jeep hierarchy

[southpier]

brand new off the order list to the dealer to me. thanks for the link; helpful.

(ps: i'll give you a P for that)

edit: OMFG - that link makes it so easy to spend money - that's all I was really looking for at this time. thank you

edit edit: now some of the above comments make a bit (a BIT) more sense

 

[southpier]

so I stopped at a dealer today and got a book about Wranglers. really well done, but I can see where the confusion starts. there a lot of oooh & aaah pictures, text, and captions. but also a book stickies to the book which has all the specs and options for a neophyte to read. i'll be in my bunk ....

 

[wagoneer84]

patsfan, if you are talking about new then yes i will agree but i would rather have a cj or an fsj any day of the week.

 

[nyrikki]

these two replies are helpful:

Sport - Bottom model ...
Sahara - more plush sport ...
Rubicon - more off-road suspension ...
Willys packages have features of Rubicon without being a Rubicon...

IMHO that should read "Rubicon - more rock-crawling specific options ..."

Some of the Sahara's, particularly the ones with the "Max Tow" option will have exactly the same suspension as a Rubicon except for the Axles.

I prefer TruTrac LSD's and Manual Transmissions, as the Rubicon lockers are proprietary it is not an option to swap them out, so I just looked for a Sahara with 17" Rubicon wheels and red shocks.

As this is an expedition directed site it is important to note that the "upgrades" on the Rubicon line are tailored to a use case that mirrors the trail it was named for. This means that the features are optimized for rock crawling, and will only operate at lower speeds or other limitations.

Some options to consider is that not available on the Sahara from the factory are:

Rock Rails
Electronic Front Sway Bar Disconnect (restricts your speed electronically, almost all my friends have installed manual disconnects on there Rubicons)
Front electronic locking diff (rear is optional on the Sahara)
Dana44 front axel

The Rubicon has Dana 44 front axel, while the Sahara uses the Dana 30, if you are going bigger than ~35" tires and want lockers this may be an issue that will result in higher costs. I have gone everywhere from the Arctic Circle in December via the Dempster to multiple trips on the Mojave road. With TrueTrac LSDs front and back I personally haven't had an issue with the Dana30, but I have worn out lots of tie rod ends, shocks etc.

One other consideration is that the Rubicon has a 4:1 transfer case ratio when all other models are 2.72, I haven't found this to be a problem on the 6-speed but have never driven an auto off road. As my JK has a manual I am planing swapping in a 4 speed atlas because turning around in 2wd in tight spaces has nearly caused me issues before so this wasn't a consideration for me. The 4 speed atlas is not an option on the auto transmission JKs, but the 2 speed is.


But in general, outside of the trim level aesthetics, the lower ratio transfer case and the lockers are the main differences to consider. If you like lockers the Rubicon can cost less, especially if you don't do your own work. I should point out that they cannot be engaged above 10 mph and at 45 mph they disengage, so many people bypass the stock system.

That said the "BLD" system works on all models, or better than I expected so the Rubicon lacking LSD, or the lower models lacking lockers will not dramatically reduce your ability to go off road. I was a bit concerned in some fast runs in sandy washes by the power cut so I did end up installing the TrueTracs front and rear as planned, but to be honest it was not as dramatic of an upgrade as I expected due to my experience with older vehicles that lacked modern traction control/bld.

It is frustrating that functional components are tied to trim levels, so hopefully this additional information helps others out.

 

[David Harris]

Official Universal Jeep ranking from superior to inferior*:

1. MB
2. CJ2a
3. CJ3b
4. CJ5
5. CJ6
6. CJ7
7. CJ8
8. YJ
9. TJ
10. XJ
11. WJ
12. ZJ
13. JK SWB
14. JK LWB

* Based on "Jeep-ness" (superior) versus "shopping mall-ness" (inferior)

 

[southpier]

that seals the deal; i'm getting a Yugo

 

[southpier]

... frustrating that functional components are tied to trim levels...

very true. shying away from the upper end simply because it's more of everything than I need. the indecision lingers on ...

 

[David Harris]

that seals the deal; i'm getting a Yugo

Go for it. It has a neat trick, as I learned from my high school friend who had a brand new one in 1987. If you throttle on it turns right, if you throttle off, it turns left. . . He demonstrated it to me so I can vouch for the magic. . . Remember 3995.00 = Buy one get one free in 1987!!!

 

[David Harris]

very true. shying away from the upper end simply because it's more of everything than I need. the indecision lingers on ...

The first Jeep I drove was a brand new, out of the showroom CJ7 in 1986, the last one I drove was a brand new, out of the showroom JK SWB. Get the CJ7. It is so different from the JK. This is the true Jeep spirit from WWII carried forward. I have also learned that true adventure is driving the back roads, and avoiding the interstate like the plague. If you want to go there, just buy a cheap gas-miser and keep the true passion for the back roads.

 

[unkamonkey]

This really isn't going to lessen the confusion but I am still happy driving my old 3B or Commando. They do what I need them to do and the Commando did excellent service getting me to the hospital for 5 1/2 months. Friends have CJ7s, CJ5s, JKURS, we all nd up at the same place at the end of the day.
So what I am saying is to not be so tied up in a vehicle choice but to just go out and enjoy it.

 

[southpier]

I agree with that, but I will be needing "something" so trying to make a fairly informed decision.

 

[Cottontail]

This thread sure took a bunch of rabbit trails. Personally, I'd not go after any of the Wrangler models or their immediate predecessors. I've only ever owned Cherokees, Grands, and Commanders and the space, the fixed top, and the capability far outweigh the fancy bolt on parts and angry eyes available for Wrangler models. I've out driven and out articulated JKs in my XJ on every trail run and RTI ramp competition I've done. Count me as one of the few that aren't awed by the JK. Don't discount the older models just because you can't drive one off the dealers lot anymore.

 

[southpier]

I know so little of the breed I just assumed the three models you mentioned were more SUV than utilitarian. there's some rumor in the mill that 2019 will bring out a pickup. the picture (rendering) showed it to be a 5 window cab (line the '49 GMC your grandfather drove at the garage). that would be a sweet ride. except it's been touted as diesel (only) and I can't justify any reason to have that. search continues...

 

[Jeep or Tacoma]

seriously The most capable jeep out of the box is probably
JK rubicon with recon
JKU rubicon with recon
jk rubicon
jku rubicon

Sahara/ willy/ chief.

really the best way to tell is
look at what each one has
start with axels d44 hd with from rear lockers
then d44 same
then add Axel ratio 410 , 373 and so on down to 321
Then really sit back and think do I need lockers? For me I do but I work alone and off road fairly often I also explore alone so the d44 with lockers in the recon package and unlimited is #1 for me.
but so far as a soft spot in my heart and memories
the jeep tj rubicon I drove across the rubicon and the 77 golden eagle cj7

 

[southpier]

jeebus; you don't care how I spend my money, eh? seriously, I have no idea what "recon" is and it's not in the brochure so i'm up ****te's Creek there. but I do remember a very smokey, hazy, trip to Provincetown Massachusetts in a "big" model Golden Eagle in about that same year. I was designated "roller", so I got stuck in the back seat. after proving to the guy we had a shovel, a fun filled rollicking day of tracking up and down the national seashore ensued. I just assumed "golden eagle" meant "high as a kite" in Jeepenese.