After doing a bunch of research, I've finally decided an "open" jeep is probably the best choice for my needs/wants, but that's where I'm stuck-- which one among its 60-year history of models?

I'll use it for traveling (mostly alone) throughout the American Southwest backcountry, so it has to be reliable.  No competition rock crawling, but I do need to cover bad road conditions, dry stream beds, and sandy washes.  And since I'll have to take long highway trips, too, in the desert heat and mountain cold, carrying a load of large format photography gear, it also has to be reasonably comfortable (ride, heat, and a/c) and have easily accessable storage space in back.

I've got $10k I won't feel badly about spending, but I absolutely won't go over the $17k I've seen several '03 Rubicons (the general performance level I'm shooting for) go for lately.  Right now, I'm looking at 5-speed, 4.0L TJs and budgeting for Superior axle upgrades, air lockers front and rear, 31" M/Ts, and a winch.  I think this is a reasonable configuration for my needs, and it should come in under $13K ($9k for the Jeep and $4k for the mods), but I'm wondering what other good alternatives exist.  YJ--maybe change over to coil springs?  An older Jeep with or without an engine swap and other mods?  Some other TJ config (4-cyl, do I need to make sure I have a D44 in the rear, etc.)?

Thanks--Schuyler

You should really look at XJ's and ZJ's, especially if your carrying a lot of gear and doing some serious highway mileage. They have so many advantages, but there not as fun. Better fuel economy, more room, way better heaters and A/C systems, longer wheelbases for climbing...and so on. If you go with a TJ, don't pass up the Dana 44, if you do, don't bother replacing the Dana 35 until you break it 3 days later.

 An XJ seems like YOUR best bet, with plenty of room and lots of aftermarket support, they make some of the best trail rigs on a budget.

Step 1: Cheap Lift, 4"-5"

Step 2: Lockers+Gears, F+R, up to you as far as brand, but Ox has the best reliability on the trail.

Step 3: Wheels and Tires, agian, up to you, I recommend Yokohama Geolander M/T+.

Step 4: Body protection, Bumpers, Skid plates, and Rock Rails.

Hope this helps, I've built 2 XJ's for friends, and both will go anywhere my CJ on 35x15.5 SX's will...almost.

Thanks for that info.  Actually, the XJ was where I started on this trek.  It's cheaper to buy and build, and it does have the extra comfort items you mentioned.  But two things finally turned me toward the open Jeeps--1.) I'm a convertible kind of guy, so I like having the top that comes off, and B.)  Some of the trails I go on are really narrow, and I liked being able to see out of the TJ to keep from going over the edge.  Also, my camera gear will fit into the space where the rear seat resides with no problem, so I really don't need the extra space the XJ affords (I'll take an LJ if someone is giving one away, however).

Regarding the D30s and D35s, are they really that fragile after an axle upgrade?  That was a concern of mine early on, hence the upgrade budget, but I don't want to throw good money after bad if I really need to start out with one or both D44s.  Of course, I'd give preference to one of two comparable TJs, if one had a D44 and the other did not.  And even though I said air lockers in my original post, I'm actually leaning toward the OX lockers because I'd think there would be less chance of something going wrong with the cable mechanism than the air hoses and seals, especially since I hope not to be using them all that much.  I just want to make sure I can get out of a tough situation, when needed.

And what about older open Jeeps?  It seemed to me that, unlike a lot of automobiles, Jeeps got incrementally better all around with each new generation, but that may be a figment of my vivid imagination.  I don't mind dealing with old truck maintenance if there is some real benefit (other than just cost) to going that route.

i hear everyone talking smack about the 30 and 35 axles but i can tell you mine have been through hell with 31" tires residing on them for the last 70,000 miles never had a problem except for seals leaking, theyve been flown off dunes & bottomed so hard the motor sheared the mount off the engine block( mount is aluminum) and landed on the oil filter. they will burn tire (lil more than chirp) in second gear and i beat the crap out of them in the creeks on rocks although i have a four cylinder these axles have outlasted 2 motors and 1 tranny 1 transfer case with only a front axle tube seal blowing out and the rear differential seal leaking. there are a total of 135,000 miles on them (approx.) so unless you are a pro rock Krawler or wanting to spend money i think the axles really arnt that bad. your wasting money if your upgrading. hows it go, dont fix what isnt broke unless you plan on trying to break it...... or something. anyways about the yj ive had problems with my seats ripping through the floor this is my first time welding the floor but the seats were so loose u only had to undo 1 bolt and the other 3 just pulled out. and the 4 cylinder eats Catylitic converts, cross between computer problems and they/it doesnt like heat, or a heavy foot. this is a 1994 yj.

after working on the Tjs they seemingly have more reinforcment in the seating attachment area, (an added crossmember that also aids in side impacts). also the tj rides a lot smoother. But the tabs on the axles where the linkage attaches @ the bottom are seemingly week. running over curbs at speed will mess with ur alignment do to this(weak tabs). anyways personally i would think that your best bet would be a used rubicon (Disk brakes 44 rear axle lockers front and rear proper gearing 31" tires soft or hard top) all you need is a winch and air compressor (via-air suxs. York motor driven or the oasis are nice setups for all your needs) Just make shure to buy a good warranty with no deductible and read the fine print, im in the process of being screwed by volkswagen because of fine print. anyways happy hunting.

D30s and D35s aren't bad axles at all. They just aren't built for tires bigger than 31" or so, or for lockers. They have a pretty bad rep because of all the people that put 33's, lockers, and 4.88 gears on them. Its a cascading effect, each mod puts more strain on the axle shafts, and as soon as the jeep is put in a situation where most of the available torque is sent to one shaft, which happens to have traction, it snaps. Shouldn't be too surprised there. The easiest way to tell if your axles are strong enough is to go to Moser's   axle torque calculator. Just don't forget to include your t-case ratio in with your first gear ratio (multiply the two). Each axle shaft should be able to take approx. 80% of the engine's peak torque output x gearing. You can use much smaller axleshafts with open diffs than with lockers installed, because with open diffs all your torque will almost never go to the side of the axle that has traction like it can with lockers.

If all you have is 10,000 then I'd buy a YJ in good shape. You still should have money left over for a mild lift and tires. I'd go with a 3" lift and 31 inch tires. That should get you what you want. Also a 6cid. engine would be best.  

if you have 10k then go with a 97 tj. you could probably pick one up for about 7-8k in good shape with a soft top. then you could lift it how you want and do everything how you want.  if you want a vehicle that is already good to go then spend some more and get a rubicon. they are excelent on and offroad.  i have pulled a buddy in a suzuki samuri up a prettty steep hill with a rubicon.  they go just about anywhere, all you would have to do would be add a winch.  

If your looking for long term reliability, I'd stay close to stock. pick up an early TJ with a 44, maybe throw in a SYE for the Xfer case and a belly up kit. I'd lean toward an electronic locker in the rear, and Tru Trac in the front. I don't think any additional axle upgrades would be needed.  

Isn't this really just another "what's the best jeep?" post? I mean everyone is telling him to buy the same type of jeep as THEY own and saying why it's the best choice? I think he pretty much knows what he wanted in the first place and should ve posted a thread on the pro's and cons of that jeep. I think he'd have more info that way.

This thread is just another reason to tell ppl how great the jeeps are that they own! Well we all love our jeeps!, so I think it would be hard for a new jeep buyer to make a choice from a thread like this. Just my 2 cents.

I say BUY WHATEVER YOU WANT. and have fun!!!

In case anyone is interested, this is what I ended up getting/putting together.  I got a screaming deal on a '97 TJ from a private party.  88k miles, 4.0L, 5-speed, and the dreaded D35 in the rear.  I added Alloy USA axle shafts, ARBs front and rear, 4.11/4.10 gears, 1 3/4" spring spacers, and 31" MT/Rs on a set of steel wheels (I haven't heard or seen anything bad about running alloys off-road, but experience (or maybe that's ignorance) tells me I'd be better off with steel).  Oh yea, and a winch for when I eventually do something dumb.  And while I was at it, I gave it a transfusion of most if its vital fluids (the brake fluid looked like dirty engine oil), a tune-up, and replaced the belt and hoses.

In the end, I pried about $13k from my wallet.  The goal I set was to get as close as I could to the Rubicon's specs, without going over the $17k that was the least expensive Rubicon I had been able to find around here (it had over 100k miles on it and had been driven way off road nearly every weekend, whereas the '97 was pretty much a third commuter car that rarely did much more than take trips to the lake).

So far, so good.  It's easy enough to get into and out of, and there's plenty of room for my gear and one not-so-bright passenger.  It handles about the same as ever on the road--which isn't too bad, for a Jeep--and it seems plenty capable for what I'll probably run into.  Now, only time will tell whether I manage to break something or go somewhere I shouldn't have.

Thanks for all the advice!

Look for a grand, you'll be surprized to see how well they are offroad with alittle upgradeing. Also why get a TJ? everyone and their dog has one! I like to be different so I have the only lifted ZJ in my town!!! Most ppl love it and it really turns heads!! Just keep and open mind.  

keep an eye on front sway bar links and drive shaft u joints. I've never broken down on the trail. if your tires sick out to the sides, you may greatly accelerate front wheel being wear  

The reason for the TJ is that I've been driving around almost everywhere topless for the last 20+ years, and even though something else might have been a little more pratical and/or comfortable, I'd trade that for the wind in my hair and bugs in my teeth (mmmmm...bugs!).  When I was using my old pickup for these trips, I really missed being able to open it up to the elements.  Unfortunately, neither the Bimmer nor the Triumph were "Trail Rated."  

Thanks for the advise.  I'll keep an eye on those potential issues.  The tires are a little farther outside the wheelwells than the stock ones, but the wheel offset is the same.  So, I don't think that will be a huge problem.  

All I'm saying is to test drive other jeeps before you make up your mind.