Modding a Wrangler to Match Land Cruiser Reliability?

[twiisted71]

Oh I agree tech is wonderful... But certain things can be "overdone" to the point of making them unreliable because they have gotten too complicated.
I'm not here to argue. This is my opinion. It was also my opinion on how to make a Wrangler just as or more reliable than a LC. I'm doing exactly that with my build. It should outlast and be more reliable than virtually anything made today. corporations can't get away with building something like it due to all the lawyers in our country making companies responsible for driver's lack of responsibility, skill, and caution. To do the same with a modern Wrangler would require you to completely void the warranty by basically re-engineering teh entire driveline. This wasn't a which is better thread or is it right or wrong to modify a vehicle. It was how to do something. I gave a real answer.....not "How dare you even consider trying to rival the reputation of a Land Cruiser with a lowly American product."
If you own a LC you should feel flattered that someone wants to try to match its reputation regardless of what brand they are trying to do it with.

OP, good luck. I think your thread has completely gone off the rails though.

 

[unkamonkey]

It has been an interesting thread. I can't decide, to block a few people out or just sit back with a cool one and some popcorn. I do need to laugh at something.

Just for the record, I've driven my 3B for 24 years and have never broken anything on a trail.

Perhaps all of you should meet up in a room, put on your little sumo outfits and run in circles trying to sniff each others butts.

 

[jhberria]

I drove around the world twice with a Land Cruiser - zero failures. Not even a flat.

I drove across Antarctica twice with a HiLux - zero failures. In Antarctica, the ONLY standard 4WD used for continental crossings is a Toyota. These expeditions spare no expense, so the concept of a Toyota Tax is irrelevant. They use what works- because your life depends on it.

Not so stupid afterall. . .

As a Nissan guy, and therefore an unbiased third party observer in this thread, I've been able to deduce one enduring conclusion from all of this banter....

Scott Brady continues to lead a life most of us can only dream of.

 

[GetOutThere]

This thread is an embarrassment and a disaster for both sides. The fact that I see eye to eye with Scott Brady more than anyone else in this thread is telling. No offense, Scott.

You've got two different vehicles here, made with two different end games in mind. If you are an advocate for either, and can't realistically view the faults of that one vehicle, you need to remove yourself from the conversation.

Getting back to the OP, if you want to modify a Jeep for LC reliability, there is only one way. Sell it and buy a 70 series. Consider your Jeep modded to be worse off road, and better on reliability.

 

[unkamonkey]

Really, people comment on my ability to spend several days working on hand rails or fireplace mantles to get them as close to perfect as I can.
I am a very patient person. Sometimes I just get upset about some mindless drivel and I don't know to do an atomic dope slap over the internet.
Our group has about every vehicle around and we all end up at the same place, sitting around a fire with a tall cold one and telling lies about the day.
Sorry if I insulted anybody, but they insulted my intelegance first.

 

[unkamonkey]

Some people did respond in a well thought out way on this thread and others were just being jerks. My post made it over to other forums so I suppose others are tired of some of these sort of threads as well.
Strange, none of the origional post crowd has responed yet.
I'm sort of thick skinned so send abuse my way, I can take it, but I also got several belly laughs and ROTFL comments.

 

[mtbxj87]

I drive a 26 year old jeep xj with 219k on it. Drives great and is mechanically tip top. I havent been around the world in it so what do I know? lol..

 

[twiisted71]

two questions

1) What is the video being referenced at the beginning of this thread? Something about some LCs and Jeeps offroad, from what I gather.


2) This is for the OP, KVW. When you posed this thread you specifically mentioned the 70 series. I responded under the impression you were asking about building a Wrangler to it's (70 series) perceived level of RELIABILITY while being able to take you to similar places and get you home again. My answer would apply to any modern vehicle, for me. As can be seen on any forum, no make or model 100% lives up to it's reputation (good or bad). This thread has gone down the rabbit hole with arguments about safety, G-wagens, 200 series LCs, cargo capacity, who has the best vehicle, cost, corrosion, and who owns what and where they have gone with it. I admit that I got drawn into some of this stupidity after my first answer and apologize for it. VERY few gave any options on how to modify your Jeep. Many opined that Toyota had the exclusive ability to make a dependable vehicle while others said you should just be happy with the 'mistake' you've made buying the Jeep as it is already 'perfect'. The JKs have been out long enough for their weaknesses to be widely known and documented on dozens of forums, with MANY aftermarket options to address those issues that crop up on typically modified Jeeps. Mfrs make mistakes and the V6 in the first JKs has had enough issues to have developed a reputation, but its hardly the first time. The Ford 6.0 diesel, Toyota 3.0, Subaru 2.5s, GM 350 diesels, Cummins VP-44 inj pumps and 53 blocks, are just a few of the more recent, widely known, engine related ones off the top of my head, yet the brands' REPUTATIONS have carried them through with fans touting "Yeah, but 'xyz' offers a fix" while competing brands' fans taunt "See I knew my 'XXX' was better". Some people want the best they can buy brand new from a dealer, while other are willing to go to extreme efforts to build, or have built for them, something more capable and reliable than offered new on any lot, anywhere in the world.
***Were you looking for a 'recipe' of changes that would make your Wrangler as dependable/capable as a 70 series LC, or an argument to buy another LC and get rid of the Jeep?***

 

[locrwln]

^^If you watch any of Ronnie Dahl's videos, the fairly stock JK (non Rubicon model) keeps up with their heavily modded LC's quite well. I believe the episode being referred to had the JK turning back early because of overheating issues. Come to find out (after numerous muddy water crossings), the electric fan had enough and would no longer work. Two of the LC's had alternator problems as well and that required complete teardowns to clean those up and the second rebuild (on the same truck) didn't work, so they had to swap batteries out to keep him going. The comment that Ronnie makes in that video about the JK owner not wanting to have to be towed "again" referred to a previous video about the starter on the JK going out. They towed him for several kilometers into camp. The next morning, it started right up, so I would assume the solenoid was jammed and after being "jarred" it was fine.
.
Overall, I don't think the OP needs to worry about the "reliability" of his JK. The thing that the LC brings to the table (as has been said), is that they are two different class of vehicles. The JK has a fairly low GVWR and is built around that rating. The LC is the "heavy duty truck" of the rest of the world. In the US, we have plenty of choices for an HD pickup, so Jeep is not competing in that arena.
.
I've two LC80's, a YJ and an LJ. Different vehicles for different uses. I liked them all and excluding my LX450 blowing the HG at 103k, they have all been extremely reliable.
.
Jack

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Have the best of both worlds and buy a Montero....woot woot!

 

[SSF556]

^^If you watch any of Ronnie Dahl's videos, the fairly stock JK (non Rubicon model) keeps up with their heavily modded LC's quite well. I believe the episode being referred to had the JK turning back early because of overheating issues. Come to find out (after numerous muddy water crossings), the electric fan had enough and would no longer work. Two of the LC's had alternator problems as well and that required complete teardowns to clean those up and the second rebuild (on the same truck) didn't work, so they had to swap batteries out to keep him going. The comment that Ronnie makes in that video about the JK owner not wanting to have to be towed "again" referred to a previous video about the starter on the JK going out. They towed him for several kilometers into camp. The next morning, it started right up, so I would assume the solenoid was jammed and after being "jarred" it was fine.
.
Overall, I don't think the OP needs to worry about the "reliability" of his JK. The thing that the LC brings to the table (as has been said), is that they are two different class of vehicles. The JK has a fairly low GVWR and is built around that rating. The LC is the "heavy duty truck" of the rest of the world. In the US, we have plenty of choices for an HD pickup, so Jeep is not competing in that arena.
.
I've two LC80's, a YJ and an LJ. Different vehicles for different uses. I liked them all and excluding my LX450 blowing the HG at 103k, they have all been extremely reliable.
.
Jack

Thanks for a reasonable response...

 

[BEG]

Have the best of both worlds and buy a Montero....woot woot!

Best advice so far... eepwall:

 

[KlausVanWinkle]

Thanks for a reasonable response...

Agreed. The original intention of the thread played out on the first couple pages. The premise was something along the lines of, assuming that the wrangler is the right vehicle for your needs, and that JKs seem to have some known weak spots, what would you change/modify to give your JK "Land Cruiser-like" reliability, while maintaining all of the JK platforms benefits. If you read the first few pages. That's mostly what people talked about. Axles, ball joints, transfer case linkage, electric fan kill switches, etc.

Then others forgot what forum they were on and turned it into yet another Jeep vs Toyota debate. I only mentioned the Land Cruisers because the advantages of both platforms is very apparent in Ronnie's videos. Little things sometimes stop working on the older Jeep, but it handles technical terrain better. While the Land Cruisers seems to break less and carry more stuff, but have a more difficult time with technical terrain.

 

[unkamonkey]

Finally back to some reasonable comments. It's sort of like the motorcycle crowd. Everyone is going to gripe about what ever any body else is riding. The point is that at least you are out riding. Drive whatever vehicle works for you.
A note about the Ford 6.0s. My neighbor had an Expedition with the HO 6.0. His son would borrow it and stomp any car in the city in a race. The only real problem I have seen with them is the EGR. On the Expedition it leaked outside the block. On his King Ranch it leaked into the block. Good way to melt a motor. He did the EGR deletes on both.

 

[calicamper]

Your all wrong given the answer is a Tacoma ;-)