Talk me out of the dark side

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

If you do happen to consider a 1984-2005 chrysler product.. Be careful of the automatic transmission.. Some of these vehicles had ACTUAL Chrysler made transmissions.. NIGHTMARE!

Fixed:yelclap:

 

[Starboard M]

stroker in the daily driver?

build an engine on the side, and swap it in during 1 weekend?

I DD my bike for most of the summer, so I could do a swap over a couple weeks. Biggest issue is I am utterly lost when it comes to engines. I put gas in them, and they run:twak:

I would skip the GC and get a Hemi or 4.7L Commander. They get decent mileage, are comfy as hell and wheel really nice(not rock crawlers but can handle most trail situations just fine) most have leather and the aftermarket support is growing.

Here is the ROTM on CommanderForum for this month;

Stock the Commanders look terrible, but that one looks pimp! They are also usually more money than the WJs, and bigger.

Oh geeze buddy..here we go

Even though I own a buggy...i'm still wanting to screw around with my DD.

But now that I've got my tow rig...that has kinda been severly lulled out

Funny, Im considering trading my Dad my '99 for his '01 F350 7.3 quad cab, dually.

I have no use for that truck, other than its a bad ass truck.



I am just getting tired of camping in the slow lane going up Eisenhower in second gear at 5k RPMs. All while getting 10 mpg.
If I were getting 50 mpg while doing that speed I would be OK with it, or if I was getting the same mileage but camping in the fast line I would be fine.

If you do happen to consider a 4.0 WJ, beware the tranny. It's a cheap POS. Had to replace the 99's at less than 100K.

If I do a Grand, its getting a V8. No reason to get the same motor I currently have and add a significant amount of weight to it.

 

[xjtrailrider]

Stock the Commanders look terrible, but that one looks pimp! They are also usually more money than the WJs, and bigger.

The Commander and the Grand Cherokee share the same chassis/wheel base and all other power train components. The XK is longer by maybe 6" at the rear for more cargo space. Its an optical illusion.

I like the way they look stock, it grows on you after a while. When the XJ came out back in 84 I thought they looked like crap too but its a look that we have all come to love. The Grand Wagoneers are the same way, ugly as hell but these 3 jeep models share similar styling cues and they are durable, proven platforms.

 

[XJ_ranger]

I DD my bike for most of the summer, so I could do a swap over a couple weeks. Biggest issue is I am utterly lost when it comes to engines. I put gas in them, and they run:twak:

me too... but you can buy a stroker already built... or learn about engines building one... then swap it in over a weekend.

 

[MoparManiac]

Fixed:yelclap:

You've clearly never owned/driven a TF727.

 

[kastein]

You've clearly never owned/driven a TF727.

you love those things so much :moon:

The 46RE (near as I can tell, it's certainly not the 32RH, which is the other choice available) behind the 318 in my van is based off the TF727 and it has exploded at least twice, once while my parents owned it and once while I have owned it. It's a second gen A518 aka 46RE, which is an A727 with electronic control and OD and various strength/durability improvements that don't seem to have done me a whole hell of a lot of good

That being said, while googling trying to find more info on it, I found a very detailed writeup on rebuilding and somewhat upgrading one, and now I'm tempted to do it myself. Damnit!

 

[shelbyluvv]

I thought the 46RH (518) was the big brother of the 727? It is fully hydraulic with an electronic overdrive. The 46RE is a fully electronic version of the same trans, which is a massive pile. The 46RH was used in the ZJ from 93-95 on the OBD-I ZJ. The 46RE with the new kid on the block for the OBD-II ZJs. The early CTD even used the 46RH.

I am running a 46RH in my MJ because I like the simplicity of having a hydraulic trans control the shifts vice a box and some sensors.

 

[Handlebars]

I've owned my 2002 Overland for 2 years and have no regrets. It has 152k miles on the clock, yes I have had to repair some things, all of which are common issues:

The right exhaust manifold leaked, I pulled and had it resurfaced. The heater core leaked, replacing it gave me the opportunity to replace the crappy plastic dual a/c blend doors with the aluminum ones from Heater Treater. The a/c condenser leaked. I have somehow managed to puncture 2 sidewalls (twice the number that I killed with my XJ in 10 years). The driver's seat heater has never worked... since I have never had heated seats it is not really worth fixing. The hydraulic radiator fan is starting to seep oil but I have not addressed it yet. I am in the midst of replacing all of the original control arm bushings.

On the plus side: It gets 2 mpg more than my XJ did. Aaaaand it has lots more power. I had to run premium in the XJ so it is a win for the WJ. I live at 5000 feet elevation so the power is welcome. The leather seats are comfy, if a little sqiuishy. It is a lot quieter than the XJ (it probably helps that the doors actually meet the body!) The doors all seal and I installed the factory cabin air filter so no more dust clouds out the vents. It is just a little longer than the XJ so my wife and I can sleep in the back... comfortably. The spare tire fits under the cargo floor (as long as you do not exceed a 245/70R17). The overhead console displays the outside temperature and the pressure of all 4 tires in PSI.

Also on the plus side, the WJ has taken me everywhere I have wanted to go since I brought it home.

BTW, those trips came after 10 years of exploring with this Jeep, sold 2 years ago and still being driven around town by its new owner:

If I had to do it all over again I would do it all over again, without hesitation.

 

[DrMoab]

Kind of off topic but why did you need to run premium in your XJ, Alex?

 

[Handlebars]

My XJ would ping horribly on anything less than 91. Maybe it had something to do with the elevation? Most of my miles with it were spent at 5000 feet and above. It could also be due to the manual tranny.

 

[Fred]

The higher the elevation, the less need for higher octane. Lower pressure through intake equals lower pressure in the combustion chamber.

Nice pic of Black Bear. If I were to buy another WJ, the 2002 overland is what I would buy.