OP
here's when Jerry knew he had to have one ! That's him in the back seat
Is that Rancho 5000s I see there?
Things Chrysler did a great job on with the TJ
- Thread starter PNW_LJ
- Start date
Is that Rancho 5000s I see there?
It's even pretty unique including IFS...The Ford Expedition also came out in 97 and is the only other domestic 4x4 SUV I've found that had coils out back instead of leaves.
The Japanese were way ahead though, pretty much everything was coil springs going way back.
Didn't the zj beat the tj with that honor? 93 vs 97?
OP
Yup, I was being sarcastic. Followed your rebuild thread on here too. Good stuff!
Hey I'll take any chance I can get to spray more videos out there... thanks for watching my adventures!
-Mac
OP
This thread turned more into a general TJ-appreciate thread, but another "factory item" that I like better than the aftermarket options is doors, particularly half doors.
OEM half doors have the best look, work with the body lines, fit in to the interior. I've yet to see an aftermarket option that I like equally well, though I understand they have different purposes.
OEM half doors have the best look, work with the body lines, fit in to the interior. I've yet to see an aftermarket option that I like equally well, though I understand they have different purposes.
I drive tj's with both styles.I just can't get over needing to unzip a tent flap to open the window.then once its down you have a wet muddy flap of plastic in the cab.maybe the hard uppers with sliders wouldn't bother me?
My preference is full doors or no doors.
I have driven a lot of TJ's with half doors and soft uppers. I have yet to drive one where the window is not ruined due to unzipping it and wadding it up to drop it down inside the door and then figure out why the arm rest is all FUBAR. The second most common issue other than a crap fitment is the zippers rarely work very well if at all.
I took my TJ's top and upper windows off before a long drive with my then teenage son at night over the local SoCal/San Diego mountains out to the desert. When we got near the top a frigging surprise blizzard hit us. Couldn't see shit from occasional whiteouts, was driving on icy slick roads and we neglected bringing warm clothes. After all the desert where we were going was warm right? We froze our asses off that part of the trip.
I took my TJ's top and upper windows off before a long drive with my then teenage son at night over the local SoCal/San Diego mountains out to the desert. When we got near the top a frigging surprise blizzard hit us. Couldn't see shit from occasional whiteouts, icy slick roads and we neglected bringing warm clothes. After all the desert where we were going was warm right? We froze our asses off that part of the trip.
I keep insulated coveralls in my jeep for that reason. You never know!
July...PNW...just added seat heaters...and I don't mind but don't love my sliding soft top windows on my half doors.
-Mac
-Mac
For me, the best thing about the TJ is that is still a rough and tumble Jeep, but the suspension and minivan interior bring it, kicking and screaming, into the 20th century. I can't do a YJ. I'm growing to apprciate them, but they drive like absolute garbage (at least the ones I've driven do). A JK just doesn't have the soul of a TJ. They are too "nice" and watered down. I've thought about this a lot, as I contemplate tearing my whole Jeep down, yet again, to replace something else rusty (frame). Should I just sell it and get a JK? My dad has a JK and its really nice. But...it doesn't feel like a Jeep to me.
So, what did they get right? They got the soul right. They nailed the styling. The rest of it was pretty run of the mill stuff. The suspension was almost entirely cribbed from a ZJ of the era, so nothing groundbreaking there. The 4.0 has been around as long as dirt in some form or another.
I do think the later models, esp the Rubicon, REALLY got to the roots of what a Jeep should be. The skid plates, tow hooks, factory lockers, etc. the Rubicon basically invented the Factory trail ready rig...and that can't be understated. Every one of the Big automakers now offer something that purpots to be like it (raptor, TRD, ZR2, TRX, etc). They started a whole movement...and THAT is really cool.
So, what did they get right? They got the soul right. They nailed the styling. The rest of it was pretty run of the mill stuff. The suspension was almost entirely cribbed from a ZJ of the era, so nothing groundbreaking there. The 4.0 has been around as long as dirt in some form or another.
I do think the later models, esp the Rubicon, REALLY got to the roots of what a Jeep should be. The skid plates, tow hooks, factory lockers, etc. the Rubicon basically invented the Factory trail ready rig...and that can't be understated. Every one of the Big automakers now offer something that purpots to be like it (raptor, TRD, ZR2, TRX, etc). They started a whole movement...and THAT is really cool.
All of this is true. Half doors just feel so much more ...Jeepy, both just driving around or with the added visibility when wheeling. My uppers spend 90% of the time collecting dust in my garage and only get used when the weather is just too extreme not to, or I'm making a drive long enough where I would be tired and pissy at the end from being beat by the wind.
And yes, the plastic looks like garbage and I've put off replacing them until I get some sort of convenient storage solution that will keep them from getting new scratches almost every time they get used. They came with the lowers and had spent 5 years in a Texas barn.
Thankfully my ears are very sensitive to wind buffeting and I can't drive at speed without being in a closed cab, regardless of vehicle so I never have to put up with that nonsense in any of my Jeeps.
OP
I'll give you a call next summer when it is 110 out and we have a rig with no AC to take for a test drive so you can swing by and demostrate those methods.