Jeep advice

[TMAC]

I am moving to AZ mountains in June and was considering buying either a Jeep or a Toyota 4X4 truck. I know plenty about Toyotas since I used to own a truck. However, I don't know much about Jeeps. I am looking to keep price way low....like $5K or so! I saw some wranglers in the area for that price. I am very mechanical and have restored old Chevy's and stuff, so I know my way around a vehicle. I just don't know anything about Jeeps. I just had a few questions.
1) What year Jeeps should I stay away from?
2) Best engine to look for?
3) What should I be looking for on the Jeep for wear? Are their certain areas to look at?
4) If given the choice, would you choose a Jeep or a Toyota truck?

[Netpackrat]

At that price you are probably looking at a YJ or maybe an early TJ. If a TJ, be sure to get one with the Dana 44 rear axle. If you get a YJ, (at this point, the newest CJ is 25 years old and should be considered a restoration project), get a '91 or later with the fuel injected 4.0L engine. If you have to buy a 4 cylinder, don't buy one with an automatic because they are gutless. The 4 cylinder with a stick is still somewhat gutless, but livable. Try to find something that hasn't already been modified or off roaded heavily. This will cost you more in getting set up, but makes it less likely that you will buy something that has been abused.

[Dr. Dan Choi]

Raven, for that kind of money, I would go with the Toyota. I have owned both, and currently own a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. The only reason I don't lie awake at nights worrying about the Jeep is it came with an unlimited powertrain warranty. In that price range, the likelihood of any Jeep you get having been well used is high.

[fldback]

I'll cast my vote for the Toyota too.

I like Jeeps fine but if I'm going to have just one vehicle, I'd rather have something I can haul things in. Tacomas are showing themselves to be quite solid and very capable off roaders.

[TMAC]

Thanks guys for the insight.

[tomsdaname]

I luvvved my jeep,,top off doors off,,man i miss that jeep,,89 6cyl 5spd.......But i luvvved my tacoma also,,95 4cyl 5 spd,,,only wish i couldve taken the top and doors off............

[McTavish]

Be honest with yourself what you want it for. To haul stuff then a truck or a Jeep Cherokee. For top off back country exploring Jeep Wrangler wins every time.
The Cherokees are bullet proof or all but a huge, almost cult like, following with lots of after market support.

[TMAC]

I think I would use it for occassional off roading, obviously shooting outings and possibly hauling things. The jeep just appeals to me but seems unreliable? I would love to buy the new 4 door wrangler but just don't have the funds.

[ericb]

Stick with the Toyota

[Netpackrat]

Jeeps (or Toyotas) are as reliable as anything else that is used in the same manner. If you expect to use either rig off-road, and still have the same reliability as a Honda that never leaves the pavement, you'll be in for a rude awakening. If you keep it on the pavement and perform normal preventative maintenance, it will last as well as anything else, but what's the fun in that?

[Juju]

I don't know that much about YJ's or JK's, but I barely know enough about TJ's (LJ's) to be a little dangerous. Much of what I am passing on is info that I have come across elsewhere so it would be best to check up on it yourself--I'm just pointing in the general direction.

I believe around 2001, Jeep finally fixed the weak manifold issue (I6/4.0) where a hairline crack would develop emitting exhaust, but would disappear after it warmed up and expanded. Aftermarket manifold could be a possible solution.

2004 is when the Jeeps received a significant electronics upgrade. I believe this is the year that a digital odometer was installed. It is the year the LJ's were introduced.

2005-2006 is the when the 4.0 Oil Pump Drive Assembly (OPDA) was changed significantly. There is a potentionally serious problem that could develop that would destroy the cam shaft gear. This is related to the OPDA top bushing not receiving enough lubracation. It seems to be more of an issue to those in colder climates. Yes, I have one but I am not to concern about it now since it rarely gets below freezing where I live. Some guys are seriously trying to solve this problem on the Jeep Forum.

A 2003 or 2004 might be a safe bet. Finding one under 5K might be an issue.

I heavily weighed the pro's and con's of Jeeps and Toys before I decided and it pretty much came down to that I wasn't planning on moving other people's furniture and I wanted the top & doors off as much as possible on my treks to the desert. My near stock LJ continues to amaze me.

[Netpackrat]

I believe around 2001, Jeep finally fixed the weak manifold issue (I6/4.0) where a hairline crack would develop emitting exhaust, but would disappear after it warmed up and expanded. Aftermarket manifold could be a possible solution.

The engine changed significantly with the distributorless ignition in 2000. I'm not sure if that is when they went to the manifold with the expansion bellows, but I haven't had any trouble with my 2001 that is about to turn 103,000 miles. I have heard rumors to the effect that all tubular headers on the 4.0 will eventually crack (though they may be better than the pre-bellows iron manifolds), because they don't allow for expansion.


2004 is when the Jeeps received a significant electronics upgrade. I believe this is the year that a digital odometer was installed. It is the year the LJ's were introduced.

The TJs have had a digital odometer since day one (1997). They use the same basic instrument cluster as the XJ. They did make a bunch of changes to the body in '03 or '04, so some parts won't interchange beyond the cutoff year.


2005-2006 is the when the 4.0 Oil Pump Drive Assembly (OPDA) was changed significantly. There is a potentionally serious problem that could develop that would destroy the cam shaft gear. This is related to the OPDA top bushing not receiving enough lubracation. It seems to be more of an issue to those in colder climates. Yes, I have one but I am not to concern about it now since it rarely gets below freezing where I live. Some guys are seriously trying to solve this problem on the Jeep Forum.


Have you got a link to a thread on JF where I can look this up? One of the only non user induced problems I have had with my '01 was when the drive for the oil pump and camshaft position sensor siezed up, which shut down the engine due to lack of CPS signal (and probably saved me damage), leaving me stranded at mile 87 on the Parks Highway. It was repaired under warranty, and I haven't had any problems with it since. Never heard anything about anybody else having similar problems, though there must have been others if they felt the need to monkey with that part just a year or two before they discontinued the 4.0 liter engine. FWIW, my problem occurred during warm weather, and I'd been running the Jeep pretty hard on the highway for the previous couple of days.

About the only other problem that I wasn't somehow responsible for causing through my off-road misadventures or modifications, was it was eating heater fan speed switches every year or so for a while. The current one seems to be good however. Even that can probably be attributed to operating in dusty conditions (think: glacial silt), which has also killed a couple of stereos.

[Juju]

"Have you got a link to a thread on JF where I can look this up?"

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/2005-06-jeep-opda_cps_distributor-failure-1144202/

The original thread was quite lenghty. This one captures it all and is quite long as well. I haven't kept up with it since page 4 so I don't know of any new findings other then the mod requiring a zerk to be installed near the top bushing. It is predominately a 2005-2006 problem even though some have said that they have eariler models that have the issue. I was not too concerned about it yet because I've only put 2000 miles on mine in the past 5 months. I waiting to see how well those that have done the mod have faired as well as seeing if some entrepreneur will come out with an aftermarket production unit. I do need to pull mine for inspection.

[Vigilant]

Go Jeep for pure off-road fun. If you want to haul things, aside from removing the rear seat in a Jeep, you're screwed! You wanna haul, buy the truck, you wanna Jeep, buy a Jeep!

[KaiserJeep]

For pure offroad capability and unmatched aftermarket support, get a Jeep Wrangler. The best Jeep Wranglers are the Rubicon models. The inline six engine and the 5-speed manual transmission and the Dana 44 rear axles are the superior powertrain selections. Unfortunately for a used vehicle purchaser, Wranglers retain lots of resale value.

For good value and good offroad performance, get a Jeep Cherokee. I tend to like the 4-speed automatics in the XJ or WJ models. Avoid a WJ V8 prior to 2001.

The Toyota may be the most reliable vehicle in stock form, but once you modify it, it gets lots worse.

[Netpackrat]

Thanks for the info, Juju. All I can figure, is that when they eliminated the additional rotating mass of the distributor when they redesigned it into the cam position sensor, they must have decided that it didn't need as much lubrication anymore. And then a few years later when they needed to redesign it again, they pushed an already marginal design over the edge. I like the reliability of the distributorless ignition system, but stupid crap like this drives me crazy.

I was already aware of the zddp issue and I've been running an additive with my Mobil 1 for a while now. It sounds like the oil manufacturers are starting to get a handle on the issue, so maybe that valvoline "racing" oil is the way to go now.