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Have a few 06 Jeep unlimited Q's

5K views 27 replies 8 participants last post by  Beat95YJ 
#1 · (Edited)
Considering making a move on an 06 Jeep unlimited.
The wheel base and extra room appeals to me.... it will only be an occasional wheeler for now, so handling characteristics for some roadtrips are important. Does the long wheel base help so far as on road comfort?
Do the backseats fold down?
Reliable? Never owned a jeep, hows the 4.0 inline 6 do?
Manual tranny have a decent record? Never owned a six speed...

Keep in mind all my rigs have been toyotas to date, old runners and rn60's, so I am completely green to jeeps.

Help a brother out! Is the unlimited worth it? I found one local and am going to check it out in a day or so. What typical gremlins are there? Anything to check for? This one has 52k on the odometer.

Thanks in advance guys!:)
 
#2 ·
I picked up an 04 lj for my gf a few months ago and I love it. It handles well but I don't think its much of an improvement from a normal tj. The extra trunk space is perfect and the rear seat is a normal fold and tumble. It gets around 18mpg. The 4.0 is typically unstoppable just listen for the normal ticks and knocks like every other motor. Ours has the auto and I've never owned the 6 speed but I've never heard anything bad about them and every one I've talked to with one loves it. I would look for one that comes with both hard and soft tops because the tops are pricey. Good luck, I hope that helps
 
#5 · (Edited)
Pretty much have to echo what purpose driven said, except it's my ex gf with an 04.:laughing:
The 4.0 is a good engine, the one in my xj is at 250,000mi and runs great, and I know of a few over 300,000. The ex's gets around 15/16mpg, I think, on 33's and stock gearing.
If you get one with a hard top, rig up a winch or something in your garage to remove it. Those damn things are heavy!:homer:


Pretty sure those bumpers are aftermarket.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Do more research! in '03 lots of Mercedes sourced parts were going into Jeeps. Steering gears, the 6spd...ect....You can and will have any of the issues associated with the TJ. The steering boxes are crap and will wear out.

It will ride a little better than a TJ simply due to the wheelbase. But not a huge difference.
Yes the back seat folds down and is easily removable.

Now the good stuff:

You need to read as much of this thread as you can and feel free to ask me if you have any questions.
'05-'06 4.0 OPDA failure
This is a serious issue and mine failed at about 15K was replaced under warranty including cam, lifters, oil pump, and OPDA unit. I have 36,500 on it now and there is wear on the assembly. Currently there are only precautions to take no "fixes" yet. There are some jeeps that don't get affected until later down the road, but the late model 4.0's are NOT as reliable as they used to be!

Now to the 6 speed lol. My '05 is on it's 3rd NSG370(6spd). I would be on my 4th if I was still under warranty! These 6spds are hit or miss. You have to drive them like a "truck" transmission. Not really a big deal, but mine always grinds into 2nd and 3rd no matter what. I have tried all the fancy fluids blah blah blah. They are very noisy transmission also. I am seeing more and more swapping them out to go to auto (myself included!). Supposedly some issues were addressed in '06 and newer....JK's, but I wheel with several guys that have 6spd JK's and still have issues with them.

The 42rle in the '05-'06s is not without it's issues either, but I wont go into detail since you asked about the 6spd.

NOW with all that said, I still LOVE my LJ. The extra room is great. I wheel mine hard and the wheelbase is perfect. I just accepted that like any other Jeep eventually it was always good as a body and frame donor :D
 
#8 · (Edited)
I love my 05' and would buy one again if I were looking for another vehicle. I have driven mine quite a bit on road and offroad and I borrow a family members TJ alot for around town stuff when mine is in the garage getting mods done so I can say I can at least compare them side by side. I also owned a YJ in the past and the benefits of an LJ are definitely noticable IMO. Longer wheelbase, more cargo area, back seat is 2" farther back, curb weight is nicer for towing trailers, and offroad the wheelbase does help in certain situations where a little more reach is nice. I can take mine anywhere a comparably equipped TJ can go and have repeatedly. If you like here is some nice eye candy for you showing a bunch of our LJ's over on jeepforum http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f59/lets-see-some-unlimited-ljs-482204/


Now to the 6 speed lol. My '05 is on it's 3rd NSG370(6spd). I would be on my 4th if I was still under warranty! These 6spds are hit or miss. You have to drive them like a "truck" transmission. Not really a big deal, but mine always grinds into 2nd and 3rd no matter what. I have tried all the fancy fluids blah blah blah. They are very noisy transmission also. I am seeing more and more swapping them out to go to auto (myself included!). Supposedly some issues were addressed in '06 and newer....JK's, but I wheel with several guys that have 6spd JK's and still have issues with them.

NOW with all that said, I still LOVE my LJ. The extra room is great. I wheel mine hard and the wheelbase is perfect. I just accepted that like any other Jeep eventually it was always good as a body and frame donor :D
The OPDA is hit and miss and because it's an internal engine component without pulling it out to inspect you've no idea when it might happen, and same with the 6 Speed. I have read the discussions on the OPDA fix and I don't want to disagree with what was posted but I have seen comments saying various ones went out ranging from 15k miles to 80k miles so that tells me it's not a uniformly spread issue. Meaning its a good chance it may happen in the life of the engine but it doesn't mean there is a wear out date that its automatically going to go out at. It's a good thing to keep on top of but not something I would say should keep you from buying a TJ/LJ. As far as the transmission my 05' has 54k miles on it and in that time I have only had to replace the clutch with no other issues to the transmission or OPDA. I also wheel with two others with the 6 speed Rubicon LJ and neither of them have had that issue. I also talk to several other LJ owners on the forums who have not reported those problems either. So either were all very lucky or some definitely do experience those issues but its not all LJ/TJ's or even half IMO. Not saying it couldn't happen or it's not something to be aware of but I wouldn't agree that it's just a matter of time or that the NSG370 is a bad transmission.

There are better choices but automatic isn't one of them IMHO because I can drop my Rubihara into 4lo and 1st gear and don't even hardly use the brakes when I am rock crawling because it goes so slow without stalling. I can then shift to 4th,5th, or 6th and run the trails in between obstacles without ever shifting out of 4lo. The 6 speed is also a lot more desirable for street driving if you go bigger tires and lift but haven't re geared yet where as the automatic sucks ass if your not geared right. Not saying your wrong about the issues happening, just that it's not all of them and one shouldn't expect that if you buy one that is automatically going to be the case. Again auto vs stick is a debatable forever but it all boils down to personal preference. I also think if you've gone through that many transmissions in that low mileage you have something else going on that is prematurely wearing yours out, because I cant see how several other LJ's with 6 speeds that have done trails like the Rubicon and Bronco Canyon haven't had that issue but would still have the same flaws or defects causing yours to go out so fast repeatedly. I can't say it's not possible but I think it's more likely something else is going on. As far as noise mine is fairly quiet so I think the excessive noise is a symptom of something else as well.

The steering box is crap for sure but thats all 03-06 TJ/LJ's, same issue I am getting ready to work around in the next week or so with some helpful advice from Mr. Blaine. I think on stock wheels and stock suspension (i.e. buying a stock 06') though they are fine as long as you understand they probably won't last as long as the older Saginaw it shouldn't be an issue for some time. I think even up to 33"s and mild offroading the box will probably last just fine for most people. The problem as I see it is the ZF box isn't as strong or as durable as the older boxes so if you add more stress to it like big tires and lift it wears it out a lot faster and since it's an inferior box that means it will go twice as fast as a Saginaw box. Just my opinion.
 
#11 ·
I never said those issues should steer anyone away from buying one. Heck I would buy another one if I could. Just info one should be aware of and not be surprised if it does happen. My transmissions were replaced because of unwillingness to accept a transmission that grinds into gear even though it was new so it was placed on the dealer. Not necessarily because they were bad. I've never had an actual failure I'm just picky!

I agree I love my 1st gear, 4to1, 5:13's on the trail. BUT I'm going auto simply because of the type of wheeling I do.

But from the looks of that Jeep and the forum section we're in I may be looking at things a completely different way. That is a clean looking LJ and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.
 
#12 ·
Sorry for the thread jack, unless life interrupts I'm moving to Vegas in July so hopefully will see you out on the trail. If you have any good info or advice on clubs please PM me. I'm looking forward to exploring new stuff :smokin:

Back on topic, I have not met anybody yet with an LJ that regrets buying one.......well except for maybe going bankrupt building them up :D
 
#16 ·
OK.

Went to check it out this afternoon. Found a leak on the Long side axle up front, a leak at the trans/ rear engine (either a main seal leak or input shaft leak) by the inspection plate, 4 or 5 dings in the skids underneath (been wheeled good, looked like they had fun), the OPDA did have a slight rattle to it, had another leak in the engine bay at the PCV valves, sounded like it was idling low and was in need of a tune up due to the slight miss, the muffler had condensate leaking from it and the brakes were in need of attention.

I brought all that to the attention of the service manager:laughing:

He just looked at me funny... and started in with the 12 hours gauranteed they spent on it to veify it was in good working order. I responded with "Looks like it's gonna need another 12".

Nice looking jeep and it handled better than the short box TJ's I have been in.
The extra space was nice actually, even though it was just a few squre feet.
I could roadtrip it.

Hmmm.... for all the money though I would expect a leakfree rig. Seems like at 52K the engine/ drivetrain would be pretty clean still:confused:
 
#18 ·
Price sounds high to me.

The inner axle seal leak is kind of a PITA to fix, easy but time consuming. prob 3-4hr job if you have to pay for it. (This also leads me to believe someone has pulled that shaft before. Probably not a big deal, but I would inspect to see if the diff has been opened before) Prev. owner could have busted something up there.

Rear main seal leaks are common, prob something simple

Breathers leaking/residue around them is totally normal. I only have 36,500 on mine and it's done that forever. I just wipe that area down every oil change.

Does it have the factory air box? Our throttle bodies are notorious for having dirty IAC valves. I can almost guarantee that will need to be cleaned. But very simple. Will help improve idle, I help guys do it all the time. Plugs need to be done about every 30K.

Shouldn't be a big deal on the condensation.

Brakes...well if it needs them then that's another "cost".

This is my opinion, but you could fix all of that yourself very easily. Unfortunately, dealers think they have a gem with any Jeep and prob. don't give a crap if it needs any work because someone WILL buy it. I wouldn't pay more than close to 16K for that. You can find some decent built LJ's or even a Rubicon for close to that. Remember it is still a 5 year old vehicle regardless of the miles. Even with stock suspension and tires, things wear....especially if you see evidence of someone wheeling it. Items like tie-rod ends, ball-joints, u-joints, unit bearings ect.......You said you've never owned a Jeep and like every other vehicle these parts wear, but just a little faster on something that get's used off-road.

Is the dealer working with you are you at a set point now?
 
#17 ·
I bought mine back in Jan 09' for $13,999 bone stock. Only had a soft top, and was missing the rear carpet but the rest was pretty straight and clean and was sold certified pre-owned. I would say for $17k with that many miles it's over priced but that is also relative to the area so I would say check around and see if you can find some ads showing comparable ones and see what the prices are averaging. KBB isn't a good guide with the current economy.
 
#20 ·
I've had LJ since '04 and it's been a great rig. I used it for both on the trail and as a DD since I don't want a tow rig. It's got roughly 86k miles on it and it still runs really strong but the only downside is that the mpg really suffer with the added weight of a winch, armor, etc. The only issue it had was the computer had to be swapped out (though I'm not sure it's similar to what's been explained above). I am trying to sell mine, not due to any issues with it but my wife is tired of her JK so I might be wheeling that. In a way, they are a modern version of a scrambler.
 
#21 · (Edited)
OK... sourced another one about 25 miles from where I am.

This one is listed at 18K and is a Rubicon/ Sahara? It's 2005 and has an emblem on the side which makes it special I guess?:confused:

It has 40K on the odometer and is really pretty clean with a mild lift, and wheel/s- 32" tires... Other than that it runs great and drives great.

Are the Rubicon's worth the extra? And what is with the Rubicon/ Sahara?

Some advertising gimmick?

Hmmmmm. What to do, what to do. Are the lockers in the Rubicon air lockers, like an ARB?
 
#25 · (Edited)
Man..... Dealerships are mighty proud of these things here in SoCal!

Want one, but don't know if I am willing to drop the coin on one for what they want.

My little 08 Colorado has 13k and some change on the odometer, the best deal I saw was a Rubihara for 18,200 (has 40K on the odometer) and they will give me 11k on my Colorado. I owe 4 on the Colorado, and it's basically the only thing I have financed. No house payment and just the typical bills to pay every month. Not like I couldn't afford it or anything, it's the principal man! Litterally!:flipoff2:

What to do. Would you bite the bullet for one and just eat it? Is it gonna be worth it down the road? Yeah. I see the Unlimited GAINING value as opposed to losing like the Colly would.

Hmmmmmmmm.:confused:
 
#26 ·
It used to be that you could sell the rubicon axles for more than the price difference between a rubicon and base model. Something to consider if you are going to build it.

Fwiw my 98 doesn't leak anywhere but the diff covers(abuse) and never has with 115k on it.

And don't become on of those **** that calls it a rubi. Rubicon or lj makes you sound like less of a tool.
 
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