05 and 06 TJR possible purchase

I've been warned about 05 and 06 TJR to look out for the OPDA and the PCM, I hear the concerns and wish it was that easy to find an 04 TJR as it has been to find an 05 and 06 TJR. I'm looking at one on Monday and the other on Tuesday.

The 05 TJR has 124k miles and the 06 TJR has 84k miles. From the pics, the 05 is more to my liking but seeing, listening, and driving are the keys.

My big questions for the TJ world is this. What are the major symptoms of with a bad OPDA and/or bad PCM?

I'm not adverse to the work involved in replacing both of these, but need to know what to look for in terms of performance, sounds, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Bob

 

Decisions, decisions...... So I have looked at a 2005 TJ Rubi with 124k miles, a 2006 TJ Rubi with 84k miles and both are in great body shape (Texas Jeeps) and both engines seem to run strong. Neither have rust, both are already lifted, the 2005 with a lift kit and Bilstein shocks, and the 2006 with a Nth Degree long arm lift kit, both have 33 x 12.5 tires, although the tire on the 2006 would barely pass inspection with the limited trend depth.

Now enters the confusing part. I found 2001 TJ Sport that is in excellent shape body wise and the engine seems to run strong, no rust, interior is dirty, but otherwise in good shape. Tires are BFG KO2's 33 x 12.5's and in good shape. It does have a small oil leak. I see a bit of oil coming from under the valve cover and a drip from the oil pan, neither of which alarm me. I do see oil coming from the gasket between the engine and transmission. The leaks are small, but my wife has a zero tolerance policy for oil leaks in the driveway, so they are something that would need to be addressed on Day Zero.It is an excellent platform for me to upgrade.

Can anyone talk me into or out of a Sport? I've never rock crawled but have done some off road trails, etc. so being able to traverse a boulder strewn ravine in likely not in the cards for the TJ, but would still like solid off road performance. Did I mention that the Sport is $5000 cheaper than either Rubi?

Bob

 

Wow....yeah....decisions decisions. Better half againist oil leaks does come into play. Lollll. But, you might have to convince her you have this miracle driveway cleaner. Lolll. TJs are awesome Jeeps to start with. They are from what I've seen. Instructable. I like the 06 and 01 based on mileage and cancerless frames for the most part. But id like to see both for myself. No expert by any stretch. But I know what too look for. Looks like you may have found a couple good base Jeeps for your build. So jealous....

 

Ok to add some dimension to the comparison between the 06 and the 01. The 06 has a long arm kit already installed, an on-board belt driven air compressor with a hose coming out of the front bumper with an air fitting. It has bead lock chrome wheels, full setof skid plates (some scrapes and gouges) and a wilderness rack with Jerry cans on the rear bumper, additionally it has fittings and a heat exchange coming off the heater core for a shower (installed in the engine compartment). None of these add-on interest me in the least and would likely all be removed and sold or scrapped. The tires need replaced, and I wouldn't run bead lock wheels. It has 84k miles, body color = red with a soft top.

The 2001 is about 90% stock period. Other than a modest (but older lift) and 33" tires there is nothing aftermarket that needs to be removed. It has 80k miles and just needs a general cleaning to be a stock runner. Body color = yellow, with a soft top. I had a yellow JKUR and kind of miss it.

Here is a non-easy question. How difficult and expensive would it be to swap out both axles for D44's in the future?

 

Just pulled the original build sheet. Didn't realize it but it has the three speed automatic and I think (no 100% positive) but the 2006 Rubi had a four speed?

 

My $.02. You really haven't mentioned pricing for the jeeps you are looking at. You did say that you were looking at a sport that was $5k less. I would want to know what brand the lift kits are, and what stage lift. A jeep lift could be $300 and that long arm (LA) if a reputable brand could be up to $5k. Rough County (RC) LA lifts can be as cheap as $1000 where a all out LA kit from Teraflex (TF) or Metal Cloak (MC) can push up to $5k.

Next you said talk you out of the Sport. The weak link in the sport (If you are wheeling it) is the front axle, but if you take care of it you can run 37s on a Dana 30 and have a good time. You can get a new Dana 44 for under $4k that will swap right in, or build your own for half that if you have the skills. Maybe find one off a Rubi dana 44 for under $2k. It has been my experience that you get a much better deal buying a jeep that is already built than buying a jeep and building it yourself. If you are going to wheel it, my preference is to have an automatic, but I prefer a stick on the road unless it is my daily, because the traffic in Houston is awful.

You mentioned that the 05-06 has trouble with computer stuff. My take on that it is rarely the PCM and OPDA; just that people throw money at a problem without finding out what the problem is and say it must be the PCM etc. If you actually read posts where people replaced the PCM they say there problem comes back after a while and they replace again and repeat. There is a learning period after replaceing the PCM before it starts doing its job and shutting down again until you fix the culprit which is usually a sensor like the crank sensor which can be catastrophic if not replaced if it is even running.

All this being said I shoot for the lowest mileage and the best build for the buck when I tell new jeepers wanting to get into wheeling. If this is going to be a daily driver you dont want to be too built up because your comfort may suffer. My JK with tons and 40s is not street friendly, but I can do 80mph if I want to. I rarely drive on the street, usually just around town on short trips to the trail, gas or the store (2008 with 40k miles). It is trailered on long trips.

 

The details are as follows: The 2001 Sport is asking price of $11k but with the rear main oil seal and oil pan gaskets showing signs of leaks, I won't be offering that much (I thhink I can get it for $10k and change). The owner isn't sure of the lift, since it was on prior to him purchasing it 4 years ago, I consider it a basic kit that I will ultimately replace. 80k miles, but everything is solid and straight. It is unlikely that the Sport has ever been off the pavement from what I can see underneath.

The 2006 is equally solid, but clearly shows signs of real off-road usage (gouges on skid plates and how it is configured with air, heat exchange for shower, racks and Jerry cans on rear). It shows no signs of leaks but it will need more upfront work removing things I don't want. It has a quality Nth Degree long arm kit, but it was installed years ago and again not by the current owner. It has 84k miles and clearly has been used off road. Asking price is $15k, I think I can get it for $14k.

I am definitely leaning towards the 2001 but realize I would be getting a different Jeep than the 06 Rubi. My initial upgrade would plan to be mechanical (as needed) fix oil leaks with gaskets, new valve cover, plugs, wires, hoses, and belts. The brakes seem fine, but I would check the rotors and pads, along with the muffler. After that the fun stuff would be a better quality lift kit, 35" BFG KO2 tires, and black wheels (not a fan of the chrome ones). I'm sure other odds and ends (bikini top, rocker guards/steps, etc) will add up too but they aren't my main focus right now.

 

Yet another wrinkle, but a good one.... I just found another local Jeep TJ X for even less $$$ ($8k) while it has an automatic transmission (4 speed versus the 2001 3 speed) it also has 208,000 miles versus 80,000 miles. It appears to need the rear main seal replaced too, but I've heard that is common for a TJ. The question is, in general what is the life span of a 4 liter engine? I've read the stories of the 600k Jeep engine, but realistically what kind of costs am I looking at to re-build or replace the engine?

 

We have all heard of the 400k mile inline 6, but I have not seen one. Realistically when I am looking at used jeeps I say at 250k or 300k miles max before a rebuild. I bet you can get the sport for under 10. Offer 8500 the worst he can say is no. If he doesn't counter ask him what he'll take for it. If it is not close to what youre willing to pay, tell him you want to look at a couple other jeeps i.e. the Rubi before you make your decision, and you'll get back to him. Both the above jeeps mentioned sound like great jeeps for different reasons. TJRs seem to be losing steam, and many balk at buying a highly modified jeep. I bet you could work him down a lot.

 

You are very right. Each of my three alternatives has reasonable appeal for different reasons. Here is a summary of my three alternatives for a base to build up (bumpers, new winch, decent lift kit, new tires and wheels)

2006 TJ Rubicon, 85k miles, Nth Degree long arm lift, winch, wilderness rack, bead lock wheels, belt driven air compressor, heat exchange trail shower kit, 33x12.5 tires (need replaced soon), 4 speed automatic, no oil drips, red paint, soft top - $15k asking. Notes: don't want the bead locks, air compressor, or trail shower, all to be removed.

2003 TJ Sport, 80k miles, generic lift kit, 33x12.5 tires (good shape), dripping oil from rear main seal. clean/straight body, 3 speed automatic, yellow paint, soft top - $11k asking. Notes: Clean, low mileage, less $$$, not a lot to be removed prior to upgrading, needs rear main seal, and valve cover gasket replaced.

2001 TJ X, 208,000 miles, generic lift, 33" tires, interior clean, body looks clean and straight, dripping oil from rear main seal, 4 speed automatic, black paint, newer soft top, - $9k asking. Notes: Clean, a bit sun faded, needs rear main seal replaced.

 

It will cost you more than 2k to rebuild the high mileage motor, and everything else that has wear on it. The '03 is a better deal, but it all depends on who will come down the most. Are you sure it is the rear main seal. 4.0s and 4.2s both are known to have the rear of the valve cover leak oil because the motor is always tilted back and it is worse if a t-case drop has been added. At only 80k miles I'd guess that the valve cover was the real problem, and it looks very much the same as a rear main seal leak. The Rubi sounds good too, but again how much will he come down. Me I would not look at the 01. Too many miles, unless of course you had plans to do a v8 swap anyway. Only you can make the choice, and it boils down to what your plans are for the jeep. More trail than street, Rubi; more street than trail, either one.

 

Turns out I do have a new option as of this evening that kind of splits the distance. I've found a 2006 TJ Sport with a hard top, auto transmission, and the elusive Dana 44 rear axle. Owner claims, no leaks, no rust, no check engine lights with 143k miles, garage kept two owners.

It is basically stock, which is my preference, so that I can build it up myself without having to do a lot of removals. More to come.