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?? for those with Wranglers.

R

Rocketman

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Bolingbrook, IL
I know, but I TRUST XJ folk more than "the rest."

In stock Wranglers, what is the difference in gas mileage in a 2.5 vs 4.0? Take into account bored throttle bodies, air tubes, K&N filters, etc and their effect in the equation.

Thinking... just thinking of making more room in the garage by shrinking my wheeling vehicle of choice. I know, let the flames begin!!:flamemad:

GAS prices are really beginning to chap my ass. Have to do something.
 
I think that the gas mileage savings on a wrangler would probably be marginal if that over an XJ considering that the wrangler has the aerodynamics of a barn door. U may see a slight improvement if u are going from an automatic XJ to a YJ with a 5speed, and I would suspect that as long as u wern't walking on it the wrangler could give better mileage around town (not sure though, might be wrong if the wrangler has lower gearing).

Edit: I just wanted to add that I don't own a wrangler but I do know where there is a good deal on one at up around here, I have been thinking about getting one for open air driving in the summer
 
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Whether it's in an XJ or a TJ/LJ/YJ (are LJs even available with the 4-cyl??) there is a negligible improvement in mileage with the 4-banger...get the 6 and be happy that you can actually accelerate.

This belongs in other tech anyway.
 
I have a TJ, I have had several YJs, I have had 6cyl, 4cyl, autos, and manuals. They all pretty much get crappy gas mileage. Even my 4cyl auto only got 17 mpg or so. My 6cyl lifted XJ gets around 20. My 99 TJ with 6cly, 5spd, 4" lift, 4.11s, 33s gets about 15 to 16.
 
For the Wrangler, the gearing is probably going to be the bigger issue. My buddies stock Rubicon (4.10's) got around 11mpg. The 05 TJ sport i drove briefly with the 30" tire group and 3.73's got around 14-15mpg. If you got a Wrangler X with 3.07's i would imagine you'd see somewhere around 17 mpg.

I wouldn't go for the 4cyl. I've read LOTS of reviews where people wish they'd just gotten the 4.0L. Lack of power (even when geared properly) was the main complaint. I wouldn't think the gas mileage would be much better with the 4cyl, as it's going to have to struggle more to get the same job done.

My stock 5 speed w/ 3.07 gear, 157,000 mile 4.0 XJ gets 20 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway...a 4.0L Wrangler is probably never going to see those numbers. If you want a Wrangler, the saying "you gotta pay to play" comes to mind. I didn't want to pay that badly.
 
I would be VERY leery of the ride rather than the MPG. All of the Wronglers, ride badly compared to XJ's. With the YJ comparing to a buckboard wagon.
 
All three of our 2.5L wranglers get/got 20-21mpg, thats with 4:10's, 5sp, 30's and 32's...stock height and 4" suspension and 2" body lifts...
The main difference between the 30's and 32's was a hiway usable 5th gear, on the lifted 32's you spent most hiway time in 4th and 3rd with hills..5th was downill with a good tail wind....
 
My '86 Comanche with TBI 4 cyl, 5 speed, 4.10s and 235/75/15 tires got 17 in town and 25 on the highway (after I converted to 4x4 we drove to Ouray, CO with a 6,000lb GVW because of all the camping gear and spare parts plus tools, 5 gallons of fresh water, etc)
 
Go with the 4.0 for sure. I pull down about 14 with mine (33's and 3.07s) with a 4.5" RE XD. The marginal gain in gas mileage you get with the 4 cyl. will vanish once you add bigger tires.......and you will! Good luck!
 
I just got a 90 yj with a tbi 2.5, it has 200,000 miles and a worn out motor and still gets right at 20 mpg. I am thinking it would be better with a non-worn out motor. People told me not to buy a 4 cyl. because they don't have any power but I haven't had too much trouble with mine, it's not a race car but that's not why I bought it. I have been told that with proper gearing you can wheel a 4 cyl. just as good as you can a 350. A buddy of mine has a sammy with a 1.3 that will go anywhere.
 
Weve got a 95 YJ with 2,5, 4" lift and 32" TSLs, 4.88s, a 99 TJ with 4.0 and 31s and a 96 XJ with 30s. They all get about 17 MPG.
MPG is no reason to get a 4 cyl. , especially if you plan to run large tires.
Just go ahead and get a Sami if you want something small because the size and fuel savings between an XJ and Wrangler arent going to amount to much.
 
My 2.5L YJ (4.10 gears, 5spd, 4" lift, 33X12.50X15s) gets about 17mpg hwy at 65mph.
My 4.0L XJ on the other hand (3.55 gears, automatic, 4" lift, 31X10.5X15) gets about 18-19mpg at 65mph.

That still is compairing apples and oranges.
The YJ has no aerodynamics, and the tires are on 10" wide/ 3.5" offset rims which increases the track and drag of the truck.
The XJ has some aero dynamics and those 31X10.50X15s are on stock aluminum rims tucked under the fenders.

The XJ was getting 20-21hwy/15 city before mods. The YJ was purchased alreeady lifted, but I suspect it was capable of 20's on the hwy in original trim as I have seen 2.5L XJs getting 25mpg.

I had a Sami (1.3L, 5spd, 4.9:1, TC, 4" SOA lift, and 235X75X15 R/T tires), yes, it got around rather well, and got 22mpg at 55mph. Still... The 55mph was just about wrung out as 60 was top speed due to lack of hp. I had to flat tow it on the hwy to get to the trail (nearest is 2.5hrs from here via the interstate). That brought my XJ's milage down to 11mpg. What good was that? So I replaced the Sami with a YJ and have been much happier overall.
 
SLOPAR said:
Go with the 4.0 for sure. I pull down about 14 with mine (33's and 3.07s) with a 4.5" RE XD. The marginal gain in gas mileage you get with the 4 cyl. will vanish once you add bigger tires.......and you will! Good luck!
Click to expand...

My current '87 Comanche (4.0L and BA 10/5) had 3.07 stock (I used to dribe 150 miles a day to and from work and I got 23 mpg but rarely could use 5th due to hills) and I went to 3.73 with 33/9.50/15 tires (still need to swap in a trans with tcase but the 4x4 front axle is in) and my fuel economy is about 15 in all town driving and 20 on the freeway. That is with a canopy on all the time and a SOA rear lift with 5.5" front springs, lower arms and a tracbar. I had 255/85/16s on the past year, but they were a little too wide (33/10.50/16 on 16" ZJ rims) for the short lift I have.
The plan is to put in an NP241 OR with 4:1 (same as from a Rubicon but brand new from http://jbconversions.com ) to get my offroad gearing where it should be.
 
My 97 XJ is only modified with a K&N open element intake and a Pacesetter (I know cheap) exhaust (no lift or anything else ... yet) and I get a very respectable 20-22 mpg city with under 78000 miles. On the highway I've gotten 26 mpg @ 70 mph. Every Wrangler I've driven in all their various flavors CJ/YJ/TJ all get horrendous gas mileage with the 6 cyl no matter what you do. The 4 banger won't get great city unless you drive like a granny - I found that you're dipping the throttle more around town with the 4 cyl because of the WEAK acceleration. Also, any brand new engine is going to suck mpg wise due to friction / resistance - gotta wait till it breaks in.
 
ok what is the major difference between a Wrangler and a TJ?
I thought i bought a 97 TJ, but it says its a wrangler.
 
It came from the US, as I understand it GM sells a wrangler in canada, some kind of pickup truck I think, all the canadian jeep wranglers have the TJ logo instead of the wrangler one..
 
RichP said:
It came from the US, as I understand it GM sells a wrangler in canada, some kind of pickup truck I think, all the canadian jeep wranglers have the TJ logo instead of the wrangler one..
Click to expand...

Wrangler PU is basically the same as a Scottsdale (IIRC). We get the Scottdale too... Just an options/sticker package on the GM full size.
 
Both the YJ and TJ wranglers were known respectivly as the YJ and TJ up here. The LJ was marketed as the TJ Unlimited up here. The Wrangler was a packege for IIRC the regular chevy 1/2 ton trucks. One other thing that is funny about that is that I'm pretty sure that Chevy had a Durango package for the S-10s in the mid-late 80s but we still have Dodge Durangos up here.
 
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