Yeah, I’m sending money every paycheck to my dad and he’s getting it in order. Right now, I’m going to keep it in TN and use it to film some East Coast trails including my return to Windrock and off-road parks I took my wranglers. The biggest issue to this channel is my job (but it pays for it) so I’m not sure when I’ll be able to film more. I do have FMLA to help my dad with my mom… they usually need errands run so I think I can squeeze trails in on these errand runs. However, I take ethics seriously so I only go to TN when there’s issues. Thankfully, things are good right now!
Just a October 2022 update. My mom just got out of the hospital, but is doing well. I’ll be going there at the end of the month and combining FMLA with my scheduled vacation week. Even though I’ll be helping them, I plan to take the Liberty on some trails during my vacation week… maybe even to Windrock. We’ll see. I’m just really excited to film it… it’s still mostly stock tho as I haven’t been able to personally work on it.
Mine had v6 valve issues and burned coolant at 1005k. It would throw rocker arms from being clogged with bad oil and start missing one cyclinder and couldn’t go past 50 mph. When it worked it was awesome tho!
I've got a 2005 with the 2.8L Diesel. A few years ago on Halloween I accidentally drove down into a fairly big drainage ditch. When turning into a dark street. And this tough little beast drove right out. Ive had to replace all 4 window regulators. Transmission filter I gave it a 2.5" budget lift. New Pioneer touch screen head unit. New door speakers. Some RealTree seat covers. And I'm ordering lights and new tires for it today. nothing crazy 255/75R15 cheap Mud Terrain tires. I cut out the corners of the front bumper for more front clearance. I need a skid plate and rock sliders then I'll take it out on some trails and see how it does.
You can't forget about the JBA upper control arms Regular control alarms when I give you 60° of movement the JBA upper control arms give you 90° of movement I had to replace the upper control alarms every 6 months
Nice Liberty. FYI - for rear recovery point, the dealer will install a free factory trailer hitch as a safety recall fix, due to possibility of fuel tank leak in rear end collision.
Love my 03 Sport. Factory recovery points and skid plates ( not super beefy but durable enuff so far). Beat that thing on some rough BC trails and makes it every time! 319, 000 kms and counting on original engine and drive line...
I have always loved driving it! It’s a nimble and fun vehicle for sure. When I took it into the ditch at speed, that’s when I became sold that it’s going to handle my off-road style. Thanks for watching!
My 2004 Kj was a excellent overland platform. For the rear I had put a tow hook on it. On the front I kept the front bumper and took a couple of trailer mounts and put them on with D rings. I never lifted it because it was to expensive. But the Jeep never let me down in stock form.
Good tips! We just had an accident in this one, but apparently it’s back to normal. I just need to do deep dive to get it refurbished. Thanks for watching!
My overlander is a 2006 Jeep Liberty Sport Diesel, with tow hooks and a trailer hitch. I bought it new when the 2007's were coming out. I added a GDE tune, Firestone Destination AT2's, and a suction cup windshield phone mount. I carry a small air compressor, fire extinguisher, and z-cables in case of serious snow. My wife and I just drove it from Maryland to Idaho and back, with occasional light off-roading along the way, and it was great. We are considering using it for the Pan-American highway from Alaska to Argentina.
I’ve had my 2006 3.7 KJ (Cherokee over here in UK) for 10 months, bought as a stop gap for £1,500 with 85k miles. It’s done numerous European trips, including two back to back 2k mile ski trips to the Alps in Feb/March, doesn’t miss a beat. Love it far more than the Hybrid Volvo XC90 it replaced & now it’s a keeper. Awesome car.
I have an 06 with the diesel engine, 2 inch lift from BDS and BFG All-terrains and I love it. It has never left me stranded. I have even taken it over the Alpine Loop twice and it handled like a champ. Once down Black Bear pass. Interior is clean, gets like 25 MPG with the turbo diesel, 130k miles and paid $6k for it. IMO it is the best budget overlander, you can get a LR Disovery 2 for about the same price but those are significantly less reliable and 10x more expensive to fix them when they break. If you are thinking about getting one, they are a blast and easy to work on and can get you into the overlanding world.
You won't regret it. Check your balljoint they are known to fail and if you need to replace them buy greaseble one. If you lift it and want to extende the life of the balljoint you should change the upper control arm for the jba offroad site or a similare one it will fix the angle when the suspension fully flex.
Great video mate. Appreciate your efforts and the time taken filming. I have a wj, didn't want one of these because of not many options to lift, you proved it has. Thank you.
It’s a fun little Jeep… it’s definitely a worthy successor to the XJ in my book, granted the XJ is still always going to be an off-road legend with its solid axles.
@@coloradomallcrawlers hahaha .about as well defined as it is anymore. Taking trips. Having everything you could need to survivr on the road for a few days . Ya that's good enough for me lol
I have a 2006 jeep liberty with 240,000 miles not a single light on in the dash I've never had a problem with it only of course changing the oil break pad rotors the usual
I think people's biggest issue with the Liberty is that it's not the XJ. It has less to do with the vehicle itself and more to do with people being upset that Chrysler canceled the XJ for a vehicle that wasn't it.
I bought a KJ a while back for 350 bucks....Ok it needed brakes and new driveshafts but at 150 thousand miles the rig is a wonderful trail eater. I have driven it over 2000 miles now without any issues.
I absolutely agree with everything you said I have a 2002 jeep liberty and everything you said you want to do I already done and it's a great overlander hasn't let me down yet,I enjoyed the video,these libertys don't get enough Recognition people automatically dislike them
It looks like the KJ offers two 4 wheel drive systems, Command-Trac (HD version used on 6 speed manual) and Selec-Trac, the major difference is the Command-Trac has a Tru-Loc LSD (limited slip differential) for the rear diff and , Part-time system; transfer case locks front and rear axles together when engaged, while the Selec-Trac locks the center diff when in low range but did not come with LSD diffs. Both have a 2.72:1 low range. The KK comes with Selec-Trac II.
Subscribed. Looking forward to the build. They're great trucks, if a little heavy, cuz they're built like tanks. I think you'll find that the Achilles heel is the lack of any lockers, but you can still get 'most' places a wrangler can get to. Love my 06 Renegade - still running strong with 240k miles. Tires: Realistically, the largest tire you can go (with a 2.5-3 inch lift) is a 245/75/16. Any bigger and you'll be wanting to re-gear to 4.10's; so, I wouldn't worry about beefing up the spare carrier. Recovery: Renegades came with dual front hooks and a single (driver's side) rear hook. They "can" be found on ebay. To make it work with the hitch, or to run dual rear hooks, you'll need to do some minor fab work (hit me up if you have questions). D-ring shackle mounts aren't readily available on the aftermarket, so you'll have to make your own if you don't wanna use oem hooks. In the meantime, harbor freight for a hitch-mount shackle in the middle ;-). Rock rails: The Renegade came with "faux" rock sliders that are probably a little better than those steps you've got, but they're rust-prone so finding a good used set is tricky, and they're still not "good". Either fab them up yourself, or pony up the $ for rocky road outfitters rails. Same thing with the roof rack, rocky-road is kinda the only option if you wanna risk a rooftop tent. Roof rack can be done cheaply with conduit if you keep the weight under 150 lbs. Cooling, go with the oem towing package upgrade. It adds a mechanical fan. Electrical: If your jeep came with the light bar and fogs from the factory, then you 'should' have the upgraded 160amp alternator, which will be plenty (especially if you change out to LED's) but I'd check to make sure before you go adding the fridge and stuff. Also, when you upgrade the head unit, I'll happily take that oem Nav off your hands ;-). lostkjs.com and jeepkj.com are gonna be your friends. Welcome to the club! Sorry I'm not local enough to give you a hand, but let me know if I can answer any questions 👍
Great knowledge there, thank you! I’ll be referencing this once I get it here… just need to road trip it here or ship it. Thanks for the comment… this will definitely help me!
I have a 2005 Grand Cherokee Limited with Quadra-Drive II system I am turning into an overlander. I have a Old Man Emu 2" HD lift and leveling kit, 275/65/17 AT tires on stock rims, and 1.5" Spider Track spacers. I do have some rubbing at full lock and going over a bump due to the pinch weld not being fixed yet. Its a great comfortable vehicle for overlanding. Fun fact, its the same outside dimensions as a 2021 Wrangler 4 door, but mine has a 5.7 V8.
Upgrade from the slushy, mushy stock suspension and it gets even better. My 07 Kj confuses the heck out of the wrangler an XJ crowd on a regular basis.
Hey, Dewey. Remember meeting me and my lifted Liberty, the Old Goat on Kingston Peak trail? The 3.5 inch lift on LT 225/75 16 Goodyear Wranglers made all the difference. I've had the Goat over Red Cone, Wheeler Lake, Grizzly Lake and Moab. Driven smart and not hormonal it is very capable of grade 6 to grade7 trails. Hope to wheel with you, Karl and the Old Goat.
Of course Karl! You’ll probably be in the Kingston Peak Trail Guide. That’s good to know! I’m excited to build it and wheel it! We should definitely get on a trail together!
Have owned 3 of these. All 2.8Crd manual and autos and they are great vehicles. Our problem here in South Africa is spares availability. Recently had to replace damper pulley but could not find a new one anywhere so had to go with best used I could find. The spares issues will be the death of them here in SA in my opinion.
@@jeremytodd4906 Yes definitely. Only issue is then the exchange rate and import tax will still make it insanely expensive. Very very sad to say but this model will become extinct in South Africa very soon in my opinion.
Hi Dewey, We used to wheel a CRD KJ and loved it a lot. I don't know what your budget is on this, but we threw a few thousand at ours and it came out pretty capable. Most of our upgrades came from Rocky Road and we were pretty happy with their service and their gear. They're pretty much a one stop shop for KJ upgrades. Spacer lifts don't work great, expecially on tired springs, so we went with an OME lift and shocks. This wasn't enough for the weight of the diesel, but likely works pretty well on the gas motor. The other suspension challeng out of the box is the front suspension arms. The upper ball joints on the OEM upper arms are a weak point and are costly to replace since their built into the arms, so the whole arm needs to be replaced. Rocky Road upper arms use a half ton Chevy ball joint that's stronger, plus cheap and easy to replace. Well worth doing. We did the full Rocky Road armor and it did a great job of protecting the underside, we also did the Rocky Road rock sliders, which were also great. I tried drop-in LED's ( two different brands ) and while they were bright, the focus was terrible and they didn't work well. I went back to high quality halogen bulbs and upgraded the wiring to make sure they were getting full voltage. I didn't feel the lighting was an issue on road and a small light bar on the bumper fixed the off road lighting. We towed the Jeep behind our rv, so the tow bar reciever could work as recovery points in the front. In the back, the hitch worked well enough. The last major item we did was installing a lunchbox locker in the rear diff, which is a Chrysler 8.25" and pretty strong. Again, Rocky Road supplied a lock-rite locker and it was a game changer. The solid rear axle did a pretty good job of keeping both rears on the ground ( KJ's do tend to lift the fronts a lot more ) but with the lock-rite it was like having a locked rear exactly at the moment you needed it. The front diff has an aluminum case and while you can put one up there, the upgrade to a cast iron case ( available and needed for the extra stresses the locker puts on it ) isn't cheap. Finally, upgraded window lift mechanisms are also available. We replaced a few when we bought the KJ and they lasted for the 5 years or so we owned her. FWIW, we replace the KJ with an '18 ZR2 which went back to GM as a lemon, then went to a '16 JKUR which has been solid. Good luck with the series and while I'm not an expert, feel free to reach out if I can offer any advice.
Thank you so much! I’ll definitely be referring back to this… logistics are the main challenge right now (it’s still in TN, my work is crazy busy, and I’m slightly worried about it getting stolen in Denver [was going to store it at my work, but even there, crime is up]). I’m going to scale back my expenses to build it tho. However I’ll probably wheel it stock on a few trails at first. It’s definitely coming tho… I’ll likely suck it up in April and just risk it by bringing it here then.
I forgot to add that Rocky Road has heavier duty roof rack mounts as well. The stock plastic ones won't hold up to off roading with much stuff up on the roof...
Love my 07’ kJ renegade. This thing is small and nimble. It has never left me stranded! My 31’s, kc lights, shackles and optima battery keep me going. Just a blast to drive!
I'm excited to see where you take this! Last year I wanted to buy an XJ because they look amazing. The clean straight body lines are the best of the best, but damn, driving an XJ on a paved road sucks, and 90% of the driving I do is on asphalt. XJ prices are nuts too. I bought a KJ Liberty in damn near perfect condition for less than half of what I would have paid for an XJ. Last summer the KJ impressed me with its basic offroad ability, reliability and driving manners. This year it is getting a bit of a lift and will be going down more advanced offroad routes! IMO the KJ is very underrated. I think prices will always be low because it isn't the best looking vehicle out there and it is quite limited in its maximum tire size.
Absolutely! Altho, I think it’s a pretty good looking Jeep especially with the flat hood and off-road lights. I hope it serves you well for years to come!
Currently have a 2003 Liberty Sport , which I have owned for close to 7 years . I have had to replace both rear window regulators for the same issue you have had . I'm now at a point with this Jeep that stuff is going bad on a regular basis . In the last month alone I have replaced the belt and tensioner , the alternator , the front drive shaft , and the power steering pump (for the second time in 6 weeks) . I'm hoping that the worst is behind me now .
I had a 05 liberty renegade up graded to a 2010 Jku but still one of the best cars iv ever driven in the snow don’t let your pride get the best of you honestly great OffRoad starter vehicles not I use it like a side by side on my land now cheaper and more power then side by side
2016 Cherokee here. Just wanted to pop it as another RUclipsr and say your videos are fantastic. You are your buddies are awesome drivers and the videos are super informative, and relaxing to watch. Keep up the awesome work man🤙
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that! I enjoy making them, just wish I had more time to get on a regular publishing schedule. It’ll be cool to check out some of yours!
Looking forward to the KJ content and seeing what it can do. I would just be concerned with overheating on the trail, probably best to freshen up the cooling system first and look into an upgraded radiator and fans.
Yeah, for sure! Going to replace all worn parts and probably upgrade cooling. We’ll see… I’ll start with tires, rock rails, and skids. See how it handles everything and go from there.
Liberty's with the tow package or off-road package came from the factory with a big ol' clutch fan and matching shroud plus trans cooler that help a lot. Easy parts to find used or new.
Thanks guys! I know we have the factory tow, but we couldn’t find the build sheet to know all it has. My dad bought it 17 years ago, but I’ll use the vin to get it.
Happy with my 02 kj liberty use it to plow my drive an use to pull an old u- haul trailer .workhorse but had to macgyver thru the glove box to get heat this winter
I think Rocky Road for sliders might be your only option IIRC - as far as lift I had the Bilstein sport/OME coil setup on my KJ and it rode and handled great. Ran 245/75/16 Duratracks with a matching spare that fit on the stock tire carrier. We really enjoyed that truck - ours was a low mileage 2003 that had been babied by the previous owner so we had no real problems with it while we owned it.
You beat me to it. Yeah, Rocky Road Outfitters seems to be the only one that makes rock sliders for the Liberty. I really wanna see some rails on the Liberty, I'm excited to see it in action.
I've had my 2005 Jeep Liberty sport for 8 years (225,000 miles) and it's held up through every Michigan Winter. Bought a 2017 Jeep Renegade but i'm holding onto my Liberty.
Quarter million miles with many repairs on my 2005. Got it back from my daughter with 189000 miles on it. Mechanically I've serviced literally everything. Original motor and trans. I took out all the seats except the driver seat. Built an elevated bed frame that incorporated the console. I use a thermo rest Mundo King on top for sleeping. Replaced the roof rack system with something stronger and added rooftop storage. Put on a small led light bar for nighttime travel on the front bumper. Led bulbs on everything else. Added ceramic tint to the windows for daytime comfort. Custom screens on the rear windows making it nicer to sleep in at night. This vehicle fits me perfectly. Kept it stock except for wheel spacers and little bit bigger than stock tires to improve stance, stability and looks. I use this for an everyday driver and long trips or weekends camping out.
2005 2,5 crd and works like a dream, wich was imported to greece from germany meanwhile my wifes brother has the 3,7 and has change 2 out of the 4 windows mechanisms in just 1 years time . The verdict on both cars is actually realiable cause no major problem was occcured the years we are driing them.
Great lil overlander. Love how people hated these things when they first dropped. Pretty capable rig even being ifs. For armor I'd recommend First Choice Fabrication in Englewood. Great work for reasonable prices. Excited to see how it turns out. Really need to get out with you and Shawn sometime
I have been driving an 05 Liberty for 2 years now. It’s surprised me in how capable it is ! Hell, my wife and I sleep in the back and carry all the gear we need pretty much. The darn little thing has 247k miles on it too , all original equipment except for small repairs.
That’s awesome to hear… recent developments is that I want to keep the liberty in Tennessee with my parents so they have a backup vehicle (still will use it as my east coast vehicle and it’ll eventually explore the country as a budget off-road overlander). This is the kind of report that makes me feel it’s a smart move!
0 to 60 is faster too. It is lighter than JK and others. Can tow too. Cheap to buy off roader. I have a 2006 Limited with 17 wheels and all goodies except GPS.
I just got a crd one with 70k km on the clock in mint condition for next to nothing. Like I couldn't have found a car with so little mileage for that price. It cruises up tough stuff. Put it in low range and let off the break and it will walk up Everest 😂 So under rated. It's ugly but it's a seriously good little thing especially for the price.
I have a 2006 Liberty CRD (Diesel) and I love it! The diesel was made for only 2 years (2005-2006). I highly recommend the diesel over the gas as not only is it more fuel efficient but it has more torque off road and diesel motors tend to last a whole lot longer than gas. The other benefit to this one is it's old enough to not have DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) requirements. I get as high as 31 mph highway and 27 city with off road being in the 22-25 range. As a Toyota guy I do get disappointed in the rest of the Jeeps parts as they tend to break a little quicker than my Toyotas do but the diesel makes me feel better about putting a little money into the rest. Tip: If you own one of these, change your own oil. It's simple and done exactly like a gas oil change but the oil change places will still charge $100+ just because it's a diesel. Last tip: Shell Rotella SAE 5w-40 for these 2.8L diesels. Thank me later.
We have the 3.7L, but my dad wanted the diesel… the problem is my mom wanted this one. However, you never know, I’ve always wanted a diesel, but the conversions are a pain. Thanks for watching!
@@coloradomallcrawlers It would be cost prohibitive to do a conversion unless you had more money than brains. These factory CRD diesels can still be found in good shape for under $5k.
Did the programming for the ECU on those get worked out so they have no issues? That was a problem for a while, and a big part of why I’ve never bought the CRD Liberty even though I want one.
The interesting fact is that the Commander was the next body code successor, XK Commander from the XJ Cherokee, and Jeep's Marketing materials on the Commander list it as the spiritual successor to the Cherokee (XJ). Wasn't the KJ a new body code entirely? We own a 2008 KK Liberty and its fine, but the transmission tunnel intrudes way to far into the foot well area for me to use it comfortably.
I’ll have to look into that, but thanks! From what I gathered, the KJ was engineered to replace the XJ for the mid size suv market. It’s name was changed from Cherokee to Liberty in the US due to 9/11, otherwise it would have kept the Cherokee name like it did in Europe.
@@coloradomallcrawlers No for sure, the Liberty is the spiritual successor to the XJ. Its just interesting that Jeep used the XK body code for the Commander...that's all.
The XK is based on the JK Grand Cherokee platform but Jeep tried to make it look like the old Cherokee because of the push back from Jeep enthusiasts when the Liberty came out. If you looking for a larger vehicle (for the time) the XK was 2 inches longer and 8 inches wider than the JK.
Maybe a rooftop tent. Maybe a refrigerator. It’s funny that when you said that I though “ummmbeeer” and then you cut to Keystone lite! Yea! Awesome video buddy. Loved it
Hello, for the last two years i own a Cherokee / Liberty KJ. On my experience get the KJ a 1,5"/40mm lift by H&R springs and some good AT tires and maybe some Bilstein shocks. I have to follow two and four door Wrangler (nor the crazy ones). All lifted and with bigger tires. They always feel bad, that they didn`t drop me while offroading. For some good Rocksliders look at RockyRoadOutfitters, They made some awsome pieces of metal. Greeting from Europe.
Great info! Where are you from specifically? One of my best buddies is French and I gave him the task of finding me where I can go off-road there on my next trip lol. Way to keep up with the wranglers!
@@coloradomallcrawlers Hi, I'm from Germany. Specifically North rhine - Westfalia. The western part near the Netherlands. Offroading in Germay is very restricted (kind of illegal) and often only allowed in a few offroadparks, such as The Mammut offroad park for example.
I love Germany! In 2019, I spent 5-6 days going from Cologne to Munich. I absolutely had an incredible time with the people of your country. I don’t know if it was because I’m part German, but I absolutely can’t wait to go back and see more of it! Cheers from Colorado!
Your kj looks like a twin of mine! I have a set of factory tow hooks I pulled from a junkyard off a renegade model. Let me know if you want them. I am looking forward to seeing what you van do with the kj.
I've owned a 2005 Liberty for 16 years. I did have the LockUp clutch in the torque converter go bad, but other than regular maintainece items, and one clogged catalytic converter; its been very reliable for 220,000 miles! Mine has a Frankenlift kit, 31x10.50 duratracs, on Cragar "soft 8's", ARB front bumper with Warn winch, JCR sliders, a custom made rear bumper and roof rack. Stieger Performance for the BEST window regulators!
Great option for overlanding/light wheeling. If you have an Auto trans make sure you upgrade the transmission cooler. They are known for cooking the transmission with a bit of weight or just wheeling on a hot day.
@@coloradomallcrawlers no problem. I’ve learned a good bit about the kJs and what’s kinda needed to make them reliable. Feel free to message me if you got any questions man. We will have to get the two KJs together sometime
@@Anthony_Adventures the reliability mods I would probably do is a trans cooler, deep transmission pan, and a transgo shift kit. What other reliability mods would you recommend?
Awesome! Right now, I’m wheeling it stock as it’s more capable than I assumed. I will be adding rock rails, skids, and renegade front bumper to get exposed tow hooks. I’ll eventually look to add a rear locker and maybe a winch capable front bumper. Maybe a 2 in lift with 30-31 in tires… but that’ll be last.
Thanks! Currently, it’s in TN as my East Coast trail vehicle, but I may move it to CO as my off-road camper pulling vehicle. I’m just currently full timing in my camper so I’d need somewhere safe to put it before doing so.
The rear window fix comes in two flavors. 1. An aftermarket metal window guide to replace the stock plastic guide, or 2. A self tapping sheet metal screw under the plastic guide to fix the window in place.
In the process of building my KK Liberty as a soft-roader / overland rig. You have more aftermarket options in the KJ platform, but I know Rocky Road Outfitters has parts for the KK and KJ. I ordered my roof rails and cross bars from them, quality stuff.
When did you have them done ? I have had no problems as of yet but would like the information if i do .. did you take it to a jeep dealer ? And when did you do it ? Because sometimes it seems the recall runs out .. thank you in advance for any info you may have 👍
From experience, the main issue with the KJ off-road is ground clearance, especially if the springs in the front end are sagging. The lowest point on the KJ is supposed to be the rear diff pumpkin but the front has sagged so much on mine that it is now lower than that. I scrape my front diff all the time, especially going downhill (more weight on the front).
I get that… I’ve had good luck with mine in it’s stock configuration with its old age sag. However, I’m bringing it out to Colorado in June so I’ll be upgrading the suspension for towing and wheeling. Mostly minor tho as you really don’t need as much clearance as people believe… skids are made to take hits.
@@coloradomallcrawlers I am not disagreeing with you. I believe the library is a silent gem that most individuals brush off as "not a real Jeep" or "not off road capable ". But with a few modifications and a good driver picking good lines. The library is a trail weapon.
looking forward to seeing what you do with it. i've got an '03 manual, and i love it. with a little work it can totally be a great overlander, although its a little annoying that the rear seats don't fold all the way flat. its served me well in CO and then to CA through moab towing a full uhaul trailer.
Very cool! I’m so excited to get it here and wheel it. I’ve decided to keep it stock once it’s here. Besides better tires, skids, and rock rails. Then I’ll start building it up.
I’m also exited about your build, month or so I bought one replacing an XJ I had a few years back. I’m trying to do the same here with mine. Thank you for the content.
My brother played football for Appalachian State and my parents live in East Tennessee on the NC border. I’ll do a quick update video on the liberty next week… I’m going to start filming trails in NC/TN/WV/KY with it as I don’t feel good leaving them with just one vehicle.
I’m excited about exploring trails in the area… it’ll be new to me as I’ve always been an off-road park off-roader when I was there. I have driven some of the local MVUM trails but I couldn’t tell you which ones.
I have an 06 Diesel... just wish the damn thing came with a manual in the USA.... driver seat is a little hard and about 3/4in too high for me... I am looking for options.
I feel that… not sure, but as I learn more, I’ll update. Maybe Katzung tho? I was thinking of redoing the seats and katzung was an option that’ll do the liberty.
The towing depends on the options. This one can do 4,500lbs I believe… my dad and I were looking for the specs. My dad says he gets 22-23mpg, but once it’s here in CO, I’ll have a better answer.
I own a 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade. It has the trail rated badge on drive's front fender. She is in ruff shape. Im thinking about buying a rooftop tent. And to go out and camp more. I do have a question. Do they make replacement seat's for the front? Mine are hard as hell. Cant handle more than 2 hour's setting in drivers seat. Also thinking about doing some mild off roading with her.
Thank you! She’s doing ok from what I understand, but my dad just needs some help getting ready for winter while she recoups from a recent surgery. I’ll film with the liberty next week and I’m trying to get tires to put on it once I get there.
Had a 2007 Limited, put 235k miles on it and it still ran like a champ when I traded it on a new Jeep just a couple of years ago. Looking forward to seeing what you do with yours.
I loved my Liberty and if it hadn't rusted out it would still be driving it. I bought it for hunting and because the rear hatch it a door which was / is important to me for getting my hawks in and out. Mine was trail rated and other than not having a limited slip or locker it was awesome off road and better long-haul highway driver than my JK
I’d run it till it no longer runs, then put a new engine in it if everything else is good (frame, electronics, etc). That’s likely my plan for this KJ.
The 3.7 v6 is notorious for valve problems and overheating. The valves push oil through them and become clogged with oil caused them to be popped out by the rocker arm and loose in the valve head
It was my mom’s and if this channel ever catches, it’ll get a whole new power train… probably a unique one if I can understand it well enough to fix it on the trail. Appreciate the concern, but it’s not going anywhere and I’m definitely wheeling it in the future.
I think the KK looks even more like the Dakar concept you showed. It takes a minute to get used to the extremely square KK, but they can actually look really cool when built out. I really love the traction technologies Jeep is able to stuff in these below the radar wagons. Even my Patriot was surprisingly capable! And you can’t really beat the Liberty price for budget build worthy. I’d like to discover why they changed the name plate only here in the States. I enjoy finding offroad clips of these rigs in Australia where of course, it carried on the Cherokee nameplate. 🤙🏼
The dakar concept is a TJ concept. It’s rounded on the back end like the hard tops were. To me, I feel the KJ looks more like the concept which would make sense for the era it was produced in. Still, I can see where you are coming from tho.
Lol, luckily for anyone interested, I believe this channel is too small to have an impact like that. I am hoping that it’s reputation will eventually be redeemed though through a bunch of trail guides. I’m also excited about an all “Cherokee” guide with Zach’s XJ, Sean’s KL, and my KJ.
@@coloradomallcrawlers looking forward to it... many shuns the drive modes but I think understanding it will help especially when offroading... especially KL's as it is a front-bias in "auto" and when climbing, one would want the torque to be in the rear (rock or sand) where most of the weight and grip are.
@@coloradomallcrawlers I went cheap with the lift and lockers. I kinda wish I did rough country from the beginning or rocky road outfitters. For my daystar lift and spartan locker it was only $450 in parts.
I've owned my liberty since 2017 and I'm almost at 400k miles on the jeep one thing I've always suggest if u can do it is get the top end worked on they have very problematic valve train issues and can cause misfires at high rpms I've had the motor out once it wasn't pretty to say the least otherwise its been extremely reliable I'd love to see what you do with yours as I've done small things even with the transfer case being damaged before me owning it I've consider putting the 4 wheel drive back under it but i figured it was to much money to do and should just get a older Cherokee but I really enjoy driving my Liberty so I've been on the fence about it for a few years now good project car I think
I think I would have totally went with either a 6 or v8 WJ over the Liberty. There is a reason no one builds the Liberty..... I guess you will figure that out on the trails. WJ is proven off road and in the same price range. Love your channel and excited to see your Liberty recover vids!
Thanks for watching, however, they do build them in Europe (as well as here). I’m quite impressed by what I’ve seen posted on the liberty Facebook groups. I think I cut it out as I edited most of this when I was sick, but we had a Liberty KJ in my mid south Jeep club. We wheeled in OHV parks like Hot Springs, Windrock, Hawk Pride… I don’t remember recovering the liberty 😉. This one was my mom’s and I definitely think it’s an underrated Jeep, but time will tell and I’ll of course show what happens.
@@seanwatson3790 hopefully it's good. The diesel one was pretty cool. My father in law had one and it was absolutely junk. But hopefully his is good. I mean his parents probably never left the pavement. They had such a short production run. I lover everything jeeps.... almost! LOL I look forward to seeing it hit the trails and hopefully prove me wrong.
@@nickgiard8553 well the thing about being more overlandy than rock crawler means it will inherently not be bashing rocks as hard has his Rubicon does. In fact that's why he has that one. It'll still go off road but for a completely different purpose
@@seanwatson3790 true enough, I too have a Rubicon but TJ model and do more of a trail rig then rock crawling too. He definitely has a point..... 0 room in a Wrangler for anything.
I have a nice WJ. The WJ is also often ignored and looked down upon. I left it to my parents. I think the XJ is too expensive for what it is. I have been looking at the WK; maybe too plush for me atm. I do also like the XK; maybe too big for me. The KJ seems like for a cheap fun ride, it can be capable enough.
The WJ is a top contender for best budget overlander. I’m just biased towards the KJ because it was so disrespected and I love mine. I like the XK a lot and we filmed one on poison spider… it was impressive. I’d say save the WJ if you can. That’s similar to what I’m doing with the KJ.
I just bought a 06 jeep liberty and people are laughing and sh!tting on me for getting the car. Looking forward for more content to learn more about this car.
Don’t let them, it’s a sleeper! It replaced the XJ so a lot of people hated it simply for that. I forgot what I said in this video, but I took a high speed skid (50mph) into a rocky barrier and the Jeep just bounced through it without issue. As an off-roader, that’s a really good sign for durability. I’m in the process of getting mine ready and filmed my most recent video from inside it. I’ll likely be using it on Tennessee trails for the time being.
Gotta remember what it replaced… a legendary XJ Cherokee. However, most, including me, love them. My parents use to get a new vehicle every few years, but they kept this one.
Hey any updates on this build?
Yeah, I’m sending money every paycheck to my dad and he’s getting it in order. Right now, I’m going to keep it in TN and use it to film some East Coast trails including my return to Windrock and off-road parks I took my wranglers. The biggest issue to this channel is my job (but it pays for it) so I’m not sure when I’ll be able to film more. I do have FMLA to help my dad with my mom… they usually need errands run so I think I can squeeze trails in on these errand runs. However, I take ethics seriously so I only go to TN when there’s issues. Thankfully, things are good right now!
Just a October 2022 update. My mom just got out of the hospital, but is doing well. I’ll be going there at the end of the month and combining FMLA with my scheduled vacation week. Even though I’ll be helping them, I plan to take the Liberty on some trails during my vacation week… maybe even to Windrock. We’ll see. I’m just really excited to film it… it’s still mostly stock tho as I haven’t been able to personally work on it.
Glad to hear she is recovering. Prayers for her full recovery. Looking forward to the update video.
I have a 2005 liberty with the manual trans. Best vehicle I've driven in snow. 176,000 miles with no major issues. 20 mpg
Awesome stuff!
Mine had v6 valve issues and burned coolant at 1005k. It would throw rocker arms from being clogged with bad oil and start missing one cyclinder and couldn’t go past 50 mph. When it worked it was awesome tho!
I have the automatic. 165k
About 15mpg but love it
Do you live in a hilly area? Or maybe a heavy foot? Ha
What manual tranny did you swap into it?
Jeep Liberty and justice for all!
Ok!
2004 Renegade here with 153K, just love it!
Awesome!
@@coloradomallcrawlers that was a fun video, enjoyed it!
I've got a 2005 with the 2.8L Diesel. A few years ago on Halloween I accidentally drove down into a fairly big drainage ditch. When turning into a dark street. And this tough little beast drove right out.
Ive had to replace all 4 window regulators.
Transmission filter
I gave it a 2.5" budget lift.
New Pioneer touch screen head unit. New door speakers.
Some RealTree seat covers.
And I'm ordering lights and new tires for it today. nothing crazy 255/75R15 cheap Mud Terrain tires. I cut out the corners of the front bumper for more front clearance. I need a skid plate and rock sliders then I'll take it out on some trails and see how it does.
Sounds like a great Jeep! I just got word I can pick mine up from the shop.
You can't forget about the JBA upper control arms Regular control alarms when I give you 60° of movement the JBA upper control arms give you 90° of movement I had to replace the upper control alarms every 6 months
Nice Liberty. FYI - for rear recovery point, the dealer will install a free factory trailer hitch as a safety recall fix, due to possibility of fuel tank leak in rear end collision.
Ah nice, it has the factory tow hitch. I’ll use that for now, but I’d like to get functional D rings on it.
Also the lower ball joints and rear suspens bars.. Take care of the rust or bust.
Looking forward to this series. I love my 06 KJ. I can’t wait to see your build.
Thanks and I’m excited to film it. I need to figure out logistics and I’m a bit nervous about it getting stolen, but I’ll get it here!
I too own a 06 KJ and been a fair number of places here in Idaho. I have been stuck too carrier a come along. Need a wench bumper setup?
Sweet. Yeah, I’m going to put on winch on it, but haven’t seen what’s available. What bumper winch combo are you running?
Love my 03 Sport. Factory recovery points and skid plates ( not super beefy but durable enuff so far). Beat that thing on some rough BC trails and makes it every time! 319, 000 kms and counting on original engine and drive line...
I have always loved driving it! It’s a nimble and fun vehicle for sure. When I took it into the ditch at speed, that’s when I became sold that it’s going to handle my off-road style. Thanks for watching!
My 2004 Kj was a excellent overland platform. For the rear I had put a tow hook on it. On the front I kept the front bumper and took a couple of trailer mounts and put them on with D rings. I never lifted it because it was to expensive. But the Jeep never let me down in stock form.
Good tips! We just had an accident in this one, but apparently it’s back to normal. I just need to do deep dive to get it refurbished. Thanks for watching!
My overlander is a 2006 Jeep Liberty Sport Diesel, with tow hooks and a trailer hitch. I bought it new when the 2007's were coming out. I added a GDE tune, Firestone Destination AT2's, and a suction cup windshield phone mount. I carry a small air compressor, fire extinguisher, and z-cables in case of serious snow. My wife and I just drove it from Maryland to Idaho and back, with occasional light off-roading along the way, and it was great. We are considering using it for the Pan-American highway from Alaska to Argentina.
That sounds like a great Jeep and that’d be a heck of trip! Go for it!
I’ve had my 2006 3.7 KJ (Cherokee over here in UK) for 10 months, bought as a stop gap for £1,500 with 85k miles. It’s done numerous European trips, including two back to back 2k mile ski trips to the Alps in Feb/March, doesn’t miss a beat. Love it far more than the Hybrid Volvo XC90 it replaced & now it’s a keeper. Awesome car.
Love hearing that! Mine is going to be used for wheeling and skiing too!
You stole it. Mine 2006 limited with almost same mileage cost me over 3k $ in 2021.
You need to get a day star 2.5 inch suspension lift JBA upper control arms And Rough country shocks big shocks
I have an 06 with the diesel engine, 2 inch lift from BDS and BFG All-terrains and I love it. It has never left me stranded. I have even taken it over the Alpine Loop twice and it handled like a champ. Once down Black Bear pass. Interior is clean, gets like 25 MPG with the turbo diesel, 130k miles and paid $6k for it. IMO it is the best budget overlander, you can get a LR Disovery 2 for about the same price but those are significantly less reliable and 10x more expensive to fix them when they break. If you are thinking about getting one, they are a blast and easy to work on and can get you into the overlanding world.
Full agreement!
got 2 of them and love them. i lifted one and put 33" tires on it and with is oem lsd its a beast in the mud
I can’t wait to find out for myself! This is encouraging.
You won't regret it. Check your balljoint they are known to fail and if you need to replace them buy greaseble one. If you lift it and want to extende the life of the balljoint you should change the upper control arm for the jba offroad site or a similare one it will fix the angle when the suspension fully flex.
Great video mate. Appreciate your efforts and the time taken filming. I have a wj, didn't want one of these because of not many options to lift, you proved it has. Thank you.
It’s a fun little Jeep… it’s definitely a worthy successor to the XJ in my book, granted the XJ is still always going to be an off-road legend with its solid axles.
Cool stuff. Cue the Sean camping clips cuz he's the only one I know best to show off hahaha. Love it 😂
Well you are the Trailhawk overlander lol. How was my definition of overlanding 🤣
@@coloradomallcrawlers hahaha .about as well defined as it is anymore. Taking trips. Having everything you could need to survivr on the road for a few days . Ya that's good enough for me lol
Good to see you back making vids. Hope mom is doing well
Thank you! She is and I’m excited to get back to work. Editing wipeout hill’s trail guide now so I think that’ll be next.
Change the differential oil as same time as engine oil. Use the thick oil if towing or high miles, or in hot weather.
Will do!
These Libertys really seem like the only alternative to a wrangler for a small body-on-frame 4x4.
I think I enjoy wheeling the Liberty more than my wrangler, but it’s tough, they’re both great. Thanks for watching!
The Suzuki Vitara, grand Vitara and xl7 were good as well. My 02 xl7 will go anywhere it'll fit.
It's not body on frame, it's a unibody
I have a 2006 jeep liberty with 240,000 miles not a single light on in the dash I've never had a problem with it only of course changing the oil break pad rotors the usual
That’s great to hear!
I think people's biggest issue with the Liberty is that it's not the XJ. It has less to do with the vehicle itself and more to do with people being upset that Chrysler canceled the XJ for a vehicle that wasn't it.
Agree, people just wanted a modernized XJ in my opinion. Instead they changed it quite a bit and the name change didn’t help either.
I bought a KJ a while back for 350 bucks....Ok it needed brakes and new driveshafts but at 150 thousand miles the rig is a wonderful trail eater. I have driven it over 2000 miles now without any issues.
That’s a sweet deal!
Total slept on 4wd. My dad as an 03 renegade trim and I love it
I absolutely agree with everything you said I have a 2002 jeep liberty and everything you said you want to do I already done and it's a great overlander hasn't let me down yet,I enjoyed the video,these libertys don't get enough Recognition people automatically dislike them
Awesome! I’m looking forward to having it here in Colorado!
@@coloradomallcrawlers you need to do a off road get together just jeep libertys some overlanding
That’d be fun!
@@coloradomallcrawlers I agree
I've been using my 2002 jeep liberty do to local trails here In CO. with a 2.5 inch in the front and 2 in the back on 31's Never had any issues.
Heck yeah!
It looks like the KJ offers two 4 wheel drive systems, Command-Trac (HD version used on 6 speed manual) and Selec-Trac, the major difference is the Command-Trac has a Tru-Loc LSD (limited slip differential) for the rear diff and , Part-time system; transfer case locks front and rear axles together when engaged, while the Selec-Trac locks the center diff when in low range but did not come with LSD diffs. Both have a 2.72:1 low range.
The KK comes with Selec-Trac II.
I’ll have to look more into it. I’ll break it down when I have more time to figure it out. That’s good info tho, thanks!
It is a 4 door Semi Wrangler. Good enough for moderate off roads. But cost less than half if not lifted.
Subscribed. Looking forward to the build. They're great trucks, if a little heavy, cuz they're built like tanks. I think you'll find that the Achilles heel is the lack of any lockers, but you can still get 'most' places a wrangler can get to. Love my 06 Renegade - still running strong with 240k miles.
Tires: Realistically, the largest tire you can go (with a 2.5-3 inch lift) is a 245/75/16. Any bigger and you'll be wanting to re-gear to 4.10's; so, I wouldn't worry about beefing up the spare carrier.
Recovery: Renegades came with dual front hooks and a single (driver's side) rear hook. They "can" be found on ebay. To make it work with the hitch, or to run dual rear hooks, you'll need to do some minor fab work (hit me up if you have questions). D-ring shackle mounts aren't readily available on the aftermarket, so you'll have to make your own if you don't wanna use oem hooks. In the meantime, harbor freight for a hitch-mount shackle in the middle ;-).
Rock rails: The Renegade came with "faux" rock sliders that are probably a little better than those steps you've got, but they're rust-prone so finding a good used set is tricky, and they're still not "good". Either fab them up yourself, or pony up the $ for rocky road outfitters rails.
Same thing with the roof rack, rocky-road is kinda the only option if you wanna risk a rooftop tent.
Roof rack can be done cheaply with conduit if you keep the weight under 150 lbs.
Cooling, go with the oem towing package upgrade. It adds a mechanical fan.
Electrical: If your jeep came with the light bar and fogs from the factory, then you 'should' have the upgraded 160amp alternator, which will be plenty (especially if you change out to LED's) but I'd check to make sure before you go adding the fridge and stuff. Also, when you upgrade the head unit, I'll happily take that oem Nav off your hands ;-).
lostkjs.com and jeepkj.com are gonna be your friends.
Welcome to the club! Sorry I'm not local enough to give you a hand, but let me know if I can answer any questions 👍
Great knowledge there, thank you! I’ll be referencing this once I get it here… just need to road trip it here or ship it. Thanks for the comment… this will definitely help me!
I have a 2005 Grand Cherokee Limited with Quadra-Drive II system I am turning into an overlander. I have a Old Man Emu 2" HD lift and leveling kit, 275/65/17 AT tires on stock rims, and 1.5" Spider Track spacers. I do have some rubbing at full lock and going over a bump due to the pinch weld not being fixed yet. Its a great comfortable vehicle for overlanding. Fun fact, its the same outside dimensions as a 2021 Wrangler 4 door, but mine has a 5.7 V8.
Sounds like a great Jeep!
Upgrade from the slushy, mushy stock suspension and it gets even better. My 07 Kj confuses the heck out of the wrangler an XJ crowd on a regular basis.
I’m definitely going to!
Hey, Dewey. Remember meeting me and my lifted Liberty, the Old Goat on Kingston Peak trail? The 3.5 inch lift on LT 225/75 16 Goodyear Wranglers made all the difference. I've had the Goat over Red Cone, Wheeler Lake, Grizzly Lake and Moab. Driven smart and not hormonal it is very capable of grade 6 to grade7 trails. Hope to wheel with you, Karl and the Old Goat.
Of course Karl! You’ll probably be in the Kingston Peak Trail Guide. That’s good to know! I’m excited to build it and wheel it! We should definitely get on a trail together!
I remember that too actually!
I had a 04 liberty when I got stationed in Colorado with the army, thing was a legend on the trails
Awesome!!
bro i just saw your channel, your offroad videos are so cool, super nice rubicon and liberty, i love that jeeps
Thank you!
I remember seeing these first gen Liberties lifted and with steel bumpers and they looked awesome.
Yeah, we had one in mid south Jeeps and it was awesome! I’m excited to see what I can do to this one! Thanks for watching!
Day Star makes a good lift for it.
I just brought 2006 jeep liberty yesterday
Heck yeah! I think they’re great little Jeeps!
@@coloradomallcrawlers I’m in love with this little guy
Have owned 3 of these. All 2.8Crd manual and autos and they are great vehicles. Our problem here in South Africa is spares availability. Recently had to replace damper pulley but could not find a new one anywhere so had to go with best used I could find. The spares issues will be the death of them here in SA in my opinion.
That’s unfortunate to hear.
Can't you order parts from Europe? They are common and still well supported here.
@@jeremytodd4906 Yes definitely. Only issue is then the exchange rate and import tax will still make it insanely expensive. Very very sad to say but this model will become extinct in South Africa very soon in my opinion.
@@Howzit73 that's a shame
Hi Dewey,
We used to wheel a CRD KJ and loved it a lot.
I don't know what your budget is on this, but we threw a few thousand at ours and it came out pretty capable. Most of our upgrades came from Rocky Road and we were pretty happy with their service and their gear. They're pretty much a one stop shop for KJ upgrades.
Spacer lifts don't work great, expecially on tired springs, so we went with an OME lift and shocks. This wasn't enough for the weight of the diesel, but likely works pretty well on the gas motor.
The other suspension challeng out of the box is the front suspension arms. The upper ball joints on the OEM upper arms are a weak point and are costly to replace since their built into the arms, so the whole arm needs to be replaced. Rocky Road upper arms use a half ton Chevy ball joint that's stronger, plus cheap and easy to replace. Well worth doing.
We did the full Rocky Road armor and it did a great job of protecting the underside, we also did the Rocky Road rock sliders, which were also great.
I tried drop-in LED's ( two different brands ) and while they were bright, the focus was terrible and they didn't work well. I went back to high quality halogen bulbs and upgraded the wiring to make sure they were getting full voltage. I didn't feel the lighting was an issue on road and a small light bar on the bumper fixed the off road lighting.
We towed the Jeep behind our rv, so the tow bar reciever could work as recovery points in the front. In the back, the hitch worked well enough.
The last major item we did was installing a lunchbox locker in the rear diff, which is a Chrysler 8.25" and pretty strong. Again, Rocky Road supplied a lock-rite locker and it was a game changer. The solid rear axle did a pretty good job of keeping both rears on the ground ( KJ's do tend to lift the fronts a lot more ) but with the lock-rite it was like having a locked rear exactly at the moment you needed it. The front diff has an aluminum case and while you can put one up there, the upgrade to a cast iron case ( available and needed for the extra stresses the locker puts on it ) isn't cheap.
Finally, upgraded window lift mechanisms are also available. We replaced a few when we bought the KJ and they lasted for the 5 years or so we owned her.
FWIW, we replace the KJ with an '18 ZR2 which went back to GM as a lemon, then went to a '16 JKUR which has been solid.
Good luck with the series and while I'm not an expert, feel free to reach out if I can offer any advice.
Thank you so much! I’ll definitely be referring back to this… logistics are the main challenge right now (it’s still in TN, my work is crazy busy, and I’m slightly worried about it getting stolen in Denver [was going to store it at my work, but even there, crime is up]). I’m going to scale back my expenses to build it tho. However I’ll probably wheel it stock on a few trails at first. It’s definitely coming tho… I’ll likely suck it up in April and just risk it by bringing it here then.
@@coloradomallcrawlers I found a short (30 sec ) video we did with the KJ. ruclips.net/video/TEEZnP8h5ok/видео.html
I forgot to add that Rocky Road has heavier duty roof rack mounts as well. The stock plastic ones won't hold up to off roading with much stuff up on the roof...
I’m likely just going to go with a ski rack… I have an off-road trailer, but I’m considering a RTT as they seem convenient.
Love my 07’ kJ renegade. This thing is small and nimble. It has never left me stranded! My 31’s, kc lights, shackles and optima battery keep me going. Just a blast to drive!
They are awesome vehicles! Sounds like you got a great setup!
I'm excited to see where you take this!
Last year I wanted to buy an XJ because they look amazing. The clean straight body lines are the best of the best, but damn, driving an XJ on a paved road sucks, and 90% of the driving I do is on asphalt. XJ prices are nuts too. I bought a KJ Liberty in damn near perfect condition for less than half of what I would have paid for an XJ. Last summer the KJ impressed me with its basic offroad ability, reliability and driving manners. This year it is getting a bit of a lift and will be going down more advanced offroad routes! IMO the KJ is very underrated. I think prices will always be low because it isn't the best looking vehicle out there and it is quite limited in its maximum tire size.
Absolutely! Altho, I think it’s a pretty good looking Jeep especially with the flat hood and off-road lights. I hope it serves you well for years to come!
Currently have a 2003 Liberty Sport , which I have owned for close to 7 years . I have had to replace both rear window regulators for the same issue you have had . I'm now at a point with this Jeep that stuff is going bad on a regular basis . In the last month alone I have replaced the belt and tensioner , the alternator , the front drive shaft , and the power steering pump (for the second time in 6 weeks) . I'm hoping that the worst is behind me now .
I’m hoping the worst is behind you too. Thanks for watching!
I had a 05 liberty renegade up graded to a 2010 Jku but still one of the best cars iv ever driven in the snow don’t let your pride get the best of you honestly great OffRoad starter vehicles not I use it like a side by side on my land now cheaper and more power then side by side
Good choices!
2016 Cherokee here. Just wanted to pop it as another RUclipsr and say your videos are fantastic. You are your buddies are awesome drivers and the videos are super informative, and relaxing to watch. Keep up the awesome work man🤙
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that! I enjoy making them, just wish I had more time to get on a regular publishing schedule. It’ll be cool to check out some of yours!
Definitely looking forward to seeing what you do with the kj
Thanks! I’m excited to film it!
Looking forward to the KJ content and seeing what it can do. I would just be concerned with overheating on the trail, probably best to freshen up the cooling system first and look into an upgraded radiator and fans.
Yeah, for sure! Going to replace all worn parts and probably upgrade cooling. We’ll see… I’ll start with tires, rock rails, and skids. See how it handles everything and go from there.
Liberty's with the tow package or off-road package came from the factory with a big ol' clutch fan and matching shroud plus trans cooler that help a lot. Easy parts to find used or new.
There is a full aluminum (no plastic ends) replacement on Ebay that works great and drops right in. Mine never overheats anymore🙌
Thanks guys! I know we have the factory tow, but we couldn’t find the build sheet to know all it has. My dad bought it 17 years ago, but I’ll use the vin to get it.
@@coloradomallcrawlers let me know if you have any KJ questions. Our Texas crew has some of most modified Liberty's thay have ever been around🤙
Happy with my 02 kj liberty use it to plow my drive an use to pull an old u- haul trailer .workhorse but had to macgyver thru the glove box to get heat this winter
I’m really excited about it’s pulling capability… it’ll pull my camper nicely I think!
I think Rocky Road for sliders might be your only option IIRC - as far as lift I had the Bilstein sport/OME coil setup on my KJ and it rode and handled great. Ran 245/75/16 Duratracks with a matching spare that fit on the stock tire carrier. We really enjoyed that truck - ours was a low mileage 2003 that had been babied by the previous owner so we had no real problems with it while we owned it.
Awesome! I may be able to get some locally fabricated rock rails, but if not, I’ll pursue RRO. Thanks for the lift tip… that might be the ticket!
You beat me to it. Yeah, Rocky Road Outfitters seems to be the only one that makes rock sliders for the Liberty. I really wanna see some rails on the Liberty, I'm excited to see it in action.
I've had my 2005 Jeep Liberty sport for 8 years (225,000 miles) and it's held up through every Michigan Winter. Bought a 2017 Jeep Renegade but i'm holding onto my Liberty.
Nice!
Quarter million miles with many repairs on my 2005. Got it back from my daughter with 189000 miles on it. Mechanically I've serviced literally everything. Original motor and trans. I took out all the seats except the driver seat. Built an elevated bed frame that incorporated the console. I use a thermo rest Mundo King on top for sleeping. Replaced the roof rack system with something stronger and added rooftop storage. Put on a small led light bar for nighttime travel on the front bumper. Led bulbs on everything else. Added ceramic tint to the windows for daytime comfort. Custom screens on the rear windows making it nicer to sleep in at night. This vehicle fits me perfectly. Kept it stock except for wheel spacers and little bit bigger than stock tires to improve stance, stability and looks. I use this for an everyday driver and long trips or weekends camping out.
2005 2,5 crd and works like a dream, wich was imported to greece from germany meanwhile my wifes brother has the 3,7 and has change 2 out of the 4 windows mechanisms in just 1 years time . The verdict on both cars is actually realiable cause no major problem was occcured the years we are driing them.
That’s great to hear!
Great lil overlander. Love how people hated these things when they first dropped. Pretty capable rig even being ifs. For armor I'd recommend First Choice Fabrication in Englewood. Great work for reasonable prices. Excited to see how it turns out. Really need to get out with you and Shawn sometime
Awesome! Thanks, I’ll talk to them!
Had a 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade before my Cherokee Trailhawk. I put so much money into repairs on that Liberty but I can honestly say I miss it 😔
I miss my old Jeeps too, but it’s fun to create new adventures and stories with the new ones!
I have been driving an 05 Liberty for 2 years now. It’s surprised me in how capable it is ! Hell, my wife and I sleep in the back and carry all the gear we need pretty much. The darn little thing has 247k miles on it too , all original equipment except for small repairs.
That’s awesome to hear… recent developments is that I want to keep the liberty in Tennessee with my parents so they have a backup vehicle (still will use it as my east coast vehicle and it’ll eventually explore the country as a budget off-road overlander). This is the kind of report that makes me feel it’s a smart move!
0 to 60 is faster too. It is lighter than JK and others. Can tow too. Cheap to buy off roader. I have a 2006 Limited with 17 wheels and all goodies except GPS.
Very cool! I can’t wait to play mine, currently getting some mods in TN!
I just got a crd one with 70k km on the clock in mint condition for next to nothing. Like I couldn't have found a car with so little mileage for that price. It cruises up tough stuff. Put it in low range and let off the break and it will walk up Everest 😂 So under rated. It's ugly but it's a seriously good little thing especially for the price.
I wish I had the diesel, great find! I think they look good tho lol
I have a 2006 Liberty CRD (Diesel) and I love it! The diesel was made for only 2 years (2005-2006). I highly recommend the diesel over the gas as not only is it more fuel efficient but it has more torque off road and diesel motors tend to last a whole lot longer than gas. The other benefit to this one is it's old enough to not have DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) requirements. I get as high as 31 mph highway and 27 city with off road being in the 22-25 range. As a Toyota guy I do get disappointed in the rest of the Jeeps parts as they tend to break a little quicker than my Toyotas do but the diesel makes me feel better about putting a little money into the rest. Tip: If you own one of these, change your own oil. It's simple and done exactly like a gas oil change but the oil change places will still charge $100+ just because it's a diesel. Last tip: Shell Rotella SAE 5w-40 for these 2.8L diesels. Thank me later.
We have the 3.7L, but my dad wanted the diesel… the problem is my mom wanted this one. However, you never know, I’ve always wanted a diesel, but the conversions are a pain. Thanks for watching!
@@coloradomallcrawlers It would be cost prohibitive to do a conversion unless you had more money than brains. These factory CRD diesels can still be found in good shape for under $5k.
Did the programming for the ECU on those get worked out so they have no issues? That was a problem for a while, and a big part of why I’ve never bought the CRD Liberty even though I want one.
@@kmoecub I'm not sure if mine was taken care of by the previous owner or if it never had a problem but mine is fine.
Check out rock road outfitters they sell rock sliders and a few other things for the kj
Will do, thanks!
Excited to see what you do with it, I have a 2wd liberty that I've done some mall crawling with here and there.
Awesome! I’m excited to work on it. I bet you’ve had some fun!
Looking forward to this I got a liberty myself and have been looking to do something to it!
I can’t wait to wheel mine and I definitely believe in the platform… I think you’ll love yours!
The interesting fact is that the Commander was the next body code successor, XK Commander from the XJ Cherokee, and Jeep's Marketing materials on the Commander list it as the spiritual successor to the Cherokee (XJ). Wasn't the KJ a new body code entirely? We own a 2008 KK Liberty and its fine, but the transmission tunnel intrudes way to far into the foot well area for me to use it comfortably.
I’ll have to look into that, but thanks! From what I gathered, the KJ was engineered to replace the XJ for the mid size suv market. It’s name was changed from Cherokee to Liberty in the US due to 9/11, otherwise it would have kept the Cherokee name like it did in Europe.
@@coloradomallcrawlers No for sure, the Liberty is the spiritual successor to the XJ. Its just interesting that Jeep used the XK body code for the Commander...that's all.
The XK is based on the JK Grand Cherokee platform but Jeep tried to make it look like the old Cherokee because of the push back from Jeep enthusiasts when the Liberty came out. If you looking for a larger vehicle (for the time) the XK was 2 inches longer and 8 inches wider than the JK.
Maybe a rooftop tent. Maybe a refrigerator. It’s funny that when you said that I though “ummmbeeer” and then you cut to Keystone lite! Yea! Awesome video buddy. Loved it
Thanks brother! I’m loving the hell’s revenge guide series! Excellent!
@@coloradomallcrawlers thanks buddy. Oh, and everyone can blame you for these going up in value in the coming months! 😂 They’re great rigs!
Hello, for the last two years i own a Cherokee / Liberty KJ.
On my experience get the KJ a 1,5"/40mm lift by H&R springs and some good AT tires and maybe some Bilstein shocks.
I have to follow two and four door Wrangler (nor the crazy ones). All lifted and with bigger tires. They always feel bad, that they didn`t drop me while offroading.
For some good Rocksliders look at RockyRoadOutfitters, They made some awsome pieces of metal.
Greeting from Europe.
Great info! Where are you from specifically? One of my best buddies is French and I gave him the task of finding me where I can go off-road there on my next trip lol. Way to keep up with the wranglers!
@@coloradomallcrawlers Hi, I'm from Germany. Specifically North rhine - Westfalia. The western part near the Netherlands.
Offroading in Germay is very restricted (kind of illegal) and often only allowed in a few offroadparks, such as The Mammut offroad park for example.
I love Germany! In 2019, I spent 5-6 days going from Cologne to Munich. I absolutely had an incredible time with the people of your country. I don’t know if it was because I’m part German, but I absolutely can’t wait to go back and see more of it! Cheers from Colorado!
Garageworks is a solid shop in the Denver area, I take my WK there whenever it needs work.
Good to know! The Jeep is going to be my east coast rig for now, but that’s useful for when I bring it over.
Your kj looks like a twin of mine! I have a set of factory tow hooks I pulled from a junkyard off a renegade model. Let me know if you want them. I am looking forward to seeing what you van do with the kj.
Awesome! Yeah, I was likely going to go searching, but if you got extras, I’d buy them off of you. I’m excited to see what it can do!
It got its name ,from the Jeeps sent to England during WWII, on those ships
Liberty Ships
That’s cool, but I do recall them saying they choose Liberty for the US (instead of elsewhere’s KJ Cherokee) due to 9/11.
i ve got a 2.8 turbodiesel and it pulls like a tractor plus a get 11.litre for 100 km something that v6 gas engine will never do
Cool!
I've owned a 2005 Liberty for 16 years. I did have the LockUp clutch in the torque converter go bad, but other than regular maintainece items, and one clogged catalytic converter; its been very reliable for 220,000 miles! Mine has a Frankenlift kit, 31x10.50 duratracs, on Cragar "soft 8's", ARB front bumper with Warn winch, JCR sliders, a custom made rear bumper and roof rack. Stieger Performance for the BEST window regulators!
4.10 gears, and an Ox locker for the rear waiting to be installed...
Seems like you have a great liberty!
Great option for overlanding/light wheeling. If you have an Auto trans make sure you upgrade the transmission cooler. They are known for cooking the transmission with a bit of weight or just wheeling on a hot day.
Good to know! Thanks buddy!
@@coloradomallcrawlers no problem. I’ve learned a good bit about the kJs and what’s kinda needed to make them reliable. Feel free to message me if you got any questions man. We will have to get the two KJs together sometime
@@Anthony_Adventures the reliability mods I would probably do is a trans cooler, deep transmission pan, and a transgo shift kit. What other reliability mods would you recommend?
I just bought a 2003 Liberty and plan on doing a budget overland build. I'd love to get info on your build as you go.
Awesome! Right now, I’m wheeling it stock as it’s more capable than I assumed. I will be adding rock rails, skids, and renegade front bumper to get exposed tow hooks. I’ll eventually look to add a rear locker and maybe a winch capable front bumper. Maybe a 2 in lift with 30-31 in tires… but that’ll be last.
Not sure if you bought them yet but Rocky Road Outfitters has excellent rock sliders.
For sure, I’m ordering them once I have the money.
dont know where your at with this build currently but check out tanner 4x4 in the colorado springs area!
Thanks! Currently, it’s in TN as my East Coast trail vehicle, but I may move it to CO as my off-road camper pulling vehicle. I’m just currently full timing in my camper so I’d need somewhere safe to put it before doing so.
KJ 2.8 CRD 400 Nm 💪💪💪
Awesome!
The rear window fix comes in two flavors. 1. An aftermarket metal window guide to replace the stock plastic guide, or 2. A self tapping sheet metal screw under the plastic guide to fix the window in place.
Good to know!
In the process of building my KK Liberty as a soft-roader / overland rig. You have more aftermarket options in the KJ platform, but I know Rocky Road Outfitters has parts for the KK and KJ. I ordered my roof rails and cross bars from them, quality stuff.
Good to know! I like the boxy nature of the KK for sure!
FYI. There is a recall on the window lifts for front and back. My '07 got front and back replaced at not cost.
Good to know, I barely get any time to work on the liberty but once I do, I’ll get it looked at.
When did you have them done ? I have had no problems as of yet but would like the information if i do .. did you take it to a jeep dealer ? And when did you do it ? Because sometimes it seems the recall runs out .. thank you in advance for any info you may have 👍
From experience, the main issue with the KJ off-road is ground clearance, especially if the springs in the front end are sagging. The lowest point on the KJ is supposed to be the rear diff pumpkin but the front has sagged so much on mine that it is now lower than that. I scrape my front diff all the time, especially going downhill (more weight on the front).
I get that… I’ve had good luck with mine in it’s stock configuration with its old age sag. However, I’m bringing it out to Colorado in June so I’ll be upgrading the suspension for towing and wheeling. Mostly minor tho as you really don’t need as much clearance as people believe… skids are made to take hits.
Jeep WJ (99-04) is my opinion for cheap overlander. Like you mentioned, solid axle up front and 4.0L engine.
Not a bad choice, I’m just hoping to surprise people with the Liberty. It’s better than people assume.
@@coloradomallcrawlers I am not disagreeing with you. I believe the library is a silent gem that most individuals brush off as "not a real Jeep" or "not off road capable ". But with a few modifications and a good driver picking good lines. The library is a trail weapon.
looking forward to seeing what you do with it. i've got an '03 manual, and i love it. with a little work it can totally be a great overlander, although its a little annoying that the rear seats don't fold all the way flat. its served me well in CO and then to CA through moab towing a full uhaul trailer.
Very cool! I’m so excited to get it here and wheel it. I’ve decided to keep it stock once it’s here. Besides better tires, skids, and rock rails. Then I’ll start building it up.
Change the differential oil as same time as engine oil. Thick oil if towing or hot weather.
I’m also exited about your build, month or so I bought one replacing an XJ I had a few years back. I’m trying to do the same here with mine. Thank you for the content.
Good luck with your build! I think it’ll serve you well!
Interesting to see an App State sticker on a car in Colorado. Looking forward to more off-road videos in the Liberty.
My brother played football for Appalachian State and my parents live in East Tennessee on the NC border. I’ll do a quick update video on the liberty next week… I’m going to start filming trails in NC/TN/WV/KY with it as I don’t feel good leaving them with just one vehicle.
@@coloradomallcrawlers I live south of Asheville and this is a wonderful area for off-roading. Not CO, but nice.
I’m excited about exploring trails in the area… it’ll be new to me as I’ve always been an off-road park off-roader when I was there. I have driven some of the local MVUM trails but I couldn’t tell you which ones.
I have an 06 Diesel... just wish the damn thing came with a manual in the USA.... driver seat is a little hard and about 3/4in too high for me... I am looking for options.
I feel that… not sure, but as I learn more, I’ll update. Maybe Katzung tho? I was thinking of redoing the seats and katzung was an option that’ll do the liberty.
Love the Liberty 💪 . It's definitely underated. I think they can tow up to 5,000lbs right?What kind of gas mileage do you get BTW?
The towing depends on the options. This one can do 4,500lbs I believe… my dad and I were looking for the specs. My dad says he gets 22-23mpg, but once it’s here in CO, I’ll have a better answer.
@@coloradomallcrawlers 8
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I own a 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade. It has the trail rated badge on drive's front fender. She is in ruff shape. Im thinking about buying a rooftop tent. And to go out and camp more. I do have a question. Do they make replacement seat's for the front? Mine are hard as hell. Cant handle more than 2 hour's setting in drivers seat. Also thinking about doing some mild off roading with her.
I have seen people replace the seats but I’d check on one of the liberty groups for what works. I just put seat covers on mine as they work for me.
Hello Dewie! What happened with the Liberty? Did you upgrade something? Please keep us posted
I just saw your replies to other post. Glad to read your mom is out of the hospital, I hope she gets way better soon
Thank you! She’s doing ok from what I understand, but my dad just needs some help getting ready for winter while she recoups from a recent surgery. I’ll film with the liberty next week and I’m trying to get tires to put on it once I get there.
Love mine. Drive it 800 miles a week has 240k on it. Only issue throttle body went bad
I truly am probably more excited about filming this than I am about my wrangler. Love both, but the liberty is special! Thanks for watching!
Had a 2007 Limited, put 235k miles on it and it still ran like a champ when I traded it on a new Jeep just a couple of years ago. Looking forward to seeing what you do with yours.
Sounds like it was a great Jeep! I hope the new one is treating you right!
@@coloradomallcrawlers it does. I still have 4 Jeeps, love them and the places they can take you.
I loved my Liberty and if it hadn't rusted out it would still be driving it. I bought it for hunting and because the rear hatch it a door which was / is important to me for getting my hawks in and out. Mine was trail rated and other than not having a limited slip or locker it was awesome off road and better long-haul highway driver than my JK
I love the wrangler and Liberty combo! Thanks for watching and I’m releasing my first off-road video with it tonight! It did well!
Id love to get into overlanding - Question: with a vehicle that has so many miles on it, would you leave it like that or change out the engine on it?
I’d run it till it no longer runs, then put a new engine in it if everything else is good (frame, electronics, etc). That’s likely my plan for this KJ.
i've just bought a silver srd sport 2005 with 87500 miles for £2000 about 1950 dollars
Heck yeah! Hope it serves you well!
The 3.7 v6 is notorious for valve problems and overheating. The valves push oil through them and become clogged with oil caused them to be popped out by the rocker arm and loose in the valve head
You can hear it with lifter tick. I’d NEVER overland a Liberty unless I overhauled the heads. Also my 4WD hi would pop out all the time
It was my mom’s and if this channel ever catches, it’ll get a whole new power train… probably a unique one if I can understand it well enough to fix it on the trail. Appreciate the concern, but it’s not going anywhere and I’m definitely wheeling it in the future.
I think the KK looks even more like the Dakar concept you showed. It takes a minute to get used to the extremely square KK, but they can actually look really cool when built out. I really love the traction technologies Jeep is able to stuff in these below the radar wagons. Even my Patriot was surprisingly capable! And you can’t really beat the Liberty price for budget build worthy. I’d like to discover why they changed the name plate only here in the States. I enjoy finding offroad clips of these rigs in Australia where of course, it carried on the Cherokee nameplate. 🤙🏼
The dakar concept is a TJ concept. It’s rounded on the back end like the hard tops were. To me, I feel the KJ looks more like the concept which would make sense for the era it was produced in. Still, I can see where you are coming from tho.
Colorado Scuba locations are sick!
Lol, I had to rewatch it to understand this… I actually have at least one video involving Colorado Scuba diving in the works 😉.
Oh man! Now the cat is out of the box, I expect the prices on these things will go up!
Lol, luckily for anyone interested, I believe this channel is too small to have an impact like that. I am hoping that it’s reputation will eventually be redeemed though through a bunch of trail guides. I’m also excited about an all “Cherokee” guide with Zach’s XJ, Sean’s KL, and my KJ.
@@coloradomallcrawlers looking forward to it... many shuns the drive modes but I think understanding it will help especially when offroading... especially KL's as it is a front-bias in "auto" and when climbing, one would want the torque to be in the rear (rock or sand) where most of the weight and grip are.
I have mine on a 2.5” lift with a rear locker and 31s thing tears it up! 10k shy of 200,000 miles
I would love to get 31s on mine! Sounds like a sweet setup!
@@coloradomallcrawlers I went cheap with the lift and lockers. I kinda wish I did rough country from the beginning or rocky road outfitters. For my daystar lift and spartan locker it was only $450 in parts.
I have a manual diesel liberty and its a beast period
Heck yeah!
I've owned my liberty since 2017 and I'm almost at 400k miles on the jeep one thing I've always suggest if u can do it is get the top end worked on they have very problematic valve train issues and can cause misfires at high rpms I've had the motor out once it wasn't pretty to say the least otherwise its been extremely reliable
I'd love to see what you do with yours as I've done small things even with the transfer case being damaged before me owning it I've consider putting the 4 wheel drive back under it but i figured it was to much money to do and should just get a older Cherokee but I really enjoy driving my Liberty so I've been on the fence about it for a few years now good project car I think
Great info! I’ll look into getting that done. I do know they can be excellent wheelers so it might be something to consider.
If you want budget lift springs use nissan navara d40 springs.
That’s good to know! I’m going to upgrade the rear axle to one with a locker too.
KK is a great affordable off road rig IF you give it a 2.5" lift.
You can’t wheel them stock?
I think I would have totally went with either a 6 or v8 WJ over the Liberty. There is a reason no one builds the Liberty..... I guess you will figure that out on the trails. WJ is proven off road and in the same price range. Love your channel and excited to see your Liberty recover vids!
Thanks for watching, however, they do build them in Europe (as well as here). I’m quite impressed by what I’ve seen posted on the liberty Facebook groups. I think I cut it out as I edited most of this when I was sick, but we had a Liberty KJ in my mid south Jeep club. We wheeled in OHV parks like Hot Springs, Windrock, Hawk Pride… I don’t remember recovering the liberty 😉. This one was my mom’s and I definitely think it’s an underrated Jeep, but time will tell and I’ll of course show what happens.
Well he didn't Already have a wj he had this. And I say wheel what you got. I am sure it's gonna surprise you
@@seanwatson3790 hopefully it's good. The diesel one was pretty cool. My father in law had one and it was absolutely junk. But hopefully his is good. I mean his parents probably never left the pavement. They had such a short production run. I lover everything jeeps.... almost! LOL I look forward to seeing it hit the trails and hopefully prove me wrong.
@@nickgiard8553 well the thing about being more overlandy than rock crawler means it will inherently not be bashing rocks as hard has his Rubicon does. In fact that's why he has that one. It'll still go off road but for a completely different purpose
@@seanwatson3790 true enough, I too have a Rubicon but TJ model and do more of a trail rig then rock crawling too. He definitely has a point..... 0 room in a Wrangler for anything.
I have a nice WJ. The WJ is also often ignored and looked down upon. I left it to my parents.
I think the XJ is too expensive for what it is.
I have been looking at the WK; maybe too plush for me atm.
I do also like the XK; maybe too big for me.
The KJ seems like for a cheap fun ride, it can be capable enough.
The WJ is a top contender for best budget overlander. I’m just biased towards the KJ because it was so disrespected and I love mine. I like the XK a lot and we filmed one on poison spider… it was impressive. I’d say save the WJ if you can. That’s similar to what I’m doing with the KJ.
Hi guys, im looking at getting one. Absolutely love Jeeps, how is the 3.7l on fuel? Here in Cape Town they sell for dirt cheap
My dad is telling me 19/24…. But once it’s built, I’ll have new numbers. Hopefully others chime in.
I just bought a 06 jeep liberty and people are laughing and sh!tting on me for getting the car. Looking forward for more content to learn more about this car.
Don’t let them, it’s a sleeper! It replaced the XJ so a lot of people hated it simply for that. I forgot what I said in this video, but I took a high speed skid (50mph) into a rocky barrier and the Jeep just bounced through it without issue. As an off-roader, that’s a really good sign for durability. I’m in the process of getting mine ready and filmed my most recent video from inside it. I’ll likely be using it on Tennessee trails for the time being.
Currently have 3 wrangler and I really love the look of this liberty but see many bad reviews about this rig.
Gotta remember what it replaced… a legendary XJ Cherokee. However, most, including me, love them. My parents use to get a new vehicle every few years, but they kept this one.