Offroad-Express

Hi all new to the page hoping someone will be able to help me out.

I have grown up 4wding and been doing it a while now myself I have owned surfs and Landcruisers my current weapon of choice is a 1990 Toyota Prado ute chopped running a Lexus v8 and simexes.

I am currently looking at purchasing a second 4wd for more easy going trips and abit of a daily driver.

After seeing how good with little to no modifications the TJ wranglers in my 4wd clubs go I am leaning this way just wondering what people think about them and wether the auto's are any good and what sorta reliability you can expect from one am not so worried about parts and servicing as a garage not far from me specilises in jeep servicing and modifications

Thanks
Brad 21 christchurch

I don't know about the Auto in the TJ. But the XJ's run a Asain-Warner auto (bolted to the same engine) and the same AW auto is used in Toyota's and Pajero's. They are super reliable. So worst case scenario, chuck an auto out of an XJ in it and you will be sweet. Probably buy a complete XJ for bugger all if you did end up needing a box and then you have all sorts of driveline spares.

Maybe, not the info you were after, but a good back up.

talk to the dudes in ya club who own em ......autos hate water in tj ...pain in the ass to put breather in ... good wee trucks mate ....ya either like jeep or ya don't ...I hate em .....what club ya in

TJs built from late 1996 (Model Year 1997) to 2006 use two different autos.

1997-2002 model year TJs used TorqueFlite 32RH 3-speed auto. Breather for these was in the bellhousing. A lot of people say they don't like water, but I used mine from almost new to 135k kms with no problems at all.

2003-2006 model year TJs used Ultradrive 42RLE 4-speed auto. 4th gear was overdrive to improve fuel economy (yeah right, Jeep = fuel economy = lost cause). Breather location was improved as well in the engine bay.

4.0l I6 engine in TJs (also used in many other Jeeps) as solid an engine as they come. Near bullet-proof if maintained.

I have now moved on to a JK, but prior to that I had driven my TJ for almost 12 years on a daily basis (and weekend fun).

Best bet would be talk to the workshop near you, talk to the club members with TJs. And see if you can drive one and see whether you like them. They are not the most comfortable to drive on a long drive (short wheelbase = twitchy on highway).

Hi Brad, have you seen this thread viewtopic.php?f=22&t=22013 ?

I reckon you should consider Diesel for a daily. Glen.

Thanks for the info guys yea I read on some yanky forums today about the breather for the trans going into the bell housing didn't find if it was easy to modify or not though I am in the mid-Canterbury club still in the joining process and I am in a club in Southland been doing abit with them for a while now and yea the obvious thing to do would be to buy a diesel hilux or Prado but wanting something different and I don't think the running costs will be a lot different still to research this yet

Wallsie794 wrote:Thanks for the info guys yea I read on some yanky forums today about the breather for the trans going into the bell housing didn't find if it was easy to modify or not though I am in the mid-Canterbury club still in the joining process and I am in a club in Southland been doing abit with them for a while now and yea the obvious thing to do would be to buy a diesel hilux or Prado but wanting something different and I don't think the running costs will be a lot different still to research this yet

Its not a difficult mod, but you do have to remove the transmission to do it. Having said that, you could always get a manual or 2003+ TJ with a non-32RH transmission (which when looked after is one of the strongest transmissions).

Enjoy life and buy something that will put a smile on your face every time you get in it, or buy a Toyota / Mitsubishi and be boring like ....

Pulling the entire transmission in order to fit a breather definately sounds logical to me.

lax2wlg wrote:Pulling the entire transmission in order to fit a breather definately sounds logical to me.

Almost as logical as having to replace most of your steering system just so something won't get bent when ya jump a kerb or two doin that hardcore mall crawling... Every vehicle has its faults, some more major than others.

Suck a bag of dicks.

zukmeista wrote: Every vehicle has its faults, some more major than others.

is that vehicle or person