Complete Steering and Suspension Refresh

Hello,

I hope everybody is well in these strange times. This is my first post so please go easy on me.

I am planning on refreshing my 2000 Wrangler TJ Sahara's steering and suspension this Spring/Summer. It is a 4.0 with a Dana 44 rear and Dana 30 front. I have done a lot of research and have a decent plan. I am hoping you all can point out any holes/ flaws in my plan. I am the third owner and the Jeep was well-maintained for its life up until now. The current suspension/steering set up seems to use comparable-to-stock parts. The ride height is definitely stock. Either way, with nearly 300,000 miles, a refresh is due. I currently run 31" tires and have no real need for larger tires. My goal in this refresh is to improve the ride quality and handling, and replace any wear items.

The plan:

Rancho RS5000x shocks with H & R springs for a conservative 1" lift and improved ride.

• I think I will need new bump stops, how do I figure out which bump stops are compatible?
• I am not opposed to a 2" lift using a different set of springs but based on https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/a-beginners-guide-to-lifting-your-jeep-wrangler-tj.733/ , that could complicate things. I'd like to keep the build pretty simple and I definitely don't want to overspend $$$. I would love to have a bit more lift and run larger tires but I'm not sure its worth it for how I use the Jeep.

New Crown Automotive control arms:

• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MPVWEBY/?tag=wranglerorg-20
• Do these come with bushings already set?
• Will they work fine at stock height or with 1" of lift.

I will be replacing the ball joints. I understand spicer is the way to go.

I will replace the steering stabilizer with a new, basic Rancho stabilizer.

My questions:

• Do I need to replace the front and rear track bars or just the bushings?
• Do I need to replace the old drag link and tie rod? Should I, will it dramatically improve handling?
• Is there any other wear items that I have missed that need to get done as far as steering and suspension are concerned?

I would like to get all the work done in one go to avoid having to disassemble and reassemble the wheel-well assemblies more than once. Is there any other wear items I should try to knock out while I'm doing this work? I'm thinking things like the unit bearings, u-joints and axle seals, but I am not sure if I need to address those right now. I did recently replace the rear axle bearings and seals so maybe the fronts are due.

Sorry for the long post, just trying to be thorough. Any guidance is appreciated!

Chris said:

You only need to replace the bushings. However, often times you'll find it's just as cheap (and easier) to buy a replacement track bar with new bushings already in it.



Only the ends. It will improve handling only if the stock ones are worn out.



I would also replace the ball joints if you have no history of when they were done last. See this thread:

See this thread: Wrangler TJ Ball Joint Replacement

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Chris,

Thanks for replying! Thats a great tip, I will look for track bars with preset bushings. And I will definitely be replacing my ball joints with a set of Spicers.

How can I tell if my drag link ends and tie rod ends are worn out?

Chris said:

Yep, you can look for Crown, OMIX-ADA, Moog, or Dorman. They all make factory replacement track bars with bushings already in them. Sometimes that's the cheaper route to go (and easier).

Are the tie rod and drag link end boots cracked or leaking grease? If the vehicle has 300k miles on them and they are original, there is no doubt in my mind they are done for.

If you have someone turn the steering wheel back-and-forth while the vehicle is running and you are looking under the front, if you see any slop at all in the steering, that's a good indicator of worn parts.
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I'll try that. They probably have been replaced, I just couldn't tell you when. The 1st owner definitely took care of this jeep and regularly replaced any broken bits. The 2nd owner was a friend of mine who only had it for 6 months.

afitzray97 said:

5000x shocks sound good. You can replace the bushings on your control arms at rockauto instead of buying whole new control arms. I would think the metal arm is good unless you’ve been in a wreck or something. Maybe just a quick spray paint job while you have the arm off if you want it to look nicer.

Rockauto will also direct you to the correct bumpstops. Moog brand is good for stock set ups. I’d also get sway bar bushings while you’re doing all this. They wear out easily. Also track bar bushings as you suggested. No real need to replace the actual bars though.

I’ve been happy with the cheaper Monroe steering stabilizer on multiple previous Jeeps. The stabilizer doesn’t do as much as you might expect and the Monroe is as good as stock equipment.

Tie rod and drag link bars should still be good but you can get new tie rod ends and would prob notice an improvement.

Bearings ujoints and seals are a little more involved and if you’re not trying to spend more than necessary I wouldn’t replace unless you check them and they indicate that they’re not still good. Maybe they’ve been replaced before By a previous owner since you’re at 300k.

Good looking jeep you’ve got there.

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Thanks man! Yea, the 1st owner definitely took care of this Jeep, people don't believe it has as many miles as it does.

Anyway, I could essentially replace the relevant bushings and rod ends and get a marked improvement in ride and handling. That seems like the easiest and cheapest plan. Will the original control arms work fine with the new springs? I figure it should be fine, it's only an inch.

Chris said:

With those miles I would guess they have been replaced. Of course it never hurts to do them anyways. They are cheap, easy, and at least you'll have a record of when they were done last.

It sounds (and looks) like someone took good care of it, in which case the miles don't mean as much.

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Yup, plan is to keep her going as long as possible. I'll try to knock them out soon to give myself peace of mind.

pagrey said:

I don't think you need different bump stops. My 0-2" RS5000X shocks didn't need extended bumps stops.



I used to recommend this but have had several bushings tear away from the control arm on the trail shortly after they were pressed in. I think the control arms with bushings are a better choice now.

I would strongly suggest learning how to test things and not just blindly replace them. The steering stabilizer is a great example, if it doesn't leak and still has good resistance there is no point in replacing it. Another thing to consider, the ball joints in the Dana 30 can only be replaced a few times before the bores are ruined. I'd personally just learn how to test the ball joint, you will much better off in the long run.

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You're right about learning to test things. I'm learning as I go! I'll go through and test all these things tomorrow. I definitely need new bump stops though, they are visibly in bad shape.

I'll test the ball joints especially, it seems easy enough. How would I know if the bores are at risk of being ruined?

Not_Invented_Here_ said:

Just chiming in as someone who recently replaced both track bars, did the full zj steering refresh, rancho shocks, monroe steering stabilizer, etc...I used Crown, Moog, and Monroe. I will use Spicer for the ball joints when the time comes.

I personally think it's worth it to do it all at the same time and you will notice a substantial increase in ride quality if those parts are currently worn. I'd do it all together but that's just me. Don't be scared of Crown or the other more budget friendly brands. If you aren't beating the shit out of your rig or running huge tires, you should be just fine with all of that.

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Thanks for the tips! Yea, I'd love to get it all done at once to really feel the difference. Ultimately, I just want a well sorted TJ, nothing crazy. Also, Rancho shocks seem like a superb value.

Chris said:

Well, if it makes you feel any better, one guy on here had 600k on his 4.0 before he sold it.

Only things he ever had to do was routine maintenance he said, and rebuilding the transmission every 200k miles, which is normal.

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Yup, that post is one of the reasons why I even agreed to buy the car despite its high mileage! She has been great so far.

Here she is last weekend in the Poconos, PA.

B00mb00m said:

Ahhhh so if you leave the jeep stock then you don't have to replace everything every 5,000 miles? Is that what you're telling me? Why aren't more people aware of this!? We got to tell some people, spread the word.

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can't tell if this is directed at me or jeepers in general