cbzdel

Heavy loads like that would be next to never.. I need to get usually 1/2 to 1 yard of gravel every year to touch up my driveway and parking areas, and then usually get a 1/2 to 1 yard of soil every year to fix up the yard and garden. Other than that I just need a truck for things that do not fit into a car. The only reason I would entertain the idea of a 2.5 is because of the MPG for the regular around town driving. The only reason I would want the 4.0 is because bigger is better haha.. But bigger is not always needed in all cases..

The 2.5 is plenty peppy for normal driving, but for hauling a full load of gravel? It may move it around, but I question it's effectiveness lol I guess I should add, that I only live 2 of a miles away from my landscape supply store, so even if I am just moving it slowly I would be ok with that. But I do get your point. The F150 I had, had a i6 engine and it being a "base/work truck model" had very high gearing as well, then the previous owner lifted it and put 35s on it. During the test drive it felt great but I never topped 45mph on the local roads. So I bought it then got on the freeway and reaized that I could not go much beyond 60mph on flat ground, if there was a hill I would drop down to about a 45mph top speed. It sucked, but it worked. The truck had a full 8' bed, and I filled it with dirt, totally full, the leaf spring were bending in the opposite direction.. I was so worried about snapping the leaf springs, but that ended up not even being a problem. The problem my truck was so weighed down it wouldnt move, well it would but I seriously had to floor it to make it even get up and go, and I would pretty much just have to keep it floored until I reached cruising speed. Not ideal but it worked haha..

Just more of a Hi, I am new to the club but not totally new to Jeeps or MJs.. About 15 years ago I bought my first vehicle, a 1992 XJ Limited, 4.0, AW4, Leather, pretty much the works. I got into wheeling and the XJ started to become more than what I wanted for a daily driver. So a couple years later I bought a 1989 MJ to use for a daily driver. it was a 2wd short bed, 4.0, aw4 with bucket seats. After about a week of owning it I came across a picture of someone putting a 97+ XJ front clip on an MJ. I was sold and bought a 97+XJ front end from various online forums. When I pulled the old MJ front clip I figured why not do some engine upgrades while I was at it so I pulled the engine. Then I got busy with college and lost interest and was forced to sell it as an unfinished project when I got a job offer and had to move. Fast forward to the last 6 months. I has been searching for a small older truck for home projects. I turned into a Ford guy over the years owning both a F150 and then F250 v10. But I sold both because you don't need a truck that big to go get a couple 2x4s from Home Depot. So I was looking at late 80s to early 90s Ford Rangers in the $2000 to $3000 range but I am not having good luck as I am being picky. Until two weeks ago, someone tagged their Jeep Comanche listing as Ford Ranger. I seen the MJ and my dream was reborn, I don't know how I ever forgot about it! I have spent the last two week doing nothing but searches for MJs. But I am willing to hold out for the perfect truck, within reason, I want to get a truck thats running and dependable by next spring/summer. But I have a couple questions. I really only want to own a truck for home projects, and possibly a run to the river or mountains for fishing/hunting. That being said I am lost on what I should get. I am lost on 2.5 vs 4.0. It seems like the 2.5 is easier to find and is more fuel efficient, but I have never drove a Jeep 2.5 so I have no idea if they are gutless pigs or if they are actually decent reliable engines, not to mention what happens with the 2.5 if I throw 1/4 to 1/2 yard of gravel in the bed or something along those lines, will it even move? I'm not even sure a MJ could do a 1/2 yard of gravel but my buddies 1990 S10 does it all the time with stock suspension so I don't see why not? Mod wise for the 4.0 is endless which is great but it worries me that I may try to get to involved in the truck. As for the AW4 vs AX15, I would prefer an AW4 but I could live with the AX15. I feel owning a manual is nice on occasion but other times its a pain. As for long bed vs short bed, I would prefer the short bed for sure, that is the only just actually, I would not want to own a long bed as I need compact due to limited parking. Another big one is 2wd vs 4wd, I have no idea how capable a MJ is in 2wd. In my XJ I never used 4wd unless I was on a trail or in the snow, and I don't plan on doing either with this new MJ, but then I would hate to get 2wd and wish I had 4wd. All in all my plans are to get a MJ, swap on a 97+ XJ front clip and get a decent paint job and then I might even throw on a small lift and some decent looking wheel and all terrain tires, the lift would be for looks only. Then just make the rig as reliable as possible. If I could pick up a MJ and do a couple body mods and make it reliable enough to drive say 2000-3000 miles a year for the next 10+ years I would be VERY happy..