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Tiomiguel
Nomad
Posts: 108
Registered: 8-15-2006
Location: Ontario
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Looking for Jeep TJ or YJ and advice
I am a looking for a Jeep for down in Bahia Asuncion area for offroading and to use as a driver down there. Must be in good shape, reliable and
capable on highway as well as offroad. I am thinking a removable hardtop but am looking for advice on the best options for light offroading down in
Baja.
Any ideas and advice are welcome from all the experienced. Is this the best option vehicle for down there.
Thanks to all.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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how about a Suzuki Samauri or a Chevy Geo Tracker.....cheap, fun, take the top off, and relatively easy on the budget to drive or repair
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comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
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Mood: mellow
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Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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Tiomiguel
Nomad
Posts: 108
Registered: 8-15-2006
Location: Ontario
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Yeah, Somebody else suggested that, just that my kids are huge, 6'9" and 6'7" so don't fit so well in small vehicles. We need some room for them to
ride or drive.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Tiomiguel
Yeah, Somebody else suggested that, just that my kids are huge, 6'9" and 6'7" so don't fit so well in small vehicles. We need some room for them to
ride or drive. |
How about with the top off????........
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comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
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Isuzu Trooper lots of headroom, there is a reason Mexicans love them, well built.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by comitan
Isuzu Trooper lots of headroom, there is a reason Mexicans love them, well built. |
Yeah, but almost impossible to find, and they are not made anymore. And when you do find one they are expensive. I have an '89 4-banger 4 door that
has 150K on it and I LOVE IT!!!! Also, not that good for somebody as tall as those kids.
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Fatboy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 746
Registered: 6-28-2005
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Why a TJ or YJ? If they are going to be sitting in back they are not going to like the SWB (Short Wheel Base) jeeps much better than a Suzuki. Having
had many jeeps in the past, I have some idea on what works for me.
We done two 10 day trips to baja in a TJ and it was very crowded with two adults, two kids, two kayaks and all of our camping gear.
It sounds like it might be just a daily driver for you and if that is the case here are some thoughts on them...
YJ 1987 to 1995 (personally, would never buy another) you had several engine options -
2.5L 4cyl hard to find one with low miles and while they work OK they do not have the long term reliability the inline sixes do. Gutless on the on
highways and hills, OK offroad and they well get better mileage offroad than the 4.2/4.0L engines
4.2L inline sixes - Avoid like the plague. the motor itself is fine but the carb. setup well give you nightmares.
4.0L inline sixes - Awesome setup, even better with an H.O. version. Only possible drawback might be offroad mileage. It is not bad, just not as good
as the 4cyl.
Suspension - Leafs all the way around and not very smooth ride
TJ 1997 to ??
Several engines I will just cover the ones I have any experience with...
2.5L Pretty much the same as the YJ's with a small boost in power, sometime around 2000 they came out with a new 4 cyl with even more power. Can be
picked for several grand less the 4.0L versions
4.0L Pretty much the same as the YJ again
Suspension- Here is were the TJ's really shine. Coil Spring over solid axles all the way around. Much better ride, much better offroad all other
things being equal.
Price would be pretty close for a 4 cyl TJ versus any of the YJ's with some shopping.
TJ's also have all the creature comforts including Driver/passenger airbags.
Fatboy
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cbuzzetti
Nomad
Posts: 193
Registered: 5-22-2006
Location: Atascadero, Ca
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Mood: Lookin for a vacation
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You are definetley not going to like the Jeep for head room even with a long wheelbase model. I have the 05 Rubicon Unlimited and there is no room for
anyone bigger than 5'8" in the back seat. It is OK for a couple of kids but that is it.
On road and off road milegae is bad at best. That is why you always see a Jeep with gas cans on the back. I get 16 mpg at hiway speeds 10-12 around
town. They lack power comfort and all other things that we take for ganted in other vehicles.
They are great for off road adventuring if that is what you will use it for alot then this is your vehicle. If not buy something else.
Yeah I own one, no I don't think they are great vehicles. Just a great way to get into the back country.
BajaBuzz
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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I have a 2007 Nissan X-terra with the Calmini 2" lift all around accomplished by beefing up the rear leaf springs with add-a-leafs, and putting a
spacer ABOVE the front coil-over spring/shock assembly--------ride is stiff, but not objectionalble at all.
I am 5' 10" and have about 3 inches of head clearance both in the front and back seat.
6 cyl gets 21mpg on the road, 16 off road. Lots of power. Very comfortable both on and off road (with the Calmini package) and my wife agrees.
Stock, the springs are weak, both front and rear.
Very competant, with a rear elec. locker, and 11 inches of ground clearance.
Realiability has been rather good on the "X".
You might want to look at the X-terra's---quite a few used ones around, at least up here in the northland.
barry
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8947
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Tiomiguel
I am a looking for a Jeep for down in Bahia Asuncion area for offroading and to use as a driver down there. Must be in good shape, reliable and
capable on highway as well as offroad. I am thinking a removable hardtop but am looking for advice on the best options for light offroading down in
Baja.
Any ideas and advice are welcome from all the experienced. Is this the best option vehicle for down there.
Thanks to all. |
The inline 4.0l engine is reliable - yielding approx. 300K mi. The TJ has a coil sprung suspension that is more comfortable to drive, but is more
expensive than the YJ - which is easier to work on yourself. The TJ is air-conditioned, and if you are looking for a hard top, you will definitely
want the air conditioning. If you are doing simple trips into the desert, a 4.0l machine with 3.73 gears and 31" tires on a simple 2" suspension lift
will do just fine.
If you have tall kids, you could go for the LJ which has a lengthened wheelbase.
I know that the Jeep does not get the best mileage, but it is built for off road travel rather than on-road driving. When you are looking for a
vehicle this specialized, you have to make a decision...
Decisions...
Decisions...
Decisions...
[Edited on 12-18-2007 by Ken Cooke]
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Gadget
Senior Nomad
Posts: 851
Registered: 9-10-2006
Location: Point Loma CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Blessed with another day
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Just remember, if you by a rag top, you will be sucking any dust you make while driving around. Our folks have a soft top Slugzuki at BoLA and they
are over it. They will be selling it off and finding a hard top something with AC so they can pressurize the cabin when driving around on dusty roads
or windy days.
"Mankind will not be judged by their faults, but by the direction of their lives." Leo Giovinetti
See you in Baja
http://www.LocosMocos.com
Gadget |
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SiReNiTa
Special Correspondent
Posts: 881
Registered: 5-5-2006
Location: Ensenada, B.C.S.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Savoring life while saving the world!
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not another
trooper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!    
Live life as well as you can,
don\'t regret the things that once made you smile,
learn from your mistakes,
and thank God for every second he gives you upon this earth.
Visit me at
Http://BajaScents.Scentsy.com.mx
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18388
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Tiomiguel
I am a looking for a Jeep for down in Bahia Asuncion area for offroading and to use as a driver down there. Must be in good shape, reliable and
capable on highway as well as offroad. I am thinking a removable hardtop but am looking for advice on the best options for light offroading down in
Baja.
Any ideas and advice are welcome from all the experienced. Is this the best option vehicle for down there.
Thanks to all. |
Jeeps are OK for 2 short people with no gear. Miserable for 3+ people or anyone with gear for car camping. Jeeps with removable or soft tops are
dust suckers, so plan on carrying 10 gallons of water to take a showeer when you reach your destination. Jeeps are for drivers under 6'0" Anyone
taller will get cramped legs/head in front, and back seat will not fit people taller than 4'3"
Japanese 4WDs are much more reliable
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9010
Registered: 3-13-2004
Location: Sonora
Member Is Offline
Mood: Inquisitive
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mtgoat666
| Quote: | Originally posted by Tiomiguel
I am a looking for a Jeep for down in Bahia Asuncion area for offroading and to use as a driver down there. Must be in good shape, reliable and
capable on highway as well as offroad. I am thinking a removable hardtop but am looking for advice on the best options for light offroading down in
Baja.
Any ideas and advice are welcome from all the experienced. Is this the best option vehicle for down there.
Thanks to all. |
Jeeps are OK for 2 short people with no gear. Miserable for 3+ people or anyone with gear for car camping. Jeeps with removable or soft tops are
dust suckers, so plan on carrying 10 gallons of water to take a showeer when you reach your destination. Jeeps are for drivers under 6'0" Anyone
taller will get cramped legs/head in front, and back seat will not fit people taller than 4'3"
Japanese 4WDs are much more reliable |
I've owned both and the Jeep is alot more fun than a Taco. It'll go more places, too.
If he's just using it for a little running around at Asuncion/Tortuga, etc., the fun trumps the overall comfort and carrying capacity of a Taco.
Besides, you can get racks that will increase the carrying capacity of a Jeep dramatically. Off the back, off the top..........
But forget about a third adult in there. Heck, those kids are too big for probably anything but a full-sized pickup.
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jimgrms
Senior Nomad
Posts: 664
Registered: 9-30-2005
Location: oceanside ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: its always good
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If the kids are that big make them buy there own jeep
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8947
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mtgoat666
Jeeps are OK for 2 short people with no gear. Miserable for 3+ people or anyone with gear for car camping. Jeeps with removable or soft tops are
dust suckers, so plan on carrying 10 gallons of water to take a showeer when you reach your destination. Jeeps are for drivers under 6'0" Anyone
taller will get cramped legs/head in front, and back seat will not fit people taller than 4'3" |
Another falacy posted by our friend Mt Goat 6 6 6.
I stand 6ft0 and I have plenty of headroom and legroom thanks to my adjustable seats and adjustable steering wheel. I just flew to Colombia in
Economy Class, so I know what Cramped feels like.
If you run a SAILCLOTH soft top, you will not get dust sucked into the cabin. These tops made by BESTTOP are of excellent construction and serve well
in dusty environments. I sold mine when I bought the hard top, but I wish I still had the soft top for my daily commute. I do have allergies by the
way, but with a paper element air filter placed above the air element between the hood and the windshield, you wont get dust in your cabin...period.
I also run the rear internal rack by AllJProducts, so I am able to carry the same amount of gear as when I had my single cab Ford Ranger pickup truck.
I also run the Garvin spare tire carrier rack on the back of my Jeep where I fit my spare tire, hilift jack, Coleman ice chest, tow shackles, and
everything works really, really well.
I do like Japanese vehicles, and I have nothing against them. I just like when people post true, unbiased accounts on whether something works or not.
A Japanese vehicle is reliable, but the nonstraight axle rigs are problematic over time with CV joints needing replacement, and the eventual lift kit
needed for running a taller tire.
On the runs I have hosted over the years, I have seen where a straight axle rig will perform better on slow action trails than an IFS rig. I have
seen parts fail or need constant attention on the trail on an IFS rig when on a straight axle, these problems were nonexistant.
If you are driving down washboard dirt roads and want to get there fast and in style, a toyota or Nissan pickup will do the job well. If you are
doing some intermediate trails and want to camp with a friend or two, the Tacoma will get you there without incident. But, if you are out to tackle
the Pole Line Road, the rock quarry in Tecate, or the Rosarito Beach copetencias, you had better bring a Jeep, a straight axle Toyota (or one that has
an All Pro OffRoad axle swap kit), or you better sit on the sidelines or stay at home.
People like Mt. Goat 666 just dont have a clue. He doesnt condone people running actual trails that have become overgrown because of his
environmentalist crusade, he doesnt take his rig on challenging sections of trail, and he doesnt even have photographs of his rig posted on this site.
For all we could know, he is just some poseur that cruises the streets of San Diego like the rest of those sport truck fags.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8947
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Garvin Wilderness equipped Jeep Wranger TJ.
Smittybuilt Safari Rack
Kilby Enterprises TJ Interior Rack.
Kilby Enterprises has designed and developed a rack specifically for the Jeep TJ. The Kilby rack mounts inside the Jeep to give you two layers of
storage space for those long weekend trips. The installation is quick and easy, allowing you to re-install the rear seat when you need it.
Measures 48" wide, 32.5" deep and 4" tall.
Constructed of 1" square tubing and expanded metal.
All joints are fully TIG welded on the outside and MIG welded on the inside.
It can be used with both the hard top or soft top without interfering with the soft top bows.
No drilling is required. We use two factory bolts on the sports bar and four factory holes in the rear.
Sits 17" off the floor giving you plenty of storage space below.
Powder coated in a Satin Black and use over sized hardware. Why? Because it's simply the best on the market!
Includes everything needed to install quickly and easily.
KE-TJ-R1: $449.95
 This Tire Carrier System (Rear Bumper w/Returns and Shackles, Rear Tire Carrier, Rubicon Rack, Gas/Water Can Mounts and Holders,
and the Hi-Lift Jack Mount was custom made for one of our customers. He needed a very sturdy and high quality Tire Carrier for his 40" Baja Claws! All
J Products' Tire Carrier System is well known for being the ONLY tire carrier on the market that will handle all of this weight and still not rattle,
shake, or bend under the pressure!
 Clean Air for the TJ
I can't take any credit for this modification because my buddy, Scott Kruize, came up with this idea. I've not done it to my TJ so I really can't
give you any additional information past what is in this write-up. Scott sent me the pictures and I told him I would put it on my web-site so that
the other dust choked folks could appreciate the ease in which they too can become dust free. Considering how straight forward it is, I think you
will be able to duplicate the results with just the help of the pictures. This is one of those mods that requires you go dig through the hardware
store a bit (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) to come up with the pieces and parts, albeit there are not very many of them. Sorry, I don't know the part
number for the K&N filter.
When you have a half dozen Jeeps winding there way down the back road that leads to the trail, it can get pretty dusty if you are near the rear of the
group. If you would rather have dust free air blowing in through your vents, this low budget modification is right up your alley. Of course, if you
routinely run topless or you leave the doors at home, then this will do little for improving the "in cab" environment.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8947
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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6ft0 and 226 pounds, and I wouldnt be smiling if i were cramped all the way to Playas de Tijuana where this photo was taken.
Avoid the BFG AT KO and BFG MT KM if you plan on real desert wheeling. Otherwise, bring a friend, a couple of spares, a hilift jack, all of your
tools, etc. I am say this from experience, not some MT Goat bull-sxxt.
When you buy a Jeep, you also buy into a fraternity of friendly, like-minded folks that like comeraderie and dont mind joining other Jeep owners for
trips into the desert. Toyota people arent this close knit on the trail, but are definitely brand loyal, however. I just havent witnessed any TTORA
events happen in Baja...ever.
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Wow...thanks for all that guys...I sure hope tiomiguel gets one....I wanna be in THAT club!!! Looks like a gas....he really just wants it for the
family running around these parts.
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