them so don't know how difficult it would be to use them.

Let's not talk about speeding vehicles. I once had a Mustang when I was in Germany and there are no speed limits on the Autobahn. It was brand new in 1981 and the speedometer stopped at 85 (they were trying to get everyone to drive at 55). I once got a friend to clock me at the car's best cruising speed - it was 95. And that wasn't it's top speed by any means. Oh well, those days are long gone and I no longer have the reflexes to be a good high speed driver (and I don't own a vehicle that would be any good at those speeds either)...

tsjay

Just thought of something, Jim.

You won't get the Dana 44 if you get a TJ SE. I told you that for your purposes, the four banger would be fine, and that is true as far as the engine, but they only put the Dana 35 on the SE's. The four banger has less torque (but still plenty for wheelin), so breaking an axle is a little less likely with that engine.

If you get a YJ, you won't be getting the Dana 44 anyway, so might as well get an SE model TJ, unless a great deal comes along for a TJ with the six and the Dana 44. Also, you will not necessarily get a Dana 44 with a six cylinder TJ... it was an OPTION.

JUST GET A JEEP! You can upgrade the axle sometime, if you get a Dana 35.

If you were buying brand new or were willing to spend $10,000 to $12,000 for a later model TJ, then you should definitely hold out for the Dana 44. With your $5500 limit, you can still find a nice Jeep that you can have fun with, but most likely you will end up with the Dana 35.

That won't be the end of the world... just might limit you in the size tires you run and might make you hesitant to put a locker in the rear.

The front diffs are Dana 30's for all YJs and TJs, except the Rubicon, so you could put a locker up front just as easily as anyone else, no matter which rear diff you have. Some people claim a locker up front is more effective than one in the back... depends on the type of wheelin ya do. Of course, having both ends locked is best.

The last thing I want to do is over emphasize the Dana 35 vs. Dana 44 thing and make you afraid to even buy a Jeep unless it has the 44. The 44 would be very nice, but it shouldn't be a show stopper. It would be something you should order on a new Jeep, no question, but it shouldn't stop you from buying if you find a real nice Jeep that has the Dana 35.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mullins87

The Dana 35 vs. 44 axle is not going to prevent me from buying a Jeep in any way. What could I expect to pay for a salvage yard YJ tranny for a 4 banger? I'm considering going back to that guy with the '95 with the absent 5th gear and giving him a lowball offer. He's had it for sale for quite a while and he's probably ready to dump it. I figure if I can get it cheap enough, I'll take the chance on the tranny.

Talk about shock loading a drivetrain; Once I got my truck almost stuck with a 10k lb trailer behind it. Even in 1st gear, which is only good for about 10mph, as soon as the tires would break loose, truck would start bouncing. I just knew I would snap a U-joint or twist the driveshaft. I used the E-brake to help control it to a small degree, but WOW what a ride.

mac24

Actually, it's not hard to make the argument that worrying about a 'weak' part of the drivetrain will enable you to build much better off road driving skills.

You learn to treat the throttle with caution and not to use it like an on/off switch. You learn to select the correct gear and crawl with precision, rather than put the hammer down and blast through.

As Tom said, there some places where you need to spin the wheels to continue making forward progress unassisted, although they're a lot fewer than you'd think when you watch some people drive. Bear in mind that using this technique you'll be ripping up the trail beneath you, and even if you don't damage your drivetrain you're likely to damage your tires. Personally, in the sections that truly can't be driven with precision, I prefer to use the winch.

Next, the D35 is a lot stronger than many people give it credit for. I think that a few posts back, Tom gave an instance of people with D35s using the 'wheel spin' method of ascent successfully. Do remember though, that stress damage can be cumulative. When someone breaks their D35 pulling slowly away from the drive through at Burger King, it's not because their axle shaft suddenly became as weak as butter. The damage was done a lot earlier! However, if you want, the D35 can be easily upgraded with stronger shafts and a Detroit for around $800 (a Detroit alone is around $600).

Finally, I fully accept that you (whoever you are) have the right to drive as you see fit. I just want to make the point that you'll get a lot further by driving with precision than with a heavy right foot, and you'll do it with a lot less damage to the terrain or your vehicle.

mullins87

Where did you find the upgrade kit for the 35? I just found a website that has something similar. They claim their axle kit will make the 35 just as strong as the 40 and it also comes with the Detroit locker. This kit was $950 though.

mac24

There two kits available, one by Superior and the other by Yukon. Superior is better known but I've not heard of any Yukon failures. Both feature axle shafts that are said to be equal to or better than those in a D44. I've only ever heard of one documented shaft failure, and that was in competition use.

There's a fine line between recommendation and advertising on this site, so do a Google search and you should find the Superior kit for a little over $800 with the Detroit and a little over $900 with an ARB (without the compressor). Superior warranty their shafts for either two or five years (I forget which).

Edit: It's five years, I just looked it up. If you can't find it with a search, post again and I'll send you a link by email.

HOSTS???? Some guidance here please?

jefferson1964

by tom and it was helpful. I will be able to attend a dealer auction soon and hopefully purchase a wrangler at wholesale cost. I will not have a chance to get a build sheet as the inspections and auction are the same day. If anyone has or can take a digital photo of a dana 44 rear end and email me or post it so i know excactly what im looking at it would be helpful. Jeff

mac24

Simple rule of thumb.............. if the filler/level plug is metal and requires a wrench, it's a D44. The D35 plug is a rubber snap in type.

tsjay

Heck, Jim, I don't know what you should pay for that95. You can look up the value here in Edmunds, but you know how it goes with a used vehicle... mileage, condition, etc. make all the difference in the world as far as selling price.

Just my gut feeling is that if that Jeep were in good condition and didn't have the tranny problem, it might bring about $5000 to $5500.

Mac

Since I don't have a front locker, I can't just crawl up that place I was talking about where I get a lot of tire spin. I have to carry enough speed to keep going, and that means a little bouncing and tire spin. I'm not talking crazy speed... just enough for some momentum to maintain the forward progress until I regain traction.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

jefferson1964

thats what i will look for appreciate the info...

tidester

Some guidance here please?

Yes, the line between recommending and promoting can be a fine one!

It's usually pretty clear cut and not a problem if you simply recommend a particular product. Problems generally arise when you include contact information such as the name of a salesperson, email addresses and so forth.

In between, there's the simple recommendation providing a URL link to a site that provides information pertinent to the product in question and whether it becomes a sales pitch depends on the context of a posting and the content of the web page.

One thing that tends to catch our attention is repeated and persistent posting of links to retailers. The occasional link, particularly in response to a query from another poster, is likely to get by.

I hope that helps!

tidester, host

mac24

Don't take it as a personal criticism. I was making a broad statement about how I felt on the matter, and as with any broad statement there are obviously exceptions. Sometimes you've just gotta do what you gotta do! However, generally I find (and not just with wheeling), that finessing it is far more satisfying than flat footing it.

mac24

Thanks, that seems fairly clear. I can't see this particular question coming up on a regular basis, so here's a link for mullins:

http://www.samsoffroad.com/samsoffroadsto/SuperiorDana35AxleKit.h- tm

tsjay

No, problem... didn't think you were directing anything at me. Just wanted everyone to know that sometimes ya gotta hit a spot with just a little speed.

If you are on a very steep climb and you hit a little rock shelf that makes a step, you can probably just let the Jeep crawl over it, if you have a front locker going for ya. If you have an open front end, however, you need to hit that step with a little momentum so that you can go on over it. That's the way that climb is that I was talking about that the guys with the Dana 35s wouldn't try.

When you hit something with a little speed, it makes the Jeep bounce a little, and when it bounces, you momentarily lose traction and spin a tire. I have seen several Jeeps with Dana 35's make that climb, so those guys were just being extra cautious.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

There's a 95 YJ in the Show n' Tell paper this week. It's here in Madisonville, where I work, and the lady that is selling it says it has only 68,000 miles on it. She doesn't say whether it's an auto or manual. The top is two years old, and the tires have only 10,000 miles on them. It's a four banger.

She wants $7000 for it, and I think that's way high. Just thought I would pass that along, but didn't think you would be interested at that price. She might be willing to come down, though.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

texasjeep

These links should help with axle indentification.

http://www.jeepgod.net/axleid.html
http://www.jeepz.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Howto&fi- - - le=drivetrain_axle

mullins87
I had a 93 YJ that the 5th gear went out on. I have heard of it happening to someone else also. It happened right after I had my tranny rebuilt. They claimed it was a design problem. Not sure if they pulled the tranny or what but I wasn't charged. They said it was a problem with a ring that holds it in gear. Have you ruled out getting a CJ?

arizonajoe
I have done close to a 100mph. I have set the cruise control at 85 in west Texas. I have also set the cruise at 75 in 4th against a head wind. I didn't like the 12mpg though.

Flares
I don't think flares can get any uglier than the bushwacker ones. Hopefully those will never come stock. I am going with warn if I replace mine. The main reason being to get wider ones.
http://products.warn.com/warn.nsf/pages/TruckProducts.Flares.Trai- - l.html

tsjay

Ok, what's up? Ain't seen a post from you in a LONG time.

Let's hear from ya, dude.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?