James & The Sahara Build Thread

[JamesAndTheSahara]

Hello everyone! I was a long time lurker and finally decided to join the forum. I have been a member of other forums, but really like the vibe that exists here. I will be starting a log or "Build Thread" of everything that occurs with my jeep from here on.

Short Introduction of myself: I am a student at Auburn University (You can tell this will be a budget build hahaha) studying Computer Science. I purchased this TJ after selling my motorcycle in the summer of 2016 from a dealership in atlanta for next to nothing. When I bought the TJ it had the original soft top on it (Torn and all) and was nearly bone stock. The only modifications the previous owner did was purchase an ARB Deluxe Front Bumper (You rock!) and a really crappy roof rack that after the ride home I ended up getting rid of it .

Here is what I have done to the Jeep up until now:

1998 Jeep Wrangler TJ Sahara W/ Stock Suspension, Dana 30/35 3.07 5MT.

• Replaced all of the stock Audio Equipment is Polk MM Speakers and installed a Pioneer 8700BHS.
• Replaced the tattered old carpet with Bedrug Front & Rear Carpet.
• Replaced the crappy Rally Spread Lights that came with the TJ for a set of KC Fog's I found on Craigslist for free.
• Replaced the original MOPAR soft top with a 1998 TJ Tan hardtop with factory tint and equipment.
• Installed a Gobi Roof Rack w/ Quick Release & Two ladders.
• Installed a set of JW Speaker 8700 Evolution 2 Headlights.
• Installed a 40" Cheapo Light bar I found on Amazon for next to nothing.
• Installed GraBars for the Driver and Passenger.
• Installed a MOPAR TJ Add-A-Trunk I found on ebay for $50.00.
• Installed a set of WeatherTech Front Floor Liners
• Wrapped my Steering Wheel and some other interior pieces with 550 Paracord, cheapo version of a steering wheel cover and quite like it!

As she stood the day I picked her up with the dealership with my little brother (Wow I failed to take any decent pictures of the jeep, oh well here's a picture of her on a lift while I checked out the integrity of the frame):


As she stands today:

 

[JamesAndTheSahara]

Today I ended up driving a hour away to pick up some Bartact seat cover's a forum local Jeep club member had for sale for $220.00. They were front and rear for my generation TJ's seats and matched the Sahara's Color Scheme (Score!).

I installed them on the spot to ensure they fit properly and drove back home. My seats were in great condition but to prevent them from fading from the sun/damage from rain I figured this would be good insurance. Before officially installing these I decided it would be best to clean the crap out of my current seats with a steam cleaner/hose and am really glad I did. Look at all this crap:



I gave them quite a bit of time drying in the sunlight with a fan on them and once they had completely dried I put the seat covers back on. The PO who had these really didn't use them much and ended up selling his TJ right after buying these and did not include them. There are no noticeable stains in the cloth and no signs of wear.

Before Install Photos:



After Install Photos:



Also having a dad back from deployment helps when he has tons of M.O.L.L.E. stuff he no longer wants :


Conclusion: For the price I paid these are a fantastic deal. I have a great appreciation for products made here in the good ole US of A so rock on Bartact. I will followup in the future with a durability update, but initial impressions are quite good. One of my favorite interior upgrades so far and really ties together the Sahara's Interior.

 

[Jeepersteve71]

Today I ended up driving a hour away to pick up some Bartact seat cover's a forum local Jeep club member had for sale for $220.00. They were front and rear for my generation TJ's seats and matched the Sahara's Color Scheme (Score!).

I installed them on the spot to ensure they fit properly and drove back home. My seats were in great condition but to prevent them from fading from the sun/damage from rain I figured this would be good insurance. Before officially installing these I decided it would be best to clean the crap out of my current seats with a steam cleaner/hose and am really glad I did. Look at all this crap:

View attachment 16649 View attachment 16650 View attachment 16651 View attachment 16652 View attachment 16653 View attachment 16654 View attachment 16655

I gave them quite a bit of time drying in the sunlight with a fan on them and once they had completely dried I put the seat covers back on. The PO who had these really didn't use them much and ended up selling his TJ right after buying these and did not include them. There are no noticeable stains in the cloth and no signs of wear.

Before Install Photos:

View attachment 16656 View attachment 16657 View attachment 16659 View attachment 16668

After Install Photos:

View attachment 16660 View attachment 16661 View attachment 16662 View attachment 16663 View attachment 16664

Also having a dad back from deployment helps when he has tons of M.O.L.L.E. stuff he no longer wants :
View attachment 16665 View attachment 16666 View attachment 16667

Conclusion: For the price I paid these are a fantastic deal. I have a great appreciation for products made here in the good ole US of A so rock on Bartact. I will followup in the future with a durability update, but initial impressions are quite good. One of my favorite interior upgrades so far and really ties together the Sahara's Interior.

Nice work on the seat covers! We picked up a set of the old Trek armor ones for the front two seats on Craigslist not to long ago for $150. So far I really like them. I think I like the back of the seats more than the front lol. My only issue with them thus far is that dog hair sticks to them lol.

Also great job on the steam clean! That turned out great! And the gobi racks are my favorite! I always tell people that Craigslist will always be your best friend when owning a Jeep!

 

[JamesAndTheSahara]

Nice work on the seat covers! We picked up a set of the old Trek armor ones for the front two seats on Craigslist not to long ago for $150. So far I really like them. I think I like the back of the seats more than the front lol. My only issue with them thus far is that dog hair sticks to them lol.

Also great job on the steam clean! That turned out great! And the gobi racks are my favorite! I always tell people that Craigslist will always be your best friend when owning a Jeep!

I really appreciate it! I really like the fit and finish.

 

[JamesAndTheSahara]

Just an update, found a smokin' deal on Craigslist for a set of 5 American Racing Rims (AR23) for $100.00. So I went the other day and picked them up. I have never bought rims so I trusted the seller on the size of the rims and when I showed up I only measured the BS to make sure they were correct. Low and behold I get home and start cleaning them up and find they aren't 15x8's but rather 15x7's. Not the end of the world, just heavily limits my tire choices. I did measure the width of the rim when I looked at them, however I didn't measure correctly and measured from the outside of the flanges instead of from the inside. Total noob error, but definitely a learning process (Also got a full size 30x9.5x15 spare AT tire out of this so woohoo).



So taking a look at all of the rims after removing the tires I noticed the rims had been plastidipped by the previous owner and it was pretty - well crap. I figured it would be best to remove the material and once I had stripped away all of the plastidip on the first rim using brake cleaner I realized the clearcoat underneath had started to go. I ended up using another can of brake cleaner I carefully removed the clear coat using a plastic spudger.



After using a total of 10 cans of generic walmart brand brake cleaner and nearly 2 hours on each rim, I had successfully removed all layers of crap and exposed the beautiful finished aluminum on the rims. I using some Mother's Mag & Aluminum polish and called it quits (Maybe in the future I may try sharkhide and see how it fairs). Here is the finished product of all 5 rims:



Also I did notice these rims did have some age on them, surprisingly these rims were manufactured in the good old USA. I don't believe American Racing manufactures their rims here anymore, but rather Taiwan or China. Figured it was cool nevertheless.



In conclusion, after way more work than expected I am happy with the rims. Brand new these puppies are well over $500.00 each for a set of 5 so glad I got a set for 80% off haha. After July 4th I plan on making my tire and lift purchase and will see how well these will fair.

 

[bobthetj03]

Great progress so far! Those wheels turnout out fantastic! What lift and tires are you thinking about going with?

 

[JamesAndTheSahara]

Great progress so far! Those wheels turnout out fantastic! What lift and tires are you thinking about going with?

The tires I am limited to what are made in 33x10.5x15, so that leaves 3 that I would consider: BFG KO2, BFG KM2, or Toyo MT. I would love a MT but not having sipped tires on the KM2 would suck in rain/snow. Really at this point its between the KO2 and the Toyo but not leaning one way or another yet.

The lift I am even more stumped on. As much as I want a Currie/savvy 4" lift, I know thats serious overkill for my DD and weekend warrior. From recommendations I am looking at an OME HD Lift + BL or Zone 4.25 Lift. Leaning more towards the OME Lift but still doing as much research as possible. Trying to make sure I get all the correct geometry and still maintain my budget .

 

[Chris]

I definitely like the way those wheels turned out. I'd do the OME lift with the BL. That will be a perfect combo, ride really, really well, and won't break the bank. It will also set you up for a tummy tuck in the future, if you want to go that route.

 

[bobthetj03]

I'm running the KM2's in a 33x1050x15 flavor. If I were to do it all over, I'd get the KO2's. The KM2's get a bit too noisy for me when they start to wear. They cup over time with lots of pavement pounding. I DD mine. OME would be a solid choice for a lift. I'm going on 10 years and 100k miles on my OME lift. Still rides nice.

 

[JamesAndTheSahara]

I definitely like the way those wheels turned out. I'd do the OME lift with the BL. That will be a perfect combo, ride really, really well, and won't break the bank. It will also set you up for a tummy tuck in the future, if you want to go that route.

This is the way I'm leaning. If I go with that, and a 1" Brown Dog MML (Flex Rubber, not Poly), what else would I need to ensure my geometry is correct? Pick up Front and Rear Adj. Track Bars? I can use my stock control arms for now I believe.

 

[JamesAndTheSahara]

I'm running the KM2's in a 33x1050x15 flavor. If I were to do it all over, I'd get the KO2's. The KM2's get a bit too noisy for me when they start to wear. They cup over time with lots of pavement pounding. I DD mine. OME would be a solid choice for a lift. I'm going on 10 years and 100k miles on my OME lift. Still rides nice.

Leaning the way of the OME, thanks for the input of the KM2's, I've got 2 KO1's on my TJ now and they haven't let me down. The new aggressive look of the KO2's are impressive, but more importantly people have said the mud traction is much better. Leaning towards the KO2's tbh.

 

[Chris]

This is the way I'm leaning. If I go with that, and a 1" Brown Dog MML (Flex Rubber, not Poly), what else would I need to ensure my geometry is correct? Pick up Front and Rear Adj. Track Bars? I can use my stock control arms for now I believe.

You'll need a front track bar and a rear track bar (adjustable), or track bar relocation brackets at the least.

You can use your stock control arms (no need for aftermarket ones) as well. The only other thing you'll need would be a CV style driveshaft and a SYE. Unless of course you want to do a transferase drop in the short term.

 

[JamesAndTheSahara]

You'll need a front track bar and a rear track bar (adjustable), or track bar relocation brackets at the least.

You can use your stock control arms (no need for aftermarket ones) as well. The only other thing you'll need would be a CV style driveshaft and a SYE. Unless of course you want to do a transferase drop in the short term.

Would like to avoid the T Case drop at all possible, because why would I spend time doing something with the intentions of removing it 3 months later . For a 2.5" Lift I would need a CV Style driveshaft and SYE if I have a MML? Just curious as I thought I could get away with not having one initially with full intentions of getting it later this year.

 

[bobthetj03]

He might be able to get away with just the MML. These damn TJ's are sensitive. Some don't mind small changes, and some just flip out, like mine.

 

[bobthetj03]

I ended up having to drop my t-case 3/4" cause of the rear drive line vibes I got after lifting it. Some can do the lift and have no vibes at all. The MML may give you just enough to eliminate any vibes, and if you do get vibes, just a couple of washers to lower the t-case may be all it needs. Like I said, these TJ's are drama queens!

 

[Chris]

Would like to avoid the T Case drop at all possible, because why would I spend time doing something with the intentions of removing it 3 months later . For a 2.5" Lift I would need a CV Style driveshaft and SYE if I have a MML? Just curious as I thought I could get away with not having one initially with full intentions of getting it later this year.

Actually, I forgot about the MML. If you add an MML, there's a good chance you may be able to get away without a CV driveshaft or the SYE. At only 2.5" of lift, you're right at that point where some TJs might need the SYE and driveshaft, and others might not. But I think the MML might put you right where you don't need it!

 

[JamesAndTheSahara]

I ended up having to drop my t-case 3/4" cause of the rear drive line vibes I got after lifting it. Some can do the lift and have no vibes at all. The MML may give you just enough to eliminate any vibes, and if you do get vibes, just a couple of washers to lower the t-case may be all it needs. Like I said, these TJ's are drama queens!

You don't say hahahaha.

 

[JamesAndTheSahara]

Actually, I forgot about the MML. If you add an MML, there's a good chance you may be able to get away without a CV driveshaft or the SYE. At only 2.5" of lift, you're right at that point where some TJs might need the SYE and driveshaft, and others might not. But I think the MML might put you right where you don't need it!

Well knowing myself I'm sure it will be one of those famous "Learn the Hard Way" moments. Hahaha

 

[bobthetj03]

Do the lift, have the MML on hand, and take it for a spin. If you get no vibes, you are golden. If you do, install the MML.

 

[JamesAndTheSahara]

Do the lift, have the MML on hand, and take it for a spin. If you get no vibes, you are golden. If you do, install the MML.

Sounds good!

Forgive me if this is the definition of a "Should know" kinda question but I need to order front and rear bump stops as well so I don't destroy my Sahara flares right? I have the Currie Front and Rear Bump Stops on my Excel spreadsheet right now and 99% sure I need them.