thinking of getting a jeep advice needed

[roamingaz]

I have a guy that wants to trade a 1998 jeep tj for my Toyota standard cab pickup, I am going to basicly strip all the cool stuff off my truck like RTT, fridge and winch but my truck is still fairly well built with ARB locker, gears, aux fuel tank, front and rear bumpers, cb.
The jeep is basicly stock, 6 cyl, 3 inch rubicon express lift, new best top, neopreme seat covers,Tuffy console, fake bead lock rims and BFG-mt 33's.
engine is stock, gears are stock. 160,000 miles.....
I am concerned about the hi mileage but otherwise it is very clean. I know very little about jeeps so let me know everything you can good or bad about this model and year jeep, it is located in Denver area maybe someone up there could check it out for me?

 

[Backwoods Rambler]

May I suggest you revise your poll, with the options:

Keep the Toyota

Get the Jeep

Yes/No is very unclear for the way that the poll is worded.

Also, what year is your Toy? Also; engine, miles, condition, etc.etc..

My initial though it to keep your Toy since you have some work put into it and the high miles on the Jeep. I passed on a built XJ w/160k when I bought my stock XJ with 95k. 160 is getting up there in my opinion.

I should have some free time tomorrow (depending on the location) if you want to PM me the contact info for the other party.

 

[roamingaz]

My truck is a 1990 it has a rebuilt 22re with TRD cam and LCE head and exhaust, around 75,000 on rebuild. truck itself only has 145,000. definetly a lot of time and money into it, full build up on mine in my sig. line.
If it was a Toyota with 160,000 miles it would be no problem but I don't hear many people that have jeeps with 200K plus going strong, I could be wrong though.
I have a lot of pics of the jeep that have been emailed but for some reason I cant save them to my computer.

 

[IXNAYXJ]

If it was a Toyota with 160,000 miles it would be no problem but I don't hear many people that have jeeps with 200K plus going strong, I could be wrong though.

The Jeep 4.0 is one of the best motors out there; I know plenty of folks with 300k+ miles and still running strong.

I guess my question is, why switch? If the Yota does what you want and you're confident in it, why bohter?

-----Matt-----

 

[Maximus Ram]

Will the tj have enough room for what you want to do. Will it carry the same gear as your truck.
As stated , the I6 from jeep is a stout lil engine. Has plenty of umph to go and will last.
Good luck on your decision.

 

[Jeffb79]

Things to check on the jeep...
Oil leaks, the rear main in the 4.0 commonly leaks. Not a big issue unless it's dumping a quart between changes.
Pull the carpet and check for rust. A lot of them get leaks up front.
Auto or manual?
What axles? Dana 35 rear or D44?
The D35 is pretty weak, don't go larger than 33" tires with an open carrier.
You'll want to regear, probably to 4.56. If you have the D44 you could probably push 36" tires if you upgrade shafts all the way around.
Take it for a drive and check for bump steer or death wobble, very common occurrences with a lifted jeep. Usually a sign that one of the steering components is worn.
Check for leaky axle seals, another common occurrence.
Does it have a slip yoke eliminator and cv driveshaft, or did he do a t case drop with stock drive shaft.
The 4.0 is a great engine that will take a load of abuse and still run to 300k miles as long as you take care of it.
Another thing to keep in mind is space. I pulled the rear seat out of mine and have just enough room for me and the dog on a weekend trip.

 

[roamingaz]

I have been thinking of reducing the the amount of stuff I bring for solo trips , basicly going back to a backpacker type of camping, which is ok with me. And I have always wanted a jeep.
The inside of the jeep has been rino lined, has A/C and is manual trans.
I have my truck listed for sale or trade on several forums including this one and thats how I have found this particular jeep. Here is the basic info he has given me.

Rubicon express 3.5 inch lift
33 inch procomp mud terrains, decent tread left
tuffy lockbox system
new best top soft top/door
rhino lined tub
JK headlights
48 inch jack on rear bumper
New speakers all around (including sound bar)
Just some things off the top of my head...

160,000 miles on body/original inline 6 cylinder. 5 speed. Only down side would be stock 3.07 gears, but with that said it gets amazing gas mileage considering wranglers usually get 15 highway. Also has no problems in 4x4.

 

[Jeffb79]

Another thing... quite a few batches of the RE lifts had bad bushings in the control arms causing them to wear prematurely. Check those as well.

 

[Xjaddiction]

I've owned both Jeep, and Yota trucks, an 80 series LC and several of the mini trucks. I've owned more Jeeps though, about 10 of them.

The 4.0L engine in the TJ will last 300,000 if the P.O. took some care of it. That I-6 is the best engine ever built IMOP for power and longevity. Regular oil changes will do are really all it needs. They aren't prone to HG failures like the Yotas are. Power with the 4L is fantastic, you will love that. My one complaint with the toyotas has always been power, but that's my only complaint. The TJ will be a blast with the top down, doors off.... if you like that sort of thing, as I do, you will never regret the change... The Tranny is OK if it's a auto, and better if it's the stick. . But still no comparison at all to the better quallity Toy trannies. You can always upgrade though. The axles are prob a LP front dana 30, and a 35 rear. Some TJ's had a Dana 44 for the rear. If that rear is a 35, your pushing it with 33" tires. Add a locker, and it will explode with any rough trail riding. C-clip axles mean rear tire with broken shaft will come out/ off if you continue to drive. Axle swaps are realitively easy, 8.8 ford or Dana 44 from TJ work well, and hold up better than the 35. The front LP 30 can be cheaply and easily swapped out for an HP 30 from a Cherokee that offers more strength and better d-line angles with the short wheel-base rig... The Yota axles are far superior, period!! BUT, a Jeep can be built to hold up. Axles are still cheaper than engine swaps... After market is huge for the TJ... HUGE.

NOW, fit and finish... well the Yotas beat that hands down. A 20 y/o Yota has fewer shakes and rattles than a new Jeep has.. But, the Jeep has endearing qualities that us Jeepers learn to love.

I LOVE JEEPS. Your Truck sounds like a super build, and is defin. trail ready. The TJ you speak of has some basics, but you'll need to do some upgrades to get it to where your truck is expedition wise.

The Jeep is a way of life for me. I believe that a Jeep takes some building, but in the end is better, for me, than any other vehicle I've ever owned. A TJ is pure delight with that top down! That's something you'll never do in a Yota truck...

Hope that helps ya...

 

[shogun]

Not sure which model the TJ is since I dont know the little Jeeps well. The newer stretched models (stretched 2dr and 4 dr) have made the classic short wheelbase Jeep obsolete IMO. Just not enough room to carry necessary gear no less supplies. Maybe a weekend vehicle, at best and with all kinds of roof/rear racks to hold stuff. A trailer would be a must for any serious trips.

The 4.0 engine mileage at 160k is a non-issue as others have said. Not even warming up yet.

Need the slip-yoke elim; transfer case drop is bad, bad, bad.

The manual trans is a negative for serious offroading as you probably know. The aw4 auto is bulletproof, period, dot.

Need to ask the little jeep aficianodos whether coils or leafs are desired.

 

[roamingaz]

A TJ is pure delight with that top down! That's something you'll never do in a Yota truck...

Hope that helps ya...

Yep thats one of the reasons I have wanted a jeep and they are aftermarket supported better then any other vehicle out there. My Toyota is a nice truck but it has obvious power issues with the little 4 cyl.
Thanks for all the info folks!:smiley_drive:

 

[Xjaddiction]

The aw4 auto is bulletproof, period, dot.

Need to ask the little jeep aficianodos whether coils or leafs are desired.

Coils are great on the TJ... The TJ's never had the AW-4. They used a weak 3 speed slush box, I think the tripple 9 or a varient of. Wish they did have the AW-4 though. AW-4 found only in the little cherokees, and the grands with the I-6. That tranny is a Japanese tranny similar to what was used in Yota's. Bulletproof it is. Another worthy swap.

 

[Desert Dan]

No Trade
Just buy the Jeep and then you have the best of both worlds.

 

[Rigged]

5 speed. Only down side would be stock 3.07 gears, but with that said it gets amazing gas mileage considering wranglers usually get 15 highway. Also has no problems in 4x4.

RoamingAZ:

I currently have 33's, 3" lift, 5-speed, I6, and 3.07s and let me tell you that it it's a bit of a chore on the highway or off road. I drive like an old man, and I don't have 5th gear on the highway except for downhills. Sometimes having to downshift to 3rd on hills.
Off road I always have to feather the clutch to slow down. Even in 4-LO and first gear I feel like I'm going way too fast. Around town it isn't that bad I usually cruise around 35-40 in 3rd gear. One thing that I found was to shift at 2500-2800 RPM it seems to hold it's power just a bit better. That is where the power band is roughly I believe.

I average about 15mpg with a hardtop and roof rack with my truck full of tools. On a road trip up to Maine I got about 19mpg.

Just thought I would share my experience with you.

 

[grahamfitter]

I have a '97 TJ with 6 cylinder engine, 5 speed gearbox, 3.07 gears and 31" tires. Its great -- 195K miles and still going strong. I took a power hit with the 31"s but its manageable. I can't imagine 33"s. The drivetrain is what it is.

I also have a 2005 LJ Rubicon with 6 cylinder engine and manual gearbox. Ignoring the difference in the drivetrain, given a choice, I'd take the LJ every time. The ride is significantly better and it isn't skittish on washboard dirt roads -- plus the extra space comes in handy. The only disadvantage it has against the TJ is the turning circle is no longer dime size.

Regarding doors: I see you're in Arizona which I know little about other than its generally hot and dry so half doors may work fine. But if you're planning on spending a lot of time with windows in place, full doors are the only way to go.

Cheers,
Graham