Different Types of Wrangler Generations

As you drive down the road watching the cars drive by you, you will definitely notice that a Jeep Wrangler is coming up. But what year? They look similar but in fact there are 3 generations of Wranglers. Each has its own little bit of unique-ness and strong points. Of course there are different MODELS of Jeep Wrangler, like the Wrangler Rubicon, Wrangler Renegade, Wrangler Islander, and the Wrangler Unlimited; but don’t get it messed up with ‘Generations’. The models only offer different options that is included with the vehicle while different generations means changing the STYLE of the vehicle, as in changing the headlights from square to round, changing the fenders to look more aggressive or anything that drastically changes from the last years model.

YJ (1987–1995)

The YJ generation replaced the old school Jeep CJ in 1987. They changed a lot of things on it including a wider track, lower ground clearance, and more comfort. The new CJ wasnt only for military type people anymore – its getting comfy. A few things they did to make the ride more tolorable was wider leaf springs, and swaybars. But overall the design and look stayed the same and in fact, you can retro fit a CJ7 body parts with little to no modifications. The YJ generation changed its headlights from round to square – which made alot of Jeep enthusiasts a little pissy. Also another way to tell this generation from others is the windshield wipers. Because the windshield was enlarged on this gen, the wipers sit more on top and look more pronounced.

The power in this beast was a 2.5L inline 4 or an optional 4.2L inline 6 pushing 117HP and 210 ft/lbs of torque. These engines only lasted until 1991, when the 180HP 4.0, fuel injected powerhouse came along.

TJ (1997–2006)

You may be wondering – where in the heck did 1996 go?! Well there technically wasnt a 1996, the 1997 TJ was released in Spring 1996. As you can see they decided to remove the square headlights and replace with the old style round ones. I personally like the round ones as well, I think it gives the Jeep Wrangler a little more personality then the square ones. Also changed on this generation is the suspension, which was leaf springs, but are now replaced with coil suspension brought in from the Jeep Cherokee to improve handling and comfort.

The engine is the same 4.0 L AMC 242 Straight-6 used in the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. A 2.5 L AMC 150 Inline-4 motor was available on entry-level models until 2003 when the 2.4 L DOHC Neon 4-cylinder engine replaced it. This was the first wrangler generation to create a import wrangler market. They started making the drivers seat on the left side for the Asian markets and for the United States Post Office (USPS).

JK (2007–present)

So as you can see thru the reading, that the Jeep Wrangler has not changed very much. Very slight modifications seem to be the only big changes. This generation changes all that. They redesigned the whole thing and now offers a 4-door model. The picture for the JK Wrangler generation is the 4 Door, 2007-2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X. Crazy name right?! But overall I think that the design looks good, clean and modern but still has that Wrangler look, that ruff tough look. The whole wrangler line was enlarged by a 2-inch (51 mm) longer wheelbase and 3.4-inch (86 mm) wider track, though the two door model is actually 2.5 inches (64 mm) shorter in the overall length than the TJ generation. The power in these babies come from a 3.8 L EGT V6 producing 202 hp  and 237 foot-pounds  of torque as the base engine, replacing the  AMC 242 straight-6. The 2.8 L VM Motori turbodiesel straight-4 producing 177 hp and 302 foot-pounds of torque used in the Liberty is offered as options outside of U.S, as it does not satisfy U.S. emission control standards for 2007. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, with a four-speed automatic transmission offered as an option, which seems pretty sweet. A 2007 Jeep Wrangler with a 6 speed transmission would tickle my fancy I would think.

There is a lot more differences that i didn’t cover but to see many more differences between the different Wrangler Generations then read this book. I just finished and i learned a whole lot about what to look for when buying a used wrangler among many other groovy things. But I don’t want to spoil the book for you – your going to have to just read it yourself and find out. The Books called “The Best Used Jeeps” and its written by Larry Morton.