A couple of things I would say about that Jeep. If it's a 6" lift then you shouldn't need the 2" body lift to run 35s. I have the RE 5.5 (actually netted around 7 initially) lift, no body lift and 35's. I could even fit 37's if I thought my axles could handle it. He may have only done the body lift so he could fit the spare on the tailgate (tire probably rests on the bumper). With that heavy spare hanging on the tailgate, it's only a matter of time before the hinges bend. And 4.56 gears with 35's only barely gets you back to stock rpms. Lots of power would be 4.88 or lower. I have 4.56 on mine and it is livable but not ideal. If I had to do it over again I would have gotten the 4.88s instead. Other than that it looks nice. If I were you I would address those issues and make sure the frame is still in good shape before you make him an offer. Just my

_________________
David
Bel Air,Md
2003 KJ Patriot Blue Sport w/mods R.I.P.
2005 Wrangler Unlimited not so stock
L.O.S.T. #082670
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/803306
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2399643
More mods planned than money.
-----------------

"Roads, where we're going we don't need roads."

man im not sure what to think of all these snobby wrangler
owners who think their crap doesnt stink ...

went to take a look at the 99 model and it was beat up pretty
good. yes it did have some decent mods, but he wouldnt
budge on the price either.


will continue lookin....

_________________
2004.5 dodge qclb
smarty powered / isspros
2005 sivler lj
http://s303.photobucket.com/albums/nn13 ... ider_2008/

not all wrangler owners are like that btw. anyways right now people are trying to get money out of their mods. in fact mod add on to a jeep is worthless when it comes to selling it. look for something that is slighty lifted so you can wheel and get a feel for it before you go any higher than 33's and 4'' of lift. Also fabtech is a worthless lift btw.

im just kiddin halfway. i do for sure realize that the wranglers
hold their value, but your right some of these guys are wanting
100% of their mod $$ back in the sale and its just not
going to happen.

that actually what i am looknig for, just a slightly lifted jeep,
with maybe 33's tops. that sounds funny i just put a set
of 37's on my dodge.

if any of you guys have any leads in tx, lemme know.

_________________
2004.5 dodge qclb
smarty powered / isspros
2005 sivler lj
http://s303.photobucket.com/albums/nn13 ... ider_2008/

are you looking around on CL for jeeps, or maybe auto trader.

Ya it is stupid what people trying to get money wise out of there jeeps and other vehicles.

33's, you can go alot of places. WIth 35's you have to re gear, and your going to start cutting fenders and tearing up axles. 37's, you might as well tube the jeep out and throw 60's under neath it cause with 37's your going to be wheeling some hard stuff

yeah ive looked at two that were on cl, and
im using autotrader daily to see if any
new ones pop up.

i did go look at an 02 wrangler with 29k miles
on it. looked like a toad, it had the hitch up
front. dealer was asking $14.6k for it !!!
i told the salesman that i can get a brand new
one at another dealer for $16k after rebates.

he didnt say much after that then i left...

_________________
2004.5 dodge qclb
smarty powered / isspros
2005 sivler lj
http://s303.photobucket.com/albums/nn13 ... ider_2008/

I saw a list of the top 10 highest resale cars. The jeep wrangler was the only American model on the list and it was near the top.

With Chrysler's current position and the announcement that they are going to offer larger incentives and give their dealers "hold back"money so they can negotiate with potentials buys I wonder how much you could get a stripped down 2 door JK for.

detroit_doc, i have checked into that and at south point
jeep in south austin they are giving away the 09 model
wrangler x's for $15.2k with all rebates included.

thats one heck of a deal! i looked at an 02 model with
34k miles and they were asking $14k !!!! i told the
salesman that he or whoever is setting the prices are
smoking crack or something...

_________________
2004.5 dodge qclb
smarty powered / isspros
2005 sivler lj
http://s303.photobucket.com/albums/nn13 ... ider_2008/

I don't know if a JK is in your budget, but I've owned a TJ and a JK. The JK is much better. The soft top full door version rides quieter than my renegade liberty. They can take a 35" tire with a spacer lift.

JKs also all have brake lock differentials (the computer applies the brakes to a spinning wheel to restribute the torque to the other wheel simulating a limited slip).

Yes the JK is better in ways to the old TJ but at the same time it does have it's problems

First off the regular JK is running the Dana 30/35. If you find a Rubicon model they have weak out shafts on the Dana 44's that have to have a welded angle truss added on for strength. Also I know of a few people having problems with that 3.7L mini-van engine. most take it out and swap in a hemi, or semiliar v-8.

Now for the TJ, the front axles is a Dana 44 but it uses dana 30 knuckles and some other dana 30 parts. Easy fix by adding on 44 knuckles and other items. Also the 4.0L is a powerhouse that can run forever, and really does not have that many problems. Right now you should be able to pick up a used TJ 02-06 for around 6k for base model to 15k, to 16k for a rubicon model.

Really both have their faults and yes you can run larger tires on the JK with almost no lift, but still your going to spend money regearing.

Except for the first 3 months of preduction in 07's on the 2 doors. Every JK out there has either a 30/44 or 44/44 axle combo. Plus they are the NextGen axles even the crap 35 was stronger than a TJ 44. The angel trusses are recommended for extreme rock crawling on 37"+ wheels, and is a good call period when running that size. All TJ's and LJ's do however come with a 30/35, except for some Sport models (30/44) or the Rubi's (44/44). The TJ Rubi's are running such a premium on price it's cheaper to build TJ or JK.

I haven't heard of one single problem with the 3.8l engine, other than it is what it is... With that said it either makes darn near just as much or more HP/torque than the 4.0l did. The engine is easier to drive, with usable power where you need it... But it doesn't make you smile as much as the old straight six did. Most of that is due to the increased weight... To date their has only been about 60 Hemi swaps performed that I'm aware of through my JK boards out of all the thousands of JK's sold.. I'm sure that there are a few more than that unreported, but when AEV, COP4x4 and Burnsville Offroad (the three major Hemi swap players) reporting on the swaps, it's a fairly accurate number. So to say that most owners swap out for a Hemi is a stretch...

Point being that the JK isn't the perfect jeep, but it is better than the TJ in nearly every way. With the prices now, it's cheaper to build up too compared to the TJ's.

_________________
- Mike
'12 JK

Jeep Tech Files

well the wifey picked up her new to her jeep this afternoon.
its a 2005 t j ( right ? ) unlimited with the 4l motor and
6 speed. not sure what t case it has or axles as im totally
new to the wrangler forum. here are some pics.
we got this for $11k which i thought was a real good deal
considering the prices ive seen on lesser models. it
has 50k miles on it. from the look of the body and the
underside it has NEVER seen anything remotely off
road... one immediate question - can you drive it with
the side panels off and the top on like in the last two pics ?

_________________
2004.5 dodge qclb
smarty powered / isspros
2005 sivler lj
http://s303.photobucket.com/albums/nn13 ... ider_2008/

Sorry you are right they are running those axles setups now. Other than that the TJ 44's are better and stronger than a dana 30 or danan 35. Sorry but the Rubicon axles under my TJ are stronger buddy. Also the jk axles are a bit wider and yes stronger. As for the 3.8L sorry .1 higher than a 3.7L runs like the 3.7L and yes the engine does have some trouble there. Also most people who drive it, say it is better for highway use but tend to like the lower end grunt of the 4.0L for wheeling. Either way even with 35's ppl recommend to guesset the axles their. The hemi swap's dont tend to add in personal people doing it, and people dropping in other motors there either. Lets just say in the off-road community alot of ppl tend to do more than hemi swaps too.

And to say the JK is better than the TJ in every way is a bit of a stretch there buck oh. I personally hate the new JK. too me it seems to city person made. Too many gadgets and what not on it. The TJ is alot more rugged than the new JK is. I Personally still love the old YJ's.

JasonK: That is an LJ (the official designation for a TJ Unlimited). Most TJ parts will bolt straight up, with the exception of rock rails and such. @nd question is yes you can drive with the rear windows removed. Congrats on the purchase, looks good, great price too!

JeepBumm68: The NextGen Axles have been proven to be stronger than the previous counterparts. The axle tubes, shafts, spline count, R&P are all beefier on the JK than the TJ and before. The 3.8 also makes as much or more power in the same areas as the 4.0 did. It is just hampered by the extra couple of thousand pounds of the JK. The much loved 4.0 would seem underpowered in the JK too.

I also said that the JK was better in NEARLY every way. Axles, T-case, lockers (or BLD), interior size, MPG, bigger tires for lower COG. The plastic and thin sheet metal could be better, but armor will protect that.

But whatever, to each there own. Personally I loved my YJ more than my TJ.

_________________
- Mike
'12 JK

Jeep Tech Files

just learned that wiki pedia is your friend. looks like i got the
good rear axle and the small front axle . thats what separates
the other trim levels from the rubicon i think.. i have the
rubicon " trim package " but obviously not the good stuff.
we're gonna put a 3" lift and 32" shoes on it and try to leave
well enough alone.

either way kerry loves it.

In 2004, Jeep introduced the Wrangler Unlimited with a 10 inch (~25.4 cm) longer wheelbase (LWB), a Dana 44 rear axle with a 3:73 gear ratio and the Command-Trac 231 transfer case; this model is also known by its unofficial designation of LJ. In 2005, This model of the Jeep Wrangler has nearly double the towing capacity than its shorter wheelbase sibling due to increased wheelbase.


Unlimited - beginning in 2004, Unlimited offered more interior room (increased legroom for rear passengers, and improved storage space behind the rear seat), greater towing capacity, 3,500 pounds (1600 kg), and was available in a standard or Rubicon trim. The AMC designed and Chrysler refined 4.0 L along with Jeep alloy wheels were standard on all models. On soft tops, the "Sunrider" flip-back sunroof feature is standard as well. Its unofficial model designation was "LJ" instead of "TJ" as that was used for traditional sized Wranglers.

_________________
2004.5 dodge qclb
smarty powered / isspros
2005 sivler lj
http://s303.photobucket.com/albums/nn13 ... ider_2008/

Nice find! I'm sure you're going to love it, because at the end of the day it's a jeep.

Great looking LJ there buddy

you really can't compare the JK and TJ to older models btw. Also yes the axles are stronger but i still and still see guys running longer on the stock 44's that came in TJ's and not have any problems. I already know of two or three guys that have blown their JK axles ( stupidty was the cause),but since they are stronger they ran tires that even those couldn't handle. I have seen JK axles fold under 35's and 37's the same as the TJ dana 44's have on those. Ya of course MPG is better. Your running a mini-van engine that has been tuned for it. The 4.0L has been moderately unchanged since it first came out. The t-case is not different. The Rubicon models still use the same t-case. No strength difference from i have been told. Lockers even factory are still weak. They are not much stronger than the old TJ's stocker lockers. Beat it bro can't compare the interior size either with the TJ's. Two and four door models compared to stretched two doors in TJ's. Ya the room in the JK feels more the old YJ that i had. I love the room of them. But As is i love the TJ than the JK. ( i have driven and wheeled both btw) Too me the TJ seems more rugged for off-road use that the JK. The jk was too modernized for my taste. The lower COG is because and only because Jeep finally did something right by doing High line fenders from the factory as well. That is also the only reason you can run bigger tires with smaller lift. As for COG on a TJ you can get the same results and do everything the same as a JK and still have the same COG or lower. Lifts/ tires, everyone setup is different. And ya i do have to agree i love the TJ steel body compared to the flimsy whatever metal the JK uses. Found out my TJ body well take more of a beaten that my buddy's Jk haha.


I have to agree with you also. To each his own. I did love my old YJ. It was a 1992 4.0L hoss, that had a dana 44 rear with dana 35 up front and we ran 35's for almost 6 years on them. That thing got me throught stuff that my TJ has trouble in. Those older 4.0L's ran alot harder and stronger than the newer ones. Mainly from different parts that more or less added top in to the new 4.0's but closed it up some on the grunt.

Dont mean to seem like a booty or anything. Just voicing how i have seen the JK and TJ perform since i have been wheeling. So far i have seen more JK's break stuff than the TJ's.

With the t-case I was referring to the non Rubi's. They now all have 241's vice the 231's that were in TJ's. X and Sahara's still have the 2.72 low range to the Rubi 4:1. Any way enough OT.

_________________
- Mike
'12 JK

Jeep Tech Files

Grab the VIN and o over to Jeep.com "for owners" section and request a build sheet. It'll let you know exactly what you have.

_________________
- Mike
'12 JK

Jeep Tech Files

ya sorry bud not trying to get into a pissing match ya know. Anyways that is a great find buddy. Time for a lift, tires and some armour and she is good to go. Maybe regear it and put a teraflex sye kit teralow on i and it well crawl good.