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Jeep Wrangler

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  • wheelsdownwheelsdown Member Posts: 250
    The only good thing to come from this is I finally memorized my password assigned by Edmunds.

    Terry
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Way to go!

    I know it's a pain. Some browsers and helper programs will remember your password and enter it into the sign on forms for you automatically.

    tidester, host
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    Hi, Scott! Good to hear from you again, and to find out that everything in your area is fine. There's all kinds of new Wranglers out there!

    Steve - thanks for letting us know what is going on.

    Terry - I think there's a way to change your password to something easier to remember. I don't remember how I did it, but I know that mine is one that I set, rather than one they assigned.

    I dropped off my coupon this afternoon and the dealership had a 2005 Grand Cherokee in their showroom. I still think it is one nice vehicle, but I'm not so keen about the exterior styling as I was before. I do think it's wonderful inside. Also noticed that the Hemi engine is rated at 19 for highway - I thought it was 20 (not that 1 mpg means much). Of course, the dealership had a huge mark-up on the window and I wonder if it will sell at that price - too much competition.

    I wonder what kind of gift I should get for GiGi if they do honor the coupon - maybe put in an XM radio head and tuner? The 7 speaker package is fine for me, so I'm not planning on upgrading the speakers (I'm not an audiophile). Definitely some type of car washing kit - I'm so used to using car washes and it has been years since I actually washed one myself.
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Not you, Harriet, I used an "i," not an "e." :)

    I think you should get a winch. Even though you don't do more than "mild" wheelin', you never know when a winch might come in handy, either for yourself or to help someone else.

    And... a nice looking winch really looks natural on the front of a Jeep. A winch makes a Jeep look "Jeepier." I see pics of Thelma Jane before she got her winch, and I think, "Whoa! What's wrong with this picture?"

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?

    P.S. Oh, you will need at least double that $500 for a good winch, mounting plate, and accessory kit. I got mine from Bob Supplee Enterprises for $1150 delivered. That was a Warn 9.5 Ti, Warn mounting plate, and a Warn accessory kit.
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    I'm sort of in a quandry about these types of things. If I get a winch I really should put it on the Black Steed, which will be getting most of the off-roading time. However, when we picked up GiGi, my husband took a close look at a Rubicon they had on the lot and he announced that would be NBS's replacement. Of course, that is at least one or 2 years out and a whole bunch can change before then, but it did start me thinking about what kind of toys I should get for which vehicle.

    By the way, when I mentioned that you had suggested a winch, he asked me why he needed one - he already had one. Is this a case of "Great minds think alike?"
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Fitting a winch isn't high tech, though it does require some muscle to lift it, so why not fit one to the older Jeep then transfer it to the new old when it's time for the old one to go?
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    I might get a winch later on but not right now. We stopped at a car stereo today on our way to Costco and discovered that Alpine has a radio head that includes the XM tuner, so you no longer need to find a place for the tuner or use a Roady. Guess what I'll be getting around the end of the month...
  • koolbreeze2koolbreeze2 Member Posts: 252
    Tom. Well I finally picked up the Red Freedom Edition. Mass. dealership drove her down and we did the transfer at the Connecticut DMV. All went well. The salesperson drove it (20 year old young woman) who knew more about Jeeps than any other salesperson I came into contact with. All went well and "Rosie" is outside waiting to do a little backroad fishin. Sebring is history!!!! Go Easy, John
  • jeff62301jeff62301 Member Posts: 310
    Congrat's!!!

    man there have been a lot of new jeeps bought by people on this message board in the last month. I'm still not so sure that Tom isn't on the payroll with Jeep, he's more convincing than any of the sales people I talked with.

    jts

    have fun!!
  • mtngalmtngal Member Posts: 1,911
    And Tom's a whole lot more knowledgeable than some of them.
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    John:

    CONGRATULATIONS!

    Yeeeeeeeeeeehawwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!

    We need pics!

    Hey, we want to hear all about your first impressions of that Jeep, so post, post, post.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Well, my Jeep Buddies, old Thelma Jane kinda had a rough time of it in Buttpucker Gulch today.

    I don't think I actually broke it in there, but my CB antenna fell off in BP Gulch, after breaking off at the base, where it threads into the connector.

    I made it through that toughest spot in BP Gulch, where the left rear wants to get down into that deep hole, making the right front want to get up in the air. But, the right rear slipped into a hole just after I made it through that place.

    In trying to climb out of that hole, I cut the sidewall of the right rear tire on a sharp rock (I guess). POP! There went a $140 tire!

    Also, as you can see in the picture, I crunched the right rear corner of the hard top into the side of the gulch. You can see the "white" showing, which means I scrubbed off the black paint, and I got down into the fiberglass.

    That right rear corner panel took some punishment, so I guess it earned its keep today. I STILL don't like the looks of them, though.

    image

    My spotter says he put me on the right line, but it was just so dusty and dry that the walls of the gully were slick (like they were coated with talcum powder).

    Oh well, if ya gonna play, ya gotta pay (sometimes). I had enough fun today to make up for the troubles I had.

    We had to use the winch to get Thelma out of BP Gulch.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Ah, if you're not breaking stuff you're not having enough fun.

    $140? That just covers the greens fee and cart rental at some country clubs. Where would you rather be? :-)

    Steve, Host
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    To add insult to injury, a lug stud snapped off when one of my Jeep Buds tried to loosen the nut to change the tire for me. :(

    Just not my day, I guess.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Annoying I agree, but not a high price to pay for a hobby.

    By the way, were you running your tires at a lower pressure?
  • ocean_shipperocean_shipper Member Posts: 70
    Could someone please explain the difference in the lockers vs the limited slip 4x4 system on the Rubicon vs. the Sport/Sahara/X wranglers? Also, what makes the Dana44 axle superior to others?

    Thanks for your input. A 4x4 newbie!
    Chuck
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    The Dana 44 has larger diameter axle shafts, the axle tube is made of thicker steel so that it will not deflect as easily, and I believe even the gears are stronger compared to the Dana 35.

    All of this is important if you are going to do more than light off-roading. There is a super, super good deal called the AAS package, if you get a Sport. This package gets you 30" tires, gas shocks, the really nice looking Ravine wheels, and THE DANA 44 REAR AXLE! It has to be the world's greatest bargain (It used to be only $850. Not sure about now.). You can trade-in those 30" GSA's and get some REAL tires.

    The Rubicon has SELECTABLE lockers, and those puppies are VERY expensive to buy after market. Selectable lockers are nice, since you can turn them off when driving on pavement. Lockers have some undesirable side effects on pavement, so being able to turn them off and on is a great feature.

    The rear Dana 44 on a Rubicon is limited slip, with a full locker too. When you turn off the locker, you still have limited slip back there. This is really the best of both worlds!

    A locker truly locks both sides of the differential, so that BOTH tires will turn, even if one is completely off the ground. This can be VERY important in off roading.

    A limited slip will make both tires turn, but you have to have at least a little bit of traction on each tire. If one is completely off the ground, the other side will not turn. You can "fool" the differential by applying some brake and gas at the same time. The brake makes the differential "think" that both tires have traction, because there is some resistance to turning.

    If you can afford it, and if you think there is even a slight chance you will get into off roading, then get the Rubi by all means! They are a tremendous bargain compared to buying a Sport and adding all the goodies that you get to start with on a Rubi.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Lockers: mac24 Sep 19, 2004 6:48pm
    Lots more in previous posts if you use the search.

    D44/35: The rear 44 has stronger axle shafts and a slightly larger R&P and housing. The tubes are the same as the 35. The front 44 (Rubi)is really a hybrid 44/30 and offers no real advantage.

    ABS is unavailable on the 44, though this may be about to change.
  • ocean_shipperocean_shipper Member Posts: 70
    Thanks Tom. I have been told the same thing: Buy a Rubicon and forget the aftermarket stuff. I have a house in the mountains of NC (live in northern VA) and I used to do off roading with an old CJ-7 with having to "lock the hubs". I wondered what the difference was. I think I have a better understanding now!

    Chuck
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    "The Dana 44 has larger diameter axle shafts, the axle tube is made of thicker steel so that it will not deflect as easily..........."

    Tom, I'm afraid that this a myth. The D35 and D44 tubes are the same. It appears to have been started by the same people that say the D35 will explode if you look at it wrong!

    image
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    I stand corrected on the tube. Thanks, Old Mac!

    I still say that if a person can live without anti-lock brakes, why in the world NOT get the stronger of the two rear axles?

    I am SO glad that I learned about the advantage of the Dana 44 before ordering Thelma Jane! I know that even a 44 can be broken, and I know that a lot of the broken 35's are the results of driver stupidity. Still, there is no denying that the 44 is quite a bit stronger than the 35.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    "I know that even a 44 can be broken, and I know that a lot of the broken 35's are the results of driver stupidity. Still, there is no denying that the 44 is quite a bit stronger than the 35."

    Agreed, on all three points!
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Just noticed your post asking if I was aired down when I cut the sidewall.

    No, I wasn't. I run 28 psi on the street, and I am not in the habit of airing down for wheelin' at Turkey Bay. It's partly laziness. They have free air at TB, so I could air back up at the end of the day.

    Most of the guys I wheel with do air down.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Ok, I'm not saying that it would have made a difference in that particular case, but why not try airing down (to say 12psi) next time to compare the difference in traction.

    Don't forget, it took a long time before you became a believer in running disconnected.......... it's about time you had another eye opener!

    ;--)
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Well, Mac, I aired down that one particular tire! Very rapidly. :)

    I have aired down a time or two at TB, and I really couldn't tell any difference. It all depends on the situation, I'm sure, and maybe I was getting some benefit from being aired down that I didn't even notice.

    I agree with the concept of airing down, just too lazy to do it most of the time.

    There are disadvantages to airing down, too. I have seen guys pop their beads in BP Gulch due to being aired down.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    They have a compressor in a small building at TB, and they have just a pipe with a female quick disconnect fitting sticking out through the wall. To air your tires up, you have to go borrow the air hose at the entrance shack, or you have your own hose with you.

    I made-up my own hose with the proper fitting on it, so, you see, I was preparing to air down sometime. :)

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • koolbreeze2koolbreeze2 Member Posts: 252
    First impressions are great. This is the newest Jeep I have ever owned.Ample acceleration, good on the highway, corners like a Jeep (keeps you awake), has more luxury than I'm used to in a Jeep, and quieter than I expected. The little arrow that recommends that you shift is interesting. It must be for better milage. I like to wind it up a little more than the arrow suggests. Have to read the manuel. Tire noise not bad and very little noise from the hardtop. It has the sounds I am accustomed to when in neutral. Took it out in a good down pour. I had read many emails concerning poor handling in the rain. You just have to pay attention and remember that your not driving a car. Off road this week with a friend and hopefully some tailgate fishing on the Connecticut River. Looks like you have some work to do-Good Luck, John
  • gman1259gman1259 Member Posts: 209
    Tom,

    Since you are going to have your top painted why not have them through a little white paint on those panels? I think they will blend right into the rest of the body.
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    I will probably just rattle can the top to cover the areas that are white right now. No sense having a proper job done on that top, cause it will probably happen again.

    Someday, I will probably paint those panels white. I have gotten more used to them, but I know they would look much better white.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    So glad you are enjoying that Jeep! I knew you would love it.

    Good luck on your fishing trip.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • twylietwylie Member Posts: 619
    I'm a big believer in airing down offroad. I usually go down to 14 when offroading in rocks and V ditches. I went to 9psi on the outer banks of NC and rode around in 2WD most of the time.

    I have never lost a bead, but did have one situation where I had to try about 5 different lines over some rocks. While I was off-camber hard to the drivers side and uphill about 20 degrees, lost some air out of the drivers rear (a few gasps as I tugged forward, but it held). When I got through I checked it and was at 8psi; I aired back up to 14 and finished the day no problem.

    There are some inexpensive auto deflators that would make it easier to air down before you head out from your meeting place. I use a set of Staun deflators that are a bit more expensive, but work great and are fully auto - just thread them onto the stems while I'm disco'ing and in a few minutes, each tire is at 14psi.

    Since you have a good air source at TB, I'm with Mac in suggesting you air down to at most 15 and try some stuff you're familiar with, but know it can be a challenge. You've got Thelma outfitted (locked both ends) such that it may not seem needed, but the control and lack of need for wheelspin being aired down is great. Never spinning a tire = treading lightly :-) ! You may even find that some of those impossible situations (very dry or very wet) become doable with a better footprint from your tires. Physics and gravity are your friend. I've been in situations that I would have thought impossible for a tire to hold the side of a V ditch, but between gravity and leverage, it worked out.

    Sorry to hear about the tire and hard top damage, but I'd say you've done pretty well to have as many trips to Turkey Bay with only the minor battle scars and trail rash you do.

    -twylie
  • twylietwylie Member Posts: 619
    forgot to also mention your tires may be less likely to puncture at lower pressure.
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Thanks, Pal.

    Guess your trip to Turkey Bay just ain't ever gonna happen, is it? :(

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Tom, I thought you had an xd8000i winch? Did you upgrade? What did you do with the old one? Wanna sell it? :)

    mtngal, the Alpine CDA9280XM has been out for a while now. My current Alpine may soon be in my daughter's Honda, so the XM model will be in Kermit (Helps that the display is greenish vs the current blue - it matches better - but you can change display colors too). If you look at the XMradio site, they have an antenna that is about 1 inch wide and less than a half high. It'd fit great on top of your sound pods.

    -Paul
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Paul:

    The Warn 9.5Ti is the only winch I have ever had.

    You might be thinking of MikeA. Think he has the xd8000i on his Jeep.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • keatskeats Member Posts: 412
    Hey, mtngal,

    You are right about the PIE adapters for XM radio working with our factory CD players. You do need to purchase one additional adapter, called a 3.5 to RCA to run from the PIE adapter to the Roady. I'm going to try to order one today. The PIE adapter model is CHRY02-Aux.
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    When I rode with you, I could have SWORN you had the 8000i. Maybe the LA smog was clouding my brain. I'll have to fix that. :)

    -Paul
  • jeff62301jeff62301 Member Posts: 310
    i was a bit hesitant to say anything about putting a winch on my jeep, thought it might be considered a bit extreme for someone that will spend only a very limited time off road.

    but hey when i was stuck, I didn't like it!! and hated even worse having a chevy pull me out.

    so i did all reading i could, looked at all the manufacturers websites, came to the conclusion that the wound motors were recommended highly over a permanent magnet, and that WARN seemed to be the big dog when it comes to winches.

    I bought a magnum 9000 made by warn. (right at $500 including shipping)

    Then picked up a mount from Collins that is a knock off of the Warn Mount for less than 1/2 price.

    Neither the mount or the winch came with any method of mounting the solenoid pack. Here's my plan, let me know if there is a better way out there. I'm taking 2 large U bolts, bringing them up under the motor, using the straps to hold them to the motor, then attaching the solenoids to a couple more straps higher on the U bolts, just over the electrical connections.

    I have seen the metal bars coming up from the bottom of some mounts, with the solenoids mounted above the winch, but its on now, and I don't really want to take it back off, nor do I really want the solenoids sticking up that high.

    jeff

    hoping for lots of snow, and lots of girls stuck in the ditches this winter.
  • zukeeperzukeeper Member Posts: 9
    Jeff, your solenoid mount sounds fine to me, my Ramsey winch came with a large screw clamp (hose clamp) for mounting the solenoid pack to the motor. However, I couldn't find it when I moved the winch from my Trooper to my Jeep so I used a large stainless steel sanitary pipe clamp to mount the pack. On the Trooper it had been bolted to the front valance panel behind the bumper. I considered mounting it inside the winch mount bumper (Olympic) on the Jeep, but lack of accessibility for plugging in the controller killed that idea.

    If you go offroad with a group, you'll find that your winch will most likely be used to extract someone else, but then that builds points with your buddies, don't it?
  • zukeeperzukeeper Member Posts: 9
    All you Jeep guys (and gals) with winches, let's hear your winch stories! Whether it's self-extraction or getting some poor unfortunate unstuck, I'd like to hear about it.

    I've pulled two stuck cars out of yards (my sister's Camry and and friend's Corsica), pulled a Chevy pickup out of a small creek after an ice storm and helped extract several 4x4's during our clubs trail rides.

    The best one, though, occurred when the winch was mounted on the Trooper, but I'll relate it anyway. A K5 Blazer turned over in a washout during a night trail ride (no injuries, fortunately), the driver wasn't paying attention to the trail. We went back the next morning with my Trooper, a Bronco, and a Scout. The Blazer was completely on its top, the tires barely stuck out above ground level. After tying the Trooper and Bronco off to trees and using snatch blocks to get the proper pull angle, we rolled the Blazer onto its wheels on the side of the washout then pulled it up the bank onto the trail.

    So far, that's the hardest pull that my winch has been subjected to. It's amazing how much a steel cable can stretch when under load.
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Kent:

    I don't have any dramatic "rescues" to talk about, whether self-rescue or otherwise. My winch has been used NUMEROUS times to get me out of some bad places and to help others.

    I don't see how I got along without a winch so long. I got mine after I had been wheelin' for a year.

    I'm still on my original cable, but I think I might go synthetic when it is time to replace it.

    Thanks for sharing your story. Do you have some pics of your Jeep? Any pics from your wheelin' adventures?

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    I use a 9000lb hydraulic winch (it runs from the steering pump), with a 3/8" cable which doesn't noticeably stretch, even under a 18000lb load.

    Don't forget that the winch doesn't have to be used for vehicle recovery only. Mine has recently been working hard removing downed and damaged trees after the recent storms. It's also been used for pulling cars on and off trailers, removing engines, repositioning machinery etc., etc.

    Not only that, but it saves my puny D35 from exploding on a regular basis!

    :--)
  • zukeeperzukeeper Member Posts: 9
    I haven't set up a homepage so I don't have any pics available. Also, I was the cameraman for the club so I'm not in the majority of videos that I shot.

    Is there someplace that I could upload some pix so that they could be linked to the forum? I have some shots of the day I brought my Jeep home (bone stock) and some shots after each addition and modification.
  • wheelsdownwheelsdown Member Posts: 250
    "Not only that, but it saves my puny D35 from exploding on a regular basis!":--)

    LOL! Good one mac.

    Terry
  • wheelsdownwheelsdown Member Posts: 250
    Yeah! Cookies seem to be back in business.

    Terry
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Your email is private, so just email me (mine is public in my profile), and I will put you onto a site that will host pics for ya.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Yes!! Finally!

    tidester, host
  • jeff62301jeff62301 Member Posts: 310
    these cookies couldn't be any better if they had chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
  • dave__dave__ Member Posts: 80
    I decided this past weekend that I had done enough research and was ready to place an order for a quantity of Jeep accessories. On Monday I called Quadratec and placed a pretty big order. Luckily I mentioned to my wife on Sunday night that I was going to do that and about how much I was going to spend because she got a call from the fraud department at Discover. Apparently, a large purchase of aftermarket auto stuff was out of character for us and in character for a credit card thief. I'm glad I told her ahead of time because otherwise it sounds like a plot line from "Everybody Loves Raymond".

    According to Quadratec and FedEx my receiver hitch/bike rack combo should be waiting for me at home right now. Any installation advice? It sounds like it should be pretty easy.

    Yours in Jeep Coolness,

    Dave
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    What all did you end up ordering??? We gotta know!

    -Paul
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