Keats. I knew someone would ask the size. Well, I am not willing to give up ANY acceleration with the dreaded 3.07 , so I went with the same size as the dreaded GSA's (225x15) They still look good even though they are not big. Its a gentlemans Jeep!! The steelies feel good and the tires a real improvement all the way around.Its like a different vehicle for handling and traction. Will have to wait for the snow to comment on snow traction. Interesting that JC Whitney or Quad. don't have black bezels. Will probably do what you recommend. What is Krylon black? The bezels are the last remaining chrome on Rosie except for the exotic center piece and the 5 chrome lugs on the Am. Racing rims. My friends hate it. No offence to anyone with lots of chrome on their Jeeps.Any Jeep is a pretty Jeep. I love chrome. I just got carried away with the Red and Black thing. It has taken on a life of its own. My Son-In-Law borrowed my digital camera so no pics yet. Can I take regular pics, have them scanned at Kinkos and send them somehow. I'm not a super computer person. I agree per 16 yr. olds driving a Jeep. An accedent waiting to happen. Honda Accord sounds good or an old straight 8 Packard. With that he will never get hurt. Go Easy, John
Hi Everybody. I have really enjoyed reading all of your posts for the past few months and want to thank you all for the entertainment as well as knowledge I have gleaned.
I pick up my short wheelbase 05 Rubicon from the dealer tomorrow. I owned a 97 Sport and regret selling it a few years ago. I got a great internet deal from a local dealer that I couldn't pass up. The dealer found it in the Ozarks of MO. and is trading one of their vehicles for it and bringing it 150 miles or so to IL in the morning tomorrow. (Figures, it doesn't rain for three weeks here prior and now the forecast calls for storms everyday this week.) I'm nervous but excited. This one has 6-speed, leather steering wheel, security grp, 6 disc in-dash cd changer and dual top.
Now my question, has anyone actually bought the steel half doors from quadratec for a 97 or later wrangler? Are there any issues with quality and fit? My dealer has agreed to paint and build them for me. The dealer is not terribly happy about how I'm getting the doors but they understand it is way cheaper than purchasing through them. (They have to order ever part separately.) Quadratec states these are unpainted unassembled Original Equipment Steel Doors. I have learned that the hinges and mirrors are the only parts that come with the kit from quadratec that are not really mopar parts. Thus my uneasiness. I only need to replace the interior panels to match the 05 color but I think the agate color from 02 will be close enough. I know there are cheaper alternatives like soft doors and plastic doors or no doors! but I love the half steel doors I used to own and want them again.
So can anyone share from experience? Anyone go this quadratec route or know someone that did and regrets it? Can anyone share a positive experience with these quadratec steel half doors? Thanks and... R O C K O N!
I'm confused. If I could pick up an Exhaust Manifold for $65, how on earth does the labor end up in the $600 range?? Is it really that labor intensive?? If that sound like a stupid question, keep in mind, I only know the basic car maintenance stuff.
For a manifold, which has to go through heat and cooling cycles, brazing is better than welding. A lot of welding shops can do it. I think has something to do with the material in brazing and its ability to withstand the expansion and contraction. Back many years ago I had a Corvair manifold brazed and it lasted for years.
It was great fun. Looking at late August early September for a TB trip. I'm going to hit the TRJP Big Blast in Mid August. The wife and kids had a great time as well, not one complaint about being out on the trails for 5+ hours. Here's a picture of my Unlimited on Sunday after the ride. If you look closely at the right front bumber you'll see that portion of the bumber is angled down, that's from the very fast tree last ran out in front of me Saturday. I guess that's why they call them bumpers.
What do you think of the Banks header? I'm probably going to purchase one as soon as I get back to the states. Any noticeable gain in horsepower? How much did you pay? Who did you order it from? -Chris
Personally, I hate my soft top. It's such an unbelieveable pain in the butt to take off, only marginally easier than my old CJ5. Usually when I do get it off it stays off for weeks while the Jeep sits in the garage. And you have to be so careful with it so as not to scratch the delicate windows. They have to be clean before you handle them or they will get scuffed up and go from transparent to opague. I bought my 97 Jeep in 2001 and the original top was coming apart in ribbons. Granted the previous owner didn't take the best care of it. They don't last in the southern sunshine. If you clean them weekly with a non-abrasive soap and keep them out of the sun, they will last. But the point is: soft tops are barely easier to remove than hard tops, but hard tops give you that one little advantage: you can leave your sunglasses in the cupholder and they will probably be there when you get back. You have no security with a soft top because all a thief has to do is unzip the back and he's in. Most will just slash the window, so now not only do they steal your sunglasses or CDs, but you get to pay $100-400 to replace whatever section they slashed. Hard tops last the life of the Jeep. A hard top is also quieter because it doesn't flap at high speeds. A hard top is a far better choice in my book, unless you don't have a place to store it when you take it off. If you want emergency protection from rain with the top in your garage, you can get a bikini top cheap. That will keep you surprisingly dry while driving in the rain, and it will shield your dash from most of the water. In closing: 1) soft tops offer no security, are a pain to remove, are noisy, wear out in 5 years. But the half doors are cool and you don't have to worry about where you're going to store it. 2) hard tops are easier than you think to remove, offer the security of a normal car, are less noisy, and will last indefinitely. But the full doors look stupid with the top off, and if you remove them you need to relocate your mirrors. And you need a place to store the top when it's off.
"I'm confused. If I could pick up an Exhaust Manifold for $65, how on earth does the labor end up in the $600 range?? Is it really that labor intensive??"
There are worse engines to change the manifold on than a Wrangler, since the engine bay is so roomy on a Jeep, but it's still labor intensive. Moreso if the bolts that hold it to the engine block have rusted. That said, I'm having problems getting a straight answer from a muffler shop about labor costs. Most want to sell you the manifold from their supplier, with an unknown markup and quality, and use that to hide part of the labor costs. I'm not disputing that a business should markup parts, that's sensible if they want to stay in business, but it makes it hard to get a straight answer on how much of the overall cost is strictly labor.
I wouldn't buy a $65 bottom-end manifold. OTOH I don't need a shiny pretty one and a 5 HP difference b/w one type and another is negligible. I just want one that won't crack again and is at least as free-flowing as the stock one. Most of all I just want them to weld the one that's on there right now back onto the collector where it's cracked since it looks fine up near the engine block. I've got an appt with a recommended shop at 930 this morning, I'll let you all know how it goes.
The arguments you make for soft tops is very valid, however, even convertibles like the BMW Z4 with a soft top suffer the same dilemma. A box knife will allow access. If you want security in a convertible, look at ones like the MB SLK350 with a retractable hard top.
The soft top is a pain. Nearly all manual soft tops involve some effort to get them down. I'd rather do it manually than see DC add some kind of motor version to it. For the flexibility of the Jeep's configurations (hard vs soft tops and half vs full doors), there is going to be a trade off.
When I initially got my 97 TJ, I thought I would want the full doors and a hard top. My friend had one like that and I liked the look and I liked the security. Problem is, the hard top is a bigger pain to take off and STORE than the soft top could ever hope to be. With a hard top, you cannot take it off while at work for the drive home. I love the half doors for driving - they provide a much better arm rest and they are very easy to see around when wheeling. In fact, they almost feel like there are no doors since the sill is so low.
Both doors are easy to remove - one just weighs more.
As far as security goes, again all soft top convertibles have that issue, not just Jeeps. I took precautions and installed Tuffy products for storing the stuff that I keep in the Jeep, like insurance and registration (and a few small electronics I use with the Jeep). I have a secure trunk that would require a bit of work to get into.
I will admit though, the first tops for the 97-2000? TJ's were thin and were lousy. Sailcloth is the ONLY way to go IMO. Quiet and durable. A bit heavier than the original top, but a LOT lighter than ANY hard top.
I fully agree with you about the soft windows too.
Would I still take full doors and a hard top? Probably, but only if I were to find them for a serious steal of a deal. But it is VERY low, read at the very bottom, of my list of things to do for my TJ.
It's all about how you want to look at it I guess. Taking the time to drop or pop the top and have the windows cleaned is a small price to pay for the flexibility and freedom the open Wrangler experience provides, at least to me.
KB2, I actually meant to say Krylon Fusion Black. Krylon fusion is a spray paint that bonds better with hard plastics. Chatting about it with you has me wanting to do this project as well...it looks very good on the Jeeps I've seen. Another idea is to buy the factory paint color and paint it to match your vehicle. That looks very cool also. And yes, Kinkos will scan pictures. They do everything. I want to see a close up of that starburst decal.
rp05, oh, man! I think Jeepers call that damage "carnage". Congratulations! It's like our good buddy, Rod Stewart says, "The first cut is the deepest". Looks like a good excuse to upgrade your bumper. Time to start shopping! You should probably get you a good a steering pump skid and rocker gaurds while you're at it. And then there is always the need for...
..it's funny that you guys are talking about this right now, because just last night, I took off the hard top on my Unlimited and put on the soft top for the first time. What a PAIN!
The video they give you to explain it makes it look SO EASY. Actually, the hard top removal wasn't that hard; however, if it weren't for my ability to find a Torx #40 at the hardware store, and the fact that my rachet set had an extension, there is NO WAY I could have gotten those screws out.
It took my wife and I well over two hours to get the soft top on. The "additional" instructions they give you for first-time soft top installation are terrible. The black and white photo illustrations were worthless. The video tape said we had snaps, but actually we had to use screws thru the soft top to attach it initially. The tension on the soft top was way more than the video shows. I could barely get the zippers closed when installing the windows, and getting the rear part of the soft top tucked in took massive amounts of force. I'm seriously hoping that by leaving the soft top on for about a week, it will stretch it out and make it easier to take off and back on. Does anyone know if that's the case? I don't know if I can handle taking 2 hours everytime to get it back on.
IF it is warmer.. cool nights can make the new fabric a bit tough to stretch out...
Here is the process I use. With you having to attach the soft top to the bows, there are a couple of extra steps, but once the hardware and top are attached to each other.
0. Attach front and back spreader bows to mounting points on sport cage.
1. Pull the top up so the front edge of it is near the windshield.
2. Attach the hooks into the header, but do NOT tighten them down all the way. Make them as loose/long as possible. Then pull out the long plastic side clips (2 per side) that sit above each door so they are not squeezed between the top and the door surrounds . Do NOT attach them at this time.
3. Verify that the web strapping on each side (between the middle bow and the rear) is flat and not twisted. This piece is UNDER the fabric and connects the two bows.
4. Pull down on the rear bow and attach the rear vertical corners (plastic pieces under the fabric) into the lip surrounding the back of the tub. This should take almost no force. If you use too much force, then you clamped closed the latches into your windshield frame.
5. Attach Rear window completely.
6. Attach side windows. This is a lot easier if you hook the back edge of the window (the flap that ultimately covers the zipper track) onto the velcro to temporarily hold it straight and level while starting the window zipper. Once the zipper is started, only zip up an inch or two. See step 7.
7. Insert the front edge of the soft windows into the groove of the door surround. Make sure the zipper is only started an inch or two. Once in the grooves, zip the window the rest of way and tuck in along the bottom.
8. Fasten down the header hooks that you loosely attached back in step 1, bringing your top tight against the windshield header.
9. Attach the 2 long plastic clips (per side) that you pulled out from under the top back in Step 2.
10. Drive.
It took me a bit to figure a good way. This works the best for me.
For your hard top you can replace those T40 screws with wingnuts from Lowes or HD so you don't need tools...
Don't worry that it took you two hours the first time. It gets easier every time you do it. My 12 y.o. boy is now do half of the top with me. I know you have the Unlimited, but a lot of the steps will be the same.
Just to chime in, the first few attempts to take the soft top down and put it back up were clumsy on my part. But now that I've got a rhythm and routine, I can do it lickity split. Putting the top back up is harder; sometimes lining up the zippers is a pain. Just takes practice.
I don't have a dual top, so I can't comment on that.
I hear the new Mustang convertibles are a bit of a pain too. There's some kind of cover you have to put over the retracted top, and it doesn't fit easily I'm told.
Big fan of full doors, even with the top down BTW.
Had a '94 YJ with a soft top. Too cold for the Oregon. Bought a '98 TJ with a hard top. Moved to sunnier climes and bought a Rock Gear soft top. It works well enough for summertime and doubles quite effectively as a bikini/safari. Loud though. Iffin I were to buy another Wrangler I'd just get the sailcloth soft top with hard doors and a pair of 2-piece soft doors for the summer.
You all don't want to know what I was quoted to fix the manifold this morning. Not reasonable. That piece from A1Auto is looking to be the ticket but I'll have to find a small shop to install it.
my wife and I went through the same struggles the first time, beleive me it's get's easier. I can put it up or down now including windows in about 10 minutes.
Hello all. I have been lurking on this board for many months like a kid in line at the high dive, but afraid to jump. I think I have summoned up the courage to go head first--Rubi Unlimited. I do have a couple of questions and would welcome your response to any or all of the following: 1) any recent experience with best negotiated price vs. the new "employee discount"? The new price seems to be about $2K below the previous Edmunds TMV price. 2) Dual top option: it seems that I recall reading here that this option represents a very good value vs. purchasing an OEM or aftermarket top after-the-fact. Assuming I ultimately want both tops and have storage available for the hard top, is this in fact a good value? 3) Any anecdotal information on rear impact performance. I have two small children that I would occasionally like to have in carseats in the rear, and I am concerned about safety even with the extended wheelbase/rear. I know, I know, this is not a minivan or a volvo sedan, so no flames about my vehicle choice. Kid hauler is not the primary function, but I would like to hear opinions about the wisdom of an occasional family outing. 4) Lastly, I prefer the 6 speed, but what is the best offroad choice? Thanks in advance for your guidance!
It does get easier. I only have the soft top so I don't know about doing the hardware (I just put the top down, didn't take it off). It took me by myself about 45 minutes, and that was reading the directions a couple of times in between doing the steps. The top will stretch out some and will be easier (I noticed that with the back window bar and the drip rails for the Sunrider Option). And it is MUCH easier if it is either warmer or sitting in the sun, so the top is warmer. The hardest part was the starting the zippers on the side windows - the velcro didn't want to hold and they kept flapping down just as I got it started. I figured that with practice, I could probably do it in about 20 minutes (maybe less, if I do it alot). By the way, my top hasn't been off since (I've got to get out more!).
Welcome and thanks for posting! A Rubi Unlimited is a serious machine and well-equipped for serious offroading right from the factory.
In response to your questions:
1. No clue 2. Dual top is the best way to go if you want both, no question about it, unless you feel lucky on eBay. 3. No real information, but keep in mind with the Jeep being a bit higher, esp if you do any kind of suspension lift (budget boost or full coil/shock lift) to it, your bumper will be higher in the back and any cars will likely go under it and not crumple too much. I went with aftermarket bumpers in back and front so I feel pretty confident in mine, even the SWB TJ that I have. 4. Your choice really. Autos seem to be preferred for rock crawling, but I have a manual, which has better engine compression for downhills. I also installed a hand throttle on the gear shift so that I have '3 feet' for the pedals in those tricky situations.
As far as #1 goes, if you don't think you'll be doing anything more than firetrails and such and not getting into the muck and rocks really deep, a regular Unlimited may be an option to help keep costs down a bit. However, if you think you'll want to do that kind of stuff later, then the Rubi Unlimited really can't be beat (or the regular Rubi).
Carrying kids is a lot easier in the Unlimited as the storage space gives you room for that stuff that kids always end up bringing with them.
Awesome! mlyon, you found a deal better than mine, and I thought I had a great one...Mine was a 2004.5 Unlimited with 9100 miles. I could tell that the "sport" bars, windshield, and hard top had been off at least once, but otherwise it's effectively new. The factory warranty transferred, so I feel like I got a good deal. I bought from CarMax, who treated me very well. Got rid of my minivan trade for about what I wanted, but probably a little lower than I could have done by wrestling around and playing "hide the keys" and "what'll it take" haggling with the dealer. Frankly, I really worry about local dealers if CarMax gets the greenlight to sell new. We just have REALLY aggressive dealers 'round here.
I was worried that someone had abused this LJ, but no problems at all so far. The only thing I miss is that the factory soft top wasn't included, but I'll remedy that as soon as I can afford it.
Nice going again on such a good find. What color? H package?
Thanks for the Manifold info. I figured along those lines.
Softtop vs Hardtop debate....
I LOVE having both tops. Like others have said, after taking the soft top up and down a few times, you become a pro. The advice about putting the header clips in first without clamping them down, and then sliding the plastic clips on the back corners, is huge. This will save you tons of time and muscle strain. There were some cold nights, before knowing this process, I just about gave myself a hernia trying to get the header clips to "click in" . I think my Jeep looks just fine with the top down and the full doors :P
I know a lot of folks are just fine with their softtops in the winter time. I personally love the hardtop in the winter. I like having the hard windows and rear wiper / rear defrost. I have an older style softtop, so I like the extra insulation the hardtop offers.
My turn signal / high beams switch otherwise known as the Multifunction Switch is acting pretty flaky. When the headlights are on, using the turn signal is causing the headlights to cut off or switch to high beams. I got the following estimate from my local dealer:
diagnostic (to make sure it is the switch) $35 Part cost $77 Labor and Tax puts the total close to $200
Has anyone replaced this on their own? I'm pretty handy, but electrical items make me nervous. If it's a pretty easy fix and spelled out in the FSM, I may consider doing it. Might be time to take the plunge and spend $99 on the FSM CD anyway for future issues.
Hi, My sister's dream has always been to have a Jeep, and although I can not afford to buy one for her, I wanted to do something special for her birthday.
Does anyone know where I can make arrangements to rent a Jeep Wrangler for a few days or a weekend? I live in Wisconsin. Thanks for your help!
Hey, I'm new here, but I think I have a similar problem with the manifold on my 97 2.5L. I was wondering if this caused your jeep to have a rough idle, or just louder than normal noise. Thanks for any help.
Just ordered a set of Bilstein Shocks for my 04 "X". It should arrive this Friday, so I will install them Saturday morning, I have been observing the ride and handling characteristics of my "X" with its 30x9.50x15 Bridgestone Dueler Revos with 30 psi. I have to admit the ride is good for a solid axle shortwheel base SUV. The handling is good too, except for a few issues like head toss etc. What I am really looking for is whether a Wrangler with Bilsteins can ride and handle as good as a Land Rover Defender 90, use to own one years ago when I was abroad. If it works that is giving excellent handling in addition to the ride it would be awesome.
Thought you might find this informative and interesting. After more testing I was sure the PCM was at fault. Still I figured it worth a tow to the dealer on such an expensive part. The tech agreed the PCM was indeed at fault. His first failer in his ten years. I authorized them to order a new one a few days out for $680.00. I thought five years might be premature for this part so I called Chrysler customer service. Found out since the PCM handles emmissions, it has an eight year 88000 mile warranty! A miner detail the dealer left out. All is well now and I'm jeepin along once again. After confronting the dealer (not where I bought it)of the forgotton extended warranty, they confirmed and did not charge for the labor. All is well in the end. Thanks for your help mac24.
1. There is no such thing as a 96 Wrangler. The YJ's (square headlights/leaf springs) were from 87-95. The TJ's (current Wrangler with round headlights and coil springs) began in 97, and 96 was a transition year from YJ's to TJ's.
2. Was this a suspension lift or a body lift? I think your orginal post said 4" lift, so I hope this is not a body lift. That's way too much for a body lift.
3. I am going to guess that something happened to the transfer case linkage during the installation of the lift. It could be that your T-case is not fully engaged.
Mac, I know we don't have nearly enough to go on for anything more than a list of POSSIBLE problems, but what is your take on this?
Jeepbell, yes, a manifold crack will make things sound a bit louder. Idle was so so, but not what I'd call rough... it just didn't seem quite right to me.
My 97 2.5L had that issue when I bought it, so I knew it was an issue.
Keats. Can I go to Kinkos and have them scan pics and put pics on a disc and send the pics from the disc? Sunburst Keats, its a sunburst. All that tech. writing is turning your brain to mush, Pretty soon you will be dreaming about large 4 door sedans. Thanks for Krylon (sounds like a Star Trek species) info. KB2
I'm not sure where to post this question. I have a 03 sport with 6850 miles on it.1k of those miles was driving it to fla when I moved here last year.Why do I even have a car?!! Anyway, I'm thinking of getting rid of it. I've checked Edmonds for there value along with Kelly blue book. Comparing trade in to trade in Edmonds has it valued at almost $1600. higher. Are the 2 usually that far off?? Any thoughts? Thanks!!
I've checked Edmunds for there value along with Kelly blue book.
One thing to keep in mind, these numbers are only estimates. Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds are not going to buy your car, they are only assisting you with the current trend pricing (thanks for your hard work Edmunds.)
If you are wanting to investigate call up a dealer with a similar vehicle and see what they are asking, then take about 2K off that and stick it in your yard. Ebay is also a good reference place for current trends.
Thanks, so far we have put on more mileage on than the original owner just running around town. How does one go about transfering the warranty?
Our Unlimited is black with a gray soft top and a 24 H package.
I hate "dealing" with car people. Usually I buy over the internet to avoid the sleezballs and all of the haggleing. So far it has worked out pretty good.
Thanks for the infoe ! I know it's really stupid to get rid of this car right now. For some reason I got the bug to get a charger.( I had a 69 charger 35 years ago) The internet sale person wants to give me $15000 for the jeep and basically take nothing off the charger. Man would I be taking a bath !!
I moved to Gainesville last year after living in the Princeton Nj area for 52 years.I'm not sure why I did this !! Your right , maybe I should trade the Jeep in for a boat!
Mac, where might I need to look to find the source of a white/very light blue smoke coming out of the exhaust? I'm thinking a slight oil leak into the combustion chamber.
This is for a friend and I have no direct access to the vehicle. It is a 1983 CJ8 with a carburated 4.2L V6.
If you have a 6 w/ some options DO NOT LET THEM HAVE IT FOR THAT.
Its funny that your looking at a charger cuz I have been trying to talk a buddy of mines dad to sell me his for 2 years. Its also a 69 but w/ less than 10,000 original miles and its that electric blue, its sweet.
Let us know whats on your Jeep and maybe there is someone here that would want it or maybe someones friend.
The 69 charger was sweet !! 2 Father days ago my wife bought me this Jeep. I had said that I had always wanted one, so she surpried me with it. The 2 cars I owned before the jeep were a mercedies slk and bmw 328I. Needlees to say that yes the jeep is nice but not quite what I was used too. The jeep is silver. Has canyon wheels,tint sunscreen,prem radio,side steps,senrty key theft deterent sys. Yes it's has a 6 and air.Premium care theft-gard(one year left on that) I've had the top down twice.! NUTS!! Thanks!!
Mac, I know we don't have nearly enough to go on for anything more than a list of POSSIBLE problems, but what is your take on this?
I was just glad he asked you the question and not me.
I'd guess it might be t/case related but a whole lot more information is needed. Like the answers to your questions, and also whether the t/case can be operated in all ranges.
Mac, where might I need to look to find the source of a white/very light blue smoke coming out of the exhaust?
If it's white it's usually water, it it's blue it's usually oil.
If it's water it's usually a bad head gasket, or cracked head, or cracked block in that order.
Light oil smoke is usually either worn rings/bore, or worn valve guides. If the smoke is significantly worse on start up, that's an indication it's guides.
Comments
I pick up my short wheelbase 05 Rubicon from the dealer tomorrow. I owned a 97 Sport and regret selling it a few years ago. I got a great internet deal from a local dealer that I couldn't pass up. The dealer found it in the Ozarks of MO. and is trading one of their vehicles for it and bringing it 150 miles or so to IL in the morning tomorrow. (Figures, it doesn't rain for three weeks here prior and now the forecast calls for storms everyday this week.) I'm nervous but excited. This one has 6-speed, leather steering wheel, security grp, 6 disc in-dash cd changer and dual top.
Now my question, has anyone actually bought the steel half doors from quadratec for a 97 or later wrangler? Are there any issues with quality and fit? My dealer has agreed to paint and build them for me. The dealer is not terribly happy about how I'm getting the doors but they understand it is way cheaper than purchasing through them. (They have to order ever part separately.) Quadratec states these are unpainted unassembled Original Equipment Steel Doors. I have learned that the hinges and mirrors are the only parts that come with the kit from quadratec that are not really mopar parts. Thus my uneasiness. I only need to replace the interior panels to match the 05 color but I think the agate color from 02 will be close enough. I know there are cheaper alternatives like soft doors and plastic doors or no doors! but I love the half steel doors I used to own and want them again.
So can anyone share from experience? Anyone go this quadratec route or know someone that did and regrets it? Can anyone share a positive experience with these quadratec steel half doors? Thanks and... R O C K O N!
If that sound like a stupid question, keep in mind, I only know the basic car maintenance stuff.
-Dan
It was great fun. Looking at late August early September for a TB trip. I'm going to hit the TRJP Big Blast in Mid August. The wife and kids had a great time as well, not one complaint about being out on the trails for 5+ hours. Here's a picture of my Unlimited on Sunday after the ride. If you look closely at the right front bumber you'll see that portion of the bumber is angled down, that's from the very fast tree last ran out in front of me Saturday. I guess that's why they call them bumpers.
Ron
-Chris
In closing:
1) soft tops offer no security, are a pain to remove, are noisy, wear out in 5 years.
But the half doors are cool and you don't have to worry about where you're going to store it.
2) hard tops are easier than you think to remove, offer the security of a normal car, are less noisy, and will last indefinitely.
But the full doors look stupid with the top off, and if you remove them you need to relocate your mirrors. And you need a place to store the top when it's off.
Chris
There are worse engines to change the manifold on than a Wrangler, since the engine bay is so roomy on a Jeep, but it's still labor intensive. Moreso if the bolts that hold it to the engine block have rusted. That said, I'm having problems getting a straight answer from a muffler shop about labor costs. Most want to sell you the manifold from their supplier, with an unknown markup and quality, and use that to hide part of the labor costs. I'm not disputing that a business should markup parts, that's sensible if they want to stay in business, but it makes it hard to get a straight answer on how much of the overall cost is strictly labor.
I wouldn't buy a $65 bottom-end manifold. OTOH I don't need a shiny pretty one and a 5 HP difference b/w one type and another is negligible. I just want one that won't crack again and is at least as free-flowing as the stock one. Most of all I just want them to weld the one that's on there right now back onto the collector where it's cracked since it looks fine up near the engine block. I've got an appt with a recommended shop at 930 this morning, I'll let you all know how it goes.
The soft top is a pain. Nearly all manual soft tops involve some effort to get them down. I'd rather do it manually than see DC add some kind of motor version to it. For the flexibility of the Jeep's configurations (hard vs soft tops and half vs full doors), there is going to be a trade off.
When I initially got my 97 TJ, I thought I would want the full doors and a hard top. My friend had one like that and I liked the look and I liked the security. Problem is, the hard top is a bigger pain to take off and STORE than the soft top could ever hope to be. With a hard top, you cannot take it off while at work for the drive home. I love the half doors for driving - they provide a much better arm rest and they are very easy to see around when wheeling. In fact, they almost feel like there are no doors since the sill is so low.
Both doors are easy to remove - one just weighs more.
As far as security goes, again all soft top convertibles have that issue, not just Jeeps. I took precautions and installed Tuffy products for storing the stuff that I keep in the Jeep, like insurance and registration (and a few small electronics I use with the Jeep). I have a secure trunk that would require a bit of work to get into.
I will admit though, the first tops for the 97-2000? TJ's were thin and were lousy. Sailcloth is the ONLY way to go IMO. Quiet and durable. A bit heavier than the original top, but a LOT lighter than ANY hard top.
I fully agree with you about the soft windows too.
Would I still take full doors and a hard top? Probably, but only if I were to find them for a serious steal of a deal. But it is VERY low, read at the very bottom, of my list of things to do for my TJ.
It's all about how you want to look at it I guess. Taking the time to drop or pop the top and have the windows cleaned is a small price to pay for the flexibility and freedom the open Wrangler experience provides, at least to me.
-Paul
Well, you get the idea. :shades:
The video they give you to explain it makes it look SO EASY. Actually, the hard top removal wasn't that hard; however, if it weren't for my ability to find a Torx #40 at the hardware store, and the fact that my rachet set had an extension, there is NO WAY I could have gotten those screws out.
It took my wife and I well over two hours to get the soft top on. The "additional" instructions they give you for first-time soft top installation are terrible. The black and white photo illustrations were worthless. The video tape said we had snaps, but actually we had to use screws thru the soft top to attach it initially. The tension on the soft top was way more than the video shows. I could barely get the zippers closed when installing the windows, and getting the rear part of the soft top tucked in took massive amounts of force. I'm seriously hoping that by leaving the soft top on for about a week, it will stretch it out and make it easier to take off and back on. Does anyone know if that's the case? I don't know if I can handle taking 2 hours everytime to get it back on.
Here is the process I use. With you having to attach the soft top to the bows, there are a couple of extra steps, but once the hardware and top are attached to each other.
0. Attach front and back spreader bows to mounting points on sport cage.
1. Pull the top up so the front edge of it is near the windshield.
2. Attach the hooks into the header, but do NOT tighten them down all the way. Make them as loose/long as possible. Then pull out the long plastic side clips (2 per side) that sit above each door so they are not squeezed between the top and the door surrounds . Do NOT attach them at this time.
3. Verify that the web strapping on each side (between the middle bow and the rear) is flat and not twisted. This piece is UNDER the fabric and connects the two bows.
4. Pull down on the rear bow and attach the rear vertical corners (plastic pieces under the fabric) into the lip surrounding the back of the tub. This should take almost no force. If you use too much force, then you clamped closed the latches into your windshield frame.
5. Attach Rear window completely.
6. Attach side windows. This is a lot easier if you hook the back edge of the window (the flap that ultimately covers the zipper track) onto the velcro to temporarily hold it straight and level while starting the window zipper. Once the zipper is started, only zip up an inch or two. See step 7.
7. Insert the front edge of the soft windows into the groove of the door surround. Make sure the zipper is only started an inch or two. Once in the grooves, zip the window the rest of way and tuck in along the bottom.
8. Fasten down the header hooks that you loosely attached back in step 1, bringing your top tight against the windshield header.
9. Attach the 2 long plastic clips (per side) that you pulled out from under the top back in Step 2.
10. Drive.
It took me a bit to figure a good way. This works the best for me.
For your hard top you can replace those T40 screws with wingnuts from Lowes or HD so you don't need tools...
-Paul
Raising the Soft Top
Don't worry that it took you two hours the first time. It gets easier every time you do it. My 12 y.o. boy is now do half of the top with me. I know you have the Unlimited, but a lot of the steps will be the same.
I don't have a dual top, so I can't comment on that.
I hear the new Mustang convertibles are a bit of a pain too. There's some kind of cover you have to put over the retracted top, and it doesn't fit easily I'm told.
Big fan of full doors, even with the top down BTW.
-Mike
You all don't want to know what I was quoted to fix the manifold this morning. Not reasonable. That piece from A1Auto is looking to be the ticket but I'll have to find a small shop to install it.
Once you do this a couple of times you will have it up and down lickedy split.
ron
In response to your questions:
1. No clue
2. Dual top is the best way to go if you want both, no question about it, unless you feel lucky on eBay.
3. No real information, but keep in mind with the Jeep being a bit higher, esp if you do any kind of suspension lift (budget boost or full coil/shock lift) to it, your bumper will be higher in the back and any cars will likely go under it and not crumple too much. I went with aftermarket bumpers in back and front so I feel pretty confident in mine, even the SWB TJ that I have.
4. Your choice really. Autos seem to be preferred for rock crawling, but I have a manual, which has better engine compression for downhills. I also installed a hand throttle on the gear shift so that I have '3 feet' for the pedals in those tricky situations.
As far as #1 goes, if you don't think you'll be doing anything more than firetrails and such and not getting into the muck and rocks really deep, a regular Unlimited may be an option to help keep costs down a bit. However, if you think you'll want to do that kind of stuff later, then the Rubi Unlimited really can't be beat (or the regular Rubi).
Carrying kids is a lot easier in the Unlimited as the storage space gives you room for that stuff that kids always end up bringing with them.
Good luck with your choice!
-Paul
I was worried that someone had abused this LJ, but no problems at all so far. The only thing I miss is that the factory soft top wasn't included, but I'll remedy that as soon as I can afford it.
Nice going again on such a good find. What color? H package?
Softtop vs Hardtop debate....
I LOVE having both tops.
Like others have said, after taking the soft top up and down a few times, you become a pro. The advice about putting the header clips in first without clamping them down, and then sliding the plastic clips on the back corners, is huge. This will save you tons of time and muscle strain. There were some cold nights, before knowing this process, I just about gave myself a hernia trying to get the header clips to "click in"
I know a lot of folks are just fine with their softtops in the winter time. I personally love the hardtop in the winter. I like having the hard windows and rear wiper / rear defrost. I have an older style softtop, so I like the extra insulation the hardtop offers.
-Dan
diagnostic (to make sure it is the switch) $35
Part cost $77
Labor and Tax puts the total close to $200
Has anyone replaced this on their own? I'm pretty handy, but electrical items make me nervous. If it's a pretty easy fix and spelled out in the FSM, I may consider doing it. Might be time to take the plunge and spend $99 on the FSM CD anyway for future issues.
-Dan
1- 96 Wrangler manual trans
2- homemade block lift
3- Engine runs great, grinding when in gear tryin to drive.
Thanks for help Tomster!
BEZ
My sister's dream has always been to have a Jeep, and although I can not afford to buy one for her, I wanted to do something special for her birthday.
Does anyone know where I can make arrangements to rent a Jeep Wrangler for a few days or a weekend? I live in Wisconsin. Thanks for your help!
Renya
You could try this rental car company.
http://www.thrifty.com/teamowner/mke/carrental/index2806.asp
Ron
(I changed the title to make it easier to search for in the future.)
1. There is no such thing as a 96 Wrangler. The YJ's (square headlights/leaf springs) were from 87-95. The TJ's (current Wrangler with round headlights and coil springs) began in 97, and 96 was a transition year from YJ's to TJ's.
2. Was this a suspension lift or a body lift? I think your orginal post said 4" lift, so I hope this is not a body lift. That's way too much for a body lift.
3. I am going to guess that something happened to the transfer case linkage during the installation of the lift. It could be that your T-case is not fully engaged.
Mac, I know we don't have nearly enough to go on for anything more than a list of POSSIBLE problems, but what is your take on this?
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
My 97 2.5L had that issue when I bought it, so I knew it was an issue.
-Paul
http://www.jeepingsingles.net/tech/manifold_p.asp
Any thoughts?
Thanks!!
Where in FL are ya? With all this weather, you may want a boat to go down the streets...
-Paul
One thing to keep in mind, these numbers are only estimates. Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds are not going to buy your car, they are only assisting you with the current trend pricing (thanks for your hard work Edmunds.)
If you are wanting to investigate call up a dealer with a similar vehicle and see what they are asking, then take about 2K off that and stick it in your yard. Ebay is also a good reference place for current trends.
Hope this helps.
Our Unlimited is black with a gray soft top and a 24 H package.
I hate "dealing" with car people. Usually I buy over the internet to avoid the sleezballs and all of the haggleing. So far it has worked out pretty good.
The internet sale person wants to give me $15000 for the jeep and basically take nothing off the charger. Man would I be taking a bath !!
This is for a friend and I have no direct access to the vehicle. It is a 1983 CJ8 with a carburated 4.2L V6.
-Paul
If it's a 6 I'll give you $15001. :shades:
If you have a 6 w/ some options DO NOT LET THEM HAVE IT FOR THAT.
Its funny that your looking at a charger cuz I have been trying to talk a buddy of mines dad to sell me his for 2 years. Its also a 69 but w/ less than 10,000 original miles and its that electric blue, its sweet.
Let us know whats on your Jeep and maybe there is someone here that would want it or maybe someones friend.
2 Father days ago my wife bought me this Jeep. I had said that I had always wanted one, so she surpried me with it. The 2 cars I owned before the jeep were a mercedies slk and bmw 328I. Needlees to say that yes the jeep is nice but not quite what I was used too.
The jeep is silver. Has canyon wheels,tint sunscreen,prem radio,side steps,senrty key theft deterent sys.
Yes it's has a 6 and air.Premium care theft-gard(one year left on that)
I've had the top down twice.! NUTS!!
Thanks!!
I was just glad he asked you the question and not me.
I'd guess it might be t/case related but a whole lot more information is needed. Like the answers to your questions, and also whether the t/case can be operated in all ranges.
If it's white it's usually water, it it's blue it's usually oil.
If it's water it's usually a bad head gasket, or cracked head, or cracked block in that order.
Light oil smoke is usually either worn rings/bore, or worn valve guides. If the smoke is significantly worse on start up, that's an indication it's guides.
-Paul
Then go ask the pros over in Real-World Trade-In Values for their number.
Steve, Host
Problem is, I'm probably going to convince myself I have to have one...