Cherry gets a makeover

[Fletcher]

First Post/Thread Disclaimer (proceed at your own risk):

~~~ Purchase Date: 2021.02.09 ~~~
~~~ Latest Update: 2021.04.08 ~~~

I'm a first-time TJ owner, so this is all new to me.​

I'm pretty comfortable working on vehicles (mostly chevy/dodge trucks so far, but I've taken to it pretty quickly) and I'm excited to learn more because owning a half-door TJ has always been a dream of mine.​

With that said, I have so much to learn and any help/comments are much appreciated... thanks in advance y'all, this seems like a great group already in the few posts I've read.​

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Completed Items​

Upcoming Items​

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Bought a 98 TJ off my brother and I'm fixing it up. She has 130k miles and was initially babied as a high school starter vehicle (x2) with <6k miles per year, but sat over the last year when my brother got a new daily driver. I believe the only mods are a 1.5” body level + 1.5” spacers all around, but the rest is stock.

I'm stripping it down, going to replace most everything under the hood, and raptor line all the red paint while everything is stripped out - going to be a ranch vehicle & no paint will survive a few weekends in the mesquite without Ceramic Pro or some other expensive junk.

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Before I drove it back to my house...​

1. New Oil & Filter (runs okay, but can't diagnose an annoying 1st gear rattle in 2WD, goes away in 4WD, could just be loose gearbox)
2. Optima Red Top
3. Remove aftermarket speakers on the roll cage and pull the wire that kept grounding out.
4. Remove seats, roll bar covers that are worn and tattered.
5. Pull center console and seats
6. Pull fenders

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Raptor Lining Prep (Sand & Priming)​

1. Fender flares going to the dump, no-one wants them...
2. Bust off old bolts/drill out sheared ones
3. Sand interior to 40/60/80 grit
4. Blast removal (60-90 grit) on any hard-to-reach rusted component (e-brake, etc.)
   • The portable blaster is really useful for nooks & crannies that you can't get to the blast cabinet
5. Por-15 Rust Prep on minor rust spots
6. Pop dents, Bondo filler on what can't be popped.

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DIY Raptor Lining (Mesquite-Proofing)​

1. Disassemble Doors & Dash, blast and tape dash off
2. Raptor Lining (I'll probably catch hell for this but you should see my truck... I don't want to deal with the scratches anymore... ha!!!)
   • Hit with wire cutting tape (this stuff works really well underneath painter's tape...
   • Interior: Desert Tan
   • Exterior: OD Green
   • Engine Bay: Black/Tan
   • Pull Tailgate, Hood, Doors & disassemble for separate spraying
3. Bust out old bolts, new bolt kits from Jeep Bolts, where needed...

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Under the Hood Upgrades​

1. Upgraded Starter/Alternator to keep up with higher output electrical
   • Mopar Starter
   • MOPAR 117A Alternator was out of stock everywhere I checked
   • Update: the Durango 160A Alternator didn't fit my bracket even remotely
     • Went with PA Performance Alternator
2. New Spark Plugs + Wire/Tune-Up Kit with Boot
3. New NGK Ignition Coils
4. New Sensors
   • 02 Sensors (thanks @Chris )
   • Crankshaft Position
5. Doing this super helpful Cooling Overhaul (thanks @Chris )
   • Waterpump
   • Thermostat/Housing/Water Outlet Seal
   • Water Pump Inlet Tube
   • ABDS Belt
   • Thermostat
   • Thermostat Housing/Water Outlet
   • Thermostat Gasket
   • Radiator(Manual Transmission)
   • Upper Radiator Hose
   • Lower Radiator Hose
   • Fan Clutch
   • Replacement Radiator Cap
   • Lower Heater Hose
   • Upper Heater Hose

​

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Exterior Parts​

1. Barricade Fender Flares
2. Barricade Rock Sliders
3. Steering Box Skid Plate
4. Barricade QD Rectangular Mirrors
5. Rough Country Hydraulic Hood Assist

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TBD Under the Hood other items...​

1. Flush & Swap Fluids (leaving towards the end)
   • Brake Lines
   • Power Steering
   • Transfer Case/Transmission/Rear Diff
     • Including New Gaskets
     • Potentially new internals if it's too chunky (fingers crossed)
2. A/C Accumulator got this for $5 on RockAuto, but I don't have the refrigeration equipment to do the vacuum work so I'm tabling this for now...

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TBD Welding & Metalwork​

1. Weld-In back seat brackets onto floor/fender with 1.5" angle L iron lower seat, making the back seat bench rear-facing and setting the top of new trunk storage
2. Weld-in 1/4" plate across fender wells
3. Weld-/Bolt- in a rear toolbox underneath rear seats
4. Weld-on rigid molle panel for gun storage, etc. between rear seats and front seats
5. New Hinges from JeepBolts.com
6. New Brackets for Lightbars (see the last section)
7. Bust out old bolts, new bolt kits from Jeep Bolts, where needed...

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TBD Other Exterior & Body Work​

1. Smittybilt SRC Front Stinger Bumper
2. RedRock 4x4 Rock Crawler Rear Bumper w/ Tire Carrier
3. Mammoth D Window Black Wagon Wheel 15x8 Wheels
4. New Tires (leaning Mickey Thompson Baja Pro XS), size depending on lift, etc.
5. Skid Row Offroad Radiator Guard
6. Rugged Ridge Off-Road Jack Hood Mounting Bracket
7. Angry Eyes Matte Black Headlight Conversion

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Electrical..................​

1. Auxillary Battery Setup (see attachment/below for my initial wiring diagram draft)
   • Second Optima Yellow-Top
   • SmittyBilt Dual Battery Tray
   • Isolator/Fuse Panel
   • Secondary Fuse Panel
   • 200A Inline Breakers, etc...
2. IF YOU'RE FAIRLY NEW TO AUXILIARY FUSE BOXES, THIS IS A GREAT VIDEO TUTORIAL
3. RC Pro Series Winch (9,500 lbs) — thanks @Jimmydidit23
4. LiteDOTs LED Tail Lights
5. Axial LED Daymaker Headlights
6. 40" Curved CREE LED Overhead Front Bar
7. (4) 10" CREE LED Side Bars Above all 4 fenders
8. Still looking into a PA System potentially
   • Whelen 295 Compact — thanks @Jimmydidit23
   • HornBlasters 100W Public Address with Sirens
9. Looking into a HAM radio dash kit/whip antenna (50/50 here)

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Uncharted waters(I haven't done any of this work, but looking for parts & recommendations, probably a third party here)​

1. Looking into 4" Teraflex lift or maybe a long-arm depending on how the paychecks look this year — HA!
2. Drivetrain
   • Axles
     • Front: Dana 30/186
     • Rear: 175mm w/ 3.07 Ratio
   • Differentials
   • Drive Shaft Check
   • Transfer Case
   • U-Joint
3. Suspension (Currently Normal Duty, wanting to upgrade)
   • Springs
   • Shocks
   • Struts
   • Stabilizer Bar

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Thanks again for any advice here y'all — just joined in February so looking forward to the next year or so of building it out. Will keep this updated once I figure out how these threads work, etc. ​

- Fletcher​

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[Chris]

Great first post! I'm looking forward to following the build

 

[Kiwi TJ]

Good on ya for taking back to 'nothing' before the rebuild.....if you have worked on other cars the Jeep should be fairly easy

 

[L J]

welcome and congrats on your TJ

a couple of things stood out to me:

O2 sensors: avoid Bosch. Buy only NTK (available on RockAuto) or MOPAR

light duty winch .. 4500lbs: is that your assumed weight of the TJ? Get no less than an 8000 lb winch.

 

[Fletcher]

Good on ya for taking back to 'nothing' before the rebuild.....if you have worked on other cars the Jeep should be fairly easy

Thanks Kiwi, good on y’a for holding it down with the right vehicle down there

 

[Fletcher]

welcome and congrats on your TJ

a couple of things stood out to me:

O2 sensors: avoid Bosch. Buy only NTK (available on RockAuto) or MOPAR

light duty winch .. 4500lbs: is that your assumed weight of the TJ? Get no less than an 8000 lb winch.

RE O2: I’ll look into mopar
RE: Winch: I’ll look into it more but I don’t know if I’ll be able to get circuit breakers big enough, peak draw on those 7,500+ are like 340A, just don’t want to blow my battery

 

[L J]

I don’t know if I’ll be able to get circuit breakers big enough

Circuit breakers? You wire the winch directly to the battery.

peak draw on those 7,500+ are like 340A, just don’t want to blow my battery

That's not remotely a concern.

 

[Fletcher]

Circuit breakers? You wire the winch directly to the battery.



That's not remotely a concern.

I was going to break the hot 2 gauge from auxiliary side post, but direct works too I guess

 

[Fletcher]

Circuit breakers? You wire the winch directly to the battery.



That's not remotely a concern.

Also RE: 340A, I’m still trying to calculate auxiliary peak loads... don’t have my wiring quite figured out but I’ll probably put an inline circuit breaker at the side post, something like 100+100+100+50 just to be safe.

Thanks for assurance because I’ve heard bad stories of having overpowered winches, but that may be exaggerated...

 

[L J]

I was going to break the hot 2 gauge from auxiliary side post, but direct works too I guess

I should clarify. From the control box straight to the battery.

Thanks for assurance because I’ve heard bad stories of having overpowered winches, but that may be exaggerated...

Myself, mrblaine, Jerry Bransford and several other members all have Warn 9.5k lb 6hp winches.

 

[Fletcher]

I should clarify. From the control box straight to the battery.

View attachment 225277

We’re on the same page. I was thinking something like this...

 

[Jimmydidit23]

First Post/Thread Disclaimer (proceed at your own risk):

I'm a first-time TJ owner, so this is all new to me.​

I'm pretty comfortable working on vehicles (mostly chevy/dodge trucks so far, but I've taken to it pretty quickly) and I'm excited to learn more because owning a half-door TJ has always been a dream of mine.​

With that said, I have so much to learn and any help/comments are much-appreciated... thanks in advance y'all, this seems like a great group already in the few posts I've read.​

View attachment 225022

---

Bought a 98 TJ off my brother and I'm fixing it up. She has 130k miles and was initially babied as a high school starter vehicle (x2) with <6k miles per year, but sat over the last year when my brother got a new daily driver. I believe the only mods are a 1.5” body level + 1.5” spacers all around, but the rest is stock.

I'm stripping it down, going to replace most everything under the hood, and raptor line all the red paint while everything is stripped out - going to be a ranch vehicle & no paint will survive a few weekends in the mesquite without Ceramic Pro or some other expensive junk.

---

Completed Items​

1. New Oil & Filter (runs okay, but can't diagnose an annoying 1st gear rattle in 2WD, goes away in 4WD, could just be loose gear box)
2. Optima Yellow-Top
3. Remove aftermarket speakers on the roll cage and pull the wire that kept grounding out.
4. Remove seats, roll bar covers that are worn and tattered.
5. Pull center console and seats

View attachment 225025View attachment 225028View attachment 225027View attachment 225026

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DIY Raptor Lining (Mesquite-Proofing) & Welding Mods​

1. Giving away the old fender covers (any takers?!? Just pay shipping I need shop space)
2. Bust off old bolts/drill out sheared ones
3. Sand interior to 40/60/80 grit
4. Rust Electrolysis removal on any rusted component (e-brake, etc.)
5. Por-15 Rust Prep on minor rust spots
6. Weld-In back seat brackets, making the back seat bench rear-facing
7. Weld-/Bolt- in a rear toolbox underneath rear seats
8. Weld-on homemade molle panel for gun storage, etc. between rear seats and front seats
9. New Hinges from JeepBolts.com
10. New Brackets for Lighting/Winch (see last section)
11. Raptor Lining
    • Interior: Tan
    • Exterior: OD Green
    • I KNOW I'LL CATCH HELL FOR THIS BUT YOU SHOULD SEE MY TRUCK... LOOKS LIKE IT GOT FRISKY WITH ABOUT 2 DOZEN FERAL CATS AND I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THAT ANY MORE... HA!!!
12. Bust out old bolts, new bolt kits from Jeep Bolts

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Immediate Projects (looking for help building this list while she's stripped-down)​

1. Flush & Swap Fluids
   • Brake Lines
   • Power Steering
   • Transfer Case/Transmission/Rear Diff
2. New Starter/Alternator to keep up with higher output electrical (see last section)
   • Any recommendations here?? Much appreciated as I need to get to this ASAP.
3. New Spark Plugs & Wires
4. New Ignition Coil
5. New Sensors
   • 02
   • Crankshaft Position
6. Doing this super helpful Cooling Overhaul (thanks @Chris )
   "...for a 1997-1999 (4.0 liter 6 cylinder)
   • Waterpump: 68382489AA
   • Thermostat: 52028186AC
   • Thermostat Gasket
   • Radiator: 55037652AA (Manual Transmission)
   [NEED HELP HERE ~~~ AMAZON SAYS THAT RADIATOR WON'T FIT A 98 TJ ~~~ I FOUND ANOTHER ONE HERE that Amazon tells me will fit instead, ANY THOUGHTS???]
   • Upper Radiator Hose: 52028264AB
   • Lower Radiator Hose: 52079670AA
   • Fan Clutch: 68065080AA
   • Replacement Radiator Cap: Stant #10234 (yes, this part is a must if you're refreshing your cooling system)"

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Finishing Up...​

1. 'Converting 2" level to 4" lift
2. Still Looking at New Fender Covers
3. Still Looking at New Oversized Wheels/Tires (partial to Goodyears/nittos/toyos)
4. Auxillary Battery Setup (see attachment/below for my initial wiring diagram draft)
   • Second Optima Yellow-Top
   • Isolator
   • Breakers/etc.
   • Secondary Relay Panel
5. Light Duty Winch (4500 lbs)
6. 40" Curved CREE LED Overhead Front Bar
7. (2) 10" CREE LED Side Bars
8. Still looking for a good PA System
9. Looking into a HAM radio dash kit/whip antenna (50/50 here)

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View attachment 225055

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Thanks again for any advice here y'all — just joined today so looking forward to the next year or so of building it out. Will keep this updated once I figure out how these threads work, etc. ​

- Fletcher​

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View attachment 225023

View attachment 225024

View attachment 225029

You ever settle on a PA system?
I might have some suggestions.

 

[Fletcher]

You ever settle on a PA system?
I might have some suggestions.

Not yet, just now cracking back into this one — Austin froze over last week so I'm working under the hood now.

I'd love suggestions, looking into all sorts of siren / PA / CB / HAM systems.

 

[Jimmydidit23]

So there are 3 major companies that make equipment for police cars. Federal Signal corp. Whelen Engineering and Code 3 inc.
I'm pretty sure they all make a version of air horn / PA combo without a siren.
The speakers get mounted to the grill and are typically 100 watt, they're weather proof and louder than shit!
There are other brands out there but I can't attest to their quality.
I'd stay away from using the PA function on any CB, its just not very loud.

 

[Fletcher]

So there are 3 major companies that make equipment for police cars. Federal Signal corp. Whelen Engineering and Code 3 inc.
I'm pretty sure they all make a version of air horn / PA combo without a siren.
The speakers get mounted to the grill and are typically 100 watt, they're weather proof and louder than shit!
There are other brands out there but I can't attest to their quality.
I'd stay away from using the PA function on any CB, its just not very loud.

All good notes - probably will go with 1) PA/horn combo as you described 2) separate siren (cattle call...) and 3) cb or ham if I decide to go that route. Thanks Jimmy.

 

[Fletcher]

Great first post! I'm looking forward to following the build

Hey Chris - any idea on the Amazon radiator piece here?


• Radiator: 55037652AA (Manual Transmission)
[NEED HELP HERE ~~~ AMAZON SAYS THAT RADIATOR WON'T FIT A 98 TJ ~~~ I FOUND ANOTHER ONE HERE that Amazon tells me will fit instead, ANY THOUGHTS???]

 

[Chris]

Hey Chris - any idea on the Amazon radiator piece here?


• Radiator: 55037652AA (Manual Transmission)
[NEED HELP HERE ~~~ AMAZON SAYS THAT RADIATOR WON'T FIT A 98 TJ ~~~ I FOUND ANOTHER ONE HERE that Amazon tells me will fit instead, ANY THOUGHTS???]

It will fit. The only differences in the radiators are the automatic versions have a provision at the bottom for the transmission cooler whereas the manual versions do not.

 

[Fletcher]

It will fit. The only differences in the radiators are the automatic versions have a provision at the bottom for the transmission cooler whereas the manual versions do not.

Thank you sir.

 

[Chris]

Thank you sir.

You’re welcome!

 

[Fletcher]

It will fit. The only differences in the radiators are the automatic versions have a provision at the bottom for the transmission cooler whereas the manual versions do not.

Guessing this same answer carries forward for that mopar water pump package... the link you had in your cooling overhaul to WE R MOPAR website says the package won't fit a 2000 Wrangler (won't let me search before 2000)...