Hey guys, I am now an official member of the KJ family. I recently just purchased a 2003 *Patriot Edition* Liberty with around 90k on it.


picture of it at the dealership

There's a couple of reasons for this post:
1) Introduce myself/put myself on the radar
and
2) I have a couple of questions

The libby didn't come with an owners manuel of any kind so I'm curious to know if its AWD or just 2x4. *kind of upset about not having 4wd but I didn't have any other choices in my area for a used libby in my price range =/ *

I also wanted to know if there were many 2x4 libby owners in here that do alot of offroading. Mainly because I've never been offroading without 4wd so I'm sure there is an art to offroading with only 2wd. Besides having a winch and always having a buddy with 4wd with you

Also I've been reading everything there is to read on the forums for a couple of days now while I was waiting for my account to be activated and I think I have decided on a couple of things I'm goin to be picking up in the near future. Let me know if I'm on the right track or if i should be possibly be looking at other lift kits/shoes
1. Rusty's Offroad 2.5" Suspension Kit
2. BFG Mud Terrain's 255/60-17

On the list but much lower on the priority scale:
ABM Bullbar
Winch
Flowmaster muffler


All comments/advice/answers are very much appreciated

_________________
Never stop exploring

Between recklessness and overcautiousness runs the narrow, uncertain ridgetop path of Adventure

It's a Jeep thing...

The lever to the left of the shifter should indicate if it is in fact 4WD. If there is no lever, than no 4WD.

I wouldn't recommend 4x4ing without 4WD. Just from personal experience.

If your liberty is 2WD, then Mud-terrains would be a waste I think. The All-Terrain T/A would probably fit it better. Mud-terrains also generate a fair bit of road-noise in comparison.

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In an epic quest for the perfect Diesel Liberty.
2002 Land Rover Discovery 2 SE

KJUberalles,
Look for the manual behind the passenger dash grab bar. Also don't worry about the "Type 43" message on the dash.

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Mail Rated 2005 Red CRD Sport with large rectangular hole in top right behind the EVIC and above the heated leather seats.
2004 Jetta TDI

I don't think the `03's had a grab bar. You won't have AWD if it is just 2WD. Not all 4x4's have AWD either (in the standard meaning of AWD).

By the way, welcome! Thanks for getting LOST with us.

It is possible to go off-roading with 2WD but you better have a locker in the rear. You will still have some limitations though. No rock crawling and mountain descending without 4-LO.

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New KJ Gear - Desert Armor Flak

2004 Renegade Light Khaki - 4" JBA Lift - Rock Lizard Products: Komodo Dragon Rear Bumper, Prototype Winch-mount Front Bumper, Super Skink Sliders - All J's Super Tranny Skid II - 31" Firestone Destination AT's on Moab wheels - Cobra 75W CB w/ stock Antenna mod

[b]Retired, US Military

I think he means in the glove box, on the upper shelf (03s don't have the grab bar). Welcome to LOST!

About whether to wheel your 4x2, that's a matter of how much and what type of wheeling you will be doing. If you are thinking about crawling through mud or rough terrain, you'll need 4x4, but for just trail riding the 4x2 should be fine. Keep this in mind when you plan how much modding you want to do. Yesterday I was crawling a rough and steep line up some rocky stuff, and when I got to the top I looked down and realized I'd taken it in 2wd. D'OH! Wouldn't do that again deliberately though, nor recommend it. The bull bar and winch combo adds a lot of weight to the front, and I'd recommend something beefier than Rusty's, like the OME heavy duty. Whatever you decide to do, you've got a great vehicle to do it in. Just remember it's limitations.

I like the silver freedoms like that good choice
If you want to mod it for the look the great go for it how ever as others have said
2wd and off roading just dont mix
what 1 person considers a trail another may think is just a dirt road so use caution with this
to me these are pics from a "trail"



this would not be doable in 2wd even for a rig that was locked and on 35's
the hill is as steep as the aproach angle of my lifted KJ all the way to the top
then at the top you bottom out

thanx for the input so far.

I'm now looking at getting the old tires that i had on my 02 Wrangler. I'm almost positive that they were BFG All Terrains so I'll look into that.

As for the kind of wheeling I'd be doing. For the most part it would be recreational mudding with my friends, maybe climbing a few hills but nothing drastic. The mudding I'll be doing is on fairly flat ground. So I'm thinking as long as I dont get to too far in then i should be ok.

For awhile today I was considering going for more of a street look and just getting some nice rims *probably black and sleek, not chrome and blingy* and performance tires...I know I wouldn't be wheelin but I have access to my old Wrangler if i get the itch to get dirty

I'm not sure if that's considered treason on these forums or not but it was a thought that crossed my mind when i was getting my new subs installed on the southside today and I saw alot of those kinds of vehicals. Turns out the installation was alot cheaper than i suspected and might buy a flowmaster exhaust with the money i saved
Any input on that idea would be appreciated as well, right now I'm just kind of brain storming so ya if you guys have any suggestions or something you think would look good then let me know

_________________
Never stop exploring

Between recklessness and overcautiousness runs the narrow, uncertain ridgetop path of Adventure

It's a Jeep thing...