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I'm this close to buying a brand-new '08 JK next week, and wanted to know if there are any surprises to watch out for? I just read through all 26 pages of this thread, hoping to find the answers here already, but some questions still remain; I'm looking at an X unlimited, with the power options, the dual-top, and a dealer-installed trailer hitch. The only real difference I see between it and a Rubi is the Front Diff, and the Electric sway bar disconnects. Did I miss something major? Also, despite what ZippySLC says on page 25, is the SWB that big a deal? I mean, I think the Rubi package adds like, $3-4k to the final price - is SWB worth $4k? Also, what's the largest tire size the JK can take without a lift? is it 33"? The JK runs Dana44s on the rear stock now, so I don't think the diffs are going to be a problem going to 35's anymore, just body clearance. Also, what about Rim backspacing, and tire width? [edit: I'll google some more for rims, not waste time asking for stores.] Gavitron fucked around with this message at 12:32 on Sep 20, 2008 |
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Sep 20, 2008 12:24
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Yeah, you missed a lot. If you're serious about off-roading, the Rubicon is a much better bargain. I don't know the specifics about the JK, but for the TJ, the Rubicon had lower gearing, upgraded axles (D44's front and rear - you could get a slightly different D44 rear axle as part of the "off road" package on Sport and possibly X models, but the D44 front was only available on the Rubi. The Rubi also has a better transfer case, I believe, and has locking differentials. This makes a world of difference off road. I know the JK also has electronic swaybar disconnects, but I dont know if that is available on all models or just the Rubicons. Also the Rubicons have full skidplates and rocker guards, whereas the lower models just have the bare minimum (t-case). You could modify an X to be as capable or more so than a Rubicon off-road, but the Rubicon is a much better platform out of the box. Hope this helps.
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Sep 20, 2008 15:34
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Gavitron posted:I'm this close to buying a brand-new '08 JK next week, and wanted to know if there are any surprises to watch out for? I just read through all 26 pages of this thread, hoping to find the answers here already, but some questions still remain; I have an X that I'm thinking of going with a 3" lift with 33's. I have a 3.73 ratio axle and it should work fine and still have enough power getting around on the streets. If you put 35s on a stock X there is going to be some serious rubbing going on if you take it to the trails...
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Sep 20, 2008 23:44
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Gavitron posted:I'm this close to buying a brand-new '08 JK next week, and wanted to know if there are any surprises to watch out for.  . I'm hoping that they will drop the prices further for the 08's if I am looking to buy in early 09.I'm not in need of the Rubi myself as even the X is more than capable for the offroad that I have for it and as we all know there is a world of potential for upgrades later.
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Sep 21, 2008 05:12
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Ugh. Stupid living in the rust belt. fixing this (sway bar links): Click here for the full 2048x1536 image. which should have taken 15 minutes per side, is not done due to how corroded everything is. Annoying. But on the other hand, I have gotten some wonderful things done on my Comanche A new gauge cluster:  Click here for the full 2048x1536 image. And a new mini console and shift boot! Hooray!  Click here for the full 2048x1536 image. And now some random pictures to whore out my truck:   I wish the truck looked as good in person as it does in picutres. Oh, and serious question- What, if any, changes need to be made to the steering and drive train to accommodate a 2 inch suspension lift? I just want the truck to sit a little higher, be able to run 31's comfortably, and not stress out my D35 too much MoraleBuddy fucked around with this message at 17:57 on Sep 21, 2008 |
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Sep 21, 2008 17:54
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I just got the Cherokee running again. I changed out the TPS and charged the battery yesterday. This afternoon it started right up. Next on the list is a thorough cleaning, sway bar repair, a brake job and adding auxiliary lighting front and back. I forgot how much I loved her after it being down for two months. I am going to try to take care of the next few things this week in time for a shakedown run in the Sam Houston Forest. Anyone in the Houston area want to meet up for some driving in the woods some time?
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Sep 21, 2008 19:53
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So I'm finally getting around to all new tires on the Cherokee. Last time I just bought 2 used tires to get me by but with winter approaching and weekly trips of 80 miles+ I think it's time I bought new reliable tires. I've seen the BF Goodrich tires recommended quite a bit, will I have and regrets with 4 of these under my Jeep?
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Sep 21, 2008 21:01
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Well I went looked at it, and drove it.     It drives great, it is 100% solid. I couldnt find any rust anywhere. The a/c clutch kicks in but it doesnt blow cold. Everything works, Has big tires and a 3 inch lift. The paint is kind of 'meh'. They did no prep work, you can see the outline of the honcho stickers under the paint. The motor has blow-by, its pretty bad. The motor runs good, it'll pull the truck no prob, but I didn't romp on it. With the engine at idle you can watch smoke come from the oil fill tube. It doesn't have a correct air cleaner assembly, the steps on the sides of the bed are gone, and the roll bar is missing. The guy is firm on his price of $3000. The bench seat is a bit tired. I also saw this truck:  An 88 Waggy, Cold a/c, runs like a top, good paint/wood paneling, Drivers seat is lopsided, I guess the metal frame broke, since the back sits funny. Power Steering pump is shot, as is the back drivers side window, everything else works perfect. This one is $2500. Every other truck ive looked at is crap, I saw a 79 Cherokee chief 4 door, Wouldnt start (carb is probably full of varnish) 4 spd trans, Not Q-trac, floor boards are about 50% rotten out, tag has been expired for 4 years, and she says the a/c 'works', engine 'runs good', trans 'works good'. She was insulted when I offered $750 for it and said she would take no less than $1500. For a truck that did not run, and was half rusted away. So I ask, What would you guys do? Honcho, Waggy or wait some more and see if anything better pops up?
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Sep 22, 2008 00:43
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Do don't have many good FSJs to choose from, do you? I like J trucks, but $3000 is a bit much I think. What year/motor/trans? That Waggy isn't bad, but I prefer no later than 79 for Q-trac
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Sep 22, 2008 01:38
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Grater posted:I'm really thinking about one as well with the same options as you. I can't really pull the trigger until early next year but I'm starting to look early thanks to this thread Well, I pulled the trigger Yesterday afternoon, and now own a black, '08 Rubicon. The dealers up here are offering like $3700 in "rebates" at time of purchase, which helped make the decision. I'd post pictures, but It's been raining since I got it, and I can't hold the camera steady enough in this poor light. The Knobby tires on the Rubi make the lift & rims seem unnecessary for the time being, and between the Dana44 up front, the Auto sway bars, and the electric lock diffs, there's little else to do but install some HIDs and LED bulbs. Also, the rubi's got a 4.10:1 gear ratio off the showroom floor. And Rail sliders instead of the footboards. So glad I read this thread.
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Sep 22, 2008 04:37
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MetalClawWolf posted:Honcho, Waggy or wait some more and see if anything better pops up? I would pay no more than $1500 for the honcho as it needs a lot of work and would consider it a project. The waggy I would buy for that price and is my pick of the two if your not looking for a major project offroad truck. Of course you could buy the honcho and swap a 6bt diesel, 1 ton running gear and 38" tires and make a pretty sweet truck.
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Sep 22, 2008 06:59
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MetalClawWolf posted:Pics of Honcho That thing is dripping with raw, unadulterated testosterone/awesome. However, that thing could turn into a money pit waaay too fast. If you want to drop more dime and eventually make H2s nervous that you'll scratch their paint, go Honcho. Otherwise, Woody or wait.
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Sep 22, 2008 08:03
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As promised above, here's the first pic of my new JK: Click here for the full 1024x768 image.
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Sep 23, 2008 23:14
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Gavitron posted:As promised above, here's the first pic of my new JK: I still can't get over how weird the 4-door model looks compared to the much more traditional looking 2-door. That said, I'd buy either in a heartbeat if only they brought back the I6 and dropped that hideous slanted grill (vertical now and always). What options did you get by the way?
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Sep 24, 2008 00:36
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Had a great week camping with my new 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. I'll upload some pictures later, but I'm pleased to say that I didn't encounter any real problems and I put close to 1000 miles on it in the first week of ownership. The one thing that popped up was the low-tire pressure indicator, which I'm not surprised considering the mileage I logged. Another small thing was when my girlfriend tried to put in an older burnt cd with some wacky encoding, it caused an error that wouldn't let me eject until I turned the whole car off and back on. Other than that, it was a great ride, and I got the average mileage over 23 mpg towards the end of the trip.
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Sep 24, 2008 16:53
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The King of Swag posted:I still can't get over how weird the 4-door model looks compared to the much more traditional looking 2-door. That said, I'd buy either in a heartbeat if only they brought back the I6 and dropped that hideous slanted grill (vertical now and always). Is the I6 really that much better than the engine thats in the JK now?? I would really like to see a side by side anaylsis of which is better.
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Sep 24, 2008 17:19
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spiralbrain posted:Is the I6 really that much better than the engine thats in the JK now?? I would really like to see a side by side anaylsis of which is better. I think its largely the whole "devil you know" thing. The 4.0 has been around forever and has had a lot of time to prove itself and so people inherently like it. The new engines haven't had the time to do that, though the lifetime powertrain warranty probably helps for a lot of folks. Cross posting this from the stupid questions thread: I might need to buy a new catalytic converter for my Jeep in order to get it to pass smog here in CA. I figured I'd just pick one up online and put it on myself, however I keep seeing ones that say "Not Legal For Use On California Registered Vehicles" and some that don't mention legality at all. So I'm now confused as hell. Does anyone make bolt on CARB legal replacement cats? Also, $200 for a complete set of 5 rims/tires with 80% tread left. Jeep looks/rides much better now: 
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Sep 24, 2008 17:42
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spiralbrain posted:Is the I6 really that much better than the engine thats in the JK now?? I would really like to see a side by side anaylsis of which is better. Well, the 3.7 liter v6 that's in the JK and the newer Cherokees (which I believe is the same engine?) has a little more HP and a little more torque with slightly better mpg. But...it's also a new, more modern engine. I think most of the grumblings are because the I6 was seen as generally reliable and more or less bulletproof since the beginning of time. Why trade out the I6 for unknown quantity? I don't know. But as the owner of a 2005 Cherokee, it makes me a little bit nervous and I'm going to stop thinking about it now.
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Sep 24, 2008 17:58
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tiananman posted:Well, the 3.7 liter v6 that's in the JK and the newer Cherokees (which I believe is the same engine?) has a little more HP and a little more torque with slightly better mpg. Actually, the JK has a 3.8 litre v6, closely related to their current 4.0 v6. Here is a bunch of 3.8 liter specs (from allpar.com) Category----------------3.8 Liter-------------------4.0 Liter I6 Bore x Stroke-----------3.78 x 3.43-----------------98.4 mm x 86.7 mm Valves------------------12 valves-------------------12 Valves Compression Ratio-------9.6:1-----------------------8.8:1 Power (SAE net)---------205 hp----------------------190hp @4600rpm* Torque (SAE net)--------240lb-ft--------------------235lb-ft @3200rpm* Max. RPM----------------5,800 rpm-------------------5,300 rpm *for the I6 only MoraleBuddy fucked around with this message at 00:07 on Sep 25, 2008 |
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Sep 24, 2008 18:41
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LouReed posted:Actually, the JK has a 3.8 litre v6, closely related to their current 4.0 v6. Looks to me like they even out nicely with the 3.8 putting out a bit more. Also, Im not exactly sure why they would state 2005 for the 3.8 since it didnt come out until 2007  Edit: Also is that 4600rpm and 3200rpm for both engines or just the I6?? Tacos Al Pastor fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Sep 24, 2008 |
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Sep 24, 2008 18:57
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spiralbrain posted:Looks to me like they even out nicely with the 3.8 putting out a bit more. I know, there are a few things there that are odd. the 4600 and 3200rpm figures are I6 only. I couldn't find any rpm listings. I was also on my lunch break and am sick, so it is very likely I missed something.
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Sep 25, 2008 00:04
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I've been looking at buying a Cherokee recently after driving my friend's '94 Cherokee Sport around for a while. I drove this the other day http://tinyurl.com/4sypmp and it's in pretty good shape. After reading this thread, specifically Leica's comment about the upgraded heads, and reading Edmunds, I'm curious whether I should wait to try and find a 99 for cheaper or whether the 2000s and 01s are still solid choices.
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Sep 25, 2008 00:20
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Donnie Darko posted:I've been looking at buying a Cherokee recently after driving my friend's '94 Cherokee Sport around for a while. I drove this the other day http://tinyurl.com/4sypmp and it's in pretty good shape. After reading this thread, specifically Leica's comment about the upgraded heads, and reading Edmunds, I'm curious whether I should wait to try and find a 99 for cheaper or whether the 2000s and 01s are still solid choices. I would still buy one, I don't think the new heads are that much of an issue honestly. That being said, you could get a MUCH better deal through a private seller if you're patient, there are nice XJ's all over the place. I paid just under 5k for my 99 and it had 80k on it. If you can find a 99, grab one, but if not I wouldn't sweat it. I didn't even know 99's were more desireable until after I bought mine, I just wanted an XJ. Got lucky I guess. [edit] Also just wanted to add that I love my Cherokee, I've gone through A LOT of cars and this one stands out as one of the best. I think I'm going to keep this one a long time. 
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Sep 25, 2008 00:42
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pr0zac posted:
I got a set of 5 rims and tires with 90% tread left for $50 for the Samurai.
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Sep 25, 2008 01:32
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Ive decided to go ahead and spend more money and buy a TJ. So I'm looking for one of those. My perfect jeep would be a 4.0L auto with a hardtop and full doors. There is one on ebay I have the hots for; Item number 190254392551 But alas, its in Arizona, and I'm in Oklahoma. So its 1000 miles away. From what Ive seen, ~$6000 is a good price. Ive tried looking at all the jeep forums and craigslist. Here are my requirements if any of you know of any jeeps for sale, Im trying to stay with 97 and newer. It has to have a/c and an automatic transmission (wife doesn't want to learn ManTran). I want to stay under $6500. I can do $7000, but thats really pushing it.
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Sep 25, 2008 03:32
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The King of Swag posted:I still can't get over how weird the 4-door model looks compared to the much more traditional looking 2-door. That said, I'd buy either in a heartbeat if only they brought back the I6 and dropped that hideous slanted grill (vertical now and always). Yeah, the grill still says "Jeep", but its voice is a little softer now... As for the options, I think I got everything but the Nav system. It's the Rubicon, (of course,) so I get rock sliders in lieu of footboards, There's the Dana44s front & rear, with air-lock diffs, the electric swaybar disconnect, and Traction Control. I got the dual-top, so I can put on the sunrider soft-top come spring, factory trailer hitch, and Manual Transmission w/ cruise control. The Rubi has the 4.10:1 gear ratio by default, (as opposed to 3.75 or 3.9,) and upgraded suspension components. (And extra skid plates!) I went for power doors & windows too. Oh, and factory alarm, not just keyless entry. The wierd thing was, I was looking at, and test driving, the X, but If I bought it, they would have had to bring one in from another dealer. When I mentioned that I was considering the Rubicon, he discovered that they already had one on the lot with the exact options that I wanted. (and then some!) It even came with the cigarette lighter! (I am a smoker.) Now I just have to figure out how to cram an aftermarket radio and my CB into the just-shorter-than-2-din factory radio mounts. Also, does anyone know how aftermarket roof racks mount to the hardtop? I'd hate to have to drill through the fibreglass, but if I must, I must.
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Sep 25, 2008 05:30
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spiralbrain posted:Also is that 4600rpm and 3200rpm for both engines or just the I6??
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Sep 25, 2008 13:39
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Gavitron posted:Also, does anyone know how aftermarket roof racks mount to the hardtop? I'd hate to have to drill through the fibreglass, but if I must, I must. Thats what I did but I also have a two door. I think it would work a little differnet on a 4 door. I went with the thule artificial rain gutters and drilled into the hardtop to attach them. Yes it is fiberglass, yes it will eat through drillbits I then added the thule load bars and the medium sized thule towers and threw on a MOAB basket and a bike rack. Attaching and removing the rack is a piece of cake too. I peronally believe that adding the brackets to the side is stronger than adding anything to the top. The tops on the JKs are a lot more susceptible to bending than the hardtops used on the TJ, and because of that distributing the weight on the sides IMO is better than putting it up on top. Ill get some pics up when I get the chance. edit: Pics!  Click here for the full 1024x768 image.  Click here for the full 1024x768 image. Put the MOAB basket on a week later... Tacos Al Pastor fucked around with this message at 06:26 on Sep 26, 2008 |
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Sep 25, 2008 18:59
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Has anyone added auxiliary lighting to the roof of their cherokee? If so could you show me how you routed your wiring? I am going to be getting a pair of IPF lights and want to mount them to one of the stock roof crossbars.
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Sep 26, 2008 01:57
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Atticus_1354 posted:Has anyone added auxiliary lighting to the roof of their cherokee? If so could you show me how you routed your wiring? I am going to be getting a pair of IPF lights and want to mount them to one of the stock roof crossbars. Depends on what year you have. On my 99 there are grommets between the front and rear doors on the pillars. Pull the inside trim and run the wires down there to the relay packs that you ARE going to use. My 84 doesnt have the holes, so I am going to be more creative I guess.
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Sep 26, 2008 05:20
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It is a 90. I will look it over tomorrow and see what I can do. I want it to be at least a somewhat clean install as it is a pretty nice interior. I also have to decide what to do with the switch. By the way I am getting the lights from http://www.sierraexpeditions.com/. Great site aimed more at expedition offroading and are having a weekend sale. Coupon code Expo08 gets you 10% off.
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Sep 26, 2008 05:37
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PLUG IN WRANGLER ANNOUNCED. http://www.dailytech.com/Chrysler+Unwraps+Three+Electric+Vehicles+Sales+Start+in+2010/article13044.htm 40 miles electric only.
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Sep 26, 2008 14:51
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Tossed_Salad_Man posted:PLUG IN WRANGLER ANNOUNCED. "My god, they brought green to a minivan and Wrangler, this is unbelievable." Not really, they have been doing it in SUVs, I am wondering why it took so long to get to minivans, they are the perfect vehicle to be a hybrid.
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Sep 26, 2008 15:16
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oh hey I joined your club Bone stock 1993 YJ with 280K. There's some very minor body rust, various dings and dents, and a broken door handle that needs fixin, but it starts every time and runs great. The engine's really got some balls! The top's never been off so the interior is very clean, but I'm having trouble getting the other pics off my phone. It should be a great complement to my bad-weather deathtrap 944, which can be seen in the reflection. If I don't have too much maintenance this fall on the Porsche I'll probably tackle tightening up the steering and maybe upgrading the suspension. Highly unlikely though, the 944's a little needy. PCJ-600 fucked around with this message at 16:53 on Sep 26, 2008 |
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Sep 26, 2008 16:50
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tonedef131 posted:That article says it is a hybrid? About time they did a minivan... I'm more impressed with Tommy LaSorda. Evidently, he is now the Vice-Chairman for Chrysler. I remember back when he was hocking NES games. (I keed, I keed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Lasorda vs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_W._LaSorda)
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Sep 26, 2008 16:54
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Gavitron posted:The Rubi has the 4.10:1 gear ratio by default, Let me tell you a little thing I discovered about my 2dr JK Rubi. It's a beast. I was camping a few weeks ago and decided to see just how low the gearing was and what it was capable of doing. I then proceeded to throw it into 4-Lo and 1st gear (mines a mantran) and got out while it slowly idled up a 45+ degree section of trail covered in loose scree. I jumped back in at the top. Not one wheel slipped the whole way up. I love my Rubi. edit: come to think of it, I "ghost ride mah whip" a lot when I'm on the trails. My friends think I'm an idiot, but I love watching my Jeep (both my JK and my old TJ) crawl up the trail unassisted.
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Sep 26, 2008 19:03
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tonedef131 posted:That article says it is a hybrid? About time they did a minivan... I'd love an electric or hybrid jeep, if it's done right it'll have plenty of torque. Our hummer group checked with a defense contractor in southern California that built a few HMMWV diesel hybrids in 2002. They pulled out the center drive drain components, and replaced it with a huge battery module, and put a 4 cylinder cummins generator on the front. They replaced the running gear and portal hubs with a 100 hp electrical motor on each wheel. Thing got 28 mpg, goes 0-60 in 6 seconds, had a very high amount of torque [800-1000 ft lbs if I recall] and still met all the HMMWV specifications except that it lost 1000 lbs of cargo capacity. [eg 3400 lbs instead of 4400 lbs]. The company told us they would sell us the kit for an h1 for $500,000. Now I know why the military didn't jump on it. One of our engineer friends figured he could duplicate the setup reasonably well for $20,000 but the key to the system was the motor control system which controled the motors to enable braking, and simulate transfer case and differential operation [eg. acting in limited slip mode was one feature of the system]. The technology is there, it just needs to get to market. An electric hybrid jeep would be awesome for guys who daily drive their trucks around town using only the battery, and then have the gas/diesel engine kick in when they really need the power or range to head out to the trails on the weekend.
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Sep 26, 2008 19:28
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BigKOfJustice posted:The technology is there, it just needs to get to market. An electric hybrid jeep would be awesome for guys who daily drive their trucks around town using only the battery, and then have the gas/diesel engine kick in when they really need the power or range to head out to the trails on the weekend. If Jeep made a hybrid wrangler (X, Rubi, whatever) that used a diesel engine, I think a lot of people would be all over it. How long have Jeep enthusiasts been begging for a diesel engine from the factory?? (I mean in the US) *sigh*
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Sep 26, 2008 21:06
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quote:I love watching my Jeep (both my JK and my old TJ) crawl up the trail unassisted. OK, well when it finally does slip, have fun when it kicks the rear out sideways, continues uphill for a brief period at an angle, then tips over and rolls down the hill right on top of you. 
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Sep 26, 2008 21:13
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incredibull posted:OK, well when it finally does slip, have fun when it kicks the rear out sideways, continues uphill for a brief period at an angle, then tips over and rolls down the hill right on top of you. Uh yeah, but since it's going at idle speed, and I'm walking next to it, and the doors aren't on, I'm pretty sure I've got it under control. But if it does happen, I'll be sure to post pics. (Oh, maybe I should clarify. When I said the ghost ride quip, I didn't mean sitting on the hood - I just get out and walk beside it, or hang off the rollbar. Also, this doesn't happen on technical terrain. I'm not a complete idiot).
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Sep 26, 2008 23:18
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