[WSU Tony]

I'm new to jeeps (wranglers) and am looking for some help. I'm 20 years old in my 3rd year of college and am looking for a daily driver. My parents support me in this decision 110% (which I am very gratefull for.) I have $4,000 and my dad will loan me the money to get it up near $7500. I'm looking at a 1997+ wrangler (i have read the interiors were completely worked over.) We also figure this vehicle will be my main transportation for many years ahead. A wrangler would be tons of fun in a small college town. I college is in southern MN and I have scoped out some trails to play on . My question is simple, let me know what you think about this idea.

100,000 miles not a whole lot on these rigs?
1997+ have re-designed interiors correct?
A 6 banger (from what I've been reading) is nice to have while passing in traffic. Plus the AC is a need be.

my main priorities are a 6 cylinder, hard top, and AC. (larger than stock tires

Please help me out however you deem necessary. Thanks so much guys.

[Faramir66103]

From what I've read 200,000 miles is quite possible. The TJ is a very easy vehicle for DIY maintenance.

In '97 the Jeep Wrangler underwent a pretty significant overhaul. That's when it went from the "YJ" designation to "TJ". Some of the changes were a more car like (i.e. comfortable) interior, enhanced safety features, coil suspension (from leaf) and many others. Here's an article on the TJ

http://www.jeepiki.com/wiki/index.php/TJ_Wrangler

I'm sure others will chime in with more info. Do a search on "Jeep TJ" and I'm sure you'll come up with lots of info.

I've got the 6 cylinder, and really am happy we got it. I've driven both, and the 6 has just got more, UMPH! when you want it. The 4 was fine, but nothing to write home about. Also, from what I've read, the 4.0L, 6 cylinder engine in the TJ is one of the oldest and most reliable engine designs in use today. Apparently, it's been around a LONG time, is easily maintained and is easy to find parts for. For me, this means I can do a lot of work myself that, on another vehicle, I wouldn't trust myself with.

HTH,
Adam

[VinoTJ]

Dana44 (D44) rear axle!!!!!!! You may not need it initially - but if you get the off roading bug - you will surely be glad you got one with a strong rear axle.

In addition to my 6cyl and AC, I am a big fan of the cruise control for highway trips.

Good luck with your search.

[EvilM0nkey]

had I known what I know now when i bought my Jeep I wouldn't have bought it. The D44 is a "got to have" Don't make my mistake!!

[Chris_]

I would suggest looking for 3.73 gears, rather than 3.07. Axles are not hard to swap later if you have to move up. If you find a D44, great, but don't pass up a deal because the axle is a Dana 35.

I would also suggest getting an automatic. My priorities when I bought mine were 3.73s, 6 cylinder, automatic, hardtop, full steel doors. Out of all the accessories, full steel doors and a hardtop are the most expensive. Lower gears are far better if you put on slightly bigger tires. And an automatic is so much easier to use in just about any off road situation.

Just make sure you pay your dad back before you start adding crap to your new vehicle. That's important.

[glockfire]

Originally Posted by Evil Monkey

had I known what I know now when i bought my Jeep I wouldn't have bought it. The D44 is a "got to have" Don't make my mistake!!

Amen, I dread the day I have to swap out my 35 for a 44.

Anyways, 97 and up are the TJs, which are God gift to man. They one-up the YJs on just about everything. And 100k miles on it isnt bad at all for a jeep, they are very durable.

[tsc]

Another coug eh-??

PM me- i'll give you some pointers and my email and more pointers then I want to write in here.

Go for a 98+ hardtop full doors with Cruise Control and Dana 44. You can easily find a softtop- hardtops are harder to come by.

[WSU Tony]

Originally Posted by tsc

Another coug eh-??

PM me- i'll give you some pointers and my email and more pointers then I want to write in here.

Go for a 98+ hardtop full doors with Cruise Control and Dana 44. You can easily find a softtop- hardtops are harder to come by.

90+ - Hardtop - Full doors - 6 cylinder - Manual

[bman9089]

Just an FYI, things changed from '03 - '06. Seats, rollbars....and i think that's it. maybe i missed something though.

Anyways, check the axle. Check the axle. Check the axle!

Do not buy a jeep with 3.07 gears. Look for a jeep that has 30" tires, not the 28" tires, and it's got a 99% chance that there is a D44 in it and not a D35. Make sure that it has 3.73 gears. Like I said, don't get 3.07 gears. Those are found in many 'x' models and 'se' models.

Stick with a sport or sahara if you can find one. The models don't matter much, but from what I've noticed, you're more likely to find the above in the sport and saharas.

Post up some pics if you can find a vehicle and it's possible to do so. Good luck!

[WILLY348]

If you get a jeep you will love it. They are awsome vehicles. They can do just about any thing.. 4x4ing, light towing, decent on passengers, awsome summer car, but the only downer is the bad gas mileage..

[edzakory]

A well-known acronym for the Jeep is "just empty every pocket"; own one and you will know why. While the Jeep is a fun vehicle, it is not very practical as a DD. Maintenance issues are above average although Jeeps do have venerable engines. A/C issues with the blower switch and blower resistor are very common due to inadequate wiring. Gas mileage is poor and wind noise/buffeting is horrific.

Consider these factors before making your purchase. TJ's do retain their value so finding a cheap used one that hasn't been wheeled hard or poorly maintained may be difficult.

It's your decision; make it a wise one.

[WSU Tony]

Originally Posted by bman9089

Just an FYI, things changed from '03 - '06. Seats, rollbars....and i think that's it. maybe i missed something though.

Anyways, check the axle. Check the axle. Check the axle!

Do not buy a jeep with 3.07 gears. Look for a jeep that has 30" tires, not the 28" tires, and it's got a 99% chance that there is a D44 in it and not a D35. Make sure that it has 3.73 gears. Like I said, don't get 3.07 gears. Those are found in many 'x' models and 'se' models.

Stick with a sport or sahara if you can find one. The models don't matter much, but from what I've noticed, you're more likely to find the above in the sport and saharas.

Post up some pics if you can find a vehicle and it's possible to do so. Good luck!

Thank you for these great tips. I'm writing this down btw so when I go to visit I can make sure. Plus when I ask, seeing the owners responses may teach me a whole lot more than he may think! If he has no idea about this stuff.... well.... enough said.

[Big-E]

A 10 year old Jeep with a 20 year old using it as a daily driver & trail riding won't be around long.

[bman9089]

Originally Posted by WSU Tony

Thank you for these great tips. I'm writing this down btw so when I go to visit I can make sure. Plus when I ask, seeing the owners responses may teach me a whole lot more than he may think! If he has no idea about this stuff.... well.... enough said.

Even if they don't know, learn your axles. This is important to know.

First off, check the rear. If the drain plug is a hard rubber, it's a D35. If it's a threaded plug with a metal drive (I think it's a square), then it's a D44.

To find the gear ratio, look on the left hand side of the pumpkin and there will be a tag there. Don't see it? Keep looking. By now it's probably covered in a lot of dirt. There will be a string of numbers, just look for '3.07' or '3.73' somewhere throughout that string.

The reason I say go for the lower gearing is of course the boost in power, even if you keep it stock it's an improvement. But going any bigger than 30s on 3.07 gears just kinda sucks. I'm alright on 3.73s with 33s, but will go 4.56 later on.

If the guy is clueless about this stuff, use it to your advantage. Check and make sure that there is no serious damage to things like the exaust and the oil pan - things that would say "hard wheeling - abused". It's alright if there are a couple scratches here and there as long as they're not too serious.

[SecondTJ]

Originally Posted by bman9089

Even if they don't know, learn your axles. This is important to know.

First off, check the rear. If the drain plug is a hard rubber, it's a D35. If it's a threaded plug with a metal drive (I think it's a square), then it's a D44.

To find the gear ratio, look on the left hand side of the pumpkin and there will be a tag there. Don't see it? Keep looking. By now it's probably covered in a lot of dirt. There will be a string of numbers, just look for '3.07' or '3.73' somewhere throughout that string.

Keep in mind that all (U.S.) non-Rubicon Dana 44's came with 3.73 gearing. So it's really a waste of time to check the gear ratio if its a D44. Now if its a D35, thats a different story.