4 Door Jeep JKU...??

zayne2427 · Mar 13, 2017

Wife has been wanting a 4 door jeep JK Unlimited for a while and finally going to try and get her one soon. Drove one this weekend and she fell in love with it
Any years to stay away from or things to look out for? I know a lot of guys on here wheel them or daily drive them, just looking for some feedback
Thanks

Beerj · Mar 13, 2017

I remember there being something up with the 2012's. Maybe funky heads? Can't quite recall.

zayne2427 · Mar 13, 2017

i remember hearing talk about some of the engines but dont remember what years they were.
Figured i would try my best to dodge the years that had problems and worse case scenerio i would buy an LS from Patrick and swap it out.

Dillehay · Mar 13, 2017

the 3.8 motor did have issues. Heads, unusual oil consumption (don't remember the exact cause).
The 3.6 was the fix.....more horsepower and no head issues.
My wife drives a 2014 Rubicon (mall crawler) only issue so far (65k) has been the radiator. Developed a leak, replaced under warranty. My wife loves this jeep. But now she wants a "Sedan" AKA BMW 5 series. The jeep will be a weekend vehicle at that point.
I have a good friend that has one of the early JK's with the 3.8.....does not drive it a lot, but has had no issues with the motor so far.

j-mox · Mar 13, 2017

I believe after 2012 they are pretty reliable. Early models had lots of engine problems.

biggin · Mar 13, 2017

Stay away from the 3.8 motors in the 07 to 11 years. No matter the milage, don't buy one. Not only are the unreliable, oil consuming pos's, they are under powered. Plus the newer ones have nicer interior. I've owned an 07 jku rubicon and a 13 jku sport. Loved the sport, despised the rubi.

blacksheep10 · Mar 13, 2017

2011 and down engine is ****. Mine has one, it is a ****ing turd. Trans sucks **** too. They closed the ratios, added a gear, and the 12 up trans is about 10x more durable. The pentastar in 12 up is pretty legit. I don't care if it's $5K more, buy the 12 up. PS, you aren't LS swapping one. Sure, its doable, but get your checkbook out. GenIV/6L only, and it takes a lot of extra computers to make it not a Christmas tree dash and have everything work. I've looked into it about 15 times. Big headache and costly harness/brains/etc.

money_pit_yj · Mar 13, 2017

We bought my wife one in December of 2014. Had zero issues with it. She loved it. I hated the idea that it was our primary vehicle. Traveling long distances in it sucked and it was not the most practical for two kids. That being said, if I had Bolt McPholman money I would probably have one as a secondary vehicle. The thing that bothers me is that even in a $50K rubicon with all the bells and whistles, at the end of the day it is still a freaking Wrangler, granted they ride better and have more room but it is still a jeep. She recently went back to a Toyota Highlander and she said the other day "I just realized how bad my Jeep rode".

zayne2427 · Mar 13, 2017

blacksheep10 said:
2011 and down engine is ****. Mine has one, it is a ****ing turd. Trans sucks **** too. They closed the ratios, added a gear, and the 12 up trans is about 10x more durable. The pentastar in 12 up is pretty legit. I don't care if it's $5K more, buy the 12 up. PS, you aren't LS swapping one. Sure, its doable, but get your checkbook out. GenIV/6L only, and it takes a lot of extra computers to make it not a Christmas tree dash and have everything work. I've looked into it about 15 times. Big headache and costly harness/brains/etc.

That really rains on my parade....But thats why i asked. The only color she want is Steel Blue metallic and its the rarest factory color ever made apparently. The only ones i can find less than 30k are 2007-2008 models. Guess i will be either buying a wrecked one or repainting one. Good thing i know a guy with a body shop

blacksheep10 · Mar 13, 2017

zayne2427 said:
That really rains on my parade....But thats why i asked. The only color she want is Steel Blue metallic and its the rarest factory color ever made apparently. The only ones i can find less than 30k are 2007-2008 models. Guess i will be either buying a wrecked one or repainting one. Good thing i know a guy with a body shop

Paint a 12 and up. Or get an old one and save 10K on it and LS swap to come out even.
I bought my 09 rubi for 10,100 with 36,000 miles. on it. Put it all back together (rolled/wrecked) with my buddy's help at his body shop. Have about 17K in it with no labor. It's my daily, I really like it around town. 37's with 1.75" lift spacers, stock springs. Rides great, I take it in the trees several times a week. We also take them to Colorado and also did Moab. On the highway it is a no go. Weak trans and a jump from 1:1 to like .68:1 or something ****ing obscene that even a 100hp increase won't help. the 6 speed is manageable. If she can do a stick, do a 6 speed rubi and rock out with a small blower, 4-5 lbs. 2 friends have this and it highways just fine. 170K on one of them, and it has been rolled and drown in a lake and is still ticking. Just keep it full of oil

fabricator1 · Mar 13, 2017

We bought a 15 rubicon for my girlfriend to drive for a summer vehicle. Michigan winters and trying to keep it out of the salt. And she only wanted a anvil colored one, which I like also because it's the only one in our town. Since we ordered it and it was no extra cost, I got 4.10 gears. Otherwise the automatic rubicon's come 3.73 in the 2013+. Put some 35s on it and it runs down the highway great. 4.10s were too much with stock tires. Because we wheel it a lot in the local sand dunes, my only complaint is the tire pressure sensors and traction control stuff. Soon as you air down the dash is flashing at you and you can't go anywhere until you turn the traction off which is fine, but every time you shut the jeep off you have to remember to turn the traction off again. I might see if I can get a programmer to take care of that

hwmiller · Mar 13, 2017

Speaking of of ls swaps, have any of you looked into the Motech kit? It seems that he has gotten it figured out.

My wife has a 2010 JKU auto and no major problems (80,000 miles). It sucks on long trips. It struggles on the interstate even completely stock. Couldn't imagine what it would be like with 35s or even 37s. We usually just set the cruise and let it shift however it wants.

in the end, it is a fun vehicle and she says she will never sell it.

j-mox · Mar 13, 2017

You could Hemi swap an older model. AEV has a plug and play kit for ~$6300 minus the motor.

Chunk of change but takes most of the headaches out of it.

blacksheep10 · Mar 13, 2017

Yes, but the trans isn't up to task for the long haul from what I've heard. I talked to a guy recently, I brought up the motech as that's what I'd seen from my research to be the best. in the last 2 years the kit has gone up a couple grand. Used to be complete, exhaust, radiator, brackets, EVERYTHING for a couple G less than his kit that doesn't have some of that now. The guy I was talking to says he does a few of them and he uses:
http://www.rpmextreme.com/Page/4/Jeep-JK-LS-Engine-Swaps.aspx
No idea who is good and who isn't. I just wanted a 6.2 VVT and 6L80 in there. I've given up now, I have a sprintex blower for mine when i get a chance to put it on

ranger11 · Mar 13, 2017

Re:

We bought an 11jkur brand new. Tried to sell a few times. Like everyone says way underpowered with stock tires. 35s bring the major suck. and 11-12mpg. The 11s have the newer interior and updated electronics's. It took several years for the aftermarket companies to make a tuner due to the security jeep put in the ecms. Oh yeah and the magical oil missing issue been doing it since 25k now we're at 60k. It is the first vehicle my wife and I purchased new so it's staying in the family.

I plan to gut it and put tons and ls along with a new dash/gauge cluster . Be a few more years though.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

B.DRAKE · Mar 13, 2017

zayne2427 said:
That really rains on my parade....But thats why i asked. The only color she want is Steel Blue metallic and its the rarest factory color ever made apparently. The only ones i can find less than 30k are 2007-2008 models. Guess i will be either buying a wrecked one or repainting one. Good thing i know a guy with a body shop

Ah heck man just reach a little deeper in them deep pockets and buy her one :flipoff1:

zayne2427 · Mar 13, 2017

Pockets are empty. Bank will be toting the note on this one

nateb83 · Mar 13, 2017

I test drove a 2008 before getting my 2012, engines are night and day different on the interstate too, Id do what these guys say and bite the bullet and go newer, Its well worth it just for the power and not to here it downshift every 30 secs

jwilson645 · Mar 13, 2017

blacksheep10 said:
Yes, but the trans isn't up to task for the long haul from what I've heard. I talked to a guy recently, I brought up the motech as that's what I'd seen from my research to be the best. in the last 2 years the kit has gone up a couple grand. Used to be complete, exhaust, radiator, brackets, EVERYTHING for a couple G less than his kit that doesn't have some of that now. The guy I was talking to says he does a few of them and he uses:
http://www.rpmextreme.com/Page/4/Jeep-JK-LS-Engine-Swaps.aspx
No idea who is good and who isn't. I just wanted a 6.2 VVT and 6L80 in there. I've given up now, I have a sprintex blower for mine when i get a chance to put it on

Jon and JP at RPMExtreme do some nice, clean JK v8 conversions but it ain't cheap. IIRC, it's in the $12-15k range for them to do it but that is with them furnishing new engine, trans, harness, computer, tune, whatever it takes to make it turnkey.

DarkHollowBouncer46 · Mar 13, 2017

Bought my wife a 2016 JKU in June of last year and we absolutely love it. We just drive it on our days off of work plenty of power. Only complaint with the auto is it seems like it never stops shifting.