What Years Did Jeep Make The LJ & Which Model Replaced It?

There is one Jeep Wrangler you won't see every day. The long-wheelbase TJ Wrangler Unlimited, designated LJ for "Long Jeep" internally and by Jeep enthusiasts, is essentially the mid-2000s equivalent of a Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler. For all intents and purposes, it's a standard Jeep TJ Wrangler that's been stretched by 10 inches between the front and rear axles and 15 inches overall. Jeep didn't produce many of these in comparison to the standard-length TJ Wrangler — The TJ was produced from 1997 through 2006, and the LJ Wrangler Unlimited was only on the market for the last three years of that run.

Jeep halted both TJ and LJ production with the brand's sweeping changes for the 2007 model year. They included new generations of several production Jeep vehicles, new powertrains, and updated standard equipment. The incoming 4-door Jeep JKU Wrangler Unlimited served as the LJ's direct replacement, though another 2-door stretched Wrangler was never produced again. Today the LJ's closest blood relative is arguably the Jeep Gladiator, considering the selling points of the original LJ were the superior towing capacity and cargo space the open truck bed offered over its standard-length counterpart.

There isn't any reliable manufacturer data available regarding the LJ's production numbers, but online forums and independent researchers estimate that Jeep made about 50,000 2004-2006 Wrangler Unlimiteds —accounting for about one of every five Wranglers produced in those years. That makes it not quite as exclusive as the CJ-8 Scrambler, with only around 28,000 of those ever made. Like the Scrambler, the LJ Wrangler is quickly becoming a proper classic, as many are already over 20 years old.

Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way: namely, the Jeep LJ's stretched rear. This comes with its own inherent advantages like increased comfort and cargo volume, plus a more stable platform for on-road driving thanks to the longer wheelbase. Its layout means that if you remove or fold down the rear seats, you can make something of a pseudo-ute small pickup truck. The extra length also provides additional legroom over the standard Wrangler (37 inches versus 35.3 inches) and more than twice the cargo volume with the rear seat up. In essence, this is the perfect classic Wrangler for activities like family camping excursions, road trips with multiple passengers, or hauling goods around town.

In addition, the LJ comes equipped with a variety of unseen options that help bolster its capability in other ways. Namely, it features a standard Dana 44 rear axle, limited-slip rear differential, larger tires, and a new Sunrider hardtop with half-open configuration. Like the standard Wrangler, the LJ was available in various trim levels, with the top trim being the Rubicon. This package in particular creates a truly robust factory off-roader, equipping the LJ with front and rear Dana 44s with limited-slip differentials, factory 245/75R16 Goodyear all-terrain tires, and various exterior and interior goodies. Without question, the LJ Rubicon represents the TJ's finest hour, encompassing the best years for Wranglers and serving as a base for extreme off-road builds.

 In 2007, Jeep rewrote DNA of the Wrangler (and indeed their whole brand) practically overnight — for better or worse, depending on who you ask. The new JK Wrangler featured a much larger and heavier platform than its predecessor along with a much-improved interior and more compliant driving experience.

Because of its creature-comforts and improved usability for families, the JK was well-suited for a regular-production 4-door variant, the first in the Wrangler or CJ's history. This 4-door Wrangler, named the JK Unlimited or "JKU," most immediately replaced the LJ in terms of its practical purpose of affording additional interior space and an extended wheelbase. This model enjoys outstanding popularity thanks to its family-friendly versatility and on-road handling, and has stayed in continuous production until today. Today it's simply known as the Wrangler 4-Door, having lost the "Unlimited" moniker in 2022.

However, the 4-door Wrangler didn't fully replace the LJ's level of additional utility. That honor goes to the Gladiator pickup, owing to its 4-door layout and superior hauling capability. For instance, the original LJ had a 3,500-pound towing capacity, thanks to its beefed-up rear end. This was a full 1,500 pounds over its TJ counterpart. This huge increase makes the LJ a remarkably competent hauler as far compared to other classic Jeeps, and made it the best open-top Jeep for towing until the Gladiator came around in 2020. These days, the Gladiator more appropriately represents the LJ's closest descendant thanks to its 35.5 cubic foot bed, 1,725-pound payload, and max towing capacity of almost four tons.