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Point Taken
Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Anything Else
Reader: I am writing with a counterpoint to your review of the jeep liberty '08 model ("First drive," Jan. '08, page 94). I own an '03 jeep liberty, and anyone who buys a liberty knows it is a compromise vehicle, not a rubicon. I do not understand why marketing executives from any of the manufacturers do not contact actual owners of vehicles and ask the owners about likes and dislikes. The '08 liberty is "lower, wider, longer, and heavier." This is an improvement? The smaller the off- road vehicle, the easier it is to get around the woods. Since the liberty has ifs, I know you all think i've taken my life in my hands doing it, but my liberty has been off-road and does well.
Another great feature on my liberty is the flat-black fender flares. In the woods, these are the first thing that will contact trees and other obstacles, and you don't have to worry about matching the body paint. My '03 has a factory options package that included a limited-slip rear axle, skidplates, and tow hooks. I like the round headlights on the older version, and the '08 version is so ugly I would not replace mine based on looks alone. I thought jeep learned its lesson with square lights on the wrangler.
So instead of the jeep skunkworks "liberator" that was seen in moab, we are offered this unsightly pig. They should have made the liberator with 3 inches chopped out of the roof, a diesel, and a two-door model option.
I am waiting for a rubicon with a diesel for more serious off-road adventures, and will keep my '03 liberty running as long as possible as my good all-around vehicle.
Jens Jensen
Windsor, VT
Editor: Our view is that we think you need to review the review again. We agree with you, and reviewing our review gives us the view that your view needs review. And yes, we would have preferred the liberator as well.
Photo Illusionists...
Reader: Maybe it's just tricky pictures in your "cheap rubicon axles" story (Apr. '08), but photos 4 and 5 don't seem to coincide with the captions. Caption 4 states a comparison between rear pinions, but I believe them to be the front pinions because one is cut different, as the TJ rubicon 44 front was standardrotation low-pinion and the JK rubicon 44 front is reverse-rotation high-pinion. I don't have a micrometer eye and it's hard to judge with pictures, but the caption for the pinions in picture 5 lists larger dimensions than those in caption 4 and the pinions in picture 5 look noticeably smaller. Also if picture 5 is indeed the front pinions, is the reader to assume it is from the TJ dana 30 (which I believe is also reverse cut), or the TJ rubicon 44? Lastly I remember reading the JK rubicon 44s had different pinions front and rear, but don't the TJ rubicon 44s have the same gearset front and rear?
Rick Powers
Cincinnati, OH
Editor: Good eye! The key to the swapped captions is the reverse cut on the gears. The actual photo size makes no difference, as the photos were taken from different distances and printed at different enlargein ment ratios. Also, the price quoted of $1,400 is for each axle, not a pair as some people misread. That's still a smokin' price for a complete dana 44 with a locker!
Axle Swapping Blues
Reader: Just writing in to correct a few quick, but glaring, errors I saw in the mar. '08 issue. In the "axle-swap bummers" article, it is stated that the '93-'97 dana 35 front axle is built with smaller dana 28 components. I'm not certain if you're referring to only the four-cylinder trucks or all dana 35s used in this time but it's incorrect anyway. For a while there was a hybrid dana 28/dana 35 used under some trucks, but it was inconsistently used and not every truck that you would expect to find it under got it. The hybrid was a turkey of an axle but most will have the reverse-cut, high-pinion dana 35 TTB that's actually a good axle. Therangerstation. com's tech pages and forum can clear up the questions about it. Also, in the nuts & bolts column a reader is toldthat his '93 mazda b2600 is similar to a ranger. Nope. Starting in '94 they were a ranger clone, but prior to that they were 100 percent mazda and shared no parts with the rangers. When I had my '96 ranger on 33s, I had more than a few mazda owners contact me about their trucks and it kinda sucked to tell them their older trucks really had no good options short of a totally custom suspension. Anyway, thanks for the great magazine and keep up the good work!
Andrew mathias
Traverse city, MI
Editor: We simply stand corrected, and appreciate the input.
Dodge Power
Reader: I was reading about the 440 story "mopar muscle" (Mar. '08) and I think you should check out www.440source.com. They have way more information that shows the truth about thick or thin walls. I was shocked at what I found.
Bill peace
Mad river, CA
Editor: The guys at 440 have a wealth of info on big-block dodges, and certainly tell it like it is!