# 97 Jeep Wrangler, 4 cylinder?



## darood01

Thinking about plowing this season. I have a 97 jeep wrangler with a 4 cylinder manual, would this be powerful enough to use if i put a sno way plow on?
Would be using it for 20-30 narrow residential drive-ways.


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## theplowmeister

the 4 cyl is the only motor that most plow manufacturers list (6 cyl is heaver). I see 4 cyl jeeps plowing all the time. 
Although I've only used 6cyl jeeps. I plow 100 driveways with a manual tranny and have for 23 years. I had 1 automatic jeep that my helper used (I hated plowing with the automatic).


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## darood01

What upgrades would you recommend doing to the jeep?


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## theplowmeister

add weight to the rear, if an automatic trany get a trany cooler. depending on the plow, air shocks for the front. good snow tires ie Blizzak!! 
(NOT M + S tires NOT all season NOT mud ) get the tire with the most ice traction. your tires will be on ice (you know after the plow pushes the snow, your tires are on ice)


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## basher

I have a number of customers using the 4 cyl wrangler and snoway 22 series blades with great success


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## darood01

What plows do you recommend for a jeep wrangler if there isn't a sno way dealer near you, or does someone recommend something else?


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## theplowmeister

Ive plowed for 23 years with 4 jeep wranglers, my Friend has also used 4 jeep wranglers. We both used Fisher 7 /12 RD plows on ALL of our jeeps (now called 7 1/2 HD same plow, new name). add air shocks and add weight to the rear and Blizzak tires.


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## darood01

Anything other then fisher, closes dealer is about 40 miles away.


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## theplowmeister

What is close to you?


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## theplowmeister

Go to the top of this page and click on any and all of the plow icons. See what they offer for the Jeep. if one is close to you ask about that plow here. go to the "Industry Equipment Forum" for that plow maker and see what problems people are having with that plow.
There is no shortcut for research.


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## darood01

Thanks for the information. I have read a lot of these posts and it seems like everybody has 
sno way or fisher. I was just asking people for there professional opinion, since I didn't want to get a heavy plow.


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## ksland

4 cyl wranglers have lighter duty springs from the factory. However the motor is lighter so its a wash. The 2.5L 4 bangers are good little motors and usually have 3.73 or 4.10 gears in those jeeps whereas the 6 cyl use 3.07 or 3.55 or even 3.23 I believe.

So in my opinion the 4 banger is a better choice for plowing, you only have so much traction in a light jeep anyhow, the 4 cyl will have enough to spin the tires free so 6 cyl is overkill.

I would put a set of rubicon coils in the front, you can pick up a set used cheap, and very easy to put in. Then take them out when plow season is over. If your not mechanically inclined go down to your local meineke or whatever and pay them an hour or 2 labor to toss them in.

Also timbrens are a good idea, used alone would be sufficient... no matter what you do, you will need ballast... I use to have a spare tire I filled with water instead of air bolted to the spare tire carrier.... That would work just fine.


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## theplowmeister

ksland;796117 said:


> Also timbrens are a good idea, used alone would be sufficient... no matter what you do, you will need ballast... I use to have a spare tire I filled with water instead of air bolted to the spare tire carrier.... That would work just fine.


Filling a spare tire is too much weight to hang on the spare tire holder which is supported by the trunk lid. make up something to fit into a receiver hitch. I dont like timbrins because they stiffen up the ride.


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## basher

ksland;796117 said:


> . no matter what you do, you will need ballast... I use to have a spare tire I filled with water instead of air bolted to the spare tire carrier.... That would work just fine.


\

Until it rips the spare tire carrier off the back of the jeep. Go with sand bags in the rear or mount something to the receiver hitch.


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## the new boss 92

fab up a nice hitch adapter to hold aproxametly 500-1000 lbs. that way in the winter you can use it and in the summer to haul some bags of dirt or bags of mulch for around the house. thats your best bet!

something like this http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200308577_200308577


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## theplowmeister

I made a "C" channel bumper that is filled with lead and plugs into my receiver hitch. about #500.


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## basher

theplowmeister;797067 said:


> I made a "C" channel bumper that is filled with lead and plugs into my receiver hitch. about #500.


You also have a well re-enforced bumper hitch and suspension upgrades capable of handling it. Not a class one hitch with a two inch receiver tube.


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## plow612

I find the best ballast to be a few 50 lb bags of salt. If you have to truck an extra 200lbs around with you, at least make it useful!


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## GNILOP

*New to me! Jeep & plow*

Just picked up a 99 wrangler at auction thats being gone over, and also bought a 6' 1/2 power angle older plow that came off of a ford ranger 4x4. I need to know what is needed to put that plow on the jeep frame? Any ideas /? G. Poling- ohio


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## tsidders

GNI
Mind if I ask what you paid for that 99 at auction?
Thanks
T


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## GNILOP

*99 wrangler*

Four thousand two hundred! Gp


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## GNILOP

Would be nice to find someone that could tell me what kit or parts are needed to install this 6 1/2 foot western plow on a jeep wrangler. The plow was taken off of a ford ranger and the carriage was a ford factory set up. Gp


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## cj5

NOTE: Reread post, below is assuming a uni-mount plow was purchased....

I mounted a 6.5 Western on my Jeep last fall.

Use this link for the Western install and parts guide:

http://www.westernplows.com/publibrary.asp?cat=182

There are a couple of specialty nuts that you need straight from Western.

I'll tell you up front that you have a problem already, mounting brackets for Wrangler
uni-mounts are almost impossible to find. I bought one plow without a Wrangler mount
and started searching for a mount. 4 months later I found another plow that had just been
removed from a Wrangler and bought the whole unit. Luckily I was able to sell the first
plow for what I had paid for it.

I installed the plow myself and that wasn't too hard.

Paul


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## basher

What plow? uni mount, ultra mount, conventional mount???


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## Mark Oomkes

ksland;796117 said:


> So in my opinion the 4 banger is a better choice for plowing, you only have so much traction in a light jeep anyhow, the 4 cyl will have enough to spin the tires free so 6 cyl is overkill.


Far, far, FAR from overkill.

The torque curve for the I6 is far better than any gearing will compensate for with a 4 cylinder.

And the I6 is just about indestructible, just like the Chrysler 318. They were idiots to get rid of the 4.0 I6. And it is fuel efficient.

Add some weight and they are unstoppable. But I digress.

OP, I think Mason Dynamics\B&B is the newest Fisher dealer in GR.


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