Jeep should reintroduce the TJ

[freedom_in_4low]

My in-laws drive Toyotas and found out the hard way that the wire loom is like soy or peanut based or something like that. Anyway, mice LOVE it! They had to buy this electronic rodent repellent device that mounts under the hood after their harness got chewed on in their RAV4 shortly after they bought it. Luckily warranty covered most of it.

Yep. My brother had mice do that to a BMW. Its a common topic on a hiking forum I lurk on that focused on high elevation stuff in Colorado. People will car camp at a 10,000' trailhead and end up bailing on the hike the next morning because they've been up all night battling hungry marmots trying to chew their wiring. Or worse, they'll leave it while they camp on the trail and come back to a disabled vehicle.

 

[bbaldwin237]

Jeep has the same problem. But, I don't know if that is any worse than the 05-06 TJ where the loom turns to dust when exposed to underhood temperatures.
This is just 1/3 of what we typically wind up replacing.
View attachment 491227

If Jeep is doing it too I would imagine that's probably consistent across Mopar/Fiat vehicles as a whole? Any clue what year they started that?

My 2014 Ram is parked a lot as I never drive it. I haven't noticed any issues so far, but I've mainly seen and dealt with regular split loom on it. I think my wife's 2018 Grand Cherokee had some of the stuff that seems like it could be the soy (or whatever) loom. But I haven't done much with it as it's just a daily driver for her/family hauler. I do the maintenance on it but it hasn't required me to be under the hood much.

 

[bbaldwin237]

Yep. My brother had mice do that to a BMW. Its a common topic on a hiking forum I lurk on that focused on high elevation stuff in Colorado. People will car camp at a 10,000' trailhead and end up bailing on the hike the next morning because they've been up all night battling hungry marmots trying to chew their wiring. Or worse, they'll leave it while they camp on the trail and come back to a disabled vehicle.

Now that you say that, I remember seeing a thing about porcupines getting under and into vehicles and chewing stuff up. Then people couldn't get them out because they couldn't grab them!

I helped a guy get a yellow bellied marmot out of his old suburban engine compartment once. Finally got to where I could grab it (with thick leather gloves!) And that thing had a grip like you wouldn't believe! I could not pull him out of the skid plate where he was holding on. We finally had to poke him from one end and pull from the other, it was an ordeal!

 

[mrblaine]

If Jeep is doing it too I would imagine that's probably consistent across Mopar/Fiat vehicles as a whole? Any clue what year they started that?

My 2014 Ram is parked a lot as I never drive it. I haven't noticed any issues so far, but I've mainly seen and dealt with regular split loom on it. I think my wife's 2018 Grand Cherokee had some of the stuff that seems like it could be the soy (or whatever) loom. But I haven't done much with it as it's just a daily driver for her/family hauler. I do the maintenance on it but it hasn't required me to be under the hood much.

No idea when it started. All I know is rodents really like the taste of soy flavored plastic.

Another one we worked on. It is bad enough when they eat the insulation, what I didn't like was them just gnawing chunks out of the middle. The best part is the D-con colored poop that was everywhere.

 

[CreepinDeth]

Here's a sobering statistic.

Average loan and term as of late 2023.

View attachment 491219

Several factors that led into the Dec 2007+ Recession, and one of them was peoples stupidity overfinancing their WANTS and repos were at all time highs

We are there again, so brace up fellas

 

[RangerTJ]

Several factors that led into the Dec 2007+ Recession, and one of them was peoples stupidity overfinancing their WANTS and repos were at all time highs

We are there again, so brace up fellas

"Whoa Dude! They are paying me $20 an hour to flip burgers! I'm gonna go get me a $40k car loan at 7% interest! Maybe the government will forgive that loan too when they forgive my student loan!"

 

[Gilaguy23]

Every way. LOL. I love TJs, I think they are the last/best of a "real" Jeep so to speak. But for 99.5% of what people do in their Jeep/Truck the new ones are better and easier to deal with. And honestly for the trails that require that last 1/2 percent - you are better off building a buggy.

The folks that want to wrench of stuff are getting old, getting arthritis, or losing interest in it.

The TJ, like an old hot rod, is a niche vehicle.

After the endless debacle our friends have gone thru with their JK, and new ram truck Id more likely trust a donkey to get me where im going than anything of late from whoever owns the 2 these days. KISS, "keep it simple stupid" always is a good bet.

 

[John Cooper]

"Whoa Dude! They are paying me $20 an hour to flip burgers! I'm gonna go get me a $40k car loan at 7% interest! Maybe the government will forgive that loan too when they forgive my student loan!"

What's sad is that's the mentality of a lot of them.

 

[JMT]

Jeep has the same problem. But, I don't know if that is any worse than the 05-06 TJ where the loom turns to dust when exposed to underhood temperatures.
This is just 1/3 of what we typically wind up replacing.
View attachment 491227

I’ve seen a pile about 3x’s that size in the past three weeks. It’s no joke. I asked you if I needed to replace all or just parts that failed the crumble test. You said just the parts that fail the test. I still pretty much had to replace all the loom. Crazy how the sections fail. Doesn’t help that the zip ties that bind the loom to the body are so tight it causes failure of the loom wherever they are. I’m happy I’m starting over.

 

[Zorba]

...the auto stop/start but I have learned to press the disable button when I start it.

Just an FYI - you can get a plug in "lump" that essentially inverts the thing. Press when you WANT it, not when you don't.

 

[Artsifrtsi]

I’ve seen a pile about 3x’s that size in the past three weeks. It’s no joke. I asked you if I needed to replace all or just parts that failed the crumble test. You said just the parts that fail the test. I still pretty much had to replace all the loom. Crazy how the sections fail. Doesn’t help that the zip ties that bind the loom to the body are so tight it causes failure of the loom wherever they are. I’m happy I’m starting over.

This will be one of my next projects. Does anyone have an inventory on sizes and lengths of the loom needed?

 

[bmcgc]

The used 2023 2-door Wrangler Sport with 6000 miles on it that I looked at over a month ago is still on the lot.

The options suggest it is actually a Sport S.

The dealer has dropped the price from 40k to 37k. the original MSRP was 52k.

37k + dealer BS + TTL is still a lot of money to pay for a small SUV.

I like my 25 year old TJ better every day.

 

[Lubbockguy1979]

It would be nice to have a utilitarian vehicle like the cj or even a tj but..... aside from the roxor that will never happen with all the mandatory cameras, abs, stability control and other garble. Then if for some gleam of happiness if it came close every damn yuppie and stanley cup carrying idiot would jump in line, the dealer would mark them up to unobtainable prices.... and if that wasnt enough every automobile journalist would complain the seats were uncomfortable and gripe about the ride, fuel economy and every other thing that makes a jeep a jeep and signal to the manufacturer they need to have luxurious rides, primo interior and a infotainment center to sell ads on that display while your driving.

The days of a simple daily top down cruiser have passed. The population is to blame. I do give kudos to stelantis for keeping the jeeps relevant though. A whole new class of overlanders will buy the current stuff and in 8-10 years we will spend out time trying to remove all the unwanted tech so we can again have the jeep we wanted to begin with.

 

[CreepinDeth]

The used 2023 2-door Wrangler Sport with 6000 miles on it that I looked at over a month ago is still on the lot.

The options suggest it is actually a Sport S.

The dealer has dropped the price from 40k to 37k. the original MSRP was 52k.

37k + dealer BS + TTL is still a lot of money to pay for a small SUV.

I like my 25 year old TJ better every day.

Boggles rhe mind to see a 2Dr Sport S running $52K
Their base is <$33K, I cant see $19,000 in options value

This is why so many people want the stripper versions
All the bull$hit options no one wants

Im glad the market is wising up and letting these sit stagnant and deflate back to reality

 

[bmcgc]

$1000 wheels, $1900 Hardtop, $2300 premium audio, $1400 cold weather group.

It adds up fast.

For a 52k MSRP, this Jeep doesn't have the safety group. No blind spot or cross traffic.

 

[Zorba]

For a 52k MSRP, this Jeep doesn't have the safety group. No blind spot or cross traffic.

And THAT is a good thing.

 

[Rickyd]

After the endless debacle our friends have gone thru with their JK, and new ram truck Id more likely trust a donkey to get me where im going than anything of late from whoever owns the 2 these days. KISS, "keep it simple stupid" always is a good bet.

Yep, where the new fiats fail is in build quality. Its questionable at best.

The sad thing is that a tj likely wouldn't pass modern saftety tests and definitely not mpg standards so could never be produced again.

Nanny state legislation is a snowball. It will never get better short of societal collapse and a reset

 

[Shank]

This will be one of my next projects. Does anyone have an inventory on sizes and lengths of the loom needed?

I'm probably due as well so interested in this, though I should just start the LS swap...

 

[CreepinDeth]

though I should just start the LS swap...

Words of wisdom
Start with a budget and build list by cost
Dont just jump in blind, or reality bites and it hurts

Ive done a few but still havent found a definitive list for TJs and transmissions that work that are strong

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Words of wisdom
Start with a budget and build list by cost
Dont just jump in blind, or reality bites and it hurts

Ive done a few but still havent found a definitive list for TJs and transmissions that work that are strong

Further words of wisdom…

Start with a Hemi…