New build - JKU Rubicon or Diesel ZR2?
- Thread starter rkcreative
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madcratebuilder
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Maybe 2 years ago but not today. Tons of aftermarket, bumpers, lifts, suspensions, gear sets, plus all the pretty boy crap.
Autism Family Travels
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I just did some Googling and I agree with you there are parts out there now for the ZR2. Good to see. It’s not nearly at the support level of Toyota or Jeep but good stuff can be had now. Still recommend a Rubicon over a ZR2, but I’m a little biased there. [emoji3]
madcratebuilder
Rank V
Pathfinder I
I understand brand loyalty. There is so much off road product on the market today, not like 40-50 years ago when you had almost nothing.
A year ago I looked at buying a ZR2. No parts back then. Went for a Rubi. Glad to see the ZR2 getting some love.
Boostpowered
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Member III
I have a 2017 z71 diesel we get over 500 miles per tank we only filled up twice on a 1500 mile trip from dfw to indianapolis over christmas. Its went everywhere hauled everything and done everything ive asked of it. The only problem ive had is the incompetence of the dealership service techs unability to figure out a engine code that ended up being a scuffed wire that sits above the front driver shock tower, and they lost a screw from my air filter box when they checked my filter after i asked them not to. Oh and one of the free oil changes they got oil on half my engine bay. Now im the only person who touches our truck.
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I got my 18’ Z71 gasser for $32.5k new. The sticker said msrp $36k and sticker said $38.5k with add-on items. It has been a great truck so far. Much higher build quality than my 1st gen Colorado was. It had 223k miles on her when I sold her. The new 3.6 V6 has longevity items built into the design. Things like super wide crank journals, piston jug oil sprayers, etc that normally is found in diesels that adds longevity. The engine bay is open and clean for turning wrenches compared to most trucks. I chose it over the diesel for simplicity. Been averaging 23.3mpg over the last 8k miles of mixed driving... but mainly slow hwy cruising. Trucks are just handy and I needed a truck. I removed the air dam and installed some OEM ZR2 style skids (but different slightly for my bumper) for $330 total. Got some used ZR2 rock sliders that look new for another $200. Should be good enough to do things like the White Rim trail and Alpine Loop. I did both of those before on a dual sport.
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That really sucks about your dealership experience. Working in a dealership myself (Caterpillar) I will say that kind of stuff would have never rolled out our doors. If we loose a fastener, we replace it, and most rigs are washed before and after repairs. As far as that code goes, first time we "fixed it" we would have charged you, but if the same issue comes back, we continue for free. I know there are other shops that operate like ours, they are just hard to find. It really saddens me when I hear people having bad experiences in shops because it does effect all technicians a little bit.
Now back to your pickup, keep us updated on how the after treatment system holds up. Honestly my biggest reason for discouraging people from buying modern diesels is the After treatment. Its expensive to repair and seems to have a lot of failures. However I have always said in around 10 years they will get it figured out, and we are approaching 10 years of this technology being in service...
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I did see a video a few weeks ago with a guy with a modern diesel. The exhaust system alone had a DEF pump, a DEF injector, Two temp sensors, and a few other sensors. This all being after the normal exhaust sensors that are further up the exhaust near/for the engine. No thankyou. He had his DEF injector foul (Fuel injector basically) with DEF since it apparently crystalizes when it dries. Between that and the added complexity of the turbo system... and all of those associated intake lines that will be in the way... it does not really appeal to my simple/lazy nature very well. lol
That being said... I still really like the diesels! They have been around the world for one or two decades and are proven. They have transmissions from out of full sized trucks as well. So they will likely hold up really well long term.
A dealership's maintenance dept. either makes or breaks it. My local dealer has been nothing but awesome. They seem to be almost solely focused on it though.
Boostpowered
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I only took it to the dealer because it was under warranty still so their terrible work was at least free, ive been messing with diesels for 20 years in tractors so doing it myself is no issue . By after treatment im guessing you mean the def system, other than having to fill it every 700 or so miles i havent had a problem with it yet. If i do i live in an area that doesn't do emission checks so I'd just delete and tune it like everyone else does.
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Here is a pic I just saw posted on coloradofans.com
A ZR2 with the 4" BDS lift, 4.10 gears, and 35" tires. It does look pretty mean.
A ZR2 with the 4" BDS lift, 4.10 gears, and 35" tires. It does look pretty mean.
Boostpowered
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This is a cool Jeep for sale for $6,500 with a lot of new add-ons.
With the money saved you could drop in a really nice drivetrain that is new.
With the money saved you could drop in a really nice drivetrain that is new.
I have a 2007 JK Rubie, 191,000 miles, I have had 35's on it since I got it stock. I did have to put stronger ball joints on about 50k. I used it for a daily driver it's whole life. The weight of the vehicle is something to consider when on the trail. The heavier it is more chance to break something. Jeep's are relatively light. Go with what you want and enjoy it!
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Yeah after treatment is the term for the DPF, DOC, and SCR. Part of the SCR system is the DEF injection system. I deal with this stuff somewhat frequently as a heavy duty diesel tech. I'm just really wondering if they have many of the same issues I see on the light duty side. I will say one thing though, the guys with the best luck and fewest break downs limit idle time and run their engines hard, which makes sense. However the trucks with the most issues run low speeds with high loads, which is essentially what overlanding is. Not to mention I have seen more than a few brush fires started by a regenning truck. There's a reason why we call systems with the after treatment under the truck weed burners...
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Boostpowered
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Got ya, none of the tractors i work on have any sort of def or after treatment systems( most of my tractor fleet are older than 1980) so i am not 100% on def systems most folks i know delete the dpf just to roll smoke. Ive noticed the exhaust stays alot cooler in the diesel than my gas turbo engined saab or mazda but since the diesel is a turbo i take extra care about the heat issue. The truck is a daily farm truck and is driven over 100 miles per day on and off road and in all weather going from field to field hauling equipment, ive never noticed a regen like others have talked about it uses the def fluid but ive never had it go into regen, i figure i gets used enough to stay clean and not need it.
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You’d better not put that thing if 4x4 if you’re really running different ratios front and rear.
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Even when you run it hard and a lot you will still have regens. During this time you will see temps up to 2100*F at the DPF. Honestly if I did run a new diesel I would grab a scan tool that could use to do forced regens. That way on the trail I could cancel them, then when in camp I could clear a patch of ground and kick it in.
Boostpowered
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Ill let you know if i ever have to use a fire extinguisher we have regular droughts here in texas, land rover, our military and a whole lot of offroaders with diesels dont seem to be having any problems with wildfires that was a problem 15 years ago with the old tech and stupid people . We will have to just agree to disagree as im idling in a field of hulless oats while writing this, im about to move to another field with cotton and im still absolutely sure it won't spontaneously combust underneath my truck. The only time ive almost caught a fire was when i was using a 4wheeler without a spark aresstor to feed the cows a few years ago. As you can see it is pretty dry out 
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