Offroad capability!

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:24 pm

If you are getting a new kj, get a renny for sure. I love their flat hood, reminds me of the cherokee.

Like its been said above, the sport flares+bumpers are nice b/c they are not painted. I like my limited b/c of the painted flares. Its all up to you and what you like. I actually walk the trails before I go on them to cut down small trees/brush so I dont scratch my jeep, thats just me though. :wink:

I would get a sport, put a powertrax no-slip in the rear, get some crager black rims, a good set of mt tires and a lift. Then head up a hill! :twisted:

Ohh, dont forget skids+rocker rails.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:27 pm

Okay, an edit to his post.

Why do off-roaders prefer manual? Not all off-roaders prefer manual. It is not necessarily better than auto.

Manual is better going downhill, but when you are bouncing off rocks, that manual is harder to control and keep momentum than an auto. Manuals have fewer parts to break and are easier to work on (in my experiences).

I think the manual is favored a lot because it was around long long before auto and you know how people are when you make changes.

moose_1978 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:49 pm

They all have the is43 suspension and most have command trac 4x4.They are all the same as far as capable but the renny has the skids and hook's.A base price of around $25000 it is a good pick.I sell Jeep's for Ladd Hanford in Lebanon PA and we sell lot's of renny's.Good luck

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:52 pm

Manual is harder to keep momentum during big uphill runs, and/or muddy runs. You must shift if you need to go faster (like bashing through a muddy area that you know you can bash through cause there's no rocks). The manual requires a shift, which means there will be some time without power going to the wheels.

But a manual can crawl up and down rocks with great precision. And you can get the overall gearing lower in a manual - in other words, you can idle around the trail without having to apply the brake like the CRD KJ'er said earlier.

It depends on preference, terrain traveled, skill level and desire to really work all three pedals while crawling up huge rocky mountains slowly while having a spotter say "go, stop, go" etc.

This whole thread is personal taste with a few exceptions noted above (like you can't get a CRD in the Renny).

I love my Renny for it's looks. I've replaced just about every skid and "off road" part that came as part of the Renny pkg. No more tow hooks (ARB and receiver), tires replaced, etc. etc.

If you're gonna get into it, watch the items like engine choice, tranny choice, transfer case choice (the Renny has a HD transfer case now, right?), Trac-Loc if you're not gonna do a locker, get the tow pkg so you have the HD cooling fan, etc.

Oh, one last thing, knock wood on this: I've wheeled ALL DAY for days on end in hot, muddy weather and never had the tranny temp light go on in my 42 automatic. Did you knock wood?!!!

elephantrider · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 8:59 pm

i have a sport with full mopar skids, power everything, 6 disc in dash, umm...tow hooks, fog lights, and unpainted fenders / bumpers. i wouldnt buy anything other than the sport, cuz it gives you a better chance to personalize it instead of having the same limited or renny the neighbor has...

just my opinion.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 9:45 pm

KW AV8R wrote:

spoonplugger1 wrote:

My Sport CRD had skids, tow package, fog lights, sun roof, LSD, the works. My tranny has never gotten warm enough to turn on the light no matter what I was doing or pulling. Up, down makes no difference.

This might be because you might have a different trans (not sure which trans comes with the CRD). Everyone with a 42RLE(?) trans has had their trans light come on about 3/4 of the way up Old Stage Road here in Colorado Springs. Of course the climb is about 3500' in something like 10 miles of low speed switchbacks with short straight-a-ways causing the trans to be constantly shifting.

you corrected your self as to the trans heating up you said that it keeps changing gears then just dont let it simply force it to use 1 and 2 we drove our auto trans limited loaded full with 4 adualts and camping gear full in the back and 2 coolers on the roof rack through the smokie moutains in august passed 2 cars with burning trans smell and the over heat light never came on

Edwin · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 10:55 pm

Sport hanjaks! My sport has hooks skid plates, everything but limited slip and tranny skid. :lol:

W3CSX · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 10:58 pm

I will have to give another nod to the CRD. You will enjoy all the extra torque it puts out. But I think you will enjoy the sport more for wheelin. Especially if you are picky about scratches in your paint.

fireman1028 wrote:

I have to vote for the CRD.

crawling over darn near anything in 4-low (idleing)

You actually use 4lo in your CRD? I always feel like I'm dogging out the engine every time I try to use low range. Isn’t whole idea of using 4lo in a gasser is move your rpm's up to maximum torque out put. The diesel tops out torque at only 1800 rpms. In 4hi you are already there. When I’m in 4lo I always end up over 3000rpms just to crawl and have to rev up the engine to get some momentum. Not good when you red line at only 4000rpms.
.

jpzkj · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 11:43 pm

They're all the same .....

A scratch is a scratch...

A dent is a dent....

but an Automatic KJ wheels better and easier than a stick KJ for sure !

hrudu · **Posted:** Thu Apr 06, 2006 11:48 pm

Thank you so much for all the comments!
I think, I may go with the cheapest 4x4 Sport and then lift it later.
Just got back from the dealer ship. Believe or not they have 22 liberties on the lot but only 3 4x4s!!!
I am now waiting for a silver one, maybe by next shipment.

I believe trac-loc is gone for 2006!

Does anyone know?

The salesman

didn't even know what it is, very frustrated! :evil:

Are the steel rims any good? For a bloody newbie like me

?

Thanks lost folks!

PBrug · **Posted:** Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:03 am

Yes I believe trac-loc is not available for the 06'. The 06' has something else but someone with a 06' would better be able to tell you what that is exactly, as I don't know for sure.

blackjeep · **Posted:** Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:50 am

for the 06, traction control, anti-lock and isp (stability control) come standard so no more trac-lok available. you should research this more before you buy an 06 to see how it works (or wont work) with lockers or if you even need them.

also i believe you can't get painted fender flares anymore, possibly on the limited (never asked) but not on the sport or renegade... so we were told buying our 2005.

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:32 am

I was going to custom order mine because I think the wait was only 6 weeks or so. Then I found one exactly the way I wanted it with only one exception: tow pkg, which I added later.

Plus, my Benz was giving me trouble and the forecast was calling for snow, which it did A LOT 18 hours after I bought my Jeep. I was, and still am happy! :lol:

zeero · **Posted:** Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:57 am

trac-lok is still available.....rear diff :wink:

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:29 am

zeero wrote:

trac-lok is still available.....rear diff :wink:

hehe, for YOU it was :-P

But the general public won't have that kind of luck, they'll have to add something aftermarket.

As far as manual vs auto, In my personal opinion, here is the main reason for people who prefer manual:

In an automatic, there is a torque converter, so when you have the gas down at a particular level, the engine provides X amount of torque to the wheels. If you are rolling along and come across a (rock, log, stick, etc), the jeep will want to to just stop and the engine slips (the mechanism to prevent stalling for normal driving). In a manual transmission, the engine is locked to the wheels via the clutch. When you come up to that same stick, the engine will keep turning the wheels at the same speed and you'll roll right over it. The only way the jeep will stop is if it stalls out (and in 4Lo with the 3.51:1 in the back and a 4.56:1 1st gear, that's a LOT of torque, it's not going to stall very easily at all (in fact, with that torque, the starter motor can actually start driving the jeep, you don't even need the clutch in in 4Lo)

SethX9 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:16 am

A few people have posted re: the auto trans overheating...I may be mistaken but doesn't the tow package include a trans cooler?

AdamIsAdam · **Posted:** Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:35 am

SethX9 wrote:

A few people have posted re: the auto trans overheating...I may be mistaken but doesn't the tow package include a trans cooler?

Oh, no! Don't go there!

Suffice it to say, depending on the year, some early models had external coolers, some were then converted to a HD radiator which included the trans cooler and was standard regardless of tow pkg or not.

The HD cooling that comes with the tow pkg is the mechanical fan and shroud added behind the stock electric fan.

I'm pretty sure mine has an external cooler AND the HD radiator, based on inspection and all the coolers I've got. And 2003 was the changeover from external to internal trans cooler. My build date is 12/02, so I think I gots bofth! :twisted:

KW AV8R · **Posted:** Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:42 am

SethX9 wrote:

A few people have posted re: the auto trans overheating...I may be mistaken but doesn't the tow package include a trans cooler?

Most of the guys I wheel with have the towing package (I know I do). Maybe the biggest difference is that where we're wheeling, it's nearing the 10,000' mark. Keeping the trans in 1st for the whole trip really isn't much of an option. If you talk to some of the other Rockies guys, they will same the same as I am. The funny thing is that it really doesn't matter what temperature it is outside. I think that everyone of us has had our KJ's in to make sure the trans temp sensor checked and were told it was working just fine. 99% of the time there will be no issues with the trans temp but it's something to just keep in mind and that's why I mentioned it.

CaKJFreedom · **Posted:** Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:34 pm

Yes steel rims are good. A scratch on them might be a crack on the others. They're heavier and would use a bit more gas, but I'd chose lower mileage over buying a new wheel.

fish eye · **Posted:** Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:42 pm

I bent my tranny skid. How you ask? Imagine landing on a rock with that skid plate. Hard. That'll do it....!! Now imagine all the weight crashing down on the rock sliders when you just clear a rock with the front wheel. This is how I bent the drivers side slider too.

Oh, and I vote for the Renegade.

Offroad capability!

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