I have owned 3 cjs and 4 xjs,they are dependable,above avg mpg,I can sleep in it and most of all it is easy to work on, besides they look great.
I spend alot of time in very out of the way places in northern ca and nevada and I can always depend on it without worries,it gives me the freedom to go where i want.

 

From 84 - 91, some but not all XJs had a 2 piece passenger side axle shaft. It is connected by a vacuum shift motor located on the passenger side of the axle housing and uses an internal shift fork to slide a collar locking the 2 shaft pieces together for 4WD use. They have gained a reputation for failure due to leaks in the vacumm lines, vacuum line hanging on trail obstacles and being pulled off, and for the diaphram inside the shift motor failing with age. This system was also used of certain year models of the Jeep Wrangler and vehicles like the Chevy trucks.

 

I want to take my beat to hell Mercedes to the top of that trail and drive it straight down.

HAHAHAH

 

So basically you guys are saying is that the only thing that makes a jeep mechanically superior is:

1. Long suspension travel which makes it capable of high flex
2. Small size which makes it agile
3. solid inline engine which produces "high" torque
4. High pinion axel

The only other thing it has going for it is lower cost, nostalga and a strong yet unbased following? Come on guys! There's got to be more than that. Tell me it floats, or has spikes that come out of the wheels for traction, or that the gears are made out of a titanium-diamond composite. What's MECHANICALLY better about Jeeps?

 

The 4.0 inline six cylinder is a highly reliable engine. It is common to see 250,000 to over 300,000 miles before needing a rebuild.

 

Thanks for the mechanical explaination. What is used on the 92-01 axels? Are they actuated by the driver or are they always locked or always open?

 

The Cherokee has an open differential in the front for all years manufactured. The 4wd is only engaged when the transfer case is engaged. On the 84-91 models, as stated, some had the vacuum disconnect front axle and some did not. On the 92-01 models, all were non vacuum disconnect with the one piece shaft.

 

87XJ I believe you are right, at least for the H2's. I am not sure if it is the same for the H3's
Here is my opinion. Are there vehicles other that jeeps that can navigate a trail? Of course. Why is Jeep better, here are my thoughts,
Jeep uses simple, but useful, components. Just using my XJ for an example. 4.0L straight six, awsome engine! Plenty of power for a 4x4 suv, it isn't a race car and should never be expected to be a high performance engine. Tons of torque for the light weight of the Jeep. AW4 trans, mine has 232,500 miles on it and shifts perfect. Runs great on the trail and takes a ton of abuse.
Solid axles are great for flex and off road capability. Dana 30, I think is a great front axle, and the Chrysler 8.25 is unstoppable as long as you don't get crazy with the tire size... With that said, my previous XJ, a 92, had the D35 rear end, and even with all the bad rep it gets, it never let me down in extreem hill climbs, deep mud, etc...

What I think Jeep does best is take strong, proven parts and combine them all together in a small vehicle that can manage trails easily. Even the insides are great, on the XJ's anyway. I love the control locations inside the XJ.
These are the best things I can think of.

 

Mine does not have spikes but I parked next to a Land Rover last night and I am sure I saw the Land Rover cower in fear.

 

jeep=chuck norris

 

LOL!

 

I like my jeep:
I like the fact that mine has taken me places I've never been, and never could have gone in a car, or one of those huge mall crawlin trucks.
I like that jeeps can take a beating, and come back for seconds
I like that it can get you in trouble and pull you out of trouble in the same instance.

I like that no two XJ's are alike!
I like that there's a huge support group/following/community thing for jeeps
I'm glad my '88 has over 350.000 K on the motor, and is still getting great oil pressure/not burning any oil. (*crosses fingers*)
I like the huge aftermarket support/product lines.
Hell, I even like working on my rig!

Is it mechanically superior to all other 4x4's?.......no......but in some regards no other 4x4 comes close..............
Its like that quote says: "its a jeep thing, you wouldn't understand"


Oh yeah, and IMO the new hummers suck! that rig is the ultimate mall crawler.

 

Well put X2!

 

I've been out with a few h2 and h3 also some fj's....The IFS is what really holds them up. even with lockers wheels are always coming off the ground and there is always reduced clearance. It does feel kinda good making something look easy that an H2/3 or fj had trouble with. Esp in Rocks

 

Wheel base is the key, the short wheel base is also what made the jeep a worthy rig for so many years! The high approch & deparcher angles also makes navigating trail obstacles much safer than other rigs! Plus the light weight of the jeep makes it less top heavy than its long time rivals the blazer, bronco, & H2/3!!!