JK Owners, tell us about your rigs!

[Greg]

I've been diggin' the Jeep Wrangler JK since it came out, specifically the Unlimited. I don't know much about them though, I know Jeep make some massive changes and pretty much started with a clean slate to build them. I'm looking for information that the owners would know.

How well do they work offroad? What mods have you made to yours? What modifications do you want to do?

What are the weaknesses of the JK? How are those problems addressed?

I hear the front Dana 30 is stronger than the old style Dana 30 that came in TJ's, XJ's, etc. How much stronger? What's it's limitation as far as tire size?

What kind of trails are you comfortable wheelin your JK on? What type of wheelin do you prefer to do with it?


Again, I'm looking for input from the folks who own a JK. I've heard the talk 2nd hand, want to hear from the JK owners this time.

 

[scootrrydr]

Ive owned my JK since June of 2007. Year and a half and it's been to Moab 6 times. When I bought mine, there wasnt any Rubicon's available. So I bought a Sahara with the Dana 30 in the front. Its not my daily driver and bought specifically to rock crawl in Moab. My YJ was wheeled hard but just wasnt as comfy as the new JK 4 door. Ive completed all the hard trails in Moab without lockers and in 1 piece. With the exception of Prichet Canyon. (but will soon when lockers get installed. Very fun vehicle!

 

[RockMonkey]

They're sweet. I'll pick one up used when they're not cool any more.

Tell us more about yours, scootrrydr. Suspension mods? 35s?

 

[JoeT]

Mine is a 2008 X Unlimited that came with a Dana 30 and a Rubi44 with rear electric locker and e-diso. I bought a Rubi front 44 and the locker wiring harness. I'm running 5:13's with superior shafts front and rear. The OEM axles like to snap/stretch right at the u-joint. I bought Off Road Evolution Inner C braces and front control arm skids. www.offroadevolution.com . Early 2007 had issues with the front axles snapping/breakin axle tubes. In 2008 Jeep quietly upgraded to a little thicker tubing. Mt. Logan offers a inner tube that you slide into the inside of the front axle. Factory brackets (control arms/trackbar) tend to be a little thin. I'll be adding the new TeraFlex JK CRD60R before EJS 2009. I'll go to 5:38's then.

I've installed a steering stabilizer relocation kit and a EVAP cannister relocation kit from www.jeepswag.com. The EVAP cannisters are in a bad location and are easy to relocate.

I'm running a TeraFlex 4" LA kit with 37" Cooper STT's with Tera shafts. Just got the S/T swaybar system installed a few weeks ago. That really stiffened the bodyroll. The factory e-disco will not work in 2wd. But you can rig a toggle switch and overide the factory system.

Offroad is handles wonderful on the trail. I can drive much faster on the trail than my old 92 XJ with a 5.5" RE LA on it. So much more room in also. I can easily put enough gear in the back/under bench seat for myself ,wife and 2 kids for a week. I've taken it to Moab twice and a couple of the TeraFlexPLUS runs in the last year. I've put about 19K on it with 14K with the TeraFlex LA kit in less than a year.

Pulling the front panels off the hardtop while stuck in track is priceless.

Heres a vid from the run I did Thanksgiving weekend. Had everything from a stock 2 dr Rubi, mild lifted to a JK with 40's and a Dana 30.

[YOUTUBE]9bftqGikask[/YOUTUBE]

Video from Steel Bender

http://good-times.webshots.com/video/3049475740102496289LugytW

 

[scootrrydr]

My JK

They're sweet. I'll pick one up used when they're not cool any more.

Tell us more about yours, scootrrydr. Suspension mods? 35s?

After buying brand new, I drove it for 3 days and had the 3.5 inch short arm kit installed by Teraflex. And added 35" Toyos. And like Joe states above, I removed the Evap canister and relocated because it hung too low and in the way. Relocated the muffler between the frame rails because it was located like the ol YJ under the rear bumper and was smashed to hell. It has done so much better than my SOA, front and rear locked YJ but were talking apples to oranges. I think. I guess I need lockers. Even though havent really needed them in Moab.

 

[spencevans]

Sweet rigs, but I am holding out for a diesel version. It's good to hear the good, the bad and the ugly.

 

[scootrrydr]

No fun waiting....

Sweet rigs, but I am holding out for a diesel version. It's good to hear the good, the bad and the ugly.

Good luck on the diesel fantasy. We don't use high sulfur diesel in the US any more (exception Alaska) US required all Diesel fuel be Low sulfur as of Oct. 15, 2006...most diesel stations had it by Dec. 2006.

The main issue we have is that the US emissions standards for Diesel is more stringent than that of Europe...regarding CO2 and NO/NO2 and particulates (5 of the 50 states states anyway) this is why the european manufturers are working on Emissions systems like Urea (Bluetec), particulate canisters and direct injections...more efficient and less particulates. The main issue is that the new emissions sysems and higher tech engines cost more money and if there is no current market share for diesels why invest in production itooling, etc if it ends up sitting on a lot or sells to 2-3% of the market. That is why the only jeep offering is on the Grand Cherokee...premium product.

I think that chrysler is missing the boat as this will be an emerging trend in the U.S market...makes sense for higher mpg, (when you compare fleet mpgs) and ease of transition for our infrastructure vs. electric, hydrogen etc. Utilizing the 3.0 Bluetec from mercedes or their relationship with Cummins is already proven and in their product offerings and could provide JEEP with a unique proposition...the only (or first) brand to offer a diesel solution in each of their models.

 

[Kiel]

The latest diesel power said that the diesel wrangler pretty much got the axe.:-\ They are focusing on electric vehicles and they had a prototype wrangler.

 

[spencevans]

I may need to get another Liberty CRD and then do a SAS. From my understanding Mopar Performance is offering the 2.8CRD as a bolt in crate motor but they may only be available for the TJ's. My memory is failing me.

 

[Jared]

How well do they work offroad? What mods have you made to yours? What modifications do you want to do?

Greg, I've owned probably 8 XJ's, and built probably 4. I've also owned a mild TJ and wheeled it plenty. In March, we bought a used JK from a guy in Missouri off ebay. I flew out and drove it home straight through from the MO/KY border to Ogden. I am pleased to say it drives very nice even with the 35" KM's. In fact, it drives about as nice as my '04 Dodge Dakota.

Off the beaten path, I've been very surprised at the capabilities. It's very much point and shoot wheeling. Flex is good, stability is good, traction is awesome... all it's attributes are very well balanced. Mine has the OME lift kit and full traction adj. track bars. I also added Bilstein 5150's up front. We've run Golden Spike twice with zero issues... taking almost all the hard lines.

What are the weaknesses of the JK? How are those problems addressed?

Rear window visibility, overall size... and breakover angle. Rear visibility sucks with a huge spare covering the back glass. A fix would be to move it inside and ditch the ginormous 3rd brake light. Also the rear headrests block what isn't blocked by the spare. They are not removable. Taking the top off, or running the soft top without windows helps a lot.

Size (width and length) is just something you have to get used to, though it feels smaller with the doors off just like a TJ. It does feel heavier than my XJ's or TJ. Also, the 3.8 really does not have the mid range punch the 4.0's had.

Breakover angle can really only be addressed with a taller lift, or just taking a different line. Mine gets a little hung up now and then with 2-3" of lift and 35" tires.

What kind of trails are you comfortable wheelin your JK on? What type of wheelin do you prefer to do with it?

I'm not comfortable wheeling a shiny $25,000 rig on brushy trails. Rocky Mountain Pin Striping is not okay. But as far as the capability goes I'd take it anywhere I would have taken the XJ's or TJ, even though they had lockers and the JK does not.

Where the JK has really shined to me is on looong trails with kids. It's so damn smooth I can hardly believe it. Very low driving fatigue. I'm thinking the OME lift and Bilstein shocks are a big part of this, but none of my other vehicles have come even close to the level of trail comfort this thing offers. If you want an expedition rig you've found it! There is plenty of interior room to pack stuff.

Here's alot more information about mine. While it's "for sale" talk, it's still straight talk.

http://rockymountainextreme.com/showthread.php?t=57644

 

[Tacoma]

If the engine woes could be remedied, they look to me like either a skinnier Tahoe, or a better XJ, as far as capacity/capability goes.

They are growing on me, with lifts and tires. I absolutely hate the stock ones though.

 

[Medsker]

How well do they work offroad? What mods have you made to yours? What modifications do you want to do?

Mine has a 4" lift with 37" tires. I had to take a BFH to the wheel wells and trim the fender flares to make them fit without rubbing but I felt I wanted to go 37's to help with the breakover angle. I put in 5.13's. I also relocated the evap canister and muffler (evap was free and bought a muffler for $65 off of e-bay). I also put front and rear bumpers on mine which I built myself.

What are the weaknesses of the JK? How are those problems addressed?

One of the things I didn't like about the JK was all of the electronics. soon after I bought mine I was flying down a dirt road and floored it around a corner to kick the back end out and the engine power cut out and the brakes automatically hit and straightened out the Jeep for me. Well that was cool and all but I wanted to decided when that happened and when it didn't. So I installed 3 switches on the dash. One for the rear locker, one for the front locker and one for all the "wheel sensor" electronics. So I can now turn my lockers off and on whenever I want and if I switch the 3rd switch I lose the ESP, ABS, etc. The only thing about the 3rd switch is when you turn it back on it doesn't reset until the vehicle is turned on and off. Next weakness...gas mileage, I have 15213 miles on my Jeep and have an average of 13.21 MPG over the life of it. That seems really low. My dad in his V8 Yukon averages 15-16. The 3.8 is really underpowered in my opinion and to be underpowered and get bad mileage is like being kicked when your down...just my opinion (March 2010 my wife said I could drop a Hemi in mine so I should be grinning for a while afterwards )

I hear the front Dana 30 is stronger than the old style Dana 30 that came in TJ's, XJ's, etc. How much stronger? What's it's limitation as far as tire size?

I have the Rubicon and have had no problems with the front end but have bent a shaft on the rear. I replaced it with Superiors and haven't had a problem since. I have heard of the caps walking out on the front like the TJ's had so I plan on doing the Mt. Logan sleeves and upgrading to superior shafts with circular clips in the near future. I feel 37's is doable for someone that is a normal driver..whatever normal is

What kind of trails are you comfortable wheelin your JK on? What type of wheelin do you prefer to do with it?

First time I went to Moab my wife and I ran 17 trails in 7 days including Pritchett, Behind the rocks, Moab Rim, etc. I had no problems on any of these trails and had no problems hitting the obstacles hard (I didn't hit the last really steep one that hard on Pritchet because we were alone and didn't want to risk a rollover). I loved the long wheelbase, it felt more stable and would walk up things that in my TJ I had trouble on. The electronic swaybar didn't work that well and would take forever to reconnect so we just left it unconnected till the end. The thing I liked the most about it was the automatic had some feature which seemed to lock the torque converter giving me great engine braking. It even killed the engine a couple of times coming to a stop. I haven't read anywhere that this is a feature and I haven't heard it talked about widely on the web but I have heard it talked about some so I don't think it was just a mistake on mine but with the engine braking I kinda get the best of both worlds...easy to drive on road and get the braking off road.


There's not a lot else I would like to do to my Jeep...other than the lottery dreams (Airock, Hemi, etc.) I would like to get the 2-low kit put on and possibly put on the Atlas replacement stub shaft (gives you a 2:1 ratio you can use in conjunction or separate from your 4:1). I think it rides really nice with the 4 inches of lift although I think if I went any higher I would long arm it.

Anyway there is my long ramble and my one taken pic.

 

[O'neal]

Here are the two jeep's I wheel with..My buddy with the silver JK with rubicon stock spring's gave 2" lift and currently running 38" TSL's with minor wheelwell mod's,soon cromo's in front and 4:1

My other buddy here bought the red 4dr rubi,6spd man,and 35's....

And a rental I run in moab when I blew the zuk trans in BFE...Alittle spendy but still got wheelin time in while we were down....Dare I say,I've alway's thought "I do not like jeep's and never wanted to be seen in one let alone driving one"....I'll tell ya,damn thing's are unstoppable,wheel excellent and are quite comfy stock,add some aftermarket good's and wheel the piss out of'em...I would wheel one

 

[N-Smooth]

rented a rubicon 4door in ouray last spring, we were the first to rent it because it arrived the day before we got there.

it was way fun to drive on and offroad and i thought the selectable lockers and swaybars were amazing. went everywhere we pointed it, not that the ouray trails are very difficult (i am pretty sure you are familiar with them). it was really quite different from my bare bones xj buggy but i really liked the difference... if i had 30k i would have a 4 door rubi right now and even my wife agrees with me

 

[Maverick]

I rented a 4dr hardtop JK (not rubicon) with 2" lift and 33's in Moab summer of '07 to do the White Rim trail. I LOVED it!!! I WILL buy a rubicon when I pay off my eXcursion. It will get 4" of lift and 35's or 37's. And it will be a hardtop. And it will be RED. And I will continue to read posts like this to see what I need to "pre-fix".

I wish they came with a diesel.

 

[JoeT]

The motors are underpowered in these. Myabe ok for a 2 door 6spd, but something really needs to be done. I've heard that you can buy a diesel conversion for $15k from Jeep for the JK. A Hemi 5.7 would be a nicer deal. So it's either supercharger (RIPP plus several other brands) or do a AEV Hemi conversion. The SC can be done in a saturday and the Hemi a couple of days/week depending on how many buddies you have. Rubicons are too spendy and not worth it IMO. A used Rubi 4:1 t-case is $600, plus Rubi front axles were $1300 disk to disk. You can save alot by buying a loaded X or Saraha then build it up.

 

[I Lean]

.... Rubi front axles were $1300 disk to disk.

"Were" is the operative word there. I've heard they're approximately double that number now, and come minus brakes.

 

[N-Smooth]

sure i think more power would be fun but i thought the 4door did great and we had 6 people in it on the trails and the road/highway... sorry to disagree with what seems to be the popular opinion but thats my $0.02

 

[JoeT]

sure i think more power would be fun but i thought the 4door did great and we had 6 people in it on the trails and the road/highway... sorry to disagree with what seems to be the popular opinion but thats my $0.02

On the trail I have no problems. Freeway/hills/high winds is when the lack of power sucks. Now if it's sure no problem not too bad. But lifted and rolling on 37's...............:-\

 

[Medsker]

sure i think more power would be fun but i thought the 4door did great and we had 6 people in it on the trails and the road/highway... sorry to disagree with what seems to be the popular opinion but thats my $0.02

With my 5.13 gears and 37's my overdrive is all but useless. If I have a long downhill on the freeway I'll reach down and hit the button that flips it on but other than that the first thing I do after starting the engine is turn it off because it drives me crazy the way it kicks on and off every couple of seconds (every time you let off the gas it kicks into overdrive and then every time you touch the gas pedal again it kicks right out). If I set my cruise for 65 on the freeway with the overdrive on within seconds I'm down to 59 and the overdrive kicks off and it takes me up to 67 then kicks back on...I drop to 59 and, well you get the picture. With 5.13 gears I'm actually geared lower than the factory. Don't even get me started how bad it is when I hook up my two snowmobiles behind it . Around town with the overdrive off it doesn't bother me to much. On the trail it doesn't bother me at all (as long as I'm in low gear). But freeway you can tell it is way underpowered, and like I stated earlier gets bad mileage to boot.

Medsker

PS But you do have the right to your opinion. I'm just stating mine.