Details of Cars

Jeep SJ: the full-size Jeep platform

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Jeep Cherokee SJ at the Bremen Classic Motorshow
A Jeep Cherokee on the SJ platform. Photo by Thomas Vogt from Paderborn, Deutschland, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Jeep SJ was the platform of Jeep’s full-size vehicles. Jeep calls them FSJ, for full-size Jeep: any North American Jeep with two or four doors, rear- or four-wheel drive, a wheelbase between 109 and 132 inches and a track between 57 and 67 inches. The SJ carried the Wagoneer, the Gladiator pickup and the Cherokee for nearly three decades.

Jeep SJ at a glance

Jeep SJ key facts
Name SJ, part of the full-size Jeep (FSJ) range
Doors two or four
Drive rear-wheel or four-wheel drive
Wheelbase 109 to 132 in (2,769 to 3,353 mm)
Track 57 to 67 in (1,448 to 1,702 mm)
Wagoneer 1963–1991, renamed Grand Wagoneer for 1984
Gladiator 1963–1988, renamed J-series for 1972
Military M715 family 1967–1969
Cherokee 1974–1983

The English Wikipedia page on the SJ is a short definition with a list of models; this page is based on it alone.

History of the Jeep SJ

One platform, four model lines

The SJ was introduced with the Wagoneer of 1963 and the Gladiator pickup that shared its chassis. It was a body-on-frame design with a separate ladder frame, and it carried Jeep’s largest vehicles for close to three decades. The Wagoneer stayed on the SJ platform until 1991, by then as the Grand Wagoneer; the Gladiator was renamed the J-series for 1972 and continued to 1988; the military M715 and its relatives used the same foundations in 1967–1969; and in 1974 the two-door Cherokee joined the family.

Jeep Grand Wagoneer SJ in Coral Gables
A Grand Wagoneer, the last SJ model line. Photo by CZmarlin — Christopher Ziemnowicz would appreciate a photo credit if this image , CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Why the platform matters

The SJ cars are the reason Jeep is associated with full-size four-wheel drive as well as with the small CJ. The Wagoneer made a luxury 4×4 respectable years before the Range Rover, the Gladiator and J-series gave Jeep a full-size pickup, and the Cherokee brought the same chassis to a younger, sportier buyer. The platform lived through three owners, Kaiser, American Motors and Chrysler, without a fundamental redesign.

Design and features

  • Ladder frame: body-on-frame construction shared by wagons and pickups.
  • Wide span of models: from the Wagoneer wagon to the M715 military truck.
  • Long life: the Wagoneer alone stayed on the SJ for 29 model years.
  • Full-size definition: the FSJ rule of 109–132 in wheelbase and 57–67 in track.

Jeep SJ versions

  • Wagoneer (1963–1991): the luxury wagon, Grand Wagoneer from 1984.
  • Gladiator and J-series (1963–1988): the full-size pickup.
  • M715 family (1967–1969): military versions.
  • Cherokee (1974–1983): the two-door, later four-door, sporty version.

The SJ cars are described in their own articles: the Wagoneer, the J-series and the Cherokee. The military version is the M715. More models are in the Jeep collection.

Video: Ruta Navideña Pue 4×4 Jeep SJ

Video by Arturo Morales on YouTube.

Sources

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