Alright so my buddy just got a stock 2002 jeep wrangler and he keeps going on and on about how awesome it is. I try to tell him the name wont make it better offroad. Now its all friendly but he seriously thinks a completely stock wrangler on 31's is extremely better than my ranger.

Anyone else have this kinda friend/ wheelin buddy?.

 

Yeah but his jeep is built up and goes amazingly. I have tons of friends like that in the diesel world

 

i know a few guys like that.

but his wrangler is a shorter wheelbase than your ranger, so more than likely it would be better offroad.

 

At least a stock Jeep has capabilities, direction, and potential. What's even worse are people who are like this about their H2 or H3; because it is after all a "HMMWV."

 

I agree with you on this, that and he has the inline 6.

I just dont think that both of those factors make it ridiculously better offroad as he likes to believe. Overall i think we are evenly matched with his alittle ahead

 

I wheeled with a stock TJ and My ranger and i have to say the ranger likes to flex alot better and did alot better on the rocks than in the mud. the little Tj was good for zipping around but it was very tippy on rocks. Personally a wrangler wouldnt be something i'd ever buy just because i cant fit. The ranger has great potential ex. SAS but the wrangler built can exceed a SAS ranger

 

it comes down to the driver. a person could get high centered or stuck in either vehicle.
i'd rather have the extra wheelbase of the ranger over the wrangler.

 

i have several buddies with jeeps. wranglers, tj cj and comanches... the wrangler is one awesome jeep stock and incredible modified. a stock wrangler on 31s with a good driver can go anything plus a lot more than a ranger on 33s, super lift or body lift. solid axle and short wheel base help big time

 

Wheeling the Wrangler has an edge it does one thing well. The Ranger is a far more universal vehical in the real world.imo.

 

I went out Wheelin with my jeep friend the other day and we were pulling him out of whatever he tried going through where as my ranger was doing it all with no problems except when I sunk it.

 

stock for stock the wrangler will out wheel a ranger. just ask him after you go wheeling if he wants to hook a 3000 pound trailer on the back and see how great his jeep is then. rangers are built to haul and tow, jeeps arent, they are built to wheel.

 

I'll take my Ranger over a Jeep any day of the week.

 

Try moving a couch or a tv or something with a jeep

 

Longer wheel base will allways win in the mud holes because of length, your front end is out before a short wheelbase, hill climbing is better in a long wheel base, but a short Jeep, Bobtail Bronco and such can manouver around a little easier but with that being said a Ranger is narrow and not near as long as a f350 4 door pick up so getting past the tight areas isn't that hard.

If it's between a Jeep and a Ranger both modded the same it would be the driver more than anything.

 

Own both!

 

That jeep would have made it further through the holes if he wasn't on street tires. We would have been screwed if he tried that hole you got sunk in.

 

Jeep is much better in most situations. You just gotta get him at his own game and go up something so steep the length of the ranger stops it from flipping. Make it really uncomfortable for him to follow you

 

The jeep will outperform the ranger for sure.

If you want him to think your ranger is better you will have to out drive him

 

Jeeps got solid front axle. I mean, that alone gives him a ton of advantage.

Until his Dana 35 rear snaps of course.

 

Unless it's a D44.....

 

No everyone sprung for the Rubicon Carl lol


And a 31-spline 8.8 is better in the rear than a D44 anyway *flame suit on*

 

My buddy has a a bone stock 2.4l Jeep, we've done horrible things to that Jeep, and it's never gotten stuck.

There's certain situations where he is at a disadvantage, but for the most part it eats my Ford. Besides the fact it's slow, and I always have to wait for him on the trails.

All the Jeep guys are like that around here, even when you're pulling them out.

I'd rather have a 8.8".

 

most of the jeepers are running 8.8s.

 

Eh, the 31 spline 8.8 is a very nice axle to swap out, would say a dead even match with a D44.

As for Jeepers running them, I guarantee that none are swapping out a D44 for an 8.8. Ditching the D35 is a no brainer, that axle is about as useless as the ford 7.5.....though I have found a good use for the D35 "boat anchor".....

 

LMAO perfect use of a crappy axle.

While i fully agree that because jeeps are made to be wheeled compared to the ranger thats made to tow and be driven on road. I still have a hard time imagining that his stock jeep is a ton better than my ranger comparatively. That being said a jeep would outwheel a ranger if they put the same amount of money into it, its just plain cheaper to build a jeep than a ranger.