Slip Yoke

[glwood]

I know it was probably more cost effective, but wouldn't you have thought that Chrysler/Jeep would have figured that a fixed output yoke would have been better than a slip yoke when they designed the TJ, which was supposed to be the 'ultimate off-road vehicle'? If I had a dollar for every time I read a post about having to buy a SYE to replace that particular item in order to lift their Jeep...

They did finally figure it out on the JK, but then they totally re-designed the drive shafts completely to those odd-looking versions:

Just thinking out loud...

 

[Rob5589]

Lifting surely didn't figure into the equation when the engineers were designing it. Works fine at factory height and that is all they care about.

 

[glwood]

Lifting surely didn't figure into the equation when the engineers were designing it. Works fine at factory height and that is all they care about.

That's true. I guess if Jeep really cared about the end user off roading their Jeeps, they would put actual bumpers and skid plates on them...

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I guess if Jeep really cared about the end user off roading their Jeeps, they would put actual bumpers and skid plates on them...

They do come with real skidplates for the gas tank and transfer case/transmission. Early TJ gas tanks were vulnerable but they fixed that with a beefed up skidplate around 2000 or 2001. I would only suggest an oil pan skid but not many have problems with damaged/punctured TJ oil pans.

So far as bumpers go, I'm not sure how different bumpers help with offroading other than maybe stubby bumpers which would never pass the federal safety requirements. Some think they need huge heavy battering ram bumpers to look cool.

 

[Rob5589]

Not sure if they still do but, Jeep used to put on jamborees and took bone stock rigs through the Rubicon. This was before Rubi models were available with lockers, discos, etc. They are pretty capable stock. Some guys just like to add shit whether or not it actually helps and/or is useful to their style of wheeling.

 

[glwood]

They do come with real skidplates for the gas tank and transfer case/transmission. Early TJ gas tanks were vulnerable but they fixed that with a beefed up skidplate around 2000 or 2001. I would only suggest an oil pan skid but not many have problems with damaged/punctured TJ oil pans.

So far as bumpers go, I'm not sure how different bumpers help with offroading other than maybe stubby bumpers which would never pass the federal safety requirements. Some think they need huge heavy battering ram bumpers to look cool.

True, that. I am probably remembering my JK bumpers, as the rear bumper on my 2007 Rubicon was all plastic. The only metal in it was two L brackets where it mounted to the cross member. The front JK bumper was also mostly a plastic shell over a metal 'c' channel. The TJ has it all over the JK when it comes to stock bumpers.
I also have to remember that even though we owners on the forums seem like a big percentage of Jeep owners...in reality we are a small minority. Most Jeep owners drive them as is from the time they get them to the day they trade them in for something else.