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Comments
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Don't know about the '00, but earlier than that the sound bar wasn't standard (it is now). That's the only thing I wish I had on my '98 Sport. Check out the exhaust manifold - they redesigned them in '00 (I think that's the year). Previous to that they often failed and they are expensive to replace (I speak from experience!).
Other options depend on how you plan to use it. For instance, I had no need for fog lights when I bought mine, but once I moved to my mountain pass home, I was sure glad they happened to be on the one I bought!
Advice for Wannajeepbad is best given here - that way even the lurkers can benefit from the sage advice (thx, Mtngal!).
Steve
Hosts, SUVs
First off, welcome! Glad you came here.
For your info, there was no such thing as a 96 Wrangler: that's the year that they switched from the YJs to the TJs. So, from about 87 to 95, the Wranglers were YJs, and from 97 on up, they are TJs.
The TJs have the round headlights (YJs' headlights are rectangular) and coil springs instead of leaf springs. The coil springs give a much smoother ride, and most people agree that the suspension of the TJs is better offroad too.
So, you are doing well to get a 97 or newer.
Like mtngal said, the exhaust manifolds had a design flaw and cracked on the 97s and 98s, I'm not sure when that problem was corrected, but I would guess in 99 or 2000.
I think it was in 2000 that distributorless ignition came along, which is a nice improvement. No more distributor or spark plug wires to worry about.
Sometime in 2000 also, I think, the NV3550 manual transmission was introduced in the TJs, but I'm not sure how important that is. I think the previous tranny was pretty good.
Like anything else, improvements are made over time, so the newer the Jeep you buy, the more refined it is going to be.
You wouldn't go wrong with any Jeep from 97 up, assuming you get the right deal, but be prepared to have the exhaust manifold replaced on one older than about 99 or 2000, unless it has already been replaced.
One potential biggie, if you are gonna wheel that Jeep, and especially if you are going to go to tires bigger than 30", is to get one that has the Dana 44 rear end instead of the Dana 35. The 44s are much beefier and support the bigger tires much better. For most people, though, who only occasionally offroad and have no plans for big tires, the 35 is acceptable.
Best thing to do is read a bunch of the old posts in here. Lots of questions have been asked and answered in here.
Don't be afraid to ask a question, though, even if you think it might have been asked before. We don't flame folks in here, and newbies are always welcome.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
this board as well as the TJ FAQ http://www.visi.com/~tam/tjfaq.html#sec2_5
The FAQ will answer a ton of your questions
Hope this helps
Probably not. Tons of hot rods use them for improved street performance.
:-)
http://www.rockcrawler.com/techreports/powertrax_tj/front/index.asp
http://www.4x4wire.com/reviews/no-slip/
http://www.4x4wire.com/reviews/no-slip/installation/
http://www.drivetrain.com/Powertrex.html
http://www.2bigbroncos.com/technical/powertrax_no_slip_install/
Personally, I like the Sahara seats. I also prefer the color-coded flares. I just like the look. Mine's all white with a dark tan soft top.
When I bought my Sahara last year, I figured out that the Sahara was around $500 more than a Sport with the identical options added. The seats and matching fender flares were well worth it to me. Plus, I just love the little Sahara decal! ;-)
Good luck.
Saharagal
THANKS.
I don't think Jeeps are any better or any worse about rusting than other makes. If you live in an area where lots of salt is used in the winter, then maybe undercoating would be a good option.
If you can afford a new Jeep, then that's the way to go. They have some killer incentives on the left over new 02s.
I'll bet you're gonna love that Jeep and want to keep it for a long, long time, so why not get a new one?
Where do you live, and how do you plan to use the Jeep? Are you going to offroad it? Will it be daily transportation?
These are important factors in determining which Jeep and which options are best for you.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Have you found a place to host your pics on the Internet somewhere? You could post some of your pics in the gallery here in Edmunds, if you had a web host for your pics that allows direct links.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
We bought our Sahara while living in Chicago. The Wranglers hold their value so well that it just made sense to buy new. Plus we tend to keep cars a long time. (I'm driving the wifes 72 Beetle she drove in college...)
Vehicles only a few years old can be pretty loaded with rust in the midwest, so if you can afford it, go new.
Afraid I don't know on the autos, we only drive manuals in our house.
Good luck on your Wrangler purchase!
New vs. used - I'd probably go new in your case, also. It won't be that much more money and you don't have to worry about rust. They use sand on our roads, so I don't have any rust problems on my '98 Wrangler.
I don't have any personal experience with AT Wranglers - we are also only MT drivers. However, a while ago there was someone who bought a new AT. I'm at work and don't have time to scroll back, but you might want to go back a month or so and take a look. They gave it a positive review, though they said it would take a while to get used to the lower RPMs, I think.
"To anyone who is interested in 'wheelin in Kentucky, there is a new club called the Kentucky Krawlers that has just formed.
We had our first "unofficial" run Sunday in Chromer Ridge (Livingston, KY.)
If you would like more information about going 'wheelin with us or what we are about, then check out http://pub95.ezboard.com/bkentuckykrawlers"
http://www.high-tec-retreading.com/
and
http://www.high-tec-retreading.com/diamond.html
testimonials:
http://www.high-tec-retreading.com/testimonials.html
sizes and prices:
http://www.high-tec-retreading.com/sizes.html
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I am thinking of a sport or rubicon but can not tell if they are worth the money since most driving will be on road.
Thanks for the help in advance.
CJSoti
There is a guy down the street from me who has a baby, and I laugh every Saturday when I see the two bald heads going up and down the street, doing errands or whatever. They both look like they're having a ball. Why deny your kids the fun?
One thing that you should give serious attention to is that Jeep Wranglers maintain an extremely high resale value.
I've been thinking about going to one car payment and trading in 2 cars on a new Wrangler. If I do that I'd look at both the X and the Sport with the idea that perhaps I could do without the Dana 44, since it would be a daily driver more than a dedicated off-roader and I doubt I would get a lift (better on road handling). I can get every other thing I want with the X.
The answer to your question is yes, they are all worth the money, depending.
anonymous - what did I leave out?
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I'll enjoy that dream eventually but I'm "getting by" with a new 2002 Mercury Cougar. The gas mileage and price I couldn't pass up...and I was really getting tired of driving my Dad's old F150 pickup....with over 130,000 miles on it and not so good gas mileage. It cost me $35 to $45 to fill up both tanks and it seemed to never last long enough
To those whose financial situation allows you to get a Jeep go for it...the ride is great!...just don't wait too long if you see one that you want. Your color choice and features may not be there on the lot for long. When you get it...ENJOY!
Hug your Jeeps for me
smedcougar..aka dwrangler
If you end up with small rock chips, I've found that factory touch up paint along with Mothers chip repair kit (gets the paint blob smoothed out) works really well on our vehicles. Plenty of paint chips and such have been treated on all ours.
I also bought a can of spray bedliner and hit the front wheelwells with two coats. I did this initially to get them black (as opposed to body color - white for me), but the added benefit is protecting the paint from chipping and rust. I also used it to hit the undercoating spots that were missed at the factory. Whenever I have to drill through the body for mounting anything, I use the spray bedliner to cover the bolt or screw from the exposed side (bottom of tub, wheel well, etc.) as well. HTH
-twylie
There are a ton of rocker panel protection companies and products.
Most need to get bolted onto the side of the body.
4Xdoctor comes to mind.
I really, really like them, and I think they are the best looking rocker guards out there. Like Twylie said, though, they don't have a step built into them like some do. I didn't need a step, so I just went for protection and good looks.
I got mine through offroadtoystore.com. I would tell ya how much they were, but I couldn't find the paperwork (I'm thinkin about $225 like Twylie said). I probably posted how much I paid for them back about the time they came in, if ya want to check some old posts. I think it was Memorial Day when I put them on.
Chef, if you're gonna wheel that Jeep, then I would certainly recommend a steering box skid and a Kilby gas tank skid also.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
dewars
Man, you are the one that must decide about the questions you asked. We don't know how you plan to use the Jeep, so we can't offer good advice.
Those Rubicons are AWESOME, if you plan to do much "wheelin'" with your Jeep. They are actually a BARGAIN for what they sell for vs the cost of fixing up a Sport to the same capability. An aftermarket 4:1 transfer case alone would be about $2000. I don't know what you would pay for a Dana 44 up front if you had to buy one and install it, but I know it wouldn't be cheap. Also, dual selectable lockers??? Installed, I would guess about $2000.
Let us know more about what you would do with the Jeep, and maybe we can help ya out.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
The holes didn't bother me so much, but it still took a while to get those nuts and washers on. You will want to use tape on your socket to keep the nut from falling out. If you pay to have them put on then it is not your problem.
The Kilby gas tank skid like Tsjay mentioned is not hard to get on, just a bit heavy if doing it by yourself. The Kilby also gives you an extra inch of clearance over the stock gas tank skid.
I cheated and went with a dealer installed DC steering box skid when I bought the vehicle.
I also have a 4XDOC guard for the rear differential which I have not put on yet.
I am looking at Skid Row for a skid plate for my engine.
Unless DC follows through on the rumored "Scrambler", this is my only option (well, dream at this point).
I have looked into a "safari" jeep, but they are hard to come by.
Pardon the wild idea, it must be getting late.
Don't really have anything to say, except that I wish it would quit raining! I guess we are getting the remnants of Isidore here.
Hope I can wheel tomorrow, but that place will sure be a swamp!
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
You can send that rain out here to Colorado, we need it BAD !!
Hey gang, remember when you change gears you need to change your speedometer gear. I went from 307's to 456's and now when I'm going about 40 mph, my speedo reads about 70. I'm having it fixed soon, but it's a little wierd right now.
dewars
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?