Learn me about Jeep Wranglers

I am starting to look at Jeep Wranglers for a 3rd (ish) vehicle that I can drop the top on and take the kids in. What should I be looking for when I start checking them out, any problem areas?

What Generation? They have been making basically the same vehicle since the 40's.

They're awesome, I wish I still had mine....

They rust. A lot. Check the frame carefully, regardless of which generation Wrangler you're looking at. They also rust in the floors, rocker panels, the rear corners, the windshield frames and more!

The early 'YJ' models (YJ = '87-'95, square headlights) had problems with the Peugeot-sourced 5-speed manual transmissions.

The pre-1989 six cylinder models used the old AMC 258ci engines that were great but had horrible carburetors. The fuel injected 4.0L that replaced it in 1989 was a tremendous step forward.

If you're up north, yeah they rust. In the south, not so much, at least not since they started galvanizing the body in 87. Mine is a '91 with 250K on it and not a spec of rust.

I'd get a 4.0, just because they are better around town and on the highway. '91 or newer for a reliable EFI system. '92 or newer if you want a shoulder belt for the rear seat passengers.

'97 if you want coil springs.

eh 4.0 jeep i6, beautiful engine, big improvement over the 4.2, may i recommend a cj7, they're beast if you put a 350 in them,

I'd stay away from the CJs and the square light Wranglers for strictly street use because of the vague steering, the Peugeot tranny and the aforementioned carburetors. That's not to say if you get one cheap enough it's not worth doing. They do make great rock and swamp crawlers, though.

2.5's can be had cheap, there's a reason: you can run faster from light to light and the gas mileage is comparable to the 4.0. The 4.0's are much more torquey and nearly bulletproof. The most common thing we see is cracked exhaust manifolds. Banks Power Products has a redesigned header that's supposed to permanently fix the cracking. We have installed a couple, so far so good.

The later coil spring versions are much nicer to ride in around town. The soft tops keep NO heat or A/C in, the hardtops are much more liveable but are a bitch to take off/put on every time you want to ride the kids around topless. The soft top is a complicated mess to put up particularly when cold like under 50 degrees, the plastic and vinyl gets VERY stiff. Cloth tops are somewhat better in this respect but wear out fast. The top frame design makes the British sports car versions look like the pinnacle of engineering achievement. Lots of my customers have vinyl seats and use pickup bedliner inside, they just leave the top down all the time or run a bikini top.

They have like NO storage space inside and the center console has all the security of a Ziploc bag. There are aftermarket steel consoles with no-E36 M3 locks that bolt solidly to the floor, well worth the money.

FWIW, I prefer the street manners of my leaf sprung YJ over the coil sprung TJ or JK. While, yes, it is more harsh, I REALLY hate the rear-steer that the steep control arms of the OE linked suspension develops. Every one I've driven seems twitchy.

Here's a nice security console like you mention - http://www.quadratec.com/products/14026_2XX_PG.htm

I had a 89 YJ with the 2.5 4 banger. It had the AX-5 Aisin transmission. It was a good rig. i went everywhere I wanted to go and I'd have another.

I had a '99 with the 4.0 and 5 speed.

I did the hardtop in the winter and bikini top the rest of the time. If you get a hardtop one with the full sized doors you get roll up windows.

I kept the carpet out and the drain plugs removed when the hardtop was off. Just had waterproof seat covers and used a cockpit cover when parked and there was a chance of rain.

Lots of aftermarket prts to do just about anything you could want to do with a Jeep. Jeep waves are fun.

I too had a cracked exhaust manifold, but that was just a good excuse to get some headers. Really wasn't too bad to install. My son rolled it end over end and totalled it - the roll bar did it's job and there were no injuries to either him or his passenger.

CJ's are rusty junk. Avoid. I liked the leaf spring Wranglers a lot until I drove a coil sprung one...just wow. The 4cy is pointless; it gets maybe 1-2 mpg more than the six but has none of the pleasures. There's a reason you see the 4 bangers for sale at fire sale prices compared to the 4.0. Fuel mileage is dismal for a vehicle that size. If you've never had a Jeep, the Wrangler top is probably horrible, but if you started out in a pre-AMC CJ the Wrangler roof is a wonder of engineering. My retirement-age Mom sold her muscle car and bought a Wrangler for a toy and she loves it, as do the grandkids. You can buy absolutely anything for them you could ever dream up. I love them, just can't justify a reason to add one to my fleet.

I loved all three Wranglers and the one CJ I've had. However, I've always hated the soft tops.

On the highway, it's like driving a tent. Putting the top down was no big deal, but putting it back up was a big PIA. The first time I put the top back up, I felt like I had just earned a Merit Badge.

My solution was to get a hardtop for the winter and to just leave the top off for the summer - Jeeps are a blast with the top down or off. We simply got one of thise 'Bikini tops' and kept the Jeep in the garage when it rained.

I have been looking to get a used one also. Unfortunately they suffer from the Honda Civic sydrome. If they are in good shape they are massively expensive, if they are cheap they are trash. Many have been "modded" and not in a good way so you would have to spend money undoing everything the PO did. I am still looking but I am also picky..

the first vehicle I ever owned was a 71 cj5. It was rust free, for a NJ bought jeep. Actually she was pretty rust free. A good CJ5 now will cost you an insane ammount of money and a YJ from up north that hasn't been taken care of will be really ratty. As feedyurhed said, they do suffer from Honda Civic syndrome. The vehicle is popular with highschool kids and therefore all the maintenance, neglect, and weirdness that brings. Buying one off an off roader or a retired person would be the way to go. Another good thing, is if you can find aborted projects. Right now people are unloading jeeps with half of an engine swap done because they need the cash. Find one of those and you'll be OK. I found a sweet 04 TJ for sale in CO that was in the middle of a suspenion and axle swap. The suspension and axles were gone, the vehicle only had 42k miles on it and the guy wanted it gone for $6k. Thats a hell of a deal.

as was mentioned the carter carb on the early one's stunk. Replace with a motorcraft 2150 sourced from a junk yard and all will be better. Just to clear up what was mentioned earlier. CJ=round headlight and leaf spring narrow and wide track YJ=Square headlight leaf spring wide track TJ=round headlights and coil sprung JK=Latest generation

If you are just going for a drop top cruiser, pick up a four cyl TJ. If you must have bigger tires, go with the six cyl. Not a ton of room in the back seat, so keep that in mind for kids. I think you'd have a tough time fitting two child seats in the rear seat.

Awful lot of talk about jeeps and off-roading here lately.

also....ammo box's make nice security boxs. Usually you can fit one under the hood out of site. Vague steering is part of the charm, but that can be cured pretty easy by making sure all the linkage is in good shape and adding a brace to the steering box mount(they flex a lot, especially with age).

DILYSI Dave wrote: Here's a nice security console like you mention - http://www.quadratec.com/products/14026_2XX_PG.htm

I had that model in mine and it worked great. Someone sliced my soft top windows one night and got in but only stole a couple of CD I had left out of the console. They didn't even try to pry it open or anything - most stereo/general car thieves are lazy and only looking for a quick easy score.

fastEddie wrote:

DILYSI Dave wrote: Here's a nice security console like you mention - http://www.quadratec.com/products/14026_2XX_PG.htm

I had that model in mine and it worked great. Someone sliced my soft top windows one night and got in but only stole a couple of CD I had left out of the console. They didn't even try to pry it open or anything - most stereo/general car thieves are lazy and only looking for a quick easy score.

That reminds me - NEVER lock the doors in a Jeep. CD's are cheap. Soft tops are expensive.

TJ's (97 and up, with round headlights as God intended) don't rust nearly as badly as the older ones. As mentioned, they have coil springs and fully boxed frames, which is a huge improvement.

The 4 cylinder 5 speed is okay around town and on mild trails, but the transmissions and axles are much weaker than those on the six. They are tough to live with on the highway. Avoid 4 cylinder automatic at all cost. Swapping to a six is not as easy as it sounds and you would be MUCH better off spending more for a six i the first place.

I used to plow with a 4 cylinder and it had no trouble handling it in low range.

Jeeps will break, but you can usually fix them with a hammer and a piece of wire.

Go here: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=113

Actually speaking of Wranglers, do they come with air bags and ABS and things like that and if so what year did that start with? Thanks.

Woody wrote: The 4 cylinder 5 speed is okay around town and on mild trails, but the transmissions and axles are much weaker than those on the six.

The weaker axles bit is not exactly true..

In YJ's they had the same axles 4cylinder or 6.. In early TJ's you had to select ABS or one other package I can't remember to get the Dana 44 rear end. There are plenty of 6 cylinder jeeps out there with the Dana 35 rear end.

I would say that I've seen a lot more 6cylinder jeeps that I wouldn't buy vs 6 cylinder jeeps. Seems like the 4 bangers( atleast in YJ terms) were bought by people who used them gently. The best tip I can remember that condition of the vehicle will be more of an indicator of headaches rather than equipment because a v8 can go into a 4cylinder just as easy as a 6 cylinder.. HA!

ignorant wrote:

Woody wrote: The 4 cylinder 5 speed is okay around town and on mild trails, but the transmissions and axles are much weaker than those on the six.

The weaker axles bit is not exactly true.. In YJ's they had the same axles 4cylinder or 6.. In early TJ's you had to select ABS or one other package I can't remember to get the Dana 44 rear end. There are plenty of 6 cylinder jeeps out there with the Dana 35 rear end.

Yes my-bad there. I should have said that you can get either a Dana 44 or the less desirable 35 in the rear of a six cylinder TJ, but with the 4 banger, you're guaranteed the 35 unless a PO swapped it out.

The five speeds found behind the four cylinders are a known weak spot, though, and the 2.5 is a dog with the automatic.

And the 35 can take some abuse... If I remember correctly DilysiDave runs one in his lifted wheeling rig.

The stupid throwout bearing(internal slave cylinder) is a huge weakspot imho on the AX5

ignorant wrote: And the 35 can take some abuse... If I remember correctly DilysiDave runs one in his lifted wheeling rig.

You can build the 35 into a much stronger unit, but, after the expense, it's better to have just started with a 44 to begin with.