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The pictures below show the great flex that TJ's are famous for. That spot is not difficult, but it is a good place to demonstrate flex. Thelma Jane's body is dead level, but without the good flex, she would be teetering, with her weight only on the right front tire and the left rear tire. Check the right front tire in the lower picture. It is STUFFED! If I turn the steering wheel, the tire would distort the flare, which has happened many times, but it "ain't no biggie."
Thelma Jane has a two inch lift and 31" tires, and the tires still get into the flares, so you can see that 33" tires would really be a problem.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
I'm not going bigger than that this time either, as my TJ won't fit in the garage with that much lift!
The soft top is first for me, and since Quadratec charges the Mopar price (1300), it's going to take some time to earn that much cash back for the other projects...
If everything else is 100% perfect, then assuming the original steering damper is worn, go ahead with a heavier duty one.
Tom, it's been several years since I lost Winger, but I still think of him with sadness. It took over a year before I could think of him without real pain, and I'll always miss him. It will get less painful as time goes on. I look forward to the day when I retire because then I'll be able to get another puppy.
How are yours wearing (I know you do a high mileage)? Mine have got 30k+ and look as though they've got at least another 30k left!
So it's ok to up the size from 30x9.5 to 31x10.50?
again, I'm not doing any off road....except for a little hunting.
I called Costco to price them (31x10.50= $127 and some change each). I'll go with the extra inch as long as you all agree it's ok.....reason I say that...when I talked to the guy at Costco...he kinda gave me the attitude that I should not do the bigger tire......he said I should go with the factory size......I do know that not all these guys have a clue like you diehards do....just give me the ok....and thank you all for the help...it is very much appreciated!....Lew ">
You are getting a lot of recommendations for the BFG All Terrains, and, as I have already said, I loved mine and would not have traded them in, except that I needed mud tires for all of the off roading that I was doing.
You won't be sorry by going with the BFG ATs in the 31 x 10.50 size. Now, realize that the ATs are NOT good in mud. They are great in snow and for most off roading, just not good in pure mud. Nothing is good in mud, except mud tires.
Those puppies look good, perform well, and wear great.
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
If the tire guy gives you a problem, remind him that the Rubicon uses a 31" tire.
Sounds like I just ordered a biggy size at McDonalds doesn't it>?
http://www.4x4xplor.com/steerstop.html
-Dan
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060507/AUTO01/605070317/1148
LOL........difficult. More like impossible. :P
They said I could take them off in the parking lot and bring them in and they would be permitted to mount and balance the tires....also I would still have all the benifits of the free rotations etc....but they were not permitted to take them off and put them on under company policy. I checked with national tire and battery and they said they would match the price etc that costco offers. I am considering them. I just think the jeep would look better with the larger tires. And I am impressed with the mileage you guys get on them! anyway....I'll get it done even if I have to take them off one at a time on their lot also ....those tires are really nice looking...thanks to everyone for your advice!,,,Lew
jeff
had a great day saturday,, we did a little ( well quite a bit ) of trail clearing on Saturday morning, then ran trails all afternoon. it was the first time I had put the set of swampers on for trail riding, they were great. Still love the AT's for the hwy..
Actually, the above is true for pretty much any modern vehicle. The main problems in the far future will be associated with electronic and plastic parts. As for mileage, it's quite usual for police vehicles to be auctioned off after 250K or so, then to be purchased for use as taxi cabs.
Generally, if you want trouble free high mileage, do it in as short a period as possible.
The exceptions are the few we hold in reserve or put in an area that will not have a have hard driving demand on them (such as the administration cars for the jails and such). I have not seen any vehicle in our fleet with more then 150,000 miles on them (however, this does not mean there are not a few).
The fact is we drive our vehicles pretty hard. They run almost 24 hours a day. Starting and stopping, going at high rates of speed, or they just sit idling for hours. Plus, having to run all the electrical equipment takes its toll on the engines and its cooling system.
The cars could probably last longer, but they cost too much to maintain. In addition, there is a public safety issue as well. You do not want the patrol unit that is rolling to assist you when you are in danger to break down en route. This happens from time to time, fortunately, not very often.
It doesn't hurt a vehicle to run 24/7 as long as gets the correct maintenance. However, the way a police patrol vehicle is used certainly pushes the envelope. It's an amazing testament to modern vehicle design that they perform as well as they do, for as long as they do.
Going back to the original question, I think you can pretty much run a sensibly driven and maintained Wrangler for as long as you care to.
Last time here - Oct '04 - you guys gave me good advice on glass windows - which we got and like a lot. Looking forward to hearing from you experts again.
Regards,
Will
I have been driving the Jeep to see if it would overheat again. Today in the 91, (bumper-to-bumper) traffic the “Check Gages” light came on and the temperature had shot in to the red. I followed the same steps my wife had and again the temperature dropped to normal (almost immediately). I turned back on the AC and watched the temperature start to claim again.
I drove the rest of the way home with the AC off. I picked up something from the house (that I need for a meeting I was going to) and took off again, with the AC on. The temperature stayed in the normal zone.
Has anyone had this problem or heard of anyone having this problem? If so what was the out come?
Thanks
Good luck with the problem.
Will
Sounds as though the radiator is clogged to the point where it is just managing to handle the heat load under normal conditions. Using the a/c increases that load and you've found out what happens next.
If you're lucky it might just need the cooling system reverse flushed, otherwise it might need flushing and a new radiator.
The I4 2.5 has less power and similar fuel consumption to the I6 4.0. Never heard a 4.0 owner that wished for a 2.5, though plenty would like to switch the other way.
I guess that means I should put on as many miles as I can as fast as I can? I just gave my wife my 97 Honda. It had 12,500 on it when I bought it in 98. When I gave it to her about 3 months ago it still had under 50,000 mi. on it. I put less than 4,000 mi. per year on it and planned on doing the same with my 06 Jeep Wrangler. I might go up to 5,000 per year because I love driving my Jeep and I am sure this summer I will probably put on an additional 1,000 mi on it. That would still only take me up to 5,000 mi. per year.
I am having the clclutchthermostat and the raradiatorluid changed. $500.00..
Only 2 years old!
Do make sure they do a flush and refill, rather than just a drain and refill. Change of coolant is a routine service item which you obviously have to pay for, but a replacement fan clutch isn't. Why aren't they covering it under warranty if it's only two years old.........high mileage?
I guess that means I should put on as many miles as I can as fast as I can?
Not necessarily, it's just that reliability is increased and maintenance costs are reduced on a vehicle that runs 24/7 compared to one that runs just a few thousand a year.
If you intend to keep your Wrangler for the foreseeable future, make sure you base your servicing schedule on time as well as mileage, i.e. change your oil and filter every three months rather than at 3k miles.
I was going to ask mac about the thermostat as it applies to Glen's problem, but he's already gotten an answer. I had changed the thermostat on the Tacoma once, but it didn't make any difference since it had a problem with the radiator.
I've never owned a 2.5, but I've driven a few. They're not bad if you aren't commuting on the highway. Most of the Wrangler's issue with mileage is the shape of the body and weight (many newer SUV's are rated at about 19-21 mpg highway, even with brand-new hi-tec engines), so don't expect a 2.5 to get much better mileage than the 4.0.
Either way, if you plan to keep it awhile and don't want to do any restoration, it might be an excellent choice. But what do I know? I looked for months for a used TJ in the $7k range, and wound up buying a six-month-old Unlimited.
Just for kicks, everybody set your wayback machines to 1995...and read a new car review of the YJ
However, that doesn't mean there isn't one out there somewhere!
You'll love this...I told you all that Costco refused to mount the BF Goodrich 31 x 10.50 ...well that was Lancaster PA.....I decided to call Harrisburg and ask them.....their answer was ....."really not busy right now and it would be a good time for you to get this done"!...so off I went on a 45 minute ride and sure enuff...they were great....the guys treated me like gold and made a few friend to boot.....I must add that the tires are GREAT!!...big diff in the ride. I want to thank you all for your suggestions....Thanks Tom...Thanks Mac...Thanks Hondagirl(mtngal) Ill post a photo asap.
Lew
They replaced the thermostat and flushed the cooling system.
I have 45,200 + miles on the Jeep (the warranty lasted for 36,000). We drive too much, but the Altima has well over 60,000 + miles and it is only 3½ years old. I did get an extended warranty (on the Jeep); however, as I have found in the past, they are not worth the money they cost. I purchased an up-graded plan, but it still only covers specific things (I do not know what). When the dealer figured what the problem was they entered the item into the computer and the fan clutch came back as not covered. Figures this will be the last extended warranty, unless some out there can convince me there is one out there worth the money.
You can usually hear the fan kick in, especially at lower speeds, as it's got quite a throaty roar.
The only extended warranty I'd consider would be the GMPP Major Guard. It's not the cheapest, but it covers virtually all mechanical and electrical components (except for regular service items) for wear and tear as well as failure.
GMPP MajorGuard
My advice:
Find one you like. If you want it and you can stomach the purchase price, buy it!!!
I agree that what I might not think is a good price might be an excellent price for you. Example was my (hated) Tacoma - those that have been around the Wrangler board for a long time probably remember how much I disliked it. We bought it for a good price compared to what others were paying (something like $200 over dealer's invoice). After a month I wouldn't have paid 2 cents for it - it was definitely NOT worth what we paid for it.
On the other hand, I got what appeared to be a lousy deal on the '98 Sport - it was an unwind and I paid something like $500 over invoice. That would have been a decent deal at the time for a new one, but this one was technically a used vehicle, so some would say I over-paid for it. However, that Sport is still sitting in my driveway and I'm going to be SO sad to sell it in the next week or so - I still love that car, and for some reason, almost prefer it over the Unlimited (do prefer the seats). It's been worth every penny and then some.
FYI, I paid $5,000 for my 95 Rio Grande 3-4 years ago. It has the factory hard top and auto transmission with the 2.5L 4-banger. It also has aftermarket A/C. It's no hot rod, but is sufficient for my needs. It is not my daily driver. I could probably sell it for $5,000 today with little effort!