1997 Jeep TJ Review

Specifications

A Return to Jeeps Roots?

If we call a car that reaches back in time for its stylistic inspiration retro, what do you call a car that never really changed its design? You call it a Jeep. Derived from the vehicles ancestral military designation (General Purpose, or GP) circa World War II, even the Jeep name is retro in ways the Mustang, New Beetle, and Mini Cooper can only dream of.

Conceived in a roundabout way for the U.S. armed forces, the original design has been credited to a little-know company called Bantam, which produced a prototype called the Bantam BRC for the military trials for service in WWII. As the most capable vehicle in the trials, the BRC was first to meet the armys criteria, however, due to the American governments concern over Bantams ability to produce the vast quantity required, a second set of trials commenced, and competitors Ford and Willys were allowed to revamp Bantams design. Rumour has it that the two competing firms had access to the Bantam prototype and the associated paperwork, and when the companies came back together with 1500 of their respective prototypes, all three were incredibly similar. After extensive field testing the Willys was declared most capable, but once again the governments concern over potential sabotage of the single Willys factory causing a supply shortage, the design was circulated to Ford as well, and both companies began production of what was would eventually become known worldwide as the Jeep.

Produced continuously since WWII, the Jeep weve been able to purchase for personal use was originally called CJ, standing for Civilian Jeep. After passing through Kaiser, AMC and eventually into Chryslers hands, the CJ era of the Jeep came to a close, replaced by the YJ in 1987, and then in 1997, the YJ made way for the last generation of Jeep, internally dubbed TJ. Known to everyone else as the Wrangler, this last generation of Jeep looked very much like the previous one, sharing the same proportions, wheelbase, and even doors and tailgate.

As similar as TJ and YJ were, mind you, the updated Wrangler did get its own personality thanks to a few styling cues that went back to Jeeps roots, like the replacement of the YJs square headlights with round ones, and the removal of the gaudy (and very 80s) plastic running boards. Moreover, the turn signals now resided on the fenders front edges, and the hoods archaic hold-down straps and exposed hinges are of a lower profile for less wind noise and a slightly more updated look.

Rounding out the visible revisions, the gas tank filler moved to the TJs flank, as opposed to the rear where is had been since the days of the CJ. The creased grille shell introduced on the YJ remained though, and while the windshield was still of a folding design, doing so still required some quality time with a screwdriver, just like it did on the YJ. When upright, the windshield was slightly different, however, with more rake and larger glass for increased visibility and improved aerodynamics.

Inside, the new Jeep improved on the old models design substantially. While it certainly looked better, the real news was the adoption of airbag-friendly steering wheels and dashboards, legislated into place by the government. Increasing the safety margin considerably, the new airbags also motivated Jeep to thoroughly sort through the rest of the interior, giving it a new, offshore-market friendly console (meaning it didnt flow into the gauge pod so it could be used for both left- and right-hand drive models). It sacrificed the traditional Jeep uninterrupted dashboard layout, but allowed for the addition of such modern amenities as air conditioning! and tape players! and even a CD player! While not exactly the most attractive layout in the world, ok fine, it was downright ugly, but the Jeeps interior was functional, with most controls being close at hand and easily manipulated.
Spaciousness was improved too, with the new Wrangler allowing 1.6 inches more rearward seat travel for those long of limb, while rear seat occupants benefited from a narrow centre tunnel and revised wheel wells that opened up the rear seat a full 6 inches width wise. As a result, the rear seat can now fit two adults in relative comfort, although the seat cushions feel as if they havent been softened since being designed to take on Rommel in 1941. Finally, Jeep revised both hard and soft tops, with both reportedly becoming more aerodynamic and easier to use. The hard tops quick release latches dropped 15 pounds, while Jeep reported the new, more convertible-styled soft top went up in about two-thirds the time of the old one. While this made great PR propaganda, the fact remained: you did not want to be caught in a rainstorm with the top down because chances are good the second coming would arrive before you got your Jeep soft top in place. And while the hardtop was still a better bet in inclement weather, it drums loudly at high speeds whereas the soft top just flaps.

But the interior and exterior revisions were really just icing on the cake, with the real news being the coil-sprung suspension. After relying on leafs since the war, Jeep finally introduced their Cherokee-sourced Quadra-Coil system on the Wrangler/TJ. Allowing for better suspension tuning than the old four-pack leafs, the new coils gave better on road performance while still supplying enough off-road performance to satisfy most 4×4 fans. Granted, on-road performance was definitely the priority when Jeep designed the system, but with the new Wrangler it didnt come at the same cost as it did when the YJ version made its 1987 debut.

Such small details as recognizing that most off-roaders disconnect their sway bars for added articulation influenced the design, in this case resulting in the sway bar being mounted above the frame, where it was easier to access and disconnect the end links. Doing so resulted in a full 7 inches more axle articulation than in the YJ; a significant improvement. Likewise, the wheel arches were opened up, and while looking somewhat large in comparison to the stock wheels, giave more clearance for the addition of big off-road wheel and tire combinations. Finally, thanks to the removal of the big leaf packs, the Jeeps approach and departure angles were increased, allowing the short wheelbase vehicle to clamber up and down steeper hills than ever before.

Under the hood, the two available powerplants were more or less the same as those found in the previous model, with the same 2.5L four banger being the base engine while the venerable 4.0L inline six soldiered on. The 120 horsepower 2.5L is a wheezy engine, and it struggles to pull the Wrangler up to speed, be it from a stoplight or while merging onto the freeway. Needless to say its hardly the choice for off-road enthusiasts, with barely enough power to pull the little SUV along on the pavement itd be horrendous when the going got rough and worse if the rough-stuff came at high altitude. Thankfully, those requiring the economy of a four-cylinder needed only wait until 2003, when the 2.4L DOHC four-cylinder from the Jeep Liberty supplanted the 2.5L as the base engine. Much smoother than the old four cylinder and even the inline six, the new motor made 147 horsepower and 165 foot-pounds of torque. Providing much better throttle response and passing power, the new motor was a huge improvement over the old four, but still lacked the pure power of the 4.0L.

With a good powerband and plenty or torque to pull the Jeep out of almost any situation, the inline six worked well with either the standard five-speed manual or the three-speed automatic, and even boasted some aftermarket support for those looking for even more power. The rest of the powetrain was sufficiently beefed up too, with the same rear axle as the YJ present while the front Dana 30 was modified with the pinion moved below the pumpkins centerline for quieter operation and more ground clearance. The optional Dana 44 rear axle with a limited slip differential was a stout option, second only to the mighty Rubicons locking diffs.

Of course, while the newer TJ generation of Wrangler was still an excellent vehicle for its time, it simply isnt for everyone. Visibility isnt the best, interior space is competent but hardly commodious, and interior accoutrements are quite limited. Much like its never-redesigned-looks, driving a Jeep is like stepping back in time: the little trucks comfy, cozy, and pretty capable, but it lacks the refinement of modern vehicles. Oddly enough, that trait is also its greatest strength, for when youre crawling over rocks or fording streams on your favourite Jeep trail (you know theyre capable vehicles when they start naming a particular kind of trail after it) you wont want advanced fancy viscous all-wheel drive systems or complex stability control or even a nice leather interior.

Specifically designed to be competent on-road and excellent off-road, the Wranglers many variations, which in this generation ranged from the anemic four-cylinder powered SE to the mighty 4.0L powered, locking differential-equipped, almost unstoppable Rubicon, each have their purpose; there was even the bizarre Wrangler Unlimited, which boasted a stretched chassis and a resultantly larger cabin for those that needed a bit more space. But as much as each variant brought something different to the table, none of them are particularly well suited to such menial tasks as daily commuting. Sure, the little 2.5L and 2.4L models could almost be considered fuel efficient, and yes they can be maneuvered through traffic with relative ease (a handy side-effect of the taller seating position and extremely tight turning circle needed for off-road use), although the Rubicon pitches about on its massive gumball tires and off-road prepared suspension, but neither is going to be the best choice for someone that never ventures off-road. They are, at the end of the day, off-road vehicles that are capable of getting you to and from the trail, unlike most SUVs that are on-road vehicles with some off-road capability. Even the airbag deployment systems are tailored to trail service, remaining safely in the dash when lesser vehicles would have interpreted the chassis-twisting, suspension punishing maneuvers Jeeps take for with ease as impacts. No, Wranglers are best suited to those with a serious wanderlust for Gods country, a desire so deep that draws them intro the bush weekly, or at least those with a penchant for off-roading who are owners of a second car.

Much like a lot of other excellent, purpose-built automobiles, you dont so much own a Jeep as commit to one.