All steel rusts regardless of how much it costs. What stops that is how much you spend protecting it from exposure to oxygen.
Are JKs more capable than TJs?
- Thread starter TJim
- Start date
Thanks Mike! Problem solved. Now I can just sell both the TJ and LJ, then pick up a JK. 
Stock to stock higher level of capability does not equate to more likeability. I wouldn't take any JK if you gave it to me.Thanks Mike! Problem solved. Now I can just sell both the TJ and LJ, then pick up a JK.
After I found frame rust...the thought has crossed my mind as well. Doesn't help that my folks have a very nice 2-dr JK that I can drive anytime I want...Its SO much nicer to drive...and I've put a lot into my TJ to make it drive well.Thanks Mike! Problem solved. Now I can just sell both the TJ and LJ, then pick up a JK.
Of that I'm certain. We don't see you posting pictures of JKs, or JK advice, as a normal practice!
The TJ definitely has more "personality" Its been talked about before, but there is a level of 'connectedness' that the TJ has, you don't find in a JK. Daily driver...JK. For a "fun" trail toy and Ice Cream rig? TJ all day, every day.
I've had lots of folks who own TJ and TJ Unlimiteds pick up a JK as a second Jeep. They all comment the same, much more fun to drive on the road, drives just like a car. Then within a year, they dump the JK.
Perhaps back in the TJ era Chrysler invested a little more on protection. My neighbors 2017 JK look like its been submerged in salt water for a few year. He takes exceptional care of it. He just spent 6k to have the undercarriage cleaned.
My brothers JK also looks like shit and it's pretty much garage kept.
I drove a buddies EcoDiesel JLUR. I had to tell him to keep that devil thing away from me!
nathanotis
TJ Enthusiast
They have some pretty special stuff in places. I was putting some dust shields on the TJ but wanted to clean them up. There was some confusion over which ones were new so I accidentally started spraying stripper on the new ones. This stripper will take well cured normal spray paint and bubble it up in less than a minute. We had to apply it 5 times to the dust shields and then wire brush the e-coating the rest of the way off. Not sure how they do that but it is pretty good.
I know it's not a JK, but...
Driving, the difference between my TJ and JT is like a soap box car compared to a Cadillac. The JT can do so much more with little to no effort... It came stock with 32" tires, to run 35's and still flex, all I had to do was swap the Overland suspension for Rubicon, and 1.5 inch spacers on front. (will change that out to 2.5 inch lift springs soon, as the spacers are noisy) TJ is a lot more fun driving fully opened. As far as offroad, TJ is a 6sp, and JT is auto... much easier to drive the auto offroad for me, but I'll take the TJ out more to practice now that we are in an area that has good trails, and I'm not in school and/or remodeling a house.
Driving, the difference between my TJ and JT is like a soap box car compared to a Cadillac. The JT can do so much more with little to no effort... It came stock with 32" tires, to run 35's and still flex, all I had to do was swap the Overland suspension for Rubicon, and 1.5 inch spacers on front. (will change that out to 2.5 inch lift springs soon, as the spacers are noisy) TJ is a lot more fun driving fully opened. As far as offroad, TJ is a 6sp, and JT is auto... much easier to drive the auto offroad for me, but I'll take the TJ out more to practice now that we are in an area that has good trails, and I'm not in school and/or remodeling a house.
alittleoff
TJ Addict
I was there when "if I remember correctly" it was co-sponsered by Mark Smith, and you weren't required to have a passenger.
The new JK's (3 or 4) were driven down from the Tahoe side. The bumpers, skid plates, rockers and wheels took a beating but, they were put on display as is after the dust was wiped off.
One of ( of many ) the best parts of the event was, when they announced that they were going to offer a Helicopter ride over the trail. That was a kick in the ass for me but, the other 2 passengers, not so much. All I heard in the headphones was screaming and them holding on for dear life. I was belted in tight and had both hands out of the window taking pics. I think we flew the whole trail in 12 minutes.
One advantage of a TJ that I noticed was that I think (maybe it was just the certain JK I rode in) that TJs have better leg room for the back seats, I rode for 2 hours in my friends JK and it seemed to have less legroom for the back seats than mi TJ
When I had the vibration issue going on in my TJ and it seemed never ending, I thought plenty about if I should sell mine and buy a used, late model year, stock JKR 2-door and just be done with it.
As logical and practical as that seemed, I could not make myself do it. It was not a question of money, but as you succinctly said here, likeability. I don't mind being in one for short periods but I don't like them enough to want owning one. The TJ is much more appealing in terms of ownership and I can't explain fully why.
I've told @Mike_H many times that in the future I want to get a decent CJ-3B and learn to work/restore it myself. That excites me more than the thought of even buying a house
Mobusaki
TJ Enthusiast
It is extremely scenario dependent, but generally a short wheelbase vehicle requires less tire than a long wheelbase vehicle, typically because of the difference in breakover angle. This is why Gladiators are capable on 37's, but struggle on 33's, whereas a TJ on 33s is extremely capable.
A couple weekends ago I could make it through stuff on my 32's and LSDs that a friend's JKU on 37's and lockers could not. Naturally, he could make it through other things that I could not. It just depends. The hill climbs he could do I still may not be able to do on 35s.
The biggest problem I have personally experienced in the craze for ever larger tires is ruts. Most often when I get stuck offroad, it's deep ruts from large tires. And you can't always straddle them. People often throw huge tires on without lockers, so lots of wheel spin still happens, and a lot of earth removed. Naturally a vehicle with larger tires can go through deeper ruts before dragging diffs.
If you're trying to choose a rig for rock crawling, consider an LJ. Longer than a TJ, shorter than a JKU. I personally think the wheelbase is the sweet spot, as far as factory Jeeps go.
OP
Same here! If I had all the money in the world, I would buy a TJ again. And maybe a second one and a third one. Not a JK, not a JL.
I drove an early 3.8L JK for two days and it reminded me of driving a van with a van-sounding V6 engine way more than a Jeep. It didn't feel, drive, smell, remind me, etc. in any way like it was a Jeep.
I had a 2012 JKU before upgrading to an LJ. Even after a 4" lift and 35's and all the armor, the JKU handled much better on the street and freeway. 85 - 90MPH was pretty effortless. Whereas in the LJ, anything above 70 mph makes you feel like somethings going to fall off.
Moving from the JKU with power windows to an LJ where you had to roll down the windows manually was a bit of a shock. Then I took it wheeling and felt like I was cheating.
Moving from the JKU with power windows to an LJ where you had to roll down the windows manually was a bit of a shock. Then I took it wheeling and felt like I was cheating.