For some reason I have recently been bitten by the JEEP Wrangler bug. My first wife owned one when we were engaged but it got sold to raise funds for our first house down payment. (So did my Z 28 Camaro)

So anyway, got the urge to add a JEEP Wrangler to the herd. Looking at a used 2007 with around 80,000 miles that I believe is the JK model. Wondering what tips or suggestions the group has from those that already own one. I know enough to check the frame for rust and rot as JEEP's, especially those in NE (salt) and those that have been off roaded are prone to have.

Any other suggestions????

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James Redfield
LM #497

Yes, 97 Wrangler here, get the four banger. I know everybody tells you to get the 6 cy or go V-8, but the 4 cy has the best reliability record of them all. It ain't a hot rod, but that's why I have a Hemi muscle truck.

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

I never pulled the trigger on buying one HOWEVER years ago I did have one on loan to me for about 3 weeks while a leased Grand Cherokee was in for a new rear end under warranty.

My impression is that they are fun as a secondary vehicle to use in snow, on the beach, or off-road but not much fun to use as a daily driver. They are noisy, ride rough, sometimes leak in a heavy rain, and not fun to drive on long trips. If you are buying it for a Sunday Driver then you will like it - but not for every day use. At least that's my opinion.

99 TJ owner here. I have to respectfully disagree with 03hemi. Go with the 4.0 over the 4 cyl. The 4.0 is about as bulletproof of an engine they have ever made.
I am on my 2nd Wrangler. Had a 98 with a 4 cyl before. Had to rebuild the motor at 125k due to a wrist pin breaking. Currently have 165k on the one I have now and it runs like a top.

You did not say if it was going to be your primary car or just an extra one to play with. If it is going to be an extra one, I say go for the older models. The new ones are nice but they are not like the old ones.

I keep the top off mine most of the summer. If it happens to get wet, then it gets wet. If I had a new one, no way I would want that to happen. They are rough riding, loud and not the most graceful thing to drive on the interstate if it has some lift and larger tires but thats what my truck is for. Once you own one, you want be without one again.

Another thing. They hold there value better than any other vehicle I have seen.

I don't know much about JKs. I've had a CJ, XJ, YJ and currently have a TJ, so I'm familiar with most of them except JKs.
To be honest I don't care for JKs. I think they have taken a turn away from what made them what they are. I guess each new model has gone away from the original to some extent, but the JKs are so much bigger and offer way too many creature comforts. Marketing decisions I suppose.
Anyway, I think for the most part they hold together and work just fine. I've read that some 3.8 V6 has had oil usage issues. I wish they wouldve kept the 4.0, that engine was pretty much indestructible.

2014 Jeep Wrangler, 2D. Automatic.

LOVE IT! Have three other vehicles and nary a one makes me smile more whilst driving it than the Jeep.

Only repair thus far was a few months ago. 'Clockspring' issue caused the horn to sound intermittently (after it had stopped working altogether a month or so before) and then it would not even turn over. Deader than a door nail.

Issue was subject to a recall on some JK's; not mine, sadly.
$629.61 cost. But cannot complain; nothing else save oil changes.

Mine is the 'Sport' model. Base model but does have A/C, power windows, Sirius radio, tilt wheel, etc. Paid exactly $29K, out the door, on the road. Can probably get $24-25K for it in my neck of the woods at this very moment.

Go ahead; get one!

Be safe.

I sort-of agree with this.
The 4cyl is a good little engine, it's like a tractor engine, it just keeps going and going, it just does it slowly.
That being said, if you plan to do anything like bigger tires, heavy bumpers, winch, lots of heavy tools, that 4cyl just has to work too hard to push the Jeep down the road or up the trail.
My 95 YJ was a 4 banger. It had 33" Swampers, all the bumpers winch, tire carrier etc. I even regeared it using a Dana 44 with 4.88s and it was still a dog. It did the job but I constantly wished for more grunt.

All the advice I have read about is excellent. The only bad Wrangler is no Wrangler!

Have a blast! (See my picture above—wish it was me!).

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Possum—The other white meat!

I will add one thing. The wife and myself like to go for a ride late in the evening during the summer once it has cooled off some. We were going down the road about a month ago with the top off one evening and she made the comment that "you cant ride in the jeep with the top off without smiling". Then I noticed I was smiling. Very true statement.

I have an '05 TJ with 75K - bought it new. Wouldn't have anything else. Have the 4 cyl 6spd stick, and it's been solid. I do all the normal maintenance myself. Be prepared for possible drive train work, ie U-joints, tie rods, ball joints, shocks. Mileage not that great - 18 to 21 mpg. Has the aerodynamics of a brick. There's tons of online resources for Jeep owners for DIY projects. This is my only driver, and I'm lovin' it.

And get used to not carrying on a conversation with the passengers, especially if you have larger off-road tires. My wife and I have had enough Jeeps that we don't even bother conversing anymore (sometimes not a bad thing).

Some herein don't like the JK or the V6. I disagree.

V6 in my '14 JK has been flawless. Burns NOT A DROP of oil.

JK series has a wider wheelbase. Much better on the highway if you plan to drive it there.

Stay away from older YJ series with square headlights. Guarantee it will have rust and leak like a sieve. Did not matter if top was up or down; you got wet.

Be safe.

PS: Washed mine yesterday. But truly no need. They like to be dirty!

Oh. OK then
What could go wrong?



Good luck and Happy Trails.

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Still Running Against the Wind

'07 was the first year of the JK models. My wife had an '07 X model.

The good, It was a fun ride and with the V-6 6-speed combo moved out pretty well. The new suspension on the JKs is really nice as far as ride and handling. We never took it off road.

The bad, Lots of plastic. The shifter boot was the first to go. The top was a ----- to put back up. I've heard that they fixed it in later years but don't know if it's fact. If I was to buy one of the JKs I'd make sure that it worked easily and most of all didn't leak. Hers leaked and the carpets were removed at that point.

If you thinking about off road start with the Rubicon. The other models aren't as tough as far as suspension and running gear. You'll break it and wind up spending more on it to upgrade to Rubicon level. Heck, My friend has a Rubicon and has just about broke everything under it rock climbing. More money to get it to the next level. But he seems to have money to burn.

So I guess you have to concider how you want to use it and go from there.

Me, I'd buy an older V-8 model. AMC 304ci with Dana axels.

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Dum vivo cano

I've got a 2017 Sport JK four door for my daily driver. I've been kicking myself since I bought it for not buying one earlier. Great vehicle . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I've had two - a CJ5 and a CJ7. I want another one, but not what is being peddled as a Jeep now. A CJ7 with the 4.0 and manual tran would suit my needs perfectly.

IMO, the 2007 year is good. The V-6 is acceptable. Have a mechanic with Jeep experiance due a thorough check out before purchase. Find out if this Jeep has been used as a "Mudder". The fine abrasiveness of mud causes undue wear in places that won't show up for years. Yes, if you have to go thru a muddy spot, do it, but don't forget to wash off the underneath afterwards.

Don't put Mudder Tires on it. Too loud on the highway. I recommend the B.F. Goodrich Baja T/A (non mudder).

Is this a four door or a two door? Does it have a hard top? The two door hard top comes off very easily by two people. The four door comes off just as easy but is a little too heavy to not use a light overhead lift.

What transmission does this one have? For a around town utility car and snowy conditions the auto trans is great. For hard use out actually four wheeling the standard shift gives the engine the best chance to really work.

I have owned the CJ, the YJ, the XJ Cherokee and the JK in four door and two door. I patrolled a desert conservation area of 180 sq. miles and got paid to provide my owned vehicle. The XJ was the most comfortable. The JK four door was the best overall for serious off road work. The two door JK was the most maneuverable and manageable in tight spots. It was not real great for rear seat passengers. All had winches on the front. I kept the JK two door after retirement just because it was so handy around the homestead.

The JK four door would handle a snow plow of the right design very well. The hard top comes off in two sections over the front seats. Very nice for riding around on pleasant days. A hard top will keep out trail dust. The soft top doesn't do near the job.

The 07 and 08 Rubicon have complex four wheel drive computers that didn't let me drive while in four wheel drive low range like I wanted. I could have had that feature defeated electronically, but it would have voided the warranty. So, I sold it and purchased the JK two door in the "Sport" model and built up the Jeep to be better than a Rubicon (IMO) and as I liked it and not the Jeep engineers. I put at least 60k miles on all of them and 85k on the last two door JK.

It is very easy for a handy person to put a 3 to 4" lift on the JK. Long legged people can get in a Jeep with 3" lift without too much effort.
The 4" lift gets to be a little much getting in without a step of some sort.
Depending on how hard you are going to work the Jeep in four wheel drive, not much else needs to be done.

There is a library of info available on the Internet on Jeeps.

I miss my last Jeep very much, but at my age I just don't need one any longer.

Bought this 1992 4 banger a few years ago.
Far from speedy but put in 4 wheel drive it will climb a wall.
Used mainly at my deer lease on the old loggin trails, around town
etc...no long trips.
Older suspension (leaf springs) but that is ok.
As stated, I would go for an older model. Trick it out like you want.
Happy hunting.

Got a 2017 JK 2 door Sport S
The 6 cylinder has 285 hp, plenty of power.
It was a impulse buy, If I could do over, I would have gotten the lower gear ratio, and automatic. I thought the stick would be fun, becouse it's not a daily driver, but I am to old to be shifting gears with out spilling my beer all over me.

Used to own jeeps for years. Then I got sick of wrenching on them so I made the switch to Toyotas and have been wheeling happily ever after.

My wife has one, 2006 Wrangler sport, 4.0, 6 speed manual. It has about 65 thousand on it, no problems at all with it. Had to replace the tires once due to dry rot on the sidewall. It is Her winter rig

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Bought this, then did some mods:

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I’ve had around 14 jeeps or so...oldest was a 46. Youngest was an 06. The 07 v6 it different than the current v6. The jk’s Are comfortable but I just can’t see spending that amount of money on a fiat/Chrysler product. It’s the electrical systems company wide. I am curious to see how the jl’s are. Since we have been discussing all wrangler years and not relegating the discussion to the 07...my opinion
Pre-91 yjs’s - carter carbs are the devil the 2.5 tbi are better than the carter but the ax-5 trans makes it a solid meh at this stage In It’s life. Just watch for frame rot
91-95- 4.0 Efi with an ax-15 is one of the best if not best jeep combo ever. Simple. Reliable , easy to work on , and parts are cheap. Still leaf springs so drives like a dump truck
The 2.5 ax-5 combo is great for everything except highway driving and is better with a 4.0 tb installed. Helps a lot.
97-2002. More comfortable than the yj’s , air bags , and still reliable, cheap. Just watch for frame rot
2003 and later Daimler cost cutting hit some parts. Bushings in control arms don’t seem to last as long. The 42rle trans is terrible. Better off with the earlier 3 speed. The seats are a little lower. Some minor stuff. Go manual to avoid the **** auto
Jk’s- electrical. Some 07 had paint issues. I’m biased against current quality control compared to the 4.0 era.
Current yj that I finished in June


Put a cj front clip on it

Thanks folks for all of the tips. As some additional info from me, the one I am looking at (which could be gone tomorrow) is a 2 door Sahara, V6 with a 6 speed manual transmission.

I have a 10 cylinder 2003 Excursion that is my casual driver and boat hauler (no commuting) and a 2016 Ford High Cube Van (14' box truck) that I do my daily construction business out of. Also have a 2003 HD 883 Sportster in Gun Metal Blue when the spirit moves me.

This is really a second mid life or at 68 maybe a 2/3's life crisis purchase. Heck, I paid close to $10,000 for a 2007 Polaris 500 EFI ATV with a plow so the 2007 JEEP is just an ATV that I can drive on the road.

I have a cabin in Maine and we built one at my gun club 3 years ago that sits on 80 acres with some neat logging roads.

So this will really just be a toy and I really do love manual transmissions. As long as you aren't stuck in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic, shifting gears can be fun.

The JEEP is at a dealership 82 miles away so not sure how that will work. Have to drive down to see it first, apply for a loan and then I guess if approved, go back at some point get a ride with a friend to pick it up.

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James Redfield
LM #497

I have a 2000 TJ I bought for my ex around 2005. It has the 4.0 straight 6, but an auto trans, no factory ac...and it's YELLOW!

I've drove it many times from Palm Coast to Cincinnati.

Keep thinking about selling it to get a 4x4 truck, but it's been really dependable, and I hate payments.

When it comes to JK's, the 2012 and newer models have the better engine in them; the 3.6 Liter PentaStar V-6. It produces a lot more horsepower than the 3.7 Liter Mini-van engine that was used in the 2007-2011 JK's.

My current Wrangler is a 2017 Model Rubicon Recon Special Edition. I've owned 25 Jeeps, 24 of them have been Wranglers.

My 2017 Wrangler Rubicon Recon:

[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

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Dave Brown
SWCA #3279

Let’s say I’ve had a few Wranglers, over the years.

Currently I have 2, my “toy” is a 2004 Rubicon that is just a blast to drive, the 4.0, was IMHO, the best engine you could get in a Wrangler, over the last almost 30 years.

My other, my everyday “driver”, is a 2013 Unlimited (4 door), that I have about 120,000 miles on now.

I had a 2007 Unlimited (4 door) that I bought when they first came out, as my everyday driver, and I have to warn you that the engine in the 2007 (until the next generation, I believe 2012) had problems (losing engine oil, among other), so I would recommend against a 2007.

I will follow that up by saying that in my 38 years of having a drivers license, and driving about 30,000 miles a year, I’ve only ever had ONE engine with “catastrophic engine failure”, I’ll let you guess which one it was (the 2007).

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I love mine.
2000 4 liter I6, 4spd auto, sound bar, both tops.
My brother bought it new for his wife. Ten years ago she wanted a truck so I got the Jeep. Several times since then my brother asked if I would sell it back to him. No, I won't sell it.

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You're shy a few manners.

Color me intrigued. What was the limit that you found so annoying.

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Release the Kraken

I been a jeep mechanic in my early 20’s. Owned many jeeps. Bought a new loaded 99 to wranger sport. The frame just rusted out. I should of under coated it. Today they have the stuff to prevent rust inside the frame too. I got my 99 Wrangler with the hd auto tranny, Dana 44 rear with posi and 373 grears. Hd suspension, gas shocks, 30” tires, mags, 21 gallon gas tank two tops. 4/0 six. I love jeeps.

That's interesting. Mine is a 2000 and it has a 19 gallon gas tank. It would be nice to have the extra capacity since its mileage isn't anything to brag about (maybe 20 mpg if lucky).

I have heard a lot of talk about how you "are always working on a Jeep" but that hasn't been my experience. Outside of routine maintenance, the only thing it has needed in the ten years of my ownership were:
1. New radiator (the old one leaked for about 8 years then began to gush).
2. Rear brake cylinder blew out so I had the rear brakes redone. Mechanic said front brakes still fine.

Of course, it has led a pretty mild life. Only very gentle off-roading. More freeway driving than I would like, since an hour in a Jeep is a LONG time. Very glad to have the straight six. That's what I grew up with and to my thinking still the best all around engine for daily driving. Not to mention much easier to work on than a V-anything.

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You're shy a few manners.

The very first Ebay purchase I ever made was our 99 Wrangler. I lived in MD and bought it from a kid down in Atlanta in 2000. We still have it and drive it almost every day, we've put 146000 miles on it. The only things (besides maintenance and wear items) I've had to do to it is a new radiator and replace a rusted brake line and stuck brake cylinder. I would say it's been a very good vehicle up to this point, but it's going to start to be problems. Rust is taking the body over, it just failed inspection because the body mounts are rusted away. The frame is rusting and starting to get holes and I can tell it's going to be time to replace the rest of the brake lines soon.
Unfortunately it's coming to decision time, put money and time into it or dump it. I haven't decided yet.

Last few jeeps I’ve owned and several others I make a waxoyl copy. Super cheap and the frame won’t rot from the inside out. Take an old pot, a 1/2 gallon or so of used motor oil from your last oil change, and several wax toilet rings. Heat oil on side burner of grill, add wax rings. Mix. Duct tape over lower frame holes. Fill frame. Remove tape. Will take a few days to harden to molasses consistency. Frame is set. I also remove every body mount bolt and crossmember bolt and coat with antiseize This way if I ever remove them they come out easy before rust sets in. Also pull your carpets and you will seee the bead rolled depressions are the lowest points in the floor not the drain plugs. Take a small drill bit and add some more. Especially where the rollbar mounts on cj/yj/tj ‘s are. On tj’s enlarge the frame drain holes near inner most control arm mounts too....

And HEMI, if you like the 2.5 please do the tb swap. You’ll thank me

In the '08 Rubicon the engineers put a limiter in that prevented driving in low range at a maximum of a very low mph. In my patrolling I had several places where it alternated from a required low crawl speed while climbing or descending with a short stent of 'balls to the wall' speed if possible before reaching the next very low range slow speed requirement. The control movements required to get out of low range and back into low range were too time consuming for those short distances. That feature was very aggravating when I was in pursuit of some off-road driver.

I bought a 2006 Rubicon when the 2007 came out... I bought the '06 because it had the 4.0 inline 6, which was the last year.
I wanted a Rubicon because it has Dana 44 axles front and rear.. I can "lock" either the rear or both axles and they have 4:10 gears, Bilstein gas shocks and disc brakes front and rear. The transfer case is 4:1 and not 2:1 as a standard Wrangler. Tilt wheel. cruise control and A/C helps on trips. I run it with the hard top, which lowers road noise, I've never used the soft top which also came with it.
In 12 years, I've only replaced the O2 censor. I keep the maintenance up on the Jeep, which is very important! I run full synthetics without a problem.

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Nationality: Confederate

OK, well to add more to the discussion I have found another JEEP. This one is a 2010 with only 39,000+ miles. It is still about an hour away so the looking and purchasing process has some added wrinkles. I hope to go look at it tomorrow (if it didn't get sold yesterday) and if it's in decent condition, I will probably take a run at it. It's blue which is my favorite color with a black interior. It also comes equipped with a rack system that looks like it protects the hard top so I could haul my canoe or kayaks without having to add any other rack. My only concern is whether the rack needs to be removed if one decides to remove the hard top and put on a soft one.

I chatted with my x wife yesterday and asked her if she remembered her CJ5. She thought that it was probably a 1970 or 71 but also remembered that it leaked when it rained.

So anyone with a 2010, any tips??? This one has a 3.8 L V6.

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James Redfield
LM #497

I own a 2014 Wrangler which is my primary driver and has been amazingly reliable. I get about 22 - 24 MPG on the road. It is the two door Sport version with the manual transmission. I got the limited slip differential also. I find that I can do a lot of the routine maintenance myself.

We have some timber property here in rural S.C. and are trying to purchase more. Looking at prospective tracts or getting around there to do work requires something with 4WD and a lot of maneuverability. Deer hunting is a passion of mine. I have a hard time visualizing a better vehicle to do these activities with.

I am 65 and have owned a lot of vehicles. I can't think of one that I became this attached to. I don't think that I will ever sell my Wrangler. I will just rebuild what wears out.

Well the deed is done. I bought the 2010 with 39,400 miles. Took it for a drive and boy do I need to practice my shifting. Will take a while to get it smooth again but it sure was fun.

The rack system is neat and does fold back if you want to change out the hard top for a soft or vice versa. The only issue is that I noticed some rot near the bottom of the tubing. They added weep holes but they are 6 inches from the base so water can accumulate inside and rot the tubes from the inside out. I have a friend that is a master welder so I can probably get him to do some repair work. Tried calling the company to see if they would sell just the 4 lower sections but they won't. The whole system sells for around $800 so I guess repair work is the option.

I should be picking it up this week as soon as all of the insurance paperwork and registration is done. Pictures will follow.

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James Redfield
LM #497

When you get use to the standard you will ask, “why have I ever driven an automatic!?” I have vehicles that are both—ironically both my Jeeps are automatics—and I much prefer the standard other than in stop and go town driving in heavy traffic.

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Possum—The other white meat!

Good for you James.
Now you start setting money aside for lift, tires, lockers, bumpers, winch and skid plates.
When you're done with that (as if), you set money aside for repairs when you break things on the rocks.

Ahh, those were the days....

I grew up in England and learned to drive on a stick like we all did back then. Then in 1991 I was given an automatic rental because they had run out of manuals. After driving it I asked myself, "Why on earth do I drive a stick". YMMV.

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Release the Kraken

I grew up in the greater Detroit area and I loved sports cars. Everyone knows that
A SPORTS CAR HAS TO HAVE A STICK!

Besides, we all knew that
MANuals are MANly!
Automatics are Girly!
Any guy who preferred automatics was likely to have his other preferences questioned as well.

Then you finally get older and wiser. You become tired of rowing the car through traffic, trying not to slip the clutch when stopped on a hill, hearing your wife grind the gears when she drives it, and on and on.

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You're shy a few manners.

Great thread.... I have two motorcycles at this point but when my "riding" ends would like to get a Jeep....

Looked at 2005 Unlimited with 83K on it a few weeks ago...really clean and never run in the winter so zero rust issues. Had three tops...they wanted $14K for it but being an automatic not sure if I want that...

Bob

If you want a good one, you're going to have to pay for it.

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You're shy a few manners.

Since 95 all I’ve owned has been Jeep, first Cherokee then when the kids left Wranglers.

My preference has been soft top, standard shift, 6 cylinder.

I keep them stock and for the most part run the piss out of them.

Currently I have a 2004 X my son bought new, it’s getting a little raggedy but still runs and is close to 200k. Plugs, brakes and water pump are all I’ve changed besides tires.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My 14 year old, who is learning to drive a stick, drives by the rule “if you can’t find ‘em, grind ‘em!”

I figure the transmission man has to eat too!

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Possum—The other white meat!

We used to shout:

"Sort one out, you've got a box full"

at learner drivers grinding the gears back in England.

The best story I heard about stick shifts came from my driving instructor. He told me that some folk were more difficult to teach than others. One lady was particularly difficult. Halfway through a three-point turn he had to explain, for the third or fourth time, why she needed to press the clutch pedal to engage forward and reverse gears.

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Release the Kraken

Well here is a photo from the sellers website, I hope. Looking forward to getting it in the next few days.

Like that is EVER going to happen. She has her own car that's an automatic and not even sure if she knows how to drive a stick. My first car was a 1963 Corvair with 4 on the floor. It was black with red guts and I added a red painted on racing stripe from front to back on the drivers side. I thought that I was Mario Andretti. Spent more time on my back under the rear end pulling the valve covers and replacing rocker arms than I care to remember. That little engine was never designed to wind out the way that I thought that it should. Fond memories from 50 years ago.......

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James Redfield
LM #497

James, that is a good looking Jeep. I have a one ton diesel pickup and it is an automatic but Jeeps should be manuals IMHO. In my experience you are either a Jeep person or not. I have done some accessorizing of my Wrangler but sort of kept a lid on it. I need a light bar. Jeep heads lights are pretty dim. When coming back from the sticks in the dark this shortcoming becomes real apparent.

I love English car terms. "Gear box" is a favorite.

Well, it helps if you clean the mud off the headlights first.

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You're shy a few manners.