Opinions on a TJ I am about to purchase

SPECHA

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Joined
Jan 14, 2020
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38
Location
Adelaide, Australia
Hi guys, I’m new here so apologies if this is wrong section etc.

I’m about to purchase this Jeep tomorrow and I’m keen to hear what you guys think are a few things I should first maybe consider doing to it.

I’m thinking maybe a lift kit and some wheels. I’m by no means an expert so any advice would be appreciated.
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Welcome to the addiction! Personally, I'm always a fan of spending money first on ensuring reliability, i.e. on maintenance. Mileage and condition dictate what to focus on, but usually fluids, brakes, steering, cooling system, tune up etc. are the areas to go first. Once maintenance is done, you can map out where to start modifying, based on how you'll use the Jeep.
 
Ask yourself what you want to do with the Jeep, set goals, get a plan, then start. Maintenance is always a good starting point no matter what
 
There are lots of free mods you can do.

I’d be getting rid of the mud flaps, chrome nerf bars, and tube bumper ASAP.

Then lift, new wheels, tires
 
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thanks for the advice so far. I will focus on maintenance to start with.

I should add what my goals are. I will be using it for the most part on normal roads and the beach. I feel a small lift would provide slightly bigger tyres and this for me will make it look a bit meaner! As it’s more of a daily drive - I want to try to make it a smoother ride - any tips? Thanks
 
Hi guys, I’m new here so apologies if this is wrong section etc.

I’m about to purchase this Jeep tomorrow and I’m keen to hear what you guys think are a few things I should first maybe consider doing to it.

I’m thinking maybe a lift kit and some wheels. I’m by no means an expert so any advice would be appreciated. View attachment 134449
You're wise to be thinking of this one since it has the 4.0 Can't go wrong with that engine. I know from experience
 
thanks for the advice so far. I will focus on maintenance to start with.

I should add what my goals are. I will be using it for the most part on normal roads and the beach. I feel a small lift would provide slightly bigger tyres and this for me will make it look a bit meaner! As it’s more of a daily drive - I want to try to make it a smoother ride - any tips? Thanks

For a daily driver you can run 31" tires which does not require any mods and gives a meaner stance over what looks to be OEM size tires.

31x10.5 R15
 
That's not a bad looking TJ. Hopefully the frame where the skid plate and the lower control arms bolt on is just as good.

After changing all the fluids that Jeep really doesn't need anything to hit the beach but the 31" tires already mentioned would make it look much better.
 
This is your daily driver or a play truck? What's your budget for upgrading? This is the most crucial piece of info as the options of what to do with the TJ are endless!
 
This is your daily driver or a play truck? What's your budget for upgrading? This is the most crucial piece of info as the options of what to do with the TJ are endless!

I’d say it’s abit of both. Due to where I work I get the train 3 days a week. When I do drive to work I’m looking at around a 20 minute trip. Adelaide is pretty small and so I’m never going to be going on massive journeys in it.

I got it because we’ve got a Jeep Cherokee but that’s auto and I used to have a manual Ford Astra. As the other half can’t drive manual I’d get shafted if we wanted to go separate places and I’d always drive the Astra. So I thought well I want to get something which I’m going to enjoy - hence the TJ.

The budget can be added to as we go along. That being said I’ve got around 2.5k aud for wheels and tyres. I’ve reached the conclusion that I don’t need to be putting a lift kit on it as I won’t be using it for off road purposes a great deal. My goal is for an aesthetic Tj that I can enjoy driving.

Thanks
 
I agree, if on road manners is a desire, a lift and bigger tires aren't going to do that on a budget.

How can I achieve a smoother ride with the TJ? Also I’m going to get 31’s as recommended - if and I mean if I decided to get a small lift down the track - would 31’s still look decent do you think?
 
Here is a pic of my Jeep sitting on 31x10.5x15's. Mine is stock hight. As you can see the tires stick out passed the fenders a little. I like the look of it like that. :D

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Here is a side shot.

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Mine is pretty well stock as far as suspension goes, (as far as I know). I run my tire psi at about 28 lbs. That (to me) gives it a pretty smooth ride going down the road.
 
Here is a pic of my Jeep sitting on 31x10.5x15's. Mine is stock hight. As you can see the tires stick out passed the fenders a little. I like the look of it like that. :D

View attachment 134697

Here is a side shot.

View attachment 134698

Mine is pretty well stock as far as suspension goes, (as far as I know). I run my tire psi at about 28 lbs. That (to me) gives it a pretty smooth ride going down the road.

The wheels look great. So as everyone is saying 15’s for rims - can you not put bigger rims on the JT? Not that I want to anyway but I’m curious. I quite like these

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How can I achieve a smoother ride with the TJ? Also I’m going to get 31’s as recommended - if and I mean if I decided to get a small lift down the track - would 31’s still look decent do you think?
Here's mine on 31's with a 2.5 inch lift. Your shocks and tire pressure will make the difference in ride quality. I had some really bad/cheap Rough Country shocks on my Jeep early on and ran my tires at 35 psi. After seeing many on the forum recommend 26-28 psi for on-road use, and a bit of experimenting, I now run mine at 28 psi.

As for shocks, I run OME (Old Man Emu) and they're much, much better than the Rough Country shocks they replaced. I don't have personal experience for comparison, but many here recommend Ranchos for a smoother ride (I don't know the model # off the top of my head).

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