Jeep Wrangler

mtngal

The heater in the new Unlimited, even with the soft top, seems to work pretty well. We've only had a couple of mornings that were in the 30s and only one that was below freezing, but I don't think I'm going to need extra warmth this winter.

I sometimes forget how lucky I am to live out west - there are lots of guidebooks for off-roading trails out here. Right now, though, one of my favorite drives is closed, along with most of the rest of that national forest due to fire danger. Better for the road to be closed for a couple of months than to see all the horrible fires they had out here last year!

mtngal

The Southern California AAA Club puts out excellent county maps that show most of the dirt roads and some of the trails. They do a great job of showing where gates are that restrict access and are far more accurate about such things than many of the maps (Delorme puts out really pretty maps, but they don't have gates and sometimes its hard to differentiate hiking trails from off-road trails). If you already belong to AAA, then the maps would be free - definitely worth checking out.

jeff62301

on the Two Rivers Jeep Club Site, there is a picture of us roofing the VFW hall, thats my backside in the middle of the roof.

http://www.trjc.com/

jeff

99tj

John

This Friday, Sat, Sun, there is a Jeep Jamboree about 1hr 45minutes North of us in Charlemont, Mass. Unfortunately, I couldn't get Friday off from work so I won't be going.
I emailed the people that run this and as of yesterday there was one spot left. I think it might be near where Tom mentioned.

http://www.jeepjamboreeusa.com/events/mohawktrail.htm

Tom, I made my email public. Can you send me the contact info for the MASS off roading you mentioned? Thanks

-Dan

tsjay

I emailed ya, Bro.

Tom

99tj

Thanks Tom, I appreciate it.

I checked out the pictures from their club page. WOW, they do some crazy stuff!!!!!!!!

I also found a link to a CT club, that might be a little more my speed.
Thanks again.

-Dan

koolbreeze2

Jeff. Thanks. I will follow up on your ideas. I love riding old dirt roads. Yhe unknown is always (almost always) fun. John

koolbreeze2

Harriet. Thank you. Jeep folks are great. AAA is an obvious resource but sometimes I forget the obvious. Tom, thanks for the info also but North Adams is a little too far for me. I do appreciate the information. Go Easy, John

jdf2005

My wife and I first owned a 2000 Wrangler Sport with 5 spd...traded it in 2003...what a mistake that was. Seriously looked at Unlimited when it first became available...could not do the 4 spd auto tran. and the only black top option. Took delivery last Sat. of 05 Unlimited w/ 6 spd. and gray top...very much worth the wait. First tank of fuel avg. 15.2 mpg...and will improve w/ break-in. The fit and finish, paint and overall quality is way up in just 5 years. Good job Jeep!!!

jeff62301

what color? what other options???

I was just so anxious to buy after getting the 4 runner sold, i don't think there was anyway I could have waited another month to have the option of a 2005 / 2004.

jeff

tsjay

CONGRATS! Welcome to Edmunds Jeep Wrangler.

We are going to want to hear all about your first impressions of that Unlimited and how you are going to be using it. Will it see some dirt? Will it be a daily driver?

Sorry, but if you read some of the recent posts, you will see that I am not a fan of the gray flares and gray tops. I wish they would bring back the black flares and the option of a black top. If you are satisfied with the gray, then that's all that really matters, right?

Gray flares or black flares or pink flares, you have a new Jeep, and that is COOL! I'm happy for you jdf!

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mtngal

What do you think of the 6 speed tranny? I thought about waiting, but then my back kept telling me to get the auto, so I didn't wait. Besides, I wanted the black top since I wanted the bright green.

I've been getting around 18 mpg with my auto Unlimited - almost all highway miles. It does seem like it is starting to go up a bit (more 18 plus days than 17 plus days) recently. I've got 4500 miles on it so far.

Did you get the soft top or the hard top?

mtngal

I do have a pet peeve with the Unlimited. It's looking like my other half isn't going to quit smoking any time soon, and the ash tray is terrible! We carpool to work and coffee is a necessary part of our long commute. So there are 2 coffee cups. The ash tray is no longer built into the dash - it is extra and fits into one of the 2 coffee cup holders. That's 3 things that are supposed to fit in 2 holes - doesn't work! I end up reaching around and using the coffee cup for the back seat.

How lame is that!

jdf2005

Impact Orange with tilt wheel/cruise, floor mats, seven speaker option, side steps. I came so darn close to buying an 04 Unlimited in yellow...but did not like the test drive with the 4 speed automatic tranny. Six speed is very smooth and the shifter has a great feel to it...I expect to get 18 mpg when breakin is complete and with the use of synthetic oil. I used to get 18 mpg on the 02 Sport I had before.

jdf2005

I really like the 6 speed...drove both back to back 05 6 spd. and 05 auto. and both myself and my wife prefered the 6 speed. I agree with you that black top with green is better choice...I expect to get 18 mpg. also after breakin is complete. I used to get 18 mpg on the 00 Sport that I had before (5 spd.) We use this as a daily driver for 62 mile commute so we'll see how it does.

gman1259

Keep in mind this comes from a son and grandson of heavy smokers…Maybe you should put the ashtray in the back…or band smoking if the new car. It could give an incentive to quit smoking. Naaa…I doubt it.

jdf2005

Thanks Tom...I agree that black top should be available cause I know they have a large following in the Jeep crowd. Wife is using this Unlimited as a daily driver...she thinks new gray top is cool...so if shes happy I'm happy!
We both agreed that we had to have a Wrangler again...I guess we're both hooked. Our first trip will be to Big Bend National Park in Texas...it will do great on the back roads of that whole area.

tsjay

Thanks for the additional info. Once again, CONGRATULATIONS! It must feel awful good to be back in a Wrangler, huh?

I would have to see the impact orange/gray combo in person to know if I would like it or not. But, I mean, I don't really remember anyone asking my opinion.

How bout you drive that puppy up here to KY and go to Turkey Bay with me. Then I could see that color combo in person. (Sounds like you must be in Texas, so that trip to TB might be a little long for you.)

I am happy for you and the Mrs. A new Jeep is a real thrill!

I hope you will make yourself at home here and stick with us, being a frequent poster.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

dave__

I had to come in to work early this morning so I left my neighborhood while it was still dark and raining. I was climbing a little hill and came around a turn to see the gleaming little eyes of an opossum in the road. There was no way I could avoid him so I automatically steered sort of toward him to avoid hitting him dead on with my left front tire. I tensed and waited for the thump.

It never came. I looked in my rear view mirror and saw the little guy scampering away. I had run over him but the clearance was so good that he was unharmed.

I think I saw him mutter, "Only in a Jeep!"

Yours in Jeep Coolness,

Dave

mtngal

Neat - another Unlimited driver with a long commute! I was beginning to think I was the only one crazy enough to live a very long way from work. I never quite got down to Big Bend National Park when I lived in the Copperas Cove/Killeen area, but I've always wanted to (pre-Wrangler days, so didn't have as much incentive to travel). Oh well, guess I'll just have to "suffer" with the occasional trips to Yosemite and the Sierras.

I figure if I still love driving it to work after 2 months, I'll love it forever. 5 more weeks to go...

tsjay

So, I guess DC will have to add another emblem to the Wranglers. "Possum Rated."

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

P.S.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To prove to the possums that it COULD be done.

dwrestle

isn't the most appropriate place to ask this question, but it's the most appropriate place I could find to ask, and I am sure someone here on this board has owned a CJ-7 before. What kind of power should I expect from a CJ-7 with a 304 cubic inch(5.0L) V8? I would kinda like actual numbers, but comparisons to any other engine will do, also is the CJ-7 just as long as the Wrangler or is it shorter? Oh and do CJ-7's have a back seat? Thanks.

koolbreeze2

Dan. Some of my friends are going but I am at Grandsons hockey game(s). On the second day I had my Red Freedom he managed to scratch the hood. Bad luck. I just consider it a "family scratch" and may not even touch it up. If I was paying closer attention to what he was doing, it would never have happened. The lesson is simple-keep all 7th graders 7 feet from your Jeep. Their body and mind act seperately at times. No fault of their own.Quick question. What is the name of the Jeep club you discussed with Tom? What town is it in? Go Easy, John

tsjay

Can't help ya too much, but I can tell you that the little 304 V8 is not gonna have a lot of power. They sound pretty sweet, though.

If you are going to be climbing hills with your Jeep, it would be nice to have one with fuel injection. Unless it has been converted, a CJ would have a carburetor. Carburetors don't work well when the Jeep is pointed at the sky.

The CJs, like the YJs, would have leaf springs, and therefore would not have the articulation of a TJ.

Hey, I like old Jeeps too, and they sure have their charm, but you have to be ready to do a lot of maintenance on them, and they need some mods for better flex.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

dwrestle

the leaf springs I won't be doing anything serious enough to warrant changing to gas shocks or whatever goes on their except leaf springs(I might do it anyway to make it look meaner).

My uncle has an 88 YJ with a 4.3HO(used to be a 4.2I6 but he did stuff to it and now it's a 4.3I6), and he does some pretty serious stuff to his Jeep and he has the Webber 2bbl Carb on it, and he says it'll tip over backwards before it dies on him. So I'm not worried about that much either. I actually am more worried about if it sounds good or not, and you confirmed that it sounds good, so I think I'll look into it more.

I would think the 304 would have more peak torque than a 4.0, maybe not more torque though the entire RPM range, but more peak torque. My uncle's YJ has 250 ft lbs now. I just wonder how much a 304 would have at peak.

tsjay

The TJ's have coil springs, whereas the CJs and YJs had leaf springs (the TJ's are the first generation of short wheel base Jeeps to have coil springs). It's the coil springs that give the TJs their killer articulation in stock mode. The older Jeeps can be fixed up to flex really well, but in stock configuration, the TJ's rule.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

99tj

funny stuff,Dave.
The cat I hit the other day wasn't so lucky. I barely had time to lift my foot off the gas. The stupid thing committed suicide, practically ran under my tire!

John, here is the link. http://www.jonfund.com
It looks like they're based in Wallingford (at least that's where their next meeting is)
It looks like they do a mixture of easy and really tough trails.

-Dan

koolbreeze2

Dan,thanks. Its a ride but it may be the only club around. I also hit a cat two days ago. Could not be avoided. You never know which way they will go. I felt bad but there was nothing I could do. Over reaction to animals jumping out in front of a vehicle can result in human death. Not a good thing. Thanks again for the link. John

jst

What are the advantage(s) of the six speed versus the old five speed? Further, do you have to begin driving in first..or can you start on a level road in second? ...if you have to go through all six gears...it seems like a lot of shifting..especially for in-town and urban driving.

tsjay

jst:

My guess is that you would never get into 6th gear in town. It would be about the same ratio as fifth gear in the five speeds, I think, and you need to be going about 45 MPH to get into that overdrive gear.

I'll bet you could start out in second gear, cause I can do that now, if I want to with my five speed.

I'll have to wait til I get home to compare gear ratios for the six speed with those for my five speed.

The five speed gears are as follows...

1st 4.04:1
2nd 2.33:1
3rd 1.38:1
4th 1.00:1
5th 0.78:1

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mtngal

Can you post some photos somewhere to show what this color actually looks like? I went to Jeep's web site but they aren't exactly accurate on their colors (my electric green looks more yellowish than it really is). So I can't decide what it really looks like. It looks like one of those things that I'd either really like or I'd hate - just like my bright green one.

tsjay

1 - 5.014:1
2 - 2.831:1
3 - 1.789:1
4 - 1.256:1
5 - 1.000:1
6 - 0.828:1

Got those from a reliable Internet source, but not directly from a Jeep sanctioned source, just from an individual who did not cite his source.

That lower first gear should be really nice for wheelin'. If a guy doesn't have the Rubicon, he would have the NP231 transfer case with its 2.72:1 low range, and it could use that lower first gear to slow down the crawl speed. The Rubicon guy would have 4:1 low range and would already have a real slow crawl ratio.

Since second gear is higher with the six speed than it was with the five speed, starting out in second gear would be a little tougher and might require feathering the clutch a little too much. A guy could go from first to third, I'll bet, and skip second gear, if he didn't want to go through all the gears.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

ocean_shipper

Can someone enlighten me? What is the TJ and the YJ? I know what the CJ is, but these others are foreign to me.

mtngal

YJs were the Wrangler that came after the CJs. If it has square headlights and a Wrangler decal on the rear side panels, it is a YJ. I'm not sure of the year they started them.

The TJ is the current Wrangler. They started them in '97 and they have the round headlights and the Wrangler decals on the front side panels. Thats when they went to the coil springs so they are much more comfortable on-road and have more articulation off-road (Tom's always talking about that).

tsjay

The CJ's were succeeded by the YJ's, and the YJ years were 1987 thru 1995. There were no '96 model Wranglers, and the TJ's were introduced as a 97 model. All Wranglers 97 thru 05 are TJ's.

The YJ's had leaf springs, as did the CJ's, but I believe the YJ leaf springs were wider. Someone jump in here and verify or refute this, please.

The TJ's have the coil springs all the way around, and it is because of these that the TJ's have such crazy flex, even in stock configuration.

The outward appearance of the YJs is distinctive because of their square headlights.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

ocean_shipper

Thanks everyone. It is a wonderul day when you learn something new about Jeep that you didn't know when you got up!

Chuck

tsjay

Here are the correct ratios...

1st 4.46:1
2nd 2.61:1
3rd 1.72:1
4th 1.25:1
5th 1.00:1
6th 0.84:1

Sorry 'bout that.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

ocean_shipper

I was very surprised to see on the Carmax website that at their Jeep dealer in Atlanta that they are offering a 2005 Wrangler Sport LWB that is 2WD. Is that possible? Why in the world would anyone by a Wrangler that is 2WD????

Tell me it ain't so!

tsjay

jeff62301

I was very seriously considering buying an unlimited from carmax in August. I called and talked with them, they had the same misprint then.

seems to be a major misprint that they would want to fix.

jeff

side note,

if you take a carmax print out to your local dealer and ask them to pricematch, be sure that you point out the misprint, the local sales person that I talked to tried to convince me that is why the carmax price was so good. there is not a 2WD unlimited.

koolbreeze2

Greetings Tom. I have a quick question. On my 03 Freedom-what do you think it has for a rear end. I have spoken to the dealer-no response, done a search, no luck. I would guess its a 3.07 because its basiclly an X with add ons. What do you think? Thanks,John

rasta265

I Have a 1998 jeep wrangler sport with a 2" suspension lift. I was wondering if 31"x12.50 tires on15x10" wheels would fit on my car without rubbing? Would this work out for me?

jst

when I ordered my '99 Sport..I specified the 3.07, but documentation was nil...from others in this bulletin board...I was advised to look for a small metal tag fixed to the rear differential ball case....after some searching, I found a tab that had "3.07" stamped on it...

....again...there was no documentation from the factory....hope this is of some help...

tsjay

Is your Jeep an auto? If so, most likely it has 3.07 gearing. If it is a five speed, and/or if it had 30" tires, it could be 3.73 gearing.

You can get a factory build sheet from DC that will list EVERYTHING that the Jeep had on it from the factory. It will give you more detail than you could ever want to know.

Go to Jeep.com and then click on the link to "Contact Jeep," or "Contact Chrysler." That will lead you to a form where you can type in your request for a factory build sheet up near the top of the form in a blank field. You will need to know the last 8 digits of your VIN and type them in the field provided. Give them your email addy, and they will get back to you.

I have seen response time as low as 20 minutes when the request was made during normal business hours.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

You can put 31 x 10.50" tires on a bone stock Jeep (no lift at all), so the tire diameter is not going to be a problem for you with the 31 x 12.50's you are talking about.

The width could be a problem, though. Your lift did nothing to give you clearance for tire width, just for tire diameter.

It all depends on the backspacing of your wheels as to whether or not you can run those 12.50" wide tires. Backspacing is what determines how far your tires stick our or how much they are pulled in toward the frame.

Most factory wheels on the Wranglers have 5.5" backspacing, With the 5.5" backspacing, the widest tire you can run is 10.50." A tire wider than that would rub on the lower control arms up front and on the spring perches in the back.

So, if you want to run 12.50" wide tires, you need room for that extra inch on the inside (the tire is two inhces wider, but one inch would be on the outside, and one inch on the inside). If you had wheels backspaced 4.5" or less, then you should theoretically have the room you need.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

P.S.

Please, don't call your Jeep a "car." How insulting to your Jeep!

wheelsdown

Martin, you probably have the answer on this one. I have the dreaded "check engine" light. It came on at the end of running a shot of Techtron through it (one bottle in about 10 gallons). Do you think there is any connection? It was also after about a twenty mile run at 65 mph into a 30-35 mph wind (when the TJ with soft top thinks it is going 95 it is noisy as heck).

By the way, the trip was to a Jeep 101 thing in my area. It was not very impressive. The weather was terriable, temp about 45, 30/35 mph steady wind with higher gusts. The tents were all flapping around, the Jeep people all hunkered over trying to keep warm. Many of the display Jeeps were outside but it was just too miserable to even try to look them over. I got in a couple of drives and left. The drive vehicles were all 2004's. They had a 2005 red TJ with gray soft top and flares on display. It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be.

Terry

jeff62301

hey terry, what day / time were you there?? I was there early saturday afternoon 1 - 3 . it was cold and i was underdressed.

I liked it, but it wasn't much more than driving around on my uncles farm; through a bit of water and on the sides of the creek levies, although my toyotas always wanted to slide.

jeff

jeff62301

does anyone have one?? do you think i'm just getting old and lazy??

I got a viper at best buy over the weekend, now just to find a time to have them install it.

jeff

looking forward to a warm jeep on cold mornings!

wheelsdown

Jeff;

Got there Saturday about noon and was gone by around 1:30. At least the heaters in the vehicles worked good. I think most people there were underdressed for the day. It was raw.

Did you get to drive the hemi GC?

Terry

mac24

There's probably no connection, but I expect I could come up with one if you give me long enough!

The 'check engine' light (not to be confused with the 'check gauges' light) indicates an emission problem. If it was a temporary occurance the light will be extinguished after a few sucessful starts. If it remains on, you can have the computer code read free of charge at most AutoZone or similar stores. You can also read the code via the odometer on some model years. What year is yours?

My guess is that it might indicate an O² problem, either the sensor or the converter.