LJ Rubicon

[Viggen]

So, I had a 91 Isuzu Rodeo with 4.30s, granny first, 32" Mickeys, locked rear, etc... then was t boned and flipped over. Moved into a 90 XJ that was built up much the same and it was a pretty good beast until I started having issues with the auto trans (upshift when floored followed by an immediate downshift when let up on) and the cooling system (liked to boil over for no reason) so I sold that...long story short and 4 other cars in about as many years, Im looking to an Unlimited Rubicon. I want a hard top, I like the gearing and lockers and D44's. I was thinking about a cheap gas sipper with a cheap Discovery to build up on the side but am thinking that one vehicle that could do all I wanted would be better than splitting money, a lot more in the case of a Rover, between two so here I am now, looking at an LJ.

What I want to build: a camping/ woods capable mountain bike shuttle. I like the longer wheel base of the LJ for the extra room inside. So, there are a few for sale around me for not too bad of money and decent mileage. So, Im calling on the knowledge base here for advice. Is the LJ Rubicon a good expo platform? On the 4.0, at what mileage are you thinking is too high (keeping in mind this is going to be my dd and only car for a bit)? Any problems specific to this version? Looking to run 32"-33" so how should I invest? Last, but not least, SHOW ME SOME!!!

 

[TCM]

I drive a 2006 LJ as my Expedition vehicle. It is a great platform for this type of travel as long as you keep the occupants to two people. The amount of storage is cavernous with the back seat removed. If more than two people will frequently be in the Jeep then it is less than ideal as entry and egress for the back seat is cumbersome at best and the storage capacity becomes an issue of almost enough but not quite.

As for what to look for in a used LJ, I would say the type of use it has seen is much more important than mileage. The 4.0 power plant is reliable to the extreme. Just look for one that has spent most of it's time on pavement and is relatively unmodified. That way you are starting with a blank slate that can be modified to your requirements. If you plan to run 32" tires a simple spring spacer will give plenty of clearance. For 33s go with 2" OME springs and shocks plus a 1" body lift or AEV 3.5" progressive rate coils with no body lift.

That said, if I had to do it over again I would have either a new 4 door JK Wrangler or a 2004 Discovery SD. I love my LJ, it is just not the all around vehicle that the JK and the Discovery are. It is best suited for an emphasis on driving technical terrain. The JK and the Disco drive better on pavement are much more quiet on the highway, have more space and when properly setup can cover nearly the same trails as the LJ.

 

[CA-RJ]

I just sold my 05 Rubicon Unlimited. I agree, a 2 door Unlimited is for 2 people max. You should get the hard top as well. I really thought getting in and out of the back on our soft top was a pain. The 4.0L is a great engine and with proper maintenance should get you 200k+ of reliable service. My Unlimited had 33's with Old Man Emu springs and I thought it was a bit low. Some .75" coil spacers would have been better. I was getting anywhere from 13-18 mpg on the highway, depending on wind conditions and amount of hills. The two largest pluses were the 4:1 transfer case and the dual air lockers. Even if you are not rock crawling, these features are very nice.

Make sure you test drive one on a bumpy road at speed. I was used to the ride in my IFS 4Runner and after driving the Jeep for a few months, the ride was really bothering me. It will be much harsher than your Rodeo.

On 285/75-16's

Stock

 

[Lumberjack]

It is ok for 2 people, we lived out of mine for 2 weeks, it was a little cramped with since we had way to much gear with us. 2 1/2" OME lift with 33"s made a very nimble platform...


Built a rear shelf for the cooler and other supplies...


Dennis

 

[nwoods]

2005 LJ Ruby. We chose the LJ because we bring our kids and needed the extra room, and because I don't fit the JK which has decent amount of driver room, but the dash design slices into my knee. I fit the TJ/LJ just fine, though I am 6'-7" and fairly hefty.

Ours is set up with 35" tires, 4.5" Currie short arm lift, 1" body lift, 1" motor mount lift, 9th Degree (now AEV) Tummy Tuck and misc other things. Still running factory D44 axles and lockers, and they work very well, but you need to be gentle with this size tire.

The rig is incredibly capable, and with the hard top on, is quite comfortable to drive long distances, such as Southern California to Sedona. With just the softop, it is not nearly as pleasant to drive on the highway. The buffeting actually bothers my inner ear and I wobble around a bit while walking shortly after a long drive with just the soft top.

With the rear seat removed, there is a ton of room, as the photos below will show.

If you are going to load out the rear, I strongly recommend a long arm 4" suspension lift, such as Rubicon Express, or many others that are available. It will improve ride, and correct the spring geometry to allow better load carrying capacity without bottoming out on the trail.

If you are leaving the rear seat in, optimizing your space and your gear becomes crucial. I did a long weekend camping trip with 4 people, and managed to fit it all in, through the creative use of bungee cords and ratchet straps to build a separator from the cargo bay and rear seat, and then I filled the areas above the wheel wells also. It was one tightly packed Jeep, but its doable.

Gear load for 4 people and the comforts of home:

Cargo area in the rear with seat out:
before carpet:

with carpet:

with rear seat in place:

basic off road gear with seat in place:

I have a rear rack from Hanson that helps a lot also:

 

[TexasTJ]

I love the LJ would happily trade my 98 Tj and my 07 2 door form a LJ Rubicon.

 

[grahamfitter]

I switched from a '97 TJ to a '05 LJ Rubicon earlier this year. The LJ rides significantly better than the TJ but its definitely not as comfy or quiet as the alternatives. It also has an uncontrollable addiction to gasoline.

That said, the Wrangler one of the few vehicles available with a manual gearbox, is really enjoyable to drive (even with the hard top on) and can go most places while you're learning what needs to be changed.

The two things I've learned:

1. The back of the vehicle sags when loaded. I have an external roof rack, RTT, kayaks, fridge, etc. and I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that OME springs are the way forward. Weight wouldn't be a problem with less toys or lightweight camping gear.
   
2. The transfer case skid has a tendency to drag on anything given the opportunity. A body lift and tummy tuck can fix this.

I'm told with these two mods 255/85/R16 tires fit nicely. I asked these kinds of questions in this thread.

From a reliability standpoint, my '97 TJ has over 180K miles and isn't showing any signs of stopping. My 17 year old girl is now driving it and she loves it.

Cheers,
Graham

 

[dp7197]

I have owned 4 TJs and decided that the next "TJ" I got would be the Unlimited. I also wanted lockers so I decided that a Rubicon would be the way to go since I would not be going with tires larger than 33" and the 4.10s would work ok.

I have the auto and gas mileage is not the best, but with the rear seat out I have amazing amounts of room. The stock skid pan (shovel) does hang low, but I will deal with it for now.

I purchased the ZJ (Grand Cherokee) front springs and LJ (TJ Unlimited) rear springs with OME shocks and JKS F&R trac-bars. I am happy with the results and the ride is nice.

I currently am running 33X9.50-15s BFG ATs or 33X12.50-15 GY MTRs.

 

[NOMADIC_LJ]

Great camping and wheelin vehicle. I've driven it from Los Angeles to Victoria B.C. and no problems. Yea it rides a little rough but its a Jeep! If I wanted comfort over capability I would have bought a mini-van. Here it is riding on 35's

 

[highlandercj-7]

LJ's are sweet vehicles Rubis are even better. You will love the rig. If you take care of it, you can expect to easily see 200-250k miles out of a good 4.0L. I have seen several with 350k and still running. They are awesome lil engines.

 

[alosix]

A set of 33s on an LJ Rubicon would be a very nice expo vehicle.

If you go testing driving though, give a non Rubi LJ a drive as well if you get a chance. The load range E tires they stick on stock rubis of that era will beat you up, so driving the normal one will give you something to compare it to.

It will probably have a little more room than your XJ did with the back seat removed for stuff.

Jason

 

[maximumrob]

http://www.rubiconownersforum 'nuff said.

I have an '05 LJ Rubicon soft top with a stick. I call it the "mild thing" since it's as stock looking as can be, yet hangs with much bigger-built Jeeps on 4-rated trails. I don't know why, but it really, really wheels. It has a 2.5" spring lift, adjustable shocks, 1" body lift, teraflex belly-up (mandatory!), 1" motor mount lift, JKS arms all around, Woody DS, swaybar disconnects, and 130-watt pencil beams on the bumper with 100-watt fogs down there as well. Tires are 255/85-16 MT's on stock Moabs with no spacers.

After spending thousands, I realized this is all I needed and now want:
-> Get the damn hard top. Just taking the doors off is fine, rarely need to take the top off. Just get the hard top. It's easier when camping or storing valuables. You want the hard top, really. Long trips with a soft top is horrible. I've gone as far as 19 hours in it and it's not fun after 60 minutes.
-> Get an auto trans! The 6-speed, and 5-speed for that matter, suck and really aren't fun to drive on the road. They're durable as all get out, but DD'ing ain't no fun.
-> Do a belly-up skid plate because in stock form, you'll hang up on speed bumps.
-> 265's are plenty for exploration use! With the ultra-low transfer case and lockers, you'll be stunned what you can do. Do a swaybar disconnect if you feel like you need more suspension droop.
-> Either do a 1" body lift to fit the 265's or do a 2" suspension lift.
-> For exploring wide open spaces at night, put the lights on the bumper. Up high you just get glare...it makes a huuuuge difference.
-> I've been tempted to hang some soft mudflaps off it front and rear to keep the garb off the side of the truck when travelling wet dirt roads.

That's about as cheap as I should have gone and what I should have done to begin with. The truck will be a reliable performer and near-stock. Good stuff for exploring!

You can close the thread now, that's all there is. :elkgrin:

 

[NOMADIC_LJ]

-> Get an auto trans! The 6-speed... smiley is driving a stick--->:smiley_drive:)

 

[rubicon789]

... being able to control your gears is a must for off road I would say (unless you are rock crawling and then I can see the advantage of an auto)

Although I agree with you on the gears, I disagree with you in the rocks. I have had both a 5 speed and and Auto and enjoy the 5 speed so much more while wheeling. Yes, it takes a bit more finess at first, but once you learn it right, most people don't even know you have a 5speed.

 

[NOMADIC_LJ]

Although I agree with you on the gears, I disagree with you in the rocks. I have had both a 5 speed and and Auto and enjoy the 5 speed so much more while wheeling. Yes, it takes a bit more finess at first, but once you learn it right, most people don't even know you have a 5speed.

I've taken my 6spd on some insane +4 trails and its handled beautifully. As you said its all about the finesse. I just based my statement on the fact that most competition rock buggies are auto.

Each person has their preference and likes, run whatcha brung as they say.

Copper Canyon Mexico..