KJ Off-Road Test

rlitchfield · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2005 7:17 pm

There is a nice (long) article about a journalist's visit to the Jeep Jamboree held in B.C. Canada. As he doesn’t own a Jeep himself, he was “given” a KJ to go off-roading with. Seems to be a mostly a stock machine with skid plates as the only addition. Though he got a bunch of jibes from the mostly CJ/YJ/TJ crowd, he was able to hold his own during the off-roading. As quoted from the article:

“…looks of proud satisfaction from parents and hero worship from sons and daughters, jokes, jabs and pokes, but few directed at my Liberty. You see, it made me and Jeep proud that day. Not once did it hang me or anyone else up, but rather proved to be a formidable 4x4, "Trail Rated" in Jeep-speak.”

http://macleans.auto123.com/en/info/news/roadtest,view,Jeep.spy?artid=49156&pg=1

Robert

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2005 7:35 pm

The article was written in 05, and he blames the non-acceptance of the liberty on the IFS...but unless I'm mistaken, the Grand Cherokee and Commander are both IFS now, too. (I have yet to see an 05/06 GC or Commander with a lift - anybody got photos of one?)

Overall a great article!

Fouros · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2005 7:39 pm

Its good to see an article where the KJ was not panned by the writer

m0th · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2005 7:57 pm

I was at that one. I was in the only other KJ than the one he was using. I didn't realise it was being used on the Sunday.

On the Saturday, there was another journalist that ran Jeep-101 in the KJ and didn't seem impressed. He swapped for a Rubicon for the second day and was in my group again when we did the 5 rated trail.

BTW - take a closer look at the monster YJ (page 3) and CJ (page 5). Notice anything odd?

Ed · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:17 pm

IFS!!!!

That's something to tell all the solid axle snobs then; "...of course if you really want to lift your rig you'll want to swap out that horrible old solid axle..."

Fouros · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:22 pm

DAMM that lookks ugly

m0th · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:24 pm

Those things were insane. Found this page with some close-ups on it:

http://www.netzel.ca/pictures/JJ2005/Ap ... ee%202005/

And just noticed my muddy little KJ gets in a pic on there too.

m0th · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:39 pm

Ok. I've found the article from the other journo. He even kindly puts a pic of me getting strapped out of the mud - twice.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/rp/jamboree.htm

Ed · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:58 pm

Wow! That's some wild suspension setups. Wonder if they'd fit on the KJ?

Quote:

He even kindly puts a pic of me getting strapped out of the mud - twice.

And in both of those shots there are people (all wearing yellow shirts, spookily) standing in really stupid dangerous places.

m0th · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:24 pm

Those were the trail guides, and to be fair one of the pics shows the rope slack and the guide leaving the danger zone to brief the TJ driver. Second one I hadn't noticed how close she was, and I think she was coming forward to say stop as I was clear and under my own power at that point.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2005 11:08 pm

Wow! Picture 518. That big piece of wood going right into the tire.

KJ Off-Road Test

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