Buying my first Jeep

[snccoulter]

That said driving a soft top with the window portion of the door missing in 15degree weather for 60+ miles at highway speeds is really freaking cold :)

I bet it does but I would not know. Oh and thank you for that favor.

[kkemp]

I have a hard top and soft top and like them both. But if I had to make a choice, I'd go with soft.

[nelsonccc]

I had a 2000 Jeep cherokee with the 4.0liter in line 6 and nothing ever went wrong with it. I had it for 5 years and never had to fix anything on it other than the normal wear and tear items. It had 30,000 miles on it when I bought it and 112,000 miles when I traded it in. Never had to do anything to it.

Anyways I looked into a lift kit quite a bit. I looked into ghetto cheap lifts and fancy custom lifts. I never did it, 'cause I found that i didn't need it. I was pretty much able to go wherever I wanted in southern utah, nevada, and arizona. I was constantly amazed at the stuff I could get through with just a basic stock set-up and normal All Terrain tires. I found that unless you're planning on doing Moab type rock crawling a big lift is uneccessary. So before you spend the dough you might want to truly evaluate the type of off roading you'll do because a lift kit is a hassle, cuts gas mileage, and expensive.

PS. Some time I'll have to explain how I know that a jeep floats and where the drain plugs are in the interior.

[teancum]

Is there a way to tell the difference between the different models of jeeps (SE vs sports utility vs Sahara)? I am going to go look at a Jeep tonight that I think was miss posted. It is a 99 Wrangler that is listed as having a 4 cyl. but it has those fog lights that I mostly see on Sahara's.

Here is the only picture that I have of it for right now.

[teancum]

nelsonccc, I think that you are right. I was test driving a nicely modified Wrangler the other day and after I was done I just felt like it was a little overkill for me and a waste of a great crawler... Kind of like buying a Porsche to drive around town.

[kkemp]

I agree that a stock rig may be all you need. However, let me warn that a stock YJ is not as capable as a stock TJ. So, if you are going with stock, stick with the TJ. Stock YJ's have the worst clearance of any jeep ever made and are stiff as hell. Also, some TJ's, like the Canyonlands model, come with 31" tires. I think one of those would be great if you can find one. Problem is they seem to be pretty rare.

[teancum]

I just tested out the 99 wrangler and it was a 4 cyl... everything else was in good shape it looks to be stock and taken off road very little if at all. It has spent most of its life outside of Utah so there is less rust then expected which is a plus. The only bad thing about it is the 4 cyl engine, but I think that I can get it for less than the trade in value for the jeep.

I have not driven a 4wd vehicle that much... well more like never so I had a question about how the 4 wheel drive low felt. After about 1500 rmp (2 mph maybe) it left like the clutch disengaged and I didnt get any more speed out of the jeep... the rmps just went up like the jeep was in neutral. In 2nd gear the same thing happened only I could get to 7 mph... 3rd and 4th gear left fine, but where slow (expected I would assume). Is it normal for 1st and 2nd gear to do that?

[kkemp]

Low range shouldn't behave any different than high range. Just lower gears. I'm not sure what it is you're experiencing. If the clutch is working in high range, it will be fine in low range too. I think you are just not used to gears being so low.

Also, if you're driving it around on pavement of 4 low it's going to bind up and that will make it weird not to mention very difficult to steer.

[Cirrus2000]

Low range shouldn't behave any different than high range. Just lower gears. I'm not sure what it is you're experiencing. If the clutch is working in high range, it will be fine in low range too. I think you are just not used to gears being so low.

Also, if you're driving it around on pavement of 4 low it's going to bind up and that will make it weird not to mention very difficult to steer.

Totally agreed. 4 low gearing just feels weird when you first try it out.

[JP]

Wow Tea, you are a Jeep virgin
For the Jeeps you're going to come across, CJ (CJ-5, CJ-7) Round headlights early 70's through mid 80's. YJ would be the square headlight Wranglers. TJ's were the round headlight ones that you have pictured and the last of the 4.0L engine (in my opinion, the best six cylinder they ever made for a Jeep) and the new "Wranglers" you see now are JK's.

The SUV style Jeeps, the Cherokee (XJ) and the Grand Cherokee (ZJ, WJ, WK) are the most popular "wheelin" SUV's. You'll still see the older style Wagoneer's, Cherokee Chief's, Grand Wagoneer's. My ultimate favorites are the Grand Cherokees 4.0L's. Then they have had newer other models and some still, Liberty (KJ), Commander, Patriot, Compass...

Stay away from the 4cycl models. You'll regret it highly later on. If you're looking for great fuel mileage, Jeep is not way up there in the mileage per gallon category. The 4.0L's will net you anywhere from 15 to 21. The 4 cylinders didn't fair much better.

What you felt in 4 low is the correct feeling. 4 low is just that, lower gears in the transfer case. So, your RPM's will spike a lot quicker and move a lot slower than in 2wd or 4wd high. 4 low would be the tortoise and 4 high or 2wd will be the hare. 4 low is for crawling over rough surfaces and helps with control and traction. It's working on a lower set of gears within the transfer case. That would be that lever you shifted to get it into low. 4 high and 2wd use the same gears in the transfer case. That's why your RPM's are "normal" and you're moving at normal speeds. 4 high will be a tad bit slower or lethargic than 2wd, because in 4 high you are now putting power to the front axle.

Buying lifted Jeeps is tricky. They could have been severely abused, had a cheap lift installed and or both. There are a ton of Jeep suspensions out there, everybody made them because Jeeps are and still continue to be the most popular. So, many company's just throw together a cheap lift to make money. The cheap lifts begin to squeak after some mileage is put on them, the cheap parts begin to wear and the "wandering" all over the road begins and the sway will be noticeable. Good aftermarket lifts will ride better than a stock Jeep and continue to do so over the years. Another thing that could have made your experience bad in that 35" tire Jeep (along with what I have already mentioned) is having some of the same stock suspension parts or same as stock length aftermarket parts. (Control arms: when looking under the Jeep, the bars that go from the axle back to the frame) When putting bigger tires on it like 35's, the angle that these are now on make for a bad ride. The springs maybe to soft and that will add to the sway along with taking the rear sway bar off. Some lifts don't compensate for losing that sway bar.

Here are some useful links for the Jeep virgin looking to take the next step to Jeep enthusiast

http://www.800-923-jeep.com/techCorner/history/

Scroll all the way down to the bottom on this one. Pretty neat graphed time line and it allows you to click on the different models which, in turn, will give you a pic and brief description.
http://www.offroaders.com/tech/jeep/Jeep-FJ.htm

http://www.4-the-love-of-jeeps.com/jeep-models.html

History of the, as you would say, "Wrangler". You'll learn the difference
http://www.fourwheeler.com/thehistor...ter/index.html

http://4wheeldrive.about.com/cs/jeep/l/bljeepcodes.htm


This should get you going, any questions you have, feel free to fire away

Oh yea, 2003-2006 TJ's (style you have pictured) had a package called the Rubicon. Direct from the factory, these were ready to go 4wheeling. Lowered geared transfer case than you drove, off road tires, lockers, better axles are just some of the things this model TJ had to offer. They also offered a longer wheel base version TJ, which is known as a LJ and it too was an option for the Rubicon package. This was in 2005 & 2006. The longer wheelbase netted you a lager cargo area. (They still make this package today) If you're looking to get into 4wheeling your daily driving Jeep, in my honest opinion, look for one of these. With a good lift and 33's you'll be able to tackle a hell of a lot more than just a standard lifted TJ on 33's. So, looking for a TJ or LJ style Rubicon will net you happiness out there for a long time to come. You will be able to find some stock ones for sale. They'll be a little more pricey than that of the "X", "Sport" or "Sahara", but well worth the little extra cash.

Soft Top vs Hard Top: Personal opinion, everybody wants the soft top when it's warm out and everybody wants the hard top in winter. But, you'll be fine with the soft top. It will still heat up fine inside. You'll always have a little more road noise and stuff with the soft top. Just turn up the radio a notch. The soft top is more versatile and will give you more options. The rear plastic window maybe susceptible to breakage if you try rolling it up in the winter. All kinds of aftermarket soft top add-ons. You'll be fine with the soft top.

[keith_b00ne]

I personally lean towards the Jeep XJ. They are a very solid and capable vehicle that still can be driven on the road. A good source of information on them is www.naxja.org.