Jeep lover for life

Greetings everyone,
I have owned some Jeeps over the past 20 something years. I have owned two TJ's, four Cherokee Sports and one truck. I grew up working on 1960's through 1970's GM's muscle cars. There has never been a better engine than the inline six 4.0 for longevity. I know I'm not telling you all nothing you do not already know. I have put so many miles on theses engines it's hard for me to believe. Anyway expect to hear from me asking questions and maybe share some of my experience should someone need it.

 

sorry Bob no I have not documented well.

 

You can't go wrong with a Jeep.

 

Well I certainly went wrong with the JK. Pain in the a$$ from day one-new from the dealer. It has NOT improved with age.

 

Sorry to hear what kind of problems have you had?

 

It was back to the dealer 22 times under warranty. All perhaps 6 of those were electrical. It's paradoxical in that yes, the JK was more capable (at least the Rubicon version) off road out-of-the-box than all the previous models but, IMO, still way short of what it should have been. From the very basics of an engine really ill suited for off road (zero usable bottom end torque-the 4.0 was better), a PS system totally inadequate for that same use, axle tubes that are laughable along with their tin foil brackets, in my case the No Significant Gear 370 transmission that will not stay in gear with the stock shifter, death wobble at 30 something k miles, and a wiring harness that is really unfixable. The list could go on like the only option we ordered: leather seats. Check that. Leather TRIMED seats that have cheap a$$ vinyl on the bolsters which didn't last 20 k miles---In short, Jeep excels at building mall crawlers. But it isn't anything that can't be fixed with new aftermarket axles, brakes, suspension, transmission, engine, wiring, PS, and at that point no use sticking with the 241OR-may as well put a Atlas in there with a real low range. But then why stick with a JK tub? All sorts of more interesting platform options at that point.

I learned to drive in a Willys 2A when I could finally slide off the seat far enough to reach the pedals. That was 1955. I took my driver's license test in an 1957 FC 150 in 1959 and I've pretty much had Jeeps ever since. But I'm really over fiat and stellantitis (inflammation of one's posterior from repeated butt f-----. The JK will be going to someone else when the current vehicle availability sorts its self out and I will be wheeling one of those more interesting platforms-the 1955 Willys CJ 3B. Much more interesting in this case.

 

What year model was your jk ?

 

2012. There was no way I could take the 3.8. I drove a few of them. The 3.6 is obviously better but insufficiently better and obviously, with its own set of problems. I've owned someplace around 40 vehicles in my career and the JK is the only one that ever earned a moniker. Its name is pause. Spelled POS. It still only has 62k on the odometer. The big question now is what to replace it with. There are more than a few things I don't like on the new Broncos. Maybe it is time to build a Willys wagon. I have both a 51 and a 57 that could be used for that. The 51 actually is almost entirely rust free. And the push button doors are kind of cool.

 

I saw last night a 71 bronco sold at the Mecum auction for 90k , The idea of building a Willy's sounds like a good idea I learned to drive a standard shift in a 48 Willy's cj my Dad used to own he also had a 49 Jeepster he bought for 15 dollars at a junkyard this was around 1970 good times.