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The good thing about the half doors is that they provide a better height for an elbow rest. But I would only consider them if I were going to replace the windows with aftermarket sliders, and that's an extra expense etc. It's much easier to just get the full doors, and what I would have done if it had been an option (the Unlimiteds only come with full doors and the Sport we have came with a hard top and full doors).
You are on the right track, so stop worrying. You will LOVE your Jeep! Don't listen to those guys who are saying you are crazy. Well, maybe you have to be a little crazy to have a Jeep, though, come to think of it. They sure are FUN for us crazy people!
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
On Tom's comment, I bet there are very few of us who would have Jeeps now if we'd listened to all those people who told us we were crazy. The funny part is that sooner or later most of the people who told me that confide that they have always wanted a Jeep.
Roady 2
Roady 2
This install includes a PIE adaptor that plugs into the CD changer controls, a permanent power supply mounted behind the glove box and the satellite antennae in the roll bar.
To Keats: Pleasant surprise to hear people talking about sat radio here. Lemme know if you need any info on that. I work for x m and am designing a new radio right now as I speak
3.73 is the way you want to go at least. There are no MAJOR hills in Florida, so you'd be fine. If you plan on long highway drives and have large tires, 4.10 gearing may be better (like that found in a Rubi).
As for auto/manual, depends on your preference. If you drive in a lot of stop/go traffic, you'll probably want an auto, but I LOVE manuals.
My Jeep is fitted with XM running through an Alpine CDA9827 head unit. Mtngal has the integrated XM tuner with hers. All of my vehicles have XM. When I offroad and the trees block XM (like at Turkey Bay in the SUMMER), I have an iPod interface running through the head unit to my iPod. Who needs FM except those looking for auto dealerships!
I can get some pics of the setup if you want me to, but here is how my Jeep is set up with half doors for the summer (until I take em off completely).
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-Paul
Hey, get whichever tranny you think would better fit your needs. A Jeep doesn't "have" to be a stick. I think you will find just about as many autos as sticks in Jeeps.
If you think learning to drive a stick and having a stick shift Jeep would be something you would enjoy, then go for it. It's not hard to learn how to drive a stick, and especially with a Jeep. Jeeps with the 4.0 L have enough idle speed torque to allow you to be a little slow in giving it gas as you take off and still not stall. As a matter of fact, you can take off from a dead stop without even using the gas pedal, if you come out slowly enough with the clutch.
If you think the city driving would have you shifting too much, then go with the auto.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
3.73 and manual it is. I still would prefer half doors ( your jeep looks good with them erickpl ) but I wouldn't stress on it if the dealer dosent have them. As you all said, I can always take the door off ! Erickpl, I am guessing that stuff on your jeep is aftermarket ( the rear shades and all ) which I can get once I buy my jeep?
the shifting pattern on the 6 speed manual is really easy to work, it really seems to just drop right into the next gear. I learned in a 72 VW Bug, I think a jeep would be an easy vehicle to learn in.
its just a matter of preference. drive both, see what you like better.
jts
Harlan
I just got a 04 Wrangler Sport! Its freakin awesome!! I will be the first to admit I dont know much about Off Roading. But im willing and wanting to learn all i can!
What would yall recommend doing to make it sound more "MEAN", I have the inline6 so it doesnt have the kick i had in my camaro I had, How can I make it sound better?
Thanks.
Fortunately, DC listened to their customers and went back to black flares. They made black tops available again also.
This happened sometime in December.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Welcome, and congrats on that new Jeep!
Hey, if you live within a reasonable drive, I would be glad to take you out on the trails at Turkey Bay, where I do most of my wheelin'. I love seeing folks learning what incredible things their Jeeps will do. It blew my mind the first time I went off road with my bone stock Jeep (stock except that I had put 31 x 10.50 BFG All Terrain tires on it), when I followed my guide and actually made it through some places that I would have never dreamed a Jeep would negotiate.
You can check out my website about wheelin' at ...
http://home.earthlink.net/~tsjay49/
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
You gave me some great pointers as well as steered me away from some potential no-no's when Wheelin'...Great site id recommend it to everyone just starting out or living in KY area for some crazy trails.
http://home.earthlink.net/~tsjay49/
I am looking for some good sites to look for some new 31-35'' wheels/tires.
Any suggestions?
Get yourself a Quadratec catalogue. You can go to their website and request one.
Even if you buy elsewhere, they have a great catalogue to show you what's available.
Where do you live? Is a trip to Turkey Bay out of the question?
Go slow on your mods, now demon. Take time to learn how everything relates to something else, and see what altering one thing means that you have to do somewhere else to compensate.
For example, you can put 31" tires on a stock Jeep, but for tires larger than that, a lift is required. The bigger the tire, the more lift that is needed. Once a Jeep is lifted beyond a couple inches, then you have to worry about driveline angle correction. Also, depending on your current gearing, you will most likely want to regear your front and rear axles for tires bigger than 31". Another consideration is whether you have the Dana 44 or the Dana 35 rear axle. The Dana 35 limits you on tire size and on the use of a locker.
You have a lot to learn, my friend, before you start investing in mods. If you don't do your homework, you can spend a lot of money, only to find that you need to replace some things that you have already done.
You sound like you want to get into " wheelin' ,' and the mods you would want depend on the type of terrain you will be running. Rock crawling requires different set-ups than those that would be optimal for wheelin' where mud and loose soil are the norm.
Feel free to bounce things off of us here in this forum before you buy something.
Do you know which rear axle you have? Dana 35? Dana 44? Do you know your gearing?
You can go to Jeep.com and request a build sheet to see how your Jeep was equipped from the factory. This sheet will give you more details about your Jeep than you could ever need. You simply find your way to "customer service" and "contact Jeep." A form will pop up, and you fill it out. In the top section, where you tell them why you are contacting them, tell them you would like to have a factory build sheet. You will need to know the last eight characters in you VIN. They are VERY good about getting back to you quickly. I have seen a guy get his build sheet in half an hour, but he made his request during normal working hours.
To find out quickly if you have the Dana 44, look at the differential housing, and if it looks like a pumpkin and is symmetrical on the vertical axis, it is the Dana 35. If the housing is taller on the left side, making the housing sort of the shape of a pear laid on its side, with the big end to the left, then you have the Dana 44. Also, the drain plug is rubber on a 35 and is metal on a 44.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
We first got a Roady after a long trip where we had problems picking up stations. It was installed in a Taco with a cassette deck. When we got the Unlimited (without a cassette deck) I got really tired of getting static from FM stations (Los Angeles has stations on every possible frequency it seems, certainly the ones used by the FM modulator that came with the Roady), so rather than get a PIE adaptor and hooking it into the back of the stock radio, we went the integrated Alpine head route (I couldn't figure out a good place to put the tuner). My Roady is now hooked up to a Bose radio at my office and provides me endless hours of awesome music to work by. If anyone is thinking about it - it's wonderful!
I agree with others that the tranny is a personal choice. Our '98 Sport is a 5 speed and our '04 Unlimited is an auto. While there are times I miss the 5 speed, my back is much happier with the auto. I won't go back to the manual now (though they certainly can be fun). The clutch on the Wrangler is heavy duty and does require a little more effort than sports cars, but it is certainly lighter than a Chevy pickup I once owned (it was a "3 on the tree" configuration - do they still make them?).
If I were driving in town with lots of stop signs and traffic lights or stop and go traffic, I would definitely get an automatic. If I were driving lots of slow-n-go traffic I'd actually like a manual - put it in 2nd gear and creep along without using your brakes. A manual is better going down steep slopes - I find I use the brakes more going downhill with the automatic. We were off-roading once and I ended up using 4 low because I found myself riding the brakes too much, even though I had shifted to 1st gear with the auto. A manual's 1st gear has more engine braking power. So take a look at what type of conditions you'll be facing most of the time when you are making your choice of trannys.
Actually they make very little difference. Virtually all the braking load is carried by the front brakes. Discs appear easier to wash mud from, but the shoes for the hand brake, which are inside small drums inside the rear of the discs, are harder to clean than a conventional drum.
Not a 'must have' unless it enables you also have some other option.
Has any one been to Camp Jeep on the Road? I have signed up for one and was wondering what to expect.
Thanks
Laura
mtngal - hard wired is the way to go. FM or cassette dosent let you realise the full potential of the radio. Even better is optical out. Much much more clear sound.
Just to cover all bases, everything I've read says that the windows have to be clean before storing. So I always try to wipe them down with a damp rag -- left to right, not up and down -- before packing.
Then there's the order of storage. Rear window on bottom, quarter windows on top.
There's also a direction on the roll up paper work about whether you roll the rear cross bar into the center of the roll, or the outside (if that makes sense). Gravity would suggest rolling it to the center, but if I read the instructions right it says to place the bar towards the closed end of the felt divider. Then roll the windows and felt from the open end. And do not roll tightly -- the straps could be the problem.
Sorry it's not working out for you, John. I feel bad since I'm one of the guys who championed the clover patch window roll.
-Mike
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
My thinking is that a guy slicing my top, or jimmying my glove box, or leaning over the door, is more noticeable than the guy who just has to open to door, or open the glove box. So unless I'm parked in the sticks, I figure the thief doesn't want to go to the extra trouble and run the risk of getting caught.
Put another way, if my locked Jeep is parked next to your unlocked Jeep, guess who's losing their stuff.
:surprise:
-Mike
Probably you since an unlocked Jeep likely has nothing of value in it!
tidester, host
Mine's locked when the hardtop is on, but it's still probably you as there's no 'stuff' in mine to take, and the glovebox and console lid are open to demonstrate the fact.
:P
I thought everyone was making the case that they left their consoles unlocked so if they got their stuff stolen, at least the Jeep wouldn't be damaged. I'm just making the opposite case that there's an inherent value in being able to use the glove box, console, and add-a-trunk that I paid good money for and take things with me. If I get robbed, well, that's why God made insurance. And really, the odds are against it. More often than not people throw litter in my Wrangler; not steal stuff out of it.
But now I'm getting flamed?! Funny icons don't take away the hurt...
-Mike
Seriously, though, I keep my vehicle locked even if I'm only going to be just a few feet away from it and only for a few minutes! Old habits are very hard to break.
tidester, host
I was a little ancy after reading all these blogs so i had to go off road a little before i hit the hay, a stock jeep can handle a WHOLE LOT without any addons or crazy mods!
Tom: Live in Dallas, Tx area or id come check out your trails in KY, sounds great...but also i am moving in two weeks...To Washinton state!! Get ready for some sweet trails and Wheelin now huh!
Also i requested the Quadratec cataloge...cool! looking forward to that every month.
HAS ANYONE PUT ANY MODS UNDER THE HOOD? INTAKE, AIRFLOW-SNORKEL, EXHAUST EVEN?.......
Sounds like you are planning on running 35" tires?
Just be sure you know what you are getting into. Not saying you shouldn't go that high, but you need to know about all that goes with such a big lift and about the potential problems.
Since it's a Rubi, you won't need the slip yoke eliminator, but you WILL need a new, longer driveshaft. You will need adjustable upper control arms in back in order to point your pinion shaft at the yoke of the transfer case. Trac bar relocation or adjustable trac bars will definitely be needed.
Lots of folks would say that 35" tires are big enough that a steering system upgrade is needed.
You will see a BIG drop in acceleration, unless you re-gear. At least you are starting at 4.10, since you have a Rubi, but even 4.10's are pretty weak with 35" tires. You would want either 4.56 or 4.88 for 35" tires, unless you can live with the loss of power.
A buddy of mine with an 04 Rubi put a lift on it, and it was only about a 4" lift. He has "death wobble" and cannot get rid of it. A lift messes with the steering geometry, and this can cause weird and dangerous things to happen. When my bud hits a bump, death wobble is often the result. This is where the front wheels turn back and forth on their own, and the steering wheel is almost jerked right out of your hands.
Lots to think about, huh? Unless you are a suspension expert, I would definitely take it to a good 4 x 4 shop for the installation.
Good luck.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Still pondering an Unlimited purchase and since it would be my daily driver, now gas consumption has become a consideration for me - would love to get at least 300 miles b/w fill-ups if possible.
My commute is easy as I live in one small town and work in another - max 55mph for about a minute, then its 30 - 45 mph the rest for a total of about 15 miles one way...
I think you could count on a minimum of 15 or 16 MPG and a maximum of 18 to 19 MPG with the type of driving you described. Driving style has MUCH to do with your MPG. For example, adjusting your speed to avoid having to come to a stop at the next intersection makes your brakes last longer and saves on gas. No sense staying on the gas until the last split second and then jamming on the brakes, like a lot of people do. (One of my pet peeves.)
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
demon, under the hood, there really isn't TOO much you can do. A snorkel will get you cleaner air from higher up, but if you want to use it for water crossings, you really need to waterproof your electricals. Dry air w/o water won't do a thing if your wiring is soaked under muddy water. Air intakes MIGHT provide a little cooler air, but that is about it. K&N filters are generally a bad idea for offroad vehicles unless you really like dirt in your air intakes by your throttle body. Throttle body spacers won't really help a fuel-injected engine too much.
Probably the best thing you can do to get more power to the wheels is to regear, especially if you have 3.07 or 3.73 gearing with larger tires.
As for Camp Jeep on the road, I went to the first Camp Jeep CA last year in 2004. So did mtngal. We finally got to meet! I have some pics at the above link under .... drum roll... Camp Jeep! The On the Road version may be a bit scaled back and may not have the trail rides, but it was a blast. The food, the entertainment, the vendors (loved Warren Miller's tent!), the exhibits and historical Jeeps, the activity stuff, and of course, the TRAIL RIDES! were truly a wonderful experience that brings smiles to my face just thinking about it. Take the family and enjoy it!
-Paul
If I lived closer to Penn. I'd love to go to the Camp Jeep they are having there. Because they won't have all the extras there are at the real Camp Jeeps (trail rides, Corporate people to talk to and camping surrounded by other Jeep owners at the event campground) I probably won't go to the one in San Diego. But if someone were to twist my arm...
They are Jeeperman Trail Skidz
I absolutely love them.
link title
I paid $143 with shipping ($135 manual pulley system hoist + $8 shipping). This system uses seatbelt-material slings to hold the top. I've seen another one from LangeOriginals.com called Hoist-a-Top. They're a metal frame contraption available with free shipping through today 5/18 from JCWhitney.com except for me, they don't carry the model for the larger Unlimited hard top. The Hoist-a-top is closer to $200 and uses a come-along for their basic hoist mechanism with upgrade available to get a winch. Of course, Hoist-a-top says their's is better but I rather liked the simplicity of Removabletops.com...also, figured my wife won't complain as much for spending under $150 versus closer or over $200. :surprise:
Be sure and how you like when you get it setup, and tried a few times!
Thanks for the info!!!
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i'm new to the forum, and i'm sure these types of topics have been discussed here before, but a search of the forum turned up nothing. i'm wondering if anyone has advice on the best way to patch up a soft top. mine is in pretty good shape, but has a few small holes in it that will be a worry as the summer rains come. the pokes are very small, but i want it to be water tight and durable. any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks.