Looking for general insight (TJ Overland build)

[Robert Gessler]

Hi all! so I bought this jeep in august and I've been doing a solid amount of research into what I want to build it into and I've recently gotten into overlanding (look up expedition overland they're really cool) and now that the (high school) football season is about over I can start working again.

Long story short I'm going for a mild overland build (nothing longer than 3 days alone) and I'm on a budget, but I don't want to make this a budget build. right now I want to focus on suspension and capability so far I'm thinking:

OME 2.5" lift kit
31x10.5 Duratrac tires (something comfortable on road but reliable off-road)
Currie Antirock swaybar
Onboard air (need recommendations)
Rear locking diff (probably air?)
A new front bumper for a future winch and better approach angles (recommendations please)
I was also thinking about maybe a 4.10 regear

I plan on taking my time with this build and I need it to be solid off-road while still comfortable on road
I don't like going with cheap garbage but I also don't want to break the bank

the jeep is a 2006 sport with a rear dana 44,six speed manual and a hard top. im looking for ideas and suggestions so please say whatever is on your mind!

P.S I work at discount tire so tire prices are not really an issue

 

[jjvw]

Space is precious in our TJs, if you haven't already discovered.

A cargo shelf in the rear really helps organize and secure the gear.

Replace the hard top bolts with eye bolts. Preferably with a "shoulder eye". This allows you to the things down. I tied up a cargo net that covers the rear cargo area. And a second net for the shelf.

Ratchet straps and cam lock straps are far better than bungie cords.

Tarred bank line is far better than paracord.

Learn how to tie a trucker's hitch.

Carry a good 5" knife, small hatchet and a 20" bow saw. You won't realistically need anything larger than that.

Mine has a swing out the carrier with gas can holders. I rarely use it for fuel, but it works great for a 5 gallon water can.

Shaker siphons really work.

Soft bags and containers use space more efficiently than hard cases.

Small containers attached to the rear wheel wells work great for tools and recovery gear that is usually kept with the Jeep.

There is room for a 50 cal ammo can under the hood if you move the cruise control out of the way a bit.

Buy a decent air compressor. I often find myself going from dirt to pavement multiple times a day. I'll do a quick time calculation on my head. If the time it takes to fill up is faster than the slower travel speeds, I'll fill the tires between legs of the trip.

It is extravagant, but one reason I built a York compressor is that it doesn't take up space in the cargo area. And it's fast!

Good shocks will make speedy travel over unpaved roads much better.

Maximize the up travel. Make sure the bump stops are only as long as they need to be. Again, this will allow for more speed and more comfort. A stock TJ has about 4" of up. Building to get 5-6" of up is delightful and very satisfying.

Increase ground clearance by moving stuff out of the way. Raise the transfer case and the gas tank. Savvy is the best option.

Mini skids on the front lower control arm brackets.

Lockers

Winch

A couple small LED cubes are nice when rolling into a camp site later than you expected.

Keep the build and the gear light. Focus on function and efficiency.

 

[Chris]

Make sure you have a receiver hitch bumper with a rear mounted cargo basket. That will make storing stuff outside your Jeep so much easier!

 

[Robert Gessler]

Make sure you have a receiver hitch bumper with a rear mounted cargo basket. That will make storing stuff outside your Jeep so much easier!

Lucky for my the PO put one on!

 

[Chris]

Lucky for my the PO put one on!

That's a great addition! Those things are excellent for overloading as you can store a lot of the stuff outside of the TJ, which is what we do.

I agree with everything @jjvw said.

It also might be a nice thing to get an off-road trailer like @bobthetj03 has. It's smaller, but it can carry plenty of stuff and would be awesome for overloading. He built his himself though, but it looks awesome.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I agree with the above advice but I'll add one personal opinion... never wheel in remote offroad areas alone. Too many things can happen and cellphone coverage in such areas is typically no-existent. A ham radio can help if you know how to use it, or a satellite phone but they're expensive but a second vehicle/friend is even more valuable in remote areas. It's too easy to get hurt, have a medical emergency, significant vehicle issue that strands you, etc. that would just suck if you're by yourself.

Basic Wheeling 101 says never wheel alone.

 

[Robert Gessler]

That's a great addition! Those things are excellent for overloading as you can store a lot of the stuff outside of the TJ, which is what we do.

I agree with everything @jjvw said.

It also might be a nice thing to get an off-road trailer like @bobthetj03 has. It's smaller, but it can carry plenty of stuff and would be awesome for overloading. He built his himself though, but it looks awesome.

Actaualy I plan on building a jeep tub trailer in the foreseeable future!

 

[Robert Gessler]

I agree with the above advice but I'll add one personal opinion... never wheel in remote offroad areas alone. Too many things can happen and cellphone coverage in such areas is typically no-existent. A ham radio can help if you know how to use it, or a satellite phone but they're expensive but a second vehicle/friend is even more valuable in remote areas. It's too easy to get hurt, have a medical emergency, significant vehicle issue that strands you, etc. that would just suck if you're by yourself.

Basic Wheeling 101 says never wheel alone.

Agreed, I dont really plan on doing anything too remote in the near future.

 

[Robert Gessler]

Space is precious in our TJs, if you haven't already discovered.

A cargo shelf in the rear really helps organize and secure the gear.

Replace the hard top bolts with eye bolts. Preferably with a "shoulder eye". This allows you to the things down. I tied up a cargo net that covers the rear cargo area. And a second net for the shelf.

Ratchet straps and cam lock straps are far better than bungie cords.

Tarred bank line is far better than paracord.

Learn how to tie a trucker's hitch.

Carry a good 5" knife, small hatchet and a 20" bow saw. You won't realistically need anything larger than that.

Mine has a swing out the carrier with gas can holders. I rarely use it for fuel, but it works great for a 5 gallon water can.

Shaker siphons really work.

Soft bags and containers use space more efficiently than hard cases.

Small containers attached to the rear wheel wells work great for tools and recovery gear that is usually kept with the Jeep.

There is room for a 50 cal ammo can under the hood if you move the cruise control out of the way a bit.

Buy a decent air compressor. I often find myself going from dirt to pavement multiple times a day. I'll do a quick time calculation on my head. If the time it takes to fill up is faster than the slower travel speeds, I'll fill the tires between legs of the trip.

It is extravagant, but one reason I built a York compressor is that it doesn't take up space in the cargo area. And it's fast!

Good shocks will make speedy travel over unpaved roads much better.

Maximize the up travel. Make sure the bump stops are only as long as they need to be. Again, this will allow for more speed and more comfort. A stock TJ has about 4" of up. Building to get 5-6" of up is delightful and very satisfying.

Increase ground clearance by moving stuff out of the way. Raise the transfer case and the gas tank. Savvy is the best option.

Mini skids on the front lower control arm brackets.

Lockers

Winch

A couple small LED cubes are nice when rolling into a camp site later than you expected.

Keep the build and the gear light. Focus on function and efficiency.

How do I figure out where to put the bumpstops?

 

[jjvw]

How do I figure out where to put the bumpstops?

Put the frame on jack stands, remove the coils and soft jounces and disconnect the sway bars. Use a floor jack to move the axle though its entire range of motion. The purpose of the bump stops is to stop the up travel. They ought to be extended to prevent the first point of interference. By interference, I mean parts crashing together. The steel cup needs to touch the axle pad before anything else mashes together. This typically means keeping the front tires out of the steel fenders at full flex (a light rub is fine) and keeping the rear shocks from over compressing at full bump.

Not extending the bumps leaves you open to damage that didn't need to happen. Anyone who says 31" tires don't need bump stop extension has not fully cycled their suspension. Flexing on a tree stump or a ramp is not good enough because neither can replicate the dynamic movements of a vehicle in motion.

 

[Rob5589]

Make sure you have a receiver hitch bumper with a rear mounted cargo basket. That will make storing stuff outside your Jeep so much easier!

The one issue with them is how low they are and your departure angle is significantly reduced. The other issue is the inability to open the tailgate when it is attached. I use one on a 10" drop hitch upside down. Gets it high enough to get better departure angles but I still run into the issue of the tailgate.

 

[Chris]

The one issue with them is how low they are and your departure angle is significantly reduced. The other issue is the inability to open the tailgate when it is attached. I use one on a 10" drop hitch upside down. Gets it high enough to get better departure angles but I still run into the issue of the tailgate.

I was using one in the same way you were, with a drop hitch positioned upside down.

I didn't have to worry about opening the tailgate since I stored everything in the cargo basket (in bins that I had tied down to it). Of course I also wasn't over-landing for days on end, so I didn't need the amount of stuff that the OP might, in which case you'd want the tailgate filled up and probably the cargo basket too. Still, I like the cargo basket idea better than a safari rack personally.

 

[Rob5589]

I was using one in the same way you were, with a drop hitch positioned upside down.

I didn't have to worry about opening the tailgate since I stored everything in the cargo basket (in bins that I had tied down to it). Of course I also wasn't over-landing for days on end, so I didn't need the amount of stuff that the OP might, in which case you'd want the tailgate filled up and probably the cargo basket too. Still, I like the cargo basket idea better than a safari rack personally.

I agree. I had a safari style rack on my XJ and it was a pita. 5" lift, 33's, and putting anything heavy in it was a back breaker.

 

[Chris]

I agree. I had a safari style rack on my XJ and it was a pita. 5" lift, 33's, and putting anything heavy in it was a back breaker.

Yes, my old black TJ came with a safari rack and I promptly got rid of it only 2 weeks into owning it.

Like you said, putting anything heavy up there was a back breaker. Way more effort than it was worth.

In addition, it made taking the top off even more complicated.

 

[Robert Gessler]

Yes, my old black TJ came with a safari rack and I promptly got rid of it only 2 weeks into owning it.

Like you said, putting anything heavy up there was a back breaker. Way more effort than it was worth.

In addition, it made taking the top off even more complicated.

Yeah I dont really want one of those exo roof racks because I love to take the hard top off now and then.

In terms of the amount of gear I will need I will probably never go overlanding alone because I have a few friends with mildly capable vehicles and will probably get at least one to come with me.

Basicly right now storage isnt a huge concern because I wont spend more than 3 days without going back to civilization. I can get by with a hammock or tent, sleeping bag, some MREs and my tools lol.

 

[Chris]

Yeah I dont really want one of those exo roof racks because I love to take the hard top off now and then.

In terms of the amount of gear I will need I will probably never go overlanding alone because I have a few friends with mildly capable vehicles and will probably get at least one to come with me.

Basicly right now storage isnt a huge concern because I wont spend more than 3 days without going back to civilization. I can get by with a hammock or tent, sleeping bag, some MREs and my tools lol.

I think in that case you’ll be fine with the space you have in the back (assuming you remove the rear seat) and a cargo carrier if you need the extra space. I wouldn’t have even needed the cargo carrier, but with kids in the back seat, there was basically no room inside the vehicle for extra storage.