Purchased my first TJ

[JeepGirl1013]

I just purchased my first TJ and it’s frame
Is in GREAT shape. No rust anywhere. It’s a great project car.

I drove to AR to pick her up. She has a rebuilt motor and seems to have been kept up for the most part. I bought her from an elderly gentleman who says he’s basically just started her up every few weeks to keep her going but not put anymore than 500 mi on the new motor. And it wouldn’t be a jeep story if we didn’t end up at O’Rileys immediately after the purchase for a new battery don’t worry, I put it on the seller’s tab.

But it doesn’t end there. We hadn’t made it out of the state before the check engine came on! Luckily it was just an O2 sensor. I mean she is 22 years old.

This was the absolute worst weekend to buy a TJ because the weather has been complete shit. Sub zero temps. So I’m dying to get out and clean her up. The most action she saw this weekend was my husband sliding into a ditch Don’t worry, another jeep came along and pulled us out!

If you’re still reading, thanks!

What I would love your advice on, is maintenance. The motor was rebuilt in 2021. She has 171000 mi on her and 500 on the new motor. I don’t have any info on last transmission fluid change or alignment. But the owner prior to the seller put a 2” (I think) lift and definitely had her off road. I have suspicions that we may be experiencing the beginning stages of death wobble and I see bushings and steering and suspension components that definitely need replaced. I have read through this amazing thread https://www.wranglerforum.com/threa...non-dw-shimmies-and-wobbles-tj-version.78090/
And am planning on using it to properly diagnose and prioritize my repairs. She does really well at lower speeds but on the freeway I am getting some intermittent instability and sudden pulling to the right or left that is hard to control.

I don’t have enough cash on hand to tackle everything at once. So I picked up a steering stabilizer (Yes, a bandaid and thats what I am using it for) When the weather warms up a tad I will do my diagnosis and plan out my repairs and general maintenance.

1. Should I get an alignment now? And should I align after every steering/suspension component I change? I want to do as many updates at once so I m not just cycling through wear but if I have to do it in sprints do I need an adjustment each time?

2. I am planning on an oil and transmission fluid change quickly. Though I don’t know the history. Good plan?

3. I have very light surface rust in the tub and plan to clean and treat everything as soon as I can. What’s recommended for interior rust treatment? I don't know why but I don’t love the look of the rhino liner or black spray paint. But I don’t like the idea of something wet/oily as a rust treatment inside since I’m there’s carpet. Just seems gross.

4. She’s kind of sluggish but I think that’s because she has 33’s and doubt she was re-geared to compensate for that. Should I decrease wheel size? Would 31’s give me better power and not look strange? Or should I just plan on re-gearing in the future? This is my daily driver and I don’t plan on doing off-roading. So I want it to be comfy and fun but I do like the lift and think it looks good.

5. Without a full service history, what other preventative maintenance do you recommend for her age?

6. Exterior paint looks good in pictures but does have some wear. I would love to repaint in the future (a new color) so what can I do to preserve what she’s got now and avoid any rust formation where I have wear, cracking, and chips?

Thanks for your pennies!

 

[Rcroane]

First of all, a big welcome! If you want to keep that frame in great shape, you're going to need to treat the inside of it before the winter road salt gets to it. If you aren't aware, these frames rot from the inside. A frame that looks good from the outside can be full of rot on the inside. I suggest Fluid Film or a similar product. Eastwood's internal frame coating is another (more expensive) option.

 

[Fulton_Hogan]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the new (to you) Jeep! The threads here are great for finding inspiration and knowledge, you're in a good place.

First thing I'd do is go here and pull the documents for your vehicle. Just about anything you'll need is there, be it what's a part number to search for to or how to do some heavy maintenance.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...ice-manuals-fsm-technical-documentation.4618/
Then I'd go here and look for specific things you want to address. Chances are someone else has already come across it and they posted some good tips or wrench-knowledge that those manuals don't convey.

https://wranglertjforum.com/forums/tj-how-to-guides.109/
For your specifics:
1. Probably? Driving on wintry roads (snow and potential ice) is not the time you want the front end getting wild. Not a fun time even in nice weather. There are checks you can do before throwing parts on. The steps of how to check will be in the service manual, other threads here, or on YouTube.

2. Yes, great idea. I'd also recommend a radiator flush/cleaning and refill with the proper type antifreeze for your model year. Don't go by just color, there's a proper formulation to use; most likely a HOAT fluid. You may even want to do brake fluid (also specific). If you REALLY want to cover your bases; drain, clean, and refill the front and rear differentials (again, specific fluids). Get some Lube Locker gaskets and it makes it very easy when you close up everything.

3. To remove rust, I recommend starting with some Evaporust. They sell a paste that adheres better to vertical surfaces and doesn't run. Follow the instructions and you'll have good results. You may need to wire brush and repeat, but when you're done, cover with a rust-bonding primer and then paint.

4. I'm a fan of stock wheels/tires. I may be the minority, but I'm not rock climbing. I live in Florida, so all our rocks have been ground into sand. These Jeeps are inherently good performers in stock configuration. Based on how you plan to use it, your current wheel/tire combination may be overkill. Get stock, sell the big boys to reimburse yourself.

5. See answer #2. Others may weigh in with more as well.

6. Wash off road salt any time you have the opportunity. Don't sleep on that. Once the weather is better a heavy cleaning and wax wax application would be good. Brand and type (liquid/paste) is probably up to you and the level of effort you want to put into the chore.

Good luck and happy Jeepin'!

 

[Ebaron]

Congrats on the new Jeep and welcome.
I’m quite new here myself but have a similarly set up TJ by the PO, so I can chime in on a few questions.
Mine is an 06, 4.0, 6 spd., , about a 2- 2.5 inch lift with 33s. The big difference for us is it’s an extra vehicle we tow behind an RV, so it doesn’t get much actual drive time.
1. Alignment. I’d highly recommend it to get a baseline, you could just be off on toe. If they find lots of loose parts then you can start budgeting. Being my first TJ, I thought it steered like shopping cart and for awhile thought it may be normal for SWB vehicle. It towed behind the RV kinda terrible, it kind of danced, making towing a job. After some alignments, then a rebuild of front end, things improved. Caster was still off due to lift I believe, so I added JKS front lower control arms, fixed but extended, that corrected caster, made a world of difference. Last battle is to fix thrust angle, so I May be looking more control arms. But, the difference from when I got it is significant with toe corrections and caster, and I now realize all Jeeps don’t steer like shopping carts.
2. I’d get that motor oil changed assuming it’s still getting broken in, hardly any miles and has been sitting. If it were mine, I’d change it, drive it like 500-1000 miles and change it again for some cheap insurance and piece of mind. others may comment if there’s any value in adding break in oil again.
4. some surface rust inside? Mine is a North Eastern Jeep, way too much road salt, but luckily it’s not seen too much winter. PO removed carpets, and for now I’ve left it like that, at least moisture doesn’t sit In tub. I’ve done a good deal of paint jobs and older car resto work. For inside tub, clean it up and use a product like POR15. It should work good and last long inside tub. On outside, I treat my cars that hit winter with Fluid Film. That’s a much bigger issue up here vs inside the tub, as everything gets rusty.
3. Yep, with 33s and no gear change it’s a dog! I look at 6 th gear and think, nope, no use for it. If I drove mine more, I’d be looking at a gear change. I like the look of the 33s, and my tires were new, so living with it for now, but I bet a TJ is a heck of lot more fun to drive when geared properly.
5. I’ll let the TJ pros comment On other PM.
6. sounds like you don’t have an unlimited budget, so elbow grease goes a long way. A real good clean. Then just touch up chips with some touch up paint, then a good wax. My Northeast rust is on front fender tops, rocker under doors and rear lower corners, so look at those close. I’ve had mine 6 plus years, and rust hasn’t gotten worse due to Fluid Film underneath, and low miles. I have the capability, but too many projects and no time and extra $ to do the bodywork and paint. So as preservation measure, I knocked off loose rust, metal prepped , POR15 and then had paint shop mix up a spray can for me for simple quick improvement. Still holding after a year, will definitely buy some time. Not pretty up close, but prettier than rust.

Have Fun!

 

[TJuser]

3. I have very light surface rust in the tub and plan to clean and treat everything as soon as I can. What’s recommended for interior rust treatment? I don't know why but I don’t love the look of the rhino liner or black spray paint. But I don’t like the idea of something wet/oily as a rust treatment inside since I’m there’s carpet. Just seems gross.

Thanks for your pennies!

Being from northeast, I have some experience with rust

If it's heavier frame rust, I like grinding the rust off and then using a rust converter and then a primer and coat epoxy paint. It bonds well, doesn't chip that easy and it's hard. Light surface rust like on rods and axles and arms, I like to wire brush it and then just use a over rust paint....rustoleum makes some and it's just quick and easy preventative maintenance to stop it from getting worse...I just like hitting any spots as soon as they show


For in the interior, your best bet would likely be a wire wheel on a grinder and then use rust converter. It turns the rust to a primer. Then use a paint primer over that and then you can colour match that spot to the tub with duplicolour

The biggest thing with rust is preventative maintenance. Get it oil sprayed yearly, and just take care of rust asap so it doesn't spread and get worse and more expensive to fix. Every time it snows and salt is spread, I wait until it's warm enough to start melting then wash the jeep. Rust gets going the worst when the weather is a little warmer and damp, aka spring time


As for fluids, I'd recommend aftermarket diff covers with fill and drain plugs. They aren't a necessity but it's really nice to have them as then you don't need to pull your entire cover off to change the fluid if you go thru water and get water in you diff. Just make sure you get the proper type with the rounded cover so the gear oil still properly lubricates the gears and doesn't just foam

 

[bbaldwin237]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum.

In regards to you gearing question. Do you know what gear ratio it currently has? I see you filled out your profile and being a 2001 auto means you have the 32RH 3 speed transmission so no overdrive issue there. Check out this thread to determine your current gear ratio. If you have 3.07's the 33s will definitely lead to it being sluggish. I currently have 3.73's and 33s and I feel it's bearable for the time being so I suspect you may have a higher (lower numerically) gear ratio.

Thread 'How do I determine my axle gear ratio?' https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/how-do-i-determine-my-axle-gear-ratio.72/

 

[JeepGirl1013]

First of all, a big welcome! If you want to keep that frame in great shape, you're going to need to treat the inside of it before the winter road salt gets to it. If you aren't aware, these frames rot from the inside. A frame that looks good from the outside can be full of rot on the inside. I suggest Fluid Film or a similar product. Eastwood's internal frame coating is another (more expensive) option.

Yea! Thank you. I am looking at treatment options. I am interested in doing Waxoyl but that will have to wait a little while. In the meantime looking for a more economical treatment. But the inside of the frame that I have been able to get my go no era in is super clean and I’d really like to keep it that way.

 

[JeepGirl1013]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the new (to you) Jeep! The threads here are great for finding inspiration and knowledge, you're in a good place.

First thing I'd do is go here and pull the documents for your vehicle. Just about anything you'll need is there, be it what's a part number to search for to or how to do some heavy maintenance.

[URL]https://wranglertjforum.com/th...ice-manuals-fsm-technical-documentation.4618/[/URL]

Then I'd go here and look for specific things you want to address. Chances are someone else has already come across it and they posted some good tips or wrench-knowledge that those manuals don't convey.

[URL]https://wranglertjforum.com/forums/tj-how-to-guides.109/[/URL]

For your specifics:
1. Probably? Driving on wintry roads (snow and potential ice) is not the time you want the front end getting wild. Not a fun time even in nice weather. There are checks you can do before throwing parts on. The steps of how to check will be in the service manual, other threads here, or on YouTube.

2. Yes, great idea. I'd also recommend a radiator flush/cleaning and refill with the proper type antifreeze for your model year. Don't go by just color, there's a proper formulation to use; most likely a HOAT fluid. You may even want to do brake fluid (also specific). If you REALLY want to cover your bases; drain, clean, and refill the front and rear differentials (again, specific fluids). Get some Lube Locker gaskets and it makes it very easy when you close up everything.

3. To remove rust, I recommend starting with some Evaporust. They sell a paste that adheres better to vertical surfaces and doesn't run. Follow the instructions and you'll have good results. You may need to wire brush and repeat, but when you're done, cover with a rust-bonding primer and then paint.

4. I'm a fan of stock wheels/tires. I may be the minority, but I'm not rock climbing. I live in Florida, so all our rocks have been ground into sand. These Jeeps are inherently good performers in stock configuration. Based on how you plan to use it, your current wheel/tire combination may be overkill. Get stock, sell the big boys to reimburse yourself.

5. See answer #2. Others may weigh in with more as well.

6. Wash off road salt any time you have the opportunity. Don't sleep on that. Once the weather is better a heavy cleaning and wax wax application would be good. Brand and type (liquid/paste) is probably up to you and the level of effort you want to put into the chore.

Good luck and happy Jeepin'!

I am considering stock tires honestly. But I’m not sure how that would look with the current lift it’s definitely on the table though. Thank you for the specific suggestions and links!

 

[NWPA Jeepy T]

Welcome!! Check the tire pressure if it's squirrely. 33s should be somewhere around 27-28psi and if you step down to 31s (which is much more common with 2" of lift) you'll want to be around 30ish psi.
My son's 33s were inflated to 50psi when he bought it. Felt like running on railroad ties and all over the road!! Brought it down to 28, got an alignment and she smoothed right out

 

[tnjeepguy]

https://fcagroup.my.site.com/RAM/s/equipment-listing Use this to see what came OEM, axles are probably stock.

31's are good for starting out and probably longer. My 99 on 31's has done lots of CO and Moab, etc. But a good used Warn 8 or 9K is essential.

Yellow Jeep is the best. And yes you can do maintenance on your TJ, they are one of the easiest vehicles to work on.

 

[JasterMereel42]

Hey, girl, welcome to the forum and TJ ownership. I was in your shoes about 6 months ago. I bought a 2000 TJ as a project/2nd car and it has been amazing. I've learned so much over the last 6 months and the list of things that I have done to mine is so long. It is a great time working on it.

I would definitely replace all the fluids (trans, diffs, steering, brake, etc). Definitely do the cooling system flush soon. I would say that the oil should be fine but there are 500 miles on the new engine so it is time to drain the oil. I've always heard to do that with rebuilt engines (change the oil after 500 miles), but I may be wrong.

This forum is a fantastic place for pretty much anything you need to do to the TJ. Or hit me up directly because if you are thinking about doing it, I probably have done it myself in the last 6 months.

 

[Danarch]

Welcome! Same as others, change all the fluids. For any sensors use OEM when possible. If not available I think the next option is NTK.

 

[glowell222]

Welcome to the forum-great looking TJ. Good job getting the mandatory ditch-ride out of the way and with a minimum of damage.
Here's my $.02.

Tires: 31x9.5 tires would look just fine and work just fine, particularly for daily driving. How are the brakes? How is the brake fluid? Flush it. Do a complete tuneup. Change all the fluids. Grease all of the fittings underneath. Balance and rotate the tires. Lubricate the seat moving/folding mechanisms and rails. Clean and lubricate the seatbelts and retraction mechanisms. Lubricate the door and tailgate hinges. Change the liftgate struts, or be prepared to change them. Check your fuel lines in the engine compartment for cracks or brittleness. Check all vacuum lines. Check ground connections under hood, on the hood, and on the frame.

 

[zachpeakee]

Welcome!
I actually bought my TJ in fairly similar condition. Not "Bad" by any means, but just not up-to-par for driving regularly.

I have suspicions that we may be experiencing the beginning stages of death wobble and I see bushings and steering and suspension components that definitely need replaced.

I had similar issues.
I would have to recommend upgrading to the ZJ steering, as it's beefier than the TJ system, and cost roughly the same amount.
For on-road/off-road it's been fairly bullet-proof for me. It's not the "best" but it's significantly stronger/more reliable than the TJ setup.
It's a very "budget" upgrade, and everything can be bought from Oreilly's, and is probably in stock in-store! Then you can have peace of mind knowing everything in the steering system is new & accounted for.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/zj-steering-upgrade.11895/
Another thing to check is your Pitman Arm. Make sure it's the OEM style, and not a dropped Pitman arm.
A lot of budget lift kits will install a drop Pitman arm, which tends to severely affect steering stability in a negative way.

Once you've tackled that, you can be sure that the steering components are in good shape for many future miles.

1. Should I get an alignment now?

I would get an alignment AFTER installing new steering components.
Not much point in getting an alignment on bad components, or you'll just be back at square 1.

2. I am planning on an oil and transmission fluid change quickly. Though I don’t know the history. Good plan?

Solid idea. I'd recommend going through ALL the fluids.
Most Jeeps are used as Jeeps. People abuse them, use them, and then refuse them.
Mine was decently maintained, and I saw a lot of nasty shit coming out of places it shouldn't be.
Oil, Brakes, Coolant, Transmission fluid, etc. It's no telling when it was last maintained, or what conditions it's been through since then.

3. I have very light surface rust in the tub and plan to clean and treat everything as soon as I can. What’s recommended for interior rust treatment? I don't know why but I don’t love the look of the rhino liner or black spray paint. But I don’t like the idea of something wet/oily as a rust treatment inside since I’m there’s carpet. Just seems gross.

I would snag a cheap side-grinder from Harbor Freight as well as a wire wheel. Go to town on it. Clean as much of it up as you can. Then hit it with some primer/etcher, and then you can finish it with a can of OEM color aerosol paint. (The kind you get from Autozone/Oreilly's, as long as the color matches fairly well). Although, you could just use black, as it will be covered by interior carpet anyways.

4. She’s kind of sluggish but I think that’s because she has 33’s and doubt she was re-geared to compensate for that. Should I decrease wheel size? Would 31’s give me better power and not look strange? Or should I just plan on re-gearing in the future? This is my daily driver and I don’t plan on doing off-roading. So I want it to be comfy and fun but I do like the lift and think it looks good.

I bought mine on factory gears (3.73) and 33's.
It was a complete butt-slug. I regeared to 4.88's and it's still a butt-slug. She's not winning any races anytime soon.
But 31's would net you significantly better performance for sure. Not to mention, a nice set of 31's would cost you a lot less than a re-gear.
Typical re-gearing is in the ballpark of $1500-$2000 from most shops (at least in my area) as you have to do both axles.
You can't just re-gear one axle without damaging your driveline.

5. Without a full service history, what other preventative maintenance do you recommend for her age?

I'd start with fluids, and then allow yourself to get nit-picky about it. If you feel a rattle/vibration, find it. If the brakes make noise, replace them. Drips on the floor, crawl under and find the leak. Etc.
It's like playing 52-card pick-up. Fix one thing, and find another. You'll easily be able to identify what's wrong/right and what needs replacing or not.
Depending on how lucky or unlucky you are, you'll EVENTUALLY come to a point where you're satisfied.

6. Exterior paint looks good in pictures but does have some wear. I would love to repaint in the future (a new color) so what can I do to preserve what she’s got now and avoid any rust formation where I have wear, cracking, and chips?

Refer to answer #3. Unfortunately bad paint can't really be saved. It can be postponed, but will just gradually deteriorate.
I had some rough spots in some lesser-noticeable spots (hinges, door sills, etc) that I hit with Oreilly Duplicolor Stone White, Clear Coat sprayed over top, then wet sanding. Hardly noticeable now, unless I point it out.
Although a mild disclaimer: The colors in the can don't perfectly match the colors on the Jeep. One has been in a can for 3 months, the other has been in the sun for 20 years.

My favorite part of owning my TJ is making a list of every little thing that bothers me, and fixing it one-by-one.
I feel like thats the majority of the forum, and there's a ton of good help/knowledgeable people on here.

Hope you like getting dirty and solving puzzles. Welcome to the TJ world.

 

[TheBoogieman]

I think 31s with a 2" lift look good with the right tires. Do a DIY alignment and save the money.

 

[TheBoogieman]

My favorite part of owning my TJ is making a list of every little thing that bothers me, and fixing it one-by-one

My wife did the same thing with me when we got together. Nothing is fixed and the list is longer now.

 

[MeanGreen86]

Welcome. It looks like a solid start and you obviously picked the best jeep color too.
Congrats

 

[Vidar]

Welcome to Jeep ownership! Now get ready to empty your bank account!

As others have said, yes, do an oil change. I rebuilt my engine 3 years ago, and it is standard procedure to change the oil after at most 500 miles. I went overkill and did mine at 500 and again at 1000.

Without any records, I’d probably flush and/or change all the fluids so you have a clean slate to start with.

As for rust, clean it and treat it like others said. Fluid film on the inside of the frame and por51 to treat any existing rust on the frame or tub. You can then topcoat with your choice. I did raptor liner inside and out on my tub, and then put the carpet back in!

I went with 30.5/9.5 KO2s. Mine is stock with 1.25” body lift. Tires look great and ride well. Costco sells them for a good price and actually has a 5 year warranty on them!

 

[JeepGirl1013]

My wife did the same thing with me when we got together. Nothing is fixed and the list is longer now.

My list is long already

 

[AndyG]

This thread is a breath of fresh air because right off the bat you stand out - you understand what you have and you are realistic about minor things being wrong and your overall assessment is very good-

Some people would be crying and trying to figure out how to do a new lift for $200 and all over the place.

First, I’m going to tell you that you are on the absolute best forum for that vehicle because we only deal with that particular platform and if it’s happened to a TJ we either had it happen to us or made it happen.

Secondly- do not let anybody tell you that these things can’t drive good- The manufacturer did not completely redesign the platform around straight axles and coil springs in order to go make it worse- these drive great when all is tight, fresh and aligned correctly... especially if you have decent tires.

It can be a little bit elusive to hunt down things because of the sheer number of connections beneath the vehicle that steer it, stabilize the axle and control body roll....but it can drive good and 100 percent will if the wrong things are fixed and correct things are done....every time.

Diagnose, Diagnose, Diagnose, then go from there.

Don’t be disheartened...it can be a little bit of a journey because it’s not always one particular thing but a combination of small things working against you- worn bushings, low caster, high tire pressure, worn links and bolts that need replaced or retorqued to name a few.

You have a great mindset. You are going to really enjoy it. We will help you.