offroad ride quality KJ vs TJ, with mods, which one is best?

fasthid · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:14 am

we bought an '01 TJ due to my wife loving her '04 KJ 4x4 and not wanting to dirty it up offroad. Question for those of you who've had a KJ and a TJ, with a few mods like springs and shocks, which one is the better ride over rough, rutted roads?

hyedipin · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 10:20 am **Posts:** 1667

sorry, off topic.
What is the mileage on TJ and how much did you pay? I just spotted one last week at 59k, 01, in OK shape (not perfect) for 14k at dealer! :shock:

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:33 pm

Probably a good idea to post this in the Wrangler 4x4 Forum...you might get better responses. It is a little down the page.

From experience...Old Man Emu always has nice stuff and they pay attention to the ride quaility...

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:58 pm

Not sure on modded TJ's but the Rubicon TJ that I drove on the Rubicon rode terrible. It wanted to bounce me out of the seat just traveling about 15-20 MPH on rutted, rocky sections of the trail trying to keep up with the JK's. On road or off it also didn't ride as nice as my KJ or the JK's.

I have heard that once you put a long arm lift on them like the Nth setup they ride great and even better if it is a lift that also stretches the wheelbase some.

pixeldzn · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:05 pm

Agreed my TJ Rubi sucks on washboard. Even with aftermarket springs and shocks. Love it everywhere else though!

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:09 pm

Ride doesnt compare.

lilmatty · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:13 pm

My TJ rode like a truck with the short arm lift. Now with the long arm lift its on and off road manners are impeccable.

KJ has it all for on and off road comfort though excepting its limitations off road.

LWB JK rides like a big heavy machine should ride. SWB JK behaves more like the TJ.

fasthid · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:11 pm

our TJ is an '01, very clean, almost looks unsed inside, 79k mi, hardtop, air, cruise, tilt, etc., 3.73's, Canyon wheels with new Revo's 30x9.5, Trac-Lok, got it for $13k from a Newport Beach dealer specializing in Lambos', Bently's and Ferraris. We looked everywhere, saw some real trashy ones for the same price.

hyedipin · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 10:20 am **Posts:** 1667

spacomponents wrote:

our TJ is an '01, very clean, almost looks unsed inside, 79k mi, hardtop, air, cruise, tilt, etc., 3.73's, Canyon wheels with new Revo's 30x9.5, Trac-Lok, got it for $13k from a Newport Beach dealer specializing in Lambos', Bently's and Ferraris. We looked everywhere, saw some real trashy ones for the same price.

Thanks, man these hold their value really well! I was hoping to get a daily rider within a year or so for about 6-7k..

fasthid · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:58 pm

well, I found some clean 4 cyl TJ's usually with softop/half-doors for under $6k, pleanty of them. it was tough to find a clean hardtop with full doors

hyedipin · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 10:20 am **Posts:** 1667

spacomponents wrote:

well, I found some clean 4 cyl TJ's usually with softop/half-doors for under $6k, pleanty of them. it was tough to find a clean hardtop with full doors

Yeah. That's right. Good luck with your new toy.

Guest · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:43 pm

JJsKJ wrote:

Not sure on modded TJ's but the Rubicon TJ that I drove on the Rubicon rode terrible. It wanted to bounce me out of the seat just traveling about 15-20 MPH on rutted, rocky sections of the trail trying to keep up with the JK's. On road or off it also didn't ride as nice as my KJ or the JK's.

I have heard that once you put a long arm lift on them like the Nth setup they ride great and even better if it is a lift that also stretches the wheelbase some.

if you think the TJ Rubicon is bad, you should go dune hopping in a 'glass bodied CJ. my first ride in a TJ was like anybody else's first ride in a '61 Cadillac, I felt isolated from the ground :lol:

pookie · **Joined:** Wed Feb 07, 2007 10:06 am **Posts:** 48

I had an 80 CJ5 that only say on road ride and even that was kind of rough.

I had a 97 TJ RC lift and 33X12.5 AT's and it road smooth on smooth roads, but if the road wasn't smooth forget about it. Off road was like getting punched in the kidneys all afternoon.

KJ is like butter. Smooth as can be on and off road. I think the extra weight helps with that. My KJ is stock for now. But I hope to lift it soon.

fasthid · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:08 pm

so while we're on this topic, how do the other Jeep products feel going down a rough road? anyone know?

pookie · **Joined:** Wed Feb 07, 2007 10:06 am **Posts:** 48

Other products such as the new stuff, Patriot, Commander and Compass? Or other products like the Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Wagoneer and the like?

Regular cherokee is similar to the KJ. Maybe not as heavy feeling but very sturdy

The Grand Cherokee is a dream too. I bashed an older one 96 all day and that thing was nice on and off road. My buddy was in a same age Pathfinder and he was sore going into the first hour. (this was many years ago)

These are the only ones I have been offroad in.

fasthid · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:23 pm

from what I hear and read, all the Grand's have been good, and I'm interested to find owners comments on the latest Grand

chetos · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:59 pm

pookie wrote:

I had an 80 CJ5 that only say on road ride and even that was kind of rough.

I had a 97 TJ RC lift and 33X12.5 AT's and it road smooth on smooth roads, but if the road wasn't smooth forget about it. Off road was like getting punched in the kidneys all afternoon.

KJ is like butter. Smooth as can be on and off road. I think the extra weight helps with that. My KJ is stock for now. But I hope to lift it soon.

http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=5328

XJMA · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:42 pm

Ride quality, as in bumpiness, KJ will always beat a TJ (with stock wheelbase). First and foremost, it's a function of wheelbase. Then factor in the IFS, and ride quality wise, KJ is always nicer.

But, if you're looking for something for going offroad, TJ wins. Stock form, the TJ will spank the KJ hands down. Bang for your buck wise in terms of modifications, TJ wins hands down. With a 2" budget boost you can run 33" tires on a TJ. 4" budget boost, you're rolling on 35s.

It all depends on what you want to do with the vehicle. Both do what they're made for very very well. They have specific characteristics that make them better in some regards and worse in others.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:54 pm

XJMA wrote:

Ride quality, as in bumpiness, KJ will always beat a TJ (with stock wheelbase). First and foremost, it's a function of wheelbase. Then factor in the IFS, and ride quality wise, KJ is always nicer.

But, if you're looking for something for going offroad, TJ wins. Stock form, the TJ will spank the KJ hands down. Bang for your buck wise in terms of modifications, TJ wins hands down. With a 2" budget boost you can run 33" tires on a TJ. 4" budget boost, you're rolling on 35s.

It all depends on what you want to do with the vehicle. Both do what they're made for very very well. They have specific characteristics that make them better in some regards and worse in others.

Yeah my thoughts exactly
I own a TJ and my wife owns a KJ
both are lifted ,TJ-3" KJ-2"
both are on 31's sorta ,TJ-31X11.5 LTB's KJ-245/75 MTR's
I have modded the TJ to a point that it is not fun for a long drive and that is my fault
Back when I had 30" radials and it was not full auto locker in the rear the KJ was better on road
in fact the KJ moded on MTR's is better on road than a stock TJ
but a stock TJ on 31" MTRs will spank a KJ every time off road
The way I see they both have a curve in that every step to better off road performance you step away from on road ride it is just that in stock form the KJ is WAY closer to the road side than the TJ and as you mod them the TJ moves faster to the off road than the KJ

But I say wheel what you got

kj in a tight spot · **Posted:** Thu Oct 04, 2007 11:05 am

pixeldzn wrote:

Agreed my TJ Rubi sucks on washboard. Even with aftermarket springs and shocks.

Air down rings a bell :shock:

When I run the trails that lead to the real trails I air down to 15 or 10 psi and can go down them washboard roads just fine.

TJ drives like a truck, solid axle obviously so it aint supposed to be all cushy like a KJ or somethin else. But I love my TJ and didnt buy one for the ride quality thats for dayum sure. Plus it goes more places, both stock and modded, than any KJ ever will go...

offroad ride quality KJ vs TJ, with mods, which one is best?

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