Friday, August 14, 2009

Jeep YJ (1987–1995)

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 after which production was moved to Toledo, Ohio using the same plant that produced Willy Jeeps back in WWII. It was a new design with a wider wheelbase, slightly less ground clearance, and more comfort. The Jeep YJ also had a leaf spring suspension similar to that of the Jeep CJ , however, the springs were wider, and the YJs sported trackbars and swaybars for added handling. Jeep YJs are easily identifiable by their rectangular headlights, which were a source of controversy when introduced. Despite the new grill, the body is very similar to the CJ7's, and it is interchangeable with some minor modifications. The Jeep YJ also was given a larger windshield over the CJ. The Jeep YJs are easily spotted due to the square headlights 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 were when the Jeep YJ 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 Jeep 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 light.
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 Jeep 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.
Jeep YJs produced in early 1996 were sold as 1995 model years, but featured a few new parts not seen on any earlier Jeep 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.

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