Just curious if anyone out there own a Rubicon and what you think of it. Do you do any extreme wheeling? What are the pros / cons that you have found?
I'm not a new Jeeper ('94 YJ, '01 TJ, '84 FSJ), but I find myself Jeepless, as I currently am in the UK My desire is to prep a rig for when I head back to the US (6 months to a year). I have been contemplating a '04 TJ Rubicon, but with the cost being what it is I have visions of getting a lesser Jeep and having it built as I want it (I would like to do the build, but I simply can't).
So, would you get a Rubicon or get a lesser TJ and then put on the Dana 60 w/ lockers / Atlas II t-case / NV-4500? I know what I would add is a bit stronger than what a Rubicon offers, but......
i couldnt be happier. ok, thats not entirely true.....i _hate_ the new "high back" seats and id love a v8 option but other than that my '03 fits my needs perfectly.
the 4 to 1 is great for rock crawling, not so great for other times when you need low range. i find its actually to low for several situations. i wouldnt trade it for a standard 2.79 to 1 dont get me wrong, but there are times when i wish it wasnt so low. the really bottomless sand at ft. fisher
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is a perfect example of when high range is tohigh, but low range is a little bit to low.
i dont consider other tj's to be "lesser", theyre all great! the rubicon just has a few really cool toys.
it really depends on what your needs and capabilities are. if youre going to have to pay others to mod your jeep i guarantee you that youll end up paying far more for a truly comparable jeep than if you just bought a rubicon to start with. an old man told me once that if you buy a new vehicle and then replace everything on it (front/rear end, transfer case, etc) then you bought the wrong vehicle. seems like that could surely apply here.
on the other hand there is a lot to be said of building your own jeep, assuming you have the money, tools, and skills required to do it right. i could have bought another tj and modded it piece by piece, but now i have no regrets about getting the rubicon to start with. i can now focus on all the little cool mods (bumpers/cage/winch/maybe lift) instead of doing the basics first (drivetrain, lockers, etc).
I've got one. I dunno about "extreme" but I do wheel it. The only thing they dropped the ball on (imho) is the t-case skid. It hangs too low. I think it's to accomodate the auto tranny, but the 5 speed doesn't need it. I'm getting ready to take care of the skid soon so it won't be an issue much longer.
If I had the same amount of cash that I bought my Rubi for, I may have bought a used TJ and the components to build it up... But I don't regret the Rubi purchase for a second.
Shop around... Not everyone is paying $30K+ for their Rubi. Trust me. td
Love my rubi, i have to concur with the others about the gearing for this neck of the north woods (WI)...more mud than rocks which renders the 4LO sometimes useless, which i learned early the difference of a 4:1.
I love the high back seats, but i am 6'2", so they work great for me. i am mechanically impaired, so i like some of the items the rubicon has to offer that would not be on my to do list. i did however put a lift on and all went relatively well. i use mine as a daily driver and with a 4" lift and
33's it rides well (one good thing about the gearing for me).
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