Jeep Wrangler

mtngal · June 2004

Don't know if this will help, but I recently replaced my windshield. I think it cost me under $150 and the company came out to my husband's office parking lot and replaced it here. Of course, I don't know what the name of the company was, and I suspect we got a discount - the organization he works for is a customer of theirs and they may given us a break, since they were here anyway that day. Email me (see my profile) if you are interested and I'll ask my other half what the name and phone number are. We haven't had any problems, and I'm fairly certain it rained not long after it was replaced.

temulac · June 2004

Hey Terry I made it.......got to try the #303. MO

bamatazz · June 2004

I belive last time I had it fixed it was an 02 sensor. I talk to one of my customers at work who is the head mechanic at the ford dealership in town. He told me not to worry about it unless it starts to idle rough. I will give a few more days & see. I was planning on geting a lockable gas cap anyway. I will go that route before I take it back to a dealer.
My local jeep dealer went under a few months ago. So its a drive to get to my next closest one.

Keep Jeepin,
BamaTazz

wheelsdown · June 2004

Temulac just signed on today. This is a friend of mine that just purchased a '98 Wrangler. He will have a lot of questions as he learns more about it. He already knows how much fun it is going to be, mostly from listening to me.

Terry

tsjay · June 2004

Any friend of Terry's is a friend of all of us.

Post away!

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

P.S. CONGRATS ON THE PURCHASE OF THAT JEEP!

bamatazz · June 2004

On the way to work this morning, the engine light went off. I guess jeeps are so good they can fix themselves.
Welcome Temulac, congrats on the new Jeep you will love it.

Keep Jeepin
BamaTazz

jefferson1964 · June 2004

I've only been able to sit in an unlimited at a jeep jamboree. I like the look and the extra room is what i was needing for the family. Also, i read on another board that "spy shots" are coming of the redesigned wrangler. They said it will have side airbags that will be required of all vehicles soon. This lead me to believe that the doors will not be removeable.

bamatazz · June 2004

only thing I know about the 2005 wrangler is that they will offer 6 speed manual tranny.
also they will not be a Rubicon version of the Unlimited.
Ive heard the 2006 will not have the removeable doors also.
My guess is the will do away with the "TJ" have a total new look, maybe not produce an 05 just come out in 06 with a new design like the did in '96.
Keep Jeepin
bama

mtngal · June 2004

Greetings from another '98 Wrangler (Sport) owner. Do you know if yours has had the exhaust manifold replaced yet?

It is nice to have working A/C again - I went into Bakersfield and was perfectly comfortable (nice, considering it was 68 at the house and 90 in Bakersfield today).

I test drove the Unlimited. My first reaction was that it wasn't as much fun as my Wrangler - but that could be due to the auto where mine has a 5 speed. The soft top I drove was much quieter than my hard top and it looks just like any other Wrangler, except it is longer. Maybe I didn't find it as fun because it is not so bouncy - much more like a car and I missed the 5 speed. At the time I thought, "nice, but..."

Now I'm starting to think about it again. Last night we spent an extra hour to get home - they had closed the freeway due to a brush fire and had just reopened it when we reached the point we would have turned off on our alternate route. So I crawled up the hill, often stopping and having to use the clutch far more than normal (and this was in the Taco, which has a lighter clutch than the Wrangler). It took its toll on my arthritic back so I'm now seriously considering the Unlimited with the auto as a postive thing.

wheelsdown · June 2004

I drove an unlimited last week. My impression - much much quiter, ride more stable front to back (which you would expect), about the same side to side. Extra room is nice. This was on fairly rough streets. Of course, I am comparing it to my 2000 TJ which I still like best.

Terry

wheelsdown · June 2004

By the way, the Unlimited I drove was an auto. The 4 speed seemed quicker on the low end than mine. If it is not geared different maybe it was just newer.

mtngal - Give it up. Get the auto. I drove sticks for 35 years, finally just got tired of shifting. Won't go back.

Terry

gman1259 · June 2004

I was driving around on some dirt roads around here the other day, and I tell you I like the 4 speed auto.

gman1259 · June 2004

I 2nd the going to the auto. I have driven both a manual and an auto while 4 wheeling. I really thing (after driving an auto again) the auto is the best way to go.

mtngal · June 2004

I agree that the auto is (for most people) better off-road. I'm probably being too concerned, but we went through 2 Nissan auto trannys in a year when we first moved up here - all that uphill stuff. However, the Nissan was a '88 Hardbody - I keep hearing that modern auto trannys are better and wouldn't hunt for gears so much. I'd also get a tranny cooler, if I go with an auto (I didn't know about them when we first moved up).

So at the moment we have only 5 speeds, and for the most part, I don't mind it at all. However, I'm beginning to think it might be contributing to my back pain so I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place - would an auto last as many miles as we'll put on a vehicle, under the conditions we have to drive every day?

gman1259 · June 2004

With todays autos I think you will get good service from them. Like I have said before I towed a trailer carrying a piano up and over the Grapevine without a problem. I turned off the overdrive so it would not shift in and out of 4th gear and she went up the mountain without missing a beat. I know driving a stick can be fun. I drove a Porsche and loved not having to slow down for curves. However, I am having more fun driving my Wrangler with its auto then I ever did driving my Porsche. I do miss not having to slow down for the curvesbut that is a different matter.

I remember when I was a teenager I used to take my uncles blazer out wheeling with my friends. We would motor right up most obstacles with no sweat while many others where burning their clutches.

I cannot speak to your driving condition exactly, only you know for sure. But, I would not be concerned with the auto I have in my Wrangler handling with the mountain area you live in. I would be concerned if I drove a 4 cylinder with an auto. I think the engine and transmission would have to work to hard.

Unlimited:
I was looking at the Unlimited at the dealership in Norco last week, and I have seen several (at least three) within a couple of day span around where I live. You know I really was not that impressed. Dont get me wrong they look great, but I dont think they look better than the standard Wrangler. Maybe I had too high of expectations. It looked to me that a lot of money would have to be spent just to make it look as sexy as the Wrangler Sport with the 30 tire package.

aparent · June 2004

I bought a new Rubicon last year. Dealer says there is no restricter but I bog out at 85-90 MPH on the freeway.

mcrrt · June 2004

After a couple of years of hemming and hawing about how they're "not practical enough", I bought my Wrangler! Solar yellow Unlimited, soft top, cruise, 7 speaker stereo, and mats. Got a decent deal on it too, about 200 over invoice, not bad considering I've read postings on other forums of some dealers demanding sticker plus. I absolutely love it! The extra room makes it an easier sell to my practical side, and while it doesn't ride much better than a short TJ, it feels less skittish at freeway speeds. I considered waiting for 05 to get a manual, but found out that yellow won't be available next year...had to have the yellow! I'm a busy father who doesn't have a lot of time to post, but I enjoy checking in on the conversation here. I look forward to being counted among the ranks of the "Jeep Poor"!

Marcus

Yes, I hugged my Jeep today, and boy did people look at me funny!

tammie · June 2004

My husband just bought me a 98 wrangler with a 4 cylinder. It has bfgoodrich all terrains (31's),a 4 something rear end and 68K miles. I took it on the highway today for the first time and it wouldn't go over 60 mph. Is that usual? Is that as fast as it gets? Could it be that he is trying to keep me from getting tickets? I would appreciate any advice y'all can give me.

mtngal · June 2004

Lots of new people!

aparent - I can't help you with the top speed of your Rubicon - I find my Sport feels squirrely when I go much over 70 (steering is super quick). And I can't afford the gas anyway - I figured out once that I can save 3 cents per mile if I keep my speed under 70 for the most part. It seems to just drink gas if you go any faster.

mcrrt - Congrats on the Unlimited. When I first saw the yellow I said "yuck - too bright." I keep seeing one on the freeway going home and I guess the color has grown on me - I like it now. You're about the first person here who has one. Keep us informed occasionally as time goes on - would love to hear about your experiences - especially since I'm now considering one. What type of gas mileage do you get? I'm wondering how much of an extra hit there is with one.

tammie - I don't really know what I'm talking about, but I don't think your husband is trying to keep you from getting tickets. Hopefully mac or Tom will jump in and answer your question. Just wanted to say "hi" from another '98 Wrangler owner.

aparent · June 2004

Thanks for the reply. I just signed up here today and already see good info. As for the speed I don't normally go that fast but one day on the toll road with traffic it started to bog. I thought I was running out of gas, weeks later same thing. Thats when I noticed the speed.

Thanks,
Al

tsjay · June 2004

Man, beats me about your top speed, but 85 or 90 is way too fast for a Jeep anyway.

You are fighting some tremendous wind resistance, because of the poor aerodynamics of a Jeep.

Jeeps just aren't meant to go fast. Their handling compared to a car makes them extremely unsafe at high speeds. They have a high center of gravity, narrow track, and short wheel base. These things all contribute to their ability to go anywhere, but they certainly combine to make a Jeep very unstable in high speed cornering or in emergency swerves.

I don't know if 85 to 90 is actually supposed to be the top speed or not. I've been to 90 in my 01 Sport just once, and I immediately slowed down. I was just playing around. I think I could have gone faster, if I had wanted to.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay · June 2004

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! Yeeeeeeeeeeeehawwwwwwww!!!!!

It's about time! Way to go!

Let's be gettin' some pics up on the net somewhere. Gotta see that puppy.

Proud of ya.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay · June 2004

That little four banger engine and 31" tires go a long way toward explaining your top end speed limitation.

Also, you are probably going a little faster than the speedometer shows, unless the previous owner made some correction for tire size.

If you are on level ground and not driving into a strong wind, I would think that your Jeep should go faster than 60 MPH, assuming you give it plenty of time to get up to max speed.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mtngal · June 2004

for tammie's Jeep's speed. As I said above, I really don't know what I'm talking about, but a friend of mine with a lifted Toyota 4x4 put larger tires on and couldn't go very fast until she changed the gears. Could the problem be a combination of larger tires and the wrong gears? If the speedometer is off (most likely with the larger tires) the odometer would be off also, wouldn't it?

tsjay · June 2004

Yeah, the odometer should be off by the same percentage that the speed reading is off.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

jptj · June 2004

I had a 97 4 banger 5 speed it did so so on the road. I ran 70 mph on I 95. But it also had stock tires the bigger the tires the slower (lest power you will have)
If you are running the stock speedometer gear at 2000 rpm the speedometer will be around 46 mph but you are really going around 51. At 2600 or 60 mph you will be going around 68. You will need to have to get the appropriate speedometer gear for a 4.11 (4.10) and 31 tires. I believe it is Part# 52067-636 (36 tooth gear) this should bring you close to the right speed.
Walt

jefferson1964 · June 2004

This is from the rumor mill. A friend of mine who has DC connections strongly suggested that a Rubicon version of the Unlimited would start to be produced later this year as an 05 model. No offical confirmation of course just hear say.....If i hear anything else i will let ya know......

Please let it be true, i will be ordering mine for sure......Im sure there has to be a demand for a rubi version of the unlimited. I hope the price is not to much, im thinking 26K-30K depending on an individual negotiation skills, LOL..... :-)

Update:
Ok was just emailed this web site. Scroll down to wrangler and you will see on far right last entry a build date for the Rubicon Unlimited.

*TJJS78 LWB Rubicon model has a Job #1 of 11/18/04

http://www.arifleet.com/production.html

drosketer · June 2004

From what I have seen elsewhere it does appear that there is a limiter, but for the most part not too many people hit it... ;-)
Now, I came across this information on another site, but have yet to actually find anything about it in the FSM. However, from other's experiences the limiter kicks in at 95 MPH if I remember correctly (it's been a while since I read about it) which appears to match your observations.

Andrew

drosketer · June 2004

Marcus, congrats on the purchase. Good call on getting it while the color you want is still available. I loved the Inca Gold (available in '03) but didn't purchase until this year when it was no longer available. Every time I see a gold one now I think - wow, I love that color, wish I had bought!! Ah well, no complaints with the silver though - hides the scratches pretty well. ;-)

Jefferson, a Rubi Unlimited would be pretty cool. I've seen a lifted Unlimited on 33's and it looks pretty sweet... One thing I hope they do is redesign the "shovel" - aka the stock tranny skid. If there is a low point in the Rubi design, that's it... but the lockers are pretty awesome.

It's now been close to 7 months since I got my Buffy and I still can't believe how much I love the ride. Am signed up for the Jamboree in August and am slowly putting some things together (engine and steering skids, as well as a CB). Really looking forward to it.

Andrew

jefferson1964 · June 2004

Which Jeep Jamboree ya heading to in August. My wife and I are thinking of going to the Jamboree in Ouray, Co. in August or maybe waiting until September for the Red River, NM Jamboree. I attended the Palo Duro, Jamboree this year and had a great time. Im hooked, it was so much fun and to be able to eat lunch out on the trail was cool. At Palo Duro we actually camped in the Canyon with our Jeeps. I will definitely be attending this one again. Oh and have a CB its how everyone in the group communicates. It was kinda funny on the first day no one talked to much except the trail leader. On the second day after everyone felt a little comaraderee everyone was on the CB. Jeff

tsjay · June 2004

Peeps, assuming I get through this day without smoking (you can bet on it that I will), I will have been quit for six months!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeehawwwwwwwwwww!!!!!

Now, I need to get rid of the extra 7 lbs I am packing around, all of which are right in the old bread basket. I was overweight anyway, but the extra pounds really show up, cause they seem to be all in one place, like I said... the old belly.

Thanks to all of you guys who supported me in the early days of my quit. It meant more than you probably realize.

There are programs you can download for free that calculate your statistics for you when you quit smoking. They are set up to paste the data into your clipboard on your puter, so it is easy to include them in a post on a website. Here are my stats:

I have been quit for 5 Months, 4 Weeks, 1 Day, 7 hours and 43 minutes (181 days). I have saved $679.95 by not smoking 5,439 cigarettes. I have saved 2 Weeks, 4 Days, 21 hours and 15 minutes of my life.

Just wanted to share this six month milestone with my Jeep Buds in here.

Everyone, have yourselves a great day, and POST!

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay · June 2004

Jeep Buds, I have decided that my current little 2" lift and 31 x 10.50 tires are what I am gonna stay with for a good while. I added a front LockRight locker, and now, being locked front and back (Detroit Soft Locker in back), I get around Turkey Bay real well.

As I type this, I get the feeling that I have posted a similar message before, so forgive me, if I have. (You just have to humor old people sometimes.)

If I go to a higher lift, then I would have to do a transfer case drop to correct the driveline angle, and I would almost certainly want to regear for the bigger tires that would go with the higher lift. If I did regear, I would have to replace my Detroit Soft Locker, since I am almost right at the carrier break. I just don't think it would be worth it.

I have seen good old Thelma Jane go through places more easily than did the guys with the bigger lifts and bigger tires. There's a lot to be said for the lower center of gravity the smaller lift gives you. Thelma Jane is much more stable in off camber situations than those Jeeps with the big lifts.

Well, gotta eat breakfast and finish getting ready for work. C you guys later.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay · June 2004

Just wondering about ya, dude. You have been awful quiet lately (but so has everyone else).

You OK?

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

twylie · June 2004

CONGRATS. I know we're all pleased that you've kept away from the smokes! $680... hmmmmm, I'm sure you can think of some ways to use the money!

-twylie

tsjay · June 2004

Yep. I have had no problem finding ways to spend that money.

So far, those UGLY corner panels, a LockRight locker for the front differential, a hooded sweatshirt with the Jeep smiley on it, and I STILL have a balance after all of that. Gonna probably have Thelma Jane rhino lined.

Bought a set of 31 x 10.50 BFG Mud Terrains, but that was just to replace the ones I already had, so that doesn't count (does it?).

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

scmhockey · June 2004

Now I'm not a smoker, but I hear its a real tough habit to break. Keep it up!

twylie · June 2004

how many miles did you get out of your tires? I'm guessing they woudl have been fine for street use, but not enough tread for the wheeling you do. I'm considering a set of BFG AT's for daily use and a dedicated set of rims/tires for offroad trips.

How is the front locker? Any drivability issues? Did you have to remove or replace your carrier with that install?

-twylie

dchristo1 · June 2004

Tom,

How's running a 3.73 dana 44 rear and 31's been for you? I'm looking at regearing from 3.07 but I am currently leaning to just swaping out the whole rear to a new dana 44 with 3.73 gears and regearing the front dana 30.

With the 31" tires I have on I would like to be able to use 5th gear and have a lower crawl speed than 50mph! : )

I priced out the conversion of the existing dana 35 and with new carrier and all it was about $800.00 per axle while a new 44 with axles is about $1,300.00.

Congrat's on the smoking issue.

David

wheelsdown · June 2004

yes! Yes! Yes! Tom, this is a real milestone. In my opinion, (and I have been there) you have turned the corner. Good, good, good. Just don't ever let up.

Terry

tsjay · June 2004

Does that $800 for the super 35 include a locker of some kind? Does that price include regearing also? Tell me what exactly you get for the $800.

The 3.73 gearing with the 31" tires is OK, but I would prefer 4.10 gearing. The Rubicons come out with 4.10 gearing and 31" tires, you know.

David, I really think that for the type of wheelin' you and I are likely to ever be doing, the super 35 would be strong enough.

If I could get a locker and 4.10 gearing with the super 35 for less money than getting a Dana 44 with no locker and 3.73 gearing, then I would go with the super 35.

Tell me more about the super 35 deal you were offered.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay · June 2004

Thanks for the kind words about my quitting smoking.

Terry, you were a real big help when I was struggling so bad early on. You told me to call you if I ever needed to talk, and I did. That call helped me a lot.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay · June 2004

You do know that I owned both the BFG AT's and the BFG Muds??? I traded in the AT's for the Muds when I had only 6K miles on the AT's.

The AT's are a fine tire, and they have a reputation for giving LOTS of highway miles, assuming they are rotated and kept balanced. They just were not aggressive enough for the type of wheelin' I do.

The BFG Muds are a great offroad tire, and they are not bad at all on the street. They will not have the tread life that the ATs will have.

I didn't wear out the tread on my BFG Muds, but I did ruin the sidewalls. If I could have found a couple used BFG Muds in the 31 x 10.50 size, I would not have bought a whole new set this year.

I had good tread life left after 29K miles. If I had not sliced the sidewall on one tire and put such a deep gouge in another one that I didn't trust it, I would have run that set of tires quite a bit longer.

The front locker is a GREAT mod! I love it, Trey! It doesn't mess up my manueverability on the trails at all. I think I would have been in a situation by now that would tell me if I had given up much manueverability. I highly recommend the LockRight up front.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay · June 2004

I told you that the LockRight didn't mess anything up, but I didn't tell you what it DOES DO: it makes a WORLD of difference in your traction! You will be very happy with what it does for you on the trails.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mtngal · June 2004

Hey, Tom - Congrats on the 6 month milestone - as long as you don't lose your head and think you can try just one, you'll be fine. It is certainly easier after 6 months (at least it was for me).

My other half has new car fever, so we are thinking more seriously about the Unlimited. I wonder how many miles I can put on the Taco before it dies forever?

aparent · June 2004

Andrew, thanks for the info. I also heard it was so the gearing would not turn too fast. Oh well.

thanks,
Al

aparent · June 2004

Hello everyone, I was reading alot about increased power with say a K&N intake system and a cat back. I was reading some posts here that say it does nothing. How do I get some power out of this thing. By the way I have an 03 Rubicon and I love it. I want to start building on it and more power was my first objective. I am going to the camp jeep in CA in august and am looking forward to it.

Thanks,
Al

tsjay · June 2004

See if you can find a Jeep with the same equipment as yours that you can drive, and see how much power it has. Maybe there is something wrong with your particular Jeep. I can't believe that you would be so dissatisfied with your power, unless there was really something wrong with your Jeep.

Jeeps are certainly not hot rods, but they have adequate power for their intended use, when you get the 4.0 L engine.

You might consider regearing instead of messing with the engine. That would boost your acceleration, but it could limit your top end speed, of course.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay · June 2004

Hey, are you in fifth gear when you say you bog down? I'm assuming you have a five speed. Try downshifting to fourth gear and see how your power is then. If you have an auto, lock out OD and see how the power is then.

That overdrive (fifth gear with the five speed and fourth gear with the auto) is for level ground cruising, not for accelerating or climbing hills.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

drosketer · July 2004

The Rocky Mountain House up here in Alberta. I have heard a lot about the experience and can't wait... still have another month to go. The CB is a requirement here, and it's mostly in. Just need to run the wire to the battery and get one of the connectors redone on the cable. Figure that next year I will likely head to the Apex on in BC... more rocky terrain apparently - should be good for the Rubi!

Andrew

drosketer · July 2004

Al, not sure why you need more power, or if this is in relation to older Jeeps. I do know that there have been a number of discussions out there that Rubis tend to feel underpowered (actually any of '03+ models). A friend of mine owns a '99 Sport (with Dana44 and 30" tires) and I can attest that it feels far peppier than my Buffy... I think that the consensus has been that the Rubi, apart from being a few hundred pounds heavier in stock form, also has more stringent environmental considerations to contend with - there are two precats on there... Regardless, I find that the power is more than sufficient for intended use. It's not a performance vehicle, well, unless by performance you mean offroad prowess! ;-)

As for "cures" - a number have been mentioned: installing a cat back, reprogramming the ecu (just keep in mind that this will void your warranty), adding throttle body spacers, cold-air intakes. Not sure how much of it I believe, but then I am okay with what I have...

Andrew

Jeep Wrangler

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