4CYL '95 YJ - enough power?

I have wheeled with 4 banger Jeeps and didn't know it until it was mentioned late in the day. He kept up just fine. You just have to gear them right and accept a 'speed limit' only in the slow lane highway run although one TJ kept up running 70 mph well enough going to one run.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 'New' frame in the works for '08. Some Canadian Bush Trip and Build Photos:

My daughter has a 95 4 cyl, 4.88 gears and 33"s, she has no problem, road trip through the rockys she was passed by all, but off road as Mike says, you wouldn't know any difference, 95 has the 297 U-joints in the front too.

The gearing is the key. I have a '95 YJ and they work well with 33 inch tires on road since the gear selection is limited to 4.88 max. I think 35 would be a bit much with 4.88 gears on road but would be OK off road in low range. If you plan to swap in another engine eventually I would say go ahead and start building it for 35s, it will work out fine. There are other options for lower gearing off road, like a 4:1 kit, Atlas transfer case or tranny swap. Have fun with your build!

My only thought here: how you gonna keep axles in that D35 rear end with all that weight on the end of the shaft - looks like gearing can only go so far before you exceed strength of the underlying hardware, no matter how puny the engine. Let one tire hop and you walk home.

If you want to keep the engine with those mods change your gears to a set of

5:56 they will work when you eventually go for a bigger engine.

I passed a CJ7 once and a Grand another time. It's a fairly high-revving engine compared with the six cylinder, and you have to hit the shift points just right. :)

Cheers,

Earle

That is true. I was just referring to the gearing. I swapped in a rear D44 and will keep it at or below 33s as long as the stock 2.5 is in it. For 35s, the OP should swap in stronger axles, a rear D44 at least and even stronger axles with a powerful engine swapped in.

That being said there is a local jeeper (2.5 L YJ) who runs 35s with a stock D35 with a lockright and has not broken the original shafts in several years of use. He does not avoid tough obstacles and his jeep is fairly extreme with SOA, z-boxes, and revolver shackles. I can't figure out why it works so well for him.

That is a power and torque and traction thing. The 4 banger just doesn't have the oomph to snap things easy if you get a little twitchy on the gas pedal. Get twitchy with a V8 and lots of thing can break. If I get twitchy on my 258, I will literally shatter engine mounts because my 33x9.5's just 'don't want to spin up.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 'New' frame in the works for '08. Some Canadian Bush Trip and Build Photos: