Got another TJ

Dante

Dante

Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2021
Messages
33
Location
Paradise, CA
Hi E'rebody,

Just bought my 3rd Jeep, 2nd TJ. My Dad said he was considering selling his TJ, so I told him to sell it to me as soon as I unload my YJ (which I had been restoring since 2015 ~6 years). He waited, I bought it, and re-registered (my old username was Buck94 - for the YJ).

I'm kinda going back to square one with a mostly stock Jeep after modding my ol' YJ, but the repair list is much shorter for this TJ because it has very low mileage. Dad bought it with a lift (looks like a 4") and 33s on it. I put my 33x12.5x15 tires & wheels on his TJ and sold my YJ with his wheels. Dad had the side steps lowered by local welding shop...guess what? They welded the steps to the frame (smh). I cut them off. I have some things to repair and some mods to do to this thing....Here's what I'm thinking so far:
  • I feel a slight shimmy in the steering wheel, which I assume will become a death wobble if I don't fix it soon.
  • The brakes are squeaky...I think a shoe is rubbing in the rear drum. The noise stops after a short bit of driving...I'll be replacing all the brakes/rotors/drums later.
  • Radiator - It is fine, but we get hot in NorCal during the summers and I want a radiator that keeps the engine cooler than the stock ones. I had an aluminum 3-core radiator in my YJ that worked great. Got it on Amazon, was not a Mishimoto, but it works great, so I'll get another.
  • Front bumper is stock, I removed the ends. I will be replacing that front bumper with something more aggressive and a winch.
  • Rock sliders - essential for keeping the body straight (she's a creampuff, I'm gonna keep her that way)
  • SYE - I had one on the YJ and it was great. The TJ doesn't vibrate or anything, but I hate seeing that transfer case hanging so low.
  • Lockers - I may just get the super Dana35 kit for the rear...undecided on the front.
  • Seats - at the very least, I need a driver's seat. Shooting for a Corbeau or a set of them.
  • Tailgate reinforcement. That spare is heavy...will be heavier when I get a matching tire. I want to put a cooler rack on the spare (already have it). I'll need to make those hinges stronger before I add the cooler rack.
I have a tiny home-built Jeep trailer (it's a rat-rod looking version) that's perfect for camping (I wouldn't take it wheeling). I need to fashion a tent on that, it has a huge storage box that'll fit a propane tank & other stuff. I'm using the TJ for that sort of stuff, playing in the snow (if we had mud, I'd be in that too), camping, driving to Tahoe in a snowstorm...feeling confident. The top is only on during the winter, I will bear the 100 degree heat to drive with my doors and top off. I typically remove the back seat and put my bed liner (plywood with a rug stapled to it) in for the dog and for me to haul stuff.

TJ-front.jpg


TJ-back.jpg


TJ-bed.jpg
 
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Keeping it in the family, awesome!
 
Looks like a good start. Welcome to the madness. Others might chime in but these guys like the factory cooling system. You may want to do a search on that.
 
Ironman said:
Looks like a good start. Welcome to the madness. Others might chime in but these guys like the factory cooling system. You may want to do a search on that.
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Thanks for the tip - I did some reading up on why folks like to stick with OEM. They make a good point, but I will still probably go for the upgrade. I'm not a fan of a radiator with separate tanks...too much room for a leak as it expands/contracts.

We see 110°F every summer, sometimes a couple weeks over triple digits. I hate watching the temp gauge go over 210 while sitting at a light.
 
welcome and congrats on the upgrade 🍻

Dante said:
[*]I feel a slight shimmy in the steering wheel, which I assume will become a death wobble if I don't fix it soon.
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if it's speed relative you can usually bet on a tire imbalance
Dante said:
[*]The brakes are squeaky...I think a shoe is rubbing in the rear drum. The noise stops after a short bit of driving...I'll be replacing all the brakes/rotors/drums later.
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do yourself a favor and spend the money for Black Magic Brakes pads
Dante said:
[*]SYE - I had one on the YJ and it was great. The TJ doesn't vibrate or anything, but I hate seeing that transfer case hanging so low.
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super short sye to gain the most driveshaft length
Dante said:
[*]Lockers - I may just get the super Dana35 kit for the rear...undecided on the front.
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selectable rear / lunchbox front
Dante said:
[*]Tailgate reinforcement
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MORryde JP54-022
 
L J said:
welcome and congrats on the upgrade 🍻


if it's speed relative you can usually bet on a tire imbalance

do yourself a favor and spend the money for Black Magic Brakes pads

super short sye to gain the most driveshaft length

selectable rear / lunchbox front

MORryde JP54-022
Click to expand...
I thought I replied to this already, but here goes. I'm suspecting the tire balance thing too - got one in the back that I can get 'above' by going 75mph. Thanks for all the tips - saved me some shopping time, but increased my YouTube playlist ;)

I had a Teraflex short SYE with a CV Driveshaft from Adams Driveline in NV on my YJ, I'll probably hit him up for this TJ too - he's a nice guy and actually answers emails (!). I also replaced all the brakes on that ol' YJ with ceramic pads, vented rotors, new drums and shoes....I'll be doing this one too.

Nice to be here, looking forward to sharing my progress as I watch others do the same
 
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Dante said:
I thought I replied to this already, but here goes. I'm suspecting the tire balance thing too - got one in the back that I can get 'above' by going 75mph. Thanks for all the tips - saved me some shopping time, but increased my YouTube playlist ;)

I had a Teraflex short SYE with a CV Driveshaft from Adams Driveline in NV on my YJ, I'll probably hit him up for this TJ too - he's a nice guy and actually answers emails (!). I also replaced all the brakes on that ol' YJ with ceramic pads, vented rotors, new drums and shoes....I'll be doing this one too.

Nice to be here, looking forward to sharing my progress as I watch others do the same
Click to expand...
I'd pass on the ceramic pads and vented (if you mean drilled or slotted). Black Magic Brakes pads are the only pads I'd buy for the TJ. I've had OEM, EBC Yellows and Black Magic Brakes. Black Magic Brakes are superior to the others and worth the price. I went back to mrblaine and Black Magic Brakes for my big brake kit when I moved up to 35s. Additionally, his customer service and willingness to help is as good as it gets.
 
L J said:
I'd pass on the ceramic pads and vented (if you mean drilled or slotted). Black Magic Brakes pads are the only pads I'd buy for the TJ. I've had OEM, EBC Yellows and Black Magic Brakes. Black Magic Brakes are superior to the others and worth the price. I went back to mrblaine and Black Magic Brakes for my big brake kit when I moved up to 35s. Additionally, his customer service and willingness to help is as good as it gets.
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Drilled, Slotted, Vented = same thing. The reason I like ceramic pads is they don't leave any brake dust on the rims. They run hotter, hence the drilled rotors. I'll look into the Black Magic ones too, no worries. I'm interested in getting larger calipers for the front...while i'm replacing things, might as well upgrade ;)
 
Thanks! She's a creampuff, low mileage. Very different from my previous Jeep, which had 220k when I sold him. The motor looks so clean! haha
 
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BUMP: Thanks for the warm welcome!

I've been updating the face of my new gal, she got some Jeep LED headlights, a new bumper, a winch, and an LED light bar. I found a switch for the light bar that looks pretty OEM and fits right in the space where I had a blank.
IMG_20220121_115620421_HDR.jpgIMG_20220121_115705664.jpgIMG_20220127_111144518_HDR.jpg

The winch was on sale (last year's model Smittybilt XRC 9,500 lb) and didn't come with a bluetooth controller...I have a wire. So, I ran another wire into the dash to run it from inside without the dongle. While I was modifying the dash...I put an aux power jack and 2 USB jacks where the original lighter was.

You may notice some hitch brackets under the front bumper - thankfully, they still fit with the new bumper. I had the local welding shop extend the hitch mounts for the bumper so I can still tow the Jeep behind an RV or another vehicle. (I live in Paradise CA....wildfire country...gotta have an escape plan)
 
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