Jk Rubicon

[Grover-98]

Hey guys this may be like eating pork at a Jewish families dinner but here goes...

I have been reading up on the JK Rubicon and to be honest it seems like a very good car for the money it is in the similar category to the Defender.

The Jk seems like a more capable 4x4, stronger drive line, standard lockers F+R, 73:1 final crawl ratio, In cab sway bar disconnects, same weather proof interior, good approach departure and ramp over, with 10" diff clearance and a completly protected underbody. Seems to me you wouldnt need to add anything other then some muddies and maybe a slight lift and winch.

I am very much a Land Rover fan but these seem great! only problem is the Rubicon doesnt have a diesel option here in Aus, Wrong badge and i am not sure on how they go for long living?

Any comments? :)

[Surly One]

Well I really hate to admit this and keep in mind that I do own two series 1 land rovers, I own a sport wrangler and it is quite a nice (and rugged) vehicle. It gives off strange noises now and then and has a few odd rattles and leaks but there are not too many basic 4wd's on the market at the moment.
If I could have afforded the extra I would own a rubi.

[PAT303]

I looked at the jeep before I bought my defender and the two I looked at were by far the most shoddy built vehicles I have ever seen this side of the Willys clone out of Malaysia,saying that I know a jeep owner in Laverton who swears by his.They are like LR's,you like them all you don't. Pat

[Blknight.aus]

the rubicon is an optioned up version of another jeep varient.

its like the difference between a defender and a defender extreme.

no problems with jeeps, they started it all, LR just did it better :)

[Grover-98]

Yeah id say they would be my first choice if the rubicon had a diesel variant!

[lambrover]

My personal opinion is I like the jeeps they have a strong drive line and ok suspension, draw back to fit 33'' tyres you need a 3 to 4'' spring lift and to get that to work properly you need a long arm kit, this kit consists of longer adjustable control arms, so you need to spend money to get them to work. Now with a county/defender you can fit 33'' and some say 35'' tyres on standard springs, now that is good and easily done. the suspension is much more workable in the rover as well, I have a county on 2.5'' over standard height spring with long travel shocks and my mate has a nissan patrol with 7'' spring lift and snake racing control arms and my car flexs the same as his so the rover set up is very good to start with. Stay with the rover mate.:D

[Psimpson7]

The JK Rubicon is far better specced than any other JK let alone the previous TJ's

I agree they seem like a good buy.

They have Dana 44's front and rear, sway bar disconnects and some sort of in house electronic lockers.

If you do a bit of research on pirate4x4 and the like you will find they do haev problems however.

the JK's will take 33's with no lift like a Defender too.

[dmdigital]

I didn't realise the Rubicon was even available in Australia. The latest Jeep Wranglers have come a long way, but personally I wouldn't buy one. I just don't like them that much. That said, having ridden in one I was impressed, but it's ETC wasn't a patch on the Defender's - it didn't have lockers.

One downside though I don't think you can easily fit a second battery or compressor anywhere. Certainly nothing else can fit under the incredibly crowded engine bay of the diesel.

[Sleepy]

Hey guys this may be like eating pork at a Jewish families dinner but here goes...

I have been reading up on the JK Rubicon and to be honest it seems like a very good car for the money it is in the similar category to the Defender.

The Jk seems like a more capable 4x4, stronger drive line, standard lockers F+R, 73:1 final crawl ratio, In cab sway bar disconnects, same weather proof interior, good approach departure and ramp over, with 10" diff clearance and a completly protected underbody. Seems to me you wouldnt need to add anything other then some muddies and maybe a slight lift and winch.

I am very much a Land Rover fan but these seem great! only problem is the Rubicon doesnt have a diesel option here in Aus, Wrong badge and i am not sure on how they go for long living?

Any comments? :)

Ahh, you're about 12 months behind me. http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/57713-heart-vs-head-defender-rubicon.html



I like the rubicon specs - low diff ratio, auto etc etc - you're right a diesel option would be good too.

I have "slept with the enemy" at www.ausjeepoffroad.com (http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/vbindex.php). A nice bunch of guys with a few stories to tell. Pop in there and read some of the JK warranty issues.:(

I sigh when I read Dullbirds woes of Puma ownership but what these Jeep owners have gone through is scarry:o. Sounds like Jeep have been to the land rover school of aftermarket support and graduated dux of the class.:angel:

Quite frankly the the Rubicon looks a terriffic package and a reasonable price ( I reckon you'd have to ditch that plastic bumper and give it a mild lift ).
Based on the advice I have got - I wouldn't touch one with someone elses barge pole.

[Sam Ball]

Guilty as charged.
Not a Rubicon - but had to have the diesel - so pimped it instead.
I think if you're into real 4wds, it doesnt really matter the badge.
I love Landy's and Jeeps, they're both tough and basic.

[Grover-98]

Ahh, you're about 12 months behind me. http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/57713-heart-vs-head-defender-rubicon.html



I like the rubicon specs - low diff ratio, auto etc etc - you're right a diesel option would be good too.
Yeap all the specs seem great but the diesel would sell it too me!


I have "slept with the enemy" at www.ausjeepoffroad.com (http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/vbindex.php). A nice bunch of guys with a few stories to tell. Pop in there and read some of the JK warranty issues.:(
I am also sleeping with the enemy! joined last night they are a friendly crowed! and accepting of my land rover heart...but they may be softening me up ;)

I sigh when I read Dullbirds woes of Puma ownership but what these Jeep owners have gone through is scarry:o. Sounds like Jeep have been to the land rover school of aftermarket support and graduated dux of the class.:angel:

Yeah see when i heard about allll the dramas people were having with the new defender thats when i thought what else is there. But i havn't heard any reliability problems of service! ;)

Quite frankly the the Rubicon looks a terriffic package and a reasonable price ( I reckon you'd have to ditch that plastic bumper and give it a mild lift ).
Based on the advice I have got - I wouldn't touch one with someone elses barge pole.
Well buying one which is out of warranty would mean no need to worry about the issues. ;) Yeah you wont get the warrenty but i think buying a slightly used car is a better pocket choice! since they lose 15-20% as soon as cash is transfered.



Thats my thoughts ;)

[B92 8NW]

I think if you're into real 4wds, it doesnt really matter the badge.


Exactly what I've tried to convey for ages.

Pragmatism - does this vehicle satisfy all the criteria that I require a vehicle to satisfy, versus "this vehicle has a particular badge and I'm happy to roll with the compromises".

[B92 8NW]

Exactly what I've tried to convey for ages.

Pragmatism - does this vehicle satisfy all the criteria that I require a vehicle to satisfy, versus "this vehicle has a particular badge and I'm happy to roll with the compromises".

By the way I'm just covering myself:D.

[Sleepy]

Thats my thoughts ;)

Fair enough Grover - thought you were gonna go for a new one. Yes there's a chance you're previous owner has either fixed all the bugs:D...... or given up:o

I'm sure if you got a good one they'd be great.

I reckon if I wanted another SWB I would consider one, but if I was thinking about a four door, I'd grab a nice second hand td5 defender. :angel:

[Grover-98]

Guilty as charged.
Not a Rubicon - but had to have the diesel - so pimped it instead.
I think if you're into real 4wds, it doesnt really matter the badge.
I love Landy's and Jeeps, they're both tough and basic.

Yeah i agree! i am into real 4x4s that is why i love the Pinzgauer so much it is perfect!

Is yours the ultimate? i read you can get an upgrade kit which gives you the stronger drive train, Disconnect sway bars and a rear locker. This would be in my opinion only one locker off being the rubicon so why not add the front locker to the pack which costs $3000...So it would pretty much be a diesel rubicon!

:D

[Sleepy]

Exactly what I've tried to convey for ages.
Pragmatism - does this vehicle satisfy all the criteria that I require a vehicle to satisfy, versus "this vehicle has a particular badge and I'm happy to roll with the compromises".

OK mr practical. So your telling me you don't have an emotional attachment to your Landy? To me that is what I enjoy. That's why I would buy one in preference to a Nissan/Toyota/Jeep/Hummer. Stupid, blind faith.:angel: hehehe


P.S. Do you know the postcode of where Jeeps are built???????;)

[B92 8NW]

OK mr practical. So your telling me you don't have an emotional attachment to your Landy? To me that is what I enjoy. That's why I would buy one in preference to a Nissan/Toyota/Jeep/Hummer. Stupid, blind faith.:angel: hehehe


P.S. Do you know the postcode of where Jeeps are built???????;)

I don't identify an emotional thing. This is a machine. No matter how much emotion one invests in a machine, it's never going to love you back.

Oh god! It's true. I am a soulless bastard:(.




:D

[SVX37]

Hey guys this may be like eating pork at a Jewish families dinner but here goes...

I have been reading up on the JK Rubicon and to be honest it seems like a very good car for the money it is in the similar category to the Defender.

The Jk seems like a more capable 4x4, stronger drive line, standard lockers F+R, 73:1 final crawl ratio, In cab sway bar disconnects, same weather proof interior, good approach departure and ramp over, with 10" diff clearance and a completly protected underbody. Seems to me you wouldnt need to add anything other then some muddies and maybe a slight lift and winch.

I am very much a Land Rover fan but these seem great! only problem is the Rubicon doesnt have a diesel option here in Aus, Wrong badge and i am not sure on how they go for long living?

Any comments? :)

Just went through all this...I like them, and it is the only Jeep I would touch. There is 2 simple reasons I did not buy it...
1. Resale is not great.
2. There is no room in them and the roll cage intrudes heaps.

[Sam Ball]

Didn't got the the whole hog, just a 2" lift, 17" wheels and 35" tyres.
Spoke to the guys at Pro Comp in Melbourne, and they said for a daily drive, it was best to stop there because any more height etc would compromise the road handling.
I've been through some pretty challenging stuff, and never had a problem - except last weekend at Hotham - got too close to a ditch that was covered in snow, and then had an encounter with a stand of snowgums. I told my Wife the winch was essential!
If you're into these - check American Expedition Vehicles site under the JK gallery. Pro comp can bring all the gear in.
Reliability - I've only had one drama, with the turbo hose splitting about a month ago, but under warranty and a few little other niggly problems like CD player and rear seat fold down mechanism, but other than that it has been a lot of fun.

[Sleepy]

I don't identify an emotional thing. This is a machine. No matter how much emotion one invests in a machine, it's never going to love you back.

Oh god! It's true. I am a soulless bastard:(.
:D

Yep no hope for you. :mad:
I can remember climbing out of a bloody tricky spot in the Caledonia river link track. I was very inexperienced, but getting the hang of this 4wding stuff.
I was somewhat :eek::eek: ing my pants.

When we stopped at the top of the hill, I could smell diesel, oil and very hot brakes (The etc got a good workout) as the defender took a rest. I gave it a little rub on the dashboard and smiled. Yes we love each other:wub:.....

No hope for me either:D:D:D


Grover sorry for the hijack.:angel:......back to those Chrysler Jeep thingies.....
(Isn't Chrslyer bankrupt?)

[Grover-98]

Didn't got the the whole hog, just a 2" lift, 17" wheels and 35" tyres.
Spoke to the guys at Pro Comp in Melbourne, and they said for a daily drive, it was best to stop there because any more height etc would compromise the road handling.
I've been through some pretty challenging stuff, and never had a problem - except last weekend at Hotham - got too close to a ditch that was covered in snow, and then had an encounter with a stand of snowgums. I told my Wife the winch was essential!
If you're into these - check American Expedition Vehicles site under the JK gallery. Pro comp can bring all the gear in.
Reliability - I've only had one drama, with the turbo hose splitting about a month ago, but under warranty and a few little other niggly problems like CD player and rear seat fold down mechanism, but other than that it has been a lot of fun.

Does the ultimate have the disconnect sway bars? and does it have just the rear difflock? or is that the package they were talking about?

[Sam Ball]

Not sure Richard - i just got the stock standard Sport and took it to Pro Comp.
You could always price it both ways. From memory Jeep didn't want to have a lot to do with the mods- they just directed me.
Met a guy from the Jeep club who had a JK and had fitted the sway bars himnself, said it was pretty straight forward. They're pretty helpul those guys.
Bottom line is the car is very basic, its great on the open road, but a bit of a pig around town. But I don't care, I love the fact that I can go off road with the roof off (brilliant at Fraser island). And its very tough.
The 5 of us drove it up to Queensland and I was worried about the space, but it actually compared well to our Patrol - I think because the rear seats folded up in the Patrol still eat into the boot space.

[4wd4fun]

I have a soft spot for Jeeps as my first vehicle was a CJ5 rebuilt from ground up started when I was 15:D. Loved it. :D
My daughter has seen photos of it and likes the new ones and thinks they are cool. I have only owned jeep and Rovers 4WD and they are two very Iconic vehicles. They both have little things you put up with which there owners love or love to hate but most Toyo/nissan/mitsu drivers don’t like and will not say a nice word about.
It’s nice to see another brand of vehicle mentioned on this forum and not be rubbished cheers to all.:twobeers:
Personally would love to have a jeep in my garage beside my rover but can only have 1 so I have the rover.:clap2:

[Grover-98]

I have a soft spot for Jeeps as my first vehicle was a CJ5 rebuilt from ground up started when I was 15:D. Loved it. :D
My daughter has seen photos of it and likes the new ones and thinks they are cool. I have only owned jeep and Rovers 4WD and they are two very Iconic vehicles. They both have little things you put up with which there owners love or love to hate but most Toyo/nissan/mitsu drivers don’t like and will not say a nice word about.
It’s nice to see another brand of vehicle mentioned on this forum and not be rubbished cheers to all.:twobeers:
Personally would love to have a jeep in my garage beside my rover but can only have 1 so I have the rover.:clap2:

I agree with you very much!

Land Rover owners and Jeep owners are very similar we are often in love with out choice of 4x4, and put up with the minor issues. Also on this forum talk of the Rubicon has been all positive as was the talk of Defenders on the Jeep forum...I was on their chat room last night and they were all very interested in knowing some facts and info about my 98 300Tdi D1... So this has also helped sell Jeeps to me as they are great people in my eyes. Try talk about another brand of 4x4 on a toyota forum id say you would be banned :angel:

Cheers guys! reminds me why i joined this forum! you are all great blokes :)

[PAT303]

Thats why I'm on this forum,good unbiased advice. Pat

[Scallops]

What's the Rubicon's payload?

I like a Defender cos it will carry a ton on board - useful for touring, and that's what I do in mine.

[Psimpson7]

Not certain but its biggest downfall is its woeful tow capacity.

[Grover-98]

Not certain but its biggest downfall is its woeful tow capacity.

Yeah i agree i was highly disappointed with that! i think it only 2000 Pounds? correct me if im wrong.

Just on a side note what is the tow capacity of the new Diesel Defender, and that of a 300Tdi 98 D1?

Land Rover have always been leaders in towing am i correct? :)

[Psimpson7]

Pretty sure that all Defenders have 3500/4000kgs as did D1's

Yeah I think the JK may be 1250kg but even so its very poor.

[rmp]

The JK Wrangler is a very, very good car.

It is not a Defender, or even in the same class. A Defender is the very best car to carry a heavy or bulky load over rough terrain, economically. It is a workhorse expedition vehicle.

A Wrangler is what you have for a fun weekend. As others have said, the Wrangler's payload, cargo area and towing capacity are woeful and although people do set them up as tourers, IMHO they are starting with the wrong car for the job.

It is however a great drive in all conditions, and superb offroad, although it really needs a 2" lift as the ramp angle is poor especially in LWB (Unlimited) form. Standard tyres are 32" on 17" rims. Blasting around with the top down and the premium stereo up is just great for any vehicle enthusiast. Hint; the stab control can be turned RIGHT off in 4WD ;-)

There is, as JD says, no room under the diesel's bonnet for a second battery.

The diesel is available with a factory Offroad Pack which adds the swaybar disconnect, rear locker and 3.73 ratio diffs. This is very close to the Rubicon and would be my personal choice, given the short legs of the petrols. I'd also avoid the autos, the 6-speed manuals are more fun and the autos in both are quite ordinary, and the petrol likes a drink.

The JK is a very good short-range car and in Rubicon form the best stock offroader on the market. Yes, it beats the Defender and the D3. I would love to own one and if my Defender died I'd get a Wrangler instead as a daily driver and short-trip vehicle. It is also quite safe, with ESC, ABS, airbags and even seat airbags. It's also good value, and I don't think resale will be an issue. Build quality is acceptable.

[djam1]

Nothing wrong with a Jeep almost as good as a Land Rover

[Grover-98]

So we would all agree the Rubicon to be a better weekender play toy and the defender to be a better tourer. :)

[Grover-98]

Nothing wrong with a Jeep almost as good as a Land Rover

Being the key word:p:p :wasntme:

[Sleepy]

Yes, it beats the Defender and the D3.

I am unbiasedly unconvinced of this. I'd like to see a "head to head".:angel:

[Psimpson7]

There was a review of a D110 vs a Rubicon LWB in one of the UK off road mags, and the 110 beat it. I cant for the life of me remember which one it was.

[2 rocks]

I have a soft spot for Jeeps as my first vehicle was a CJ5 rebuilt from ground up started when I was 15:D. Loved it. :D
My daughter has seen photos of it and likes the new ones and thinks they are cool. I have only owned jeep and Rovers 4WD and they are two very Iconic vehicles. They both have little things you put up with which there owners love or love to hate but most Toyo/nissan/mitsu drivers don’t like and will not say a nice word about.
It’s nice to see another brand of vehicle mentioned on this forum and not be rubbished cheers to all.:twobeers:
Personally would love to have a jeep in my garage beside my rover but can only have 1 so I have the rover.:clap2:

I consider myself very fortunate to have the D2 as a comfy long range tourer (or will be when I've fixed some more things on it) and a TJ with 4.5" long arm lift for rock crawling and summer fun. Not as flash as a JK but it'll do me :).
So I have a little of both brands I love. :D

Mike

[mjm295]

Picking up a new Jeep Cherokee Limited on Monday.

I'll let you know what its like. Didn't buy it for off road use, but it should take us on holiday, bit of touring, and to the beach.

[2 rocks]

Picking up a new Jeep Cherokee Limited on Monday.
I'll let you know what its like. Didn't buy it for off road use, but it should take us on holiday, bit of touring, and to the beach.

Cool!
I took a 2nd hand Grand Chero CRD for a drive not long ago (UHF, long range tank, barwork and twin wheel carrier) - very nice, refined and comfy car though a bit tight on load space compared to the Disco, but that Merc diesel...oh to be able to fit that into the D2!

Mike

[rmp]

Good to see no serious Jeep-bashing here.

As someone said earlier -- I'm one of those people that enjoys cool cars. The badge isn't important, it's the character of the vehicle.

Note that a cool car with character is NOT necessarily the same as a good car. In fact, some might say those attributes are mutually exclusive. I would suggest cars like the JK Wrangler and Discovery 3 prove otherwise.

[rick130]

I have a soft spot for Jeeps as my first vehicle was a CJ5 rebuilt from ground up started when I was 15:D. Loved it. :D
My daughter has seen photos of it and likes the new ones and thinks they are cool. I have only owned jeep and Rovers 4WD and they are two very Iconic vehicles. They both have little things you put up with which there owners love or love to hate but most Toyo/nissan/mitsu drivers don’t like and will not say a nice word about.
It’s nice to see another brand of vehicle mentioned on this forum and not be rubbished cheers to all.:twobeers:
Personally would love to have a jeep in my garage beside my rover but can only have 1 so I have the rover.:clap2:

SNAP !

My very first road registered car I bought in 1984 was a '74 CJ-6.
It'd been to hell and back on a farm.
Damn I loved that thing and still wish I had it.

[backdoc94]

I have owned a Disco 2 with all the trimmings and a Defender Extreme. I loved both of those vehicles when I could keep them on the road. The Disco literally cost me $8000 a year in service and fixes and I drive 5 kms to work each day. When it came time for a new model I could not see getting a Disco 3 (much too pretty and $$$$). I considered a new Defender, one of the SVX special edition versions looked nice but still too basic for my liking, the money was too dear for it and I really wanted an automatic this time, (damn knees).

Not many options for a serious four wheel drive with diesel and an auto. I ordered an 4 door Diesel hardtop Wrangler. It comes with 32" tyres and it will fit 33" with no lift but I put on a 3 inch lift, only needed springs and shocks. It now easily fits my 33" Cooper STT and would fit 35s if I was really keen. That is on the stock wheels - 8" wide.

You can order the diesel with an "Off road" pack which has a rear locker and disconnecting front sway bar. Not quite the Rubicon but pretty close. The Jeep Diesel has 460 NM in the auto version so power is much better than my Defender ever was (yes it was even chipped) although economy is not as good as my Defender.

Don't get me wrong I loved my Defender but the Wrangler has a great heating and cooling system, right elbow room, comfortable seats all the way round with plenty of room for all passengers. The SatNav is top notch with a 20GB hard drive to store all my music. The automatic trans is excellent especially in low range. The pop off tops are fun in the summer as well.

Now for the down sides. The storage in the rear is about 1/2 that of the Defender. Clearance under the vehicle is not as good although diff clearance is better. No room in engine bay for 2nd battery (neither is there in the Defender) but 2nd battery fits under the front seat or in a space in the rear with a longer shallow battery that Battery World sells. My air pump is under the seat which keeps it clean. Integrated roll-bar takes up lots of room but at least it has one (have you ever seen a rolled Defender??? Nothing left from the waist up - scary). The Wrangler is difficult to mount a roof rack to - the hard top only supports 40kgs. I had to get a rack system that bolts to the chasis and floats over the top but it carries 500 lbs. The black plastic top gets really hot in the summer making the AC work really hard, I had a shade sail made that attaches to the roof rack to give it some shade - hugh difference.

So its not perfect but unless you want to spend $80,000plus on your next 4X4 the Wrangler is a great option. It has all the toys like traction control, anti-roll mitigation, ESP, ABS, tyre pressure warning and the biggie for me - AIRBAGS - up front and in the seats. All this for $15,000 less than the Defender I was looking at. What finally sinched it for me though wa the service costs which are close to 1/2 of the diesel Land Rovers and the dealer has been much more friendly. My dealer is actually one of the board members of the local Jeep Club and uses his, imagine that.

[4wd4fun]

SNAP !

My very first road registered car I bought in 1984 was a '74 CJ-6.
It'd been to hell and back on a farm.
Damn I loved that thing and still wish I had it.

I know how you feel I miss mine some days but it was not practicle for family holidays. I did love the Six falcon motor mine had factory fitted I modded with Twin system and 350 Holy. The model was Combat 6 CJ5, app 65 year model short front gards and Square windscreen frame.
Cheers Allan

[2 rocks]

Good to see no serious Jeep-bashing here.

As someone said earlier -- I'm one of those people that enjoys cool cars. The badge isn't important, it's the character of the vehicle.

Note that a cool car with character is NOT necessarily the same as a good car. In fact, some might say those attributes are mutually exclusive. I would suggest cars like the JK Wrangler and Discovery 3 prove otherwise.

Well said. :cool:
And as I think was mentioned before, most of the people on Ausjeepoffroad are respectful of Land Rover. Most of the flak seems to come from the Rising Sun direction. :D
Don't get me wrong the the Japanese 4WDs I've owned have for the most part been reliable and capable but character wasn't in the design spec. ;)
Cheers
Mike