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mod sassinator posted:Aren't the Jeep V8's (4.7, 5.2, etc.) not well regarded for reliability? You can't go wrong with something powered by the 4 liter I6. It will leak a little oil and get pretty bad mileage (13-15mpg) but will run forever. The Viscous Coupling wearing out in the NP249/NV249 (quadra trac) Tcase seems to be an issue of when, not if. You can get a replacement VC on ebay for 300, and there are instructions online on how to swap it without having to drop and crack the case. Another common fix is to swap in an NP242 or NP231 case. Also the pre 96' cases don't lock up in low range. 96 onwards locks in low range, as well as the power split changes from 50/40 to 80/20.
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Feb 5, 2011 09:59
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mod sassinator posted:It really surprises me they don't put the 5.7 liter Hemi V8 in the Wrangler these days. Must be too tight a fit. They could do A LOT of things.
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Feb 5, 2011 13:06
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Please tell me it's totally retarded to be even considering buying a '52 CJ-3A with no doors or top as an only vehicle (I drive maybe once every 2 weeks but when I do I take major highways often) when I live in the city and only have on-street parking. Because I'm considering it, but I know it's a bad idea.
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Feb 5, 2011 15:21
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Tyro posted:Please tell me it's totally retarded to be even considering buying a '52 CJ-3A with no doors or top as an only vehicle (I drive maybe once every 2 weeks but when I do I take major highways often) when I live in the city and only have on-street parking. Because I'm considering it, but I know it's a bad idea. Sorry, that's too impractical. Unless it never rains, you'll hate tarping it all the time.
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Feb 5, 2011 15:50
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The other aside of that is that it's really cheap and easy to build a small carport to park it under. Alternately, garage.
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Feb 5, 2011 16:08
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Kimbo, thanks, that's what I thought but I just wanted confirmation. How expensive would a decent reproduction soft top be? A quick google search shows a few in the $700-800 range but I have no idea if they are good or not. Tactical Bonnet posted:The other aside of that is that it's really cheap and easy to build a small carport to park it under. Alternately, garage. Yeah, but it's not legal to build a carport where I live, and I don't have the money for a garage.
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Feb 5, 2011 17:45
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iwentdoodie posted:So, I guess my hopes for a JK are pretty much dashed. Was really dead set on getting when one I come back to the states. That was until tonight, when I talked to 3 different people who own them. All 3 said they regretted the hell out of it, that it was gutless and underpowered as gently caress, and while the Jeep itself was amazing offroad, the engine was almost scarily underpowered at times. I've never driven a JK but I have a hard time believing that a 3.8 with factory 3.73 or 4.10 gears would be gutless. IF you hosed up and got a JK with 3.27s or 3.55s, yes maybe. Gear ratios are overlooked by buyers.
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Feb 5, 2011 18:15
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1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer for sale in the Cleveland area for any of you goons interested: http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/2159293469.html
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Feb 5, 2011 18:35
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Tossed_Salad_Man posted:They could do A LOT of things. God drat, I bet they could fit the 8.4 liter Viper V10 under there too. Jeep Wrangler SRT-10, anyone? 
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Feb 5, 2011 19:49
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mod sassinator posted:God drat, I bet they could fit the 8.4 liter Viper V10 under there too. Jeep Wrangler SRT-10, anyone? Holy crap, someone's already done it! And it looks like it fits... barely. "Dear Santa..." http://www.burnsvilleoffroad.com/Articles/05_11_06c.aspx  
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Feb 5, 2011 20:56
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iwentdoodie posted:So, I guess my hopes for a JK are pretty much dashed. Was really dead set on getting when one I come back to the states. That was until tonight, when I talked to 3 different people who own them. All 3 said they regretted the hell out of it, that it was gutless and underpowered as gently caress, and while the Jeep itself was amazing offroad, the engine was almost scarily underpowered at times. The 3.8 makes 202 horsepower. The 4-Door Rubicon weights around 4800lbs. It's not a fast vehicle but it's not gutless. A lot of people think that they're gutless though because of the drive-by-wire throttle body. It has a weird "feature" that kinda buffers the throttle input so that it doesn't jerk around. You can fix this with a superchip or a small add-on thing, and apparently improves the throttle response by a whole bunch. Then again, if being slightly underpowered turns you off, the Jeep line might not be right for you.
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Feb 6, 2011 00:05
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jonathan posted:Then again, if being slightly underpowered turns you off, the Jeep line might not be right for you. Yeah I see feedback of that pop up all the time when it comes to peoples expectations of off road vehicles "on road". A Jeep wranger isn't going to handle like a sports car. The JK Wrangler is great off road with it's "underpowered" engine. It's a 4x4 in the shape of a brick, if you want speed, get a sports car or a cycle. That being said, screw the viper motor, put a Duramax or Cummins diesel on a JK and you got me sold 
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Feb 6, 2011 22:23
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jonathan posted:The 3.8 makes 202 horsepower. The 4-Door Rubicon weights around 4800lbs. It's not a fast vehicle but it's not gutless. A lot of people think that they're gutless though because of the drive-by-wire throttle body. It has a weird "feature" that kinda buffers the throttle input so that it doesn't jerk around. You can fix this with a superchip or a small add-on thing, and apparently improves the throttle response by a whole bunch. Then again, if being slightly underpowered turns you off, the Jeep line might not be right for you. I've driven numerous older Jeeps, and never had an issue on or offroad with them. But this forum is literally the only place where I've heard them described as being anything other than gutless and anemic, so far. A vehicle being slightly underpowered is one thing, but it's a whole nother ball game when every owner I talk to (usually multi jeep owners) complains of the same thing: horrible engine.
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Feb 6, 2011 23:10
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iwentdoodie posted:I've driven numerous older Jeeps, and never had an issue on or offroad with them. But this forum is literally the only place where I've heard them described as being anything other than gutless and anemic, so far. We live in an era where V6 engines make better than 350 horsepower in mass production non-italian sportscars. So, compared to an infinity g37 or a Ford F150 with eco-boost, yes the motor is crap. But you can also buy a JK for under $17,000 new with warranty from the dealership. The JK makes over 200 horsepower (at the flywheel). It's about as fast as a Dodge Caravan. I live in Coastal BC, which has hills everywhere. I have no problem doing the speed limit on any hill. On the coquihalla hwy (ask the truckers thread about that hwy), I still do 80kph up the hills with cruise control on in 3rd gear with the auto at a reasonable rpm. So yes, the engine is totally livable. The vehicle isn't fast, but it's not so slow that you can't merge safely or climb a hill.
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Feb 7, 2011 01:38
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What was the last year the I6 was available in the Wrangler? I'm starting to think about what to replace my Cherokee with when she kicks it.
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Feb 7, 2011 02:06
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2006, in the TJ.
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Feb 7, 2011 04:31
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Be careful of the '05 and '06 4 liter engines though, there's apparently an issue with camshaft sensor gears that can kill the whole camshaft over time. 
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Feb 7, 2011 09:18
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Yeah, 2004 seems to be the last "good" year for the 4.0.
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Feb 7, 2011 16:59
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w1ntermute posted:I am having the worst loving time trying to track this problem down. Here we go: The disconnect is not your problem. My buddy's 95 XJ is doing the exact same thing, only he still wheeled it for a whole weekend with the popping sound. We think it is something inside the T-case, because we didn't find any binding in the driveshaft or the axle, and like yours it only makes the popping sound in 4WD. I think he's been too busy to look into it further, but you might try putting it up on 4 jack stands and engaging 4WD. See if you can find the popping, or if it makes it at all with no load on the drivetrain. That would help you isolate it. I did the same mod to my 91 YJ's front axle disconnect, only I just drilled a hole in the housing and ran a bolt through to keep the shift fork in place. The PO had installed one of those Posi-Lok devices and it just never worked properly. I had to do plenty of trails in 2WD because I couldn't get 4WD to engage so I finally got fed up.
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Feb 7, 2011 16:59
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Thanks for the ideas. Unfortunately the jack stand idea won't work, since it only makes awful sounds when its under load. I can give it about 10 to 20% throttle from idle and it won't pop unless I lay on it a bit more. I would be scared to try anything more than a little gas up on jack stands to be honest. I'll see if I can do some testing with someone outside the car while I start from a stop a few times in 4wd. From inside it sounds like its coming from somewhere in the front, but it's impossible to pinpoint.
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Feb 7, 2011 20:18
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We just had a death in the family due to wire rot (99 Ford Contour, may you rest in peace) and my wife's dream car is a Wrangler, so some questions for Jeep people itt: I am hoping to spend no more than 2-3K for a Wrangler more recent than, say, the last 20 years or so. This may seem dumb as hell but I live in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, and there are a *lot* of military bases around here. It's not uncommon to see 'deployment sales' where you'll have cars and electronics let go for borderline insultingly low prices because the owner is going to the other side of the world in a week, and needs the car gone now. 1) Are there any glaring problems I should be looking out for? I'm smart enough to assume that the average CL ad is NOT going to tell me everything I want to know, and I have the world's most honest and thorough mechanic ever forever willing to look at anything I bring to him, but it would save us both a lot of time if I knew to always check the interocitor for signs of lubricant discharge or something. 2) Are there any glaring NONproblems I should be looking out for? For instance, if the brake lines need replacement, but component X is in great shape, does that make the car more likely to be reliable and justify the expense of brake repair? 3) Are there any particularly common stupid owner tricks? It seems pretty common for people to drill holes in the roll cagey-thing on the back to hook things on to it, does that compromise the structural integrity enough so it's worth walking away from an otherwise reasonable deal for? That sort of thing. Aftermarket modifications that I should run far away from / lustily toward count here too. 4) It seems like a coin toss whether any given wrangler is going to have no top, a soft top, or the hard top. How much should this figure in to pricing - like if I have two otherwise identical wranglers, one is topless but the other has the hard top, what's the maximum price difference that I should go for the hard top version? This is probably poorly worded, sorry! 5) Assuming I find a wrangler suitable for purchase, will I be legally required to get a 'This Jeep rescues 4x4 trucks' bumper sticker, or is that just really really popular among douchebags? Sorry for the  and the zillion questions but I want to make sure I am not buying a time bomb. THANKS DUDES
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Feb 7, 2011 20:31
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OK, an update on my Jeep. I replaced the rear 2 tires, replaced both front wheel bearings and had the alignment done. I hate to say, it's even worse than before. I get to 60 and I'm shaking, 65 and it feels like it's literally ripping it's wheels off. I've already dumped about a grand into this thing. I'm going to have the front tires replaced Wednesday, and more diagnostic work. My question is should I just give up? Do you imagine I'm nearing the end of the time I'll be done hemhoraging money? Or are Jeeps just one of those things where required replacements are a monthly occurance? Edit: Grammar are good. drill press corps fucked around with this message at 21:57 on Feb 7, 2011 |
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Feb 7, 2011 20:51
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1999 Cherokee 4.0l, 5 sp, 120xxx mi, base model(so it was a pull knob for lights instead of a stalk) I'm having a problem where my running lights will flash on/off rhythmically, more or less in time with hazard lights/turn signals. Also, my gauge cluster flashes similarly and a relay of some sort clicks in the dash. This doesn't occur 100% of the time but nonetheless occurs quite frequently. I didn't turn up much in google other than possible corrosion in light sockets somewhere, bad ground, fuse issues...
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Feb 7, 2011 22:19
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Veins McGee posted:1999 Cherokee 4.0l, 5 sp, 120xxx mi, base model(so it was a pull knob for lights instead of a stalk)
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Feb 8, 2011 01:44
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Veins McGee posted:1999 Cherokee 4.0l, 5 sp, 120xxx mi, base model(so it was a pull knob for lights instead of a stalk) Sounds a lot like the weird electrical issues later model XJ's get from corrosion on the gauge cluster connector. See this: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/97-xj-speedometer-tachometer-airbag-light-problems-822636/ My '99 will sometimes turn on the airbag light, lose turn signals, and make relay clicks when I press the brakes because of this problem. Next time it happens try pushing in on the guage cluster, it apparently helps some people. I took my cluster out and cleaned the connectors but it still happens from time to time (less frequently though).
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Feb 8, 2011 03:09
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PopeCrunch posted:Do you have any mechanical skill or do you want to learn? If not, don't buy an old, cheap Wrangler. If so, look for ones with a 4.0 liter engine. They're the most reliable engine and the most powerful. Also, the 2.5 liter is absolutely gutless. Look for a stock one, preferably one without even a lift kit or larger tires. They are less likely to have been abused by a previous owner. There are certainly some great modified Jeeps out there, it's just that in your price range the modified ones will be the ones that were absolutely flogged offroad and now the owner is either tired of them or they're on the verge of falling to pieces. I suppose Jeep pricing is regional, and in my neck of the woods 2-3K will not get you much Wrangler. Really, any modifications to a Jeep do not increase the value, but unlike a lot of cars, they don't necessarily lower the value either. The trick is ensuring that they were done properly. Obviously the most common mod is a lift kit, and if you find one with 4" or more of lift and on 35" tires, the first thing to check is if the axle gears were upgraded as well. The stock 3.07 gear ratio of the 4.0 Wrangler does not handle 35" tires very well. Another thing is the rear axles. The Dana 35 rear axle is not considered very reliable, and if it is pushing larger tires, some consider them to be time bombs. I've only had to replace the spider gears in mine, and I'm fairly sure that's just because the PO had it running 35" tires. Swapped down to 32"s and it runs fine. As for the top situation, it seems to me like hard tops command about $300-400 more than ones with only a soft top. I never see any that have no top at all around here. Mine came with a hard top, and when I got tired of having to enlist help to remove it all the time, I put an ad up on CL trying to sell it, and wound up trading it to a guy for his aftermarket sunrider soft top (where the front half flips back) and $400 cash. My hard top wasn't in particularly great condition, with faded paint and a missing dome light, but the soft top wasn't perfect either. You don't have to get any stickers unless you actually wheel the thing and rescue some other rigs, but there is something very satisfying about pulling an H2 out of what is little more than a logging road and then moving on to the real trails. Do you plan on wheeling it? This ties in to whether or not you want to work on it a lot. Not a month goes by where I'm not working on a Jeep, be it mine or a buddy's, because we are constantly breaking poo poo. As for problems to look out for, mostly just watch for rust on the body and frame. The 4.0s are nearly indestructible, and I don't know of anybody having major problems with the 5-speed (AX15) that came attached to those. Electrical problems seem to be relatively common, but most of them can be solved pretty easily if you know basic wiring techniques. Also, I have never seen a Wrangler with a gas gauge that works as you would expect it to. Sorry I didn't answer in order, but hopefully you'll get the idea.
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Feb 8, 2011 03:29
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PopeCrunch posted:I am hoping to spend no more than 2-3K for a Wrangler more recent than, say, the last 20 years or so. This may seem dumb as hell but I live in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, and there are a *lot* of military bases around here. It's not uncommon to see 'deployment sales' where you'll have cars and electronics let go for borderline insultingly low prices because the owner is going to the other side of the world in a week, and needs the car gone now. I think it's going to be tough to find a modern, reliable Wrangler for $2-3k. At least in the pacific northwest the only wranglers I see on craigslist for that price are 20+ years old, beat to hell or worse. Have a mechanic look at whatever car you find to make sure there aren't any major problems. Jeeps, especially older ones, can have a lot of little issues & quirks but generally have a reliable drivetrain. If she's looking for a reliable car that you just put gas in and it drives to work every day a $2-3k Wrangler might not be the best choice, but if she wants a fun second car it would be great. That said if you're looking for a daily driver Wrangler I would be on the lookout for body damage (banged up fenders, dented and banged up rocker panels, etc.), bent suspension components or skid plates, etc. which would indicate the Jeep has been knocked around heavily off-road. As far as aftermarket parts be wary of huge tires, lifts, etc.--they're great for offroading but usually sacrifice comfort and fuel economy on the road.
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Feb 8, 2011 03:34
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PopeCrunch posted:5) Assuming I find a wrangler suitable for purchase, will I be legally required to get a 'This Jeep rescues 4x4 trucks' bumper sticker, or is that just really really popular among douchebags? Stay classy
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Feb 8, 2011 14:03
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PopeCrunch posted:wanna wanna cheep jeep I've seen early 4.0 TJs get down into the 4-5K range here in the PNW, but we don't have rust issues here so trucks stay around longer and are more plentiful. I really wouldn't suggest you buy a YJ for your wife unless she inspects one personally and thinks it's her style. I like the YJ interior myself, but the TJ interior is miles ahead for the more... sensible tastes of a fine lady such as your wife must be. To recap if you don't already know this... YJ Wranglers are '87-95, TJ '97-06, JK 07-current. Also I really suggest finding one with a hard top. It will likely already have all of the wiring and plumbing for the hard top unless the owner added it themselves. You can wire up the hard top wiper for less than $10 in wiring and switch and a few hours of work, but the defrost and windshield squirter aren't easily replicated on the cheap. The soft top on a Jeep of the age that you can afford will probably be worn out and ready for replacement, so it's worth it to just get a hard top and buy a new soft top. There is a huge chance that your wife will hate driving a Jeep. Just make sure that you test drive potential Jeeps for a healthy amount of time if possible, and put the ride quality to serious consideration. brickswereshat posted:OK, an update on my Jeep. I replaced the rear 2 tires, replaced both front wheel bearings and had the alignment done. I hate to say, it's even worse than before. I get to 60 and I'm shaking, 65 and it feels like it's literally ripping it's wheels off. I've already dumped about a grand into this thing. I'm going to have the front tires replaced Wednesday, and more diagnostic work. The best tires need to be on the front axle and ALL of them need to be road force balanced, not just a lovely spin balance. If your shop doesn't have a road force balancer, dump them and go somewhere else. incredibull fucked around with this message at 23:49 on Feb 8, 2011 |
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Feb 8, 2011 23:45
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Yeah, that's another thing about YJs is that the ride is pretty rough. The TJ is slightly better with coil springs in front, though. With the lift kit in my YJ you can feel every single bump on the road, and the seats aren't exactly upholstered to luxury car standards. You can swap them out for Cavalier seats pretty easily, though. Edit: Going over speed bumps in a straight line is really fun if you have passengers in the back seat. Give it a little gas right before the rear wheels go over and watch them fly up until the seatbelt catches them. Most people don't like that but I think it's hilarious. Clamwacker fucked around with this message at 23:54 on Feb 8, 2011 |
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Feb 8, 2011 23:51
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Funny blurb in an article I read today: Cherˇoˇkee-itis: A disease that infects the minds, hearts and wallets of Jeep buyers who cannot accept that there was, is, or ever could be a replacement for the Cherokee, sometimes referred to as the XJ.
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Feb 9, 2011 02:04
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Kardiac Kid posted:Funny blurb in an article I read today: I sometimes toy with the idea of WRX wagon, but then I think about getting 16" of snow last week and driving around like it's clear pavement when everyone else is stuck or unable to leave home.
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Feb 9, 2011 02:40
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XJ's are a great value too--for $2-3k you can get one in good shape. For that money you get a comfortable people mover with great utility and good power. Parts and insurance are cheap too. The only thought I had after getting my XJ was why the hell didn't I get one sooner.
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Feb 9, 2011 02:58
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Anyone have a battery recommendation? Every thread over at Jeepforum is an argument between whether Optima is good anymore and Sears Diehard Platinum. I've got one set of off-road lights and a CB, not totally convinced I need a 200$ battery for those electrical accessories. I suppose if I ever get a winch, an upgraded battery is critical.
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Feb 9, 2011 16:16
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Clamwacker posted:Yeah, that's another thing about YJs is that the ride is pretty rough. The TJ is slightly better with coil springs in front, though. With the lift kit in my YJ you can feel every single bump on the road, and the seats aren't exactly upholstered to luxury car standards. You can swap them out for Cavalier seats pretty easily, though. That is the first time I have ever heard of Cavalier parts being used as an upgrade to anything.
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Feb 9, 2011 16:55
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^^^ GM may have put together some shite over the years but drat if their seats haven't always been cushy comfortable. The only thing I miss about my fiance's Corsica is the seats. Costco usually has good battery deals too. My family has bought car batteries from them as long as I can remember. No problems and the batteries seem very high quality. incredibull fucked around with this message at 17:05 on Feb 9, 2011 |
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Feb 9, 2011 17:03
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So my muffler broke off last night during my drive to work. The muffler itself is toast (I knew it need to be replaced) but it looks like the exhaust pipe to the muffler is okay. I can just buy parts from Autozone and bolt on a replacement right? Or do I need to have an exhaust shop weld in a new one?
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Feb 9, 2011 17:29
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I took it to the suspension shop today. Apparently, my XJ will just engage the 4hi on it's own at hi speeds. Or something. They said the 4hi wasn't disengaging and that's what's causing my Jeep to shake like the gigantic money pit it's turning out to be. Any way to manually disengage, permanently disengage, disable the 4wd, or SOMETHING? I'd like to reach speeds higher than 55 mph so I can stop embarassing myself on the highway.
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Feb 9, 2011 17:38
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^^ I think they more likely mean that your vaccuum collar is engaging or sticking if you have an earlier XJ. If this were occuring rapidly I could see it causing an erratic vibration, not a constant one. But all later Jeeps lack locking hubs or disconnect collars completely, the axle/diff is always rotating, so this shouldn't be an issue. This may be a case of a shop not familiar with Jeeps putting the truck up on the rack and seeing that the front axle and driveshaft are rotating, which if you have a non-disconnect D30 or have the disconnect disabled, is normal. Anything is possible but I really don't buy that your 4HI is engaging on its own. Realize that if you have a part time transfer case, the shift fork has to be forcefully moved via the select lever. Very unlikely that it will just move on its own, unless possibly the linkage is bound near the point where the fork is engaging 4HI - you would be able to tell this easily as the select lever would not be fully in the 2HI position. If you have a fulltime transfer case, your Jeep will engage 4HI on its own and is designed to do so. You may also suggest that they check the front driveshaft for any missing balance weights. You can spot this yourself if you check the entire circumfrence of the shaft for any discolored spots where something was obviously once welded onto the shaft but is now gone. It happens more often then you think. Rhyno posted:So my muffler broke off last night during my drive to work. The muffler itself is toast (I knew it need to be replaced) but it looks like the exhaust pipe to the muffler is okay. I can just buy parts from Autozone and bolt on a replacement right? Or do I need to have an exhaust shop weld in a new one? I've done clamped exhaust before. It works fine for a while, if you do it right it can probably last a really long time. I didn't do mine right, no loctite or locking nuts on the clamps. I dropped an entire 6' worth of straight pipe into a busy intersection one day and almost caused a wreck. What can I say, I was a poor teen and didn't know what I was doing. If you clamp it, use exhaust joint adhesive (seriously) on the joints and lots of loctite or locking nuts on the clamps, let it all set for a day before you run it. incredibull fucked around with this message at 18:23 on Feb 9, 2011 |
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Feb 9, 2011 18:14
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incredibull posted:I've done clamped exhaust before. It works fine for a while, if you do it right it can probably last a really long time. I didn't do mine right, no loctite or locking nuts on the clamps. I dropped an entire 6' worth of straight pipe into a busy intersection one day and almost caused a wreck. What can I say, I was a poor teen and didn't know what I was doing. If you clamp it, use exhaust joint adhesive (seriously) on the joints and lots of loctite or locking nuts on the clamps, let it all set for a day before you run it. Thanks for the tips. Autozone has some heavy duty exhaust clamps that appear to have locking nuts already on them so I'll go with those when I do this.
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Feb 9, 2011 18:26
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