Introduction and pre-purchase advice

[BT74]

Hello everyone!

I am going to purchase a 2000 TJ with a 4 cylinder engine, 5 speed in a couple of weeks.

We have found the one we want. It is a one owner, whom we know, with 150K miles. We are just waiting to coordinate schedules to pick it up.

That being said, any pre-purchase advice would be much appreciated.

This is going to be my son’s car. That’s the plan anyway. He might get it taken away from time to time!

My plan is to immediately replace the headlights with LEDs. That’s just a safety issue. I am also going to replace the wheels with JK Rubicon 31” wheels With the required spacers. Thoughts and recommendations on spacers would also be appreciated. Some say the 275/75/17 tires rub with a 1.5” spacer

I am going to replace the stock stereo (mostly because I lost all my cassettes) with a double din head unit. I consider this another safety issue because I want him to have Bluetooth. Plus it’s his first car and needs a cool stereo. I am looking at an Alpine head unit and also found an add on device which will allow you to control accessories (lights, winch, etc) from the head unit. Does ANYONE have experience with these? And would you recommend that over rocker switches?

I’m really looking forward to working on this with my son. I’ve never really been a jeep guy. But the more I look into specifically the TJ model the more excited I get! And a lot of that came from reading this forum.

I’m not super mechanically inclined, but I have friends who are, so I plan to lean on them quite a bit. As far as the engine and suspension go, that work will be done by professionals. But I would like to do things like wire lighting myself.

God I hope he doesn’t crash it...

 

[TJ4Jim]

Hello everyone!

I am going to purchase a 2000 TJ with a 4 cylinder engine, 5 speed in a couple of weeks.

We have found the one we want. It is a one owner, whom we know, with 150K miles. We are just waiting to coordinate schedules to pick it up.

That being said, any pre-purchase advice would be much appreciated.

This is going to be my son’s car. That’s the plan anyway. He might get it taken away from time to time!

My plan is to immediately replace the headlights with LEDs. That’s just a safety issue. I am also going to replace the wheels with JK Rubicon 31” wheels With the required spacers. Thoughts and recommendations on spacers would also be appreciated. Some say the 275/75/17 tires rub with a 1.5” spacer

I am going to replace the stock stereo (mostly because I lost all my cassettes) with a double din head unit. I consider this another safety issue because I want him to have Bluetooth. Plus it’s his first car and needs a cool stereo. I am looking at an Alpine head unit and also found an add on device which will allow you to control accessories (lights, winch, etc) from the head unit. Does ANYONE have experience with these? And would you recommend that over rocker switches?

I’m really looking forward to working on this with my son. I’ve never really been a jeep guy. But the more I look into specifically the TJ model the more excited I get! And a lot of that came from reading this forum.

I’m not super mechanically inclined, but I have friends who are, so I plan to lean on them quite a bit. As far as the engine and suspension go, that work will be done by professionals. But I would like to do things like wire lighting myself.

God I hope he doesn’t crash it...

Welcome to the Forum. The 2.5 Wrangler 2.5 if a great choice for a 1st vehicle, both of my sons started out there and it's a great vehicle to learn with. A double din (stock is a 1.5din) can be used with an aftermarket center bezel and some modifications. The one thing about 2.5's is they need to be kept light and not overloaded with heavy modifications and oversized tires otherwise performance will suffer, 31's are usually considered a good size for the 2.5. If it is a NV vehicle the frame should be ok but give it a good look and post pic's of any concerns as TJ frames can pose issues.

 

[Zorba]

Ok, I guess I'm dense, but what does Bluetooth have to do with safety?

 

[BT74]

Ok, I guess I'm dense, but what does Bluetooth have to do with safety?

In Nevada it is illegal to drive while holding a cell phone. He is going to make calls, so I figure make it as safe as possible.

 

[Peter Panagakos]

First, even though you are in Nevada, check the frame carefully for any rust issues, particularly inside the frame. TJ frames are notorious for this. I'm in New Mexico so I have not had an issue. If the Jeep was always in Nevada maybe you don't either. Next, rethink putting way oversized wheels and tires on it. Gear ratio will be an issue, and your speedometer will read wrong. What ratio are the axles? Both the 4 and 6 cylinder Jeep engines are good if maintained, but the 4 lacks power, bigger wheels will make that worse. As for spacers, I don't like that idea but really personal preference. Other things mentioned are minor compared to what I have here. Checking the condition of ball joints and other suspension components is important as well. All can be fixed, but none are cheep if you need a professional to do the work.

 

[Zorba]

In Nevada it is illegal to drive while holding a cell phone. He is going to make calls, so I figure make it as safe as possible.

Oh nuts, forgot about that. I'm well known here for my disdain of smartphones, so they're not even on my radar and I forget...

 

[Brianj5600]

Welcome BT74!

 

[KingCarGuyZ]

as for spacers, if you can go hub-centric. do it! I just had the adaptor on my VW die and damn near chuck the wheel of doing 40MPH, not a pleasant experience.

 

[BT74]

Thank you!

Welcome BT74!

 

[BT74]

as for spacers, if you can go hub-centric. do it! I just had the adaptor on my VW die and damn near chuck the wheel of doing 40MPH, not a pleasant

First, even though you are in Nevada, check the frame carefully for any rust issues, particularly inside the frame. TJ frames are notorious for this. I'm in New Mexico so I have not had an issue. If the Jeep was always in Nevada maybe you don't either. Next, rethink putting way oversized wheels and tires on it. Gear ratio will be an issue, and your speedometer will read wrong. What ratio are the axles? Both the 4 and 6 cylinder Jeep engines are good if maintained, but the 4 lacks power, bigger wheels will make that worse. As for spacers, I don't like that idea but really personal preference. Other things mentioned are minor compared to what I have here. Checking the condition of ball joints and other suspension components is important as well. All can be fixed, but none are cheep if you need a professional to do the work.

Would you consider the 31” tires “way oversized”? It seems from what I’ve read they are fine, but any bigger (33s, 35s) things don’t fit anymore

The spacers are required to make the lug patterns for the TJ fit the JK rims. I don’t know what the gear ratio is, but it is bone stock.
What am I looking for with the ball joints? I assume I am Looking at the springs and shock mounts and checking for rust or evidence of repair.

 

[KingCarGuyZ]

Woah, I’m a little confused about which part of that is the question and which is the reply. But I’ll do my best

31’s are normally regarded as max size for stock height, might want a 2 inch suspension lift to go with them but not absolutely necessary. I wouldn’t go Any larger on a 4cyl.

take pictures of any rusty areas and post them here especially look in the rear wheel arches, body mounts, near the skid. Really anything that’s rust just snap a pic and we’ll try and tell you how bad that is.

did I get everything?

 

[BT74]

No idea how I did that or how to fix it! Not exactly off to a good start with a “do it yourself” vehicle...

 

[KingCarGuyZ]

No idea how I did that or how to fix it! Not exactly off to a good start with a “do it yourself” vehicle...

when you reply, click the reply button. wait for the quote "box" to appear to make sure you type outside of it,

not inside like this. then it looks like you "BT74" said this. when in actuality you never did.

 

[jeepguy03]

One thing to keep in mind when putting on larger tires (besides slower acceleration) would be the impact to braking. Larger wheels and tires require more braking distance to stop. The TJ already has marginal brakes from the factory. MrBlaine on here sells Black Magic Brakes which are a huge upgrade, but still something to keep in mind for a new driver.

My first vehicle was a 1990 Cherokee XJ, which taught me a lot about working on and maintaining vehicles. I wouldn't go larger than a 31" tire on a 2.5L Wrangler.

 

[KingCarGuyZ]

One thing to keep in mind when putting on larger tires (besides slower acceleration) would be the impact to braking. Larger wheels and tires require more braking distance to stop. The TJ already has marginal brakes from the factory. MrBlaine on here sells Black Magic Brakes which are a huge upgrade, but still something to keep in mind for a new driver.

My first vehicle was a 1990 Cherokee XJ, which taught me a lot about working on and maintaining vehicles. I wouldn't go larger than a 31" tire on a 2.5L Wrangler.

oh yeah, brakes. I can't count the number of times I've ad "oh shit" moments trying to stop. and it's not exactly like evasive manoeuvers are a good option either. basically, just give yourself a lot of distance to make a decision and pray no one pull's out in front of you and jabs the breaks (@assholes in red trucks)

and rain is fun

 

[BT74]

oh yeah, brakes. I can't count the number of times I've ad "oh shit" moments trying to stop. and it's not exactly like evasive manoeuvers are a good option either. basically, just give yourself a lot of distance to make a decision and pray no one pull's out in front of you and jabs the breaks (@assholes in red trucks)

and rain is fun

Sounds like I’m adding brakes to the list. But it will be good for my son to learn to do these things by himself.

 

[KingCarGuyZ]

Sounds like I’m adding brakes to the list. But it will be good for my son to learn to do these things by himself.

its finnnne, jeeps my first car (mines a 4.0) on 31's stock brakes. I can lock up the tires. so a big brake kit would do me no good. if anything I need tires but I don't really think that would help. I suppose the ultimate upgrade would be an ABS module. but I'm not bothering with that.

 

[qslim]

Sounds like I’m adding brakes to the list. But it will be good for my son to learn to do these things by himself.

Hell yeah it will, nothing but learning opportunities!

Just don't forget that you're buying a 20 year old vehicle that won't have the reliability of a late-model Honda. Cooling system, suspension, brakes, electrical system, and virtually everything else is on the table as a candidate that will need attention at some point. When you get it I'd start by changing all the fluids, the plugs & wires, taking the tires off to inspect the brakes, & crawl under the Jeep to look at the condition of the bushings & steering components. That will give you a great maintenance baseline & give you & your son the opportunity to get to know the TJ.

I'd also recommend heading over to the TJ Resources sub-forum to get a free .PDF of your factory service manual. Between that & the folks on this forum you'll have literally everything you need to solve any issues that come up & get that TJ into great working condition!

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...ice-manuals-fsm-technical-documentation.4618/

 

[BT74]

I hit the jackpot for advice!!!
Here are a few pictures. The Jeep is in the garage at their mountain home, so these are all I could get.

 

[qslim]

Have a good gander at the frame when you can. If any rust looks alarming post up some pics.