tell me what you know about jeep wranglers..

[madness410]

so my civic took a huge dump on the turnpike yesterday and its probably history. im looking into f-bodys and jeeps wranglers.

ive always had my eyes set on fbodies but if for some reason i cant find one in a reasonable amount of time ill need to broaden my horizons since i absolutely need a car. i know a lot of people here own wranglers...are they reliable? easy to work on? common problems with some generations? good stories? bad stories? which motors are the ones to trust? thanks in advance.

Jon

[r0nin89]

Theyre garbage **** jeepers :rofl:

Well to start you know this is a terrible time to buy one right? People think Wranglers are worth double their value when its nice out cause they have a removable top.

Heres some general information I gathered from when **I** (dun dun dun) almost bought one.

For a daily driver the xj (leafsprings front and back) is gonna be a little bit of a rough, rattly ride. That being said both the 4.0 and 4bangers are great motors.

TJs are much more rounded over. They have a coil front which makes them nicer to drive in and the interior is WAY updated on them. Its sorta like they went from stone age 80s straight to modern late 90s interior with them.

In general without a hardtop your going to get wind noise and seeping of cold/hot air. Be aware they are a very short wheelbase vehicle and on the light side. Very easy to skid out and throw the ass end out in.

For a mediocre XJ (80s and early 90s) expect to pay around $3000.

TJs I couldnt tell you the market on. They can be pretty ridiculous. Like I said alot of people private and lots think theyre worth their weight in gold.

[madness410]

thanks for the help man. what exactly is TJ?

im browsing auto sites and there are alot going for 9K and up with close to or over 100k miles. is that normal?

im good with pricing camaros at good prices and stuff because i frequent this site but for me wranglers are exposing a blind person to disney world..

[bandit88]

thanks for the help man. what exactly is TJ?

im browsing auto sites and there are alot going for 9K and up with close to or over 100k miles. is that normal?

im good with pricing camaros at good prices and stuff because i frequent this site but for me wranglers are exposing a blind person to disney world..


TJ's are the generation of the body (1997-2006)

JK's are the present style and there are YJ's (1987-1995)

[madness410]

thanks for clearing that up...are those just the models abbreviations or are they short for something

[Squirrel]

XJ
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i239/LT1Squirrel/downsized_0515000144.jpg
YJ
http://www.offroaders.com/tech/jeep/images/wrangler-yj-1.jpg
TJ
http://image.4wdandsportutility.com/f/10658519/0110_4wd_01_z+1997_jeep_wrangler_tj+jeep_tj.jpg

[deadtrend1]

....

For a daily driver the xj (leafsprings front and back) is gonna be a little bit of a rough, rattly ride. That being said both the 4.0 and 4bangers are great motors.
....


For about 5 minutes I sat here wonderiing what XJ's had front leafs, then I realized you ment YJ. :rofl:

Your're right though, they are expensive. you can't seem to touch a decent 2.5l TJ thats not shot to hell for under 6-7k dollars, let alone a 4.0.

TJ's are the generation of the body (1997-2006)

JK's are the present style and there are YJ's (1987-1995)

You don't know how proud I am right now .. :wink:

[FlyingDutchman]

JEEP = HEEP

Just
Empty
Every
Pocket

[madness410]

yeah im wondering why the prices on jeeps are so jacked up..anything special about them?

[r0nin89]

For about 5 minutes I sat here wonderiing what XJ's had front leafs, then I realized you ment YJ. :rofl:

Your're right though, they are expensive. you can't seem to touch a decent 2.5l TJ thats not shot to hell for under 6-7k dollars, let alone a 4.0.



You don't know how proud I am right now .. :wink:

Yep brain farted

[greenformula92]

yeah im wondering why the prices on jeeps are so jacked up..anything special about them?

people think they are worth way more than they are.....they are rattle boxes

[FlyingDutchman]

people think they are worth way more than they are.....they are rattle boxes

actually friend of mine paid ~3500 for an '00 xj with about 110k, put on 19k more miles and some lady wrecked it. needless to say the insurance comp totalled it and gave him ~5700 lol

[JL8Jeff]

The short wheelbase of the CJ or Wrangler can make for a tough daily driver. Take a test ride in one to see how you like it. You're probably better off with something with a longer wheelbase. Even my 2001 Silverado standard cab short bed makes for a stiff ride with bigger tires and aftermarket shocks so something shorter will really rattle you around. And right now in the middle of summer, Wranglers are way overpriced.

[camaroracer1992]

i had a 94 yj sahara 4.0/5 speed when i was in HS/college. bought it used with liek 15k on it and put another 30k on it. I mustve gotten one of the **** one because at 40k half the valvetrain went on it, thank god at the time i purchased a 7yr warranty. the jeep dealer fixed it, or so called fixed it and it never ran right after that. only got $7k on a trade in in 2001 on my Z71 i bought at the time.
on a side note i lifted mine with a 4" BDS lift and the thing had 31's on it and it rode like a f'n tank.
did i love the vehicle when i had it and it ran great... HELL YEA

would i buy another one.... most likely not, because my 3500 silverado has me spoiled now :)

[greenformula92]

actually friend of mine paid ~3500 for an '00 xj with about 110k, put on 19k more miles and some lady wrecked it. needless to say the insurance comp totalled it and gave him ~5700 lol

on of the few that sold them cheap.....i almost regularly see 90-95 going for more than 3500 with a ton of milies on them....some with rust. your buddy got lucky, the guy selling it just wanted to move it

[Iroc-z86]

i owned a tj, it was ok, gas milage sucks, highway sucks. not good for long trips. it was a lot of fun, went off road without any mods. overall i like it but it was lemon. I bought a 96 xj with 175k for $500 and it is one of the best cars i ever owned. i average 20mpg consistently and highway is nice too. IMO id get a cherokee, 98+ are a few bucks but if you look for an older one they are dirt cheap.

[79T/A]

Just for rOnin89, Jeeps hold their value so well because they are the best vehicles ever. Period. Nothing can touch them on or off road. :mrgreen:

Seriously, they hold their value because they are very popular. People love that in the summertime, you can drop the top and go to the beach. People love that in the wintertime, they will be unstoppable in the snow (Or so they think). Plus, the drivetrains tend to last a very long time, whether 4.0 or 2.5. The lower the mileage, the bigger the price tag.

I bought mine new in 2001. Nine years and 149k miles later, I still love it. I used to commute daily in it (Both before and after I lifted it). In 2003, I drove it to Richmond, TX, pulled into my uncle's garage, lifted it and installed some 33s he had for me, drove 200 miles north to Gilmer to wheel, drove back to his place, and then drove all the way home to Jersey on gigantic 33 x 14.5 x 15 Mickey Thompsons. Admittedly not the smoothest ride but I didn't mind it. My wife, on the other hand, could have done without a ride that long.

If you do get one, don't expect it to handle and ride like a Caddy. Despite the coil springs, it's still a Jeep. Also, the more you do to it, the more you HAVE to do to it. For example, if you want to run bigger tires, you're going to need to lift it. Then you'll need longer shocks. Then you'll have to worry about steering geometry. Hence, JEEP - Just Empty Every Pocket. Even something as simple as pulling the doors off for summer means some money out of pocket for mirror relocation brackets or another set of mirrors. It's a sickness.

Good luck!

[The Fixer]

I've owned an '01 XJ as a DD for the last 5.5 years. It's been very reliable - bought it with 48K on it, and it has 88K now. It's not a rattlebox - it's actually comfortable and handles decent considering it has two solid axles. I'd get a '97-'01 Cherokee over a Wrangler, especially if you need to haul people or house project stuff.

[Blacdout96]

if your not using it in he trails or on he beach, no use having a girly vehicle.

[madness410]

thanks for all the input guys im looking into them a bit more and doing research. we have a family friend that works at a dealer...looking at his used inventory he has a 99 wranger 6cyl 4.0, auto transmission 86k miles. hes asking about 9k but im sure he'll give us a better price.

would i be getting ripped if i got that wrangler for 8k?

[79T/A]

KBB suggested over $9k for a dealer. I don't think $8 is unfair at all, though. I'd even try $7, but I'm a cheap bastid. It IS a ten year old Jeep...

http://www.kbb.com/kbb/UsedCars/PricingReport.aspx?WebCategoryId=2556&YearId=1999&VehicleClass=UsedCar&ManufacturerId=24&Condition=Excellent&ModelId=164&PriceType=Retail&VehicleId=5686&Mileage=86000&SelectionHistory=5686|34308|07461|0|0|217745|true

[madness410]

yeah i didnt get a chance to look at kbb but im going to shoot for 7 but id be content with 7.5 im going in to see him probably today or next week

that dealer price is actually really cheap compared to others on craigslist and all that

[deadtrend1]

...

that dealer price is actually really cheap compared to others on craigslist and all that

because people on craigslist beleive that a 2" RC lift with 33's and a set of KC highlites should double the value of it. :shrug:

[Tru2Chevy]

actually friend of mine paid ~3500 for an '00 xj with about 110k, put on 19k more miles and some lady wrecked it. needless to say the insurance comp totalled it and gave him ~5700 lol

The Wranglers are typically way "overpriced", not so much the rest of the Jeep lineup. You can find older Cherokees (XJs) for a steal all the time. Anything Wrangler based (CJ, YJ, TJ, or JK) is bound to be overpriced though - old, new, or in between.

- Justin

[trashman01]

"Jeeps are like tampons, every pussy got one", "i got your jeep thing, now it burns when i pee"

i could go on, they are a dime a dozen up here, and they do ok off-road, ive pulled a few morons out of a pit that was way too mud for their 33"s

[miketa95]

4 cyl wranglers are sooo slow. My friend has one, but prefers driving his sisters corolla because he likes how "sporty and fun" it is compared to the wrangler. I once had the pleasure of trying to accelerate down an onramp onto 295 in the thing, and with the pedal to the floor it still couldn't hit 65 on the downhill ramp by the time I got to the bottom.

[madness410]

"Jeeps are like tampons, every pussy got one", "i got your jeep thing, now it burns when i pee"

i could go on, they are a dime a dozen up here, and they do ok off-road, ive pulled a few morons out of a pit that was way too mud for their 33"s

lol trust me man ive heard all of them in the book, i owned a civic as a dd so id be used to hearing stuff like that if i did get a wrangler

4 cyl wranglers are sooo slow. My friend has one, but prefers driving his sisters corolla because he likes how "sporty and fun" it is compared to the wrangler. I once had the pleasure of trying to accelerate down an onramp onto 295 in the thing, and with the pedal to the floor it still couldn't hit 65 on the downhill ramp by the time I got to the bottom.

yeah man i drive a civic im sure anything would be a step up from the all mighty 1.6 liter vtec

[Rich2279]

Jeeps are a ton of fun and they hold their value. I restored an '80 CJ (Civilan Jeep) and I still miss it (sold it awhile back). Anyways, in your search, look for one w/ the bigger engine.

[TheBandit]

I just bought a 93 YJ. 4.0 5speed. I like it, highway is a little rough with the soft top but i haven't had the whole top or the windows in since i bought it. It rattles and the leaf spring ride is a little rough but i don't mind it. its a fun truck

[91chevywt]

For me there are 3 main things that steer me away from jeeps:

1. Fuel Mileage-Even the 4 cylinder 5 speed jeeps get poor gas mileage.

2. Size-There is barely enough room for 4 adults. And when you do get those 4 people inside, good luck fitting anything else

3. Price-Yes, jeeps hold their value. But it seems stupid to pay more just for the name.

In the end, you could pick up a full size bronco or blazer, have v8 power, the ability to tow much better than any jeep, and enough interior space for 5 grown adults and plenty of cargo room. Fuel mileage would be about the same as a 6 cylinder jeep as well, maybe a little worse. Plus, most of them have removable tops

[Rich2279]

I just bought a 93 YJ. 4.0 5speed. I like it, highway is a little rough with the soft top but i haven't had the whole top or the windows in since i bought it. It rattles and the leaf spring ride is a little rough but i don't mind it. its a fun truck

For the winter time, you might want to look for the hardtop to put on. I remember losing a lot of the heat w/ the softtop. You can also find a lot of other cool accessories for Jeeps.

[TheBandit]

For the winter time, you might want to look for the hardtop to put on. I remember losing a lot of the heat w/ the softtop. You can also find a lot of other cool accessories for Jeeps.

Yeah i already had that planned. i figured you'd lose a bunch of heat in the winter and the windows, doors, etc. wouldnt be coming off either. Plus it will get rid of that soft top noise for at least half the year.

[trashman01]

Yeah i already had that planned. i figured you'd lose a bunch of heat in the winter and the windows, doors, etc. wouldnt be coming off either. Plus it will get rid of that soft top noise for at least half the year.

my ex has a 05 TJ soft top, she gets about 180 on 14gallons before fillin her tank(my 1500 ram got 280 on 20 gallons)it doesnt seem to loose much heat(full doors) but damn is the top noisey on a warm day, plus the rear window needs a new zipper from the rock salt they use up here

[madness410]

thats not bad. what are the overall reliabilities of the motors? the 4cyl and the 4.0? i see a lot of wranglers with 150k+ miles on them. im probably going to look at one sometime this week, anything specific to look for or just the usual, rust, leaks, etc

[deadtrend1]

thats not bad. what are the overall reliabilities of the motors? the 4cyl and the 4.0? i see a lot of wranglers with 150k+ miles on them. im probably going to look at one sometime this week, anything specific to look for or just the usual, rust, leaks, etc

I have the 4.2 in mine. Damn near will outlast the holocaust.

[TheBandit]

I have the 4.2 in mine. Damn near will outlast the holocaust.

Same with the 4.0's, they'll go forever. Well over 200k if taken care of.

[trashman01]

a girl i kno has a 93 grand cheerokee with the 4.0 and it has over 350K, burns 1 qt of oil every 2K. other then that no problems, and its never been opened up either

[Tru2Chevy]

The 2.5s are pretty reliable, and the 4.0s will survive global nuclear warfare as long as you do semi-regular oil changes. :)

- Justin

[bad64chevelle]

ive pulled a few morons out of a pit that was way too mud for their 33"s

That could be said about any vehicle...


If you're going to ask people about them ask people who have first hand experience owning them. I owned a '92 Cherokee 4.0 auto. I loved the thing, ran excellent, drove very nicely, and only problem I ever had with it was the valve cover gasket leaked. I think I had ~130k on it when I sold it...truthfully the only reason I got rid of it was for the Camaro. In retrospect I wish I had never done that. Last I heard, it had 200k on it and was still going great.

Crazyblazer87 had two. One 2wd 4.0 cherokee that I think had 160k on it, that was great until a telephone pole ran out infront of him while he was driving...and I think the other one was a 88 Cherokee 4.0 auto 4wd that had 300k miles on it. Original motor and trans. He sold it to buy his 90 GMC Jimmy he had for a few years.

As for wranglers, I know quite a few people with them and all love them. No major issues.

[Squirrel]

the 4.0 in my XJ has gotten the **** beat out of it for the past 40k miles (130 total); maybe 7 oil changes, ran 16.2, and is running 35's on it now and is still a champ

[madness410]

thank you for all the info guys i appreciate it

[Firebird92]

keep away form the jeep liberty & jeep commander be care i have some come to my job for problem with the belt just slipping off the water pump pulley

the jeep srt8 is so ****ing awesome but repairs be ready to bend over.

this jeep eats ball joints one year both ball joints broke lol

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs357.snc3/29482_395085357195_672402195_4312072_837607_n.jpg

[madness410]

yeah man i was just looking into wranglers maybe cherokees..thanks for the heads up though.

yeah i guess these things are pretty popular in the summer i wanted to check 2 out today and they had both been sold before i got there lol

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

They ride a little stiff, are a little slow, get so-so gas mileage, but they're reliable as all get out.

[The Fixer]

Looks like that Liberty needed to have the balljoint TSB performed! I gotta bring my wife's into the dealer this summer to get them done.

[Firebird92]

idk what it is my aunts liberty sport just tears ball joints i don't get it
at this point all 4 have been replace because they all broke the dealer keeps fixing and they keep breaking i even sit in the shop and watch them install one they do it by the book idk if the drive-train is stress some where ... could something be out of balance? i mean i don't feel safe with this thing at any speed yet alone my aunt driving it. lucky all the ball joints broke at below 30 mph

[SteveR]

I was never really a fan of the Wranglers. If you are planning on getting a newer one, read up on them first. In the 2010 Consumer Reports vehicle ratings, they gave the Wrangler the lowest score they've ever given anything. On a scale of 1 - 100 and most cars falling in the high 50's to low 80's range, the Wrangler got a 17 lol.

[maroman88]

I was never really a fan of the Wranglers. If you are planning on getting a newer one, read up on them first. In the 2010 Consumer Reports vehicle ratings, they gave the Wrangler the lowest score they've ever given anything. On a scale of 1 - 100 and most cars falling in the high 50's to low 80's range, the Wrangler got a 17 lol.

LOL... i see so many brand new ones on the road everyday, consumer reports bllloooowwwwwwwsssssss

[WildBillyT]

I was never really a fan of the Wranglers. If you are planning on getting a newer one, read up on them first. In the 2010 Consumer Reports vehicle ratings, they gave the Wrangler the lowest score they've ever given anything. On a scale of 1 - 100 and most cars falling in the high 50's to low 80's range, the Wrangler got a 17 lol.

I think this is a good example of how their car rating metric fails. Another example is how they knocked the ZR1 for having bad gas mileage. Missing the point, in my book. With a Wrangler, if you care about road noise, creature comforts, fuel mileage, or cargo space you don't buy one.

You cannot categorize "enthusiast" vehicles with run of the mill Camry washing machines. Doesn't work that way.

[madness410]

thanks man ill look into it if its still for sale in a bit, im saving up my money i have to look into dealers now to get financing.

does anyone know any good wrangler sites that are nj / east coast based?

[greenformula92]

njjeeps.org if its still around

[madness410]

thanks man. anyone have experience with the 2.5 motors first hand?

[greenformula92]

ive never owned one but someone i work with had one and it tapped like a SOB. but hes an idiot and bought it that way. the only complaint that ive ever heard was not enough power and lower MPG than the 4.0L

[JL8Jeff]

I saw 2 Wranglers broken down on the side of the road this weekend and passed another one that sounded like it was ready to blow up. If you do look into buying one, you might want to stay away from anything that has been seriously modified/lifted. Get something close to stock and do what you want to it.

[deadtrend1]

thanks man. anyone have experience with the 2.5 motors first hand?

yes, what would you like to know?

[madness410]

I saw 2 Wranglers broken down on the side of the road this weekend and passed another one that sounded like it was ready to blow up. If you do look into buying one, you might want to stay away from anything that has been seriously modified/lifted. Get something close to stock and do what you want to it.

yeah im definitely going to lean more toward the stock route when im seriously looking. thanks for the input.

yes, what would you like to know?

just the basics...reliability? hard to work on? hows the power? any common problems that happen with them

[deadtrend1]

just the basics...reliability? hard to work on? hows the power? any common problems that happen with them

I've seen some of my friends put them through some serious abuse. Flat out hitting the rev limiter going through mudholes for example. Only time one went was when it injested water and shot Mr. Rod through Mr. Block

Simple motors, not hard to do maintence. Lot of room in the engine bay.

Power? More low end tq. Good for slow trail driving, and around town. Highway acceleration isn't good but they aren't made for highway, given the extreme aerodynamic shape of a wrangler. When people start putting big tires on without regearing, that becomes a big issue also.

[Tru2Chevy]

does anyone know any good wrangler sites that are nj / east coast based?

www.jeepforum.com has a pretty active member base in this area. There is a loose-knit group of us in the regional section that plan trail trips and stuff.

www.njjeep.org is also a decent club (different than njjeeps.org).

www.grassrootsjeepclub.com - South Jersey
www.northjerseyjeepclub.org - North Jersey
hpmudslingers.webs.com - North Jersey

- Justin

[madness410]

thanks justin

[madness410]

are there anything specifically wrong with '97s? they are hte first year of that generation sometimes the first model of the generation have problems..