New to me 04 Jeep, New to site too

[Nascar-ta]

Hello I'm new to the site, and a first time poster. I purchased a used 04 KJ and really like It. Except for the gas mileage, but I can work on that later. This is my first Jeep and I plan on handing it down to my daughter. I have had 4x4 truck before, but wanted to get something I can hand down. Lately the weather has been cold and icy. This Jeep sometime becomes a handful on lightly covered roads. I know the tires are not the best for a 4x4, but they do have good tread. Are these short wheelbase jeeps a handful. My wife now doesn't want me to give it to my daughter because of it. By the way it has Bridgestone Dueler H/L Aalenza on it. It does have a M+S rating, but my wife's Charger R/T handles better in the snow with goodyear eagles.
Thank you in advance and any help would be appreciated.

Lee

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Tires....had those on my Durango, pieces of crap.


Welcome by the way!

 

[huntbuggy]

I have 18" OE Bridgestone Duelers on my wife's SUV and they are hopeless in winter weather. They are not bad for a summer tire, wet and highway rolling but would never run them in winter. (We run winters here - Toyo and Nokian in my case have had very good experience). The Liberty is a really great winter vehicle - but only with the right tires IMHO.

Either run winter tires on a cheap winter rim for safety for your wife & daughter especially for MI ice and snow, or like many here run a more aggressive tire all year round that is M&S rated and siped for snow and ice - especially if you do a bit of dirt road / offroad.

No lack of tire threads or opinions on all terrain / mud terrain tires on the boards. Firestone Destinations and Goodyear Duratracs seem to rate pretty well on here but depends on your application ... and budget of course.

Don't know about you guys, but I get a break on my insurance for running winter tires on our vehicles... every penny counts.

 

[J-Thompson]

Tires
but what 4wd system do you have?
if you have the one with
2wd
4wd part time
4wd full time
neutral
4wd low
then just use the 4wd full time
this is what we had to do for the first 6 months we owned our KJ
until we got the dealer/Jeep/Goodyear to admit or come up with 5 new tires
the local G/Y store mgr. "this Jeep has G/Y eagle tire and those are designed for
cars not suv's ,basically they should have never been installed"
this was a brand new '03 LTD and we live in south Louisiana so all we get is rain
I could turn it 180* in the rain ,easily, and not fear tipping
that is how easily it would slide

 

[Nascar-ta]

I can get this jeep to drift in full time 4 wheel drive. I think you are all right; it must be the tires. Now what about a clucking noise in the rear when you start to roll from a stand still and also at tip in at slow speeds.

 

[Dave]

Welcome to the forum Lee. You need to change your tires.

Dave

 

[tommudd]

clunking noise could be rear u joints or also the front driveshaft, rear boot goes and then the bearings rust up
and then it could also be the rear tri link ball joint, or a bad shock
Southeast Michigan? How far from Toledo?
I have a little :happy175:knowledge on what makes these things tick....
also better tires will help tremendously !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[04Liberty]

Grabber AT2's, best thing I ever did to it (though my wife will say it was the EVIC and other gadgets...).

 

[New Liberty]

I'd run snow tires over an all-season or A/T tire as soon as it hits just above freezing. Much softer compound of rubber. I am however a little further north then you. We haven't had much snow this year, but plenty of black ice.

Trust my Jeep to safely get my wife and newborn around.

 

[04Liberty]

If I was that far north I would too, but 2 Connecticut and 2 New York winters have proven (to me at least) what a good snow tire it is.

 

[sparkman70]

I have bfg AT on my 04 liberty and its the best tire i had on ice and snow.

 

[New Liberty]

If I was that far north I would too, but 2 Connecticut and 2 New York winters have proven (to me at least) what a good snow tire it is.

Glad they work for you Sam....

I am only 45 mins from the NY boarder, and on days that we get the slightest trace of snow, you can always tell who isn't running a snow tire.

 

[04Liberty]

Glad they work for you Sam....

I am only 45 mins from the NY boarder, and on days that we get the slightest trace of snow, you can always tell who isn't running a snow tire.

That's because the minute you get over the border the temp drops 40°. I never had any problems (except for other drivers). Experience/driver skill plays into it too. I grew up learning to drive in the snow in overpowered V8 RWD cars (because that was what we had). My Road Runner was especially fun...for donuts. You should see the people where I am now, we had a slight dusting, not enough to wet the road but stick to grass. The snow actually looked like big salt chunks. People drive all crazy and super slow (even slower than usual) and flock to the stores to stock up on provisions.

 

[New Liberty]

That's because the minute you get over the border the temp drops 40°. I never had any problems (except for other drivers). Experience/driver skill plays into it too. I grew up learning to drive in the snow in overpowered V8 RWD cars (because that was what we had). My Road Runner was especially fun...for donuts. You should see the people where I am now, we had a slight dusting, not enough to wet the road but stick to grass. The snow actually looked like big salt chunks. People drive all crazy and super slow (even slower than usual) and flock to the stores to stock up on provisions.

Come on now...it drops 50° as the instant you cross the border. You're right though; when snow falls, it's usually everyone else you have to worry about.

It's funny though. We've barely had a trace of snow this year. The storms keep going around us, and I've only needed my shovel twice. Philly has had more snow then we have.

On the other hand, it was -26° last night, and that was without a windchill.