TJ vs JK opinions.

Sweetwater

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2012
Location
The Great State of Mecklenburg
OK, I am having the new rig itch.

Sold a 2000 XJ last year (OME and 30" ATs, nice ride!). Still using a 2000 TJ with BDS lift (2.5"?), body lift (1") and 33" ATs. TJ rides nice with this set up, but it is small for camping with one or two kids and the missus...

Here's the two I know so well:
asweetwaterfarms.smugmug.com_Trucks_2000_XJ_i_BNXs85r_0_M_IMG_0169_M.jpg

So, if I can free up some cash, I could move into a JK "Unlimited". Probably even a very late model with low miles. Now, it would get a lift, a good hitch for the 8x10' bike trailer and probably a roof rack for the camping/hunting/fishing goodies. In other words, it would fill the role my XJ had for 12 years.

So, fire away with some perspective. What's life like with a mild lifted JK? My OME XJ was great. BDS kit on TJ is good, just too small for the whole family and not great at highway rides that drone on for hours.
 
Never had a tj but just got a jk as my dd. Has a 3.5" lift and 35s. I drive quite a bit for work and I like it. Very easy to drive and maneuver around. The highway drone is still there with a jk. It is kind of like a white noise sleeping machine. Keeps the kids quiet in the back. I also have 3 car seats in mine and I have to say it is quite comfortable for them.
 
I had a JKU on 35s & traded it for a TJ. I loved the space but it had no oomph (couldn't get out of it's own way)! It was great for hauling my nephew around & did well on the trails. But with having no kids, I prefer the TJ!
 
I went from a relatively built TJ to the JKU. I haven't regretted the decision at all. I'm barely medium core anymore and it's just an outstanding family adventure vehicle. I'd you don't get one with the pentastar, plan on regearing with any increase in tire size. The pentastar with the manual freakin hauls ass if you don't mind the shifting.
 
I own a 2 dr JK and love it but there are times I wish that I would have found a clean LJ to purchase. The extra room the LJ provides would come in handy. I can not imagine owning a 4 dr JK but seeing how many are on the road it is a very popular choice for a family friendly wheeler / adventure vehicle.

If you like creature comforts the JK has them! Late models are offered with power everything and even heated leather seats.

Aftermarket support for the JK is mind blowing.

Good luck with the decision and search!
 
Lots of opinions flying around and that's what I need! Thought about LJ a year ago...awful steep pricing, but I ma familiar with that era. A nice OME suspension and simple mods would do enough for me. My Cherokee XJ actually did everything well, wife just had to have a TJ and I admit to liking the top down experience as well.
 
Keep in mind that a jku is only 2" longer than an LJ but with a longer wheelbase to help departure angles and a full width backseat. If I didn't have kids, I would get an LJ but with kids the jku is the most logical.
 
Spent the last two workdays riding around in @derekJKU 07 rubicon 4 door=ruined. I want one very bad. To the point I have almost scratched the idea of a 20-23k truck for towing and just doing away with the TJ to buy a 4 door rubicon. I have a 2 year old stepdaughter and plan on another kid at some point. Might as well start building the 4 door now.
 
I had a four door JK, it was SLOW (3.8L auto, stock gears and 35s and a bunch of heavy aftermarket goodies!) but it was a LOT of fun!!! Never got around to wheeling it but drove it around with the top down and doors off as much as I could! Really the only way to go if you need to haul people, IMO! Especially with kids (I don't have any yet)- seems like child safety seats would be a PITA with a two door vehicle!!!
 
Jk,s are very easy to build, the stock platform needs very little to do be very capable. If you can swing a 2012 and up it is worth it, the 3.6 penestar is stout, as Jeremy said, Im running my stock 4.10 gears with 35,s and it is still very strong, don't be discouraged by the 3.8 either though, gearing is just more crucial to performance. If you go tj go ahead and find an unlimited. I am running a 2dr 13, simply because I have no kids and like the wheelbase.
 
Of course this one is pretty sweet as well
 
I have both an '07 JKU Rubicon and a '97 TJ. The JK is an automatic and the TJ is a manual. I love them both off road and pretty much only ride them off road as I have a company car for a DD. The JKU obviously has a lot of room and is very comfortable off road due to it's weight. My nieces call it the Majestic Whale. Despite it being big and heavy it is still very capable. As others have mentioned, the 3.8 is a bit of a slouch on the highway but that does not bother me, I bought if for off road use mostly. I have 37s on it plus the automatic tranny so I geared it with 5.38s. It will cruise down the highway, just takes a little while to get up to speed. The TJ is very light and nimble (to me compared to the JKU) and is a totally different experience off road. Being a shorter wheelbase helps on some of the trails. As I spend most of my time by myself, I took the back seat out for more room.
 
I have owned a TJ,CJ,YJ,LJ and 2 JK's. I just bought a 2014 JK and the new V-6 will get up and go. I love the room it has but I still have my YJ to beat on.
 
The Rubicon is an excellent stock wheeling rig! Whether it is worth the price really depends on what mods you plan to make to the Jeep. The Rubicon package includes: Dana 44 front axle, 4.10 gears and selectable lockers front and rear, electronically disconnectable front sway bar, 4:1 "Rock trac" transfer case, metric 32" tires (BFG mud terrains in a tread specific to only that size), a different finish on the wheels, and….. the all important Rubicon hood stickers!!! One nice thing to think about- buying a Rubi, you get those stock features and they are part of your car payments, not like adding aftermarket parts that you have to pay cash for, just a thought.

Whether it's worthwhile or not depends on how much you plan on modding the Jeep. If you don't have too many mods planned and like having a factory warranty- the Rubi is an excellent way to have a VERY capable rig! If you plan on getting crazy with axle swaps, an Atlas transfercase, etc then, it's really not worth it at all since about everything that makes it a Rubi would be getting swapped out.

Having wheeled with people driving stock Rubis, I've got to say, their capabilities in dead stock form are VERY impressive (as one would expect), it really makes me sad I never got around to wheeling mine! Just add the lift kit and tires of your choice (and regear if it's a 3.8L auto, mine was a slug on 35s!) and you'll have a formidable wheeling machine!

Depending on your budget- Given the deals that new car dealers give nowadays and the prices that used Rubis fetch, I'd be tempted to look at a 2013 (not a 2014 since they have Electronic Stability Control now) and see what pricing you can get. There will likely be a rebate, plus the fact that it is last year's model year (also, if you're not a member of Tread Lightly, get a membership, Chrysler (Fiat, whatever) gives discounted pricing to Tread Lightly members), and financing will likely be at a lower percentage rate since it is a new car rather than used. The 3.6L is a rocket compared to the 3.8L, especially if you get a stick shift!!!

One year I would stay away from- 2011. I had one, they are the red headed stepchild of JKs- they have the new interior and Canbus electronics but the old engine. The aftermarket support (for programmers and such) is weak since that engine and electronics combo was only for that one model year. IMHO a 2010 or a 2013 would be a better choice. (I personally would shy away from a 2012 but, that's just because I don't like buying the first year of any big changes (3.6L), along that lines, I would not have bought my 2011 if I knew that the interior and electronics had changed that year but, I didn't find out about that until well after I had bought) Oh, and I would stay away from a 2007 for the same reason, the first year of a brand new vehicle typically has a lot of glitches.
 
Sweetwater said:
I guess I am on a mission to visit the dealer and test drive a JK. Is the Rubicon package really that much better than a Sahara?

My the time we mod the Jeep don't we do better than the factory options?
Click to expand...

The rubi package is worth it if you plan to stay mild(33-37) but if you plan on axle swaps and 37s+ then just get a sport and build away. The Sahara package is just trim and int stuff no drivetrain upgrades as fair as I know.
 
Looking at both options. I personally own a LJ 5.5" lifted, winch, on board air, cb, front and rear bumpers, sliders, locked front and rear.

LJ: 4.0L is indestructible, you don't need the stealership to fix it yourself. With a few simple tools you can fix yourself. Worst case new engine is cheap. Axles are cheap to swap such as an 8.8. I hunt, fish, camp, and travel in my LJ. It was done everything from Baja Mexico to Canada and everything in between. All our gear and then some. It has the power and torque. Nothing is plastic!!! It says hey is that all you got!

JK: Way too under powered. I have passed many of them on the freeway. They do require a stealership due to all the computer supported systems. Block is aluminum expensive to replace. I have driven both the JK IMO feels like a fragile vase. It doesn't say hey wheel me and get me dirty. Little torque and can't pull a full size tire.

On the trail both have pros and cons. THIS IS MY OPINION! Most die hard Jeep owners have a TJ, YJ, LJ I see way too many grannies driving JK's. Most JK's I see are soooo pretty with their Armor All.


Get the LJ. Don't get suckered.
 
35" ATs sound big to me when compared to the TJ we've got on 33"! Rubicon sounds like a nice set up from Jeep. We aren't serious 'wheelers like you guys. Here's a trail we ride on a lot:

asweetwaterfarms.smugmug.com_Trucks_2000_TJ_i_cXqdxB9_0_M_P1030635_M.jpg

The 2003 Chevy 2500 has trouble out there due to length, but the TJ just cruises along...
 
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bigmaninds said:
Looking at both options. I personally own a LJ 5.5" lifted, winch, on board air, cb, front and rear bumpers, sliders, locked front and rear.

LJ: 4.0L is indestructible, you don't need the stealership to fix it yourself. With a few simple tools you can fix yourself. Worst case new engine is cheap. Axles are cheap to swap such as an 8.8. I hunt, fish, camp, and travel in my LJ. It was done everything from Baja Mexico to Canada and everything in between. All our gear and then some. It has the power and torque. Nothing is plastic!!! It says hey is that all you got!

JK: Way too under powered. I have passed many of them on the freeway. They do require a stealership due to all the computer supported systems. Block is aluminum expensive to replace. I have driven both the JK IMO feels like a fragile vase. It doesn't say hey wheel me and get me dirty. Little torque and can't pull a full size tire.

On the trail both have pros and cons. THIS IS MY OPINION! Most die hard Jeep owners have a TJ, YJ, LJ I see way too many grannies driving JK's. Most JK's I see are soooo pretty with their Armor All.


Get the LJ. Don't get suckered.
Click to expand...
The old life-long debate. Tj owners hate jk's, just like yj owners hate tj's.

A couple of errors in your post. While the 3.6 is aluminum, the 3.8 is an old fashioned push rod iron block. While not a powerhouse, it was around for 20 years and has proven reliable. Secondly, regarding your fragile comment about jk's, the next gen axles found under jks are significantly beefier than anything found in wranglers past. While jks are one if the most popular mall crawlers anywhere, the fact is they have the best designed suspension of any factory wrangler. Unfortunately some people think that everything new is soft and lame. If that were true we would still be on horse and buggy.
 
ABadJeeper said:
I don't think you can go wrong with a JKU. Mild build with 35's and it will do whatever you want for the most part. If you can get a 2012 or newer Rubicon you can pretty much run 35's without regearing. Add a spacer lift with the wheels and tires and you are ready to rock and roll.
Click to expand...


So getting the 35" tyres on a JKU is really that easy? Ride quality is still good in the JK? My OME equipped XJ spoiled me for ride quality, but it was a mild, mild, rig. Still, it did everything I ever asked it to do. Man, I shoulda kept that Jeep.
 
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