I'd even argue these aren't high maintenance. We daily drive our 3 rovers and abuse 2 of them frequently off road. Sorted cooling systems is really all they require. Parts haven't failed on me at any regular interval except for known bad parts ie, water pumps. Parts needing to be replaced due to the vehicles being old does not make them high maintenance, just old cars. Oil changes and making sure everything that needs fluids is topped off is all I do on a regular basis besides greasing front drive shaft (which is annoying). Probably the only person here without a full time diagnostic plugged in to watch temps. I check every so often but I don't own these to be afraid of them or a slave to a temp gauge and driving around CO is hell on these vehicles even just on the highway..

 

Guess you got lucky! That’s sweet. I’ve already done $3500 in repairs on one with 129k miles, and that’s parts cost alone. Probably another $1500-2000 in parts to go.

 

I see everyone listing driveshafts.

if my driveshafts have grease fittings on an 04 D2 can I assume they have already been replaced?

 

@MasonJ replaced yes, maintained maybe. When I bought mine it had a greasable that had never been greased, I replaced it. Try pumping a ton of grease into it, see what the stuff that comes out looks like

 

The OEM driveshaft has grease fittings on it. What it doesn't have is a grease fitting on the centering ball. Don't think you're safe just because you see a couple of zerks on it.

 

Check your door seals: the transmission controller is under the drivers seat and if water gets in there it’s big trouble! Also, check your breather tubes, if they are broke you will get water (and worse) in your differential.

Remember, you can’t tell how deep a water hole is by looking at it, always get out and check.

I broke this cardinal rule my first time in the water, it had been raining recently and the “pond” was WAY deeper than I thought it would be. I ended up with water up to the headlights washing over the hood. It was terrifying. Luckily the disco made it through all the way but I had to stop and wait for my heart rate to come down and my whole body to unclench before I could continue on. Upon inspection I found my diff breather tube was broken and I drained a horror show out of my front diff afterwards.

 

doesn’t look like they were ever greased ever 😂. Pumped em full until fresh came out and that’s all that came out.

 

I need to make new breather tubes for the diffs that’s for sure.

 

Good idea. Be careful where you route them as the factory ones run close to the exhaust and I had 2 melted and blocked off. Check them often as if they clog you will have diff oil leaking out of the seals. Also check your CV joint boots and axle seal to see if there's any leaks which could let water or dirt in. I thought mine were fine until I went wheeling and had significant tire spin which dumped oil all over the tires and the wheel well. If you do go through water check your diff oil and consider changing the fluid more often. If there's a significant amount of water your axle shafts may start to rust and. Not to mention the decreased lubrication of the diff gears.

I would consider bringing supplies to spend the night if you indent to wheel hard. Yes it does take up some room but knowing you can spend the night on the trail versus rushing to get out can ease the stress and prevent irritable mistakes. I usually carry a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, a hammock (tiny compared to tents and doesn't require a sleeping mat), and a sleeping bag/ emergency blankets. You can also sleep in the D2 in a pinch but its NOT comfortable if you are tall. Food (usually protein bars or trail mix) and 1 gallon of distilled water which can be used to top off the coolant or drink in an emergency.

Also, regardless if you only drive on the highway, or off-road or just drive once a week, bring emergency supplies. This isn't for a D2 but rather general which I highly recommend all vehicles should have. At the very least I would bring 1 gallon of water, MREs/protein bars/trail mix/anything calorie dense, first aid kit (learn how to use it too), fire extinguishers (cars can catch fire or an out of control campfire can start wildfires). For emergency vehicle items I would bring a bottle jack, spare tire, patch kit, jumper cables, air compressor, and a generic scan tool. I've used it to help others when their CEL comes on or they experience mechanical problems. Ofc your recovery gear but you can customize it to your use cases. People have even stopped me in parking lots asking for help with a dead batteries or flat tires. You may not need it but others may and it CAN save someone's life.I was unfortunately in an accident and we used the first aid kit to help someone with a bleeding head wound.

As far as just general wheeling advice (feel free to use some or none, this is just what I've learned). try and wheel in groups, it sucks being stuck alone overnight hoping someone comes down the trail to help. Don't be afraid to take it easy or take the easy line. Its more fun (at least for me) helping someone out versus being the one hopelessly stuck. Know the risks and always check your vehicle after to see if anything was damaged or came loose. And ofc have fun, we all like this for a reason.

 

Good advice above, being more prepared than just vehicular items is a great idea.

I also take the time when airing up after wheeling to do a quick visual inspection of the underside of the car and tires. Easy to catch or investigate any new noises while waiting for tires to inflate, always a good idea to check sidewalls at a minimum so you aren't hopping on the highway with a damaged sidewall and asking for a blowout...been there and done that and it's a mistake I try my best to avoid.