The Best Jeep Wrangler Ever Made
LJ? JL? We Take Them On The Rubicon To Find Out

What is the best Jeep Wrangler of all time? That is a hotly contested title, but two of the most common answers are the 03-06 Jeep Wrangler LJ and the 17-current Jeep Wrangler JL. The LJ (technically a TJ Unlimited) was the first Jeep to wear the “Wrangler Unlimited” moniker and the JL is the latest… and greatest? Both variants are long wheelbase Jeeps in the tradition of the venerable CJ6 and CJ8 Scrambler, providing a better ride on the road and the ability to climb tall obstacles off-road due to their increased stability. What better place to compare and contrast these two Jeeps than the Rubicon Trail?

Both have solid axles, coil springs, removable tops, and both of these Jeeps are Rubicons that came from the factory with 4:1 transfer cases and Dana 44s front and rear with locking differentials. There are arguably more differences than similarities though.

LJ Advantages:

• Lighter weight
• Smaller dimensions
• Less electronics
• Better approach angle

This particular LJ has a rare AEV Highline kit that allows us to run 37-inch Nitto Trail Grapplers with only 2.5-inch lift springs from Skyjacker. The rest of the suspension consists of JKS control arms, JKS air bumps, and 2.5-inch diameter King remote reservoir shocks that have been custom tuned by Samco Fabrication. The factory Dana 44 axles have been upgraded with 5.38 Motive Gears and Alloy USA chromoly axle shafts to live with the 37-inch Nitto Trail Grapplers, and the front knuckles were swapped to WJ units that use bigger brakes and raise to the drag link. The Jeep doesn’t have hydraulic assist steering, but it does have a PSC Big Bore steering box, pump, and remote reservoir that have no issues turning the 37-inch Trail Grapplers. The Jeep brand has taken several from AEV’s playbook over the years. The Gladiator looks eerily similar to the JK Brute, and the new JL can fit 37s with only two inches of lift thanks to the taller fenders. These are a direct result of AEV’s influence on the brand.

JL Advantages:

• Four doors
• Way more power
• Eight speed automatic is a game changer
• Disconnecting sway bar

You will likely recognize this JL from the recovery video we did previously. It belongs to our friends from ROCO 4x4 in Miami, but they are currently storing it on the West Coast so they can do some wheeling out here this summer. This Jeep has about every upgrade you could want on a JL. The factory Dana 44 axles will live with 37-inch tires, but ROCO’s JL has 40-inch Nitto Trail Grapplers on it. To run that large of tire, the factory axles were replaced with Ultimate Dana 60 crate axles. There are a bunch of bolt-in axle options for the JL that retain the factory speed sensors and ABS so your dash doesn’t turn into a Christmas tree with all of the warning lights illuminated. The eight speed is definitely our favorite feature on the JL, and in our opinion the biggest upgrade over the previous generation JK. Like the LJ, this JL has JKS control arms front and rear. It also has Fox coilovers with remote reservoirs, Poison Spyder Customs front and rear bumpers, a SPOD control panel, and Rock Slide Engineering sliders with retractable steps that make getting in and out of the Jeep so much easier.

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Want to know the different features of the Nitto tires we used?
https://www.nittotire.com/light-truck...

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