Any Jeepers in here?

[Billythekid]

when it rains you are likely to find water on the inside of the jeep with a soft top.. and i still like them

 

[Billythekid]

i have a rubicon only off rd once paid to much to beat it up bought it just in case shtf ... you are driving my favorite body style of jeeps... i was trying to find a low mile unit when i bought the rubicon... i am a dreamer and hope some day i find one in great shape and low miles cheorkee

 

[teddy12b]

After a long time waiting I just bought and installed the tuffy tailgate lock box in my JL.

I'm going to wipe it all down and give the inside of this a quick spray with some kind of a rubber coating. Just enough to keep anything from sliding around or rattling. I'm going to have some fun playing around with what all I can pack away in there.

 

[Principal Skinr]

I am still loving my JL after about 4 months. To recap, I bought the Rubicon with the 35x12.5"s and the 4" lift kit. Mine is the 2.0 L. The only really interesting thing I can report is that I can get about 18.5 city out of it if I am gentle on the pedal, but it gets abysmal highway mileage. Whatever it is about the lift and the larger tires, I get about 12 highway. If there is a head wind, plan on about 10. I just really don't ever drive it on the highway or need to, so not a big deal but pretty surprising anyway.

That's a surprise. I'm running 315's (KO2's), so they are not too far off of 35x12.5's and I have gotten 21 to 21.5 between 65 and 70mph. At above 70, it drops off, but only into the 19's. I'm running the V6 and manual transmission.

I'd take have the dealer run a diagnostic. That 4 is supposed to be a little more fuel efficient than the 6. I don't think I dropped below 15 with a strong headwind most of the way to Moab. By strong, I mean really strong. In the mountains I still didn't drop below 15.

 

[Principal Skinr]

After a long time waiting I just bought and installed the tuffy tailgate lock box in my JL.

I'm going to wipe it all down and give the inside of this a quick spray with some kind of a rubber coating. Just enough to keep anything from sliding around or rattling. I'm going to have some fun playing around with what all I can pack away in there.

Before I lost it in a boating accident, I easily fit my Tavor in there, with plenty of mags, even in a case. I'm sure an AR carbine would fit easily in there. Of course, my tennis racket, which just so happens to be the size of a Tavor, (what a coincidence!) is shown in the pic below.

I used Harbor Freight tool drawer liner in mine. I like your idea of rubber coating, too. I think it would do a better job than the liner of preventing rattles, but the liner does well.

 

[Principal Skinr]

Here's a more typical load. I am running right now with both shelves in there. One of the greatest features is being able to prepare lunch on the open door!

 

[teddy12b]

Before I lost it in a boating accident, I easily fit my Tavor in there, with plenty of mags, even in a case. I'm sure an AR carbine would fit easily in there. Of course, my tennis racket, which just so happens to be the size of a Tavor, (what a coincidence!) is shown in the pic below.

I used Harbor Freight tool drawer liner in mine. I like your idea of rubber coating, too. I think it would do a better job than the liner of preventing rattles, but the liner does well.

Yesterday I stopped by Lowes and bought a spray can of Rustoleum underbody coating. I was hoping to find a can of flex seal or some other type of rubberizer, but figured worst case this will make a nice first coat. I used the whole can last night and wow I had to open the garage door. The coating went on pretty thin, but fairly evenly. I'm probably going to get some of those harbor freight drawer liners for it as well, but I'd also like to get another good heavy coat of some kind of spray rubber on the inside. I'm looking forward to seeing what all can be organized nicely in this lockbox.

 

[craigkim]

That's a surprise. I'm running 315's (KO2's), so they are not too far off of 35x12.5's and I have gotten 21 to 21.5 between 65 and 70mph. At above 70, it drops off, but only into the 19's. I'm running the V6 and manual transmission.

I'd take have the dealer run a diagnostic. That 4 is supposed to be a little more fuel efficient than the 6. I don't think I dropped below 15 with a strong headwind most of the way to Moab. By strong, I mean really strong. In the mountains I still didn't drop below 15.

Hmmmm.... okay that is good info. On my drive this morning, which is 55 miles, I played with it a little and I couldn't nurse more than about 17.6-17.7 out of it at 70mph. Any faster at all and the mpg fell considerably. Seemed like about 1mpg per mph above 70! At 60mph I was getting 17.8-17.9. I am pretty pleased with its city mileage, coming from a Tundra that got about 12 mpg, but I did expect more out of the I4 hybrid. I will have to get it in.

 

[craigkim]

I am going to check my tire pressure for one. After checking out Jeep forums, it seems that I am not the only one who is experiencing reduced gas mileage over expectations for the 2.0 in their JL. I have quite a bit of added weight on mine too. I have aftermarket fab fours bumpers, nerf bars, a winch, a 4" suspension lift, and my tires are procomp extreme mt2 35x12.5, with a pretty good offset. It seemed pretty common that drivers were reporting dramatically declining mpg over 70 mph, with about 55 being the sweet spot. I am still going to take my Jeep in and have them run a diagnostic, but I won't be surprised if there aren't any issues. As I said, I don't really need this vehicle to do much highway. I am pretty light on the pedal, but IF you want the power, this little engine delivers it, at a cost. I compare that to the two 4Runners we had and those things were just dogs.

On my way in this morning, I passed another Jeep Wrangler with 35s on it and he was tucked in behind a semi trailer drafting going about 68-70, which is what got me thinking more about my mpg.

 

[Principal Skinr]

Just got back from a snowmobiling trip to Traverse City. We rode the sleds Saturday and then went up to check out the Upper Peninsula. I've never been up there before. We stopped at the Makinaw Bridge, Sault Ste Marie (Soo Locks), and then went up to Whitefish Point. It is some rugged country up there! Anyway, had a blast and the Jeep ate whatever the weather threw at it. We'll be going back sometime between Spring and Fall to do some off-roading on Drumond Island and to see the shipping museums.

 

[Billythekid]

any one out there use Iron Bull bumpers

 

[Nojoy621]

So I’ve been wanting a Jeep for awhile now, I don’t want a daily driver, but something for nice summer days and light to medium off roading. I found a 2010 rubicon unlimited with 68k miles and 6 speed manual. It has the 3.8L engine and has spent the first 7 years of its life in New Mexico and is really clean. I can get it for about $19k, is that a decent deal? Is there a general consensus on the 3.8L?


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[Clay]

Personal opinion........ get a 3.6, or get a TJ with a 4.0L

The 3.8 in my 2010 JKU has been fine, but it really needs more power.

 

[maxwelhse]

Personal opinion........ get a 3.6, or get a TJ with a 4.0L

The 3.8 in my 2010 JKU has been fine, but it really needs more power.

TJ owner here... Can confirm that's what I would do. You can save 1/2 of your purchase price and get way more than half the capability of a JK. I don't know jack about the modern engine options, but 4.0s are pretty much atomic clocks of reliability. I feel like mine makes good power, especially with 3.73s.

I personally wouldn't worry about paying a premium for a Rubi either. You're either going to break it all anyhow and replace it beyond Rubi specs or the stock stuff will hold up. Considering you're saying "light to medium" wheeling, stock will probably be fine. Good tires, sway bar disconnects, and enjoy. Maybe lockers if you get more serious, but then I'd just upgrade axles entirely, IMO.

Just make sure you buy a good TJ if you go that way. Lots of the typical frame rot problem children out there (quite possibly including mine).

 

[Nojoy621]

I'm really looking for a 4 door just because of family size so TJ sadly is out, so maybe the 3.6 will be the better option. I have heard the 3.8 was a little under powered and this particular one is already on 35s with 4.10 gears.

Definitely not dead set on a rubicon so thanks for your input on looking at other trims, it might be a better option for my use. I just don't know if jeeps are like guns as far as the spend a little more and "buy once, cry once" but I'm quickly learning jeeps have even more accessories and add ons than guns do!!


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[maxwelhse]

Jeeps are absolutely not a buy once cry once. They're a buy once, then cry again, and again, and some more...

Especially since the one you're looking at is on 35s and I assume a lift to go with it. Once the Pandora's box of aftermarket upgrades come on board, the increased stress of things like really heavy tires combined with aggressive use, you start finding all the weakest links. To be fair, mine has been pretty good to me, but I've left it 99% stock for a reason.

And yes, the Jeep aftermarket is insanely vast. The trouble is that a lot of companies make a lot of just straight up junk for them too (just like guns). You've really got to do your due diligence before you decide on any major purchase for one, IMO. Take a look at what the aftermarket considers a "safe" for a Jeep and you'll see what I mean. Junk.

Don't get any of this wrong... I'm not knocking the guys that go all out and build insane rigs, but it's the "go all out" and "insane" part that isn't for me. Consider that wisely as you're looking at modded ones. I'd rather start with something dead stock and know the quality of the parts and work that went into building it up if I were to go that way. Plus, you'd be surprised what a stock Jeep on good tires can go through. Mine has pulled my Dad's 4x4 1500 Chevy up about 20 degree hill, with 8" of snow on it, with nothing more than 31" BFG Mud Terrains. His truck was literally just burning tires on snow and doing absolutely nothing to help the cause. Plus the suspension droop on a stock TJ with the sway bars disconnected is nuts... It's something like 15" and JKs have even more. That means you can get each end off axis from each by about 2 feet, stock, with the tires on the ground, and drive it out of that.

The first 15 seconds of this one gives you some of the idea (but my nuts aren't as big as that guy's) of what a stock Jeep can do.

[video=youtube;6z2nV8u-yHc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z2nV8u-yHc[/video]

 

[Principal Skinr]

After watching that, I'm wondering exactly how the TJ supposedly has 50% more capability than the JK? I ain't buyin' that. I've wheeled many times in my JK with TJs and didn't see anything they could do that the JK couldn't, other than squeeze through some trees to narrow for the JK.

Cool video!

 

[maxwelhse]

After watching that, I'm wondering exactly how the TJ supposedly has 50% more capability than the JK? I ain't buyin' that. I've wheeled many times in my JK with TJs and didn't see anything they could do that the JK couldn't, other than squeeze through some trees to narrow for the JK.

Cool video!

I may have phrased what I was trying to say poorly, but please read it again:

You can save 1/2 of your purchase price and get way more than half the capability of a JK.

So... Trying again: For 1/2 dollars you get much more than 1/2 a JK. A JK isn't twice as good as a TJ, but it costs a lot more. That's all I was saying.

It also wasn't intended to be controversial in any way at all. I'm partial to my TJ, and most guys are partial to what they have, but I know that JKs are an overall upgrade in capability.

I will say, perhaps controversially, that any TJ and up quite possibly is twice as good as a their older leaf spring brothers. The suspension technology took a massive leap between YJs and TJs. I look at the JK as a smaller evolution, but still an upgrade. The newest generation is probably more of the same, but they're so ugly I don't even think about them.

 

[terrehautian]

I would rather have a tj for off road purposes. Shorter wheel base then a jk, shorter turning radius, and most had the indestructible 4.0 inline six. Plus the cost to buy then upgrade will be cheaper. For on road mostly use with a family a four door jk or Jl will be the obvious choice. The newer jeeps come with bigger tires standard.

 

[Principal Skinr]

I may have phrased what I was trying to say poorly, but please read it again:



So... Trying again: For 1/2 dollars you get much more than 1/2 a JK. A JK isn't twice as good as a TJ, but it costs a lot more. That's all I was saying.

It also wasn't intended to be controversial in any way at all. I'm partial to my TJ, and most guys are partial to what they have, but I know that JKs are an overall upgrade in capability.

I will say, perhaps controversially, that any TJ and up quite possibly is twice as good as a their older leaf spring brothers. The suspension technology took a massive leap between YJs and TJs. I look at the JK as a smaller evolution, but still an upgrade. The newest generation is probably more of the same, but they're so ugly I don't even think about them.

Ahh, I see. I do love the TJ. But, they do have some issues, such as frames being compromised by rust. There are fixes for that, though. They are great Jeeps and can be had on the Jeep. I personally have some love for the 2.5. I saw one with about 550k miles on it and it ran like new!