Sponsored

About to pull the trigger on a new Jeep and have some questions...

Mickey85

New Member
First Name
Matt
Joined
Aug 26, 2021
Threads
1
Messages
3
Reaction score
5
Location
Valparaiso, IN
Vehicle(s)
1983 Jeep CJ7
Hey all. I just finished restoring my Dad's old CJ7, and while I love it, it isn't exactly the best thing for family trips and such.

I also have a 2012 Mustang GT that, while absolutely a blast to drive, isn't all that conducive to comfortably fitting my 3 month old son's car seat (we can do it, but it really isn't the greatest). It's a wonderful road trip car however.

I bleed Jeeps (Dad brought me home in the CJ, I've had an XJ and WJ), and am aware that they're quirky critters, and that live axles are a whole different experience than independent suspension.

Given the used car market, I've been seriously considering trading in the Mustang for a 2 door Wrangler. TBH, I'd like it to be pretty much a newer version of the CJ - manual trans, 6 cylinder, hard top, limited slip rear, and all terrain tires.

In reading the message boards, I have some questions. I'd love to test drive a 2 door manual, but there are absolutely no JL's in my area that tick both of those boxes (and the 2 doors are really hard to find anyway).

1. The manual trans. I know it's double overdrive, and I have no illusions about a Jeep being a race car - is it really as bad as not being able to use 6th gear below 70mph? With my CJ, 120hp and 2.73 gears means that it never sees 5th gear. Like ever. Same idea?
2. Can you stick a rear facing car seat in one while having the front seat still usable?
3. Longevity - is the 3.6 the same as that in the JK? Are there common problems that haven't been addressed yet? (I'm seeing head gaskets being a thing)
4. I hear the clutch is pretty garbage - are there any other known issues to watch out for that would cause it to fall on its face?
5. I also understand that the double battery for the start/stop feature is a potential issue. Is the second battery replaceable? Is there a way to disable the system? I know that message boards are like automotive WebMD's, so in real life, how many failures actually happen?

Thanks guys. I don't want to trade the mustang for a mistake here...

Jeep Wrangler JL About to pull the trigger on a new Jeep and have some questions... 20210807_173000


Jeep Wrangler JL About to pull the trigger on a new Jeep and have some questions... 20210525_165125
Sponsored

 
Last edited:

Deleted member 59498

Guest
Sweet CJ!

I use 6th all the way to work about 15 miles on highway. Can sometimes get below 70 and too lazy to down shift it works ok on flats.

Head gasket was the first generation as far as I know. No one I know myself have had any head problems but that is not a large group.

The Willys 2dr are sharp jeeps, I like them in the right color and it comes with most of the goodies for offroad.
 

CorvZ061

Well-Known Member
First Name
Travis
Joined
Jul 12, 2021
Threads
7
Messages
186
Reaction score
357
Location
Ga
Vehicle(s)
2020 Wrangler
Be prepared for people to tell you hope they feel about you trading your mustang for a Jeep. I have 2 forward facing seats in the back of my Jeep, rear facing would be pretty awkward, but doable. Whatever seat it's behind will have to be pushed forward some, but if you could do it in the mustang you can definitely do it in the Jeep, there is a lot more room in the back seat.


Jeep Wrangler JL About to pull the trigger on a new Jeep and have some questions... 2CAF1349-4980-49D3-A01E-E30AD926530B
 

rcadden

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ricky
Joined
May 4, 2021
Threads
85
Messages
2,646
Reaction score
5,578
Location
Fort Worth, TX
Vehicle(s)
2021 Hydro Blue Sahara Altitude
Build Thread
Link
Occupation
Marketing
Clubs
 
I don't have much insights on the other points, but I'd reconsider the 2-door requirement.

There's nothing wrong with 2-doors, and as you've discovered with the Mustang, they absolutely work with kid seats.

HOWEVER

Even if you stick with just one kid, a 4-door will be infinitely easier to manage with a car seat (rear- and/or front-facing), in addition to offering you more cargo space for all the "stuff" that a kid brings, particularly on road trips.

If you wind up having more than 1 kid, then you'll also be better suited with a 4-door than a 2-door.

Just wanted to throw that out there - assuming you're going to want to keep your Jeep for a while, it seems like the upgrade to a 4-door would serve you well in the future with your growing family.

With regards to the aux battery, I *believe* (and this is this Internet, so someone should be along shortly to correct me) that they completely redesigned/addressed this on the 2021 JLs, so if you're ordering (and you should be custom ordering, from a cost standpoint), then that's not a concern like it was on the earlier JLs ('18-'20).
 

TheDukeofLark

Well-Known Member
First Name
Zach
Joined
Apr 19, 2021
Threads
3
Messages
90
Reaction score
139
Location
SW MO
Vehicle(s)
21 JLUR M/T
A few questions:

If a two door just WON'T work, would you buy a four door? Or just keep the Mustang?
Is this a baby carrier/base situation? Or an actual rear-facing car seat that stays in the car?
If it is a baby carrier, when they age- or size-out of that car seat, would you keep them rear-facing in a permanent car seat? Or would you then turn them around for forward facing (FF)?

I ask because we just did this, and I didn't see any reasonable way to do it in a 2 door with the car seats we use, and with the way we would use the Jeep. My wife is short, so she definitely couldn't reach the back seat. While we have the baby in the carrier with a base for now, he is fat, and will move to a rear-facing seat soon. We couldn't get to the buckles on it in a 2d.

If this is a "fun" car, and you are only doing short trips, some issues aren't as big of a deal. Also, with fewer/local miles, there might be a somewhat larger appetite for moving them to forward-facing a little earlier (my 3yo is FF in the jeep and RF in my wife's grocery hauler) so that might also factor in.
 

Sponsored

aldo98229

Well-Known Member
First Name
Aldo
Joined
Nov 16, 2019
Threads
86
Messages
11,019
Reaction score
27,682
Location
Bellingham, WA
Vehicle(s)
2023 Jeep Gladiator, 2018 Fiat 124 Spider
Occupation
Market Research
Vehicle Showcase
3
Welcome to the forum!

The V6 was thoroughly upgraded; it feels and sounds a LOT smoother and more refined than JK’s. The motor has proved itself.

Yes, the auxiliary battery can be replaced. It ain’t fun, but it can be done in a couple hours.

Your dad’s CJ copied my color scheme! :like:
Jeep Wrangler JL About to pull the trigger on a new Jeep and have some questions... 02EBB579-7F39-48B1-8938-18C8CA1A97B4
 
OP
OP

Mickey85

New Member
First Name
Matt
Joined
Aug 26, 2021
Threads
1
Messages
3
Reaction score
5
Location
Valparaiso, IN
Vehicle(s)
1983 Jeep CJ7
Sweet CJ!

I use 6th all the way to work about 15 miles on highway. Can sometimes get below 70 and too lazy to down shift it works ok on flats.

Head gasket was the first generation as far as I know. No one I know myself have had any head problems but that is not a large group.
Thanks for the info about the head gaskets, and about the gearing! And thanks for the compliment - it's been a long road to get it done, and it still has a few things that I'm working out.

Be prepared for people to tell you hope they feel about you trading your mustang for a Jeep. I have 2 forward facing seats in the back of my Jeep, rear facing would be pretty awkward, but doable. Whatever seat it's behind will have to be pushed forward some, but if you could do it in the mustang you can definitely do it in the Jeep, there is a lot more room in the back seat.
Thanks for the info. When looking around at the dealership, I looked in a JK - the rear seat seems pretty far back from the doors, so it will definitely be awkward, but it looked like there was plenty of room there.
I don't have much insights on the other points, but I'd reconsider the 2-door requirement.


With regards to the aux battery, I *believe* (and this is this Internet, so someone should be along shortly to correct me) that they completely redesigned/addressed this on the 2021 JLs, so if you're ordering (and you should be custom ordering, from a cost standpoint), then that's not a concern like it was on the earlier JLs ('18-'20).
Thanks a bunch. The 2 door is a bit of a requirement, as I've never liked the 4 doors - to me a wrangler is a 2 door. It's kinda like 4 door minis. I understand, but they aren't for me. I also get the space thing as well. Thanks for the info on the battery. It's kind of a weirdo system to be honest - my wife's 2020 outback has stop/start and just uses one main battery.


A few questions:

If a two door just WON'T work, would you buy a four door? Or just keep the Mustang?
Is this a baby carrier/base situation? Or an actual rear-facing car seat that stays in the car?
If it is a baby carrier, when they age- or size-out of that car seat, would you keep them rear-facing in a permanent car seat? Or would you then turn them around for forward facing (FF)?

I ask because we just did this, and I didn't see any reasonable way to do it in a 2 door with the car seats we use, and with the way we would use the Jeep. My wife is short, so she definitely couldn't reach the back seat. While we have the baby in the carrier with a base for now, he is fat, and will move to a rear-facing seat soon. We couldn't get to the buckles on it in a 2d.

If this is a "fun" car, and you are only doing short trips, some issues aren't as big of a deal. Also, with fewer/local miles, there might be a somewhat larger appetite for moving them to forward-facing a little earlier (my 3yo is FF in the jeep and RF in my wife's grocery hauler) so that might also factor in.
I wouldn't consider a 4 door. If a 2 door doesn't work, I'll keep the mustang. I have a Subaru Outback for winter if necessary. The Jeep would replace both cars though for all practical purposes. It's a car seat and base - we have Graco specifically. THe base would live in the jeep, as we have multiple bases. I plan to go FF as soon as he's big enough in either car, as the mustang does FF easily (we have a 5 year old niece). And as for the usability - my car is generally the road trip car and the fun car when I'm not commuting with it. My wife has another outback that is the family truckster.

Welcome to the forum!

Your dad’s CJ copied my color scheme! :like:

The V6 was thoroughly upgraded; it feels a LOT smoother and more refined than JK’s. The motor has proved itself.

Yes, the auxiliary battery can be replaced. It ain’t fun, but it can be done in a couple hours.
Thanks! His has a black top and red hard doors. I repainted it the original Sebring Red. I haven't installed the door strikers though, as I'm not brave enough to drill virgin metal for something as precise as the strikers. I'm waiting to get it into a body shop for someone who has a little more experience with that than I. I've never seen those wheels on a new jeep - it's pretty great looking!
 

dgoodhue

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dave
Joined
Aug 22, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
582
Reaction score
540
Location
Framingham, MA
Vehicle(s)
'21 80th JLU
There is very little room behind the 2 door's rear seat. It is bigger CJ7, but it still won't have much storage room with your kid in the back. JL isn't going be great road trip vehicle. You may want to consider the 4 door for that reason.

For the perspective of the car seat, assuming your wife (or GF) has appropriate vehicle for transport of kids. 2 years (another 21 months) will go by quickly. I chose my car by the request of my ex wife to fit reverse car seat so that someone could comfortable sit in the front seat. We never took my car as a family. I would drive to work, pick him up at daycare with just me, and take her SUV for trips as a family. My friend sold his Mustang GT for Hyundai and had a similar experience of not really need a new car for the car seat.
 

aldo98229

Well-Known Member
First Name
Aldo
Joined
Nov 16, 2019
Threads
86
Messages
11,019
Reaction score
27,682
Location
Bellingham, WA
Vehicle(s)
2023 Jeep Gladiator, 2018 Fiat 124 Spider
Occupation
Market Research
Vehicle Showcase
3
Thanks for the info about the head gaskets, and about the gearing! And thanks for the compliment - it's been a long road to get it done, and it still has a few things that I'm working out.



Thanks for the info. When looking around at the dealership, I looked in a JK - the rear seat seems pretty far back from the doors, so it will definitely be awkward, but it looked like there was plenty of room there.


Thanks a bunch. The 2 door is a bit of a requirement, as I've never liked the 4 doors - to me a wrangler is a 2 door. It's kinda like 4 door minis. I understand, but they aren't for me. I also get the space thing as well. Thanks for the info on the battery. It's kind of a weirdo system to be honest - my wife's 2020 outback has stop/start and just uses one main battery.




I wouldn't consider a 4 door. If a 2 door doesn't work, I'll keep the mustang. I have a Subaru Outback for winter if necessary. The Jeep would replace both cars though for all practical purposes. It's a car seat and base - we have Graco specifically. THe base would live in the jeep, as we have multiple bases. I plan to go FF as soon as he's big enough in either car, as the mustang does FF easily (we have a 5 year old niece). And as for the usability - my car is generally the road trip car and the fun car when I'm not commuting with it. My wife has another outback that is the family truckster.



Thanks! His has a black top and red hard doors. I haven't installed the door strikers though, as I'm not brave enough to drill virgin metal for something as precise as the strikers. I'm waiting to get it into a body shop for someone who has a little more experience with that than I. I've never seen those wheels on a new jeep - it's pretty great looking!
If you are willing to hold onto the Mustang with a baby, a 2-door Wrangler will certainly work. The Jeep is just more practical, despite the limited cargo space with the rear seat in place.

Based on your needs, sounds like a 2-door Sport S with a rear LSD, or a Willys, might do the trick.

Given that you have other vehicles, you might want to consider placing a factory order. It takes about 2 months and you get exactly what you want. Also, in these market conditions, dealers are more willing to discount on a factory order than any Jeeps on the lot.

And thanks! They are the Quadratec CJ Retro alloy wheels —see below; had the vintage Jeep hub decals custom made.

Cheers!

https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadratec/cj-retro-alloy-wheel-wrangler-jk-jl

Jeep Wrangler JL About to pull the trigger on a new Jeep and have some questions... 539D39C2-8075-42D0-A2ED-9347CE339CC1
 

TheDukeofLark

Well-Known Member
First Name
Zach
Joined
Apr 19, 2021
Threads
3
Messages
90
Reaction score
139
Location
SW MO
Vehicle(s)
21 JLUR M/T
I wouldn't consider a 4 door. If a 2 door doesn't work, I'll keep the mustang. I have a Subaru Outback for winter if necessary. The Jeep would replace both cars though for all practical purposes. It's a car seat and base - we have Graco specifically. THe base would live in the jeep, as we have multiple bases. I plan to go FF as soon as he's big enough in either car, as the mustang does FF easily (we have a 5 year old niece). And as for the usability - my car is generally the road trip car and the fun car when I'm not commuting with it. My wife has another outback that is the family truckster.
Yeah. In that case, you could likely get away with a 2d. If they are in the carrier, they are already buckled, so you don't have to reach into the back seat, and you can just manipulate the seat in and out (assuming the release is on the front.) If he will graduate from the carrier to forward facing, again, the buckles are in a reachable spot. Not to say it will be easy or convenient, but far beyond the task of buckling rear facing. I will say, whoever rides in the seat in front of that child will be mild/moderately uncomfortable. The leg room back there is surprisingly good, but tilt of the seat is horrendous for a car seat.

Just prepare your speech for when every person in every gas station and parking lot says to you, "you know they make these with four doors now?!"

Regarding the manual, I've got it in a rubicon, which is a little different when you talk about gearing, but I've thoroughly enjoyed it. 6th is a rarity, but I'm glad its there when I do use it. Also, the V6 is great. I'm super happy with the way it runs and sounds, and I've had a Grand Cherokee and a JK both with the earlier versions of it, and its basically getting better with age. I'm only 1500 miles in on my JL, but that's over three months, and I've been super happy with everything but a very few, super specific things.
 

Sponsored

Reinen

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Threads
15
Messages
2,424
Reaction score
5,637
Location
Utah
Vehicle(s)
2021 Jeep Wrangler JL Rubicon
I think the double battery issues stem mostly from confusion about an odd system and an old resolved issue. The 2nd battery is easily replaceable, It's just a typical motorcycle sized battery. It's getting to it that's the problem. Since it isn't readily visible many only pay attention to the battery they can see when the smaller battery hidden underneath it is likely the one to fail first, which in turn takes out the main battery.

Also know that 2018 JLs had a problem where an engine start would not be attempted if the 2nd battery was below voltage, even though that battery was not used to start the engine. That was resolved in a ECM flash update for 2018's, it was resolved for 2019s and up. So you can ignore all the threads about that. There are a lot of them.

The JL is a modern "always on" vehicle, something is always drawing a small charge from the battery. That's really hard on lead acid batteries and significantly reduces their lifespan. While the small 2nd battery in the JL doesn't help, that will be a problem no matter what kind of lead acid battery setup you have. Since you have multiple vehicles, I recommend you put a battery tender on the JL if it sits more more than a weekend. This is not a Jeep thing, it's pretty much every modern vehicle. The batteries take a beating if they sit idle often.
 

CorvZ061

Well-Known Member
First Name
Travis
Joined
Jul 12, 2021
Threads
7
Messages
186
Reaction score
357
Location
Ga
Vehicle(s)
2020 Wrangler
Yeah. In that case, you could likely get away with a 2d. If they are in the carrier, they are already buckled, so you don't have to reach into the back seat, and you can just manipulate the seat in and out (assuming the release is on the front.) If he will graduate from the carrier to forward facing, again, the buckles are in a reachable spot. Not to say it will be easy or convenient, but far beyond the task of buckling rear facing. I will say, whoever rides in the seat in front of that child will be mild/moderately uncomfortable. The leg room back there is surprisingly good, but tilt of the seat is horrendous for a car seat.

Just prepare your speech for when every person in every gas station and parking lot says to you, "you know they make these with four doors now?!"

Regarding the manual, I've got it in a rubicon, which is a little different when you talk about gearing, but I've thoroughly enjoyed it. 6th is a rarity, but I'm glad its there when I do use it. Also, the V6 is great. I'm super happy with the way it runs and sounds, and I've had a Grand Cherokee and a JK both with the earlier versions of it, and its basically getting better with age. I'm only 1500 miles in on my JL, but that's over three months, and I've been super happy with everything but a very few, super specific things.
My 2 year old forward faces, it's not bad buckling him in. My 7 year old needs no assistance. Literally nobody has ever said anything in regards to door count. nobody cares, honestly.
Sponsored

 
 



Top