Still one of the best real trip video: simple, real, just the pleasure of the landscape, good cars, good food, goods friends (hello doggy !) and all the experience of Mike ! Thanks for that !
This trip was last August. So far this Jeep has been flawless and I absolutely love it. I was lucky to have found a low mileage vehicle that only needed a few little repairs to make a nice driver. Home run.
Any vehicle that can stay cool in the tire-melting temperatures and brutal terrain of Death Valley is a keeper for sure. The WJ is my all-time favorite Jeep from a purely aesthetic standpoint, yet it punches far above its weight in terms of conquering everything from deep mud and snow to lunar rock surfaces. The WJ is currently underpriced for what it brings to the table. Best kept secret in the offroad world.
Nathan W the 4.7l are beasty but I personally like the zjs. The 5.2l and 5.9l can't be beat when it comes to reliability. I'm getting a 1998 grand Cherokee 5.9l, I'm stoked
@@AutoEdits you in California? I'm in a few 4x4 groups on fb. Mostly Toyota tho. But I love that Todd guy. Had a friends grandfather like that we would go shooting/4x4ing I sold him my 1998 Tacoma. He made it nice like your friends... but this was like 14 years ago b4 they were super expensive.
That's pretty cool...it is interesting to think what is "normal" terrain for locals all over the country! I've only ventured as far as Arizona for off road stuff. Thanks so much for checking it out!
Great video! Nice WJ as well. I just purchased an 03 and did a budget 2 inch lift with some nice wheels and tires. I'm going to go with the Rusty's 3 inch lift this summer. Keep these video's coming.
Great video, love the history with the review. One tip, blue loctite is awesome for preventing vibration loosening, and helps avoiding seizing/corrosion if you drive in salty areas.
Mine is a 2002 WG 4.7L and I bought it 3 years ago for $1500. Body, paint and interior perfect condition. Engine had a spun 8th cylinder big end bearing so I put a complete reconditioned 4.7L and new steering box. Drives perfect and I love it.
HA! I had to really think about that one... believe it or not, I like the little 4.7 V8 in the Jeep better than the TBI350 in the Tahoe but it's a close one otherwise LOL
Had my '04 since '07. Much more reliable then my previous bmw's haha. The only thing is the tranny, sometimes they go out which can cost $$...Other than that mine has been solid, great 4x4 and still looks slick!
You can use all terrains but M/Ts tend to be more rugged and the larger lugs grab rocky terrain better. A/Ts are way better than a street tire but still a compromise. A/Ts are quieter, get slightly better MPG and usually last longer. Cheaper too. But for pure off-road traction M/Ts are better in all but sand.
The jeep has a Flowmaster DBX series muffler...smaller and lighter than stock and sounds perfect to me. Although if I were a few years younger, a little louder would be fine but for road trips it's really nice.
Love your videos. I just purchased a 2000 WJ with 115,000 miles on it. I added a 4 inch long arm lift kit and Maxxis Trepador Radial Tires. I haven't went off road yet, but looking forward to it. Great video.
Yeah, so far the WJ has proved to be a good purchase and you gotta give Mike a lot of credit for staying as patient as he does...It's probably not easy travelling with a guy like me that has the mental capacity of a 13 year old! I don't know how my wife does it!!!!!
Cool. That tramway must have been quite a sight when operational. I just bought a 2002 WJ the other night, and my WJ search brought me to your channel. This was a little change of pace from what I was looking for, but a fun viewing nevertheless. Cheers
Great Video. I have not been to Trona in ages. Surprised anybody is still living there after the Borax Plant shut down (I see Wikipedia says pop of 18). Used to pass through there on my way to my Grandma's house in Ridgecrest. My Jeep J10 lived almost its whole life in Trona before I bought it. Good to see some places I have not been in ages :)
very cool video, glad you put this on u tube, i have a '99 WJ wich is identical to yours ! love it so versatile, i had the 3" IRO kit and was great too!
The Jeep actually got slightly better gas mileage than the Toyota. The range on the stock tank is not great for long trips though and a gas can is helpful.
i have an 02 wj limited with 4.7l h.o. with mods and i run straight pipes. it sounds fuggin mean. itll also back up its shit talking with great off-road capabilities. Its an amazing vehicle. i will give it to my son in 14 years. it'll still run perfectly.
This vehicle did have the stock "toothpick" front drive shaft that I eventually swapped out for the U-joint equipped version that only took a few minutes to swap... Thanks for watchin!
glad to see you're enjoying something other than pavement Jason. i had an instant chuckle as soon as you mentioned the "self inflating mattress". you've gotta admit, trail riding/exploring is just as exciting as blasting around an asphalt track. one thing.....i noticed you still haven't got a diff guard yet. some of those rocks seemed to get pretty close.......
If they're hydraulic they should be mounted can down if not it can lead to leaking seals which sort of make an air bubble in the shock so when you hit a bump it will feel like you are bottoming out each time. If its a nitro shock or any other gas it should be mounted can up. Any how its not that big of a deal, really cool desert trip and nice wj.
Like Your Trips man, you did great, Jason is very serious & tough :) ... next trip, for a dinner try to cook tomato with garlic & piper in oiled pan on wood fire, very delicious.
I have an 04 wj, special edition. it is fun to drive, I believe its one of the best to strike off-roading and luxury well. I do have plans for it. but even bone stock with quadra trac 2, its fun
I was looking at some WJ reviews and found this. Brilliant! We just don't get that kind of offroading in the UK unfortunately :/. I would love to do that valley. Well filmed / put together by the way.
Love the video. I used to live in the high desert when I was in the Air Force. I loved it there! The sunsets and the off roading was awesome. I miss it. What brought me to your videos was the lift kit that you installed on your jeep. Do you still own it? Looking to purchase a jeep wj here in the near future and I would like to install a lift kit too. Thanks again for the entertaining video.
+alincalcity I recently sold the Jeep but I highly recommend all of the parts used in this build! Good luck to you and thanks for checking out the video!
at 0:25 you can see your track-bar bushing is shot, or the bolt is loose and has wallowed out the holes. If you tighten it up (or fix bushing) you'll get much less slop in your steering and less possibility of 'death wobble' on the highway. all jeep owners should check these points! its the only thing keeping your axle centered under the jeep.
He is talking about the rear shocks. I also have a 4 inch lift from Iron Rock Off Road. And with the white nitro shocks it was the skinny side up, but this year I switched to the Bilstein Shocks and the rear shocks are skinny side down (labels so you can read them). But who really cares except for the rocks...seems like different manufacturers are just flipping them either way. Now I gotta go back and finish watching your Grand Cherokee video....I got sidetracked :-)
This is a great video. Quick question ... when did you take this trip. Getting ready to pick up a 2000 Grand Cherokee, same color as yours in fact, though with gray lining below. I'm more or less curious about the reliability of the Grand Cherokee, especially an older one .... Thanks in advance.
I love your dog but I must say that Jeeps are FAR from inexpensive. I have spent countless wads of money on my POS Cherokee. As of now my Jeep sits collecting cobwebs as the Toyota has totally owned my Jeep in gas, parts, labor, and break-downs.
If you buy a good quality self inflating mattress, let is lay on the floor, under your bed out of the way, with the valve open for at least a week before you want to use it and then always store it with the valve open and laid out when not using it to camp. If you do that with a good mattress, it'll provide all the padding you need. Also this video made me decide to pull the trigger on an '02 WJ! Great video!
Just had to comment on the mattress he said was no good. You have to shake it a bit, and let it rise, it takes about 15 minutes. Also, it is not a Sealy, it's a comfort. I use one all the time, NOT a waste of money!!! On the other hand, loved to view and the Jeep!
The 4.7L V8 gets pretty much the same MPG as the I6. The EPA numbers give you one or two more MPG highway. The I6 is a sturdy engine, but if you're worried about MPG, they're both pretty much the same. I'd say go with the V8 if you can.
Nice! I just got a 03 jeep grand cherokee limited V8 4WD, i gotta say there very smooth and nice to drive and i've own alot of newer cars n suv's b4 this jeep. Really thinking of doing what you did with it and getting into off roading and hoping for alot of snow this year in washington dc i'm ready!!! lol
It sounds really nice in this video. I get a nasty drone from mine 4.7L HO WJ at around 2200 rpms. I went with a Flowmaster 44 though. I'm thinking I should have done what you did and went with the DBX!
I love your WJ setup. I was an owner of 2002 WJ Overland two years ago. I lift it 2 inch and some nice GG AT... then i sold it becouse i wanna buy my dream car - 2010 SRT8. And now, after another two years i still missed it... So i decide to sell the SRT8 and find some nice 2002-2004 WJ (actually WG - european) and lift it again. Do you still have a WJ? If yes is it your DD? How it perform around town and on-road on that lift? Best regards!
Yes the Jeep is my commuter rig as well and does VERY well. The only thing that has suffered is the gas mileage... went from near 20mpg to almost 15 in combination driving when I installed the 32" mud tires. Otherwise the suspension has been only awesome, even on twisty canyon roads.
autoedit Thank You for Your answer :) Well, gas mileage... hahaha! It's a Jeep thing, You know ;P Mine has got almost 12mpg all the time (the SRT8), where range is around 230 miles on full tank... so it should be great improvment, when i will switch to WJ again hahaha! Best regards!
Can we get some details on the lift kit? Tire size etc? I love the proportions. Not over the top, but very tough-looking. I have a mint 1993 ZJ that needs some enhancements.
Wow that`s one awesome `88 Toyota. To bad you are such a good mechanic. There could have bean Jeep breakdowns. Shocks and swaybars falling off. Just Kidding I love Jeeps, Toyotas, and the rest. Hell I took a $75 Datsun b210 with a b410 motor off roading. Needless to say my friend was terrified as we were doing like 70 Mph on sugar sand next to a pretty deep canal in Florida.
Still one of the best real trip video: simple, real, just the pleasure of the landscape, good cars, good food, goods friends (hello doggy !) and all the experience of Mike !
Thanks for that !
This trip was last August. So far this Jeep has been flawless and I absolutely love it. I was lucky to have found a low mileage vehicle that only needed a few little repairs to make a nice driver. Home run.
I didn't wash the Jeep for days after that...seeing it dirty every time I would go drive it reminded me of that awesome trip.
Honestly, I really like them a ton. Cheaper than some other options and do everything good enough.
Any vehicle that can stay cool in the tire-melting temperatures and brutal terrain of Death Valley is a keeper for sure. The WJ is my all-time favorite Jeep from a purely aesthetic standpoint, yet it punches far above its weight in terms of conquering everything from deep mud and snow to lunar rock surfaces. The WJ is currently underpriced for what it brings to the table. Best kept secret in the offroad world.
Proud '04 WJ owner here.
Nathan W the 4.7l are beasty but I personally like the zjs. The 5.2l and 5.9l can't be beat when it comes to reliability. I'm getting a 1998 grand Cherokee 5.9l, I'm stoked
03 here. My 4x4 so capable
Stuff stuff and More stuff 4.0 inline 6 in my 03 is bullet proof
That Toyota&guy is awesome. I bet he knows so many awesome places...he's a 4x4 vet! Cooks great food, knows everything.
He's a very good friend!
@@AutoEdits you in California? I'm in a few 4x4 groups on fb. Mostly Toyota tho.
But I love that Todd guy. Had a friends grandfather like that we would go shooting/4x4ing I sold him my 1998 Tacoma. He made it nice like your friends... but this was like 14 years ago b4 they were super expensive.
That's pretty cool...it is interesting to think what is "normal" terrain for locals all over the country! I've only ventured as far as Arizona for off road stuff. Thanks so much for checking it out!
Great video! Nice WJ as well. I just purchased an 03 and did a budget 2 inch lift with some nice wheels and tires. I'm going to go with the Rusty's 3 inch lift this summer. Keep these video's coming.
I love my '04 WJ.
Great video, love the history with the review.
One tip, blue loctite is awesome for preventing vibration loosening, and helps avoiding seizing/corrosion if you drive in salty areas.
Love WJs and that V-8 sound. Jeep and Toyota getting along on the wide open spaces.
Mine is a 2002 WG 4.7L and I bought it 3 years ago for $1500. Body, paint and interior perfect condition. Engine had a spun 8th cylinder big end bearing so I put a complete reconditioned 4.7L and new steering box. Drives perfect and I love it.
This is the best model jeep ever made .
I really liked it.
one of these boys or a Chevy blazer are the best budget vehicles out there i swear
Had to stop in again, 9 years later. This was a cool little feature, and Jeep…. but I like the Tahoe much more lol.
HA! I had to really think about that one... believe it or not, I like the little 4.7 V8 in the Jeep better than the TBI350 in the Tahoe but it's a close one otherwise LOL
This is it! I just have to get one of those WJ!!! This video is just owesome!
Had my '04 since '07. Much more reliable then my previous bmw's haha. The only thing is the tranny, sometimes they go out which can cost $$...Other than that mine has been solid, great 4x4 and still looks slick!
You can use all terrains but M/Ts tend to be more rugged and the larger lugs grab rocky terrain better. A/Ts are way better than a street tire but still a compromise. A/Ts are quieter, get slightly better MPG and usually last longer. Cheaper too. But for pure off-road traction M/Ts are better in all but sand.
The jeep has a Flowmaster DBX series muffler...smaller and lighter than stock and sounds perfect to me. Although if I were a few years younger, a little louder would be fine but for road trips it's really nice.
Got that 04 as my first car, low milage. V6 and still kicks ass
Love your videos. I just purchased a 2000 WJ with 115,000 miles on it. I added a 4 inch long arm lift kit and Maxxis Trepador Radial Tires. I haven't went off road yet, but looking forward to it. Great video.
Thanks and have a great time with your Jeep!
How much have you spent on the jeep so far?? If you don't mind me asking..
OMG that breakfast... looks so good. What a fun trip.
It was!!! thanks for watching!
Bet my I6 would keep up!! roll on man, thats awesome , defiantly a trip i need to make
Yeah, so far the WJ has proved to be a good purchase and you gotta give Mike a lot of credit for staying as patient as he does...It's probably not easy travelling with a guy like me that has the mental capacity of a 13 year old!
I don't know how my wife does it!!!!!
I hear ya, sometimes I just gotta get these done...thanks for hanging in there and being cool!
I've always wanted to take a trip out there... Seems like a relaxed trip
Love the videos, will be getting a 2000 JGC Laredo 4.0 as soon as I can sell my 05 Subaru Forester!
Niiiccceeee
Cool. That tramway must have been quite a sight when operational.
I just bought a 2002 WJ the other night, and my WJ search brought me to your channel. This was a little change of pace from what I was looking for, but a fun viewing nevertheless. Cheers
Well thanks... hope you subscribed... I'll try to keep you entertained.
Mike is a legend!!!! Looks like a fun trip
Looks like a lot of fun. Great video
WJ's are the best
Great Video. I have not been to Trona in ages. Surprised anybody is still living there after the Borax Plant shut down (I see Wikipedia says pop of 18). Used to pass through there on my way to my Grandma's house in Ridgecrest.
My Jeep J10 lived almost its whole life in Trona before I bought it.
Good to see some places I have not been in ages :)
Great to hear! I'm excited to get mine. Looks like you had an awesome trip - thanks for sharing with us!
Love the OG homeland security shirt.
Yeah, Mike is a really cool dude.
It's the first year of the 4.7L or 286 c.i. So it's the little fella but it's enough for some fun power slides on the fire roads!
Fantastic video! I have been to those places and now I want to go again!
Great stuff Jason... I really enjoyed this one, lol.
Of course, Yes. The six has a good amount of torque. Enjoy it!
It’s a v8
I like WJs, my family got a 99 earlier this year. Good trucks. The straight 6 is my favorite in these.
very cool video, glad you put this on u tube, i have a '99 WJ wich is identical to yours ! love it so versatile, i had the 3" IRO kit and was great too!
The Jeep actually got slightly better gas mileage than the Toyota. The range on the stock tank is not great for long trips though and a gas can is helpful.
HaHa! Thanks, I did flip them and now that I look at the stamped lettering on the cases, it is right side up. The help is appreciated!
Great video bro, I enjoyed watching your journey through the desert & the old jeep too! Lol
I like Mike's Fordta (or is it Chevyta), though i can't fault the WJ's nice riding soft suspension and smooth powerful v8.
i have an 02 wj limited with 4.7l h.o. with mods and i run straight pipes. it sounds fuggin mean. itll also back up its shit talking with great off-road capabilities. Its an amazing vehicle. i will give it to my son in 14 years. it'll still run perfectly.
This vehicle did have the stock "toothpick" front drive shaft that I eventually swapped out for the U-joint equipped version that only took a few minutes to swap...
Thanks for watchin!
By far this looked like an awesome trip! I would love to take that trip one day and see all that cool stuff
Exactly what Yoyo said! Besides, the V8 sounds way better to me.
good to see a fellow wj jeeper doing his thing, great video
glad to see you're enjoying something other than pavement Jason. i had an instant chuckle as soon as you mentioned the "self inflating mattress".
you've gotta admit, trail riding/exploring is just as exciting as blasting around an asphalt track.
one thing.....i noticed you still haven't got a diff guard yet. some of those rocks seemed to get pretty close.......
Just bought the same Jeep! For 2000 bucks and it drives like new. Gonna find time to do some exploring with it soon!
If they're hydraulic they should be mounted can down if not it can lead to leaking seals which sort of make an air bubble in the shock so when you hit a bump it will feel like you are bottoming out each time. If its a nitro shock or any other gas it should be mounted can up.
Any how its not that big of a deal, really cool desert trip and nice wj.
Like Your Trips man, you did great, Jason is very serious & tough :)
... next trip, for a dinner try to cook tomato with garlic & piper in oiled pan on wood fire, very delicious.
I have an 04 wj, special edition. it is fun to drive, I believe its one of the best to strike off-roading and luxury well. I do have plans for it. but even bone stock with quadra trac 2, its fun
Hi. Loved that vid. Good work. I'm in Australia, and have an 04' WJ.
I'm in the US and also have an '04 WJ! :D
DUDE, My dream vehicle is a Ford Raptor...SOMEDAY I WILL OWN ONE! Sorry about the all caps but that's how much I want one.
Yeah buddy! Jeep on!
This was awesome. Pavement does suck
I have two 2004 WJ's....and I love your color.
I sold this thing a few years ago and really miss it.
I have a 1999 WJ as well and love both videos you made (including the install one) but I wish you included the specs as well. What size tire? etc..
great video... i m jealous of that trip. great dogs too btw
I was looking at some WJ reviews and found this. Brilliant! We just don't get that kind of offroading in the UK unfortunately :/. I would love to do that valley.
Well filmed / put together by the way.
Love the video. I used to live in the high desert when I was in the Air Force. I loved it there! The sunsets and the off roading was awesome. I miss it. What brought me to your videos was the lift kit that you installed on your jeep. Do you still own it? Looking to purchase a jeep wj here in the near future and I would like to install a lift kit too. Thanks again for the entertaining video.
+alincalcity I recently sold the Jeep but I highly recommend all of the parts used in this build! Good luck to you and thanks for checking out the video!
Best 4x4 for the price ever.
Great do too!
This video helped me decide to purchase a '00 WJ limited. Thanks!
+930GearHead Great. I really enjoyed mine!
autoedit - do you have a limited as well??
at 0:25 you can see your track-bar bushing is shot, or the bolt is loose and has wallowed out the holes. If you tighten it up (or fix bushing) you'll get much less slop in your steering and less possibility of 'death wobble' on the highway. all jeep owners should check these points! its the only thing keeping your axle centered under the jeep.
Jealous - looks like a great trip. Thanks for posting
I really like your video man, it bring some kind of honesty to it. Very good, keep it up.
Great video! Thanks for a peak into western wheelin' From a Florida WJ owner.
He is talking about the rear shocks. I also have a 4 inch lift from Iron Rock Off Road. And with the white nitro shocks it was the skinny side up, but this year I switched to the Bilstein Shocks and the rear shocks are skinny side down (labels so you can read them). But who really cares except for the rocks...seems like different manufacturers are just flipping them either way. Now I gotta go back and finish watching your Grand Cherokee video....I got sidetracked :-)
This is a great video. Quick question ... when did you take this trip. Getting ready to pick up a 2000 Grand Cherokee, same color as yours in fact, though with gray lining below. I'm more or less curious about the reliability of the Grand Cherokee, especially an older one ....
Thanks in advance.
I love your dog but I must say that Jeeps are FAR from inexpensive. I have spent countless wads of money on my POS Cherokee. As of now my Jeep sits collecting cobwebs as the Toyota has totally owned my Jeep in gas, parts, labor, and break-downs.
joe bloe they can be but I think it’s inexpensive when you do you’re own work.
Mike's light on personality
He makes up for it with good camp cooking.... LOL
This video was really well done! Nice work!
Great video, was neat to watch
Thanks!
If you buy a good quality self inflating mattress, let is lay on the floor, under your bed out of the way, with the valve open for at least a week before you want to use it and then always store it with the valve open and laid out when not using it to camp. If you do that with a good mattress, it'll provide all the padding you need. Also this video made me decide to pull the trigger on an '02 WJ! Great video!
I wish there were areas like this to explore around my neck of the woods. That's part of the reason I built my Jeep but everything is privately owned
Wow this make's up for no maverick update vidz. That look like a hell of a good time!
Just had to comment on the mattress he said was no good. You have to shake it a bit, and let it rise, it takes about 15 minutes. Also, it is not a Sealy, it's a comfort. I use one all the time, NOT a waste of money!!!
On the other hand, loved to view and the Jeep!
Those are 265 or 32" on the stock rims and only rub at full lock.
that's an awesome video and very well laid out..
Thanks!
Yup.
Pavement Sux, lol... nice history lesson along with great off-roading, good stuff.
I run 2 fans I had to add a E fan for that backup cooling and now my baby doesn't even come close to 210
The 4.7L V8 gets pretty much the same MPG as the I6. The EPA numbers give you one or two more MPG highway.
The I6 is a sturdy engine, but if you're worried about MPG, they're both pretty much the same. I'd say go with the V8 if you can.
great video, please post more of the jeep working out in the mud
Nice! I just got a 03 jeep grand cherokee limited V8 4WD, i gotta say there very smooth and nice to drive and i've own alot of newer cars n suv's b4 this jeep. Really thinking of doing what you did with it and getting into off roading and hoping for alot of snow this year in washington dc i'm ready!!! lol
Great video. I have a 01 wj myself. Love it
Thank you for sharing your trip.
It sounds really nice in this video. I get a nasty drone from mine 4.7L HO WJ at around 2200 rpms. I went with a Flowmaster 44 though. I'm thinking I should have done what you did and went with the DBX!
Lock tight is your friend, I use it on all my motorcycle bolts :)
I love your WJ setup. I was an owner of 2002 WJ Overland two years ago. I lift it 2 inch and some nice GG AT... then i sold it becouse i wanna buy my dream car - 2010 SRT8.
And now, after another two years i still missed it... So i decide to sell the SRT8 and find some nice 2002-2004 WJ (actually WG - european) and lift it again.
Do you still have a WJ? If yes is it your DD? How it perform around town and on-road on that lift?
Best regards!
Yes the Jeep is my commuter rig as well and does VERY well. The only thing that has suffered is the gas mileage... went from near 20mpg to almost 15 in combination driving when I installed the 32" mud tires. Otherwise the suspension has been only awesome, even on twisty canyon roads.
autoedit
Thank You for Your answer :)
Well, gas mileage... hahaha! It's a Jeep thing, You know ;P
Mine has got almost 12mpg all the time (the SRT8), where range is around 230 miles on full tank... so it should be great improvment, when i will switch to WJ again hahaha!
Best regards!
PeacemakerPL A lifted srt8 would have been bad ass. Is that even possible?
Can we get some details on the lift kit? Tire size etc? I love the proportions. Not over the top, but very tough-looking. I have a mint 1993 ZJ that needs some enhancements.
Greetings from Poland! Cool video, enyoed it :)
jeeps are great but this video is really awesome...
A+ video. You could have not done a better job at this. Keep on jeepin!
What an awesome trip!
Thanks for the quick reply! keep up the good vids.
Wow that`s one awesome `88 Toyota. To bad you are such a good mechanic. There could have bean Jeep breakdowns. Shocks and swaybars falling off.
Just Kidding I love Jeeps, Toyotas, and the rest. Hell I took a $75 Datsun b210 with a b410 motor off roading. Needless to say my friend was terrified as we were doing like 70 Mph on sugar sand next to a pretty deep canal in Florida.
Great video, thanks for sharing the experience