JK: the Toughest Stock Jeep ever built?
10-31-2008, 06:37 PM
#41
JK Super Freak
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i can't say it's the toughest stock jeep ever. i kinda liked the simplicity of my old 69 cj5. i didn't have to worry about electronics (or comfort) and i think my old yj was pretty damn good in the cold. i would rank it right up there with the rest of them though. i don't recall as many tsb's on my yj as there seem to be for the jk, so far the jk hasn't let me down and for the terrain i go through i doubt it ever will.
11-01-2008, 07:10 AM
#42
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If "toughest" = most durable, I vote for the '79 CJ-7 with the 258 I6 and T-18 tranny. Those Jeeps are built like tractors and last forever. The JK is a great vehicle, but with all the added frills, there is no doubt it will require a little more care to last 20+ years. 
11-01-2008, 10:52 AM
#43
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The strength and rigidity of the JK is twice strongest than it's predecessors, that's as far as the frame/chassis. As far as body panels it might be a different story... But body panels do very little to nothing to protect occupant in a crash actually the latest car design trend is to built lighter panels that bend during an accident to absorb some of the shock. The philosophy nowadays is to sacrifice the car in order to save the occupants.
11-01-2008, 03:02 PM
#44
JK Freak
If "toughest" = most durable, I vote for the '79 CJ-7 with the 258 I6 and T-18 tranny. Those Jeeps are built like tractors and last forever. The JK is a great vehicle, but with all the added frills, there is no doubt it will require a little more care to last 20+ years.
11-01-2008, 08:18 PM
#46
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
The strength and rigidity of the JK is twice strongest than it's predecessors, that's as far as the frame/chassis. As far as body panels it might be a different story... But body panels do very little to nothing to protect occupant in a crash actually the latest car design trend is to built lighter panels that bend during an accident to absorb some of the shock. The philosophy nowadays is to sacrifice the car in order to save the occupants.
11-01-2008, 08:22 PM
#47
JK Enthusiast
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Leaving the romance aside thou, the new jeep would tear this old bad boy up in a head to head off-roading challenge.
11-01-2008, 08:28 PM
#48
JK Enthusiast
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11-02-2008, 05:10 AM
#49
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Couldn't agree more with this statement; both my '97 and '02 were far simpler and to me had a much STRONGER, RIGID, truck-like feel - and both were truly trouble-free Jeeps for me. I dunno, maybe this JK is as tough as prior models - and I'm certainly keeping it around a while - but my gut tells me to dump this vehicle at 3years/36K or I'm in for a lot of hellish repair bills post warranty (mainly due to the abundance of electro-stuff packed into this rig that i have no way of repairing myself).
