Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler also known as the YJ, TJ, JK, and J8 (Military version), is a compact four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle vehicle produced by American automaker Chrysler, under its Jeep marque. It is a successor to the famous World War II 'Jeep' vehicle by way of the Willys civilian Jeep (CJ) in the 1950s, later produced by Kaiser-Jeep and by American Motors (AMC). The Wrangler debuted in 1987, was revised in 1997 and again in 2007, and is still popular today. A defining feature of all Wranglers is that they continue to use live axles both front and rear like their forefather, the CJ.

Between 1987 and 1992, the Wrangler/YJ was built in Brampton, Ontario. It was then built in the Toledo South Assembly plant until mid-2006, after which the plant was slowly torn down. Currently, the Wrangler is produced at Jeep's Toledo North Assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio. Between 1987 and 1995, models were sold under the YJ designation. From 1997 to 2006, models were called the TJ's with a subcategory from 2004 to 2006 of "Unlimited" Wranglers known as the LJ's. From 2007 to the present, models are known as the JK. The model designations are used throughout the world, as well as in the Jeep enthusiast community to differentiate which model is being spoken of instead of using the more ambiguous term "Wrangler" to help identify specifics about them. The Jeep YJ, sold as the Wrangler, replaced the much-loved but slower-selling Jeep CJ in 1987 and was built in Brampton, Ontario, Canada until the plant closed on April 23, 1992. Production was then moved to Toledo, Ohio using the same plant that produced the Willys Jeeps back in WWII. It was a new design with a wider wheelbase, slightly less ground clearance, and more comfort. The YJ also had a leaf spring suspension similar to that of the CJ, however, the springs were wider, and the YJs sported trackbars and swaybars for added handling. Despite the new grill, the body is very similar to the CJ7's, and it is interchangeable with some minor modifications. The YJ also was given a larger windshield over the CJ. The YJs are easily identifiable due to the rectangular headlights, disliked by some Jeep aficionados, and the fact that the wiper blades rest on the windshield giving this version a distinctive look. The blades rested on the windshield due to the now wider arc of the blades to clean the now larger windshield. These two changes were later removed when the TJ changes came about in 1996. 632,231 YJs were built through model year 1995, though YJs were still produced into mid '96 bringing the total production number to 685,071 units. The YJ used a 2.5 L AMC 150 I4 or optional 4.2 L AMC 258 I6 until 1991. That year, a fuel injected 180 hp (134 kW) 4.0 L AMC 242 variant replaced the 112 hp (84 kW) 4.2 L 258 CID straight-6. The NP207 transfer case was used only in 1987 and replaced by the NP231 The roll cage was extended in 1992 to allow for rear shoulder belts, and anti-lock brakes were added as an option the next year. An automatic transmission option for 4-cylinder Wranglers came in 1994 along with a center high-mounted stop lamp. In 1994, the slave cylinder on manual transmissions was moved outside of the transmission's bellhousing to allow for easier replacement, and in 1995 larger U-joints were used [front axle U-joints(297x) and rear pinion U-joint(1330)]. For the 1992 model year, the YJ switched over to an electronic speedometer outmoding the cable speedos on older YJs. 1995 was the only year to have a fully galvanized frame and body. YJs produced in early 1996 were sold as 1995 model years, but featured a few new parts not seen on any earlier YJ. This included: the new TJ bumpstops on the hood (rubber boots vs the traditional U-bars), reinforced tailgate hinges, and it has been said that some even had rear TJ bumpers. Some lucky ones also got the newly tuned I6 that was tuned to run quieter in preparation for the TJ.