Sounds like you guys had a ball doing this video, makes it all worth it, if it makes you laugh and have a good time just doing 1 Hill then it is a good buy
Matt, now you kind of understand why the stockish style jeeps get so far so well. Just lockers and you have made that hill with little problem. Oh yah, That noise you keep hearing the drivetrain unloading when you shift gears out of drive or reverse. Yes, I would wheel that jeep. As an owner of 3 jeeps in my past.
Even though I'm a Toyota guy, I did briefly own one of these, purely out of curiosity. Same model, a WJ V8 Laredo, although mine had the 'vari-lock' diffs, which were like a crude traction control using friction plates, it was surprisingly capable tbh. I never got to modify mine though because I spent all mu mods budget fixing it, all the window motors failed (Rockauto is a great resource for parts btw), my handbrake cable snapped (that's a pain in the butt under the glued down carpet), and the valve covers were leaking onto the exhaust at the back of the engine, but despite that and the 21l/100km average fuel use, it was actually a fun car. I'd even consider getting another as a project car in the future, but never as a daily.
I'm a jeep man. Love my wj 3inch iron rock lift front aussie lockers. I'm still doing it up slowly. 2.7 diesel overland. i haven't done a track that hard at the start of your video but gone through Ruff Terrain, and it's awesome.
Here in the US 37s seem to be the new standard on these new big jeeps but there's something to be said for a more mild but capable build and how fun it makes more tracks. You don't have to find the most extreme thing out there to have a little fun with it but can push it with some skill into some harder stuff.
Well if that Jeep can do it an AU Falcon would make it up easy lmfao. Love the video Matt and a great way to show people that even basic rigs can still tackle some very difficult stuff. Personally I'm not a fan of Jeep but I know they have their following and can still be very capable rigs. That loose ground was the biggest part of your problem with the open diff's so I wonder how the Gen 3 Pajero with an LSD in the back would cope. I've been surprised by the LSD in mine many times. A front or rear locker would have made the world of difference but it is great to see you showing what basic vehicles can be capable of. Also like how you mentioned not to be doing it in Nat Parks etc.
@@MadMatt4WD jeep...only jeep to buy is a rubicon,,then fix it.. problem here in aus.. YOU CANT MODIFIE A VEHICLE , UNLESS YOU PAY THE CLIP BOARD WORRIER 4K.. bs laws.. more people die with un capable vehicles, than modified.. 4x4, std tyres against 35,s. more weight, more footprint. more clearence. thumb law in u.s., is, raise vehicle 2'', get 2'' bigger tyres.. its called offset..weight. pendulum.. i have 4 u.s. 4x4rs, non std. inc. my s/duty.. no jeeps.. ''i bought a jeep'',, '' so,,you did go for your labotomy i see''..
Matt, good on you! You've got plenty of US subscribers that can relate, and air-fright you the bits that break☺I had a Jeep Comanche ute with the 258 ci six and a Renault (!) gearbox. Jeep and Renault were affiliated for a time.
great to see some Aussie content creators manning up and getting a jeep my first jeep was 1944 ford that my dad and I restored . Now I wheel a 2010 JKU turbo diesel twin locked reduction gears chromemoly axles 3 inch lift on 34s. just because I have the bells and whistle doesn't mean they get turned on at the first site of dirt I have always used the lockers as a last resort most standard 4x4s can be so much improved with a good set of tyres (even Toyotas) This shows wat a standard 4x4 can do. Throw standard tyres on a Toyota and don't use locker and see if you fair any better I don't think so. Keep up the the great content and with some mods the jeep will get you where you want to go.
Biggest issue is the aluminum dana 44s. No idea why they used aluminum d44s. They have very little aftermarket support because of their inherent weakness compared to steel. The Grand Cherokees were so close to being classic icons like the Wranglers and Cherokees. Cool to see something a bit different though!
I had a WJ (diesel) and it took me across the Simpson twice and up Cape York. It had a winch which got used regularly for the more gnarly sections like in this video. I particularly remember driving the CREB track in FNQ with the family and two lifted Toyotas couldn't believe we were attempting that track. Fortunately, it was not too wet and only started raining up near Roaring Meg Falls. Look like you will have fun with this one!
Funny. I bought this one two months ago next to twin locked Jeep TJ 4.0 manual. TJ is on 31s WJ is stock. Amaizingly capable. A bit of lift and 33s and you have a super capable overlander. I wonder how a stock Prado would do on the same hill 🤔 Thanks for doing this 👍
I wheel a newer Grand Cherokee regularly, although maybe not *quite* that hard. The 2018 WK2 Trailhawk Edition, 3.6l petrol engine, limited slip rear diff, and airbag suspension, all on Falken Wildpeak AT3W 265/65R18 tyres. It just goes through pretty much anything. Some Chief Products and Offroad Animal protection for the sump and transmission, rock sliders, and a winch that I barely ever need to use. I'm in the U.S. and it beats any stock Jeep Wrangler except the Rubicon models, and even then, I'll wheel my WK2 right up there with them. Frankly I don't understand why Jeeps are not more popular in Australia.
Not sure why there isn't more of a jeep following in Aus either. Most of the Japanese stuff is more expensive and requires more mods to make capable. Aussies just love to hate on Jeep with no legitimate reason why - they get labelled as unreliable but there's really not that much difference in reliability. All the Nissan and Toyota fan boys love to hate!
went up 5 rocks with a bunch of Jeeps couple weeks back most Jeeps were bone stock handled the tracks great altho we had to wait a bit at beginning of track for removal of couple of bogged 79 series cruisers with all the bells and whistles. We Jeep owner in Aus are proud of our vehicle and yes they cost abit to repair but so does any car. Most of the bad rap Jeeps get is from people who never have sat behind the wheel of one. Its like I say to people when they put my Jeep down its a Jeep thing you wouldn't understand. What other 4x4 can you buy in Australia with solid axles a 79 sure but can a 79 take the roof off and where can I put my drink no cup holders on 79 my jeep has 4' and run a set of 34 without having to get it engineered Toyotas and Nissans are great keeps there owners out of Jeeps.
If I had one negative thing to say about the Wrangler is that unlike the 76 or 78 (or the Prado or the Patrol for that matter), they are better suited to North American users' typical off-road needs. For us it's more mountain passes, rock crawling, mud bogs and the like. We don't have the *true* long-distance overlanding opportunities that you have. Toyotas are definitely better for overlanding (we have very limited choices in that regard, and I'd sell body parts for a Troopy, to be honest), but *NOTHING* beats a Jeep at the tough stuff.
Oh what a good idea to show us a cheap, stock-ish vehicle. A little more details regarding the jeep would be nice!? Tiresize? OME lift with or without trimpackers? Oe short arms or adjustable? We've seen its a completely open diff laredo model - would be nice to see a quadra drive limited model with the clutch-type "lockers" go up that hill. I tried one of those V8 quadra drive WJ myself, but mine did not like the OME lift (4cm +1cm trimpacker). The front prop shaft joints got smoked - twice - both ends. Maybe my expectations were too high - i tried to have a mildly build overland vehicle for short trips and the daily commute on the german autobahn. And i wanted it to drive 150ks an hour as if it was a stock granny. never worked out and then i discovered the rust in the rear wheel arches. some genius in the land of unlimited corn sirup decided to fill those arches with foam back in the factory. it was soaking wet when i cut the wheel arch open - everything was rusted. so i lost interest in that gas guzzler and removed every modification, sold the parts and am still working on that rust problem. Thanks to the gods of transportation i never sold my shorty - a bj70 land cruiser which is my daily since - giving me a heck of a time every day since the jeep got ripped open.
Great vid! Matt I notice you get audio clipping in a few vids. Lowering the mic sensitivity and boosting the audio in post will mean no nasty crackle on the voices.
I wondered if the rear had one. I pulled the rear cover and it had something of the the side of the crown wheel I though might be an lsd. More research needed.
@@MadMatt4WD if it says Quadra drive then it will. Needs very specific diff fluid. The wrong stuff and it will slip or grab like crazy. That noise will probably be the front driveshaft.
A JEEP?!? You know what they say... We all have that one friend that makes a fool of themselves in public, if you don't know one you could be the one 😂😂 lucky you know how to swing spanners! Ps... Needs more lightbars and less exhaust 😂 look forward to seeing where you get it stuck!
Well done Matt. I’m guessing it was cheap. Way too many rock dents for something you care about. Is it solid front axle? I was disappointed to not hear V8 sounds, it must need an exhaust.
If only you got the straight 6 with selec trac, 2wd for daily/fun, 4wd full time (open diffs), 4wd part time(center locks front and rear for 50/50 split), and your 4Low
This wj needs better tires. And disconnect both sway bars. I know you Aussies are dead against it, but you’re losing over 1/3 of your articulation and the majority of your traction with the stock diffs in it. I’ve had 3 wj’s and wheeled one really hard for a lot of years
I agree with sway bar removal, I have a forester and the places I could go after just removing my front sway bar was insane, took me a lot longer to remove the rear as I knew the difference wouldn't be anywhere near as dramatic as taking out the front.
@@MadMatt4WD I disagree. Shock length is part of the factor. I had the exact same Jeep with 8.5” long shocks and I would lift one tire 36” without picking a tire and. Lift a tire 24+ inches and still have enough traction to spin all 4 tires. Here’s a real world test for you. Take 4 scales under each tire and Jack it up at different heights and see how the weight changes in respect to articulation. With the sway bars connected the weight will increase on the tires being compressed. Once one tire has more weight it’ll spin the lighter tire. Now remove sway bars and see how much further the weights stay even as you articulate.
@@MadMatt4WD you absolutely cannot flex a wj grand Cherokee to max the shock travel out, especially as most aftermarket shocks are close to 8” long , with the front sway bar on. It will lift tires first.
"He got a Jeep" Damn close to the stated purpose just a pity its not a diesel to really match the vehicles we have. In anycase, I was right since the Jeep is just an American Jackaroo.
no, i would never drive that car so hard. why? it was not build for this environment. for you its fun to brake that poor jeep - your car, but when someone laughs when the gearbox rattles shows that he doesnt have any understanding or simply doesnt care because he wants to see how and when it will brake. as you want to be something like an offroad instructor guru, the first rule you should teach is respect the environment, respect the limits of your car, respect your personal limits. encouraging people with a stock 4x4 to do rockclimbing, because you can do it, puts people in danger. how many kids with unefficient experience take their car in the mountains and bring themselves in terrible situations. the whole offroad community in a dark spot. i would not expect from an instructor that he shows what he can do, he needs to show me what i cant - shouldnt do and how i can improve. give it a thought
Yeah I don’t agree with all that your saying. I love beating on cars in the right time and place and I make it clear in the video that this is the right time and place.
@@MadMatt4WD yeah, i didnt expect anything else than an answer like this. well, poor jeep, but its your car - its your money. i try a different approach youtube is all about audience. so where do you think you will be more successfull building a stable audience? - thoughtfull offroading having environment, driver and car safety in mind - what to do and what to avoid - show how, with what, how much it cost, strengthen this jeep - step-by-step practice classes with students how to or beating up trucks
this confirms my thought: if you bring a less capable 4x4 to a difficult track, it will make you look like you got no idea what you doing (at least to a lot of people) even though you know really well. At least that's my takeaway of the first 12 minutes of the video. you end up having to choosing the easiest (I know it's still hard) path anyway. In a real-world scenario where you are not trying to prove anything, instead have to go there to safety and breaking your vehicle means big trouble maybe danger, I believe a mattock and shovel is your best option.
Great to see a stock vehicle for a change. Your video shows how the slightest change to a line can make all the difference. I'm looking forward to seeing what else you can do with the Jeep without modifying it too much.
My daily driver is a stock 4.0l 1998 Grand Cherokee. While it's pretty capable going to most of the camping or hunting spots I go to, I'm not sure it would go up a trail like one you went up. A 2 inch lift, bigger M/T tires and maybe a locker at one end? Then yea, I bet it would do it pretty easily.
I have a 2007 WK/WH with the 3.0L mercedes om642 diesel. It is like a freight train… Weak point is oil cooler, mine replaced at 190,000 miles, but once replaced - life is good….
Love the concept. Most people at a stretch could afford to run a 2nd vehicle within the family, let alone 105's, race trucks or F trucks. We are looking at the moment for a 2nd vehicle and I'm toying with the idea of a duel purpose car/weekend fun vehicle. I see some jeeps starting at a reasonable price, around the $3500 mark. Such a 2nd vehicle would have to drive around town most days and remain totally legal and third part property insurable re tyre size and lift etc. I would enjoy a sub series of videos on wheeling within a limited budget. Whatever work you do to the jeep I would be interested to see at the start of each video an individual breakdown of prices, with add on's being sourced 2nd hand, or low end/cost units. Keep up the good content.
Could be a good vehicle to try the budget auto Lokkas. Plenty of us have budget off roaders like this and can’t justify investing air lockers into a low budget vehicle.
Matt, I wouldn't have a jeep after seeing all the issues they have on other channels.. I'll stick to my 80 series... but this video is a good video to show people what a vehicle and good driver can do.. and have lots of fun and laughs while doing it...
Really is amazing how much a stock vehicle is capable of. When I start building anything my upgrade list is 1) tires 2) bumpers/ winch 3) rocker guards and under armor 4) lockers F/R 5) lights/ cargo racks 6) lights 7) lift, gears and new tire size. Y’all have fun out there and keep up the trails 🤠👍🇺🇸
@@Alaskabuilt_ didn’t realize 35 miles out of a town of 10,000 was city. I learned to drive. Some people never learn what their vehicles can do because they build it before they ever go wheeling. I’m pretty sure pavement principles go lift first because it gets the attention. I chuckle at those who do lift and tires first.
@@ianrunyon2423 I laugh at the city boys who throw lockers, a lift and big tires on a stock vehicle. You city boys crack me up. Let me know when you are broke down on your first trip off the pavement 😂
Don’t worry. I know that you don’t know how to drive just by the way you talk. You obviously need more gadgets. I drive build and sell. I hope someday you grow up and don’t need to “best” some strangers on the internet. (And maybe learn how to read. The nearest city to me over 10,000 is 70 miles. 35 to the nearest grocery store.)
I recently retired my 96 Grand Cherokee Laredo from 17 year daily driver. Never let me down but no 4 wheeling, stock 4L 6 cyl 👍. I have just replaced it with a 105 99 model GXL with only 189,000 k"s, keen to do it up a bit ( it's mostly stock ) to hit the tracks & tow the boat. Keen to see what you mod on the jeep & upload for us.
@@MadMatt4WD Sounds the same as my mates jk jeep wrangler. We are going to fit a Tom Woods front drive shaft this weekend and see if it goes quite . He needs to change it as he needs a double cardan joint with the crazy angle it’s on . cheers Phil
Hi Matt . we changed the front drive shaft in my mates JK jeep Wrangler. The CV joint at the transfer case end was a little worn. His clicking noise is now gone. He was lucky that’s all it was. We installed a Tom woods drive shaft. cheers Phil
That was a fantastic drive Matt. Shows that in the right hands even a stock 4WD can do some hard core climbs. Though it was a bit ambitious try to follow Lucas's path with his GU Patrol but nice try. Very prudent of you to deviate to the Land Cruiser route lol 🤣 All kidding aside that was one hard core track and very good advice that everyone should follow. Don't do those things in a national park or state forrest. Stick to the proper tracks and use your 4WD to get you to your camp site.
I wish we had decent 4wd parks like that over here, not artificially built for purpose, but good patches of land that have natural obstacles that you can go and test your skills and the limit of your vehicle with no threat of fines or worse. I love the idea behind this video Matt, I started my channel partly to explore and showcase my local areas but also to help new people to offroading realise that even though it might seem daunting, or you think you need over the top modifications and accessories, quite often experience trumps expense. Even lockers are in my humble opinion are game changers even more than lift kits and taller tyres . Clearance means nothing if you can't pick a good line to run. That's why I am so attracted to soft roaders and awd's the last few years, you can have so much fun on tamer tracks doing exactly what you are doing here, encountering a puzzle and having fun finding ways to solve it. One of my favourite videos from you so far, keep it up :)
You should try some other the trails in America. We have some of the best natural beauty and hardest obstacles. The United States has nearly everything from climate to terrane. It’s a huge place to travel around.
Hi Matt thought I’d drop you a comment that noise your hearing is the front propshaft they are known to be a weak spot on wj’s they have a swivelling slip joint that always fails you can buy after market ones with a universal joint on both ends they are a lot stronger and I strongly recommend getting one 👍 love the content keep it up 👌
Jeep! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 but it does prove with enough knowledge and abuse, you can do anything! Soon: For sale, Jeep Grand Cherokee never off roaded! To be fair, if you had a hell of a laugh, so why not. I once dove a Jeep Cherokee 4.0 straight 6 auto, it was so bad I vowed never to drive one again! I'd rather drive Toyota! 🤣🤣🤣
That was gold. The "SUV wheeling" concept for the channel is a great idea. Thanks MM team.
More to come!
Wow that’s proof that size doesn’t matter it’s the way you use it. 👏👏👏 looking forward to seeing more of the Jeep. Keep up the great work Matt 👍
Yes! Thank you!
Sounds like you guys had a ball doing this video, makes it all worth it, if it makes you laugh and have a good time just doing 1 Hill then it is a good buy
Matt, now you kind of understand why the stockish style jeeps get so far so well. Just lockers and you have made that hill with little problem. Oh yah, That noise you keep hearing the drivetrain unloading when you shift gears out of drive or reverse. Yes, I would wheel that jeep. As an owner of 3 jeeps in my past.
Even though I'm a Toyota guy, I did briefly own one of these, purely out of curiosity. Same model, a WJ V8 Laredo, although mine had the 'vari-lock' diffs, which were like a crude traction control using friction plates, it was surprisingly capable tbh.
I never got to modify mine though because I spent all mu mods budget fixing it, all the window motors failed (Rockauto is a great resource for parts btw), my handbrake cable snapped (that's a pain in the butt under the glued down carpet), and the valve covers were leaking onto the exhaust at the back of the engine, but despite that and the 21l/100km average fuel use, it was actually a fun car.
I'd even consider getting another as a project car in the future, but never as a daily.
Yeah I’m not sure what I think yet
I'm a jeep man. Love my wj 3inch iron rock lift front aussie lockers. I'm still doing it up slowly. 2.7 diesel overland. i haven't done a track that hard at the start of your video but gone through Ruff Terrain, and it's awesome.
That is awesome!
Here in the US 37s seem to be the new standard on these new big jeeps but there's something to be said for a more mild but capable build and how fun it makes more tracks. You don't have to find the most extreme thing out there to have a little fun with it but can push it with some skill into some harder stuff.
Only city boys buy jeep. They are nothing but pavement prowlers
Jeep, just everyone else’s parts.
Just Empty Every Pocket is how it ends up.. I have 3 so I can tell ya from experience 😂
@@vinceimp9581 ha! Try Toyota. Oh oops, my bad, that’s all the parts you have to put in your jeeps to get them more than 10 miles 😂
Well if that Jeep can do it an AU Falcon would make it up easy lmfao. Love the video Matt and a great way to show people that even basic rigs can still tackle some very difficult stuff. Personally I'm not a fan of Jeep but I know they have their following and can still be very capable rigs. That loose ground was the biggest part of your problem with the open diff's so I wonder how the Gen 3 Pajero with an LSD in the back would cope. I've been surprised by the LSD in mine many times. A front or rear locker would have made the world of difference but it is great to see you showing what basic vehicles can be capable of. Also like how you mentioned not to be doing it in Nat Parks etc.
Yeah some traction devices would be tops.
@@MadMatt4WD bundera.. japanese for, bouncing little animal.. look it up.. & you think bronco,,is a bouncing prancing horse...hmmm...
@@MadMatt4WD jeep...only jeep to buy is a rubicon,,then fix it.. problem here in aus.. YOU CANT MODIFIE A VEHICLE , UNLESS YOU PAY THE CLIP BOARD WORRIER 4K.. bs laws.. more people die with un capable vehicles, than modified.. 4x4, std tyres against 35,s. more weight, more footprint. more clearence. thumb law in u.s., is, raise vehicle 2'', get 2'' bigger tyres.. its called offset..weight. pendulum.. i have 4 u.s. 4x4rs, non std. inc. my s/duty.. no jeeps.. ''i bought a jeep'',, '' so,,you did go for your labotomy i see''..
Matt, good on you! You've got plenty of US subscribers that can relate, and air-fright you the bits that break☺I had a Jeep Comanche ute with the 258 ci six and a Renault (!) gearbox. Jeep and Renault were affiliated for a time.
I’m looking forward to learning more about the jeep for sure.
@@MadMatt4WD you will learn to never buy one again is all you are going to learn. It’s america worst off road vehicle.
@@Alaskabuilt_ ha ha. Oh well it’ll be fun while it lasts then. I’m not highly invested in it.
@@MadMatt4WD that’s a good thing. Drive it like a rental 😂
I've seen some Russians wheel the hell of these beasts, and they seem to work great.
Put some good gear on it and you'll be surprised
Maybe you should try doing a cheap build with lunchbox lockers or even a welded rear diff, budget lift with spacers or something similar?
All of those ideas are on the cards.
Mad Matt by name mad for a Jeep mad for climbing that hill 10/10 put a smile on my face
Job done. 😂😂
great to see some Aussie content creators manning up and getting a jeep my first jeep was 1944 ford that my dad and I restored . Now I wheel a 2010 JKU turbo diesel twin locked reduction gears chromemoly axles 3 inch lift on 34s. just because I have the bells and whistle doesn't mean they get turned on at the first site of dirt I have always used the lockers as a last resort most standard 4x4s can be so much improved with a good set of tyres (even Toyotas) This shows wat a standard 4x4 can do. Throw standard tyres on a Toyota and don't use locker and see if you fair any better I don't think so. Keep up the the great content and with some mods the jeep will get you where you want to go.
I’m looking forward to having some fun drives in time
Biggest issue is the aluminum dana 44s. No idea why they used aluminum d44s. They have very little aftermarket support because of their inherent weakness compared to steel. The Grand Cherokees were so close to being classic icons like the Wranglers and Cherokees. Cool to see something a bit different though!
Welcome to #Jeeplife
That far right line is how I drove it in my TJ.
I had one of those. Almost the same year. Great for the mall when stock. Did pretty darn good after a few mods.
Good to know
I had a WJ (diesel) and it took me across the Simpson twice and up Cape York. It had a winch which got used regularly for the more gnarly sections like in this video. I particularly remember driving the CREB track in FNQ with the family and two lifted Toyotas couldn't believe we were attempting that track. Fortunately, it was not too wet and only started raining up near Roaring Meg Falls. Look like you will have fun with this one!
I’d like to take this to the cape.
@@MadMatt4WDThen I forecast a winch and a snorkel in the future.
@@markwilliams8260 defiantly a winch. Tyres first.
Facebook marketplace ad for it afterwards: "Mature owner, only for trips into town. Never seen dirt." haha
😂😂😂
That’s what i looking for. Standart Suv with pro-mad man:)❤
Lol
Funny. I bought this one two months ago next to twin locked Jeep TJ 4.0 manual.
TJ is on 31s WJ is stock.
Amaizingly capable. A bit of lift and 33s and you have a super capable overlander.
I wonder how a stock Prado would do on the same hill 🤔
Thanks for doing this 👍
Thanks for sharing
Loves this! So funny 😂
I wheel a newer Grand Cherokee regularly, although maybe not *quite* that hard. The 2018 WK2 Trailhawk Edition, 3.6l petrol engine, limited slip rear diff, and airbag suspension, all on Falken Wildpeak AT3W 265/65R18 tyres. It just goes through pretty much anything. Some Chief Products and Offroad Animal protection for the sump and transmission, rock sliders, and a winch that I barely ever need to use. I'm in the U.S. and it beats any stock Jeep Wrangler except the Rubicon models, and even then, I'll wheel my WK2 right up there with them. Frankly I don't understand why Jeeps are not more popular in Australia.
There’s a fairly big following over here but our Toyotas and Nissans are cheap.
Not sure why there isn't more of a jeep following in Aus either. Most of the Japanese stuff is more expensive and requires more mods to make capable.
Aussies just love to hate on Jeep with no legitimate reason why - they get labelled as unreliable but there's really not that much difference in reliability. All the Nissan and Toyota fan boys love to hate!
went up 5 rocks with a bunch of Jeeps couple weeks back most Jeeps were bone stock handled the tracks great altho we had to wait a bit at beginning of track for removal of couple of bogged 79 series cruisers with all the bells and whistles. We Jeep owner in Aus are proud of our vehicle and yes they cost abit to repair but so does any car. Most of the bad rap Jeeps get is from people who never have sat behind the wheel of one. Its like I say to people when they put my Jeep down its a Jeep thing you wouldn't understand. What other 4x4 can you buy in Australia with solid axles a 79 sure but can a 79 take the roof off and where can I put my drink no cup holders on 79 my jeep has 4' and run a set of 34 without having to get it engineered Toyotas and Nissans are great keeps there owners out of Jeeps.
If I had one negative thing to say about the Wrangler is that unlike the 76 or 78 (or the Prado or the Patrol for that matter), they are better suited to North American users' typical off-road needs. For us it's more mountain passes, rock crawling, mud bogs and the like. We don't have the *true* long-distance overlanding opportunities that you have. Toyotas are definitely better for overlanding (we have very limited choices in that regard, and I'd sell body parts for a Troopy, to be honest), but *NOTHING* beats a Jeep at the tough stuff.
Oh what a good idea to show us a cheap, stock-ish vehicle.
A little more details regarding the jeep would be nice!? Tiresize? OME lift with or without trimpackers? Oe short arms or adjustable?
We've seen its a completely open diff laredo model - would be nice to see a quadra drive limited model with the clutch-type "lockers" go up that hill.
I tried one of those V8 quadra drive WJ myself, but mine did not like the OME lift (4cm +1cm trimpacker). The front prop shaft joints got smoked - twice - both ends. Maybe my expectations were too high - i tried to have a mildly build overland vehicle for short trips and the daily commute on the german autobahn. And i wanted it to drive 150ks an hour as if it was a stock granny. never worked out and then i discovered the rust in the rear wheel arches. some genius in the land of unlimited corn sirup decided to fill those arches with foam back in the factory. it was soaking wet when i cut the wheel arch open - everything was rusted. so i lost interest in that gas guzzler and removed every modification, sold the parts and am still working on that rust problem.
Thanks to the gods of transportation i never sold my shorty - a bj70 land cruiser which is my daily since - giving me a heck of a time every day since the jeep got ripped open.
Wow. How good is the Bj70 ay. You’ve seen my rj70 videos I presume.
@@MadMatt4WD Of course i did! A great little beast you got there. I hope it will be ready for new adventures soon. 😊
Love it we have a stock wj so this will be very interesting to watch this series 👍🏻
Great vid! Matt I notice you get audio clipping in a few vids. Lowering the mic sensitivity and boosting the audio in post will mean no nasty crackle on the voices.
Thanks mate. Yes we’ve changed our audio setup and still getting it dialled in. And yes Lucus shouts a lot.
I love my WJ . V8 .
Jeeps are used to confirm how good Land Cruisers are.😂
🤪😂😂😂
WJ Grand V8s over here came with LSDs front and rear. I have one and its a great wagon.
I wondered if the rear had one. I pulled the rear cover and it had something of the the side of the crown wheel I though might be an lsd. More research needed.
@@MadMatt4WD if it says Quadra drive then it will. Needs very specific diff fluid. The wrong stuff and it will slip or grab like crazy. That noise will probably be the front driveshaft.
A JEEP?!? You know what they say... We all have that one friend that makes a fool of themselves in public, if you don't know one you could be the one 😂😂 lucky you know how to swing spanners! Ps... Needs more lightbars and less exhaust 😂 look forward to seeing where you get it stuck!
Lol. It’s always me.
love the grand Cherokee. this one looks nice
Awesome. How about a budget build? Weld the rear and throw a lunchbox locker in the front. Then go back.
I’m thinking along those lines
Well done Matt. I’m guessing it was cheap. Way too many rock dents for something you care about. Is it solid front axle? I was disappointed to not hear V8 sounds, it must need an exhaust.
Yes it was heap and solid axle. It has a stock exhaust.
@@MadMatt4WD now we need to see it succeed on Beer o Clock hill.
I sure as hell wouldn't own it after he drove it. But before hand yup sure would buy one if I could find a low mile affordable one.
Lol I suspect this just get wreaked out once I’m done.
@@MadMatt4WD lol it's an awesome jeep for sure long as someone enjoys it
@@slowg8701 yes I agree.
So, don’t these Jeeps come with low range?
Yep that was low
Lesson: you either pay for the repair of a stock vehicle after, or its modification upgrade before.
Lol true
Why is traction control not working?
The abs system isn’t working. I’ve not had a chance to look into it.
Because they don't have traction control (only ABS)
It had to be a jeep, do I get a sticker now😅
Lol. Inbox your address.
If only you got the straight 6 with selec trac, 2wd for daily/fun, 4wd full time (open diffs), 4wd part time(center locks front and rear for 50/50 split), and your 4Low
I got the v8
@@MadMatt4WD those are more fun anyway
Sucked in!! 🤣🤣
Just stirring you Matt.
We have a family saying...
"He bought a Jeep" 🤣
Yer Gunna need a bigger ... erm ... Toolbox
Lol
This wj needs better tires. And disconnect both sway bars. I know you Aussies are dead against it, but you’re losing over 1/3 of your articulation and the majority of your traction with the stock diffs in it. I’ve had 3 wj’s and wheeled one really hard for a lot of years
I agree with sway bar removal, I have a forester and the places I could go after just removing my front sway bar was insane, took me a lot longer to remove the rear as I knew the difference wouldn't be anywhere near as dramatic as taking out the front.
It’s articulation is limited by the shock length not the sway bars. It certainly doesn’t have much flex.
@@MadMatt4WD I disagree. Shock length is part of the factor. I had the exact same Jeep with 8.5” long shocks and I would lift one tire 36” without picking a tire and. Lift a tire 24+ inches and still have enough traction to spin all 4 tires. Here’s a real world test for you. Take 4 scales under each tire and Jack it up at different heights and see how the weight changes in respect to articulation. With the sway bars connected the weight will increase on the tires being compressed. Once one tire has more weight it’ll spin the lighter tire. Now remove sway bars and see how much further the weights stay even as you articulate.
@@MadMatt4WD you absolutely cannot flex a wj grand Cherokee to max the shock travel out, especially as most aftermarket shocks are close to 8” long , with the front sway bar on. It will lift tires first.
An ad for a twin-locked Patrol or Landcruiser.
"He got a Jeep" Damn close to the stated purpose just a pity its not a diesel to really match the vehicles we have.
In anycase, I was right since the Jeep is just an American Jackaroo.
I was right! You got a Jeep.
😁😁😁🥰
Well you won’t make this mistake twice… 🤦♂️
A Jeep🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 The Lada Niva would be more reliable in the shape it was in 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂
yeah nah . lol
😂😂
Just Everyone Else’s Parts…
Not really sure what I watched here, filled with so many errors, frustrating to watch.
Ok cool.
no, i would never drive that car so hard. why? it was not build for this environment.
for you its fun to brake that poor jeep - your car, but when someone laughs when the gearbox rattles shows that he doesnt have any understanding or simply doesnt care because he wants to see how and when it will brake.
as you want to be something like an offroad instructor guru, the first rule you should teach is respect the environment, respect the limits of your car, respect your personal limits.
encouraging people with a stock 4x4 to do rockclimbing, because you can do it, puts people in danger.
how many kids with unefficient experience take their car in the mountains and bring themselves in terrible situations. the whole offroad community in a dark spot.
i would not expect from an instructor that he shows what he can do, he needs to show me what i cant - shouldnt do and how i can improve.
give it a thought
Yeah I don’t agree with all that your saying. I love beating on cars in the right time and place and I make it clear in the video that this is the right time and place.
@@MadMatt4WD yeah, i didnt expect anything else than an answer like this.
well, poor jeep, but its your car - its your money.
i try a different approach
youtube is all about audience. so where do you think you will be more successfull building a stable audience?
- thoughtfull offroading having environment, driver and car safety in mind
- what to do and what to avoid
- show how, with what, how much it cost, strengthen this jeep
- step-by-step practice classes with students how to
or
beating up trucks
@@berndeikers8924 you certainly wouldn’t like my racing videos then.
Pretty sure we are all adults here and are capable of making these decisions ourselves.
@@2pacorwhat are we? so why offroading in many countries and aereas is fined and strictly forbidden? numbers are climbing
stock needs to stay on dirt roads.
Not necessarily the case at all.
🏆🤗🇺🇲🙏
Thank you for sharing
Where Going on a BearHunt.......................
😂😂
this confirms my thought: if you bring a less capable 4x4 to a difficult track, it will make you look like you got no idea what you doing (at least to a lot of people) even though you know really well. At least that's my takeaway of the first 12 minutes of the video. you end up having to choosing the easiest (I know it's still hard) path anyway. In a real-world scenario where you are not trying to prove anything, instead have to go there to safety and breaking your vehicle means big trouble maybe danger, I believe a mattock and shovel is your best option.
In Normal wheeling I’d just winch this.
That was an awesome video btw! Great to see near stock wheeling...
Amen!
I will stick with the Landcruiser.
Such dramatic music for a lost cause.
Lol good on Ya. 🤣
Great to see a stock vehicle for a change.
Your video shows how the slightest change to a line can make all the difference.
I'm looking forward to seeing what else you can do with the Jeep without modifying it too much.
Thanks. This is probably more extreme than I’ll tend to do with it in this trim.
My daily driver is a stock 4.0l 1998 Grand Cherokee. While it's pretty capable going to most of the camping or hunting spots I go to, I'm not sure it would go up a trail like one you went up. A 2 inch lift, bigger M/T tires and maybe a locker at one end? Then yea, I bet it would do it pretty easily.
Maybe when it’s modded a bit more I’ll drive this hill again.
I have a 2007 WK/WH with the 3.0L mercedes om642 diesel. It is like a freight train… Weak point is oil cooler, mine replaced at 190,000 miles, but once replaced - life is good….
The biggest problem we have found is window switch and wiring failure as well as rod knock on cylinder 8 🤷♂️
Should have got the Gladiator. haha. Fun vid mate.
Lol
I’ve been to this hill it’s very steep. Nice drive, that was fun! Cheap Jeeps for the win 😂😂
You got that right!
😂😂😂😂
Love the concept. Most people at a stretch could afford to run a 2nd vehicle within the family, let alone 105's, race trucks or F trucks. We are looking at the moment for a 2nd vehicle and I'm toying with the idea of a duel purpose car/weekend fun vehicle. I see some jeeps starting at a reasonable price, around the $3500 mark. Such a 2nd vehicle would have to drive around town most days and remain totally legal and third part property insurable re tyre size and lift etc.
I would enjoy a sub series of videos on wheeling within a limited budget.
Whatever work you do to the jeep I would be interested to see at the start of each video an individual breakdown of prices, with add on's being sourced 2nd hand, or low end/cost units.
Keep up the good content.
Thanks.
Could be a good vehicle to try the budget auto Lokkas. Plenty of us have budget off roaders like this and can’t justify investing air lockers into a low budget vehicle.
That’s a good idea.
Matt, I wouldn't have a jeep after seeing all the issues they have on other channels.. I'll stick to my 80 series... but this video is a good video to show people what a vehicle and good driver can do.. and have lots of fun and laughs while doing it...
Really is amazing how much a stock vehicle is capable of. When I start building anything my upgrade list is 1) tires 2) bumpers/ winch 3) rocker guards and under armor 4) lockers F/R 5) lights/ cargo racks 6) lights 7) lift, gears and new tire size.
Y’all have fun out there and keep up the trails 🤠👍🇺🇸
I think I’d agree with your build process.
You must live in the city 😂
@@Alaskabuilt_ didn’t realize 35 miles out of a town of 10,000 was city. I learned to drive. Some people never learn what their vehicles can do because they build it before they ever go wheeling. I’m pretty sure pavement principles go lift first because it gets the attention. I chuckle at those who do lift and tires first.
@@ianrunyon2423 I laugh at the city boys who throw lockers, a lift and big tires on a stock vehicle. You city boys crack me up. Let me know when you are broke down on your first trip off the pavement 😂
Don’t worry. I know that you don’t know how to drive just by the way you talk. You obviously need more gadgets. I drive build and sell. I hope someday you grow up and don’t need to “best” some strangers on the internet. (And maybe learn how to read. The nearest city to me over 10,000 is 70 miles. 35 to the nearest grocery store.)
Sounds like u need the boys Tj and mac
Atleast there jeep is decent
Lol my Heap is awesome
I recently retired my 96 Grand Cherokee Laredo from 17 year daily driver. Never let me down but no 4 wheeling, stock 4L 6 cyl 👍. I have just replaced it with a 105 99 model GXL with only 189,000 k"s, keen to do it up a bit ( it's mostly stock ) to hit the tracks & tow the boat. Keen to see what you mod on the jeep & upload for us.
I think with a front locker it would be able to do it😊
Jeeps keep going n going... Good to see ya get one. 👍👍
Lake Havasu 🌞 Az
Hi Matt did you find out what the noise was? Cheers Phil
I suspect it the chain drive in the transfer case. Yet to fix it
@@MadMatt4WD Sounds the same as my mates jk jeep wrangler. We are going to fit a Tom Woods front drive shaft this weekend and see if it goes quite . He needs to change it as he needs a double cardan joint with the crazy angle it’s on . cheers Phil
Hi Matt . we changed the front drive shaft in my mates JK jeep Wrangler. The CV joint at the transfer case end was a little worn. His clicking noise is now gone. He was lucky that’s all it was. We installed a Tom woods drive shaft. cheers Phil
That was a fantastic drive Matt. Shows that in the right hands even a stock 4WD can do some hard core climbs. Though it was a bit ambitious try to follow Lucas's path with his GU Patrol but nice try. Very prudent of you to deviate to the Land Cruiser route lol 🤣 All kidding aside that was one hard core track and very good advice that everyone should follow. Don't do those things in a national park or state forrest. Stick to the proper tracks and use your 4WD to get you to your camp site.
Yeah it was a laugh. I’m surprised it survived but small tyres and minimal traction it worked.
Matt, that was a seriously impressive drive
Cheers mate. I love these drives
I wish we had decent 4wd parks like that over here, not artificially built for purpose, but good patches of land that have natural obstacles that you can go and test your skills and the limit of your vehicle with no threat of fines or worse. I love the idea behind this video Matt, I started my channel partly to explore and showcase my local areas but also to help new people to offroading realise that even though it might seem daunting, or you think you need over the top modifications and accessories, quite often experience trumps expense. Even lockers are in my humble opinion are game changers even more than lift kits and taller tyres . Clearance means nothing if you can't pick a good line to run. That's why I am so attracted to soft roaders and awd's the last few years, you can have so much fun on tamer tracks doing exactly what you are doing here, encountering a puzzle and having fun finding ways to solve it. One of my favourite videos from you so far, keep it up :)
Thanks mate. I often see people who’s first 4wd is fully built something actually not know how to drive.
You should try some other the trails in America. We have some of the best natural beauty and hardest obstacles. The United States has nearly everything from climate to terrane. It’s a huge place to travel around.
@@ianrunyon2423 I’ve done a bit in the USA. There’s some great tracks for sure. I do want to do a lot more though.
Wow. Not sure what happened there. It seems to have rewritten my post several times. Sorry for that.
@@MadMatt4WD hope ya get the chance. I want to run around the world! There are so many amazing places to see and drive. 🤠👍🇺🇸
Hi Matt thought I’d drop you a comment that noise your hearing is the front propshaft they are known to be a weak spot on wj’s they have a swivelling slip joint that always fails you can buy after market ones with a universal joint on both ends they are a lot stronger and I strongly recommend getting one 👍 love the content keep it up 👌
Ok I’ll pull it out and look it over. Could you email me a link to where I can get a better solution.
Jeep! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
but it does prove with enough knowledge and abuse, you can do anything!
Soon: For sale, Jeep Grand Cherokee never off roaded!
To be fair, if you had a hell of a laugh, so why not.
I once dove a Jeep Cherokee 4.0 straight 6 auto, it was so bad I vowed never to drive one again! I'd rather drive Toyota! 🤣🤣🤣
Lol. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 who knows how long this affair will last.