1. Registration trouble? Please use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom right corner of the page and your issue will be resolved.
    Dismiss Notice

Whos got a JK?

Discussion in 'Quitters' Club' started by Ghetto Fab., Aug 8, 2012.

  1. Aug 8, 2012
    Ghetto Fab.

    Ghetto Fab. Member

    Atascadero, Ca.
    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2005
    Messages:
    512
    Who's got a JK and what are your thoughts on it? I guess more specificly 4dr JK?

    I'm looking for feedback on how well it drives, does it have a lot of rattles and wind noise? Would you stuff your family in one and drive it 1000miles cross country? Is there enough storage for a family of 4 to go camping out of it? Any major repairs or little things that bug you?

    Kevo
     
  2. Aug 8, 2012
    jayhawkclint

    jayhawkclint ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    Oklahoma City, USA
    Joined:
    May 18, 2006
    Messages:
    2,622
    We have had one for 5 years / 87k miles now and love it, and are considering buying a 2nd.

    We have driven it 1,200+ miles with the whole family.

    The wind noise is minimal. It's handling is extremely stable due to low CG and wide axles.

    We frequently take it camping. If you packed light, it has enough room to camp, and many of the 4dr owners in my local club do that. My wife does not allow me to pack light, so I flat tow the CJ and load it down with our camping gear, almost like a trailer. We have also towed pop-ups. It is tow rated to 3,500lbs.

    The only hard parts issue I've had so far is the tubular exhaust manifold has cracked from heat cycling. I replaced it myself, was actually pretty easy job.

    The 3.8L in our '07 doesn't make a lot of torque down low, but the Pentastar in the newer models I a whole 'nother story.

    Make sure you get the 4.10 gears. We've got 4.10 gears and a trac-loc in our X model and it goes everywhere he Rubicons go.

    I highly recommend getting the soft top, then immediately sell it on CL and order a Trektop NX.

    Small spacer lift kit, relocate the sway bar links from front to rear, and longer shocks and you get a surprising amount of articulation.

    Stock radio sucks. Don't get the expensive radio option, just buy a high power head unit, reuse the stock dash speakers (they are actually pretty good), replace the sound bar speakers (they suck), and add a subwoofer.

    The 3.8 burns oil if you use the factory spec 5w20. Not sure what the Pentastar spec uses, but highly recommend you use 10w30 from mile 0.

    Can't say enough good things about the 4dr JK.
     
  3. Aug 8, 2012
    WRMorrison

    WRMorrison Member

    Mesa, AZ
    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2012
    Messages:
    217
    I've got an '09 with 70K on it now, and I love it (yes, it's a 4dr). No rattles or noise to speak of, but then again, I'm deaf...and I ride doorless with a bikini top most of the time. I ripped out the carpet and lined the interior as well. Mine's geared 5.38:1 with 35's, and with the automatic and the 3.8L it works awesome. If you're gonna wheel it, buy the Rubicon (I kind of wish I had), but if it's gonna be more of a "family wheeler" save the money and get the sport or sahara. The farthest I've driven it was ~1700 miles round trip in a weekend. It's the best Jeep (overall) that I've ever owned.

    Like mentioned earlier, there's ample storage room, but it all depends on how much you take with you. If you get the hardtop (and I recommend it; wish I would have as it's an expensive option to add later when you decide you want one), you can pack the back of the Jeep all the way to the top if you like. But, you may still decide to pull a small trailer with you. I'm getting ready to buy a trailer for just this purpose; I take everything but the kitchen sink when I camp...lol.

    The stock radio is fine with me; I don't see the need to spend all the extra dough on upgrading, but then again, I only listen to 2 radio stations and have less than 50 songs downloaded on my phone...lol. If I could do it all over, I'd buy used; you can save A TON of cash buying one that's slightly built that way. Sign up on jkowners.com and research to your heart's content...maybe even buy one there.

    I can't say much about the new models though as I've never driven one. Some of the quirks with my model year are:

    auto tranny will overheat at the drop of a dime if you wheel it at all in 4H...buy a tranny cooler to solve the issue
    buy a few extra transfer case linkage clips from the dealer; a 50 cent piece of plastic will do its best to strand you in the middle of nowhere (or fix it permanently with a variety of other ways)

    Even with the overheat issues, I would definitely recommend the auto tranny unless you're the type who HAS to have a manual. The auto has spoiled me for four-wheelin' now...lol. When it does overheat, you get a "hot oil" warning on your speedometer telling you to pull over and shut it off for a bit. If not, it boils over out the tranny dipstick and might catch on fire.

    And if you get a new '12, buy one in orange crush...so I can be jealous! And I also highly recommend the half doors; they're a highly sought-after item...and they're at just the right height for your arm to lay on.

    -WRM

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  4. Aug 8, 2012
    Ghetto Fab.

    Ghetto Fab. Member

    Atascadero, Ca.
    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2005
    Messages:
    512
    We had considered buying one of these for the wife when we needed to replace her grand. She really liked the wranglers and with 4drs it made it a viable mommy mobile. However, they're too expensive new and after thinking about it I doubt it would have been well suited to her needs. I on the other hand can tolerate quite a bit! LOL!

    I'm looking at options to condense the fleet in a few years and buy something thats more multi-purpose. I thought these were too wide to be taken seriously on any trail, but after watching some of the ProjectJK vids on youtube they seem plenty capable and I haven't noticed my fullwidths under the jeep buggy being a hindrance on the trails. Plus the extra space is nice on long drives. Its also nice that there are enough build options to keep my brain occupied.

    How noisy is the soft top? I'd definately want a hard top for winter and daily driving, but in summer a soft top would be nice. I remember my old cj5 bestop would flap around all over the place!

    I worry about rear cargo area simply because it seems short. I guess short when compared to an older toyota 4runner.

    Thanks,
    Kevo
     
  5. Aug 8, 2012
    WRMorrison

    WRMorrison Member

    Mesa, AZ
    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2012
    Messages:
    217
    I don't find the top noisy, but that's me...everyone else will have their own opinions. The cargo area is small (not nearly as small as a 2dr though...), but I can fit whatever I need in there. Also, don't forget that the rear seats fold flat so you can store stuff on top of them too. If you scoot the front seats all the way forward and fold the rear seat down, a full-size air mattress fits in there PERFECTLY. ;) And about the tops, you can always opt for the dual top option and get both of them. There's plenty of factory soft tops for sale on CL, but don't forget that you'll need the other misc. stuff to make them work (rear bows/brackets/screws and the door surrounds). You'll also need the soft top door surrounds to make a good fit with a bikini top.

    As for the wife...my wife REFUSES to drive the JK because it drives, well, like a Jeep! LOL But, she LOVES her WJ...lol.

    -WRM
     
  6. Aug 8, 2012
    duffer

    duffer Rodent Power

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2009
    Messages:
    4,460
    I never was a fan of the 3.8 so waited for a 3.6 and bought the 2012 Rubicon Unlimited . Only 5k on it and except for some wire harness connectors, no problems. Hit some relatively good trails with it last week and did bump the bottom a few times, actually quite a few times (no lift) but the width was not a problem on those trails. The stock skid plates did a good job. Width certainly is a problem where we wheel in the Tobacco Root Mountains and most of the places I take my 3B there would produce body damage on the JK. The 4:1 241 works great-don't think I got any higher the 4th gear in low range.

    The JK replaced a Subaru Forester and has approximately the same interior space. Even with the MT's, there is less noise than in the Subaru and it has about the same relative power being a 1000 lbs heavier. Mileage around 20 mpg. Not great, but acceptable in my book. Drives just fine at 75-80 mph. Seats are also very good and not a bad sound system for a bottom of the line stereo. I found I couldn't use the stereo when wheeling because I couldn't hear the motor and you are usually too busy to keep your eyes on the tach.

    At the present time, I would do exactly the same thing over again so guess you could say we are pleased.
     
  7. Aug 8, 2012
    OleBlue

    OleBlue Sponsor

    Tennessee
    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2010
    Messages:
    1,001
    Wife's daily driver is an 09 Rubicon JKU. Couldn't be happier at 83,000 miles. It's been from TN to the Rockies wheeling a few times and a regular to the Ouachitas. I'm a diehard Ford man, but this jeep rates up there. The only issue we've had so far was fuel puking out the filler every time we put gas in it starting around 60k. The valve wasn't stopping the overflow in the neck and the gas pump wouldn't cut off making a big mess. The dealer swapped out the fuel tank at no charge with no problems sense. We pulled the plastic bumpers off first thing and installed the steel Mopar bumpers and tire carrier. We have a Mopar bike carrier that attaches to the spare tire, and I didn't want the extra weight of 2 mountain bikes bouncing on the tailgate especially on the washboard roads of Oklahoma and Arkansas. Our plan is to keep this jeep for a long time...planning to do the Bruiser conversion to a 4 cylinder Cummins when this drivetrain gets tired and get longevity and 30+ mpg...but hopefully that's a long time from now.
     
    Last edited: Aug 8, 2012
  8. Aug 9, 2012
    JeepPower

    JeepPower Hopeless Gearhead

    Fort Mill, SC
    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2002
    Messages:
    289
    Custom ordered & bought a '08 4 door Rubi after test driving & wheeling an 07, when they first came out, in Puerto Rico.

    Full soft top w/ half doors. Love 'em! It is a bit noisy on the interstate, but not so loud you can't talk to each other (unless you are doing 70 & passing a semi). We do run the GSA's on it for the street (yes, two sets of wheels). The stock Mud Terrains are LOUD at 70.

    Steel bumpers, 2.5" lift, OEM 32's, front tube fenders, winch, & an engine skid has allowed me to take it where it has NO business being.

    Basicly it is the station wagon that we take wheelin'.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Yeah, the mini van motor doesn't have the low end like a 4.0, but as said above, the 4.10's go a long way in making up for that. I've never had any problems maintaining 75 on the interstate. I even trailered my ECj-5 with it. Works great!



    cell post
     
  9. Aug 9, 2012
    OleBlue

    OleBlue Sponsor

    Tennessee
    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2010
    Messages:
    1,001
    Our 3.8 hasn't had oil consumption issues as some have reported. I've had to add half a quart maybe a couple times, but that was 4,000 miles into a change interval, and the dinger usually goes off around every 5k it seems. I use full synthetic castrol 5w20. As I mentioned earlier, we are at 83k
     
  10. Aug 9, 2012
    Ghetto Fab.

    Ghetto Fab. Member

    Atascadero, Ca.
    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2005
    Messages:
    512
    Interesting that you relate the interior space the same size as the forester as thats what the wife drives now. Sadly, I think 20mpg is the best we can ever expect for an offroad suv.

    I have to wonder how much better the 3.6 is versus the older 3.8? It looks like some of the early 3.6s are having head issues. Time will tell I guess.

    Kevo
     
  11. Aug 9, 2012
    Ghetto Fab.

    Ghetto Fab. Member

    Atascadero, Ca.
    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2005
    Messages:
    512
    What exactly makes the trektops that much better than the factory soft tops?
     
  12. Aug 9, 2012
    Ghetto Fab.

    Ghetto Fab. Member

    Atascadero, Ca.
    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2005
    Messages:
    512
    For some reason they look really good on 40s. I'm digging this one. Hope the owner doesn't mind me posting pics here.
    [​IMG]

    Kevo
     
  13. Aug 9, 2012
    bkd

    bkd Moderator Supreme Staff Member 2022 Sponsor

    K-Town Tenn.
    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2007
    Messages:
    3,294
    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1344551540.353595.jpg
    Belongs to a friend of mine in Ca. running 40's and a hemi .... SWEET rig
     
  14. Aug 11, 2012
    OleBlue

    OleBlue Sponsor

    Tennessee
    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2010
    Messages:
    1,001
    I plan to put new Hawk brake pads on ours tomorrow. The factory pads lasted a long time. The rears are the most worn.
     
  15. Aug 12, 2012
    DrDanteIII

    DrDanteIII Master Procrastinator

    Milford NJ 08848
    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2007
    Messages:
    1,516
    I rented a 2door auto in 2008, it was nice, the power was adequate, probably underpowered in a 4 door ( for my tastes anyway).

    However in 2011 they significantly upgraded the interior, and in 2012 they got the pentastar v6 (285 hp!).

    My brothers 2012 rubicon its awesome. Fast, comfortable, fast, capable, fast, and he even averages 21 mph with the 6speed. Did i mention its fast?

    Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2012
  16. Aug 13, 2012
    duffer

    duffer Rodent Power

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2009
    Messages:
    4,460
    Fast is a very relative term. Not even in the same ball park as a flatty with a nominal 383 sbc. The 3.6 will give you a pretty consistant 80 mph on anything less than maybe 4% grade-above which you need to drop a gear but still well within the power band at 70-75 in fifth.
     
  17. Aug 13, 2012
    DrDanteIII

    DrDanteIII Master Procrastinator

    Milford NJ 08848
    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2007
    Messages:
    1,516
    We were discussing JK's, and the 3.6 is d@mn fast for a JK.
     
  18. Aug 20, 2012
    termin8ed

    termin8ed I didn't do it Staff Member

    Mason, MI
    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2002
    Messages:
    4,418
    I work on them and pretty much it was the head issues which we really didn't see too many of here at our dealership. The rear brakes wear fast but I've heard and believe it's because of the esp kicking on. People that have turned it off seem to have better luck with the brake wear. I've lifted a few and even with 35's they get up and go pretty good with the 3.6. The 4 doors ride alot better than the 2 door because of the wheelbase.
     
New Posts