Jeep Wrangler

06tj4banger · October 2005

I thought about that after I posted that reply...probably new for 2006

Also, the dealership diagnosed my water leak as problems with the doors so they ordered me 2 new half doors and are going to clean the carpet after they come in...I am happy

dhockman · October 2005

I own a 1995 Jeep Wrangler (Sahara) with 30,000 miles. It recently acquired a noise in the rear. When one turns rather sharply, either left or right, a rubbing noise seems to come from one side or the other. Seems to be more obvious turning left but once in a while it will make a noist when turning right. I figured it was the suspension system but I lubricated (WD40) rather liberally and that did not help. I can't find any other moving parts in the rear that would cause such a noise. Any advice would be appreciated. Dan

koolbreeze2 · October 2005

I guess that would require a camera? So now you will be rattleless. You may miss it. I am curious per how much they charged to rid you of the torment of noise. You must have tired of having the sound system working overtime so you could not hear the rattle. A snake perhaps? Top still soft and down at every chance. All I need is a day with no rain and its down. Go Easy, KB2

cremaster · October 2005

I have a 95 wrangler with a hard top and full doors. I can no longer open my driver side door. It seems that a rod on the handle has fallen off the handle. I am unable to get the outside handle to open the door now (I was rolling down the window and opening the door using the outside latch). How can I get the door open so that I can get into the door?

mac24 · October 2005

Use a coathanger, or something similar, to reach between the glass and the outer door skin and hook onto the lock mechanism. Shouldn't take more than five minutes of fiddling.

mac24 · October 2005

I can't find any other moving parts in the rear that would cause such a noise.

Tires, rims, brake drums, wheel bearings, and propshaft are all moving items in the rear that can cause a rubbing noise under the right conditions.

erickpl · October 2005

I believe you can go to www.stu-offroad.com (http://www.stu-offroad.com/body/doorpanel/doorpanel-1.htm specifically) and see how to remove panels from a TJ door. I don't think a YJ would be much different, but maybe a little.

-Paul

erickpl · October 2005

Hey, Mac, question for you.

Can the Rubicon axles be upgraded to 4.88 and still retain use of the factory lockers?

What would be involved to do that swap from 4.11 to 4.88?

-Paul

keats · October 2005

Rattle was covered under warranty. But now I have a different problem. The window handle thing is now sitting at just the right position to hit my knee while I'm driving.

Does anyone know how to remove this handle and adjust it? It looks like it's held on there with a clip, but I don't want to screw anything up...

erickpl · October 2005

If you bend a hanger into a little hook, you can usually just pull on that c-clip holding the handle on. Then just adjust the window crank handle to where you want it to be, then reattach the clip using needlenoses (could possibly use the needlenoses for the removal too).

If you wanna see how it attaches, just check out a replacement crank at a local auto shop like Autozone...

-Paul

keats · October 2005

Thanks, Paul. I thought it would just pop off...

wpowell · October 2005

Finally mounted my CCW (cheap chinese winch) last night, but I haven't routed and connected the wiring. I know that both positive and negative cables should connect directly to the battery, but do I need some kind of circuit protection--e.g. inline fuse--in the positive leg near the battery? No mention of a fuse in the directions.

BTW, I took Tom's advice and bought a TJ-specific mounting plate on eBay. Saved me a whole lot of work trying to fabricatre something. Thanks!

Mark

drewmeister · October 2005

You know, this is an excellent point. I was wondering about it just the other day. My jeep seems to have certain speeds where it is quite comfortable. Because of the torque range, and the overdrive, it will cruise all day at ~75. This is a little fast for a Jeep, even an Unlimited, so I don't usually do that. Since the limit around here is 65, I have been running at that speed or a bit less. I can keep the mileage at about 17-18 this way, which is acceptable for me. The downside is that people here seem to be the most aggressive drivers I've ever seen. And I've driven in Boston, Houston, Phoenix, etc. Maybe I'm wrong, but I seem to get MUCH more tailgaiting idiots in the Jeep that in any vehicle I've ever owned. And they're seriously HOSTILE. Almost bumping me, and I'm at least at the speed limit, and not in the passing lane. I've taken to leaving the receiver hitch ball in to at least back them off another inch or two. Maybe Jeep ownership goes hand in hand with being a little bit more mellow about the world, or we're just trying to save a little gas, but it does seem like I get tailed and "pushed" much more than in my old minivan. What gives? (Sigh, the Jeep and I need a break from this. Gonna find some trees and dirt to drive in this weekend.)

mac24 · October 2005

I think it just appears that way because when they tailgate you, there isn't a trunk between them and the rear window when you look in the mirror! :shades:

mac24 · October 2005

.........but do I need some kind of circuit protection--e.g. inline fuse--in the positive leg near the battery? No mention of a fuse in the directions.

It's actually a good idea, but you'll find one of the correct amperage quite expensive. You'll find that they're commonly used for similar applications in the marine world. You might also want to consider a high amperage switch or continous duty solenoid located, as you say, close to the battery on the positive lead.

mac24 · October 2005

Don't know off the top of my head. It depends on whether the gears will fit the carrier, and/or whether the gears will fit the axle case (which they should).

Changing the gear ratio involves changing both the ring and the pinion gears. Ideally, new bearings will be fitted at the same time, and of course the new gears will have to be re-shimmed to give correct pinion depth, backlash, and tooth contact.

jefferson1964 · October 2005

I usually put at least 45+ miles a day on my rubi unlimited and i at least go the speed limit to +5 over....it does seem that there are way more aggressive drivers than just a few years ago as i have experienced many many times people riding my bumper in the slow lane and act frustrated they have to move over and pass in the fast lane....i do not know whats getting into people but its getting very dangerous on the roads....now with gas going higher more folks buying smaller cars which offer even less protection....it seems like folks would slow down to save gas but to me i think everyone seems to be speeding up...lol...

koolbreeze2 · October 2005

Knee pads would work:)

mtngal · October 2005

There's someone on a local all-news radio station that is trying to get people to slow up to 55. So far it hasn't made any impact. I've been driving 65 for a long time and yes, I have noticed more and more people are being aggressive. What really bothers me is when I'm driving the Grapevine, and I'll be either in the #3 lane, which is pretty much all trucks, going along at the speed limit (which is 65 over the mountains). Then someone comes screaming up behind me and instead of passing in one of the 2 left lanes, they pull into the #4 lane, where many trucks are traveling at 35! Why they can't move to the left to pass me is beyond me - why run the risk of running into the back of a big rig who can't travel up the mountain very fast? I've never figured that one out...

jim89 · October 2005

When I turn I get loud noise from the front end, both turns to the left and right. Noise goes away when going straight

barnz_69 · October 2005

Hello everyone,

I have a question for some of you mechanically inclinded people (Mac and co.);

As the weather up here in Windsor is starting to get cold, especially in the mornings, I have noticed some trouble with my clutch/tranny on my 97 tj in the morning, or when the vehicle is 'cold'.

When shifting into second gear (manual) the tranny grinds, sometimes a little bit, sometimes a lot. I am forced to slow down, downshift to first, then try again, which usually works. Second gear just doesn't seem to be friendly when the weather and car are cold. Once the vehicle warms up, it shifts as new, as it always has. The first shift is usually very harsh (into second gear, that is), and the next few seem to still show some resistance. It only happens in second gear, and when the jeep is cold. I had the tranny fluid changed this past summer, so that couldn't be an issue.

Anyone have this happen, or have any advice? Is my clutch, tranny on the way out?

As always, thanks, and any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

Ryan

drewmeister · October 2005

Thanks mtngal and jefferson, glad I'm not just feeling paranoid...

Speaking of semi's, you might look this up for giggles. A woman here (Gladstone Missouri) ran right into a stopped one the other day while on her cell-phone. Seriously. Witnesses said she was so engrossed she didn't even see it.

mac24 · October 2005

A description of the noise would help a little.

mac24 · October 2005

Your transmission is showing its age, that's all. The second gear syncromesh is wearing (nothing lasts for ever), and when the transmission oil is cold it's thicker and doesn't flow as well.

The only real fix is to strip and rebuild it, but as a tempory measure there are two things you can do. First, is to refill with a synthetic gear oil. Second, is when you start in the morning put the transfer case in neutral, then start the engine and engage a gear, making sure the parking brake is on of course. Run the engine with the transmission engaged like this for three or four minutes, which will heat and circulate the transmission oil.

Finally, when you previously had the oil changed, it was a GL3 and not a GL5 wasn't it? The sulphur additives in a GL5 can eat away at the brass syncro rings.

barnz_69 · October 2005

Thanks Mac, I knew you'd have an answer and some advice!

I had the fluids changed at my mechanic's (very loyal to him, he's seemed good n' honest throughout my previous two cars), so I'm not too sure, but I left him the owner's manual and he said he added everything that was recommended.
I will switch to synthetic blends (most of my fluids, actually) the next time I have them changed, perhaps in the spring. Until then, I will try you other advice, which I am sure should help, since it only has this problem when cold.

Again, thanks very much!

Ryan

tsjay · October 2005

Ryan:

For a period of a few consecutive years the owners manual called for the wrong lubricant for the manual trannies, and I'm almost positive that the 97 model year was one of those years.

You might do a search in here on this subject. DC never admitted their mistake, but they changed the recommended lubricant at some point.

There is some additive in GL-5 that eats the brass synchronizers, as Mac stated.

So, following the owners manual would result in the wrong gear lubricant being used for certain model years.

Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?

P.S.

I just did a search on "GL-3," and several posts from October 2003 came up. It appears that the wrong lubricant, GL-5, was specified in the 1997 owners manual. Beginning with the 98 model year, DC recommends GL-3. Apparently this problem with the wrong gear lubricant being recommended goes back even into the YJ years.

steave · October 2005

Will wheels from a Dodge Caravan fit a JEEP Wrangler. I ask for the purpose of towing/driving the Wrangler without the 35" tires.
Are there any other 14" wheels from Dodge/Chrysler that fit the Wrangeler?

Thank you!

aujeep · October 2005

Hey! I have an '02 Sahara and the stock CD Player does not play burned CDs. Is there something wrong with my CD Player or is there some kind of attachment I can buy for it? Or would it just be easier to buy a new CD player? I don't really know much about Jeeps yet and would greatly appreciate the advice!

Thanks, Kreis

barnz_69 · October 2005

Tom,

Thanks for clarifying; I had no idea, and I suppose that's what Mac was getting at. Better get that changed ASAP and hope no damage was/is done. Thanks for the research, Tom, I really appreciate it. That's why this board is the best! What a great bunch of guys/gals!

Ryan

mac24 · October 2005

There's nothing wrong with your stock player I'm afraid, it's just not very 'burned CD' friendly. Before you abandon it try a variety of different colored CD/Rs in it. Blue has a reputation for working best.

barnz_69 · October 2005

Tom, Mac, or anyone,

Regarding the GL3 gear oil for my manual transmission...

Where can I get it? I looked all over this morning, hoping to get the correct fluid for my tranny, but nobody carries GL3. Best I could find was GL5 synthetic.

Again, any help is very appreciated.

Ryan

ocean_shipper · October 2005

I have recently purchased a 2000 Wrangler Sahara 4.0. I have been noticing a noise in the front end when I turn. Today, it seems worse than normal. I think it could be the struts due to the fact that there is a definate shift in the vehicle when I turn the corner and a dull banging sound. There are almost 78k miles on the car. I know that the previous owner used to use it to commute in the Wash DC area, but that is all that I know.

Anyone have any ideas what kind of struts are on the Wrangler? Also, anyone have any idea what is involved in replacement, if needed? I thought about taking it to my local Jeep dealer.

Since I am new to Jeep ownership, I would appreciate any thoughts on the subject.

Thanks - Chuck

tsjay · October 2005

Chuck:

Wranglers have shocks, not struts. Wranglers have a solid front axle, not independent suspension.

You could have a hub/bearing assembly going bad. Something could be loose in the suspension. I would get it checked out by a reputable mechanic, Chuck.

Mac, your thoughts?

Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?

P.S.

Just thought about this one... loose lug nuts? Chuck, I would not drive that Jeep too far or too fast until you get it checked out.

tsjay · October 2005

I think I got my GL-3 from Autozone.

Ryan, do some checking, but I THINK there might be some GL-5's that do not have sulfur and are safe for yellow metals. Not sure about that, though. Mac?

Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mac24 · October 2005

As Tom said, take it to a reputable mechanic, doesn't have to be Jeep dealer though. Could be almost anything in the suspension/steering and something like that can't be reliably diagnosed at a distance.

As Tom also said, you have a traditional solid axle and coil springs, not struts.

mac24 · October 2005

You may need to check with the various synthetic manufacturers on the suitability of the additive content for GL-3 spec. AmSoil, Redline and Royal Purple are possibly suitable, but do check first.

drewmeister · October 2005

Tie rod? Track bar? Tom's right in that it could be any of a number of things. If you'd been off-road at all, I would even say check the axle. A broken front right axle shaft might even sound this way. Are the tires/wheels/suspension stock or lifted?

Tom,
Excellent call on the wheel. (Should remind us to always check the simplest things first.) A shift and the dull thud could very well be the wheel moving on loose lug nuts. You would think we would notice that kind of thing, but I've had it myself! I purchased a used Audi GT years ago, and finally felt the front end vibrating and occasionally making a thud. Found the right front lug nuts loosening almost off the studs! They were probably that way when I had bought it, but I never checked. Somone may have taken the wheel off at the dealership, then not tightened them back down properly. You never know.

Either way, a possible problem with the front suspension is a "non-driving" issue until you find it. I've also lost a wheel to letting a ball-joint failure go to long on another car, so I can attest to how scary it is when the front suspension lets go at speed. Get this checked out soon.

mtngal · October 2005

One of the others should probably address this question better than I can, because I don't really know much. However, my Wranglers have 15" wheels, not 14. I have no idea if you could put a 14" wheel on it - would there be interference with anything? Out of curiosity, why would you want to?

mtngal · October 2005

We are getting closer to re-doing the sound in the Sport, and I've looked at quadratec's offerings. Does anyone have any recommendations? Paul, what did you put in Kermit? We got a price from High Voltage for an Alpine head and separate XM tuner, and installing a soundbar if I'd get one somewhere else (they don't carry them.

The Bestop soundbar looks interesting, but (of course) it's the most expensive of the ones that quadratec carries. Any ideas?

martyz · October 2005

Also make sure that you "close" the CD when burning it (i.e. - don't leave it open for adding additional tracks later on. Some CD players can only read the track directory on a closed CD.

bobcat82 · October 2005

Hello everyone!

I've been "lurking" here for several months, and have read this board almost daily since. Also, I've read over half of all the messages.

Well, I finally made it official (I bought my Rubicon last weekend

) and decided to let you know, since all of you helped educate me.

With rebate, I paid $25,879 + 6% tax & $75 doc fee (MSRP $30,500) from McGonigal Jeep in Kokomo, IN.

I live in NJ, but with a $138 flight to Indianapolis, and the benefit of getting to drive my new Jeep home (~750 miles), I thought it was a great deal! Also, McGonigal picked me up at the airport.

I now have about 1,400 miles on my Jeep - been driving it every day - and I absolutely love it!

Yeah, I had to get used to the quick response of the steering, as compared to my other vehicle, a GMC 2500 HD Extended cab, but the ride is better than I expected, the mileage is better than my truck, and it's so much fun to drive!

As you can tell - I love it!

The details: 6-Speed, Dual Tops, Speed Control, Security Package, 6 Disk CD, Floor Mats, & Locking Fuel Cap. Deep Beryl Greem with Dark Slate Gray interior. Everything else standard Rubicon.

I won't post often, as I'm not as well versed as all of you, but I will continue reading nearly every day.

Now to save up for all the modifications... :shades:

Thank you all.

Art...

steave · October 2005

mtngal,

The reason I'm asking about 14" wheels, is the Wrangler I'm thinking of getting has a SOA suspension lift, 3" body lift, 33" tires and the 2.5L engine. I'm possible going to be towing it a long ways (750 miles) with my car (Dodge Intrepid). The smaller wheels and tire, hopefully, will make for easier towing by lowering the JEEP. Not only would it be more aerodynamic behind my car, it would also reduce the angle of the tow bar.
Even if I don't tow it, and wind up driving it, the lesser wheels and tires should significantly improve fuel economy.
As far as any interference is concerned, such as brake calipers, I'm not sure. Stock 15" Wrangler wheels have a low to medium offset, so I'm thinking there shouldn't be any interference. But, I'm not sure, that is why I'm asking. It would be best to play it safe with the 15" wheel, and perhaps a lower profile tire, but if anybody out there has more experience/information, I would greatly appreciate it.

Steave

mtngal · October 2005

Art - don't worry about being "well versed." It sounds like you have all the qualifications you need to participate on this board - you love Wranglers. So let us all know how things go with your Rubi (it sure is a nice looking Jeep). And a long road trip certainly gets you adjusted to a new vehicle in a hurry (as well as quickly breaking it in). I certainly can't claim any expertise in technical off-roading, I'm not a mechanic, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to share my love for that little, impractical vehicle in my front yard. So post your impressions as time goes on, we love to read about them.

How bad is it if I were not to run our second vehicle more than once in two weeks? It seemed like GiGi wasn't real interested in starting this morning - she sat for a full 2 weeks. It never used to bother the Sport much - he always started right up (except when the 6 year old battery finally failed). This was the first time that the Unlimited has sat for more than a weekend in the 13 months we've owned her.

Another question (besides the question I asked earlier about the sound bar) - how difficult would it be to put cruise control in the '98 Sport? While the thing I miss the most (after the XM radio) is the outside thermometer, my other half really would like cruise control. Is this something I should talk to a dealership about?

drewmeister · October 2005

Steave,
I have to suggest against this, but I know you'll have to make your own decision. I used to work for a Chrysler dealer (when the Intrepid came out in 93) and I can't believe that it's rated to tow that much. It's a unibody, with nowhere near the braking to bring down an extra 4500 lbs. And, where would the 33's go while you were driving?

I hate to say this, but you need a truck. Or, just drive the Wrangler to destinations. I think you could get a 14 with small tires back in the YJ days, but maybe I'm mistaken and they were just steel 15's...

drewmeister · October 2005

Art,
LOVE the color (check out my very similar photo a couple pics back).

I found my LJ at a carmax while shopping for a new one. At the time LJ's were VERY new, so I was pretty pleased to save a few thousand on a Jeep with less than 10k miles. Little did I know about the employee pricing to come!

Anyway, I waited one full night thinking about it, because I really wanted black like my first YJ. I'm glad I went ahead. The Beryl Green looks great with the black top and accessories. Sure would like a set of those excellent Rubicon wheels...

Welcome, and post all you want. Gets quiet in here on Saturdays...I can use the company!

mac24 · October 2005

How bad is it if I were not to run our second vehicle more than once in two weeks? It seemed like GiGi wasn't real interested in starting this morning - she sat for a full 2 weeks.

Two weeks isn't too bad, it was probably reluctant to start because the battery was down a little and everything was cold. What's the temp where you are at the moment? If you're going to leave it regularly though, you should get a trickle charger to keep the battery fresh.

.............how difficult would it be to put cruise control in the '98 Sport?

You can get a factory kit (Mopar) to do this yourself, though I don't think dealers list it any more. It's very year specific, with a different spec kit for each model year. There's a brand new one for sale on eBay at the moment, '98 Mopar Cruise Control Kit, for $199. Comes with everything needed including instructions. If I was in the market for one I'd grab it. I've no connection with the seller apart from having bought something from them once.

tsjay · October 2005

Art:

WELCOME AND CONGRATULATIONS!

That is one fine looking Rubi!

Sounds like you are totally happy with it, but that's not surprise, is it?

Now that you have broken the ice, keep on posting. We want to hear all about your early days with that Jeep and all the fun you are having.

Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mtngal · October 2005

Thanks for the information and the link! I'll probably get one from them (it sounded like they carried them on a regular basis), but it's going to have to wait until after we do the audio changes (that's first on our priority list). Glad to hear that it can be done from a kit. You are such a great wealth of information, I just wish you could give me the lottery's winning numbers, so I could afford all this...

mac24 · October 2005

You are such a great wealth of information.................. I just wish you could give me the lottery's winning numbers, so I could afford all this...

Nah................I just know a little bit about a lot of things.

As for the Lottery numbers, that's easy, just go here. :shades:

keats · October 2005

Congrats, Art, nice looking Rubi.

Jeep Wrangler

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