Jeep Wrangler Advice

[wings&wheels]

Have you priced new in the current market?? My Better Half wants one for our Summer place, she is tired of the Series (primitive, no power steering, etc.) and the diesel one "..smells like a refinery fire". Fair points.

We were looking at absolutely base 2 doors w/ manuals, which are stickered at ~$32K. Basically just walking in, the Dealer threw $29K at us and I would assume there is some movement from there. Wranglers hold their value in the used market, so it may be worth seeing what you could do new.

My Wrangler had some issues, as did our Grand Cherokees, but we knew that going in. Our two friends who have more recent ones haven't had too many issues, none major, and given they are driven by HS and College age girls, that says something.

I miss my TJ. Had a '98 for years, until it sacrificed itself for me; rainy night, curve, head on by an 88 year old in a Mercury Sable. I walked away, sore, but went home that night.

Enjoy!!

 

[dareo]

This is a vehicle to purchase brand new, not used. There is no depreciation compared to a well haggled good deal. I'd get 4 door V6 model and either transmission i consider to be good. That is really strange they suggest you chock the wheels to park on a hill though.

 

[4WD]

Bright White clear coat with Pstar V6 ...
T topper with body color
Lots of good options
80 miles on day one
Stuck in the city for a few weeks before it sees the gulf coast
Will be able to break in slowly

 

[OVERKILL]

Very nice!

 

[4WD]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Very nice!

Thanks ... wider view as it tackles a Houston parking garage!

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Very nice!

+1 Drive it in good health!

 

[MCompact]

Nice!

 

[glock19]

Out of curiosity, what kind of discounts does Jeep offer on Wranglers? $58k seems like a lot of dough for a Wrangler.

 

[wings&wheels]

Nice!

 

[4WD]

About 5k off is all I was finding in the Houston area where they remain a good seller.

Rubicon is very pricey ... and Jeep over prices options that add safety and refinement

 

[buster]

Very nice! Love the Rubicon. I like the color too. Congrats.

 

[4WD]

Here’s a good tip for those who struggle to mount a 42” HiLift jack ... I ordered a 36” because of this:

 

[4WD]

[QUOTE="CarbonSteel:
So the rear axle barely holds two quarts ?

 

[CarbonSteel]

So the rear axle barely holds two quarts ?

Yes sir--that is correct. I have the Dana 44 Electronic Locking Differential (front and back) and the front holds about 1.3QTs and the rear about 1.6QTs. FCA reduced the capacity in the JL series Jeeps for CAFE and the Dana axles in the JL series are also Advantek axles. You can read about them here:

AdvanTEK® Axle Technology - Axle | Spicer Parts

PROBLEM“An axle upgrade for my Jeep needs to be rugged, with superior noise, vibration, and harshness performance—while also delivering improved MPG.”

spicerparts.com

 

[4WD]

Yes sir--that is correct. I have the Dana 44 Electronic Locking Differential (front and back) and the front holds about 1.3QTs and the rear about 1.6QTs. FCA reduced the capacity in the JL series Jeeps for CAFE and the Dana axles in the JL series are also Advantek axles. You can read about them here:

http://[URL unfurl="true"]https://spicerparts.com/parts/axle/automotive/advantek-axle-technology

Could not open but assume it’s an M210/M220 axle pair …
Not much gear oil … might put them on 30k routine after an early change (do rear sooner than front ?) …

 

[CarbonSteel]

Could not open but assume it’s an M210/M220 axle pair …
Not much gear oil … might put them on 30k routine after an early change (do rear sooner than front ?) …

Try it now. BITOG did some weird with the link. Yes, I have the M210/M220 axles. My rear axle produced the worst UOA for any axle at any mileage I have ever tested.

The iron reading at 5K miles (604PPM) was almost as much as my FX4 produced in 160K miles (697). If you have have not changed your rear axle oil yet, you should, take a look at the UOAs I have done this far:

 

[IndyFan]

I worked on a friend's Jeep with the 3.6L engine. Spark plugs were a pain to change but it seemed reliable. Her thermostat went out at about 110K, but cost a total of $22 to replace and a bulk of the cost was a jug of fresh coolant to replenish the loss.

The only real thing that gave a constant issue with her Jeep the parking brake,. Their manual transmissions are known for popping out of gear while parked and their parking brake isn't strong enough to hold the vehicle on an incline, even with stock rims and tires. Her Jeep met its end rolling out of her garage, down a hill, hitting a Camry, and flipping over into someone else's garage. Long story short, these vehicles are not what you'd consider safe but seeing how you are just using it for beach cruising, you should be fine. Just always chock a wheel when parked (it even says so in the owners manual).

They are safe. They consistently have one of the lowest injury claim rates of all vehicles in the US since 2007 when the JK came out.

OP, I've got both the JK and JL. I'd recommend the JL. Both are great but the JL is superior in pretty much every way. I've found both to be very reliable, with the JL having no issues in 35k miles. I've got manual transmissions in both. The JK manual can have some issues, but most don't. The JL manual is outstanding, as is the automatics in both. The 8 speed in the JL is particularly good. The 2.0 engine is good, too, from what I've seen, but the Pentastar is long proven and has shown an ability to handle whatever a Jeep throws at it. I've seen them with several hundred thousand miles on them and running like new.

Keep in mind that you may pay nearly as much for a 3 year old Jeep as you would a new one. They really hold their value. They are tough, rugged vehicles.