The_Phew
Well-Known Member
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I have no plans to crawl around on rocks (new Wranglers are way too expensive to risk in that way, IMHO), but I wanted a midsized manual transmission vehicle with 4 driven wheels for winter and light towing (5x8 utility trailer), and the Wrangler fits the bill. I don't particularly need a truck bed, and I wasn't too impressed with the 6MT Tacoma...that doesn't leave much else except the Wrangler (maybe upcoming Bronco/Ranger if they offer 6MT).
Because I don't intend to rock crawl, the Sahara trim seemed perfect, especially since it's available with Selec-Trac (i.e. Auto 4WD) and a mechanical LSD-both features that should improve winter traction/driveability immensely. HOWEVER, the JL Sahara has several configuration idiosyncrasies that make it a sub-par choice for winter driving:
-None of the three OEM tire choices on the Sahara have the Severe Service (snowflake on mountain) emblem, so they aren't very good for snow/ice
-The LSD requires selecting the upgraded wheels at additional cost, and switching to Severe Service tires myself (I'd probably pick Nokian Rotiiva AT Plus) would be nearly an additional $1k, so after those expenditures, overall cost is in Rubicon territory (which comes with Severe Service-rated KO2s)
I've learned that tires are everything when it comes to winter traction, so I believe that a Rubicon on KO2s would perform better than a Sahara on any of its OEM tire choices, even with LSD+Auto 4WD. I don't mind manually switching to 4High when necessary, but I really dislike open differentials in general. I don't foresee any usage scenario where I would find the locking differentials on the Rubicon to be necessary.
TL:DR-I wish the Sahara offered Severe Service-rated tires, at least when equipped with Selec-Trac and/or the LSD. I also don't like paying for the upgraded wheels just because I want an LSD.
EDIT-Seems like I would be satisfied with one of the inevitable special models, like the JK Arctic Edition which put Rubicon tires on a Sahara (among other cosmetic changes).
Because I don't intend to rock crawl, the Sahara trim seemed perfect, especially since it's available with Selec-Trac (i.e. Auto 4WD) and a mechanical LSD-both features that should improve winter traction/driveability immensely. HOWEVER, the JL Sahara has several configuration idiosyncrasies that make it a sub-par choice for winter driving:
-None of the three OEM tire choices on the Sahara have the Severe Service (snowflake on mountain) emblem, so they aren't very good for snow/ice
-The LSD requires selecting the upgraded wheels at additional cost, and switching to Severe Service tires myself (I'd probably pick Nokian Rotiiva AT Plus) would be nearly an additional $1k, so after those expenditures, overall cost is in Rubicon territory (which comes with Severe Service-rated KO2s)
I've learned that tires are everything when it comes to winter traction, so I believe that a Rubicon on KO2s would perform better than a Sahara on any of its OEM tire choices, even with LSD+Auto 4WD. I don't mind manually switching to 4High when necessary, but I really dislike open differentials in general. I don't foresee any usage scenario where I would find the locking differentials on the Rubicon to be necessary.
TL:DR-I wish the Sahara offered Severe Service-rated tires, at least when equipped with Selec-Trac and/or the LSD. I also don't like paying for the upgraded wheels just because I want an LSD.
EDIT-Seems like I would be satisfied with one of the inevitable special models, like the JK Arctic Edition which put Rubicon tires on a Sahara (among other cosmetic changes).
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