New Jeep

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

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

Nathan,

If you're in the sand, can't you just stick to 4th and 5th? Should be close to 1st and 2nd gears with a 2.72 transfer case.

- Pablo

Doing so would have the 4:1 transfer case gears screaming at such high rpms that it's bad for them.

Jerry

-- Jerry Bransford To email, remove 'me' from my email address KC6TAY, PP-ASEL See the Geezer Jeep at

sounds almost like you gotta blower running under your seat.

So to be safe, should one stick to 1st, 2nd and 3rd when in 4LO?

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