Rubicon or willys ????

[Suffolklou]

I didn't know that the rubicon doesn't have a LSD in the rear end . That is a deal breaker for winter driving , I live in south dakota ....
Now wondering if I should be comparing a sahara to a Willys.

No limited slip, but you can engage the rear locker in 4hi with the flick of a switch.

Like I said, i might have went willys extreme recon instead of rubicon if it were me. But that wasnt your original question. Now that you have opened it up to more models, I would think about 4xe.

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[GATORB8]

No limited slip, but you can engage the rear locker in 4hi with the flick of a switch.

And has BLD like everything else. The 4Auto case is also an option with either.

 

[CMTAZ]

I just bought a 2020 Willy's. Been modding since I got it home. IMHO, the ABSOLUTE best mod was to get rid of the Firestone M/Ts. They were replaced with Toyo Open Country A/T (285/75 17 - essentially 34s). The Jeep rides better, handles, better and is MUCH quieter. Also, the headliner ( hotheads ) further reduced the interior noise.

 

[bjm00se]

Now wondering if I should be comparing a sahara to a Willys.

All wranglers tend to be more capable off road that folks expect. They'd all do "Fins 'n Things" in Moab with a minimum of drama, and that tends to be the most "hardcore off-roading" that most folks tend to want to do.

So yeah, Sahara is a great place to start with a Wrangler that'll be doing a lot of duty on pavement.

 

[zdr]

If your wife is going to be driving in snow, she is going to find Willys’s rear LSD a LOT more useful than Rubicon’s lockers.

Even more, I’d order the Willys with shift-it-and-forget-in Selec-Trac full-time 4WD.

Unlike lockers, LSD works 24/7 and engages automatically, instantly and seamlessly at any speed; it works in 2WD, in 4H, in 4L and in 4Auto.

Is the Roc-Trac on a Rubicon similar to the Selec Trac?

 

[aldo98229]

I didn't know that the rubicon doesn't have a LSD in the rear end . That is a deal breaker for winter driving , I live in south dakota ....
Now wondering if I should be comparing a sahara to a Willys.

Mechanically, Willys and Sahara are very similar. The main hardware difference is Sahara gets you bigger brakes and 18-inch wheels. Other than that, it’s mostly cosmetic: Sahara offers nicer interior and exterior bits, more colors inside and out, leather seats, etc.; Willys looks sportier.

If you are planning to get the LEDs, on Sahara all the lights match; on Willys you end up with a mixture of LEDs and halogens.

Sahara also includes large sides steps, as opposed to Willys’s rock rails.

 

[aldo98229]

Is the Roc-Trac on a Rubicon similar to the Selec Trac?

Yes and No. Rubicon’s optional full-time transfer case has an Auto mode which is similar to Selec-Trac, but it retains unique 4:1 transfer case. On Rubicon the transfer case is paired to a lockable —but open— rear diff; on Willys/Sahara, Selec-Trac uses the regular 2.72:1 transfer case, paired to a rear LSD.

 

[aldo98229]

I just bought a 2020 Willy's. Been modding since I got it home. IMHO, the ABSOLUTE best mod was to get rid of the Firestone M/Ts. They were replaced with Toyo Open Country A/T (285/75 17 - essentially 34s). The Jeep rides better, handles, better and is MUCH quieter. Also, the headliner ( hotheads ) further reduced the interior noise.

Yeah, MT tires look great but they can be a handful on-road.

 

[zdr]

Yes and No. Rubicon’s optional full-time transfer case has an Auto mode which is similar to Selec-Trac, but it retains unique 4:1 transfer case. On Rubicon the transfer case is paired to a lockable —but open— rear diff; on Willys/Sahara, Selec-Trac uses the regular 2.72:1 transfer case, paired to a rear LSD.

So the rock-trac wouldn't be as useful on snowy roads as the selec-trac?

 

[aldo98229]

Full disclosure: I own a Sahara at the moment.

Of nine Wranglers I’ve owned over the years, four were Rubicons and five Saharas.

Rubicons can be a lot of fun, but I find Sahara better rounded overall: it does everything I need from it a little more easily. Especially drive in snow.

 

[Boogey]

No limited slip, but you can engage the rear locker in 4hi with the flick of a switch.

Like I said, i might have went willys extreme recon instead of rubicon if it were me. But that wasnt your original question. Now that you have opened it up to more models, I would think about 4xe.

When will the 2022 Willys with XR be open for order? No 2022 on the website yet.

 

[aldo98229]

So the rock-trac wouldn't be as useful on snowy roads as the selec-trac?

Rubicon’s Rock-Trac is an absolute BEAST in deep snow. Anything 1-foot or deeper is best handled by Rubicon with Rock-Trac and lockers.

But for most common snow driving conditions, I find the Selec-Trac + a rear LSD works just beautifully.

 

[longfiredragon]

I have a 21 Willy's JLU and it is my daily driver. I love it and don't mind the Radial T/A M/T tires. They are a bit noisy but I don't mind. Handling is fine I just drove from FL to NC and it handled and rode great.
However if it is for your wife she may not like it. I went for as much off road capability as I could afford. There are 2 Willy's you can get. The Willy's sport ( base jeep inside) and then the upper package which has more options. I am still in NC right now and have been off road every day this week including Windrock on Tuesday. I am glad I have the Willy's over something like the stock Sahara. Oh, the Willy's sport is a lot less than the Rubicon it's the upper trim Willy's that comes in just under the Rubicon. I love the Rubicon, I just couldn't swing it in my budget, plus I know down the road my Willys will do everything I need it to. Plus I wanted the Willy's to pay tribute to the original. Outfit them both on the jeep website and see what she likes best.

 

[Dakota Jeeper]

I didn't know that the rubicon doesn't have a LSD in the rear end . That is a deal breaker for winter driving , I live in south dakota ....
Now wondering if I should be comparing a sahara to a Willys.

Well hello fellow SD’er! Where in the state are you?

 

[Slaw32]

Well hello fellow SD’er! Where in the state are you?

45 miles north west of sioux falls

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