Upgrades for Shawn’s 99 TJ - School’s in session

ShawnC

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Joined
Sep 8, 2021
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11
Location
Roseville, CA
Hi Everyone,
I bought a ‘99 TJ 4.0L manual (3.73 gearing) last month and have been heavily reading and learning since. This is my first post, and I value your input on what should be my next steps.

Picture as bought - was told it was stock and has 30x9.5R15 tires:

stock.jpg


First, I was told this TJ was stock when I bought it from the 2nd owner, so perhaps he wasn’t aware what the first owner did, but please confirm my understanding, that I see a 1” body lift with 1” transfer case drop, as well as a sagging 2” budget coil lift. If I’m right, what things do I need to check for to ensure the 1” body lift is in good condition and can be left alone? Then I can focus on a suspension lift to fit 33s.

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I wrapped the spare in 33x12.5 to confirm that it rubs just shy of full turn. So, I can either buy 1” spacers, or instead go with 33x10.5. I’m leaning towards the 10.5 to decrease weight, decrease wear on the Jeep, and increase road handling. I like the wide look of the 12.5”, but I’m not convinced I need it over the 10.5” for the occasional off roading I do. I just navigated a beginner trail by me (Signal Peak) on the “stock” setup pictured above, and I’m not interested in pushing my limits beyond that with the Fordyce trail, at the moment anyways.

stock-33s.jpg


I assume that going with 10.5” instead of 12.5” means I also don’t have to deal with a spacer with wanting to reuse my stock 15” rims, correct?

So with the 1” body lift already done, and wanting go up to 33” tires, I’m looking at a 3” coil lift with Rancho RS5000x shocks. Reading they run long, for my planned 4” lift, do I buy the 0-2” (RS55128/RS55240) or the longer ones (RS55139/RS55241)?

For the 3” coil lift, I’m intimidated by piecing it together with my lack of experience, so was looking at this Teraflex kit where I may pay a little extra, but it comes with instructions and hopefully good customer support if needed.

https://www.extremeterrain.com/teraflex-3-lift-kit-w-quick-disconnects-9706-tj.html

If I’ve been reading the right things to do on this forum, then going with a 4” lift also has me needing to upgrade the following:

  • Adjustable Track Bars
    • Included in Teraflex kit is bracket to use existing Track bars?
  • SYE with a double cardon driveshaft
    • Not needed if lowering transfer case included in Teraflex kit
    • For my level of off roading, I could start with lowering transfer case and then later on upgrade to SYE and tummy tuck if I want to up my game
  • Upper double adjustable control arms
  • Lower rear adjustable control arms
  • Extend Brake Lines
    • Need to see if this is already done

How’s my list look? Any down sides or bad experience with the 3” Teraflex lift kit? I’ll be doing all the work myself, learning along the way with my son. No hurry to get it done, I just want to get it done right and learn from it.
 
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Welcome to the forum! Love the Jeep, that's one of my favorite colors of the TJ!

I'm sure others will be able to answer your questions better than I can, but I'll give it a shot.

You definitely have a body lift and t-case drop and looks like that is a coil spacer. You might be okay with a 10.5" wide tire but probably your best bet would to get wheels that have more backspacing than the stock wheels, then you would be able to run 12.5" without spacers. With the lift, it's pretty universally agreed upon that you need about 4" of lift to run 33's. You can fit them on about 2.5" but you wouldn't have as much room in the fender to flex off road. 3" of lift, along with the 1" BL already on your Jeep, would be enough to run 33's.

My advice to you would be to wait on lift and bigger tires for a little bit, just to see how it performs with the current set up. You will be very surprised at how much you can do in a stock TJ. I got my Jeep a little over a year ago and was very eager to get it lifted with bigger tires as well. After wheeling it at stock height with 31's I realized it will do everything I need it to in that set up, since I only do moderate off-roading. If you still feel like you need more after driving it then by all means go for it! With recommendation's from people on this forum, I plan on doing the OME (Old Man Emu) 2" lift soon and sticking with 31's.
 
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You will be very surprised at how much you can do in a stock TJ.
I have been surprised what it can do already with that trip up Signal Peak. However, I want to replace my shocks to deal with some rough riding over bumps on road and off, so since I'm already replacing those, I don't want to have to buy them twice, so just plan on doing the coil lift at the same time. Plus, you may have noticed in the picture I have a missing nut due to a stipped Sway Bar Link bolt, so might as well replace with quick disconnects to fix that.
You might be okay with a 10.5" wide tire but probably your best bet would to get wheels that have more backspacing than the stock wheels
Can anyone confirm if my stock 15" rim can have 33x10.5R15 tires without needing a spacer?
 
I have been surprised what it can do already with that trip up Signal Peak. However, I want to replace my shocks to deal with some rough riding over bumps on road and off, so since I'm already replacing those, I don't want to have to buy them twice, so just plan on doing the coil lift at the same time. Plus, you may have noticed in the picture I have a missing nut due to a stipped Sway Bar Link bolt, so might as well replace with quick disconnects to fix that.

Can anyone confirm if my stock 15" rim can have 33x10.5R15 tires without needing a spacer?
Makes since! Definitely don't blame you for wanting new shocks 😆
 
You need wheels with at least 4" of back spacing or the tires will rub up front at full lock. You can add a washer on the steering stops to help that a little. For springs, try 3" BDS or Procomp. Savvy or Currie used to make a 3" spring, but I don't think they do anymore. It's tough to find the right shock lengths for a 3" spring, but the 55239/55241 Rancho combo gets you close to a 50/50 bias. Don't forget to add bump stop extensions. Here is mine on 3" SL, 0.5" BL with 33" KO2's. Oh, and welcome from another NorCal Jeeper!
20210418_125731.jpg
 
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You need wheels with at least 4" of back spacing or the tires will rub up front at full lock. You can add a washer on the steering stops to help that a little. For springs, try 3" BDS or Procomp. Savvy or Currie used to make a 3" spring, but I don't think they do anymore. It's tough to find the right shock lengths for a 3" spring, but the 55239/55241 Rancho combo gets you close to a 50/50 bias. Don't forget to add bump stop extensions. Here is mine on 3" SL, 0.5" BL with 33" KO2's. Oh, and welcome from another NorCal Jeeper!
View attachment 275711
I believe Savvy still makes them.
 
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You need wheels with at least 4" of back spacing or the tires will rub up front at full lock.
Thanks for the info. I just measured and my rim has 5.5" of back spacing, so that means I would need a 1.5" spacer if I want to keep using these stock rims.

It's tough to find the right shock lengths for a 3" spring, but the 55239/55241 Rancho combo gets you close to a 50/50 bias
The Rancho description agrees with you, but I wasn't sure about comments I read here about these shocks running long, so thanks.
 
You need wheels with at least 4" of back spacing or the tires will rub up front at full lock. You can add a washer on the steering stops to help that a little. For springs, try 3" BDS or Procomp. Savvy or Currie used to make a 3" spring, but I don't think they do anymore. It's tough to find the right shock lengths for a 3" spring, but the 55239/55241 Rancho combo gets you close to a 50/50 bias. Don't forget to add bump stop extensions. Here is mine on 3" SL, 0.5" BL with 33" KO2's. Oh, and welcome from another NorCal Jeeper!
View attachment 275711
sorry, off-topic, but what rock slider is that? Looks great.
 
Hi, looks like a nice project, will be following along.

I am a newbie myself, but not sure all your questions have been answered so thought I would try and pick up on some. But health warning, this is mostly based on what I have read, not what I have done, so does not compare to advice somebody with real world experience.
I wrapped the spare in 33x12.5 to confirm that it rubs just shy of full turn. So, I can either buy 1” spacers, or instead go with 33x10.5. I’m leaning towards the 10.5 to decrease weight, decrease wear on the Jeep, and increase road handling. I like the wide look of the 12.5”, but I’m not convinced I need it over the 10.5” for the occasional off roading I do. I just navigated a beginner trail by me (Signal Peak) on the “stock” setup pictured above, and I’m not interested in pushing my limits beyond that with the Fordyce trail, at the moment anyways...

..I assume that going with 10.5” instead of 12.5” means I also don’t have to deal with a spacer with wanting to reuse my stock 15” rims, correct?
I asked a similar question. The advice from @Jerry Bransford (so you know it was sound advice based on many years of experience) was that a 10.5" will be OK on a stock wheel with more backspace if I add a washer or two to the steering stop bolts - see here https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/what-is-widest-tire-i-can-put-on-16x7-wheels.54919/post-958924

For the 3” coil lift, I’m intimidated by piecing it together with my lack of experience, so was looking at this Teraflex kit where I may pay a little extra, but it comes with instructions and hopefully good customer support if needed.

https://www.extremeterrain.com/teraflex-3-lift-kit-w-quick-disconnects-9706-tj.html

I get the confidence and experience point, I am with you there. But at $944 that kit looks very expensive given you are not getting shocks in it. Alternatively you could buy:
2.5" Rough Country springs (I know they are RC, but the view seems to be the springs are fine) for $220
OME rear track bar relocation bracket and hardware for $22
JKS front quicker disconnects at $175
JKS rear adjustable links at $75 - though from reading posts here these do not seem to be an essential item
OME bump stop spacers at £23
Transfer case drop kit - you already have one
Maybe there will be a few bits of hardware on top, but that gets you there for about $515. You can then use some of that saved money to buy an adjustable front track bar that is not included in the Terraflex kit.

If I’ve been reading the right things to do on this forum, then going with a 4” lift also has me needing to upgrade the following:

  • Adjustable Track Bars
    • Included in Teraflex kit is bracket to use existing Track bars?
  • SYE with a double cardon driveshaft
    • Not needed if lowering transfer case included in Teraflex kit
    • For my level of off roading, I could start with lowering transfer case and then later on upgrade to SYE and tummy tuck if I want to up my game
  • Upper double adjustable control arms
  • Lower rear adjustable control arms
  • Extend Brake Lines
    • Need to see if this is already done
You refer to this as a 4" lift, but the reference to lift height here is usually to the suspension lift component and then to the body lift separately, so in your case it is a 3" suspension lift and 1" body lift - or if you take my suggested alternative route a 2.5" SC and 1" BL. With that lift you are going to be on the margin in terms of needing an SYE and DC drive shaft. Your transfer case has been lowered which will help. The other thing you can look at is to do a motor mount lift, based on everything I read that in combination with the TC drop has a really good chance of meaning you do not need the SYE and DC driveshaft if you do not want to add that cost. As you have a body lift already it may even be that you already have a MML - take a look under the hood to see what the engine mounts look like and / or to see if the fan shroud has been modified, that should tell you.

I hope that helps in some way.
 
Alternatively you could buy:
2.5" Rough Country springs (I know they are RC, but the view seems to be the springs are fine) for $220
OME rear track bar relocation bracket and hardware for $22
JKS front quicker disconnects at $175
JKS rear adjustable links at $75 - though from reading posts here these do not seem to be an essential item
OME bump stop spacers at £23
Thanks for the advise. I agree with the logic and have changed my mind based on feedback like yours and more reading on this forum. Instead of a 3” coil lift kit, I’m going to keep the 1” body lift and replace the saggy 2” budget coil spacers with new coils to maintain the 2” coil lift. Then instead of 33s, I’m going with 31s to learn what this Jeep can do with this setup, before I buckle to peer pressure and go straight to 33s and a 4” lift.
 
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The advice from @Jerry Bransford (so you know it was sound advice based on many years of experience) was that a 10.5" will be OK on a stock wheel with more backspace if I add a washer or two to the steering stop bolts - see here
You were, and the advice is sound. I just had to add 1 washer.

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E6AE0E9E-257E-4A62-A2C3-D36C02488A88.jpeg
 
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I was looking at replacing the stock bumper until I read up here on stubby bumper mods to realize that will suite my needs. I was also given a friendly reminder by local law enforcement that I need to have my license plate displayed on the front of my vehicle rather than stored under my passenger seat. So, I took the OEM bumper ends off, and replaced them with 3D printed end caps found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4729920 . If they break, no problem, it’s only $1.21 of filament to reprint.

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I then took the hardware from the OEM bumper ends, drilled a couple holes in the middle of the bumper, and made a license plate holder.

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Last small project was to make a TJ key fob.

Someone already created a JL key chain I found on thingiverse, so I just modified the grill and headlights to resemble a TJ https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4954636

Jeep TJ keychain2_sm.jpg
 
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This looks like a solid rust free platform to work from! (y)
 
I'll take a jeep keychain please! Hell if you share the file I can print it at work. (* just saw the link, thanks!) Nice work and one of my favorite colors too.
 
PRODUCT WARNING! RedRock 4x4 Fuel Filler Door Cover

I bought this from Extreme Terrain:

https://www.extremeterrain.com/redr...fuel-filler-door-cover-old-glory-j138788.html
While the exterior met my expectations, the decription did not mention that back half of the product was plastic and that it did not use the factory outer screws, but relied on flimsy plastic tabs.

One tab broke off, I submitted a return ticket to Extreme Terrain, and they issued me a full refund. So I've been happy with their customer service, but do not recommend this product.

IMG-0256.jpg
 
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PRODUCT WARNING! RedRock 4x4 Fuel Filler Door Cover

I bought this from Extreme Terrain:

https://www.extremeterrain.com/redr...fuel-filler-door-cover-old-glory-j138788.html
While the exterior met my expectations, the decription did not mention that back half of the product was plastic and that it did not use the factory outer screws, but relied on flimsy plastic tabs.

One tab broke off, I submitted a return ticket to Extreme Terrain, and they issued me a full refund. So I've been happy with their customer service, but do not recommend this product.

View attachment 277618
I got a similar product from Amazon I was disappointed too that it didn’t actually screw in to the body but I didn’t have any broken tabs like that. It still works well as a replacement for my cracked stock one but thinking about looking for something else. Mine has a lock which I really like