Looking for some advice on purchasing a Jeep Wrangler

[boomercarguy]

I don't have a TJ yet but I went ahead and joined so that I can get educated about what to watch out for. I have had excellent experiences with other forums for my other vehicles and it seems this is the place to get the most honest info.

I'm looking for an older (1999-2001) Wrangler TJ with either the 2.5L or 4.0L inline gas engine with either auto or manual. It will be used for beating around locally on dirt roads requiring fairly high clearance and not needing a lift kit. I'm more interested in durability and reliability than in high performance. I just want to "get there" somewhat comfortably. Any suggestions where to look and the best Wrangler to look for?
Thanks

 

[Bird]

Cargurus is a good place to start.
TJ'S are the best wranglers.
4.0's are the best engines

 

[Rob5589]

Welcome to the forum. Here is some reading material...
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/what-should-i-look-for-when-buying-a-used-wrangler-tj.375/

 

[Shwane]

Welcome to the zoo!

 

[UpperMI]

Welcome aboard. I would recommend a Sport or Sahara model with a 4.0 liter if you can find one. Try to get one with 3.73 gears. This allows you to run 31" tires on a stock jeep without any lift. Even a jeep with 31's and 3.73 gears is a very capable off road rig.

 

[Chris]

I suppose it depends on what you want to do with it. If you plan on doing a lot of serious off-roading, the Rubicon model is what I would get. It has the upgraded Dana 44 axles, Rock Track transfer case, and factory air lockers. This will save you a ton of money in upgrades if you plan on doing those things anyways. However, these things aren't necessary unless you plan on doing some real off-roading. If you're just planning on sticking to the streets, you don't need a Rubicon model.

 

[En route]

Welcome aboard. I would recommend a Sport or Sahara model with a 4.0 liter if you can find one. Try to get one with 3.73 gears. This allows you to run 31" tires on a stock jeep without any lift. Even a jeep with 31's and 3.73 gears is a very capable off road rig.

Hi UpperMi, how do i know the gears i have on my jeep. How can i get this info. Thank you

 

[Rob5589]

Hi UpperMi, how do i know the gears i have on my jeep. How can i get this info. Thank you

There should be a metal tag on the side of the diff cover, frt or rear works, that gives the ratio.

 

[JMT]

I don't have a TJ yet but I went ahead and joined so that I can get educated about what to watch out for. I have had excellent experiences with other forums for my other vehicles and it seems this is the place to get the most honest info.

I'm looking for an older (1999-2001) Wrangler TJ with either the 2.5L or 4.0L inline gas engine with either auto or manual. It will be used for beating around locally on dirt roads requiring fairly high clearance and not needing a lift kit. I'm more interested in durability and reliability than in high performance. I just want to "get there" somewhat comfortably. Any suggestions where to look and the best Wrangler to look for?
Thanks

Wrangler TJ
Craigslist
Go with the 4.0
No frame rust
Stock or barely modified

 

[UpperMI]

There should be a metal tag on the side of the diff cover, frt or rear works, that gives the ratio.

X2. There is also a way to get the build sheet if you know the VIN number. There's a web link where when you put in the VIN it'll give you what gears came on the jeep from the factory.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/jeep-build-sheet-lookup.219/

 

[UpperMI]

I should also point out that I would probably get a 2002 over a 1999-2001 model year. The 2001 had a design flaw on the head where it would crack around the middle of the head. I don't recall how many years back this issue was present though. And not all 2001s experienced this, it just seems in my research that this was a problem that more than just a few jeepers experienced.

 

[En route]

There should be a metal tag on the side of the diff cover, frt or rear works, that gives the ratio.

This tag i imagine. So what does it mean?

 

[Reece]

Best advice I can give. Find a rust free one. That to me takes precedence over anything else.

 

[UpperMI]

This tag i imagine. So what does it mean?

This looks like the tag from the transfer case. You want the one from the axle differential.

 

[John G]

Cargurus is a good place to start.
TJ'S are the best wranglers.
4.0's are the best engines

Can't say this loud enough......CHECK THE FRAME FOR RUST OUT! But if the rest of the Jeep is good to go I have a guy fixing frames on the side.

 

[Brad Barras]

Can't say this loud enough......CHECK THE FRAME FOR RUST OUT! But if the rest of the Jeep is good to go I have a guy fixing frames on the side.

I have a 2005 with low miles never abused and lots of upgrades

 

[Jerry Bransford]

This tag i imagine. So what does it mean?

No, that's on the transfer case. Look on your axle's differential cover, the tag will be bolted onto it at its 9 o'clock position.

Personally, I'd stick with a '97 to '02 with the 4.0L six cylinder engine. The 2.5L four-banger is fine offroad but it doesn't do well on the highway... it struggles to keep up with traffic. I'd also personally go with an automatic, having had Jeeps and many other vehicles with manual transmissions. The automatic used up until 2002 is the 32RH and it's one of the very best automatic transmissions to ever come out of Detroit. Ford even tried to buy the rights to manufacture it for their cars but Chrysler wanted too much $$$. The automatic is superb offroad, which is why I converted my previous TJ from its factory 5-speed manual transmission to the 32RH automatic. The improvement in offroading abilities was nothing short of dramatic. Not to mention automatics give 2-3X more low-end torque. Really.

This tag is indicating the axle has 3.73 gearing inside.

 

[tman66]

@Jerry Bransford

I think the 32RH is the smoothest transmission I've ever had the pleasure of driving.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

@Jerry Bransford

I think the 32RH is the smoothest transmission I've ever had the pleasure of driving.

Yeah that's a great transmission isn't it. I wish I could snap my fingers and find my 42RLE automatic replaced with the 32Rh.