Help Picking a KJ 4X4

jakes10mm · **Joined:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 12:04 am **Posts:** 22

I'm ending my journey with a 1991 XJ and moving over to a KJ. I have done a little browsing, but not well informed on the KJs. Can ya'll get me up to speed on what to look for and what to look out for on used KJs? I've heard/read that the 2002 are probably worth avoiding as they made some fairly substantial changes/improvements to the 2003 models. Beyond that limited information, I'm lost on teh KJs....HELP!

Thanks

corwyyn · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:58 am

jakes10mm wrote:

I've heard/read that the 2002 are probably worth avoiding as they made some fairly substantial changes/improvements to the 2003 models. Beyond that limited information, I'm L.O.S.T. on teh KJs....HELP!

Thanks

Well, they did make some changes, but some will argue whether they were improvements

The biggest change was that all KJs built after April 2nd, 2002 were lowered ~1" due to concerns about possible roll-overs. There have also been changes to the transmissions along with other changes (which my addled mind can't come up with right now). I'm sure many will chime in to fill the gaps and soon you'll be right up to speed. Welcome to the board and enjoy!

MattyMac1 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 12:00 pm

I know i wish i had bought the select-trac opposed to the command trac 4wheel system. The select trac seems better in my eyes because it has full time 4wh drive, You can drive in the snow/Dirt/mud/rain without having to keep taking it in and out of 4wh drive when the pavement goes dry..Wish I had esp as well, which is the anti/wheel slip feature which is usefull in the rain. Just remember that the stock tires on the Libbys are GoodYear Wranglers and they SUCK!! You will want/need to change them out ASAP.. The stock radio stinks as well, I know there is an upgraded one but haven't heard it. Check the brakes/rotors in back and front. The backs tend to go pretty early for some reason. If the rotors are scored and look like The Village People record make sure they replace them. I'm not sure about the manual tranny on these cause i never drove one, but the auto tranny is ok Although it shifts funny up/down and you wish it had one more gear on the highway,well i do anyways. These are just my honest opinions-MattyMac

nolakj · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:00 pm

I would imagine that the Trac-Lock/Limited slip is pretty nice right outta the box. I also wish my KJ had the Select Trac Xfer case. IMHO the 03 Renny (black) is about the best looking KJ ever made.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:28 pm

I dont know where you heard the 02's were not good, but I like them the most. Bigger and tougher tranny and they are 3/4in higher. :wink:

other than that, they redid the front of them in 05, put a VLP tranny in them(dont really know what that is), and in 06 they put ESP in them. ABS is an option on all years except 06. :wink:

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:35 pm

corwyyn wrote:

jakes10mm wrote:

I've heard/read that the 2002 are probably worth avoiding as they made some fairly substantial changes/improvements to the 2003 models. Beyond that limited information, I'm L.O.S.T. on teh KJs....HELP!

Thanks

Well, they did make some changes, but some will argue whether they were improvements

The biggest change was that all KJs built after April 2nd, 2002 were lowered ~1" due to concerns about possible roll-overs. There have also been changes to the transmissions along with other changes (which my addled mind can't come up with right now). I'm sure many will chime in to fill the gaps and soon you'll be right up to speed. Welcome to the board and enjoy!

Don't forget the change from Drum to Disc brakes in the rear. That's a pretty big and important change. Also Anti-Lock brakes were added in later years, but always as an option.

alljeep · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:06 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

I dont know where you heard the 02's were not good, but I like them the most. Bigger and tougher tranny and they are 3/4in higher. :wink:

other than that, they redid the front of them in 05, put a VLP tranny in them(dont really know what that is), and in 06 they put ESP in them. ABS is an option on all years except 06. :wink:

I think used, the '02 would be the best bang for the buck for the reasons mentioned above. Especially now that they, too, get free LBJ replacements!

VLP = variable line pressure

pinevillekj · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:15 pm

Starting with 04, the front pass. seat has a sensor that will cut off the airbag if a small child is upfront. A helpful feature when you have four freakin kids like me. Yes, they are all "jeep girls"

Elwenil · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:25 pm

Depending on your preference, I would not recommend the ESP if you choose the 6 speed transmission. I personally prefer the part time 4WD system, but then I would have lock out hubs if I could too. I guess that goes back to my older trucks that are more capable as they don't have all the doodads to break, IFS and airplane gears.

jakes10mm · **Joined:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 12:04 am **Posts:** 22

Great feedback...thanks. I have been searching Autotrader.com, cars.com, and others...there are plenty of KJs to choose from. The 2002 info was from autotrader when I read the "review" tab on an 2003 model. It was either edmunds or consumer report that mentioned the "ride improvemnets" over the 2002. The 3/4" drop would account for that street-drivers comments.

The drum versus disc...when did that happen? Also, has the Selec-Trac always been available or is that only in the recent years? One of the local dealers told me they order the Selec-Trac for all of their 4wd models. Makes sense for the meager $395 on a $24K+ SUV.

We start our shopping at the dealers tomorrow. I will probably hit a couple lots on the way home from work tonight...getting excited!

On the Renny's, does the extra "Moulding" on the roof rail/rack serve any purpose beyond appearance?

dog_party · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:45 pm

Well, I know in 05 SelecTrac wasn't available in the Renegade. Not sure about other years. I love my SelecTrac as it is very usable on rainy pavement. It is the only option for getting a little extra traction in the rain unless you get an 06 with ESP.

I think the rear drums were replaced with discs in...04?? Or was it late 03?I can't remember, sorry.

Also check out http://www.automart.com/ and http://www.autoextra.com/ for listings.

The extra Rene roofrack moulding doesn't do anything other than make it look tougher. For some reason, the Rene roofrack is also rated to hold less weight. Don't know why, but it is.

In 05 the Renegade got the cool redesigned flat hood. Very nice. Also, the Rocky Mountain Edition is built off the Renegade "platform," so will have almost all the same options.

jakes10mm · **Joined:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 12:04 am **Posts:** 22

What is everyones' opinion and/or experience with the Sun/Moon Roofs in the KJs? I have been passing on ones equipped with sun/moon roofs, but it seems I'm passing up on some very nice KJs otherwise. Interested in opinions...any leaking going on out there? Does that big hole in the roof weaken the structural rigidity of the body when torquing it off-road?

Regarding the drum vs disc brakes in the rear...is there that much performance gain in the disc rear? A larger portion of the braking should already be proportioned to the front brakes anyhow....opinions requested.

Thanks

FreedomKJ · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:39 pm

jakes10mm wrote:

What is everyones' opinion and/or experience with the Sun/Moon Roofs in the KJs? I have been passing on ones equipped with sun/moon roofs, but it seems I'm passing up on some very nice KJs otherwise. Interested in opinions...any leaking going on out there? Does that big hole in the roof weaken the structural rigidity of the body when torquing it off-road?

Regarding the drum vs disc brakes in the rear...is there that much performance gain in the disc rear? A larger portion of the braking should already be proportioned to the front brakes anyhow....opinions requested.

Thanks

I didn't want a sunroof when I got my KJ (for cost reasons) but now that I've had it I'll never buy another vehicle without one.

Mango~Ridge · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:40 pm

They switched to discs front & rear in 03. No problems out of my moon roof, I like the extra hole. I almost got an 02 but got the 03 because it cost bout the same.

Matt400 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 11:21 pm

I kinda like my 03 with 4 wheel disc brakes and no anti lock, plus due to its production date it came with the 45RFE trans.

It didn't come with a tow package so I am going to add a transmission cooler though.

Troysterr · **Posted:** Sat Sep 16, 2006 11:26 am

If I had to replace my KJ, I'd buy one exactly like it--except with no offroad stuff. (Cheapest tires, no skids except the engine skid.) Then I'd armor and lift it myself.

If you do get an '02, try to find one with the tow package, because it has extra cooling. (Later years came with the extra cooling even without the tow package.)

I like the '02 because:
- Tranny is better
- Prelowered
- Because of Jeep's abysmal resale value, you can pick them up really cheap. Just look for a clean one with low miles.
- It's the original

The only disadvantage I'm aware of is the drum brakes in the rear, but you could swap those out if you want. They work fine for me.

On the '02s, the $200 RRO Combo lift works great--provides a lot of height, and I've had no problems after 3 years of moderate to hard wheeling.

Be sure to plan to spend a couple thousand dollars on mods and tires so that you can have fun with it. And whatever it costs you to get to Moab one week each year!

jakes10mm · **Joined:** Fri Sep 15, 2006 12:04 am **Posts:** 22

Test drove my first Liberty about 2 hours ago...a 2003 Limited...loaded out with options. Sunroof was cool...but took us a couple tries to figure out how to close it. Of course, during the short test drive, the check engine light came on and stayed on. That's not a good omen. Of course, of the 9 total Liberty we have seen so far today...it was the only one with the Selec-Trac. I've kinda got Selec-Trac on the brain. Appearing very difficult to find in used Liberty's. Also, finding that the dealers aren't "automatically" taking care of the LBJ recall.

Keep the comments/recommendations coming.

Thanks!

Mutt · **Posted:** Sat Sep 16, 2006 1:48 pm

Troysterr wrote:

If I had to replace my KJ, I'd buy one exactly like it--except with no offroad stuff. (Cheapest tires, no skids.) Then I'd armor and lift it myself.

Be sure to plan to spend a couple thousand dollars on mods and tires so that you can have fun with it.

I concur with this!

dog_party · **Posted:** Sat Sep 16, 2006 3:28 pm

I love my sunroof. I couldn't live without one. I would make sure that it's the factory installed sunroof though, and not some cheap aftermarket job.

gone_jeepin · **Posted:** Sat Sep 16, 2006 4:09 pm

I love my limited liberty, it has the sunroof, and selec trac... I got mine from a Carmax for a good price, plus they gave me more than everybody else on my trade-in!!

Help Picking a KJ 4X4

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