# Which Jeep



## Luke

I'm looking to get into plowing private driveways with a jeep. Here are some questions. The used jeep I'll buy will be used mostly for plowing except for emergencies. Is there any year jeep wrangler to stay away from, auto or standard, size engine, tire size, and which size plow is best also which brand plow? Thanks in advance luke.


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## LINY Rob

I would get a Cj7 or even a CJ5 with a 304 in it, even better with a cast iron manual transmission. Super easy to work on the engine, parts are dirt cheap, no electronics to go bad on you either.

Personally I would stick with a jeep that was not lifted and sits on tires that are not that wide. Plow is up to you- if buying the plow new I would consider how close the dealer is to your house/shop.


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## Bigblue250

Cant beat my nice short CJ-5 with the big 6 and all its low end torque. It has a 7' Meyer and does the jobs the big trucks cant.


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## muddy00

Cj5/cj7's would be great but may not be the most reliable depending on condition, I would say 91+ Jeep wrangler as that is the first year for Fuel injection on the I-6 engines which are strong and reliable. I would also say the less lifted it is the better but I have about 4" lift on mine. :redbounce Hepefully I can test out my new blizzard in a few hours as we are supposed to get 3-6"


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## watchamakalit

Very good advise from everyone. I would agree with everything already posted. I must say the 258ci six is one tough motor. Plenty of power for plowing. Mine pushes a 7.5' Meyer with no problems.


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## vballman

I have an 03 TJ with a 6.5' fisher minute mount. i have the 6cyl and a manual tranny. Love it!

If you want the most control go with a manual. if you want ease of use get auto. I have done both with the same plow. you have far more control with the manual tranny.

if you get a lifted jeep that is fine. but remember that you want a narrow tire for snow. so loose the big tires and get some narrow snows or good all terrains. Stay away from the Goodyear Wranglers. I have them and they are terrible! I am stuck with them for this winter and next i will have something better. can't wait.


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## Bigblue250

The reliability on my 78' is not even a question. No matter if it sits for 5 mins or 5 mos, pump it twice and turn the key always fires right up. purplebou Can you tell I am with the real Jeeps have round headlights crowd.


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## Luke

Thanks sp far guys. I'm looking at a 1987 5 spd with a carberator which he's having problems with. IS the 1987 a year to avoid?


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## polplow

I had a 89 with a carb and never could get it to run right. Upgraded to a Tj


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## LINY Rob

Bigblue250 said:


> The reliability on my 78' is not even a question. No matter if it sits for 5 mins or 5 mos, pump it twice and turn the key always fires right up. purplebou Can you tell I am with the real Jeeps have round headlights crowd.


my old cherokee sits all summer, put the battery terminal on my Sears Die Hard Gold battery, put a tiny bit of gas in the carbie so I dont have to crank it too much to get some fuel in the carb, and it fires right up and idles on its manual choke. It can be 10 degrees out and it still fires right up. I wish I had as much confidence in my Ford.

so simple, no electrical gremlins to haunt you- and when something does happen to go wrong the truck usually remains running and costs less then $50 to fix!

old jeep is like a old friend


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## me1223

I know you guys are all saying get the 6cyl, but is there any real problems with the 4cyl? or does it not have enough power for at least a 7" blade?


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## festerw

me1223 said:


> I know you guys are all saying get the 6cyl, but is there any real problems with the 4cyl? or does it not have enough power for at least a 7" blade?


The 4 cyl barely has enough power to move itself. IMO for a YJ/TJ/CJ, I'd go for a 95 YJ still has the leaf sprung front axle, but with the improved 4.0 I-6 and auto tranny.

That said, I would prefer an XJ for plowing 99 model year to be exact. Reasons include turning radius is still excellent, alot easier to find, can come equipped with heated mirrors and IMO most importantly if you look you can find a model with the NP242 transfer case which will give you the option to run in full time 4wd. The NP242 is worth it's weight in gold, 4wd without the binding.


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## Plowlikehell

festerw said:


> The 4 cyl barely has enough power to move itself. IMO for a YJ/TJ/CJ, I'd go for a 95 YJ still has the leaf sprung front axle, but with the improved 4.0 I-6 and auto tranny.
> 
> That said, I would prefer an XJ for plowing 99 model year to be exact. Reasons include turning radius is still excellent, alot easier to find, can come equipped with heated mirrors and IMO most importantly if you look you can find a model with the NP242 transfer case which will give you the option to run in full time 4wd. The NP242 is worth it's weight in gold, 4wd without the binding.


In any old CJ/YJ, check the frame for rott!!!

Any Jeep after 91 is good to get. The electronics are Chrysler, and is easy to work on. Plus the 4L HO kicks butt. NP242 is a good Tcase, but if the couple starts going bad you still get the 4wd binding.

I plow with a 91XJ, and I love it. I mostly do personal stuff, but I have done some plowing for a buddy of mine.


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## sweetnsimple

*In defense of 4 bangers*

First year plowing. Using a 94 YJ with the 2.5L 4-banger and auto trans. pushing a 6'8" Homesteader. Doing about 20 residential customers in NE Ohio, where we've already had about 25 inches of snow so far this December. Been doing some plowing, and so far no issues with the power of the little four or with the Fisher Homesteader. Front axle U joints went south recently, however, so can't say it's been problem-free, since the stress of the plow and plowing itself probably helped tank 'em. Still, new ones on today and we'll see what happens next.

Note that lots of folks recommend the six -- and the 4.0 in my '04 Rubicon can power past damn near anything BUT A GAS STATION, and it doesn't have a plow hanging on it. Dunno. Gas is going for about $2.19 here but changes daily, and I hate to think about the amount of gas the Rubi would've chugged down if it was plowing like the YJ does.

Got a 2.5-inch lift on the YJ and see no reason to avoid a lifted Jeep. Visibility is better, especially in tight quarters where you need to see what's right next to you down on the ground. Can't see any reason for avoiding a (suspension) lift on a Jeep with leaf springs.

Still, with all that said, we had our last major snowfall last year on April 23, when we got a couple feet of wet, heavy stuff that brought down trees, power lines and took weeks to melt away. So, there's a long way to go and winter hasn't officially started yet. Love my Jeeps and wouldn't trade them for anything, but plowing beats the hell out of a vehicle and that's all there is to it. Gonna find out how this YJ handles the beatin' and should know pretty well by spring.


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## tuna

Luke said:


> Thanks sp far guys. I'm looking at a 1987 5 spd with a carberator which he's having problems with. IS the 1987 a year to avoid?


Yes 87 is a year to avoid.It has the notoriously weak Pueogot BA 10 trans that is junk and the carter BBII carb will never run right.They switched to a AX 15 trans midway through 89 and fuel injection in 91.I have an 89 with the AX15 and I swapped out the carb for a Motorcraft 2100 and a GM HEI distributor and it runs great now.


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## brunosplace

*97 tj*

I am running a 97 tj with the 4.0l six cyl with auto trans. I love this thing. No mechanical problems with it yet, in its second year of plowing. Just do all of your preventative maintenance work on the vehicle to prevent problems. Each plow run is at least 20 hours and about 75 mostly residential properties, it handles it very well.


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## paynter2

I have a 75 CJ5. It has 4.27 gears and a posi rear. I put 31" T/As on it. I push a 6.5' Meyers and 320# of sand in the rear. It's the only thing I've ever plowed with. But it seems to push a pretty good load.

Last week we had a foot of snow. I was gone so my neighbor pushed a path for me into my house. When I got time to plow myself out, the piles he made were frozen. The CJ just powered them back to where I wanted them.

I have a 2003 Tacoma and a 6.5' Western plow to put on it. When the warranty expires on the Toyota, I'm gonna sell the Jeep and use the Tacoma.


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## tvpierce

CJs are great -- I love mine. But rust is a major factor with them. Even if you found one that was babied, and not rusty, it would soon become rusty with you driving it in the worst possible conditions (snowy, salty roads).

As indicated earlier, late 80s YJs have the notorius Pueogot tranny and should be avoided. They also have carbs -- I prefer fuel injection (I have Howell aftermarket fuel injection on my '85)

A 4 cyl. will be fine. You don't need power to push snow, you need traction and weight. The 4.0 liter six is a fantastic motor, with great torque for plowing. But the 4 cly. will have plenty of power and torque to get the job done.

Jeff Pierce


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## addicted

Run away from a late 80's yj with the pugot clamshell 5 speed. 
The 4 banger is a good engine, but the 6 is better. My 78 cj is as reliable as anything, but 5 mpg is bad, I would suggest anything 91 and later with the injected 4.0 and a stick. remember that the older it is, the more TLC it will need. Also, a 96+tj has a far superior ride and suspension, and parts are plentiful.


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## Diesel-Man

addicted said:


> Run away from a late 80's yj with the pugot clamshell 5 speed.
> The 4 banger is a good engine, but the 6 is better. My 78 cj is as reliable as anything, but 5 mpg is bad, I would suggest anything 91 and later with the injected 4.0 and a stick. remember that the older it is, the more TLC it will need. Also, a 96+tj has a far superior ride and suspension, and parts are plentiful.


I read the 03 Rubicons have the best turning radius of all the newer jeeps. You need a powered wheelchair to do better.


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## addicted

Diesel-Man said:


> I read the 03 Rubicons have the best turning radius of all the newer jeeps. You need a powered wheelchair to do better.


You would think! But no. My 97 tj had a smaller radius. The bigger tires on the rubi means that they either had to notch the lower arms or limit the steering. Guess wich way they went. Still tighter than any other suv out there.


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## martyman

It's funny to see guy's say CJ's because they are so rare to see here because of rust. I know of one really nice one but it's a fiberglass bodytymusic


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## bluejeep

I love my 93. Worked great for me. No Problems. I have 1 house whre the driveway is very tricky no truck would ever be able to plow it. 
But its time to sell it. If anyone wants its i can give some details.


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## drunkencitywork

I may be intereasted in plow. what are you running and where in Il. I am south side/south west side of chicago. I tried to PM you but it would not let me. Try me at [email protected]


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## misanthrope

I plowed for the first time ( The storm we got on Sunday)with my 98 TJ 4.0 3 speed auto and it kicked ass. I don't do parking lots so i had no problem. Perfect for residential driveways. Just need good tires and some weight in the back and your good to go.


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## FBNemo

I'm going to my '89 comanche this year. With 4.0L, automatic and new 32" M/T's, it should be ok. Might put a lockright in the rear, just in case. Instant ballast (firewood) in the bed will give me the extra weight I might need. Just need to do my drive, neighbors and family.
I wonder how many "new buddies" I will get from work when we FINALLY get some snow.


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