Off Roading TJ or YJ

[Tee]

Wife and I are looking into getting us a weekend toy and something to relieve me of using the MegaDually as a commuter.



We rented a TJ over the weekend and this seams to be a very capable little off roader in stock form.



For financial reasons we are considering older used units. We have off roaded a TJ but only pavement test driven a YJ. What benefits does one have over the other?

 

[RRees]

I have a YJ, So I am biased. However, the Jeep club I belong to in Iowa mainly consists of TJ's.



They're both good. Jeeps are built not bought as the saying goes.



Leaf springs are easier to lift in my opinion. I have a 4 inch Skyjacker and 2 inch body lift and I run 35's on a spring under (stock configuration).



I don't know what used Jeeps go for out in your area. As long as the engine is strong, that is what I would look for. And see if you want or need A/C.



Note: Your dually probably will get better gas mileage than a TJ or a YJ unless the jeep is totally stock and babied. I only get about 11 to 12mpg with my Jeep.

However, I did bore and stroke it.



Good luck in your quest.



Remember, mine is just an opinion of one.

 

[MJaynes]

hi, i also have a yj... wish i had the newer tj as it has coil springs and much better flex. i have looked at conversions but could trade cheaper. i have over 196,500mi. on mine that i bought new in 1992. has never seen a dealership for anything :--) . if my ram is half this durable i will be thrilled. mike

 

[MA2LA]

Well it all depends on what your buget is and your goals. The TJ is a great jeep out of the box and with very little you can hit some good trails. I have a yj with a 2. 5, its not to bad there are a few things that can help the little guy get down the road. If you can swing 4. 0 it is your best bet. I also like the simplicity of leaf springs and a simple spring over and tossing out the track bars and dicoing the swaybay help alot. I have built a few TJs with 2"buget lifts and 1" body lift and it clears 33s and with good shocks and discos for the sway bar it will go more places than most would belive.

 

[wcjp]

There's lots of opinions on this subject. The TJ is a better ride on/offroad. The rear seat has about 3" more room than a YJ. The TJ's came with an optional rear Dana 44 axle. This would be very desirable. The stock rear axle for TJ/YJ is the Dana 35. It's notoriously weak when dealing with deeper gears and larger tires. If kept stock the Dana 35 is ok. YJ's best advantage is price. Don't buy older than 91'. 91' was the start of fuel injection for the 6cyl. Don't bother with the 4cyl. Transmission choice is upto you. The 3spd auto's have proven durable. 5spd's came with the AX-15 upto about 99'. I think 2000 was the start of the NV3550. The Ax-15 is also alright. The Rubicon's were the first to see a 4spd auto. The Rubicon's are a great base to start with depending on budget. A very common rear axle swap for the YJ is the Ford 8. 8 out of a 95' and up Explorer.



I bought my YJ when the TJ's were first hitting the street. I've been very happy with it. I've also taken it many great places.



www.jeepsunlimited.com

www.jeepin.com

www.rockcrawler.com

www.jeepbbs.com





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[Bob4x4]

The yj's are pretty old now,unless you can find an exceptional clean or already modded the way you want buy a TJ. I have a 90yj that I upgraded to efi but it only has 65k mi .



Bob

 

[RDelissen]

if it's gonna be a commuter -> get a TJ



The 97 and 98 TJs are going for a little more than the newest YJs.



A TJ will have a better on road handling (and yes I do have experience with both coils on my TJ and leafs on my CJ ). Just make sure you get a 4. 0

 

[Tee]

WCJP,

Does the 3" additional room in the back seat take away from the rear storage area or is the TJ more cab forward? The links are great, thanks for posting them.



Leaning towards a 2003 or newer because the information I have found states that the seat will go back an addional 20 mm and I am over 6ft. Hoping for a Rubicon! Wife wants an auto trans.



My commute is only 2 miles so the milage isnt much of a concern. Just hate firing up the Cummins for that short of a commute.



Thanks for the input.

 

[wcjp]

The 3" additional seat came from the wheel wells (side to side). The Rubicon's have the Dana 44's, lockers and 4:1 low range from the factory. Not sure what year the Rubi's received the 4spd auto. There's also the decision of Unlimited or standard.

 

[RDelissen]

WCJP,

Leaning towards a 2003 or newer

then I'd go for the Rubicon Unlimited for the extra room and the added features (lockers, lower gears, 4low etc. ) and being that you live in Utah -> hit Moab

 

[zstroken]

The AX-15 has some synchro issues. THat is why you pay like $15 a quart for the transmission fluid. I have heard that the ax-5 ar pretty flemsy.

 

[NVR FNSH]

I have a '79 CJ-7 that I've owned since '87. I'd buy a Rubicon Unlimited in heart beat. Only reason I'd buy a YJ is if I was going to turn it into a trail only rock crawler and not care about any on-road comfort.



Brian

 

[johnrv4]

We rented a '05 TJ unlimited in Moab last year that had a 4" lift on it, and larger tires. I was so impressed with the ride (on and off the road), when I got home, I sold my '74 CJ (4" lift & 401 engine). Now I'm driving a '99 TJ to work, and I'm aquiring the parts to build another '99 with a 4BT, NV4500, atlas transfer case, and a couple of high pinion dana 60's. I'm also thinking about using airbags over coilovers for the suspension.

 

[CDonaldson]

I have a 2000 TJ, 4L, Dana44, 5spd, hardtop, picked it up last year with 12K on it. My previous Jeep was a '79 CJ7, v-8, hardtop. The TJ is a great vehicle. Lots of power in the 4L. I am adding a Rubicon 4. 5 lift and a 2" body lift over this winter, and 33's. It performs flawlessly off-road and on-road. I looked at a couple of the YJ's but they ARE getting old and most all had too high mileage and would have required a lot of stuff done to them to be good, dependable vehicles.



CD

 

[wcjp]

I have a 2000 TJ, 4L, Dana44, 5spd, hardtop, picked it up last year with 12K on it. My previous Jeep was a '79 CJ7, v-8, hardtop. The TJ is a great vehicle. Lots of power in the 4L. I am adding a Rubicon 4. 5 lift and a 2" body lift over this winter, and 33's. It performs flawlessly off-road and on-road. I looked at a couple of the YJ's but they ARE getting old and most all had too high mileage and would have required a lot of stuff done to them to be good, dependable vehicles.



CD

Did you see the No Lift TJ series. Might be worth checking out.



http://www.jpmagazine.com/projectbuild/154_0503_1998_jeep_wrangler_tj_tire_fitting/fitting_35s.html

 

[d90boy]

I've never owned a Jeep but offroad around them plenty. Aside from initial cost I cannot rationalize the purchase of a YJ over the TJ. The 4. 0L 6 cyl is a great off road engine and the EFI works very well to maintain idle up hills.

 

[wcjp]

I've never owned a Jeep but offroad around them plenty. Aside from initial cost I cannot rationalize the purchase of a YJ over the TJ. The 4. 0L 6 cyl is a great off road engine and the EFI works very well to maintain idle up hills.

???



Both have the fuel injected 4. 0. The YJ 4. 0 started in 91'.

 

[MRosinski]

1997 4. 0 5spd. 8" double flex. The only weak spots are the the rear axle, and heim joints(mud eats them right up)

Thats not even full flex.

 

[MRosinski]

The AX-15 has some synchro issues. THat is why you pay like $15 a quart for the transmission fluid. I have heard that the ax-5 ar pretty flemsy.

I always use whatever gearlube I have around. No issues with it yet.

 

[nriver]

i just picked up a Rubicon. Its fun, great vehicle to get around in.



I will be doing a small lift in the next couple weeks along with new tires...



You think there are options for extras on the Dodge. The Jeep world is crazy. too many options.



So I guess I say buy as new as you can. Then buy as built as as you can early. Rubicon was my choice because of the axles and lockers. I know many of the old time Jeep people say build your own. But for my use, this was the best rig. the previous owner also added $5k of stuff I got for free.