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Jeep Wrangler

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Comments

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    My '74 Jeep was good for me in lots of ways. I had the shop weld on some pipes to the front and rear bumpers and kludged together a canoe rack out of pipes. When the wipers failed, I tore into the motor housing, and replaced the rotting gas tank myself. Never was especially handy with cars, but everything is "right there" with a Jeep.

    So when I needed better racks for my little Tercel, I had no problem drilling holes in the roof to attach some homemade rack brackets. First thing I did with my new Quest was to screw in a bunch of D rings on the inside to hold cargo out of the way. 9 hay bales inside? No biggie.

    The CJ-5 taught me that there's not much use keeping a new car pristine if you want to get some utility out of it. Plus you may get rear-ended any time, so why sweat it?

    Somehow I doubt that I'll ever get that much mud in the van, but I do know how to take the seats and carpet out. :shades:

    Winches, brush catchers, can holders, radio rigs, lifts and roll bars. Those are the popular mods I can think of off-hand. What else?
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    So when I needed better racks for my little Tercel, I had no problem drilling holes in the roof to attach some homemade rack brackets.

    OHHHHHHHH! :cry: That made me cringe big time!

    While I often mod our vehicles, I always do it in such a way that it can easily be returned to original, even if a panel or piece of trim has to be replaced.

    It's pretty hard to go back from a bunch of holes drilled in the roof. :sick:

    Still, you're entitled to do what you like to your own car, so I'm making no personal critisism here. ;)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited January 2012
    Well, it's not like it's a structural alteration. And even Yakima makes brackets intended to be permanently attached to the roof. A little silicone and you're good to go. Safer than a sunroof for avoiding leaks down the road.

    C'mon Mac, even my minivan has factory drilled holes in the roof for the (mostly worthless) OEM rack. :-)

    Just measure twice before drilling. ;)
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    edited April 2012
    Hey, Jeep buds! The old Tomster is back (and with a NEW Jeep).

    I'm looking forward to exchanging posts with my old friends here and making new friends. I see PaulE and Mac24 are still here and good old Steve is still hosting. Hi, you guys! I haven't had a chance to look at many posts yet to see if any others of my old friends are still here.

    I had gotten to the point where I was only taking Thelma Jane (my 2001 Sport for those who have come along since I was active on this message board) down to Turkey Bay three or four times a year and she was sitting in the garage for weeks at a time. So, after ordering her from the factory and owning her for 11 years and 10 days, I sold her on 12/18/11. If any of my old friends are still around here, that must be a real shock to you. Everyone knows how I loved my Thelma Jane.

    Anyway, I couldn't stand being Jeepless, so I bought a brand new 2012 JK Sport with the "S" order package, a soft top, and a six speed manual tranny.

    Unlike Thelma Jane, this Jeep is going to do only very, very mild off roading. I will not allow her to get beat up like Thelma Jane was. This Jeep will be a "mall crawler." That's why I call her "Molly Jane." :)

    God bless.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?

    Meet Molly Jane...

    image
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Sweet! Welcome home. :D
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Welcome back, Tom.

    I seem you recall you wiping bugs off Thelma Jane when you first got her and had no intentions of wheeling her. :)

    Whether that changes for Molly Jane is irrelevant to me. Just happy to see you back in the Jeep fold. There are ALWAYS spare seats in the IAJ jeep seats if you want to ride along on the other obstacles.

    -Paul
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    But use microfiber cloth these days - paper towels are rough and will scratch the paint. :D
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Steve gave me the terrible news about Tidester who once co-hosted this discussion. He passed away unexpectedly in December of 2010. He was a great guy and it really sucks that he is gone.

    Tom
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Gary:

    I'm trying to get caught up with the posting but I have been gone so long I doubt if I will read every post that has been made in my absence. I have just been skipping around and I found this post of yours.

    So, have you re-Wranglered yet? I sold Thelma Jane, believe it or not, but I have just bought a new 2012 Wrangler Sport to replace her.

    Tom

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Mac, Paul, and anyone else still here from "the good old days:" do you think we can get this forum back to what it used to be? Wouldn't it be nice if we could have lots of posting again? Wouldn't it be good if it became a place where friends congregate and "talk Jeep" like we used to?

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    I'm game! :)

    I haven't done many mods to Kermit other than putting on a new hood and fender (flop and tree casualties!). But I have a friend who just bought a 2006 TJ Rubicon and wants ME to build it up. First order of business - Hard top off and in storage. It may get sold to fund an OME lift setup. :)

    But we put on a Bestop TrektopNX - their new soft top with sunrider/sunroof feature that doesn't use any frame hardware. It was a pain to install the first time, but after a few days of sun and stretching, looks REALLY good. If they drive it to work today, I'll throw up a pic of it.

    We now have about 8 Jeeps where I work ready for offroad, so we're heading to a local OHV on the 28th to try things out. They're working on getting CB's installed, so I suspect I'll be doing a bit of antenna tuning these next few weeks. LOL

    -Paul
  • martyzmartyz Member Posts: 21
    Good to hear from you, Tom. Welcome back!
  • tired_old_davetired_old_dave Member Posts: 710
    Seriously considering letting the JK go like Hilldweller but unlike him, while the JK has after market support unlike the CRD, I am looking elsewhere. Looks the the ball joints are finally going just after buying a new tail light that wanted to be a swmming pool. But it was only one sheet metal screw and off came the light. If to really enjoy off roading it seems one rebuilds the vehicle. And yet just street use requires too much time and money. Thankfully Blue Rubi stickered at around 35k and from a fading memory paid around 28k and three years financing with no interest. Thank goodness it didn't sticker over 40K. Had sorrowful trips to Houston lately on always unfinished I-45 as opposed to the endless trips on always unfinished I35. Took Better_Half's H3.

    I hate you GM.
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Terry!

    I'm back.

    Thelma Jane is gone but I now have "Molly Jane," a "mall crawler." (I do not intend to beat the new Jeep all to pieces on the trails.)

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Thanks for the welcome back.

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tired_old_davetired_old_dave Member Posts: 710
    Considered the options.
    One loan payment remains.
    Going in to dealer service tomorrow.
  • ourjeeplifeourjeeplife Member Posts: 44
    For more then 4 years we regretted ever selling our 1999 Jeep Wrangler that we worked so hard on. Hand painting the camo and adding allot of simply adjustments to personalize "muffin". Spent years dreaming of when we had the doors off and just drove for days.. For some strange reason my wife wanted to get into a 2004 Jeep Commander.. this was the worse jeep we've ever had.. suffering through the issues, bad repairs and a number of misjudged upgrades.. So as of this past Monday the 30th.. we found a great deal on a used 2008 Jeep Wrangler X.. and my wife said this is be our last Jeep.. I've always said; never say never, cause you know when she sees a new jeep she'll want another one. So till then, I expect to have the doors off and replaced with soft doors, relocate the mirrors, take out the rear seat, throw all the camping gear in the back and just have fun.. again.
  • tsjaytsjay Member Posts: 4,591
    Congrats on getting back into a Wrangler, ourjeeplife! Good move!

    Tomster

    Have you hugged your Jeep today?
  • tired_old_davetired_old_dave Member Posts: 710
    Thanks Nona and Shawn.

    Got my jeep back from service today. Everything is right with my world. Some vehicles need more attention than others but if you bought a factory extended warranty and have a good service advisor and a good mechanic that work for a good guy like Jamie, life is a lot less complicated.
  • ourjeeplifeourjeeplife Member Posts: 44
    Been working very hard to get the word out.. and my efforts haven't gone unheard.. Just Yesterday got a few things from DayStar.. and a few days before some new Husky Liners mud guards.. I've been contacted by K&N, Krylon and Mequiar's but have yet to hear anything back..

    The "Fallen Hero Project" is slow going.. I do have some exiting news.. Whitney my niece has offered to pose for me wearing the New DayStar 35th Anniversary t-shirt beside and in the jeep.. Although I'm not a professional photographer.. and I have a very limited camera.. I'll do my best to post images via my blog site soon after.
  • tired_old_davetired_old_dave Member Posts: 710
    As I wrote above, I only have a login here but also read elsewhere.

    The above title is a thread elsewhere. If that was my local dealership I would be into a new ride from another manufacturer that day. Did that with the CRD. But funny, I use that dealership for my JK which is under new ownership again. It was more of the lousy CRD and lack of dealership/mechanic knowledge of a limited production vehicle. It seems initial ownership is great until a few miles go by on some vehicle lines.
  • ourjeeplifeourjeeplife Member Posts: 44
    Finally completed both sets of mud guards.. Thou I've only written part I of this installation.. You get the jest of the whole post:

    http://travelstrekstrails.groupsite.com/post/operation-husky-liners-mud-guards
  • dangarrdangarr Member Posts: 2
    I am planning on purchasing a used Jeep Wrangler soft top in the next couple of months. Not for me - a 40 bday gift for my wife who has always wanted one. It will be a third vehicle - for fun - used on weekends when weather is nice. Not real tough and rough off roading. Purchased cars before - no clue about a Jeep Wrangler. Based on my price range - the Jeep Wrangler I will be looking at would be 2000 - 2005 with somewhere between 60,000 and 90,000 (based on some initial browsing I have done in the Louisville area). Want to know / learn what to look for - what to avoid - what to expect - what to be careful about. Making up the following as an example only: in the 2002 and 2003 - always or never buy a manual because the clutch was terrible. Again - that is just example only. Would some of you be willing to send some advice and/or tips? Very much appreciated!
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Some will say to stay away from 97's because they are the first year of the TJ's.

    Biggest thing to look for is under the Jeep. Look for signs that it has been offroaded - scrapes, dents, leaks, excessive rust, mud on the top of the skid plate for the transmission.

    For 05 and 06, there is some concern about the oil pump distribution assembly (OPDA), but it has been hit or miss. The newer TJ's will have the NV transmissions that have had positive reviews.

    I know of some people in Louisville that may be able to help you look for a Wrangler.

    Preference towards automatic or manual?

    Personally, I'd go with a stock Jeep or one that has been LIGHTLY modified to ensure they haven't screwed anything up, but if you take a Jeep offroader with you, they can help you determine if it the mods are good or not.

    -Paul
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Are you an active duty member of the U.S. military in the process of shopping for a new or used car? A news reporter is interested in talking with you. Please contact [email protected] by June 30, 2012.
  • dangarrdangarr Member Posts: 2
    Great information. Much appreciated. My plan is to find something as stock as possible. "off roading" will probably be the occassional unpaved country road. So certainly not looking for off roading modifications. No preference with automatic or manual. I would lean to one or the other if a certain model or year had some history with a bad auto trans or bad clutch assembly, etc. Either is fine. I have see a few models in 4cyl but most in 6cyl. Understand less hp of course. Other than that - (there will be no towing) any things I should think about on engine size? I am looking and keeping my eyes open. I appreciate the guidance if you know of someone that could offer some assistance in looking for a Wrangler. Thank you, - Dan
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Having owned (still do) a 4cylinder 2.5L TJ, I'd say go for the 4.0 inline 6 if you can find one in your budget. Both are solid engines, but the day-in-day-out driving will be much easier on you with the 4.0 inline 6.

    -Paul
  • tired_old_davetired_old_dave Member Posts: 710
    This saturday September 15th from 11am to 3pm (at least officially), ScreaminLizard and AEV are hosting a Jeep Show and a complimentary lunch and drinks and more. It is being hosted at ScreaminLizard in Bedford Texas.
    Additional information is out there for out of towners.
  • txpackersfantxpackersfan Member Posts: 27
    Did you ever buy a Wrangler? I'd be interested in what you learned as you went through the process. I too am looking for a used Wrangler for my wife. Something 2005 or newer with a manual transmission.

    I've typically only bought Toyotas and Hondas for their reliability. Everything I read outside of Jeep forums says don't buy one. It's the lowest rated vehicle for reliability by Consumer Reports and that's based on actual surveys from consumers. But my wife doesn't care. She's always wanted one and we all know how important it is to have a happy wife. We don't plan on taking it off-road at all. It mainly will be used to take the kids to school and do errands.

    So I too would be interested in knowing what are good model years to look at and which model years to stay away from.

    Also I'd be interested in knowing what problems do people typically find on their Wranglers. Major problems like engine and transmission are things I don't want to deal with.
  • tired_old_davetired_old_dave Member Posts: 710
    Read your posts in the Toyota Sequoia Forum; 4wd, Toyota, three teenagers the oldest being 6'4", gas guzzler no problem can buy because you can. Boy am I confused. Order a 2013 the way she wants it. Or find a 2009 rear drive only, if indeed they made them. Only saw the rwd reference in the Jeep brochure. Better yet test drive a new loaded wrangler if you can find one then test drive a hemi Grand Cherokee, if indeed she wants a jeep or just be seen in one. I am not trying to be smart or anything. By the way, wife has a 2006 H3 Adventure package and it sure is nice to drive from dry to rain and into lots of snow and not even grab for a transfer case stick. Yes with her H3 and my 2009 Rubicon we have bought a lot of gas. Would I buy an H3 or H4 if they still existed. Yes.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited February 2013
    2012 Jeep Wrangler: The Big Loop

    Los Angeles, Sacramento, Reno, Virginia City, Bishop, Panamint Springs, Death Valley and back. Looks like fun.

    image

    And yeah, that's a windshield crack on Edmunds' long term Wrangler tester.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited July 2013
    "The 2012 Jeep Wrangler remains a one-of-a-kind vehicle that combines a simple design, extraordinary off-road abilities and an affordable price into a reliable, fun-to-drive package that does exactly what you expect of it."

    2012 Jeep Wrangler Long-Term Road Test

    Oh, the Jeep was sold out of the Edmunds fleet, but it's sort of staying "in house"
  • marybethmcgmarybethmcg Member Posts: 6
    Were there any particular problems or recalls with 2012 Wrangler Unlimited Sports?
  • tired_old_davetired_old_dave Member Posts: 710
    I now drive better-half's 2006 H3. Darn you GM. We would've bought another one. As such she now drives a luxury import body on frame suv. It was a stretch but glad we did. Like winter2 that was my last CJDFiat.
  • ourjeeplifeourjeeplife Member Posts: 44

    @marybethmcg said:
    Were there any particular problems or recalls with 2012 Wrangler Unlimited Sports?

    Mary, best log the jeep site, locate the user/owner area and enter your VIN number.. If you don't have a Jeep Wrnagler and your thinking of buying one.. The Jeep Dealership should have a complete list of all recalls. Off the top of my head, I'm not aware of any.

  • ourjeeplifeourjeeplife Member Posts: 44
    edited February 2014

    @ourjeeplife said:
    Finally completed both sets of mud guards.. Thou I've only written part I of this installation.. You get the jest of the whole post:

    Link Removed

    Well I've really had issues with holding onto site's I've created.. But I found a site called WikiHow and decided to post the Mud guard install there. Seeing how I couldn't take many pictures while I was doing the install.. the Admins at wikihow did the images for me.
    Thou the images are sort of campie/cartoonish they explain a bit better (image wise) than I was able to post.
    So here is the updated version of my article from 2 years back:

    http://www.wikihow.com/Install-Husky-Liners-Mud-Guards

    By The Way.. Just wanted to make something clear.. These mud guards are not for off road and I found out the hard way. Having to cut about 3/4 of the guards off after attempting a trail.

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454

    Is it 2018 already?

    "Speaking about the new platform being developed for 2018 Jeep Wrangler, Manley said, “There will be no compromises,” he said. “It has to be its own architecture. When I think about the next-generation Wrangler at this moment in time, we are the benchmark, so I want to push the benchmark even further.”

    Jeep Wrangler 2018 will be lighter, more fuel efficient (motoroids.com)

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454

    A Bloomberg reporter would like to speak to a recent buyer of a new Chrysler (preferably Town & Country or 200), Jeep (preferably Wrangler or Cherokee) or RAM. If this is you or someone you know, and you're comfortable sharing your story for publication on a site that boasts 24 million unique monthly visitors, please send your daytime contact information to me by 10 p.m. PT tonight.

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