Ride quality and room in wagoneer

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ChiefBigB
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Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by ChiefBigB »

Im looking for a good family vehicle and thought about putting the wife in a wagoneer. What is the room like with a car seat in the back and a passenger up front? Thanks B
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dodgerammit
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by dodgerammit »

Ride quality will be soft and cushy if on stock, original springs.

Great turning radius. Poor braking and acceleration compared to a modern SUV. But much better visibility.

They are 30+ years old, so unless the one you purchase has been meticulously maintained, expect to spend some quality time wrenching and chasing some electrical issues. These issues will be covered in this forum. Sometimes, you can stumble on a drivetrain swapped one for decent price if you want to have better performance all around.

As far as a car seat in the back, I have had my niece strapped in the back seat. No problems.

Interior room is similar to a 1st gen Grand Cherokee as far as volume. Deeper and wider, but not as tall.

As far as the wife loving it, you might want to make sure of it. My wife loves ours, but many may not.

Finally, where in TN are you? I'm in the Manchester/McMinnville area.
84 Grand Waggy-Radio Flyer (Garnet Red/3M Ebony Metallic woodgrain, with honey interior) AMC 360 :cry: 2004 4.8LS/Advance Adapter/727/242 D44/AMC20 Serehill tailgate and headlight harnesses :fsj: Ongoing thread-viewtopic.php?t=11897

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candymancan
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by candymancan »

interior room wise its bigger then pretty much any suv today.. So i wouldnt worry about room.. im 6ft 300 lbs i can sit in the back of mine behind a seat and if someone is in the seat they have ton of leg room.

There are no shoulder belt for car seats in the back. So youll have to strap the car seat with the lap belt so it isnt as secure as a shoulder belt. Just saying


I have a ZJ grand cherokee while numbers wise there similar on cargo capacity the front two seats on a ZJ is pretty cramped compared to my wagoneer.. My knees are always really close to the lower dash on the ZJ and my right leg.knee is always resting on that plastic center console...

I fit alot better in the wagoneer
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)
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ChiefBigB
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by ChiefBigB »

Thanks for the input! I reside in Maryville, TN, just outside Knoxville.
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Cecil14
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by Cecil14 »

candymancan wrote:There are no shoulder belt for car seats in the back. So youll have to strap the car seat with the lap belt so it isnt as secure as a shoulder belt. Just saying
I want to say there were mounts in the C pillars of the later wags to attach shoulder belts, but they were never installed from the factory. Poke around here and IFSJA, that topic has definitely been covered a couple times.

Here's my $0.02 on the original topic:

A Wagoneer in stock trim (regardless of upkeep) is a terrible daily driver anymore. From a reliability, safety, and economy standpoint, it is NEVER going to match a modern vehicle, period. If you go to the trouble of swapping in a modern driveline and addressing the many electrical shortcomings, it will be a whole lot better, but it is never going to match a modern vehicle for safety and there really is just nothing you can do about that.

Now, with that out of the way, if you like wags and you're ok with the above, do it up! Just be prepared for the work. It's a 30+ year old vehicle, it WILL need some attention unless you buy something that's already restored. And, even then, it will need more upkeep than a modern vehicle will. Just the nature of the beast.


aa
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brielly
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by brielly »

There should already be provisions to mount three point seat belts. On my 82 cherokee I just had to figure out where they were hiding (behind the headliner). As long as your wife doesn't mind driving a carborated vehicle I say go for it.
82 Cherokee 258 w/ mopar fuel injection, ax-15
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candymancan
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by candymancan »

Hmm i have to look for that shoulder mounting point then ? Maybe its behind that plastic trim on the pillar. Doesnt make any sense to be behind the headliner.. lol that means the strap would be reeaaally high up and i never saw anything like that with my headliner off..


As for daily driving... I drive mine daily... Never broke down.. not once in 3 years.. But i did spend a good year ina half welding repairing leaks water and oil.. and electrical issues... new headliner and just new stuff all around.. also adding a buick center arm rest for storage and cup holders.. new suspension too.. i probly spent 4000$ or more for tools and parts and so forth. Thats on top of the 4500$ i spent just for the Jeep lol.

Also mine had low mileage 112k i believe. Its at 131 now. The only thing i hate about daily driving it is the gas mileage... Drive 10 miles to the shopping centers and back everyday and youll see the gas tank needle drop very quickly lol.. Drive 15 or 20 miles one way to another city for shopping or what not and then another 20 back and you already blew 1.4 of a tank of gas almost..

So if i need to go somewhere fairly far like 20 miles or more Ill take my 5.9 zj, sure its the same sized engine but it gets 18 mpg vs 10 lol and thats a huge difference trust me lol.
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)

candymancan
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by candymancan »

http://www.bigscaryjeep.com/Rear_Belts.html

If this is the mounting point for the seat belt you are reffering too.. lol that wayy high and far back i highely doubt that was the intended spot for a shoulder belt from factory lol... But its a neat mod anyway
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)
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Chubbinius
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by Chubbinius »

dodgerammit wrote:Ride quality will be soft and cushy if on stock, original springs.

Great turning radius. Poor braking and acceleration compared to a modern SUV. But much better visibility.
Amen to all of these, especially the visibility on the Wagoneer. Even my kids have commented on how much easier it is to see all the other cars around us as we are driving and changing lanes or turning. It seems like the glass even has a higher clarity than what's in our Jeep Commander of the Honda. (I always have to remember that the drums mean I have to slow down sooner; and need to give myself more time to accelerate when getting onto the highway...but maybe that's just "the Pig's" way of helping me slow down and enjoy the ride a bit more) :D
1970 1414X Wagoneer "The Pig"
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dodgerammit
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by dodgerammit »

Chubbinius wrote:
dodgerammit wrote:Ride quality will be soft and cushy if on stock, original springs.

Great turning radius. Poor braking and acceleration compared to a modern SUV. But much better visibility.
(I always have to remember that the drums mean I have to slow down sooner; and need to give myself more time to accelerate when getting onto the highway...but maybe that's just "the Pig's" way of helping me slow down and enjoy the ride a bit more) :D
This. These were designed and manufactured for house wives to run errands in. They are essentially a 4 wheel drive station wagon. They were for family trips, outings, and to get groceries. Now, we think we have to be everywhere every 5 minutes, all while staying (dis)connected, and car manufacturers cater to that mindset.
84 Grand Waggy-Radio Flyer (Garnet Red/3M Ebony Metallic woodgrain, with honey interior) AMC 360 :cry: 2004 4.8LS/Advance Adapter/727/242 D44/AMC20 Serehill tailgate and headlight harnesses :fsj: Ongoing thread-viewtopic.php?t=11897

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tgreese
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by tgreese »

Consider the Model T - built like a phone booth, but great visibility. I would guess the change in visibility is a side effect of the search for better aerodynamics, and crash-worthiness. The Wagoneer is very straight-sided, and the roof is flat. This makes for a lot of glass area that is vertical to the occupants. Enclosing the passengers in a lozenge-shaped crash-proof box reduces the glass area and forces you to look through the windows obliquely, reducing both the amount of the outside that's visible and how much light seems to get through the windows.

I've noticed with my KL that the blind spots are large, and there is very little visible to the rear. You really need the backup camera and blind spot detectors to drive the car without twisting around at every lane change.
Tim Reese
Maine beekeeper's truck: '77 J10 LWB, 258/T15/D20/3.54 bone stock, low options (delete radio), PS/PDB, hubcaps.
Browless and proud: '82 J20 360/T18/NP208/3.73, Destination A/Ts, 7600 GVWR
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Renodemona
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by Renodemona »

Chubbinius wrote:
dodgerammit wrote:Ride quality will be soft and cushy if on stock, original springs.

Great turning radius. Poor braking and acceleration compared to a modern SUV. But much better visibility.
Amen to all of these, especially the visibility on the Wagoneer. Even my kids have commented on how much easier it is to see all the other cars around us as we are driving and changing lanes or turning. It seems like the glass even has a higher clarity than what's in our Jeep Commander of the Honda. (I always have to remember that the drums mean I have to slow down sooner; and need to give myself more time to accelerate when getting onto the highway...but maybe that's just "the Pig's" way of helping me slow down and enjoy the ride a bit more) :D
The kids like riding in mine way more than the Commander or my new Cherokee because they can see out of it so much easier.

Ride Quality:
It is a leaf sprung truck based vehicle. Much of your ride quality will depend on your springs and shocks and how well you like riding in a heavy truck based vehicle. If she is used to modern suspensions she might find it floaty or cushy (aka like a boat). If you live in a place where the roads suck the bumps and jolts can sometimes be a little sharp. Overall, stock springs or modern replacement stock height springs are very cushy. Lift springs vary from OMG my spine! to soft and cushy.

Room:
Full size is relative. Interior overall room is similar to a Commander or the last generation Tahoe. Rear seat room is better than those but cargo room is about the same. It's very boxy so you don't have to worry about weird rounded plastic parts getting in the way of your luggage or whatever. There is no provision for a 3rd row or rear shoulder belts from the factory. I put the kids, including 1 in a booster, in the back seat with no worry. Great thing about having so much steel around you is you'll probably be ok unless you roll. No airbags, no crumple zones, no active safety, no ABS...just steel (and I have big steel bumpers front and rear).

All that said I would not daily drive mine. I could as I have gotten pretty much all the bugs out of it (knock on wood!), but I'd rather not. I work nights so its like 18 in the morning when I leave work and my new Cherokee has remote start so its warm in there when I get to it. New Cherokee gets 25ish MPG compared to 12. I have classic vehicle plates which restricts me to 5k miles a year. Even without that, I wouldn't daily it. I love my old Jeep, but for just driving 20 minutes to work and back, well that's why I have a new vehicle.
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by candymancan »

Gas mileage is a mute thing to some people when you have a 400$+ a month car payment. property taxes thats 400+ a year and car insurance thats probably 150 a month or more so for a brand new 50k$ car.

Thats why ill never buy a new vehicle.. I could spend 200$ a month on gas and you could spend 50$ but youre still paying 4x more for your car for the next 5+ years at least.

To equal 40-50k$ in gas itd take 20 years paying 250-300 a month for gasoline and thats being generous driving 1200 miles a month.


But thats just me... Im used to the bad gas mileage my 5.9 Zj gets 10 city and 18 highway if im lucky.. average is maybe 13mpg and i have to use 93octane.. been driving that for 8 years. I put 80k miles on it in 8 years and 20k on my wagoneer in 2 so 100k miles on 13mpg i put 93 in both jeeps. That 7700 gallons of gas if i do say 3.00$ a gallon thats 23k$ in gas ive spent in almost 10 years... Still half what youre paying for a new car.

Just saying lol
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited 219k
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 I6 laredo 430k
1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 155k
1976 Jeep J10.. 85k(repaired)
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dodgerammit
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by dodgerammit »

candymancan wrote:Gas mileage is a mute thing to some people when you have a 400$+ a month car payment. property taxes thats 400+ a year and car insurance thats probably 150 a month or more so for a brand new 50k$ car.
This. Wife has finally seen the light after this last new car she wanted turned into a dealership maintenance nightmare. Just 2000 miles out of warranty she had to drop $1000 on a glow plug after it went bad. Add to that the rest of the fiasco with this company lately, then finally, a blown fuse with no way to know which fuse other than pulling them out one at a time (NOT KIDDING- no fuse box diagrams, just a crappy cop out of a disclaimer in the manual stating they're constantly "improving" upon their design, so they can't be bothered to draw up a F###ing schematic to the fuse locations). This was the straw that broke the camel's back for us. $1800 more, and it is paid off. Search is on for a clean Eagle wagon. Wife fell in love with them. Stupid simple. We'll work out the quirks, then sell her current daily. Fuel savings she gets have been horridly negated by the upkeep on a NEW vehicle. Ridiculous. :x
84 Grand Waggy-Radio Flyer (Garnet Red/3M Ebony Metallic woodgrain, with honey interior) AMC 360 :cry: 2004 4.8LS/Advance Adapter/727/242 D44/AMC20 Serehill tailgate and headlight harnesses :fsj: Ongoing thread-viewtopic.php?t=11897

92 Wrangler Islander 4.0/32RH/231 D30/D35 RHD
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tgreese
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Re: Ride quality and room in wagoneer

Post by tgreese »

candymancan wrote:Gas mileage is a mute thing ...
Moot means irrelevant. Mute means to quiet or dumb, like deaf-mute. They are pronounced differently. Moot rhymes with hoot, and mute has a long "U" like "you." Just FYI.

Agreeing. People buy new cars for a reason. Some can't handle the extra maintenance (hassle) and lowered reliability (worry) that goes along with an older car. The gas mileage thing is only an issue if you have a long commute everyday. That could change if the price of gas goes way up, but for now, it's not a big budget item for most people.
Tim Reese
Maine beekeeper's truck: '77 J10 LWB, 258/T15/D20/3.54 bone stock, low options (delete radio), PS/PDB, hubcaps.
Browless and proud: '82 J20 360/T18/NP208/3.73, Destination A/Ts, 7600 GVWR
Copper Polly: '75 CJ-6, 304/T15, PS, BFG KM2s, soft top
GTI without the badges: '95 VW Golf Sport 2000cc 2D
Dual Everything: '15 Chryco Jeep Cherokee KL Trailhawk, ECO Green
Blockchain the vote.
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