WJ vs. ZJ Off-road | Exploring the Ozarks

Insta: OverlandingOzarks
Dylan's Insta: Project_grand
OKMO 1000W Power Station: amzn.to/3q6F8t1
$250 OFF OKMO 1000W Power Station With Solar Panels: bit.ly/3nzLDEK
$350 OFF OKMO 2000W Power Station With Solar Panels: bit.ly/3oQqOnF
JEEP EXTERIOR
Headlights: amzn.to/3w6WQOl
Taillights: amzn.to/3ojf6RX
Wheel Spacers: amzn.to/30Ao2Li
Steering Stabilizer/Hydro Assist Mount: amzn.to/3q7PyIJ
Tire Carrier Hinge: amzn.to/3eMXM4I
Steering Stabilizer: amzn.to/3E8pdiR
JEEP MAINTENANCE
Upgraded Injectors: amzn.to/33xZWlv
Coil Packs: amzn.to/3GPKgIM
Spark Plugs: amzn.to/3q7DkA4
OVERLANDING
CB Radio: amzn.to/3mdGpxp
CB Antenna FireStik: amzn.to/3GSginl
Water Repellent spray: amzn.to/3Fj1X2Q

[@xxNotHomeYet]

Nothing more satisfying than watching a well set up solid axle rig, so graceful and smooth. This also really shows how lack of lockers really is harder on everything, having to bounce over stuff is how you beak things.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thanks for watching! For sure ground clearance and lockers are a big deal. Although I don't have lockers, my varilockers/quadradrive eventually grabs. It's pretty fun to go slow and feel them catch. When the ZJ gets lockers it will be a different story

[@jessespagnolo]

@@OverlandingOzarks also too much air in those tires

[@GarrettLong-wl8lc]

😂

[@militant.anarchist2414]

i just got a grand cherokee zj limited, its got 3 inch lift and 31inch mud tires and i couldnt be more excited to go wheeling in it

[@kevinclevenger8741]

The wj done a great job. The zj need some lockers and better tires ..another great video. Looked like a fun little trail for a ride on .

[@OverlandingOzarks]

yep the quadradrive is still working on the WJ. ZJ did pretty good for being open diff with no limited slip. It was a beautiful day to be out!

[@DUNEATV]

Both solid axle…so I love them both!

[@OverlandingOzarks]

I like how you think!

[@davidlawickiii882]

That's a clean and mean looking WJ!

[@outwestds3748]

Love my zj lockers and tires make a huge difference. Love the simplicity of my rig.

[@zaccorpseman7366]

Just look at all that beautiful articulation and body movement... It's a shame that they took every single remaining solid axle away from the new GCs

[@joemama-nh9gj]

Koolll your not messing up snowmobile trails. Have fun wheelers !

[@KJsProjects]

A lunchbox locker in the rear of the ZJ would be a game changer. I love having one in mine. I'm also going to install a volvo locker in the front and it will be perfect.

[@TheRealMikeWilly]

I had a lunchbox in the rear once, never again. I was doing about 30 mph in the snow and when the highway started going up hill one tire fired and the lunchbox locked up and sent me sideways into oncoming traffic narrowly avoiding a head on with a semi, semi truck driver swerved to avoid me and hit 8 other vehicles, killing 3 people and shutting down the hwy. 3 people died because of my cheap auto locker. Do it right and get a selectable locker.

[@KJsProjects]

@@TheRealMikeWilly That's tragic. It sounds like the locker failed to me because if you are driving straight it should be locked up and then when you turn it will unlock. But if you were going up a hill and it was snowy/ice it could cause you to loose control. So I don't know. Also you must understand that they are a great bang for the buck and thousands of people use them without issues. So again I sympathize with you issue and the loss of life, but I'm not going to switch mine out.

[@TheRealMikeWilly]

@@KJsProjects Not sure what the hell happened internally. One tire started to spin out, it crash locked together and sent me sideways. I highly agree that they're a great price, but I will forever fork over the extra coin for a selectable. Currently putting a D44 with an OX locker and 4.88's under my XJ.

[@KJsProjects]

@@TheRealMikeWilly yeah the OX lockers are great. I wish they made one for the Dana 44a in my ZJ.

[@ericharrison619]

@@TheRealMikeWilly Interesting. When was this? It sounds like an incident I witnessed. Sorry you have to live with the outcome.

[@joepennRR1]

They are both super clean though Great finds

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thanks for watching!

[@V8AmericanMuscleCar]

Great video! I had WJ than I wanted ZJ and now I have XJ! I love them all! ❤️

[@Paul.Douglas]

That's about where I'd like my WJ to be mod-wise. Nothing crazy. That looked fun!

[@cpthillbilly]

curious what kind of exhaust you are running. It seems pretty low key which is what i like.

[@rdietz68]

I loved my V8 WJ ...The V8 did a lot of the heavy lifting!

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Love the v8 WJ! Thanks for watching!

[@mechsupernova]

I've had a 5.2l ZJ and now I have the 4.7l WJ. My ex wife took the ZJ and I fixed up the WJ

[@jvida405]

Awesome video!

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thanks for watching!

[@aussietaipan8700]

I have my almost standard WJ 4.7L, I am wondering on the Quadra drive with 247 vs Quad track with 242, which is better for off road?

[@ascendantrobin3230]

WJ’s make it look easy! your jeep is so beast! 😎💪 ZJ are super cool too, vintage at this point, I wish i could find a 5.9er!

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thanks for watching! I know, same! I'll find a 5.9 ZJ to call my own someday! So sick!

[@mikethrapp]

Took me 10 years to find my 9er. Paid $6500 fully build motor and Trans, airfare intake, thorley headers, TB, injectors, roller rockers, cammed with sct tune. Got it from an old man with all paperwork down to its first oil change in 1999. 😁 making about 400hp supposedly.

[@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305]

i have a 5.9, and a grand wagoneer.. unfortunatly a week ago two deer ran in front of my 5.9, thankfully all it broke was the hard to find grill, the bumper, the plastic header panel and a turn signal so i was able to drive home no issues.... and of course dented my metal bumper under the plastic one.. I can get it back to normal for $250, with a normal style grill.. finding the 5.9 grill will be hard. The deer on the other hand.. two leggs were ripped off and its guts were all over the road.... lol.. Had the 5.9 for about 12 years now. I do love the 5.9, its got some good power and speed and deff a soft comfy ride.... but My grand wagoneer.. which ive had for 6 years.. is on a whole nother level of awsome, took 6 years to restore it, now its lifted 3 inchs with 31 inch tires, off-road lights, and all kinds of upgrades.. Wagoneers even with a 5-6 inch lift cant go much higher than 32 inch tires without major trimming.. I didnt want to cut any body panels.. so i left it a moderate 3 inchs and 31s. My mom has a 98 laredo with a 4.0, has 347k original miles on the drive train.. including the transmission.

[@benbirch2393]

I live in France and have access to a lot of really, really clean 5.9 zjs. Left hand drive too, obviously

[@joepennRR1]

I totally plan on building another Jeep and my goal is to find a s Orvis for parts for this Orvis while also robbing the transmission out of the parts 1 to link up to a high output in a Cherokee that all-wheel-drive in the orvis is amazing

[@CountryDave]

Where were you over landing? I live in Douglas county and there's a whole lot of open land down here.

[@jeepstertj556]

two good looking gc's, never knew the wj was solid front axle

[@georgecantstandsya821]

2004 was the last year of solid front axle

[@theUltimateLord]

Jeep the content coming...get it 😂😂

[@OverlandingOzarks]

haha nice! Thanks for watching! More on the way!

[@AustinH7]

What axles are you running? Just curious

[@codered7453]

Nice video and nice jeeps. In the spirit of accumulating data, I'm just wondering if your ZJ has the command Trac (NP231) or the other transfer case? I would like to know how similar it is to my own 95 ZJ. Good luck on your upgrades.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thanks for watching! I believe he said that he has the 242 selctrac. which is actually what I have in my WJ in this video. I swapped in a 242HD when I did the long arms and 35's so that I can have a 2wd option for daily use.

[@codered7453]

@@OverlandingOzarks Thanks I appreciate the info! Your WJ is definitely one of the cleanest that I've seen and very tastefully executed as well. I'll be checking out your other vids in the future and I hope your buddy gets his ZJ squared away with the new upgrades. Ive been tinkering with mine (daily driver w/4.0) since I bought it last year so it's good to know about what the WJ/ZJ guys are currently doing. Keep posting and I'll keep watching!! Take care!

[@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305]

no ZJ came with a 231.. they have 3 transfercases... well 3 versions. The open diff 242 select trac, the open diff with NO low lock 249 which was on the 93-95 years, and the 96-98 had the 249 that locked in 4 low and the viscous coupler was tuned different for better traction

[@codered7453]

@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 Incorrect. I can assure you that the ZJ did in fact come factory equipped with the NP231 (Command Trac) transfer case. Mine has it with factory 3:73 tracloc rear end (Says so on the diff tag) and I can easily produce the build sheet to confirm it. There's absolutely no possibilty of it being swapped in before I purchased it because the family that I purchased it from last year had it since February of 1996 (It's a 1995 model). They kept meticulous service records from March of 1996 until May of 2020. There are many other things about this particular jeep that make it unique as it was built with very odd components for the time but they are ALL factory installed. Ive had different people look it over and the consensus is that it's an odd Jeep but probably not the only one ever built.

[@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305]

@@codered7453 still doubting it had it ive worked on zjs for 20 years now.. thats the first ever ive seen that especially for a 96. Or 95 model. But hey maybe im wrong.. Maybe it was some weird faction option you check on the build list when you buy it. But 231 was deff not standard 3.73 with limited slip isnt uncommon though

[@sideshow45]

I didn't see much tire sidewall flex did you guys air down? It goes an incredibly long way on the trail. I run 10-12psi without beadlocks.

[@immelting9834]

I stay at 20 myself. I've had a tire come off at 15 in the middle of a 3 foot deep creek , while doing the DBBB in Kentucky . This was a winter ride too . Needless to say , I won't go any lower without beadlocks again.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

I was at about 18 all the way around

[@theartofoffroad1988]

Good job. Fun watch.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thanks for watching!

[@davidholdren8315]

I have 02 overland wj . 4.7 HO 200,000 + miles runs strong. Biggest problem brake rotor warp, ebc rotors.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Same I'm around 205k. About to do new brakes all around

[@user-ni6gl1og2k]

Даа, прям серьёзное бездорожье, к моим родственникам дорога в деревню хуже, а тут ещё отличная дорога

[@9visionchannel341]

How many centimeters long is the spring zj

[@solucionesalvas8180]

En que lugar es eso??

[@zjenthusiast3037]

What are the specs on the zj?

[@jaydoffroadnstreet]

I have a V8 WJ too 😎, Nice vid bro!!

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thanks for watching! I can listen to v8 WJ's all day! 😎

[@mikeiniguez7621]

Are they reliable? Major issues?

[@JesusisLord78]

These zj how reliable are they?

[@Outdoors4adventure]

Awesome 🙂☝👍

[@marcinn6312]

So, whats the tire size and lift on that WJ? Or I didnt get it?

[@OverlandingOzarks]

6.5" lift on 35's and 17's

[@Gearhound62]

Hard to find clean WJ's and ZJ's these days...both looked like fun.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thanks for watching!

[@theh.b.1035]

I lucked out and got ahold of a 5.9 zj.. With lower miles..my first and only jeep I own

[@rubengonzalez6024]

What size is your lifkit?

[@jenderarevalo]

What year is that jeep?

[@theh.b.1035]

Doesn't the 5.9 zj come with a different set up than the other model's as far as lockers go?

[@KurNorock]

No zj had lockers from the factory. The only difference between the 5.9 and the 5.2 was the 5.9 had confocal hood vents and an electric cooling fan. Everything else was the same.

[@testified.]

What lift is one the WJ

[@FilipFelli]

Which lift kit and what's the size of the tire?

[@OverlandingOzarks]

6.5" IRO on 35's for WJ

[@krisdillon6972]

@@OverlandingOzarks what axle do you have in the rear? any issues so far with the 35s and axle shafts?

[@siemprev8418]

Por favor activa los subtitulos para traducción al Español. Gracias.

[@robertgolden1080]

Just pinup a 99 4.9 L WJ looking forward to building it

[@joepennRR1]

I've a 95 Orvis 4.5" lift with 33"'s everything else is stock and it would've went through all that... and then some.

[@joepennRR1]

Also in New York state 95 and older you do not have to complete a mission checks I can have a check engine light on and my people still get inspected. I do not have any check engine lights on but it helps to know that I don't have to do emissions. That being said my first deep was a 1996 Jeep Cherokee classic and it was the best deep I ever oh. It was the lightest and most powerful it didn't have the high output for L Street 6 my buddy had a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo V8 and from 0 to 105 my classic would smoke his jeep. That was 2006-ish. I actually wrecked it at my grandfather's funeral believe it or not it was a rough day. And in 2008 I bought a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and it was a heavy sluggish piece of junk that's fun the main engine bearing I could barely do a burnout. And despite what people tell you if it does not have and high output bad it does not have the fucking 4 liter high output. I would really like to see a 4 L high-output Cherokee up against these because I think it would smoke them both...including mine

[@Javier_Jimenez71]

Watching this I kept thinking, anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you. Great video. I need to take my WJ in the mud… 🥃🥃🥃

[@mikethrapp]

👍

[@Stryckerrr]

Bro what color is your WJ? bad ass asf!

[@ridinhigh276]

Nice WJ but, if you put it up against my ZJ it would eat your wj as a snack 😉

[@leonidascossyphas7707]

That ZJ looks familiar....this all looks like a lot of fun. Makes me wanna go out and buy a new Rubicon.

[@jlsgarage872]

Dear gawd that WJ is hot

[@Ihscout1069]

Owned a government limited wj quadratic differential and np242 HD HD 32 spline hummer planetries, factory skids throughout, was a beast, sye and Tom woods driveshafts v8 gave it away

[@tylerdubois9020]

Vari-loks vs open diffs should be the title.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

you bring what you bring

[@jesus2621]

my dream is to have both, one year more of work and i will be able to buy the zj i like its clasic and serious style

[@agjibajrami432]

i have 5.9. and i love zj ladys and gentelmem

[@OverlandingOzarks]

That's awesome! I'm looking for one to add to the collection!

[@VenturaIT]

really it's big tires/lockers/lift vs worn tires/small tires/no lockers/less lift... late 5.2 ZJ has more torque same HP and a better gas tank placement for offroad...

[@gwood69]

Lol Cherokees love them jk rims Good looking rigs nonetheless gotta love Cherokees

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thanks for watching!

[@buildingusa9604]

👍 WJ 😜🤪🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤 Looks Amazing 👏 😍

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Thanks for watching!

[@jessicamathews5758]

I have 33’s on my tires in my Nissan Titan truck.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

That's awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@jessicamathews5758]

Your welcome

[@joepennRR1]

Tell your buddy the best tires that you can put on his Jeep are BFGoodrich all-terrain mud and snow

[@truckbait4545]

Guys this isn’t even a fair comparison ! An Overland has front and rear limited slip differential‘s

[@semihyesil]

WJ 😎💪

[@jp2246]

Dang, what happened to all the WJs out there, I hardly ever see one anymore, I forgot how cool they look when modded well

[@mattkandel2449]

Pretty comfy too

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Find yourself one! They are awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@gregkrueger331]

You can probably blame a previous president’s “cash for clunkers” program. So many good vehicles, and even more good parts gone forever. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t miss seeing dodge intrepids and chevy celebrities on the roads. 😂

[@mattkandel2449]

@@gregkrueger331 - it definitely got rid of plenty of trash cars but it absolutely destroyed the secondhand market. Tragggic

[@VMAFIA]

I see at least one almost everyday i drive around.. And I live in Buffalo where most old trucks are rusted out

[@bestamerica]

' oh no... stop watch at 030... not like both jeeps

[@joeyemmert3519]

I will personally say both make great rigs I have owned way to many 😂 and put them on tons but the zj all day

[@parkertrimble8509]

whats a zj? if you have to ask, you cant afford it lmaooo

[@doghouse96zj92]

that zj a 4.0 or a 5.2 or a 5.9 just saying and the wj has bigger tires so not fair also has better steering hardwear hmm fair say not!

[@cwnews8785]

First of all the wj is prob ok if it's 4.0 but the 4.7 was the worse engine ever built total pos so I'd go with zj all day and 2 x on Sunday

[@OverlandingOzarks]

4.7 can't you hear the growl

[@robertfrey3607]

The worst thing about the Wj was the 4.7 engine. Plagued by head gasket and lifter issues. Many died early.

[@OverlandingOzarks]

Best part*

[@gregkrueger331]

Yank it and drop in a LS. FTW! 😂

[@boredguy2935]

Thats why you go with the 4.0

[@yopappy6599]

@@OverlandingOzarks Right. I’m convinced 99% of the people talking mess about the 4.7, like many other things, are just repeating what they’ve heard. Not to say they don’t have the problems listed by the op, but those problems seem to mostly be from poor maintenance, which is a detail never included by the person listing the problems. Not like it’s the best motor ever but it’s far from the pos people try to make it out to be. I overheated mine, pegged in the red about 40k mi ago 😬, still going strong at 190k. Just made a trip from SA to NM and back. Did great.

[@tytraulich4987]

I have one & these cars are becoming worthless. A 98’ with 25x,xxx miles on it is completely shot. Battery alternator plugs blower motor cv axles or rubber boots drivetrain issues. There’s simply too many miles on these parts. You’re looking at 7k I think to get something you can stick new parts for together to get something decent.

[@MrKukil]

Wot the fuk

[@alexf1864]

Que comparación tan estúpida!!! Una super modificada y la otra en su estado original...

[@user-ez8xu1fc4z]

this is not off-road.