Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator

Jeep LJ build advice

Snacks53

Snacks53

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Feb 2, 2026
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New Hampshire
Hi guys,
I have a 2005 jeep LJ and got it to build/restore with my dad. I plan on having this for the rest of my life so it will be everything I could ever want. I currently have metal cloak fenders and like the look of LJs with at least 35 inch tires. My plans are to go with 37s or 38s, with some kind of v8 and a standard transition on top of a long arm kit. I have many questions to ask so I will start off with axles. I was looking at some kind of Rubicon axles because of the locking diffs, but from my research, they probably wont hold up all that well with 38s and a v8. Any recommendations for axles or anything drivetrain related will be greatly appreciated. Also, sense I live in New Hampshire, this may be a summer pavement princess but I still want it to be capable off road, it just will not be living to its full potential wheeling and will be babied LOL.

just some other things that I will be doing with this build is a Gen Right roll cage, custom seats from PRP with 4 point harnesses front and back, poison spider bumpers and metal cloak (or Barnes) long arm kit. I have seen many people use the l33 5.3 for v8 tj builds so that is high on my list paired with a 5 or 6 speed Tremec transition. And the last thing i will be doing will be a fresh new paint job and a powder coated frame and underside of the tub.
 
If your plan is to go with 37s or 38s you need 1-tons. Factory Rubicon axles will not cut it.

As for engine swaps, take your pick. I'd personally go with an LS though. I like the LS3 a lot.
 
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You might consider a 4.8/5.0L stroker if you really want to keep it for the very long term and are willing to put in the effort to ensure it is built properly. It will run on the factory PCM with a tune and ensure maintenance remains all factory. In case life gets crazy and you need to take it into a shop for something.

Power wise you can build these to LS1 level torque and hp numbers today and tune them with HP Tuners.

As for paint- do not powdercoat if you want it to last. Powdercoat is a nightmare in a rust prone region. Spray it. Consider a 2 part epoxy system.
 
Chris said:
If your plan is to go with 37s or 38s you need 1-tons. Factory Rubicon axles will not cut it.

As for engine swaps, take your pick. I'd personally go with an LS though. I like the LS3 a lot.
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Will definitely look into 1 tons, my dad is looking at an ls3 for his 65 Chevelle so could be a great option since he will already have one. thanks for the insight.
 
GoldenGorilla said:
You might consider a 4.8/5.0L stroker if you really want to keep it for the very long term and are willing to put in the effort to ensure it is built properly. It will run on the factory PCM with a tune and ensure maintenance remains all factory. In case life gets crazy and you need to take it into a shop for something.

Power wise you can build these to LS1 level torque and hp numbers today and tune them with HP Tuners.

As for paint- do not powdercoat if you want it to last. Powdercoat is a nightmare in a rust prone region. Spray it. Consider a 2 part epoxy system.
Click to expand...

A stroker is definitely now on my list just for simplicity with electrical work. I didn't know that about powder coating, I was thinking i would put a nice paint job on the outside, but will just a nice lining on the floor and underside last? I will not be driving this in the winter btw. thank you!
 
Not to burst your bubble but have you done the math on how much all this will cost in time and money? You’re looking at 10s of thousands of dollars.
Get a note book and write down what you think you want to do to it, the materials needed and the cost of each upgrade. Once you have a list of what you want you’ll need to prioritize what needs to get done and what order to do them. Unless you have very deep pockets you’ll need to do it in stages. Big tires and the corresponding upgrades to the driveline and suspension require axels, driveshafts, gearing, long arms, shock relocation etc and fabrication skills. Paying for labor adds up quick if you don’t have the skills to do it yourself. The good news is that you can gain mechanical skills. When you see a TJ built like you want stop and ask the owner questions. Don’t be afraid to knock on a door. We all like to talk about our rigs.
Good luck and build something you’ll have fun and pride with.
 
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You’re getting some good advice and you do need to process that you’re doing something that can approach six figures- and well beyond.

And of course, once you get in the game and then you don’t want to quit and it takes a lot of money to make it work. A lot of fitments to make it cool, steer, communicate with itself and so on-

We have these type rigs on here and these owners can very much tell you what you’re getting into.

If you’re going to do an LS , skip the LS 2 because it has some limitations and weak points- if you ever want to put on a turbo, it really can’t hold up to it, for example.


As far as a long arm kit, the theory behind the long arm kit is the shorter or less severe the arc is of the axle movement the better the vehicle handles- the problem with that theory is when you move an axle that much you’re going about 2 mph and really the alignment and all of the geometry doesn’t have much to do with the performance of the vehicle at that speed- tractors are proof of that.

If you’re looking for a suspension kit, that actually can change the ability of the vehicle to perform off-road. The mid arm kit is what you need to look at.

We have some good build threads that will help you see what’s coming.
 
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AndyG said:
You’re getting some good advice and you do need to process that you’re doing something that can approach six figures- and well beyond.

And of course, once you get in the game and then you don’t want to quit and it takes a lot of money to make it work. A lot and fitments to make it cool, steer, communicate with itself and so on-

We have these type rigs on here and these owners can very much tell you what you’re getting into.

If you’re going to do an LS , skip the LS 2 because it has some limitations and weak points- if you ever want to put on a turbo, it really can’t hold up to it, for example.


As far as a long arm kit, the theory behind the long arm kit is the shorter or less severe the arc is of the axle movement the better the vehicle handles- the problem with that theory is when you move an axle that much you’re going about 2 mph and really the alignment and all of the geometry doesn’t have much to do with the performance of the vehicle at that speed- tractors are proof of that.

If you’re looking for a suspension kit, that actually can change the ability of the vehicle to perform off-road. The mid arm kit is what you need to look at.

We have some good build threads that will help you see what’s coming.
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Thank you so much for replying, that is all great info.

I will definitely look into mid arm kits. I'm definitely not trying to get into the six figure range because i don't mind finding used parts off marketplace and such and refurbishing them.

I came on forums because i wanted people to change my mind for the better and you are all doing that, and for that i am appreciative. thanks again and i will look into some of those other forums.
 
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Where in nh are you? I’m close to Nashua! I agree above. I’ve had many Jeep friends end up selling their Jeep because they built it too big to have around. Cost is one thing and that’s not for me pick at but also the drive ability of the Jeep. A tj/lj on 35s can be done at in steps which makes working on it while driving it more enjoyable, better on road to where I’ve daily driven my tj on 33s for 10years and done 6 cross country trips in, cheaper cost for everything. Once your past 35s its scope creep. It’s tons, links, coilovers, cage, now the jeeps too slow so you Ls swap, now it’s terrible on road so you only drive it when you wheel then life happens and your realize your 50-100k car never gets touched so you sell it.
 
The4bangertj said:
Where in nh are you? I’m close to Nashua! I agree above. I’ve had many Jeep friends end up selling their Jeep because they built it too big to have around. Cost is one thing and that’s not for me pick at but also the drive ability of the Jeep. A tj/lj on 35s can be done at in steps which makes working on it while driving it more enjoyable, better on road to where I’ve daily driven my tj on 33s for 10years and done 6 cross country trips in, cheaper cost for everything. Once your past 35s its scope creep. It’s tons, links, coilovers, cage, now the jeeps too slow so you Ls swap, now it’s terrible on road so you only drive it when you wheel then life happens and your realize your 50-100k car never gets touched so you sell it.
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I'm from Dover, glad to hear from another newenglander. After hearing what people have been saying, i am leaning towards 35s. it has 33s on it right now but i will need to replace them at some point. This build, my dad and i will be stripping the whole car down to its tub and frame to re paint it, that is one of the reasons i am looking at swapping and upgrading a bunch of parts like the engine, axles, control arms, suspension and so forth. I can certainly see the rabbit hole starting to form :ROFLMAO:. My end goal for this jeep is to make it a NICE restored and custom fun car to go joyriding in, and for it to last decades with minor work. Which I now see that 35s will suit me much better in the long run especially if i swap to jk Rubicon axles. This is my second jeep lj and i sold the first one due to rust, and just for the fact that i will be restoring this with my father, friends and family, i most likely will never sell this one. thanks for the great info. Also, my dad and i are taking his jku to a group ride this spring, i will have to get the info from him but it would be cool to see you on the trails!
 
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The4bangertj said:
Where in nh are you? I’m close to Nashua! I agree above. I’ve had many Jeep friends end up selling their Jeep because they built it too big to have around. Cost is one thing and that’s not for me pick at but also the drive ability of the Jeep. A tj/lj on 35s can be done at in steps which makes working on it while driving it more enjoyable, better on road to where I’ve daily driven my tj on 33s for 10years and done 6 cross country trips in, cheaper cost for everything. Once your past 35s its scope creep. It’s tons, links, coilovers, cage, now the jeeps too slow so you Ls swap, now it’s terrible on road so you only drive it when you wheel then life happens and your realize your 50-100k car never gets touched so you sell it.
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Man, that's a pretty jaded view there, Dude. And well, no, it doesn't always happen that way. 🙂
 
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NashvilleTJ said:
Man, that's a pretty jaded view there, Dude. And well, no, it doesn't always happen that way. 🙂
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Lol ya I didn’t want to come across as negative. Im not saying it’s always the case I mean you’re huge proof to that along with many on this forum, but I haven't seen anyone who is asking this question fully understand how different it is to drive a rig to that caliber on the road. Especially for this case he’s building not for the wheeling so I’d assume the amount of time he’d spend offroad vs on isn’t as much as most people on this forum either and a lot of guys are still on 35s too.
You can always build up after you do a smaller set up too. I’m just sad I’ve lost many jeep friends to this.
 
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Snacks53 said:
A stroker is definitely now on my list just for simplicity with electrical work. I didn't know that about powder coating, I was thinking i would put a nice paint job on the outside, but will just a nice lining on the floor and underside last? I will not be driving this in the winter btw. thank you!
Click to expand...

In fair warning, I've been pricing out my solution for the 4.8 side of things and it's easy to hit $8k in parts. Machining is required for the 4.060 crank to clear the block and you should deck it to improve the quench. The more typical 4.6 strokers are cheaper, but lower compression, lower torque, lower power and OK on 87. I'm looking for 11.5-11.8 compression (scr) on premium.

As for the paint, good prep goes a very long way, followed by good material and good technique. An acid etch helps the primer adhere.

TheBoogieman said:
I had big dreams at 19 too.
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You might see me talking about doing stuff with my dad on his LJ from time to time. He's in his late 70s and I'm not all that far behind. You never know. (acknowledging they posted their age)

TheBoogieman said:
Build it slowly so you don't lose a ton of money you invested in it.
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100%. It's like walking into a casino. Consider it entertainment and expect to lose every dollar you put in play. Cars aren't appreciating assets.
 
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