Ordering a 04TJ this weekend - opinions please!

Dana 44 axles are only expensive if you buy them later, not if you order a new Wrangler Sport with the optional Dana 44 upgrade for less than $300. You cannot buy the far better/stronger Dana 44 rear axle upgrade with the 'X' Wrangler though.

Even "weekend" warriors break the factory Dana 35c axle, it's CHEAP insurance to upgrade to the stronger/better Dana 44 at the time the Wrangler is bought new. It cost me $1200 to upgrade my breakage-prone Dana 35c to a used Dana 44.

Jerry

MTR's are very good offroad. They do wear a bit faster.

• * * Matt Macchiarolo
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But not enough to worry about. My MT/Rs seem to be wearing very slowly, more slowly than I thought they would. Their sidewall strength and offroad traction on the rocks is nothing shy of outstanding.

Jerry

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

Agreed. Tire wear is probably only an issue for a daily driver with long commutes. I put my 31" MTR's on my Cherokee, which has since been sold because it didn't see a lot of use :-(

• * * Matt Macchiarolo
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OK, someone please enlighten this newbie: why is it that the Dana 44 axle upgrade is only in the rear? Or, put another way, what is it about the rear axle that justifies the upgrade there first? It would seem to me that on a 4WD vehicle with an even 50/50 front/rear weight distribution and the same size tires on both axles, that both axles would benefit from the upgrade...naturally I understand that in 2WD mode the wrangler is rear wheel drive, but... well, you get my drift.

Just curious

In offroad situations, the rear axle is the one that sees the vast majority of the stress due to the weight transfer to the rear that happens whenever you're climbing up and over obstacles. The rear axle can (and normally does) see 100% of the stress and torque from the engine while the front axle rarely sees more than 50% of the stress from offroading and torque from the engine.

Jerry

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

Yeah - I got suckered into the RT/S'. I was replacing my AT's and was going to be doing a lot of cross-country driving on medical rotations and he suggested the RT/S' because they were supposed to be a little quieter.

They were quieter, I guess. I never noticed. Hard to when you're driving around a boxy XJ with the full time 4WD engaged all the time.

-Raman

Yeah, I think I drive about 5 miles to the park-n-ride and then 5 miles back home, daily. Weekends are usually spent driving on pavement or on camping/driving on trails depending on the weather. I expect to join my local 4x4 group (houston) when I get my TJ in a few weeks so me and the g/f can take our XJ and TJ and learn how to have a little more fun with stock equipment.

I have a alright stereo system in my XJ and do not turn it loud until I'm away from houses. I hate when people drive thru suburbs with their stereos cranked up.

I plan on upgrading the speakers and moving my 6" bazooka from my XJ to my TJ when I get it depending on what the stock system sounds like. Lately I'm listening to AM/Talk/News/Financial radio more while driving my 5 miles to/from the bus station so it's not that big an issue right now.

Bill, you need to get out more.

Chris

Make sure you get 3.73 gearing and a Dana 44 rear axle!!! No reason to EVER order a new Jeep w/o those two items.

Also, forget the 1-1/4" hitch. THat's an uncommon size.

-jeff

On 09 Dec 2003 08:49 PM, Jeff Olsen posted the following:

I agree with you about the 3.73 gears, but he seems to be pretty adamant about wanting ABS, and willing to give up the factory 44 to get it (as I was).

---------------------------------------------------- Del Rawlins- del@_kills_spammers_rawlinsbrothers.org Remove _kills_spammers_ to reply via email. Unofficial Bearhawk FAQ website:

I agree about the hitch, to small, also when we ordered our Ford Escape last year we didn't get the hitch, 1 1/4" at $480.00, so this year we decided we wanted one, went to Ford dealer, they put on a 2" Hidden Hitch for $360.00, these are Canadian prices, but gives you the idea.

the adapter size of 1 1/4 inch is uncommon, go for the 2 inch.

I got mine for $99 US at a local 4x4 shop (Hidden Hitch brand) and put it on myself (no drilling required on my 03).

FrankW wrote:

On 10 Dec 2003 03:32 PM, thomas posted the following:

Better yet, ditch the whole factory bumper and hitch completely, and buy an aftermarket bumper with an integral 2" hitch receiver.

---------------------------------------------------- Del Rawlins- del@_kills_spammers_rawlinsbrothers.org Remove _kills_spammers_ to reply via email. Unofficial Bearhawk FAQ website:

What Bugs?

I have about 8000 miles on my auto with no problems yet. Is a little sluggish going into overdrive for the first 5000 miles or so but the engine definitely gets stronger over time. I turn the overdrive off when on secondary roads. Takes care of the sluggishness and gain about 2 miles to the gallon to boot!