JK owners what are your likes and dislikes

[Guest Rando]

I have driven a few and like very much but they do not get the greatest mileage ( 16 to 19) or so they say. I am fighting the itch again and may go drive an 07' tomorrow so I have a few questions if I may... How bad does it hurt the mileage to go bigger on tires? The one I am looking at has about a 3inch lift and looks as if to have 33's or close on it. OK more info it is an automatic,4x4, hard top, and yes four door for those that do not know the JK. I am not sure of gearing though they do not say the gears have been changed or really any of the aftermarket stats which is why I am guessing on lift and tires. I would like to hear all you owners have to say on them.

Thanks, Rando:popcorn:

[1908_Cubbies]

I love mine, but be prepared to keep dumping money in it. I can't seem to stop upgrading. If they haven't changed the gears, it is probably running 3.21's or 3.73's. There was an option in 2007 for 'X's to have 4.10's but that was pretty uncommon. Anything less than 4.10 and you probably won't be happy running 33's. Your auto will constantly be in and out of OD. I am running 35's with 4.88 gears and it is perfect. Of course, my mileage really dropped when I went to 35's, but I gained most of it back when I changed the gears. I average around 17 now. With a 4 door if alot of off-roading will be or has been involved, an upgraded front drive shaft will probably be needed with the 3 inch lift. Anything over 2.5 will cause the DS boot to contact the transmission skid when flexed. Not trying to scare you away, just a couple of things to be aware of...

As I said before, I LOVE mine and there are a ton of mods that you can do with them!

[1908_Cubbies]

Here is a chart that will help give you an idea of what gear is in it based upon the RPMs.

JkOwners.com - The Community for Jeep JK 4x4 Owners - View Single Post - 4.88 vs. 5.13 gears

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I don't intend to lift my 2010 JK, or intentionally go too far off road.

Am curious other than possibly a different off-road tire tread, why 33" diameter tires would be an incredible upgrade over the factory 32" diameter tires that come installed on most of the 2010 JK's? Maybe 1 inch makes a huge difference, dunno.

I don't drive much. With perhaps a 50/50 mix of city and highway-speed driving, the mileage meter on my 2-door JK has been staying in the 17 to 18 mpg ballpark. Usually closer to 18 or a little higher.

[1908_Cubbies]

Am curious other than possibly a different off-road tire tread, why 33" diameter tires would be an incredible upgrade over the factory 32" diameter tires that come installed on most of the 2010 JK's? Maybe 1 inch makes a huge difference, dunno.

Most JK's come with 29" tires. Rubicons and some Saraha models are all that come with 32's. The thinking behind larger tires is additional clearance AND when you you are playing offroad, you can air down your tires and get a bigger foot print for traction. Typically, the taller the tire, the wider it will get with lower air.

[bubbadavis]

If you want good gas mileage, get an Accord (or some other sedan). Jeeps are a blast but they have the aerodynamics of a brick. You're not going to great mileage but its well worth it to have my TJ. I love my Jeep.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Thanks 1908_Cubbies

When internet-searching for a JK late last year, it seemed that most of the models available for sale at dealers had 32 inch factory tires. The Sport-S I finally got had the 17" wheels and 32" tires. The base models with 16" wheels, maybe the dealers sold a lot of those out earlier in the year, but they seemed rare in dealer inventory by the fall. I wasn't looking for a base model anyway.

Just noticed this wikipedia page which has pretty good condensed summary info on the models--

Jeep Wrangler - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It confirms what you say about the tires, but mentions that most of the base models from 2010 had the 32 inch tires.

It isn't like there is a shortage of Wrangler info on the web, but that page seems to condense a lot of essentials about the various models. Wish I'd noticed it about September, may have helped guide the research.

[Guest Rando]

Thanks for the info, I was going to look at a red one today but the wife reminded me of how much I like the sunburst Orange. I would not mind the rescue green either,as for bigger tires it's all about the stance just makes it look like a Jeep and as I live and play in the mountains gotta love the extra ground clearance also.

[dats82]

If it has a 3" lift, it probably has closer to a 35 on it. My buddy has one with a 2" budget lift and 35s, and it looks right.

Truth be known about it, you do not buy a Jeep for fuel milage or handling, you buy one because it is a Jeep. I have had a few jeeps and done a lot of work on them. For most people, they are not a practical vehicle. Compared to the other suv options to drive your family around and make you want to get out and use your four wheel drive in the snow, the Jeep is actually a fairly poor option. With that being said, I would love to have another Jeep one day down the road. Basically, I think it boils down to this, you can try to justify buying a Jeep, but in the end, you buy it because it is a Jeep.

Keep in mind...

J ust

E mpty

E very

P ocket

If I have one (and I don't at the moment), they are almost a worse addiction than guns.

[jcj]

The 2012 model year due out in Q4 of this year is going to get an engine upgrade. They're putting the Pentastar V6 in them for 2012. More horsepower and better fuel economy than the current models.

I still miss the old 4.0L straight 6. Horrible gas mileage but a proven design that lasted a long time with proper maintenance.

[Guest db99wj]

The smaller tires, 29's come on the base models, whether it is an "X" (07-09) or the "Sport" (10- ) and come with the steel wheels that are 16". Most come with some sort of upgrade and include 17's aluminum wheels with 255/75/17 tires on them, Goodyear SRA's. Not an offroad tire at all. They have done fine on pavement, light offroad, and have done great actually in snow. The 255/75/17 tire measures out to 32.1x10/17 but I think they probably measure less. Rubicons come with the same size tire, but in BFG MT, Sahara's come with 255/75/18, which measures 32.1X10/18 My 09 has 3.71 gears, automatic and I average around 15.5, hand calcuculated in the city with some interstate driving, as low as 14 when it is pure city streets, no interstate up to 21 on the highway, with a tailwind. I seem to remember reading somewhere that for every inch in tire you go up, you will lose 1-2 MPG. I don't know about that, but size is one thing, tread and weight are other things to consider that will effect mpg.

IMO, if it doesn't have at least 3.71 gears, I wouldn't go over 33's and did you know you can fit 33's without any lift with no rubbing issues or minimal rubbing at full turn and articulation (depends on tires tread pattern). Good source of info is jk-forum.com, it is a public forum, so verify your info before you jump.

Word on practicality. I own a 4 door, I have 4 kids and a wife and a dog. I use my Jeep weekly in the city to go on property inspections, take pictures, go to sporting events, go on trips. It is as practical as any other midsized SUV out there and a helluva lot more fun. I drove it almost 600 miles this weekend on a trip with two friends (Cullman, AL), I've driven it to Louisville KY, New Orleans, and Houston TX. Sure there are trade-offs I guess, it doesn't ride like a Lexus or Caddy, but you can get all the creature comforts like Navigation, DVDs, and eleventy billion other items for them, one of the largest aftermarkets available. The heater will roast your nuts off if you are not careful.

Me personally, I wouldn't buy an 07, but that is me and not liking to buy first year, new model years. If I won the lottery today, I would still be driving my Jeep everyday. I love it that much. My wife calls my Jeep the "other woman"! They are expensive, and so far, I have not spent much due to not having much to spend!

Don't go into buying a Jeep, thinking about mpg. You will be disappointed.

I'm considering going with 33" BFG AT's or Goodyear Duratracs and putting a 1.75" leveling kit from Roughcountry, either budget boost, our actual suspension and calling it done for lift and tires.

Dislikes (it's really too strong of a word), the 3.8 is underpowered and Jeep really needs to put in a V8 due to the size and width of these things, they are not the CJ's, YJ's and TJ's of the past, they are longer, they are wider. There are places that due Hemi conversions, but a 4.7L V8 would actually be great for the normal user. The plastics are a bit soft on the inside IMO, but they are still more durable than the interior of my boss's 2011 Denali, man those are soft. I only have a hard top, wish I had both. Softtop in spring/summer/fall would be nice for the rainy seasons and afternoon pop up rain. Hard to take hardtop off, hit one of those rain storms and stay dry when the top is at home! I have a small leak in the center of the top, where the freedom panels come together when it rains A LOT, especially when I come to a complete stop, I think my rubber seals are compressed a bit. The water drips, and it's only a few drips, onto the shifter bezel, I usually grab a napkin and use the water to clean the dust off the dash. When raining, when you open the door, you get water that pours off the hardtop drain channel, into the Jeep, you will get your leg wet when getting in or out, it's a bit annoying, but oh well. Not that big of a deal. Other than that, the tires suck it, not aggressive enough for my taste, but they do ok, not much I can say bad about them. I love to drive it, I use it to help my relax, it looks great, Like I said, I could win the lottery and I would still be driving it, with lots more mods of course!!

Edited February 14, 2011 by db99wj