Anyone have 2 door regret?

[jlopes68]

Hi John! I have been following your adventures since you got your JLR. I believe you are probably one of the most active members on the forum who wheel hard. You have experienced most of the strengths and weakness of the JL. What are your thoughts about the strengths and weakness? What could Jeep improve upon in your opinion?

I think with the advent of electric vehicles that we may be seeing the tail end of fossil fuel rigs. My experience is mostly with the JK & JL. The strengths of the JL outboarded shocks, huge improvement. Weakness, aluminum panels, mine are either dented or warped.

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[viper88]

I think with the advent of electric vehicles that we may be seeing the tail end of fossil fuel rigs. My experience is mostly with the JK & JL. The strengths of the JL outboarded shocks, huge improvement. Weakness, aluminum panels, mine are either dented or warped.

I noticed all of the JL doors are a lot more warped. I was told the aluminum skins do not expand and contract at the same rate as the sound-insulating tiles that are glued inside the doors. They glue a tile on the inside door skin and that tile expands at a different rate than the aluminum skin when they bake the doors after painting. In mid 2019 they tried slitting the tiles to allow for more movement but it does not look like it helps? My 2022 is just as warped as my 2019 before the slits.

 

[jlopes68]

I noticed all of the JL doors are a lot more warped. I was told the aluminum skins do not expand and contract at the same rate as the sound-insulating tiles that are glued inside the doors. They glue a tile on the inside door skin and that tile expands at a different rate than the aluminum skin when they bake the doors after painting. In mid 2019 they tried slitting the tiles to allow for more movement but it does not look like it helps? My 2022 is just as warped as my 2019 before the slits.

My front quarter panels are a bit squashed from banging the rock rails on rocks?

 

[STW]

Haha a 2 door Gladiator would be amazing. I’d give up a 2 door JL for a 2 door JT in a heartbeat. Is there anything specific that you miss about the 2 door? What is more fun on the trails? It seems like 2 door would be more fun but JT less stressful as the ride is plush and storage is practically endless.

I'll try an answer but I think others will have plenty more experience to answer this:
On the trails I don't have a lot of experience with long wheelbase Jeeps--I drove a built XJ once for part of a trail and it was good to have extra wheelbase on a steep, steep downhill with ledges. Most will know that's an area where longer wheelbase is an advantage. Limited breakover of the longer wheelbase can be addressed by going bigger on tires and lift, and turning radius limitations can be addressed with planning and patience. I don't think there is any trail reason to avoid a longer wheelbase (four door) for offroad if you're willing to get it worked out.

But I'm an unapologetic short wheelbase (two door) Jeep fan: offroad I love the maneuverability, the breakover, the turning radius, the way the JL Rubicon lets you have a low CoG (center of gravity) crawler on 35s. That was the holy grail in the TJ days--getting low CoG on 35s with minimal or no lift. (For TJs that meant cutting the tub up, and high, high front flenders, or none.)
JLR out of the box is a low CoG marvel ready to go, and fits 35s.

I haven't wheeled my 10-day-old JLR yet, but I notice on the ~same tires (33" TA Ko2) it has the same clearance underneath as my TJ on 33s with 3" lift while being 2" lower at the roof line. That's what I mean about low CoG advantage. That's before you get to all the other Rubicon advantages.

Jeep branding emphasizes tradition a lot, and those of us who have followed Jeeps for a long time can tend to idolize the CJ7, CJ5, MB, or Gladiator of old...

...but for this long-time Jeep fan who didn't pay much attention during the JK years (just happy with my daily driver TJ), I was a little bowled over at how the short wheelbase JL Rubicon is exactly the Jeep we always wanted Jeep to make back then.*

There are lots of great things about a four door, or any long-wheelbase Jeep, but the two best things about the Unlimited Rubicon models are 1) they include most of the advantages of the the 2door Rubicon, and 2) they made the 2door Rubicon possible because so many people needed and bought 4door Jeeps that the Unlimited keeps the 2door model financially viable (so far).

(besides including most of the advantages of the 2door Rubicon, the Unlimited Rubicon also has a few long wheelbase offroad advantages the 2door doesn't--see above--and it has a lot more room that opens up whole new offroad and overlanding uses. No question the Unlimited Rubicon is a huge win for Jeep even if I believe the 2door Rubicon is Jeep's best achievement.)

On the road? I believe all you guys saying the long wheelbase makes an Unlimited feel more stable on the road. But I can't find any sense of instability at freeway speed for my 2door JLR: seems stable, and smooth, and tracks well. All I can find are advantages of quickness and maneuverability--the agility I've always liked about well-done short-wheelbase vehicles.

This may be about what people get used to: drivers coming from long wheelbase pickups may really notice the difference in a JL. People who appreciate short wheelbase vehicles will find the Jeep version familiar and excellent. Maybe we have to think of the JL as the sportscar Jeep makes. Thinking about it that way makes the storage seem huge for a sportscar.

(*The JT Gladiator is the other thing we fantasized about back then--what if Jeep made a fourdoor pickup. There were also great JLU style concept Jeeps back then. Kind of amazing to have these three platforms JL, JLU, and JT, with multiple excellent motor options.)

 

[viper88]

My front quarter panels are a bit squashed from banging the rock rails on rocks?

I figured there might be some of that from your adventures!

 

[shane340]

I'll try an answer but I think others will have plenty more experience to answer this:
On the trails I don't have a lot of experience with long wheelbase Jeeps--I drove a built XJ once for part of a trail and it was good to have extra wheelbase on a steep, steep downhill with ledges. Most will know that's an area where longer wheelbase is an advantage. Limited breakover of the longer wheelbase can be addressed by going bigger on tires and lift, and turning radius limitations can be addressed with planning and patience. I don't think there is any trail reason to avoid a longer wheelbase (four door) for offroad if you're willing to get it worked out.

But I'm an unapologetic short wheelbase (two door) Jeep fan: offroad I love the maneuverability, the breakover, the turning radius, the way the JL Rubicon lets you have a low CoG (center of gravity) crawler on 35s. That was the holy grail in the TJ days--getting low CoG on 35s with minimal or no lift. (For TJs that meant cutting the tub up, and high, high front flenders, or none.)
JLR out of the box is a low CoG marvel ready to go, and fits 35s.

I haven't wheeled my 10-day-old JLR yet, but I notice on the ~same tires (33" TA Ko2) it has the same clearance underneath as my TJ on 33s with 3" lift while being 2" lower at the roof line. That's what I mean about low CoG advantage. That's before you get to all the other Rubicon advantages.

Jeep branding emphasizes tradition a lot, and those of us who have followed Jeeps for a long time can tend to idolize the CJ7, CJ5, MB, or Gladiator of old...

...but for this long-time Jeep fan who didn't pay much attention during the JK years (just happy with my daily driver TJ), I was a little bowled over at how the short wheelbase JL Rubicon is exactly the Jeep we always wanted Jeep to make back then.*

There are lots of great things about a four door, or any long-wheelbase Jeep, but the two best things about the Unlimited Rubicon models are 1) they include most of the advantages of the the 2door Rubicon, and 2) they made the 2door Rubicon possible because so many people needed and bought 4door Jeeps that the Unlimited keeps the 2door model financially viable (so far).

(besides including most of the advantages of the 2door Rubicon, the Unlimited Rubicon also has a few long wheelbase offroad advantages the 2door doesn't--see above--and it has a lot more room that opens up whole new offroad and overlanding uses. No question the Unlimited Rubicon is a huge win for Jeep even if I believe the 2door Rubicon is Jeep's best achievement.)

On the road? I believe all you guys saying the long wheelbase makes an Unlimited feel more stable on the road. But I can't find any sense of instability at freeway speed for my 2door JLR: seems stable, and smooth, and tracks well. All I can find are advantages of quickness and maneuverability--the agility I've always liked about well-done short-wheelbase vehicles.

This may be about what people get used to: drivers coming from long wheelbase pickups may really notice the difference in a JL. People who appreciate short wheelbase vehicles will find the Jeep version familiar and excellent. Maybe we have to think of the JL as the sportscar Jeep makes. Thinking about it that way makes the storage seem huge for a sportsar.

(*The JT Gladiator is the other thing we fantasized about back then--what if Jeep made a fourdoor pickup. There were also great JLU style concept Jeeps back then. Kind of amazing to have these three platforms JL, JLU, and JT, with multiple excellent motor options.)

Great reply! I’m currently wheeling my JLR on 35 inch KO2s with no lift and loving it! The JL AEV wheels get those tires to tuck nicely into the fenders and no rubbing w the stock CAs.

 

[jlopes68]

I figured there might be some of that from your adventures!

 

[viper88]

I remember you replacing some suspension parts. How is the suspension and drive-train holding up?

 

[STW]

...For those of you with 2 doors, what is the distance between the passenger dashboard and tailgate?...

80" from the back window surface (hardtop) to the edge of the dash, measured along the centerline.

Sleeping in the JL, back seat out with passenger seat folded forward certainly seems doable if you're ok with a bit of elevated ramp on the front end. You'd want to fill in the space in the passenger seat footwell to lay your sleeping pad on.

edit correction: my 80" is about the same as blnewt's 79" measurement. Initially I had my TJ measurement up there--71" for the same dimension on a TJ. So the JL is much more doable for this than the TJ with 8-9" more interior length.

 

[jlopes68]

I remember you replacing some suspension parts. How is the suspension and drive-train holding up?

Very well, nothing but maintenance for some time now, don’t jinx me?

 

[jlopes68]

Are the sliders protecting the body? I'm looking for sliders and concerned body mounted are transferring damage to the soft body. I do like the looks of JCR sliders.

Ya you can see where the body panels have a compression bend, door sills are the same. It’s taken some ready hard hits, does a great job sliding off stuff too. Just the panels are a bit soft.

 

[VKSheridan]

Zero regrets here. The turning radius is insane and it fits in places others drag. It runs out of interior room very quick though. It has a back seat but unless the passenger is small, the seat fits best in the garage.

I suppose someone might ask the fair question of, ”What if you want to haul more people, cargo or go where a long wheelbase is appropriate”?

I’ll let my wife drive me in her PowerWagon….. ?

 

[4xFUN]

Sounds like JCR's don't protect which seem typical of body mounted designs on our 2drs. I think with the 2 drs. shorter length, it doesn't spread the impact as well. It's a must to have frame mounted. Just wish I could find a bolt -on set. Thanks for reply.

I originally had bolt on Roam frame-mounted slider/steps and when installed and torqued to specs, I could lay on the garage floor and press up hard on the front of the rail just in back of the front tires and nearly push it into the body...They quickly came off. I have also seen LOD sliders of similar design pushed into the body...
But I have seen some weld-on frame mounted sliders done by a local shop that look pretty bulletproof!

For just bolt on's (without drilling into the body) the Rock Hard ones are pretty hard to beat...Bought mine after seeing some take a real beating on a JLUR with zero body damage.

 

[AcesandEights]

...

Jeep branding emphasizes tradition a lot, and those of us who have followed Jeeps for a long time can tend to idolize the CJ7, CJ5, MB, or Gladiator of old...

...but for this long-time Jeep fan who didn't pay much attention during the JK years (just happy with my daily driver TJ), I was a little bowled over at how the short wheelbase JL Rubicon is exactly the Jeep we always wanted Jeep to make back then.*

...

Yep, the Jeep Dakar and AEV Brute, the LJ...are all here now; the four-door Wrangler the JT and the JL two-door. We're in the "Golden Age" of Jeeps.

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