Rules for being JEEP brand?

[cracked-butt]

Yikes! It's been how long since I've seen anyone on here until just recently!?!?
Anyway. When is a JEEP not a JEEP? Or what does it mean to be a jeep (vehicle)? Criteria for a vehicle to be labeled JEEP.
We all have that one (name brand) vehicle that always needs worked on (Just Empty Every Pocket), that's not a JEEP.
Last year we bought a new to us rig.
1993 Jeep Cherokee (XJ) 2 door, 4.0 automatic ... TWO WHEEL DRIVE.
Now neither of us are big on the two door model xj's because we have little ones.
It just flips me out that it's two wheel drive!!!!
Now I went n looked at another jeep model, and it was a front wheel drive thing.

 

[XJLI]

A jeep isn't a jeep when it is a vehicle not manufactured by jeep/willys or the WW2 ford-built GPs.

examples:
ford bronco, not a jeep.
jeep renegade, is a jeep.
toyota tacoma, not a jeep.
willys MB, is a jeep.
suzuki samurai, not a jeep.

 

[ROBZ95Xj]

What's the problem with a 2wd Jeep again? There's several lowered 2wd XJ's that do great at autocross and Lemons events

 

[ROBZ95Xj]

And a Jeep isn't a Jeep when you cut a hole in the firewall.

 

[Cottontail]

Hmm....the Jeep I've had the longest - 15 years - is a 2wd. Still a Jeep. If it was manufactured by JEEP, it is a JEEP.

Yes, that also means the Patriot, the Renegade, all those much-maligned nameplates, because, without those little gas saver front wheel drives counteracting the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee in CAFE calculations, the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee would be really watered down trucks with no where near their current capability.

 

[cracked-butt]

What's the problem with a 2wd Jeep again? There's several lowered 2wd XJ's that do great at autocross and Lemons events

You got to be kidding me?!? Even so, I'm sure they aren't running "stock drivetrains" in them to be able to compeat in those.
Now I have faith in our jeep, but taking it off-road causes some concern to me. As in not being able to "pull" myself out of a ditch in 4wd, etc.
heck, our last jeep (a 4x4 4door xj) slid in a light snow covered yard on a very gradual slope... Running "racing slicks" (bald tires) in the winter is NOT recommended! Lmao

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

My dad has only ever owned 2wd Jeeps

I had a 2wd xj for a while as a daily and loved it. And I drove it off road and nothing bad happened

 

[Hypoid]

A jeep isn't a jeep when it is a vehicle not manufactured by jeep/willys or the WW2 ford-built GPs.

So that excludes Kaiser Motors, American Motors, Chrysler Corporation, Daimler Chrysler...

If it were not for continued investment and development, our "brand" would have the same cachet as John Deere, Massey, and other tractor brands.

 

[DieselSJ]

We pull the D44 out of the front and run 2wd for a few races. You can go far with 2wd and a locker (or in our case with a spool).

 

[devildog0]

2WD XJs are solid road and light off road vehicles. Honestly if you stick a locker in a 2WD Stock XJ you probably have 80 percent of the capability of a 4WD stock XJ.

My first XJ when I was in High School was a 2WD model and I took that thing everywhere. A little bit of skinny pedal helped when needed haha.

They also aren't that hard to convert to 4WD since the 2WD models had the same front suspension with a hollow "beam" axle.

As for autocross. They can do quite well with a stock drive train since you get "classed" in auto cross (raced autocross for a few years in a Miata), you aren't competing with Corvettes and what not. You are competing with vehicles that are similar to yours. And when you are racing on a curvy tracks it becomes much less about the car and more about the lose nut behind the wheel.

 

[cracked-butt]

It just "feels" funny having a 2wd xj, when growing up "jeep" was a fully capable off road 4wd vehicle. Engine size depended on year n body style, same with transmit ions and gearing was "stock" and it could "climb a vertical wall".
Mom's husband had a 47 (?) Willy's four banger that looked like a military surplus rig. And I can vouch for it being able to go virtually anywhere at any time, "road" condition didn't matter.... The less road like the better it went.

 

[hawkeye 1]

My first experience with a Jeep was a hand me down from my dad, a 53 CJ3A. He took good care of it and I tried to do the same for the years I owned it. Other than feeling like you're riding a park bench it was fun and I tried to take it through any obstacle I could find. That little Jeep took a lot of abuse and was always asking for and ready to take more.To me that was a true Jeep and anything build after that should be at least capable of handling the same terrain.

 

[bjoehandley]

What's the problem with a 2wd Jeep again? There's several lowered 2wd XJ's that do great at autocross and Lemons events

Honestly, I wouldn't mind a lowered 2wd XJ with a Edelbrock headed stroker for those kinds of shenannigans, maybe strip it out some for more of a "street fighter" feel as well. I've always been happy with how my NV242 equiped 4wd XJ handled on pavement in 2wd or full time, so I'd imagine pulling all the extra mass from the transfer case on forward would have to improve the truck's handling further.


I will say this on the new Alfa-Romeo based KL Cherokee, the Trailhawk version has grown on me enough that if I suddenly could afford to, I would kinda think about one as a winter beater and then restify my XJ. The regular KL's, just seem too.............Ford Escape for my liking, just wish they didn't make a 3.2l version of the Pentastar the optional engine in those, I really like the 3.6l in my 200 sedan and the Trailhawks in particular are pretty portly, so that little bit of extra HP and Grunt could come in handy.

 

[cracked-butt]

Well hot dog! I never realized 2wd jeeps were so popular! Lol for 40 years I always thought that "JEEP" was synonymous with off road 4wheeling! Not lowered and fast (racing). Though in the last couple of years I've learned a LOT about what can be done to a jeep. From the "typical" off roading/Rock crawling to the 1/4 mile with a monster engine in it! (Saw the later in a jp mag a while back).

 

[XJLI]

So that excludes Kaiser Motors, American Motors, Chrysler Corporation, Daimler Chrysler...



If it were not for continued investment and development, our "brand" would have the same cachet as John Deere, Massey, and other tractor brands.

All those still had Jeep logos on the grill.

I was being sarcastic.

 

[cracked-butt]

Few years ago I got to check out one of the old (1970's) mail jeep... 4 cyl. 4 speed 2 wheel drive... They kept them 2wd due to them being "fleet vehicles" . Less down time due to 4wd problems, they avoided that by having them made 2wd... And I've never seen one of those things get stuck!

 

[robert2008]

My first XJ was a new 1992 2-door, 2WD, 4 cylinder, 5-speed. Since then, I've had 3 additional XJs, 3 TJs, 1 ZJ, and 1 WJ. The rest were all 4x4s I never made that mistake again.

 

[Cottontail]

I bought my first Jeep (and the one I still drive every day)16 years ago this month. It was a used 1996 ZJ 2wd. I've done over 200,000 miles in it personally and, outside normal maintenance and some wear items, it's never given me a lick of trouble.

I'm not sure I understand the 2wd hate....

 

[devildog0]

^^^^^^ because people see 2WD Jeeps as a sacrilege. The 2WD XJ I inherited worked fine for our family's intended purpose and required less maintenance and weighed less than a comparable 4x4 model. It was a simple family wagon that could do rough roads and there isn't exactly a ton of 4x4 areas in Texas.

If it snows you might want to just stay home because no one can drive it anyway back home haha.

 

[techno1154]

A very interesting conversation.

In Florida and to some extent Texas 1 in 3 Cherokee and Grand Cherokee are 2 wheel drive. Here in North East Florida there are 3 bone yards within 20 minutes of where I live and I would say up to 50% of Cherokees and Grand Cherokees are 2 wheel drive. Heck my XJ is running with just the rear drive shaft for several years and many off road trips. Engaged the Ected and have fun.

I think a Jeep should be 4WD only and a capable offroad performer.