1999 TJ SE just arrived!

JJSIX

JJSIX

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I was just gifted an awesome 1999 TJ by a family member and am looking for some help on what I should start with. This is my 3rd Jeep, had a JK and a JL but I love this little Jeep so much, can't wait to get it into shape.

I'm seeing a lot of rust underneath which kinda tracks with MD roads and all the salt. Now, in AL not going to be as much as a problem. I've started with plugs, wires, distributor cap, oil change, and working on flushing the coolant now. I'm hoping to change the diff oil, transmission fluid, and brake fluid next. With all the corrosion underneath though, any help on deciding what needs to happen next? Thanks!

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Nice jeep, I wish someone would gift me a TJ 😀. Have you inspected thoroughly the frame floorboards and body mounts as well as inside of frame? Assuming everything checks out it could make a good project/trail rig. I personally would never dd a 4 cylinder though.
 
97' 4 Popper said:
Nice jeep, I wish someone would gift me a TJ 😀. Have you inspected thoroughly the frame floorboards and body mounts as well as inside of frame? Assuming everything checks out it could make a good project/trail rig. I personally would never dd a 4 cylinder though.
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Yup, body mounts and frame all look pretty good. I went at the C's and the steering linkage with a wire brush and everything seems like surface rust. My plan right now is to swap out all the ball joints, regrease the crap out of everything and then do the gas tank skid next. Assuming that all goes smooth, thinking a 2.5 inch lift with all new control arms will be the answer.
 
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Any pictures of the frame rails?
Put your fingers in the holes of the frame how much rust debris is in there? Check the area on the frame by the rear upper control arm mounts.

If you are flushing the coolant try and clean out the heater core too.
 
Use a wire wheel attachment on a drill to clean up all surface rust, then paint everything with a stop rust paint. Check your local salvage yards for a gas tank skid.
 
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TheBoogieman said:
Your screen name is deceiving and Jeep info confusing. :unsure: ;)
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Mine I had it in 2019-2020 was so rusty it makes OP's look clean. I was very inexperienced I bought it for 1500, broke even selling it a year later at 2500. Even though it was just a second vehicle at the time it would routinely cause problems for me and others in heavy traffic especially merging on.

Looking at ops I am hopeful he will get a lot done and even if not can't go wrong with a gifted tj assuming the frame and floorboards are solidish.
 
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Went at the frame rails with a wire brush as suggested, rust comes off pretty easily. I'll try and get a pic of it near the rear uppers soon. There was some debris in the holes but seems like leaves and dirt, nothing more. When I did the flush, I also got the heater core, coolant looks good now and stays cool when driven at ~55. Also swapped out rotors (after a bit of a saga) and pads. The tires show some dry rot so I'll be kicking those off next with a cheap set, its confined to the road only till a lot more gets one. Since most of the bushings lower down are shot, I'll be doing shocks, diff covers/gaskets, steering rack, and sway bar end links next, they all seem like they're in the worst shape. I'll be coating the frame in rust stop paint at the same time.

Looked for a fuel tank skid, no luck on one that didn't look the same as mine, ended up ordering from quadratec.
 
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Make sure you spray the upper rear shock bolts with a good penetration spray like kroil, they break easily and suck to fix (ask me how I know). Make sure to post up good frame pics including the trans skid before dumping major bucks into it. You might want to loosen the six trans skid mounts to make sure they will spin out. Very common for the nut serts inside to break away from the frame rail, then you will definitely know the frame has issues.
 
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cliffish said:
Make sure you spray the upper rear shock bolts with a good penetration spray like kroil, they break easily and suck to fix (ask me how I know). Make sure to post up good frame pics including the trans skid before dumping major bucks into it. You might want to loosen the six trans skid mounts to make sure they will spin out. Very common for the nut serts inside to break away from the frame rail, then you will definitely know the frame has issues.
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Solid, I'll do that!
 
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Got some work done on her, frame looks pretty good and went at it for quite a while with wire brushes and the rust does seem to have rotted anything (except the fuel tank skid, that's awful). I got the driver rear cleaned up pretty well and coated in rust preventer, as well as the gas tank skid dropped, it was in really rough shape. Going to try and get the shocks and control arms swapped out tomorrow.

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Took a few more months but wire brushed all the rust off the frame, which was in surprisingly good shape, and coated with rust protector and then paint. New gas tank skid, control arms, shock, and steering rack followed plus new bumpers front and rear. Few other minors in but she seems to be all in good order and runs well!

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JJSIX said:
Took a few more months but wire brushed all the rust off the frame, which was in surprisingly good shape, and coated with rust protector and then paint. New gas tank skid, control arms, shock, and steering rack followed plus new bumpers front and rear. Few other minors in but she seems to be all in good order and runs well!

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Looking good. I bet you're glad it was "gifted" to you now. ;) It doesn't take long to empty a bank account.
 
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