2002 Jeep liberty sport 4x4. Just hit 276,000 miles today and still going strong. I beat the crap out of this thing so many times and it just keeps going. Best vehicle I've ever owned hands down.
My family had a 2002 liberty for 19 years. It was a great little vehicle. It went literally everywhere, and never got stuck. North Dakota winters and several feet of snow never phased it. I was sad to see it go when it finally rotted away from all the salt.
I have one too, 110k miles! 😁 I want to take her on some off road trails. Had her 10 years, had a scare and thought the engine went but she's good. Having to look at other cars broke my heart!
I live about and hour from the Hurricane Trail and have never ran it. I have a 07 Liberty CRD. It was my wife’s grandmother Jeep and now I have it. I’m gonna take it over and waddle it through this fall!
22:19 you are correct, click bait videos might catch some people, but i feel that people that rely on clickbait really just loose credibility and come across as lame. thank you for sticking to your good sense of morals and common sense
Our goal is always to stick to our morals. I like that most if not all of our thumbnails are screenshots from videos as we don’t take many photos. Still, I’m learning we need to be better with titles. This vid had a good title and I think it was very true… this was really my shakedown run of my mom’s Liberty. I ended up shaking it down a bit too much on shakedown #3 so that vid will probably get a title like, “How I killed the liberty” even tho it is a temporary death (one I still am working in tho).
Yeah, we try to show what you can do with your stock daily driven vehicles. Granted my JL Rubicon (it’s stock tho) wasn’t cheap, but that’s why my TJ will be taking over in Colorado (till I get the Liberty out here). Thanks for watching!
If nothing else maybe you can put in a lunch box locker and that thing will be an overnight monster! It doesn't take much... A Jeep is already a Jeep... Do 2 or 3 small things and any of them become a SuperJeep!
Had a 2007 Jeep Liberty Latitude for 12 years! My family and I absolutely loved exploring the Colorado trails near our Ft. Collins home. We pulled our pop-up tent trailer to many places and loved every minute of it! Not as capable as other Jeeps owned since then but DEFINITELY A JEEP nonetheless! Happy Trails!
A vehicle like this is great to learn off-roading in. The lack of auto-locking everything teaches you how to actually read the trail and know your vehicle and skillset. Jumping straight into a highly capable, factory built Rubicon masks the driver's inexperience and inabilities.
Welcome to NC! I think hurricane creek is a great trail for beginners. The section you went through at 7:11 is the hardest part of the trail. Clearance is king and I have run the majority of it in 2wd in my 05' TJ. I also think driving a basically stock vehicle with at least 31" tires and an open differential will teach you a whole lot about picking where your tires are and squaring the vehicle to the obstacle. There is a trend( on youtube) to drive up to the obstacle stop then start, where a little momentum all the way through the obstacle can keep you out of a bind. To many people start out with a lifted and locked Rubicon that has more traction than the driver has experience. Great video will go back and watch your others. Enjoy the liberty!
Thanks! I grew up in Cary, NC and I started wheeling in probably 2000 or 2001 (at least that’s when an old photo of me learning in a construction site was from with a stock 2000 TJ Sport). I did go to the rubicon after years of wheeling open because it had what I needed for off-road parks with a factory warranty. There’s a lot of different ways to wheel and that’s what I think has kept me enthusiastic about off-roading for so long. A lot of trails can be done in 2WD, but it is harder on your vehicle and the trail by doing so. I hope your TJ continues to serve you well and thanks for watching!
I keep saying... KJ as a replacement for the XJ, was at least 80% as off road capable as the XJ while easily 20% better on road. I think it was a very good compromise when planning a replacement for something as legendary and beloved as the Old Cherokee.
Hey, Shaun from the UK again, great to see you off-roading in your KJ! It’s 9 months since I posted on your previous Liberty vid & my own Euro 3.7 “Cherokee” is now about to click over 107k miles. It’s always well serviced with fresh oil & filter every 3k miles & remains bulletproof. I’ve just replaced a ubiquitous rear window regulator & heater resistor but the KJ is easy to work on & most parts are cheap & easy to source, even in the UK. Off to France again tomorrow, 3 further 2k+mile ski trips lined up in Jan/Feb/March. Still lovin’ my Jeep! Wishing you a happy, healthy & peaceful 2023 🎉
Hey Shaun! Thanks for watching and have fun in France. One of my good buddies is French and I miss skiing those awesome slopes with him. More KJ videos are coming and I’m working on seeing if I can get ready for Windrock off-road park in time for my vacation this year. We’ll see.
As I mentioned in your first Liberty video, use a h&R 40mm (1,5") lift kit. I have those on my own and going to buy Bilstein B6 4600 Shocks. This will be a close to perfect solution for a german roadlegal "Cherokee". Grab some Rocky Road Supersliders and you're gonna make some big eyes on Wrangler driver faces. I love that.
Owned our 07 since new. Its my wifes baby and will likely never leave. Issues.... the infamous window regulators, 8 times. Till Jeep finally came up with a permanent fix. Alot of issues with the front suspension, sadly this was due to piss poor mechanics rather than her Libby. Turned out there was a crack in one of the parts that wasn't noticed. Once that was taken care of, issue free. Oh, and a front drive shaft where it sat the dealer for 3 months waiting on a part. So windows, bad design, taken care of. Other two issues were more bad mechanincs than the Jeep. This was years ago Its been problem free for probably at least 10 years. When we eventually break down and buy something else, she wants to modify it a bit. Slightly bigger and more aggressive tires. Limited slip differentials. And maybe sliders along with a front and rear bumper. They would have to fit her idea though, she doesn't want it to look like something that would fit into mad max. But thats a long ways off, she still won't drive anything else.
Awesome! Glad it got sorted out and I like subtle wheeler look myself. That’s why my Rubicon is stock, but I’ll take it almost everywhere. Thanks for watching!
The 02 limited liberty was one of the greatest production vehicles they ever made. It had the 3.7 and 545rfe transmission. Uncommonly known, they also had the 242hd transfer case too... 8.25 with trac lock and triangle 4link in the rear. Dana 35 front but the coil ifs was the biggest downfall.
Never had a 545RFE. The 242 while nice is weaker then the 231. Dana 25 was in VERY few and once again absolute junk. Most have a D30a up front. The IFS is fine with 10 inches of travel, those who break them, do so from abuse..
@@akemonjames not sure where you are getting your info. it absolutely did have the RFE trans in 01 and early 02. Was only used in 4spd mode but still a 545rfe trans.... 242hd is not weaker than a 231.. Dana 25 has not been built since 1960... All of them came with a Dana 35 ifs front...
I was impressed with the Liberty when a rainstorm pummeled us at Terryall Reservoir roads were slicker than dog poo on a hot sunny day, that thing slid all over but climbed over wall and into field to get traction
Very pretty scenery! Best part. Looks like you spent a lot of work stopping for camera angles for outside view. It was worth it. It's interesting to see what a stock vehicle can do. Peaceful video, better than many of the channels. Appreciate people respecting the land and not tearing up trails. Thank you
I have a heavily built TJ, and a mildly built JK. I used to take my stock liberty wheeling with my friends just because it made things more challenging. It was a little tank, but I felt guilty for beating on it so hard, so I sold it to a friend who still daily's it to this day.
Requesting more vids with this Liberty, please! I have an 05 Liberty that’s pretty much exactly like this one (duh) and I want to learn how to off-road and do trails and things. No Doy uses the Liberties anymore though, so I can’t find many videos using them! I’d absolutely love it if you kept using this one in some videos. Appreciate your straightforward, no-nonsense approach to making vids. The cinematography is great and it’s clear and easy to follow. Thank you!
The liberty is my favorite wheeler. The biggest issue is I get no time off and it’s in Tennessee. I took a vacation week this year to move it to Colorado, but because of the overheating I couldn’t move it. My parents are old and haven’t been able to help me as I actually have FMLA to help them. I do a little to it when I’m there, but my priority is doing stuff for them. Still I have 5 videos filmed with it that need to be edited. I just work 13 hour days so I rarely can edit. Drew edits a lot of videos he’s been there for. I was alone when I filmed the KJ videos.
@@coloradomallcrawlers oh my goodness! Well thanks for letting me know! I hope that all gets flushed out. And maybe things will settle down in the working a lot department- I sure hope so. Sorry you’re so busy! Good luck and take care of yourself, yeah?
This was very insightful! I have a 2007 liberty and it's trail rated, it seems to do pretty good down here in AZ with soft sands and rocks, besides scrapping the bottom every now and then! 🤣
Skidrow offroad still makes a full set of Skid plates. The trail rated badge on a liberty means nothing. Trail rated and non trail rated libertys have the same suspension
I still have my 2006 liberty, lofted 2" and put some cheap Rancho Shocks and have driven through some sketchy terrain in Baja... They are awesome... Loving your channel... Got here to check some Cherokee Traikhawk videos and stayed for the Liberty !!!😊
I love my 2006 Jeep Liberty (w/ 170k miles, it's still my off-grid adventure rig and just keeps on going! :D) - I think the more you try different things with your Liberty the more you're going to realize just how capable it is - I'd highly recommend Falken Wildpeak tires though - I rarely have to put mine in 4wd b/c these tires are amazing in all conditions - it really changed the game for my Jeep after I put them on - even with a rooftop tent, awning, and loaded down with gear, it's done a really great job off-road.
@@coloradomallcrawlers Thanks. I just discovered your channel -- have you done any videos about issues with the KL lift? I put a 2" spacer on mine, but haven't had any issues with that yet.
Well, I don’t own the KL, Sean does. I’ve told him we should film a video on it, but understandably, he doesn’t like to be on camera (we’re both introverts). However, from what I understand (which isn’t much), 3in may just be a bit too much stress on the components while 2in lifts seem to be more durable. Still, he’s still on it, he’s still using it, but he just keeps a closer eye on his suspension as a result.
The Liberties are little beasts. My rusty high mileage 02 KJ Renegade was converted into a paintball tank about 4 years ago. She’s one the most capable tanks at our field. 72 acres of dirt “roads”, grass, and mud and she’ll go anywhere she’s needed, including places other tanks won’t go.
@@coloradomallcrawlers it’s so much fun! I know it’s a hike for you, we’re in NC, but if you want to ever see the tanks in action our biggest game is in November. :-)
Lol, it’s funny and I let it ride on this trip, but this Jeep rarely has had a check engine light (it just came on two days before filming… small evap leak). My wranglers never have the check engine light… well, I think I let the JK ride with one for a few weeks due to the O2 sensor, but that’s it. Thanks for watching!
I had to comment on this video since I started my 4WD hobby in the mountains of North GA 10 years ago so this brings back some fun memories. I never wheeled with open diffs (I installed a rear locker in my 85 4Runner before I even took it on so much as a dirt road; followed by a front locker 1.5 yr later), but my wheeling buddy had a stock 04 Tacoma with open diffs. I knew I would have an advantage (even with just a rear locker) , but to see how huge the advantage was in real life was eye opening.
Lockers definitely make a difference. I’ve been wheeling with lockers since 2010 (briefly in 2004-2005 too), but you can learn a lot from open diff wheeling. This liberty will eventually get a rear locker though. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for another great video. As a KL and TJ owner i love watching your vids to see what the crossovers can handle and the Wranglers. One common theme i've noticed though is that you guys definitely have a "no guts no glory" approach to your wheeling! Stay safe out there.
Thanks for watching! About the “No guts, no glory”… I think that’s just the way we are, but it’s important to me that no one is ever pressured to do something on the trail for video purposes. That will always be the case… it’s just my friends and I like to see what we can do.
I wouldn't even bother lifting it, a rear locker and some really good underbody protection, and this Jeep Liberty (KJ) is set for adventure since it already comes with a dual-range 4WD setup. Also, that is incredibly bizarre how Jeep had it so that the traction control for off-road use only works in drive rather than manually shifted gears. That is definitely helpful information! 👍
You’re right! Also, maybe the traction control stuff is in my head, another commenter said Jeep worked it out starting in 2007. I’m not sure, it definitely felt like it performed better in drive… but he was a fellow Liberty owner so I trust his insight. Thanks for watching!
@@coloradomallcrawlers lifting it will wear out your front balljoint faster if you dont install the jba uca. and i defenitly need a rear lsd at lease (but its weird that a 2005 with the renegade package didt come with one) finaly the traction control was intergraed in 06 and for ultimate kj is a 2.5 lift on 32" and 4.10 gear and front rear locker :) $$$ my setup for the moment is a 2005 3.7l with the 2.5 lift from daystar on 33"bogger stock gear and stuck rear lsd got vid of it on my chanel. sorry for my english im a french canadian
Even tho it was all done by the factory besides the fog lights (my dad had the dealer add those), it’s a Rocky Mountain edition, not renegade model. I’m going to find the sticker though… I’ll see if I can get it for the next Liberty video.
@@coloradomallcrawlers cool vid...but sorry, learn to run without modern traction control. I have the 05 Limited (base model) and she's gold! BFG K2 All Terrin and a limited slip in the rear, full undercarriage skid plates. As others have mentioned, don't lift it. It wears out ball joints, CV joints and tie rods like crazy. I returned mine to factory springs.
I have a 05 liberty cdr. Love this thing the diesel provides excellent torque with mud and snows it gets around pretty well. It does need a locker, It's trail rated with open front and rear 😕
Awesome! 05 was a different time… the Rubicon had just come out in 03 and they thought it was going to be a limited run. Jeep didn’t realize how big the market was for aggressive trail vehicles. Thanks for watching!
That brush makes for great pin stripes!!! That view at the end...timed just perfect could look amazing! I used to wheel with a guy who went all sorts of places with his liberty! Thank you for not using the click baity thumbnail!
Yeah, but the wrangler is fully locked… altho the lunchbox wouldn’t be a real problem, my goal is to make this a long road trip off-road camping vehicle. I don’t want to compromise that. I might start with a limited slip, armor, and waterproofing (going through deep water is what I really want to film with it). Capability wise, Red Cone is a definite must do while Wheeler Lake is what I’d like it’s max capability to be. I’ll definitely think about it!
@@coloradomallcrawlers I am looking forward to which locker or LSD you pick. It looks like OX locker and ARB both make lockers for the liberty's rear axle.
Great to see what a stock KJ can do off road on just radials to boot, even though it was an easy - moderate trail. Always liked the '05 - '06 KJ Renegades since they had the better Wrangler type hoods. Which is on your very rare KJ Rocky Mtn. I've never seen the Rocky Mtn decal on anything but a TJ, which I have on my '05 TJ Rocky Mountain. Looking forward to seeing your KJ getting maybe a 2" lift, some 31" all terrains or even better, mud terrains and rock rails. My first Jeep was an '06 KJ Renegade which I had installed a 2" lift and 31" Duratracs. Had a blast blizzard wheelin' upstate NY when I lived in Cooperstown - Otsego Co. But it was time to get the Jeep I always wanted, the TJ. Had I kept the KJ, I was going to get the Jeepin' By Al upper control arms, everyone whoever put them on their KJ was not disappointed, many benefits!
Definitely love your videos I've watched . Thank you for taking the time to make them. There are parts of that trail that your friends were on that are not part of the trail. Please always Treadlightly as Hurricane Creek is a sensitive trail on the chopping block of getting shut down. We are fighting to not lose this one. MVUM is the same in the East as the West. If it's not on the map it's not a trail. Thank you for understanding.
Hi, my only advice is when you lift it don't use spaces they don't last. Excited to see what you and the Liberty do next 😎. # everybody loves the plucky underdog.
There was a 2011-2013 video called i think, "Jim and kery jeep liberty kj off road" now off line showing a kj sport with street tires really going off road as much as she could along true rubicons and so... she, the kj really did amazing with her open diffs and that, it was not easy, but reallye illustrated what a kj with a good driver-spotter could do, its a shame its not online anymore. But really kj are capable vehicles.
This trail is to the point where you pretty much need a locker to easily do the trail. I used to go up through there all the time with just a rear limited slip, but a front locker really gets the job done on every obstacle for me with 31s, especially combined with the rear LSD
@@coloradomallcrawlers You know... I really thought locking the front would make steering rough on my little 1996 Pathfinder, but its really not bad at all as long as you are moving when trying to steer. Its rack&pinion IFS. With locking hubs in the front it isn't an issue on pavement at all.
Thank you! That’ll come eventually, but I’m definitely leaning towards just adding armor and getting it ready for water fording at first. It might be fun to see how far a small liberty can go. Thanks for watching!
As with most small 4x4s or AWD vehicles (even Wranglers that people insist need mods), the Liberty is much more capable off pavement than people give it credit for. People jump in them and expect them to perform and handle like a solid axle Jeep with disconnects and lockers. They are plenty capable but you as the driver have to be more choosy about your lines, especially lines that demand a lot of articulation when you arne't running any kind of traction aid, and obviously clearance. I'd leave that thing at hit's current height and maybe toss a locker in one end or the other.
I had a 04 liberty and built a 1” lift for it and added some 31s mt on it and it was a beast. I kinda miss it was fun to drive. It’s the only Jeep I’ve ever owned
I have some clips of it in today’s video, but tomorrow I fly to TN to pick it up and bring it to Colorado. I’m excited to wheel it and make it look better!
@@coloradomallcrawlers yeah i know but the kj wasnt the only vehicle in the video brother. Couldve been bashing you like all these jealous idiots who bash you when they dont even have a rig at all. I was just diving into how the older jeeps are the unsung heroes of offroad.
Tip: you can go in the reverse way of how you did it and it's safer to get on. However, exiting the trail is spooky because then you're literally making a right turn onto I-40 with cars going 70-80 mph so there's no good way to do it. I did it like this two weekends ago. There's no great way to do it either way to be honest. If you have an entire day to kill you can go in off exit 7, go until you get to the cabins, turn around, then come back and do the trail in reverse. But since it's a 2-3 hr trail in either direction (depending on how fast you go, conditions, and vehicle capabilities), 6 hours of wheeling on this trail may make you schedule a chiropractor visit after LOL.
Thanks for the tip! I know you can, but I personally wouldn’t want to exit onto the highway. It’d be fun to go back and forth tho. That’s interesting about the chiropractor… I felt like it was a smooth trip. Maybe in the JL it would have been different, but these Jeeps have come a long way from a ride perspective. However, I really appreciate your info, thanks!
Just use the shoulder of the road to slow down. Dip about 5-10 under the speed limit and then start merging onto the shoulder with hazards. And its not so bad.
Awesome video of your Liberty.I have a 05 Liberty Renegade with a 3inch on it and through some headers with a Borla Catback and all I can say is that this Bad Boy can rock.
I also have a set of factory rock sliders for my wife’s KJ since there isn’t many options for rock sliders the factory rock sliders are a great options and pretty easy to find on eBay and junkyards
My mother had one of these with the Renegade package. It was old and rusty but when she was done with it we made it a camp jeep and it did a pretty good job for that
Good video and a great trail. It's fun watching someone used to a Wrangler taking a Libby out onto the trail. We learned how to wheel with an '06 Liberty, doing Jeep Jamboree events in Ouray 3 times. We've successfully done Poughkeepsie Gulch, Black Bear and many others. The only trail that our little Libby didn't finish was Red Cone, due to a flat tire and a questionable spare tire. By the time it was retired, had full skids, 2" lift, rock rails and a winch. The weakest part is the aluminum front differential...we cracked ours like an egg at our local offroad park.
@Colorado Mallcrawlers , we're watching your trip up Radical Hill right now...when we upgraded to a JK Rubicon in 2015, Radical Hill was the first trail we did...followed by Handcart Gulch, Red Cone, Mosquito Pass, everything around Ouray, a few trails around Sedona, Smoky Mountain Road, Shafer Trail, and then drove it home to Ohio.
My goal is to show more East Coast (including off-road parks and near forest trails) so I’m glad you like it. However, documenting western trails is our priority. Thanks for watching!
Just did this trail yesterday and also ran into David and his wife. 1st time we and wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. I was in a stock Cherokee Trailhawk
I always laugh when I hear someone say a jeep is "trail rated." I plan on taking my basically stock 98' F150 here.....we'll see. Videos of stock vehicles hitting trails are more entertaining than watching the "same" monster jeep. Subscribed
Lol, I’m poor so every video is that because I now own two Jeeps. But seriously I’m about to live in my unfinished camper so I can build this Liberty, finish the camper, and get some upgraded armor for the wrangler.
@@coloradomallcrawlers honestly I love videos with budget builds. I follow Lite Bright and Donut and other similar channels and love the channels but it seems like they have unlimited money. Give me a guy with a $3000 jeep. Hell, I have a JL but it's a sport on a spacer lift. My wheels were secondhand wheels. I'm still running factory gears on 35s (tires were the one thing I didn't cheap out on because it's my daily and my family's safety will no be compromised). Gimme budget content. 😂
I’m loving wheeling the liberty… if I had unlimited funds, I probably wouldn’t do anything but give it some armor and go whistling diesel on it. However, I don’t plan on ever getting rid of it as it’s my mom’s, but I’ll need to find the funds as I’m sure it’ll eventually need a new engine.
@@coloradomallcrawlers those old Liberties had the 3.7, right? I don't know much about them. More or less reliable than the 3.6 Pentastar that replaced it? Also, I just realized you're in NC. I'm just across the mountain in Knoxville. Maybe I'll see you on the trails one day! I'm doing a trail ride with my local jeep group (The Jeep Crew) on Sunday (visiting a new off road park in Knoxville, Bays Mountain Off-road). Hope to see you around eventually!
Command-Trac and Selec-Trac are both four-wheel drive systems for Jeep Liberty, but they have different features: Command-Trac A part-time, shift-on-the-fly system that splits torque 50/50 between the front and rear axles. It can shift smoothly at speeds up to 45 mph and has a 2.72:1 low-range gear ratio. Command-Trac is designed for rugged use and provides good traction in all weather and road conditions. Selec-Trac Allows drivers to adjust their vehicle for better performance on different terrains, which can be efficient. Selec-Trac also offers the convenience of "Full-Time" all-wheel drive, which Command-Trac lacks.
hello from the province of Pontassieve, in Florence, Italy, I have a Suzuki Jimmy 4x4 with m13a 1.3 LT petrol engine, 2001, all original, which I use for off-road on rural and forest roads, and I see that my Suzuki Jimmy 4x4, even if ! it is original in the countryside, on the dirt roads of rural farms and on the forest roads where loggers often take the wood from the forest with their forest tractors, skidders and forwarders, it feels very good on these tracks, even if it is all original and not ready for extreme off-road, but with the right mud tires it copes very well with off-road and forest roads, even in the presence of mud !
Hello from Colorado! I rented a Jimny in Japan and will be making a video on that adventure eventually. It’s a great little off road vehicle! Have fun out there!
@@coloradomallcrawlers hi I am very happy with my Suzuki Jimmy 4x4 off-road vehicle it is a good off-road vehicle my Suzuki Jimmy 4x4 but one day I hope to be able to buy a humvee pick up! warm greetings from Pontassieve province of Florence Italy! (if you like you can watch my videos on my UA-cam channel where I go off-road with my Suzuki Jimmy 4x4 off-road vehicle?)
Impressive! I've always guess for better words, never thought much of a liberty!?!? Lol. After watching your video and others my thought process has changed. I've wheeled a lot over the year's mostly trucks but I had on old CJ5 that was a beast, lifted, V8 and all fiberglass body. The only part of the body that was metal was the windshield frame. All that liberty needs is a lift n tires and rear locker to be impressive! Awesome video! 💯💪🇺🇲
Thanks for joining in! It’s the second live I’ve done but I really like them too… my biggest issue is work. I thought I was getting called at 3am when I scheduled it, but now I’m getting called at I think 11p so I need to get a nap in.
It’s starting to drive me crazy. I’m screwed up right now because I got kicked off the extra board and now have to go to Cheyenne every trip. Eh, I get so bored of doing the same direction every trip.
The tracctrl not working in 4low confused a lot of people early on - they didn't work out how to get tracctrl working with 4low until after 2007. When i got rock rails for mine years ago - i got a set from trailready more or less as a thanks for them building my front and rear bumpers for the kj - I'm 95ish% certain my rails are just xj rails that they changed the brace leg lengths on and added a strip for having an attachment to the liberty's pinch weld down the sides - that said if you've got any xj rails laying around you shouldmt have much trouble making them work for ya. Nice vid dude - haven't seen that trail in like ten years - i need to make another trip out that way
That’s awesome info, thanks! It definitely felt like it was reading the terrain in 4WD low and drive, but that may have been in my head. Thanks for the heads up… pretty sure I can get some XJ rails. You’ll have a blast… it’s probably more fun in the early season.
@@coloradomallcrawlers btw as for the "misbehavior" in 1st while in 4low - it shouldn't have any issues with a manual hold 1st or 1-2 - there's a couple reasons it may have done that - both the 45/545rfe and the 42rle autos used on the liberty platform use transmission range sensors. For, at a minimum, partial gear selection, and they're both cable shifted(interpret as susceptible to the same plastic eyelet bushing issues that can be experienced with the np231/241/241or/242 tcases) - disuse -; having not been pulled down to first very many times, and a tablespoon of just chance - with the range sensor being like - oh i haven't seen that position of the sensor in ages - can cause them to have an initial hiccup here and there for gear engagement. It's usually somewhat more obvious when it's the tcase shifter bushing that does it - as it'll go in gear - the drivetrain will flex and it'll pop out of 4low and back into neutral. I've had thousands of miles of 4low with my 45rfe/np231 setup, and when it initially started popping out of 4low , if i held pressure back on the tcase ahifter for the first few drivetrain flexes - it would stay - when i got around to it i replaced the bushing and it went back to behaving like it should. Other than getting sand and dirt in your eyes it's not a bad repair if one of those two is causing the issue - not that there's a problem using it in drive - just having that engine braking is handy - it'll work at you thought it should have just might have a minor gremlin hiding in there. Anyway thanks for posting the vid - first time i had seen y'all's channel - look forward to some binge watching lol
@@coloradomallcrawlers they read terrain pretty well even open / open with no abs system - part of that is the ifs which is a little of good and a little of hindrance - the other is the liberty is a lil pigglet and has quite a bit of weight haha
Thank you, I really appreciate that! I feel I’m finally getting more comfortable YouTubing these which helps make the editing a little easier. Our goal is only to get better!
Curious to see more videos of your KJ and the mods you’ve done to it! We own an ‘05 KJ CRD that we drove to Colorado a few years back pulling a camper, then we wheeled around Ouray when we got there! While I still prefer my XJ wheeling, the KJ is a great vehicle and I love driving it as a DD. The front IFS and R&P steering were done well and it’s a rugged built vehicle. Besides the Wrangler, not many newer Jeeps have the same level of capability.
I love the KJ… it’s not going anywhere, but it has been a problem vehicle this year. Kept overheating and no mechanic could fix it. However, most recent report is it’s fixed. I do have 5 more videos filmed with it… but I became a locomotive engineer and have been tossed around at work so I haven’t been able to edit like usual. Drew has been picking up my slack, but I have to edit the Liberty trails as there was no info on them at time of filming. My goal is to get horse creek done by time of Christmas. We are also supposed to be going to an 11 days on, 4 days off schedule which will greatly open up my schedule as I’m currently on call 365 days a year.
What was causing the overheating issue; I only have experience (and plenty of it) with the CRD. Curious what you’ve learned on the TCS on the ‘05, ‘06, & ‘07, what differences between those years? Does it really make a difference between D and 1st in Low Range?
Neat trick when wheeling with an auto is you can ride the brakes while you're spinning one tire sending some of the power to the wheel not spinning, since these older Jeeps don't do it for you. I've found the best thing you can do is ride the brakes pretty hard when coming up to the obstacle, I call it preloading the diff, than once you start spinning one tire you pump them while keeping revs about the same. With every pump the tire not spinning is going to try and rotate a bit, much better than trying to get through by just giving it more gas. Easier on the driveline too.
Awesome! Thanks! Yeah, I knew of this trick, but haven’t tried to learn how to do it yet. Probably at Windrock, I’ll focus on learning to drive it. Thanks for watching!
When on open axles use you emergency brake very lightly applied will engage the free wheeling or stop the spinning wheel in turn applying power to traction wheel.
Nice! Unfortunately, before my mom stopped driving, she drove with the parking brake on so mine isn’t functional. It’ll fix it before bringing it to CO. Thanks for the tip!
Can't wait to see upgrades of your Liberty. I have an 03 Liberty Renegade with a 2 inch lift, New Engine, rebuilt rear end, 5 speed with new clutch and would love to see what else you do to yours so I can get ideas. Right now it's almost perfect, just needs new rockers.
My goal is that this Jeep will be the one that I always have. I think Rock Rails and skids are first. Hopefully someone sees this video and sends me an email that they make them. I’ll then buy them and have them installed. After that, I’ll probably go through a few builds. I think stockish wheeler is first. Then Liberty Trailhawk. Then maybe a new motor Liberty Trailhawk. I’ll be adding camping mods right away tho.
Great video, I love seeing the liberty out on the trails, and I love seeing some east coast trails. I have been looking at hurricane creek for awhile, this was a good trail guide. I have a 2011 wrangler with the automatic, and I usually put it in "2" for second gear, when I am in 4-low, I think the traction aids are working when I am put the transmission in "2", but I have not payed too much attention to it. Oh, I read some other comments, and they are saying jeeps don't have off-road traction till 2007 or 2006 maybe. I wonder if you noticed a difference in "Drive" compared to "1", because 1st gear puts down a lot of torque in 4-Low, and it allows the tire on looser ground to break free and spin quicker.
Yeah, I think that may be it or it could have just been in my head. I’ll re-evaluate, but it definitely felt like it was performing better on the other trails with D… we’ll see once I edit as I learn new stuff (like here on how easy I was being on it). Thanks for watching!
I wheel the KL in first all the time, but Active-Drive could be completely different from Command Trac for all I know! Or maybe I should try Drive more often 😂🤙🏼
A newer vehicle in Drive makes more sense unless you are going down a steep grade. The KJ doesn’t have off-road traction control so it’s a bit different than yours.
Thanks for this video my daughter wants one so she can go wheeling in her own jeep and follow our grand cherokee we don't go crazy with our GC so she should have no problem following us on the trails we go on
@coloradomallcrawlers You would not have to have them but it would help in a few areas. My buddy did it with 33s 2" Lift no lockers but in one spot he really struggled because it was so badly washed out. He stood his JK straight up almost tipping at one point.
2002 Jeep liberty sport 4x4. Just hit 276,000 miles today and still going strong. I beat the crap out of this thing so many times and it just keeps going. Best vehicle I've ever owned hands down.
Heck yeah man!
My family had a 2002 liberty for 19 years. It was a great little vehicle. It went literally everywhere, and never got stuck. North Dakota winters and several feet of snow never phased it. I was sad to see it go when it finally rotted away from all the salt.
Sorry to hear about your liberty, but I agree, it’s a great little Jeep!
Some Vehicles become part of the family. Memories.
It does.i don't missed dodge nintro.i missed jeep liberty so i got one@itsallminor6133
I have one too, 110k miles! 😁 I want to take her on some off road trails. Had her 10 years, had a scare and thought the engine went but she's good. Having to look at other cars broke my heart!
@@kelliemishmishI already have mine liberty 2005 with 365 thousand miles, still drives good
I live about and hour from the Hurricane Trail and have never ran it. I have a 07 Liberty CRD. It was my wife’s grandmother Jeep and now I have it. I’m gonna take it over and waddle it through this fall!
Hopefully it’ll be fun! Last I heard they bulldozed it, but the trail eventually return to similar to this after a bit of use.
@@coloradomallcrawlers yes. it is now more like a dirt road :(
22:19 you are correct, click bait videos might catch some people, but i feel that people that rely on clickbait really just loose credibility and come across as lame.
thank you for sticking to your good sense of morals and common sense
Our goal is always to stick to our morals. I like that most if not all of our thumbnails are screenshots from videos as we don’t take many photos. Still, I’m learning we need to be better with titles. This vid had a good title and I think it was very true… this was really my shakedown run of my mom’s Liberty. I ended up shaking it down a bit too much on shakedown #3 so that vid will probably get a title like, “How I killed the liberty” even tho it is a temporary death (one I still am working in tho).
so refreshing to see real vehicles, not the $100K sponsored rigs...
Yeah, we try to show what you can do with your stock daily driven vehicles. Granted my JL Rubicon (it’s stock tho) wasn’t cheap, but that’s why my TJ will be taking over in Colorado (till I get the Liberty out here). Thanks for watching!
If nothing else maybe you can put in a lunch box locker and that thing will be an overnight monster! It doesn't take much... A Jeep is already a Jeep... Do 2 or 3 small things and any of them become a SuperJeep!
Yeah that’s an idea for sure!
I had a buddy with one and he installed a Detroit Locker, I think the rear is a Chrysler 8.25”
Lol, 2 or 3 things on any jeep is the first half of every month at the mechanic's after buying one.
@@Frissdas1207yeah I love my old Jeep but it definitely likes attention.
@@Frissdas1207 mine hasn't been to the shop yet. Ok fine backup camera glitched out. Same problem with wranglers.
Had a 2007 Jeep Liberty Latitude for 12 years! My family and I absolutely loved exploring the Colorado trails near our Ft. Collins home. We pulled our pop-up tent trailer to many places and loved every minute of it! Not as capable as other Jeeps owned since then but DEFINITELY A JEEP nonetheless! Happy Trails!
Sounds like that Jeep served you well! Thanks for watching!
Really cool to see a stock KJ out on the trails! Look forward to more!
I’m excited to film more and thanks for watching!
A vehicle like this is great to learn off-roading in. The lack of auto-locking everything teaches you how to actually read the trail and know your vehicle and skillset. Jumping straight into a highly capable, factory built Rubicon masks the driver's inexperience and inabilities.
Absolutely!
I couldn't agree with this more
Welcome to NC! I think hurricane creek is a great trail for beginners. The section you went through at 7:11 is the hardest part of the trail. Clearance is king and I have run the majority of it in 2wd in my 05' TJ. I also think driving a basically stock vehicle with at least 31" tires and an open differential will teach you a whole lot about picking where your tires are and squaring the vehicle to the obstacle. There is a trend( on youtube) to drive up to the obstacle stop then start, where a little momentum all the way through the obstacle can keep you out of a bind. To many people start out with a lifted and locked Rubicon that has more traction than the driver has experience. Great video will go back and watch your others. Enjoy the liberty!
Thanks! I grew up in Cary, NC and I started wheeling in probably 2000 or 2001 (at least that’s when an old photo of me learning in a construction site was from with a stock 2000 TJ Sport). I did go to the rubicon after years of wheeling open because it had what I needed for off-road parks with a factory warranty. There’s a lot of different ways to wheel and that’s what I think has kept me enthusiastic about off-roading for so long. A lot of trails can be done in 2WD, but it is harder on your vehicle and the trail by doing so. I hope your TJ continues to serve you well and thanks for watching!
Love the Liberty !!
They’re great!
I keep saying... KJ as a replacement for the XJ, was at least 80% as off road capable as the XJ while easily 20% better on road.
I think it was a very good compromise when planning a replacement for something as legendary and beloved as the Old Cherokee.
I agree!
Hey, Shaun from the UK again, great to see you off-roading in your KJ! It’s 9 months since I posted on your previous Liberty vid & my own Euro 3.7 “Cherokee” is now about to click over 107k miles. It’s always well serviced with fresh oil & filter every 3k miles & remains bulletproof. I’ve just replaced a ubiquitous rear window regulator & heater resistor but the KJ is easy to work on & most parts are cheap & easy to source, even in the UK. Off to France again tomorrow, 3 further 2k+mile ski trips lined up in Jan/Feb/March. Still lovin’ my Jeep! Wishing you a happy, healthy & peaceful 2023 🎉
Hey Shaun! Thanks for watching and have fun in France. One of my good buddies is French and I miss skiing those awesome slopes with him. More KJ videos are coming and I’m working on seeing if I can get ready for Windrock off-road park in time for my vacation this year. We’ll see.
As I mentioned in your first Liberty video, use a h&R 40mm (1,5") lift kit. I have those on my own and going to buy Bilstein B6 4600 Shocks. This will be a close to perfect solution for a german roadlegal "Cherokee".
Grab some Rocky Road Supersliders and you're gonna make some big eyes on Wrangler driver faces. I love that.
Thanks man! I’ll definitely look into it and if I can find some Rocky Road sliders, I’d buy them right now for it.
I've got the H&R springs along with Bilstein 4600s on my KJ. Works pretty well. Nearly a year on them now and no issues.
Owned our 07 since new. Its my wifes baby and will likely never leave. Issues.... the infamous window regulators, 8 times. Till Jeep finally came up with a permanent fix. Alot of issues with the front suspension, sadly this was due to piss poor mechanics rather than her Libby. Turned out there was a crack in one of the parts that wasn't noticed. Once that was taken care of, issue free. Oh, and a front drive shaft where it sat the dealer for 3 months waiting on a part. So windows, bad design, taken care of. Other two issues were more bad mechanincs than the Jeep. This was years ago Its been problem free for probably at least 10 years.
When we eventually break down and buy something else, she wants to modify it a bit. Slightly bigger and more aggressive tires. Limited slip differentials. And maybe sliders along with a front and rear bumper. They would have to fit her idea though, she doesn't want it to look like something that would fit into mad max. But thats a long ways off, she still won't drive anything else.
Awesome! Glad it got sorted out and I like subtle wheeler look myself. That’s why my Rubicon is stock, but I’ll take it almost everywhere. Thanks for watching!
2004 Liberty here, 238k miles strong, original engine and transmission. I love the car even if it isn't a "real jeep".
Liberties are awesome!
The 02 limited liberty was one of the greatest production vehicles they ever made. It had the 3.7 and 545rfe transmission. Uncommonly known, they also had the 242hd transfer case too... 8.25 with trac lock and triangle 4link in the rear. Dana 35 front but the coil ifs was the biggest downfall.
Very cool! Thanks for the info!
What transmission is in the 07 limited? Can’t find a clear answer
@@Nonamestranger126 probably 42rle
Never had a 545RFE. The 242 while nice is weaker then the 231. Dana 25 was in VERY few and once again absolute junk. Most have a D30a up front. The IFS is fine with 10 inches of travel, those who break them, do so from abuse..
@@akemonjames not sure where you are getting your info.
it absolutely did have the RFE trans in 01 and early 02. Was only used in 4spd mode but still a 545rfe trans....
242hd is not weaker than a 231..
Dana 25 has not been built since 1960...
All of them came with a Dana 35 ifs front...
Good video! I used to have a 2005 Liberty that I lifted 2 1/2" with 32" tires. That little Jeep would always surprise me at the places it would go.
Nice!
I was impressed with the Liberty when a rainstorm pummeled us at Terryall Reservoir roads were slicker than dog poo on a hot sunny day, that thing slid all over but climbed over wall and into field to get traction
Man, that sounds wild!
Very pretty scenery! Best part. Looks like you spent a lot of work stopping for camera angles for outside view. It was worth it. It's interesting to see what a stock vehicle can do.
Peaceful video, better than many of the channels. Appreciate people respecting the land and not tearing up trails. Thank you
Thank you! It takes time in filming and editing, but I think they come out better when I do it too.
Kj is a very underrated Jeep.
I have a Cherokee kj limited diesel 2.8 2003 model with 5cm lift kit and ARB air lockers in the rear and it's amazing.
For sure! Sounds like a great Jeep!
Great video! I enjoyed this. It was nice to see some different scenery. That’s going to make a nice little rig for sure 🤘
Thanks buddy! I’m really glad it finally gets to be a Jeep… thanks for watching!
I have a heavily built TJ, and a mildly built JK. I used to take my stock liberty wheeling with my friends just because it made things more challenging. It was a little tank, but I felt guilty for beating on it so hard, so I sold it to a friend who still daily's it to this day.
That’s a nice assortment of vehicles!
Requesting more vids with this Liberty, please! I have an 05 Liberty that’s pretty much exactly like this one (duh) and I want to learn how to off-road and do trails and things. No Doy uses the Liberties anymore though, so I can’t find many videos using them! I’d absolutely love it if you kept using this one in some videos.
Appreciate your straightforward, no-nonsense approach to making vids. The cinematography is great and it’s clear and easy to follow. Thank you!
The liberty is my favorite wheeler. The biggest issue is I get no time off and it’s in Tennessee. I took a vacation week this year to move it to Colorado, but because of the overheating I couldn’t move it. My parents are old and haven’t been able to help me as I actually have FMLA to help them. I do a little to it when I’m there, but my priority is doing stuff for them. Still I have 5 videos filmed with it that need to be edited. I just work 13 hour days so I rarely can edit. Drew edits a lot of videos he’s been there for. I was alone when I filmed the KJ videos.
@@coloradomallcrawlers oh my goodness! Well thanks for letting me know! I hope that all gets flushed out. And maybe things will settle down in the working a lot department- I sure hope so. Sorry you’re so busy! Good luck and take care of yourself, yeah?
My kid takes his Liberty KK over some good trails. 2.5 RC lift with 235 70r16 General Grabber AT2 tires. Thing is a amazing wheeler
They certainly are!
This was very insightful! I have a 2007 liberty and it's trail rated, it seems to do pretty good down here in AZ with soft sands and rocks, besides scrapping the bottom every now and then! 🤣
Yeah, I’d bet with some armor, you could do a lot of the Arizona trails with it. Thanks for watching!
Skidrow offroad still makes a full set of Skid plates. The trail rated badge on a liberty means nothing. Trail rated and non trail rated libertys have the same suspension
I still have my 2006 liberty, lofted 2" and put some cheap Rancho Shocks and have driven through some sketchy terrain in Baja... They are awesome... Loving your channel... Got here to check some Cherokee Traikhawk videos and stayed for the Liberty !!!😊
Awesome! My liberty is slowly getting worked on, but had done setbacks so it’s a slow go.
Not to shabby. Looks like you had fun!
Thank you! Yeah, that was so much fun! Thanks for watching!
Been out wheeling where others have had these jeeps and was amazed with their capabilities as well.
That sounds fun! I don’t know many KJ wheelers.
I love my 2006 Jeep Liberty (w/ 170k miles, it's still my off-grid adventure rig and just keeps on going! :D) - I think the more you try different things with your Liberty the more you're going to realize just how capable it is - I'd highly recommend Falken Wildpeak tires though - I rarely have to put mine in 4wd b/c these tires are amazing in all conditions - it really changed the game for my Jeep after I put them on - even with a rooftop tent, awning, and loaded down with gear, it's done a really great job off-road.
The liberty is slowly getting work done, then ill build it. Good tips tho so thank you!
I really loved my 2003 Liberty Limited. I definitely trusted its 4WD system a lot more than the one on my 2015 Cherokee Trailhawk.
I get that! Sean’s KL 4WD seems to be holding up, but that lift sure hasn’t been easy on it. I wish you good luck with the KL
@@coloradomallcrawlers Thanks. I just discovered your channel -- have you done any videos about issues with the KL lift? I put a 2" spacer on mine, but haven't had any issues with that yet.
Well, I don’t own the KL, Sean does. I’ve told him we should film a video on it, but understandably, he doesn’t like to be on camera (we’re both introverts). However, from what I understand (which isn’t much), 3in may just be a bit too much stress on the components while 2in lifts seem to be more durable. Still, he’s still on it, he’s still using it, but he just keeps a closer eye on his suspension as a result.
I have 2.5" OME and 245/75r16 mud tires, killer combo! The difference from stock is night and day and it's still a comfortable size to daily drive.
Great to know!
Your springs are shot. Second on the OME lift with Bilsteins.
I love my 04 liberty thing goes really well for what it is
Absolutely!
And also I forgot to mention it has 240k original engine , body miles. I did put a transmission in it 2 years ago but otherwise awesome jeep 3.7 🚙
Hurricane Creek is a great trail! I've run it several times, both in my JKU and my old WJ. It's a great place to camp as well.
It sure is!
WS your wj stock? Mine is and I was thinking about doing this in a dry spell
The Liberties are little beasts. My rusty high mileage 02 KJ Renegade was converted into a paintball tank about 4 years ago. She’s one the most capable tanks at our field. 72 acres of dirt “roads”, grass, and mud and she’ll go anywhere she’s needed, including places other tanks won’t go.
That sounds like a blast!
@@coloradomallcrawlers it’s so much fun! I know it’s a hike for you, we’re in NC, but if you want to ever see the tanks in action our biggest game is in November. :-)
That’d be cool!
Hi there, I had a 2013, it was manual, I loved it, it is good to get back to basics and remember how to handle them
Right on!
I have a 2005 Jeep Liberty and it’s still running strong! Has 213k miles! 😃
Awesome!
Is it still running ? Posted 5-6-2024
@@scoobygms210 just sold it last month! So yes! 👍
Right now my '05 Libby is taking me over potholes here in flint, Michigan 😅 doing a great job too!
Heck yeah!
still have a 2003 Liberty in Korea. Great car to drive in snow.
Absolutely! Thanks for watching! How’s the wheeling in Korea? I’d like to visit one day.
@@coloradomallcrawlers wheeling in korea is good. Great people and foods.
This trail looks pretty cool with the fall leaves
Yeah, I heard that a week or two prior, it was even more colorful. Thanks for watching!
The always-on check engine light is a Jeep thing most people wouldn't understand. Unless you've owned an Audi, then it just makes you feel at home.
Lol, it’s funny and I let it ride on this trip, but this Jeep rarely has had a check engine light (it just came on two days before filming… small evap leak). My wranglers never have the check engine light… well, I think I let the JK ride with one for a few weeks due to the O2 sensor, but that’s it. Thanks for watching!
I had to comment on this video since I started my 4WD hobby in the mountains of North GA 10 years ago so this brings back some fun memories. I never wheeled with open diffs (I installed a rear locker in my 85 4Runner before I even took it on so much as a dirt road; followed by a front locker 1.5 yr later), but my wheeling buddy had a stock 04 Tacoma with open diffs. I knew I would have an advantage (even with just a rear locker) , but to see how huge the advantage was in real life was eye opening.
Lockers definitely make a difference. I’ve been wheeling with lockers since 2010 (briefly in 2004-2005 too), but you can learn a lot from open diff wheeling. This liberty will eventually get a rear locker though. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for another great video. As a KL and TJ owner i love watching your vids to see what the crossovers can handle and the Wranglers. One common theme i've noticed though is that you guys definitely have a "no guts no glory" approach to your wheeling! Stay safe out there.
Thanks for watching! About the “No guts, no glory”… I think that’s just the way we are, but it’s important to me that no one is ever pressured to do something on the trail for video purposes. That will always be the case… it’s just my friends and I like to see what we can do.
@@coloradomallcrawlers absolutely and you won't break everytime you go out
Watched this video multiple times. By far my favorite one yet. Hope to see the new one soon. Til then I’ll keep rewatching this one lol.
I do thank the next Liberty videos will be better than this one and thanks for watching!
I wouldn't even bother lifting it, a rear locker and some really good underbody protection, and this Jeep Liberty (KJ) is set for adventure since it already comes with a dual-range 4WD setup.
Also, that is incredibly bizarre how Jeep had it so that the traction control for off-road use only works in drive rather than manually shifted gears. That is definitely helpful information! 👍
You’re right! Also, maybe the traction control stuff is in my head, another commenter said Jeep worked it out starting in 2007. I’m not sure, it definitely felt like it performed better in drive… but he was a fellow Liberty owner so I trust his insight. Thanks for watching!
@@coloradomallcrawlers lifting it will wear out your front balljoint faster if you dont install the jba uca. and i defenitly need a rear lsd at lease (but its weird that a 2005 with the renegade package didt come with one) finaly the traction control was intergraed in 06 and for ultimate kj is a 2.5 lift on 32" and 4.10 gear and front rear locker :) $$$ my setup for the moment is a 2005 3.7l with the 2.5 lift from daystar on 33"bogger stock gear and stuck rear lsd got vid of it on my chanel. sorry for my english im a french canadian
Even tho it was all done by the factory besides the fog lights (my dad had the dealer add those), it’s a Rocky Mountain edition, not renegade model. I’m going to find the sticker though… I’ll see if I can get it for the next Liberty video.
oh and better tires like duratrac will help a lot for mud
@@coloradomallcrawlers cool vid...but sorry, learn to run without modern traction control. I have the 05 Limited (base model) and she's gold! BFG K2 All Terrin and a limited slip in the rear, full undercarriage skid plates.
As others have mentioned, don't lift it. It wears out ball joints, CV joints and tie rods like crazy. I returned mine to factory springs.
I have a 05 liberty cdr. Love this thing the diesel provides excellent torque with mud and snows it gets around pretty well. It does need a locker, It's trail rated with open front and rear 😕
Awesome! 05 was a different time… the Rubicon had just come out in 03 and they thought it was going to be a limited run. Jeep didn’t realize how big the market was for aggressive trail vehicles. Thanks for watching!
That brush makes for great pin stripes!!! That view at the end...timed just perfect could look amazing! I used to wheel with a guy who went all sorts of places with his liberty! Thank you for not using the click baity thumbnail!
Thanks man!
Glad to see back east...I agree lunchbox locker would be a game changer for a couple hundred bucks and an afternoon with a couple sockets
Yeah, but the wrangler is fully locked… altho the lunchbox wouldn’t be a real problem, my goal is to make this a long road trip off-road camping vehicle. I don’t want to compromise that. I might start with a limited slip, armor, and waterproofing (going through deep water is what I really want to film with it). Capability wise, Red Cone is a definite must do while Wheeler Lake is what I’d like it’s max capability to be. I’ll definitely think about it!
@@coloradomallcrawlers I am looking forward to which locker or LSD you pick. It looks like OX locker and ARB both make lockers for the liberty's rear axle.
Good to know, I’ll dig into it for sure.
Great to see what a stock KJ can do off road on just radials to boot, even though it was an easy - moderate trail. Always liked the '05 - '06 KJ Renegades since they had the better Wrangler type hoods. Which is on your very rare KJ Rocky Mtn. I've never seen the Rocky Mtn decal on anything but a TJ, which I have on my '05 TJ Rocky Mountain. Looking forward to seeing your KJ getting maybe a 2" lift, some 31" all terrains or even better, mud terrains and rock rails. My first Jeep was an '06 KJ Renegade which I had installed a 2" lift and 31" Duratracs. Had a blast blizzard wheelin' upstate NY when I lived in Cooperstown - Otsego Co. But it was time to get the Jeep I always wanted, the TJ. Had I kept the KJ, I was going to get the Jeepin' By Al upper control arms, everyone whoever put them on their KJ was not disappointed, many benefits!
Thank you! I think I’m going to push it stock for a bit and then go to 2in and 31s. We’ll see! I do have big plans for it as it’s my mom’s.
Looking forward to seeing more of the liberty! Cool to see the changes over time in Jeep's traction control/full time 4wd system.
Thanks buddy and I really appreciate you reviewing the rough edit of this!
Jeeps full time system in the liberty sucks
In 4lo traction control should be off
Happy to see you are stoked on the Liberty! Looking forward to the future videos.
I’m excited to wheel it more! Two more trail guides and the video I upload this week will hint at future liberty plans. Thanks for watching!
nice video , man setting that camera so many times for us , you a legend
Lol, thanks… I need the exercise. Skiing use to be my cardio but I barely get time to ski anymore lol
I'm on my 3rd one I love em they go anywhere. Personally I think the best jeep with independent front suspension ever made
They’re awesome in my book too!
Definitely love your videos I've watched . Thank you for taking the time to make them. There are parts of that trail that your friends were on that are not part of the trail. Please always Treadlightly as Hurricane Creek is a sensitive trail on the chopping block of getting shut down. We are fighting to not lose this one. MVUM is the same in the East as the West. If it's not on the map it's not a trail. Thank you for understanding.
Hi, my only advice is when you lift it don't use spaces they don't last. Excited to see what you and the Liberty do next 😎. # everybody loves the plucky underdog.
Lol, with the way I wheel normally, spacers wouldn’t cut it. Thanks!
Long arm kit an solid axle swap makes them a real tank
There was a 2011-2013 video called i think, "Jim and kery jeep liberty kj off road" now off line showing a kj sport with street tires really going off road as much as she could along true rubicons and so... she, the kj really did amazing with her open diffs and that, it was not easy, but reallye illustrated what a kj with a good driver-spotter could do, its a shame its not online anymore. But really kj are capable vehicles.
They really are. That’s a shame about the video, I’d like to see that.
Yep, it was great liberty video. So continue in this kind of filming/guiding. More liberty 🚙
More to come! Thanks for watching!
This trail is to the point where you pretty much need a locker to easily do the trail. I used to go up through there all the time with just a rear limited slip, but a front locker really gets the job done on every obstacle for me with 31s, especially combined with the rear LSD
But easy isn’t as fun 😉. I agree tho… the KJ will eventually get a rear locker as I like have steering.
@@coloradomallcrawlers You know... I really thought locking the front would make steering rough on my little 1996 Pathfinder, but its really not bad at all as long as you are moving when trying to steer. Its rack&pinion IFS. With locking hubs in the front it isn't an issue on pavement at all.
It makes my wrangler steering tougher, but good to know on IFS locking. Thanks!
Bit of a lift and a locker in the rear and it is good to go! Great video - thanks👍👍
Thank you! That’ll come eventually, but I’m definitely leaning towards just adding armor and getting it ready for water fording at first. It might be fun to see how far a small liberty can go. Thanks for watching!
As with most small 4x4s or AWD vehicles (even Wranglers that people insist need mods), the Liberty is much more capable off pavement than people give it credit for. People jump in them and expect them to perform and handle like a solid axle Jeep with disconnects and lockers. They are plenty capable but you as the driver have to be more choosy about your lines, especially lines that demand a lot of articulation when you arne't running any kind of traction aid, and obviously clearance. I'd leave that thing at hit's current height and maybe toss a locker in one end or the other.
I agree!
I had a 04 liberty and built a 1” lift for it and added some 31s mt on it and it was a beast. I kinda miss it was fun to drive. It’s the only Jeep I’ve ever owned
Heck yeah! That sounds like a great build for a Liberty!
Can't wait to see more of the liberty
I have some clips of it in today’s video, but tomorrow I fly to TN to pick it up and bring it to Colorado. I’m excited to wheel it and make it look better!
@Colorado Mallcrawlers I just got a 2003 that me and the wife plan to do some overlanding trip in so super happy so see videos of this
I think they’re great Jeeps!
33 inch cooper evolutions on my 98 with 4.5 inches if lift zero slip action on a rainy day in hurricane creek. Loving it.
XJs are great, but this is a KJ video… you may want to watch our wipeout hill video.
@@coloradomallcrawlers yeah i know but the kj wasnt the only vehicle in the video brother. Couldve been bashing you like all these jealous idiots who bash you when they dont even have a rig at all. I was just diving into how the older jeeps are the unsung heroes of offroad.
There's more than 1 buggy crawler in our club who also wheel a Liberty. That thing is sweet, can't wait to see what you do with it.
That’s awesome!
Tip: you can go in the reverse way of how you did it and it's safer to get on. However, exiting the trail is spooky because then you're literally making a right turn onto I-40 with cars going 70-80 mph so there's no good way to do it. I did it like this two weekends ago. There's no great way to do it either way to be honest. If you have an entire day to kill you can go in off exit 7, go until you get to the cabins, turn around, then come back and do the trail in reverse. But since it's a 2-3 hr trail in either direction (depending on how fast you go, conditions, and vehicle capabilities), 6 hours of wheeling on this trail may make you schedule a chiropractor visit after LOL.
Thanks for the tip! I know you can, but I personally wouldn’t want to exit onto the highway. It’d be fun to go back and forth tho. That’s interesting about the chiropractor… I felt like it was a smooth trip. Maybe in the JL it would have been different, but these Jeeps have come a long way from a ride perspective. However, I really appreciate your info, thanks!
Just use the shoulder of the road to slow down. Dip about 5-10 under the speed limit and then start merging onto the shoulder with hazards. And its not so bad.
Awesome video of your Liberty.I have a 05 Liberty Renegade with a 3inch on it and through some headers with a Borla Catback and all I can say is that this Bad Boy can rock.
Thank you and that sounds like an awesome Jeep you have!
Get to see this thing getting some video footage. Can’t wait to see more of the KJ
Thanks buddy! I can’t wait to film more with it!
I also have a set of factory rock sliders for my wife’s KJ since there isn’t many options for rock sliders the factory rock sliders are a great options and pretty easy to find on eBay and junkyards
@@Anthony_Adventures I’ll look for those!
My mother had one of these with the Renegade package. It was old and rusty but when she was done with it we made it a camp jeep and it did a pretty good job for that
Seems like a similar story! Nice!
Good video and a great trail. It's fun watching someone used to a Wrangler taking a Libby out onto the trail. We learned how to wheel with an '06 Liberty, doing Jeep Jamboree events in Ouray 3 times. We've successfully done Poughkeepsie Gulch, Black Bear and many others. The only trail that our little Libby didn't finish was Red Cone, due to a flat tire and a questionable spare tire. By the time it was retired, had full skids, 2" lift, rock rails and a winch. The weakest part is the aluminum front differential...we cracked ours like an egg at our local offroad park.
My goal is for it to do Red Cone and Wheeler Lake… we’ll see. It definitely needs armor tho! Thanks for watching!
@Colorado Mallcrawlers , we're watching your trip up Radical Hill right now...when we upgraded to a JK Rubicon in 2015, Radical Hill was the first trail we did...followed by Handcart Gulch, Red Cone, Mosquito Pass, everything around Ouray, a few trails around Sedona, Smoky Mountain Road, Shafer Trail, and then drove it home to Ohio.
Rad! East Coast stuff!
Thanks for sharing.
My goal is to show more East Coast (including off-road parks and near forest trails) so I’m glad you like it. However, documenting western trails is our priority. Thanks for watching!
Just did this trail yesterday and also ran into David and his wife. 1st time we and wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. I was in a stock Cherokee Trailhawk
Nice!
I have jeep liberty, cherokee european version and i must say its great vehicle !
Awesome! I kinda want to get the European moldings to rechristen mine as a Cherokee
That 4 light bar on the liberty, we built em at the factory I used to work at.😁
Very awesome! It’s one good looking light bar. Thanks for watching!
Welcome back! The Liberty did pretty good! Nice area and a fun run! Thanks, and be safe! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thank you and the same to you and yours!
I always laugh when I hear someone say a jeep is "trail rated."
I plan on taking my basically stock 98' F150 here.....we'll see. Videos of stock vehicles hitting trails are more entertaining than watching the "same" monster jeep.
Subscribed
Lol, I feel the same way! Welcome!
Love it!! So glad you posted this.
Thanks! I truly can’t wait to wheel it more! My issue as of right now is time.
Is this the beginning of a 'wheeling for the poors' series?! Cuz I'm totally down for that!
Lol, I’m poor so every video is that because I now own two Jeeps. But seriously I’m about to live in my unfinished camper so I can build this Liberty, finish the camper, and get some upgraded armor for the wrangler.
@@coloradomallcrawlers honestly I love videos with budget builds. I follow Lite Bright and Donut and other similar channels and love the channels but it seems like they have unlimited money. Give me a guy with a $3000 jeep. Hell, I have a JL but it's a sport on a spacer lift. My wheels were secondhand wheels. I'm still running factory gears on 35s (tires were the one thing I didn't cheap out on because it's my daily and my family's safety will no be compromised). Gimme budget content. 😂
I’m loving wheeling the liberty… if I had unlimited funds, I probably wouldn’t do anything but give it some armor and go whistling diesel on it. However, I don’t plan on ever getting rid of it as it’s my mom’s, but I’ll need to find the funds as I’m sure it’ll eventually need a new engine.
@@coloradomallcrawlers those old Liberties had the 3.7, right? I don't know much about them. More or less reliable than the 3.6 Pentastar that replaced it? Also, I just realized you're in NC. I'm just across the mountain in Knoxville. Maybe I'll see you on the trails one day! I'm doing a trail ride with my local jeep group (The Jeep Crew) on Sunday (visiting a new off road park in Knoxville, Bays Mountain Off-road). Hope to see you around eventually!
That’d be cool. I’m keeping the liberty in Tennessee to use for East Coast trails. My biggest issue is getting time off from work.
Command-Trac and Selec-Trac are both four-wheel drive systems for Jeep Liberty, but they have different features:
Command-Trac
A part-time, shift-on-the-fly system that splits torque 50/50 between the front and rear axles. It can shift smoothly at speeds up to 45 mph and has a 2.72:1 low-range gear ratio. Command-Trac is designed for rugged use and provides good traction in all weather and road conditions.
Selec-Trac
Allows drivers to adjust their vehicle for better performance on different terrains, which can be efficient. Selec-Trac also offers the convenience of "Full-Time" all-wheel drive, which Command-Trac lacks.
Good info!
Beautiful trail. I’ll have to try that with my TJ.
You’ll have a blast!
hello from the province of Pontassieve, in Florence, Italy, I have a Suzuki Jimmy 4x4 with m13a 1.3 LT petrol engine, 2001, all original, which I use for off-road on rural and forest roads, and I see that my Suzuki Jimmy 4x4, even if ! it is original in the countryside, on the dirt roads of rural farms and on the forest roads where loggers often take the wood from the forest with their forest tractors, skidders and forwarders, it feels very good on these tracks, even if it is all original and not ready for extreme off-road, but with the right mud tires it copes very well with off-road and forest roads, even in the presence of mud !
Hello from Colorado! I rented a Jimny in Japan and will be making a video on that adventure eventually. It’s a great little off road vehicle! Have fun out there!
@@coloradomallcrawlers hi I am very happy with my Suzuki Jimmy 4x4 off-road vehicle it is a good off-road vehicle my Suzuki Jimmy 4x4 but one day I hope to be able to buy a humvee pick up! warm greetings from Pontassieve province of Florence Italy! (if you like you can watch my videos on my UA-cam channel where I go off-road with my Suzuki Jimmy 4x4 off-road vehicle?)
I have a 2005 CRD diesel Libby, that thing is a billygoat.
Awesome!
It's beautiful out there. Looks like a lot of fun!
Thanks buddy! It is!
I may have to try this with my dads truck soon.
You’ll have a blast… I want to do it with my dad in his Silverado. That’d be fun if we could all do it together.
It's pretty fun from what I hear, I still need to hit it myself soon
Impressive! I've always guess for better words, never thought much of a liberty!?!? Lol. After watching your video and others my thought process has changed. I've wheeled a lot over the year's mostly trucks but I had on old CJ5 that was a beast, lifted, V8 and all fiberglass body. The only part of the body that was metal was the windshield frame. All that liberty needs is a lift n tires and rear locker to be impressive! Awesome video! 💯💪🇺🇲
Glad you enjoyed it!
That was fun. I hope you do more of these.
Thanks for joining in! It’s the second live I’ve done but I really like them too… my biggest issue is work. I thought I was getting called at 3am when I scheduled it, but now I’m getting called at I think 11p so I need to get a nap in.
@@coloradomallcrawlers that would drive me crazy.
7-3:30 or 7-5:30 for over 30 years. I'm spoiled
It’s starting to drive me crazy. I’m screwed up right now because I got kicked off the extra board and now have to go to Cheyenne every trip. Eh, I get so bored of doing the same direction every trip.
@@coloradomallcrawlers hahaha, I'm thinking, man that would be so cool to ride a train and get paid to do it.
@@bah5310 It is. I’m appreciative of the job.
Absolutely beautiful! I want to go there.
It is and I hope you get to wheel it! Thanks for watching!
You have done an excellent job with the liberty
Thank you!
@@coloradomallcrawlers your welcome
The tracctrl not working in 4low confused a lot of people early on - they didn't work out how to get tracctrl working with 4low until after 2007. When i got rock rails for mine years ago - i got a set from trailready more or less as a thanks for them building my front and rear bumpers for the kj - I'm 95ish% certain my rails are just xj rails that they changed the brace leg lengths on and added a strip for having an attachment to the liberty's pinch weld down the sides - that said if you've got any xj rails laying around you shouldmt have much trouble making them work for ya. Nice vid dude - haven't seen that trail in like ten years - i need to make another trip out that way
That’s awesome info, thanks! It definitely felt like it was reading the terrain in 4WD low and drive, but that may have been in my head. Thanks for the heads up… pretty sure I can get some XJ rails. You’ll have a blast… it’s probably more fun in the early season.
@@coloradomallcrawlers btw as for the "misbehavior" in 1st while in 4low - it shouldn't have any issues with a manual hold 1st or 1-2 - there's a couple reasons it may have done that - both the 45/545rfe and the 42rle autos used on the liberty platform use transmission range sensors. For, at a minimum, partial gear selection, and they're both cable shifted(interpret as susceptible to the same plastic eyelet bushing issues that can be experienced with the np231/241/241or/242 tcases) - disuse -; having not been pulled down to first very many times, and a tablespoon of just chance - with the range sensor being like - oh i haven't seen that position of the sensor in ages - can cause them to have an initial hiccup here and there for gear engagement. It's usually somewhat more obvious when it's the tcase shifter bushing that does it - as it'll go in gear - the drivetrain will flex and it'll pop out of 4low and back into neutral. I've had thousands of miles of 4low with my 45rfe/np231 setup, and when it initially started popping out of 4low , if i held pressure back on the tcase ahifter for the first few drivetrain flexes - it would stay - when i got around to it i replaced the bushing and it went back to behaving like it should. Other than getting sand and dirt in your eyes it's not a bad repair if one of those two is causing the issue - not that there's a problem using it in drive - just having that engine braking is handy - it'll work at you thought it should have just might have a minor gremlin hiding in there. Anyway thanks for posting the vid - first time i had seen y'all's channel - look forward to some binge watching lol
@@coloradomallcrawlers they read terrain pretty well even open / open with no abs system - part of that is the ifs which is a little of good and a little of hindrance - the other is the liberty is a lil pigglet and has quite a bit of weight haha
Thanks for the info! I need to nap before work, but I’ll review this in more detail later. Thanks!
Great video editing but love the map play by play to transition from one clip to another
Thank you, I really appreciate that! I feel I’m finally getting more comfortable YouTubing these which helps make the editing a little easier. Our goal is only to get better!
Your doing great
Curious to see more videos of your KJ and the mods you’ve done to it!
We own an ‘05 KJ CRD that we drove to Colorado a few years back pulling a camper, then we wheeled around Ouray when we got there! While I still prefer my XJ wheeling, the KJ is a great vehicle and I love driving it as a DD. The front IFS and R&P steering were done well and it’s a rugged built vehicle. Besides the Wrangler, not many newer Jeeps have the same level of capability.
I love the KJ… it’s not going anywhere, but it has been a problem vehicle this year. Kept overheating and no mechanic could fix it. However, most recent report is it’s fixed. I do have 5 more videos filmed with it… but I became a locomotive engineer and have been tossed around at work so I haven’t been able to edit like usual. Drew has been picking up my slack, but I have to edit the Liberty trails as there was no info on them at time of filming. My goal is to get horse creek done by time of Christmas. We are also supposed to be going to an 11 days on, 4 days off schedule which will greatly open up my schedule as I’m currently on call 365 days a year.
What was causing the overheating issue; I only have experience (and plenty of it) with the CRD.
Curious what you’ve learned on the TCS on the ‘05, ‘06, & ‘07, what differences between those years? Does it really make a difference between D and 1st in Low Range?
Small lift kit some mud tires and rock sliders and winch bumper it would be a cool weekend rig
Absolutely, but I think I want to go on some long range epic off-road trips in it the future so I need to keep it balanced.
@@coloradomallcrawlers try keep it low as possible and off road as can be I've seen few built dirt lifestyle built one was a cool looking rig
Neat trick when wheeling with an auto is you can ride the brakes while you're spinning one tire sending some of the power to the wheel not spinning, since these older Jeeps don't do it for you. I've found the best thing you can do is ride the brakes pretty hard when coming up to the obstacle, I call it preloading the diff, than once you start spinning one tire you pump them while keeping revs about the same. With every pump the tire not spinning is going to try and rotate a bit, much better than trying to get through by just giving it more gas. Easier on the driveline too.
Awesome! Thanks! Yeah, I knew of this trick, but haven’t tried to learn how to do it yet. Probably at Windrock, I’ll focus on learning to drive it. Thanks for watching!
What a piss poor "4x4" system.
An embarrassment to the JEEP name.
"Apply brakes to go "
What next . ."Apply gas to stop !" ?
☆
Great car
When on open axles use you emergency brake very lightly applied will engage the free wheeling or stop the spinning wheel in turn applying power to traction wheel.
Nice! Unfortunately, before my mom stopped driving, she drove with the parking brake on so mine isn’t functional. It’ll fix it before bringing it to CO. Thanks for the tip!
Can't wait to see upgrades of your Liberty. I have an 03 Liberty Renegade with a 2 inch lift, New Engine, rebuilt rear end, 5 speed with new clutch and would love to see what else you do to yours so I can get ideas. Right now it's almost perfect, just needs new rockers.
My goal is that this Jeep will be the one that I always have. I think Rock Rails and skids are first. Hopefully someone sees this video and sends me an email that they make them. I’ll then buy them and have them installed. After that, I’ll probably go through a few builds. I think stockish wheeler is first. Then Liberty Trailhawk. Then maybe a new motor Liberty Trailhawk. I’ll be adding camping mods right away tho.
@@coloradomallcrawlers awesome can't wait to see it.
I wheel a lifted liberty on 33's. Surprisingly capable when it was stock! Next for me in a SFA swap
Awesome! I’ll probably add 31-32s one day, but I’ll keep this IFS, however, I’m excited to hear how the SFA goes!
Great video, I love seeing the liberty out on the trails, and I love seeing some east coast trails. I have been looking at hurricane creek for awhile, this was a good trail guide.
I have a 2011 wrangler with the automatic, and I usually put it in "2" for second gear, when I am in 4-low, I think the traction aids are working when I am put the transmission in "2", but I have not payed too much attention to it. Oh, I read some other comments, and they are saying jeeps don't have off-road traction till 2007 or 2006 maybe. I wonder if you noticed a difference in "Drive" compared to "1", because 1st gear puts down a lot of torque in 4-Low, and it allows the tire on looser ground to break free and spin quicker.
Yeah, I think that may be it or it could have just been in my head. I’ll re-evaluate, but it definitely felt like it was performing better on the other trails with D… we’ll see once I edit as I learn new stuff (like here on how easy I was being on it). Thanks for watching!
I wheel the KL in first all the time, but Active-Drive could be completely different from Command Trac for all I know! Or maybe I should try Drive more often 😂🤙🏼
A newer vehicle in Drive makes more sense unless you are going down a steep grade. The KJ doesn’t have off-road traction control so it’s a bit different than yours.
Thanks for this video my daughter wants one so she can go wheeling in her own jeep and follow our grand cherokee we don't go crazy with our GC so she should have no problem following us on the trails we go on
Heck yeah! I hope it serves her as well as this one has served our family.
Did the trail 3rd week of Aug 23 and it was really washed out bad .A couple places were really tough without lockers and 35s.
Sounds like I need to redo it… I don’t see how you would need 35s and lockers for this one even if washed out, but I’m also not doubting you either.
@coloradomallcrawlers
You would not have to have them but it would help in a few areas. My buddy did it with 33s 2" Lift no lockers but in one spot he really struggled because it was so badly washed out. He stood his JK straight up almost tipping at one point.
@stephenhinkle3277 that’s wild!