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Love my Jeep but... Disapointment setting in

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#41 ·
Muddy path 01 said:
Jk jeeps with the 3.8 L top out around 100 mph my top speed 97 mph on a flat straight road and handled it like a champ do miss my 5.4 l in my old ford truck top speed of it was around 120 mph
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actually looking at a video of my old truck it hit 133 mph and I found a engine kit to put a 5.4L in the JKs
 
#43 ·
What do some of you expect, when you add big tires, armor, etc, to a 6 cyl. Wrangler? :(
I'm very happy with the highway performance of my JK and I've owned Porsches, a Lotus, etc.
 
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#44 ·
10Seconds said:
I am not trying to be hateful to ourbeloved Jeeps, but I am definitely a bit disillusioned with the performance of my JK. So far I have modified my Jeep with the standard stuff: 37's, 5.13 gears, axel sleeves, gussets, e-lockers, etcetera.

I love how it looks, but the more I drive it the more I'm frustrated with its lack of performance. Once the new starts to wear off and you can remove the rose colored glasses, the lack of motive power really starts slappping you in the face. Heck, I don't know how people daily drive one of these that actually have to be on a freeway in merge with moving traffic. And yes, I will admit it, my biggest frustrations are on road, not off. So far, I have been pleased with what it can do offroad - but then again, I'm not trying to make it to 30 mph off road either.

I never thought that I would be considering a engine swap in this new of a vehicle in this short of amount of time of ownership. I just don't see being able to enjoy it long term otherwise. All of those LS motor theards are starting to make a lot more sense.
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Did you test drive your Jeep before buying it? Looks like you didn't know what you were getting into.
 
#46 · (Edited)
Im with you, where's the power?

I have a RAM2500 with the Cummins 5.9HO, plus I modified it; I'm in the neighborhood of 525HP and 830ft/lbs. i bought a JK and I was like wtf where's the power? :suicide:

So here is what I have come up with:

Option 1: Do the Cummins 4BT swap. Gives you amazing mileage 25-28MPG and plenty of low in torque. Do some searching, there is company that makes a plug n play kit so everything works as it should on your instrument cluster. Your into the jeep for another 10k.

Option 2: Wait for the diesel JK wrangler to come plus two years so they can work out the kinks in the motor and trade your gasser.

Option 3: RIPP Supercharger which gives your jeep 340 something rwhp! This is the cheapest option you'll spend around 6k
 
#49 ·
driving into a headwind on my way to work this morning all i could think was "**** you 3.8". i'm driving the mustang the rest of the week.

with that said, i've kept this JKU longer and like it more than any vehicle i've owned...it just has this one damn HUGE achilles heal
 
#50 ·
Wow, I know the JK doesn't have a lot of power , but I have to wonder of the OP's driving habits or expectations.

I have a 2010 JKUR, so it has the "under-powered mini van engine" and I've done no engine or exhaust mods. I've got 5.13 gears, 35" MTR's, sleeves, gussets, some very heavy bumpers roof rack and a hell of a lot of other armor . In short it's a very heavy bastard.

With all that I drive it as a daily driver. I have no trouble merging on the freeway or getting up to and maintaining highway speeds even on steep grades. I've done no engine or exhaust mods.

My daily driver before the JK was a modded C6 vette. Prior to that it was a modded C5 vette and before that a highly modified C4 corvette, all of which were driven up to their limit many times, so yeah I know what power is.

I'm not trying to be defensive of the JK's, but I really don't find them "dissapointing" even on the road. I guess if you have to race to stop lights or be first off the line at green then maybe it is.
 
#51 ·
WarMachine said:
Wow, I know the JK doesn't have a lot of power , but I have to wonder of the OP's driving habits or expectations.

.......

I'm not trying to be defensive of the JK's, but I really don't find them "dissapointing" even on the road. I guess if you have to race to stop lights or be first off the line at green then maybe it is.
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This.

Sure, it doesn't have tons of power, but you need to remember what you're driving. If you think you're going to be flying by people on the highway you have your expectations way too high.
 
#52 ·
I bought my JK knowing it was not a speed demon. However I do find it a little annoying that i can't hold a highway speed in 6th gear when going up a slight incline. But hey what the hell, I love my Jeep and don't regret getting it at all. Nothing beats cruising with the top and doors off. The worst thing about the JK is the hill start assist in my opinion.
 
#53 ·
I find that odd, as I could still accelerate albeit mildly up an incline before I got 35s. Now I need 5th.
Agree hsa is a piece of crap but easily disabled. Handbrake unfortunately is garbage for hill starts, stretches and needs tightened constantly, so hard on the crappy clutch if you are in a hilly area
 
#54 ·
Jeeps are slow....my new 2013 is slow, my buddies 3.8 was slow, my TJ was slow, and even my Scrambler with a Chevy V8 was slow....in comparison to truly fast vehicles....even with a V8, a jeep is not made to keep up with vehicles made to go fast.

My best, most fun of my tow rigs was a 2006 Ram SRT-10 Quad Cab....towed like a dream, and it was a blast to drive....passed everything but a gas station.....you can pick them up with reasonable miles for $25k, you get to go fast, and you have a tow rig.....or build a diesel truck....or buy a sports car on the side....or get a sport bike....

Even with a V8, I sincerely don't think it will be what you expect....it will be quicker, but it won't be fast, and large tires are dicey over 80mph, and that's not "fast"....my two cents...
 
#55 · (Edited)
Con Artist said:
I had someone tell me their '12 Unlimited Rubicon would do 0-60 in less than seven seconds and my engine was bad. I lol'd at that. There's no way in hell a '12 Unlimited is gonna do 0-60 in anywhere near seven seconds.

It doesn't matter how hard I mash the gas, how quick I shift, or how low I shift on hills, get a prolonged hill on a highway and it won't hold a speed. If I'm in sixth, shift diwn to fourth, and stomp it, I'm met with...nothing. It's almost like the transmission is slipping; the growl is there, but the revs climb very slowly. The only positive I can say about the acceleration, or lack of, is that it's taught me to be a very patient driver.
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Maybe you need to learn how to shift??? My 2012 sport most definatey got to 60 right around 7 seconds. Maybe not, 6-6.5, but it could get there under 7. Keep in mind with 3.21's, 60 is right before having to shift to 3rd.
 
#57 ·
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#58 · (Edited)
#59 ·
Got_Gun? said:
Option 1: Do the Cummins 4BT swap. Gives you amazing mileage 25-28MPG and plenty of low in torque. Do some searching, there is company that makes a plug n play kit so everything works as it should on your instrument cluster. Your into the jeep for another 10k.
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You may want to do a little more research. The kit is far from plug and play. It comes with a black out panel to hide the christmas tree of lights on your dash. The 4BT also weighs 800+ pounds which more than double the stock motor. Lastly, although a 4BT has more torque, it has less HP so if you are looking for more pep you will have to modify it which adds to the cost.
 
#60 ·
Wait, you bastages actually get to drive your Jeeps? :suicide: I was out with some local Jeep'ers doing a recovery two weekends ago and there was another guy with a 2011 2 door purchased the same month as mine, back in 2011. He was bantering on about how he was going to have to change his ball joints, all the wear and tear, 70k miles on his, etc. He asked me how many miles I had on mine. LOL! The fawk you look he gave me when I told him 16k.

In stating that, I have driven mine enough to know that on stock km's, small lift, and a few breathing modifications with 3.73's this pig is still fun to drive. I know that when I step up to 35's or 37's I will see that fun dissipate. So i'm in no hurry to start that cascading effect of cost and loss of enjoyment. Is it a Skyline GTR? No. Is it the slowest vehicle I have ever driven? Nope, my E-250 work rig with a metric shit ton of tools and supplies takes that trophy and I drive that daily. So I suppose perspective is huge in this debate.
 
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