4 banger/auto: should I?
- Thread starter Gilaguy23
- Start date
Bensjeeptj
Member
I’ve driven a manual 4 banger, and it’s slow, but drivable. I daily a 4.0, which is also slow, just slightly less so. If all your doing is putting around town, I think it would be awesome, any jeep is better than no jeep in my mind. Avoid a 4 banger if you face many hills, even my 4.0 struggles up hills, I usually have to downshift once or twice. I wish you luck in your jeep journey!
Why one might ask why. Its the only unmolested clean/stock TJ close to me. 120K miles, nice and clean with no rust. In all honestly because of where we live now 99% of its use will be putting some stunning country roads topless with a frequent putt to town to grab some goodies. I think my motorcycle days are done which was the other option. These things do an honest 65 mph?
FWIW: I've driven a 2.4L (manual) for 19 years.
In a headwind?... uphill?... not fun.
4 years ago, the fun returned... or began?:
I upgraded from 3.73 to 4.56*. Boom — a noticeable performance boost for the dinky 2.4L.
Essentially, I'm one gear higher throughout the range — highway: used to be at 2400+- RPMs in 5th @, say, 55-60mph — I'm now comfortably cruising in 6th, 2400+- RPMs @ 65mph. Before, I often enough wouldn't see 6th on the highway because I never had the power to maintain.
*Yukon Gear & Axle Front & Rear Ring and Pinion kit - Dana 30 Front / Dana 35 Rear - 4.56
Part #YGK005 | www.yukongear.com/shop/ygk005
also added: EATON 912A569 Trutrac Limited Slip Differential for 27 Spline Dana 35 Axle- 3.54 and up
Part #912A569 | www.eaton.com/us/en-us/skuPage.912A569.html
This is true.
I guess it really depends on how hard a 4.0 is to find for the OP and what he wants to do with it. If I was just looking for something to putt around on trails and keep stock a 2.5L TJ would be perfectly fine, especially if the frame is clean. I had a very hard time finding a 4.0L TJ with a clean frame, all of the TJs in my area rusted long ago, so I had to buy mine across the country.
The 2.5L YJ I drove was slow, but it was still pretty dang fun with no doors or top on a nice day, and the girl who owned it had it for quite a few years and daily drove it without issue. It helps if it isn't your only vehicle as well. My buddy has a CJ2A on his Christmas tree farm. Super fun for putting around on the farm, and driving to the local gas station or parts store, but I obviously wouldn't want to daily drive it.
Bensjeeptj
Member
Quite honestly, even dailying a 4.0 is not for the faint of heart, I live in Boone NC, which is a college town in the Appalachian mountains, and it’s super hilly, and the 4.0 is still pretty underpowered on the hills. I often am downshifting from 5th to 3rd to get up even slight hills.
I love my jeep, and have no plans to get rid of it, but especially being a college student, it’s possibly the least practical vehicle I could have. Terrible gas mileage, great for a broke student. I choose between seating passengers with the backseat in (which I keep as dorm furniture when not in use), and keeping all my tools in the back.
I’m always doing repairs and my entire storage is taken up by milk crates of tools and a socket set.
Bottom line, I love my jeep, but dailying one as your only vehicle is exhausting, and definitely a “young man’s game”. In my opinion, life’s too short, get the jeep.
What tires/gears do you have? Mine is 31's with an AX-15 and 3.73 gears so not too bad at all, but I've heard 3.07 gears sucks. I remember in the XJ world anything over stock sized tires sucked with the 3.07 gears, and 5th gear was basically useless. My 4.0L is still "slow" but I'm also used to dailying BMWs and now a V8 Grand Cherokee. The TJ is not practical as far as MPG or hauling anything bigger than a college notebook, but it is very easy to work on and pretty cheap to fix yourself compared to modern vehicles.
Bensjeeptj
Member
Thanks for this, I honestly have just been getting fed up with it and needed to vent a Little bit. I’m on 31s with stock Sahara gears, not sure what they are. It’s honestly been a great vehicle, and will be great in the snow, and it is cheap and easy to work on. It just gets exhausting fixing things in the O’Reilly parking lot while trying to keep up with school.
In fairness, it’s mostly a self caused stress, because I take it off-roading with my schools off-road club about every other weekend, so there’s that.
I do want to advocate for the TJ though, it’s an awesome vehicle, and will go basically everywhere, and is pretty damn reliable.
If you plan to get a TJ, it will piss you off, or at least it does for me, but it will rarely let you down, and the joyous moments it provides are worth the struggle.
FWIW, a 4.0L with 3.07 gears is nearly as bad as a 4 cylinder Jeep. I've had both..........ONCE. Other than wives, I try not to make the same mistake twice. 
Bensjeeptj
Member
Sounds like I need some new gears, but I don’t want to impact off-road performance. I’m also a broke student, so I’m going to save my funds for repairs. I shall live with my gutless little Sahara for now.
Small question, is moving up to 33s from 31s gonna make my jeep undrivable on the road? I want to do another inch of lift and 33s as my medium-term project, and I’m just wondering if I’m going to ruin my jeep?
If you think 31s is slow with your current setup, I would not do 33s without regearing. You know your driving environment better than anyone. When I had one of my XJs I went to 33s on stock gears which multiple people said was "livable" until I was able to regear. I live in hilly New England, and only tolerated it for a week before regearing.
I was a broke college student once, so I totally get it. It was also about the same time I decided daily driving lifted XJs seemed like a good idea. Offroading and lifting a vehicle always compromises its reliability. Stuff is just more likely to break when you are doing that, especially if you piece together lifts and driveline parts as you go and don't buy the top $$$ parts. My advice would be enjoy the Jeep as is so you can adequately fund its current state. A Jeep TJ is the perfect fun vehicle for driving college girls around.
It's a personal preference IMO. I know a guy with a 2.5L and 36s (stock 4.10 gears), who bashes the crap out of his Jeep. It works for him. Try the move to 33s and if it's not livable to you, regear when you can or drop back down to 31s.
p.s. I've been broke my entire life.
Bensjeeptj
Member
If you think 31s is slow with your current setup, I would not do 33s without regearing. You know your driving environment better than anyone. When I had one of my XJs I went to 33s on stock gears which multiple people said was "livable" until I was able to regear. I live in hilly New England, and only tolerated it for a week before regearing.
I was a broke college student once, so I totally get it. It was also about the same time I decided daily driving lifted XJs seemed like a good idea. Offroading and lifting a vehicle always compromises its reliability. Stuff is just more likely to break when you are doing that, especially if you piece together lifts and driveline parts as you go and don't buy the top $$$ parts. My advice would be enjoy the Jeep as is so you can adequately fund its current state. A Jeep TJ is the perfect fun vehicle for driving college girls around.
Thank you for your wisdom, I’m young and dumb, and always want to build the jeep in “the next big way”. That’s some great advice, just enjoy it the way it it: it does just fine off-road, and is a totally fine daily!
Ps. The girls dig it
Bensjeeptj
Member
Bensjeeptj
Member
Ain’t
It's a personal preference IMO. I know a guy with a 2.5L and 36s (stock 4.10 gears), who bashes the crap out of his Jeep. It works for him. Try the move to 33s and if it's not livable to you, regear when you can or drop back down to 31s.
p.s. I've been broke my entire life.
I accepted I was going to be forever broke the moment I started driving, it’s a life I have chosen, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything
Exactly
Ive owned 14 jeeps, over 200 trucks, more bikes than I can count. My knees are shot, im no spring chicken anymore either. As they say, "speed kills, drive a jeep". Gotta say a 4 banger auto will be like moto crossing a moped, but I dont care for some weird reason. My 65 CJ could barely do 55 so anything is a plus. Its not the only vehicle I have but here in redneckistan it should be a hoot to run to the store or whatever.
Yes it will be awful. Imagine 1st gear being like second gear and 5th useless unless going downhill at freeway speeds.
You want 3-4" lift for 33's and the supporting mods start adding up into the thousands.
2" lift and 31s is a great combo.
Google how to find your gear ratios. If you have 3.07 find some cheap 3.73 tj axles.they are the most common and the next upgrade I would do.then a winch
Bensjeeptj
Member
I have 31s and a 1 inch lift, considering doing another inch with spring spacer puck things
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