sell it! buy a 4x4

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2004 KJ Columbia Edition
2006 Dodge Durango Adventurer Edition

If I had a 4X2 KJ, I'd be setting it up for JeepSpeed!!!! I wanna see a Liberty out there!!!

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_______________________DogDomain_______________________

" Anyone here who drives through deep mud and has "no trouble" with a 4x2...please explain to me how you are defeating the laws of physics.
."

I'm gonna splain that to ya: See, there is only 7.5' between the bitting surface of the liberty front and rear tires that ain't much. A chevy truck is 12' between tires. thats where the difference comes in. A Dirt bike is about 4' between bitting surfaces.

It depends on how you drive it too.

If I take two liberties, one 4x4 and the other 4x2 and pit them against a hill steep enough where both vehicles will slide down because of gravity, so steep that the brakes on either will not hold it and they both make it up...who cares, it makes it up.

Again, I never claimed it had all the capability and I was funnin on the aluminum diff thing.

For KJMurphy's sake, I'll stand behind the claim that the locked 4x2 liberty is a pleasant suprise.

Recon said "Subaru ...hang out on the side of the road and talk about all the 4x4's going by"

Thats what I been doing, on the side of the road (off-road) watching the 4x4's go by (on-road) MEOW

As much as I want to agree with some of the other posters and say "Wheel what you got!" I have to say that if it were mine, I wouldn't sink too much money into making a 4x2 offroad-capable. Why? because the best mod you can do to a 4x2 liberty is trade it in for a 4x4 - with it you get another set of driving wheels, and more importantly low range gearing. Sure there are a lot of things you CAN do in 2WD....but like somebody else mentioned, if you push that 2WDHI like it's a 4Lo, that transmission is going to hate you.

I was offroading last year for the first time, and I was in 4WD-HI going up a hill. I was in 1st gear (manual), pedal to the floor, and I wasn't going anywhere. Wheels weren't spinning, the engine just didn't have enough torque to do it, I stalled out. I rolled back down, dropped it in 4lo and climbed the hill in idle. It's that much of a difference!

I'd say look at the price difference between a 4x4 and a 4x2 and compare that to the price of a locker, lift kit, or a new set of tires. You'll find that it's not all that more expensive, and worth it in the end. Even if you never intend to use 4wd, it's good to have it. The KJ is a heavy truck, and if you get stuck in deep snow, Rear Wheel Drive will be the bane of your existance.

But don't let that stop you from wheeling! I say wheel it like it is, and if you really enjoy it, that's when you should think about a trade-up. You will be surprised what you can do in 2WD, but you will be much MORE surprised at what you can do in 4Lo!

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Jeff 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade
4x4, 6spd, Leather, Sunroof, trak-loc, skids/rails, hitch+shackle, hooks, Alpine/iPod, Thule, GPS, CB, Frankenlifted w/ 31" MTRs
Photos Cardomain

if you honestly belive for a minute that a 2wd vehical can follow a 4wd of the same model you are either
A) misinformed or B) delusional
if there were no need for 4wd why was it invented??
why do 99% of all organized trail rides require 4wd if it can be done in 2wd??
look im not one to argue but be for real this person may have no clue and a clown like you will have this guy out there
ruining his vehical when he could have just made a better choice to get the real deal???

B) delusional

Your getting warm

He already has the vehicle and should wheel it like it is after adding a locker

I have been in a few areas where the sign says 4x4's beyond this point ???

It was invented because it does make a diff in certain situations

I saw nowheres that KJMurphy planned to trade in his perfectly good 4x2

"why do 99% of all organized trail rides require 4wd if it can be done in 2wd??"

To make you feel warm & fuzzy thats why.

"real deal" What do you know, what kinda GD morning it is???

Clowns like me

This thread looks a lot like the TJ vs KJ thread over at jeepsunlimited .. and I don't think it's going anywhere

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'05 KJ Renegade 3.7L
stuff
Lost Member Number: 051898

could you do this with 2wd and a locker???

start at the bottom from a dead stop drag a little bumper to get started bottom out on the top so as to hang both back wheels with little or no weight on them and procede down the trail with out the need for a strap???

You gotta do better than that bud....Yes

See, if the top is as you say, you can hit it at an angle keeping a tire planted

I just do my best man, and it ain't failed me yet. I ain't afraid of no tow stap either.

Every situation is different

I jumped an Alabama pipeline terrace back in 1981 and landed on the next one right inbetween the tires hanging all 4 wheels 3 feet off the ground, it took me a day to dig out and get back to civilization. I learned to negotiate terrain.

In the Republic of Texas, 2wd probably is fine all the time. It areas with snow it is just plain easier to have 4wd. Sure rear wheel works, you just have to think more. As for offroading...use whatever you like.

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Brian, Blue KJ in PA
LOST#99, Mid-Atlantic LOST
Blue 2003 KJ Sport

RL Super Skinks

Its best to let it go when people think they are right. Id say end it here.

Se7enLC, there is no way you stalled the 3.7 with it on the floor. Something sounds weird there. To do that you would have to have the wheels chained down. Theres no way the 3.7 couldnt spin the tire, even on dry blacktop chained to a wall.

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LOST KJ'S
Where are you going???
Current Jeep: 2004 Jeep Liberty
-Atlantic Blue
-Air Ride Rear Suspension ; OME/Rustys Lift ; Powertrax Locker ; Moog Lower Ball-Joints ; 245/70/16 Yokohama Geolander A/T-S's on MOABS ; Flowmaster 50 SUV
Lost #007082
http://www.cardomain.com/id/jeepjeepster

You're welcome to come and try some of our Aussie trails in 2wd if you like mate!
Basically, over here, you ain't wheelin' unless you need to be in 4Lo. If you can make it in 2Hi then you need to find a better/harder/more interesting trail!

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KJ 2002, 3.7L Sport
Stuff | Pics
Lifetime Member # EJ062115

You guys are all, almost 100% correct. My point was to let the fella know his 4x2 - can do (rhyme bomb)

I agree with you ED, but why can't you drive on top of the ruts or the high ground on the drivers side???

KJMurphy wanted to know about "good for some light? offroading?"

There are a few like you that know the difference

I will say, I don't see deep mud...Just deep ruts

It looks like the1jferg is going to fight this one to the death, seems like a touchy subject for you

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02 KJ Limited w/ offroad pkg, Sunroof, NP 242
Moab with 255/70 Grabber AT2's
Tweaked Rusty's Coil Lift w/ OME LT shocks
Mopar skids & Rocky Road Supersliders
http://www.cardomain.com/id/bighause

Retired Jeeps - 84CJ, 90YJ, 97XJ, 86CJ

Bighause,

I quit.

4x4 -vs- 4x2 ain't a touchy subject for me. I chose what I got for a reason as yall did.

I just don't want to discourage the original poster from having fun with his/her rig. Thats my touchy part and I'm defending it.

I can afford any 4x4 out there if thats what I wanted


Love, John

You're kidding right??!?! If you want to slide sideways into those ruts (and you will) and more than likely lay your KJ on it's side, then yeah that's a great idea! Plus, if you're in the ruts then the lugs on the side of your mud-terrains will bite into the sides of the ruts and give you much needed extra traction.


Sure, a 2wd would be great for fire trails and gravel roads, but nothing that you couldn't do in a softroader, which doesn't even count as "light offroading" IMHO. For me, the beauty of owning a Jeep is being able to go places where your average mall-crawler can't. And for that you'll be needing 4Lo.

Loads of roads over here are gravel (the majority, I believe) and 4Hi is much more sure-footed than 2Hi on those. So even if you're only doing unsealed roads you'll be safer in a 4wd.

But yeah, each to his (or her) own. Personally I wouldn't spend too much on building up a 2wd; do whatever wheelin' you want, if you keep on getting stuck then upgrade to a 4x4, otherwise keep the 2-by and enjoy it!

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KJ 2002, 3.7L Sport
Stuff | Pics
Lifetime Member # EJ062115

"You're kidding right??!?! If you want to slide sideways into those ruts (and you will) and more than likely lay your KJ on it's side, then yeah that's a great idea! Plus, if you're in the ruts then the lugs on the side of your mud-terrains will bite into the sides of the ruts and give you much needed extra traction."

See Ed, you do know the difference.

And there is a major difference between the two pics (so far) on this thread

I'm sure there are more pics out there that seperate the 4x4 from the 4x2.

In case KJmurphy is still reading this thread I'll offer this to you.

If you want to take your KJ camping Fishing , Exploring you'll probably be just fine with a PowerTrax in the rear...some good AT tires and a Daystar lift.
Get a set of skds and go explore. Your going to need to use momentum to carry you through loose terrain and up moderate hills. You'll want to stay away from mud in general (unless its' flat and not deep) and especially when the trial is sloped or slanted in any direction when muddy.

Dry conditions are going to be where you'll have the most fun.

Stay out of the sand if it's more than and Inch deep or so unless it's damp which will give you a better base.

Bottom line is that adding a locker will net you impressive results over an open differential but without 4 wheel drive your going to need to experiment and learn what your KJ is capable of.

There are manycool places that a 2 wheel drive high clearance vehicle can go. Buy a trail book and stick to the "easy" trails in it and you will end up having a good time. They usually rate the trails 1-10...stick to 1-3 , bring another vehicle and some recovery gear just in case
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0966497643/sr=8-4/qid=1143597848/ref=sr_1_4/002-9918356-7448027?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Did you make it up that hill? Do you have any other pics of your jeep? The ones in your sig are not yours.

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LOST KJ'S
Where are you going???
Current Jeep: 2004 Jeep Liberty
-Atlantic Blue
-Air Ride Rear Suspension ; OME/Rustys Lift ; Powertrax Locker ; Moog Lower Ball-Joints ; 245/70/16 Yokohama Geolander A/T-S's on MOABS ; Flowmaster 50 SUV
Lost #007082
http://www.cardomain.com/id/jeepjeepster

Other way around! The Jeep in that picture isn't mine. The ones in my sig are!

But yes, I believe he did make it up that section.

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KJ 2002, 3.7L Sport
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Lifetime Member # EJ062115