Willys vs Rubicon

[Shibadog]

For those folks into very serious off road work (mud bogs, rock climbing) a Rubicon and it’s lockers makes sense, however for the Actual use of Most Jeeps a Sport with limited slip or a Willys will do anything the Jeep will ever be used for, plus if you drive in ice and snow they are actually more capable. Engaging lockers on icy roads will give a whole new meaning to driving “adventure”?. Keep you Willys and use it. IF, in the unlikely event you find something that doesn’t work for you, then think about modification. With self rescue equipment like a winch, etc. there is darn little your Willys can’t do.

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[Zandcwhite]

Then you must have the “Miracle Edition” Willys....! ?

2.0t vs V6 is my guess

 

[vasdimpop]

Rubicons are cool man, so is a Willys.
If money is no object, get the Rubicon.
If there’s a budget, price a Rubicon out and see, they’ve gone up a lot in MSRP since 2021

 

[Capt. Don]

Thought you were going off the deep end until your 2nd to last sentence. It's accurate but it doesn't sound like the OP is going that hardcore. All the OP really needs (whether he knows it or not) is better ability to carry a full cargo load. The Willys will likely be more than capable enough otherwise.

Yes, off on a tangent. A real bed behind a 4 door cab = Gladiator. A bit over the top but also Wagoner L, though I would hesitate to buy a Jeep that does not even have an exterior Jeep badge. OK, I am getting carried away here. But there is a world out there beside Wrangler, trying for a moment to think outside the box but still using the hardware that I like.

 

[Wilco7487]

Been doing a ton of research based off yalls suggestion. I will definitely look into upgrading springs and lift etc. I like the idea of trutrack, springs and lift.

set up I’m looking at with the roof top tent will include canopy, goose gear shelf system with fridge. Will definitely consider the winch as well, plus it looks bad ass.

i have the 32 inch mud tires and wondering what size tires still keeps it off road ready and a daily driver. Also considering lift. I appreciate the suggestions for mopar 2 inch lift.

 

[Wilco7487]

Here she is, bone stock.

 

[aldo98229]

Congratulations!

Of all the Wrangler trims, I find Willys in stock form look the best.

 

[No IFS]

Keep the Willys upgrade the axles Dana 60 rear /44 front and HD springs with the money. You’ll have the over-landing transfer case and better axles and weight capacity than any stock Rubicon.

 

[aldo98229]

i have the 32 inch mud tires and wondering what size tires still keeps it off road ready and a daily driver. Also considering lift. I appreciate the suggestions for mopar 2 inch lift.

You will find the 3.45 gears work decent as long as you stay under 34-inch tires. As you go past 34 inches, the Jeep starts to feel sluggish and it struggles holding 8th gear on anything but perfectly flat roads with a tail wind. It will also refuse to automatically hold the gear on declines.

You can’t go wrong with the Mopar lift. That’s what I got and would do it again. I needed to do some tweaking to the steering, though. The change in geometry made the steering become both twitchy and devoid of feel, and developed a pull to the right. I ended swapping the OE trackbar with a beefier Yeti unit, the OE stabilizer with a Fox 2.0 and, in my case, did the steering box TSB —which you shouldn’t have to do.

Having said that, the AEV DualSport 2.5, Dynatrac EnduroSport 2.0, and TeraFlex lifts are popular as well and cost roughly the same. I believe both AEV and TeraFlex include geometry correction brackets. Mopar includes longer control arms. Brad at Trail Recon recommends the Dynatrac as the best overall lift for combined daily driving and moderate wheeling.

Some Jeep dealers are also AEV dealers and will install the lift and warrant it.

 

[XYJGuy]

Been doing a ton of research based off yalls suggestion. I will definitely look into upgrading springs and lift etc. I like the idea of trutrack, springs and lift.

set up I’m looking at with the roof top tent will include canopy, goose gear shelf system with fridge. Will definitely consider the winch as well, plus it looks bad ass.

i have the 32 inch mud tires and wondering what size tires still keeps it off road ready and a daily driver. Also considering lift. I appreciate the suggestions for mopar 2 inch lift.

33’s IMHO or 35’s. But… moving from 32 MT’s to BFG K02 (33’s) was my best mod; it made a huge difference in ride quality. The ride was MUCH smoother on road and the perform great off road as well.

 

[InVinoVeritasty]

I own both. For your use case, Willys. Choose your camping buildout wisely, and after you have settled on your buildout, address the suspension, if needed. My $.02.

 

[Wilco7487]

33’s IMHO or 35’s. But… moving from 32 MT’s to BFG K02 (33’s) was my best mod; it made a huge difference in ride quality. The ride was MUCH smoother on road and the perform great off road as well.

Great insight. The willys on mud tires are definitely jumpy. With everyone mentioning travel load and suspension I wonder if adjustable suspension makes more sense. Adjust when load is light vs heavy etc.

Or do can a plain old Mopar 2 inch lift do the job?

 

[aldo98229]

Great insight. The willys on mud tires are definitely jumpy. With everyone mentioning travel load and suspension I wonder if adjustable suspension makes more sense. Adjust when load is light vs heavy etc.

Or do can a plain old Mopar 2 inch lift do the job?

Yes. The Mopar lift will smoothen the right.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

A 2” Mopar lift will be more like 3” on a Willys. Measurements are based on a Rubicon.

 

[Grogg]

I currently own a 2021 Willys and needing advice if the Rubicon is worth the upgrade.
I’m looking to build a camper with a rooftop tent, storage area in the trunk, fridge, etc.
I have zero experience off-roading and dont see myself rock crawling but my goal is to have road trips, drive to National Parks and have an all around vehicle. I’m sure the occassional obstacle is inevitable so I would like to be “prepared”. I’ve seen tours like the Pony Express much more up my alley. I live out of Austin, TX and have some beautiful parks to visit. The Willys handled well in Big Bend National Park although no specific challenging

My current Willys set up has the mud tires from the factory, LED headlamps. I’ve read good thanks about the command-trac as well as the Rubicon Rock-trac. Just wondering if exta features are worth it. This will obviously also be a daily driver. Would appreciate any lift size, suspension and gear ratio opinions. I also appreciate the bells and whistles, infotainment, heated seats, leather interior etc.
I appreciate the suggestions.

thanks!

Hi,
I have both, 2021 Willys and a 2022 Rubicon. If you are not planning to do much serious off roading then get the Willys. My Willys also came with the Firestone Destination mud tires that work very well in mud or deep snow, but are totally Useless on ice. My Rubicon came with the Falken Wildpeaks that work really well on ice and snow and ok in moderate mud.
For a daily driver you are better off with the Willys on a set of Falkens. I find my best off road settings for the Willys are to shut off the traction control and the electronic stability control.
If you want a little more security then mount a winch and you pretty much can go anywhere in your neck of the woods. The Falkens give you about an inch of extra lift. Instead of the tent I picked up a Geo Pro 12rk. With this set up I can have a base and explore.

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