Just bought my first Jeep Couldn't be more excited

tikithunder

New Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2020
Messages
17
Location
St. Louis, MO
She's a '99 SE 2.5L. Nothing fancy for sure, but the price was right. Of course to pass the safety inspection I immediately had to replace the brake proportioning valve and a rusty brake line, so I guess there's no such thing as a free lunch! I'm not looking to do any serious rock crawling, but just want something that is going to be a blast to get out and drive, and I wont have to stop when the pavement ends. I'm going to build her out over the next couple months, some suspension work, some accessories, and maybe a regearing. But first things first, replacing all the fluids and filters, and seeing if a new belt might solve the damn squeaking! I've been lurking on the forum for a while, and thanks already for all the information I've gotten here! Great site!

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But first things first, replacing all the fluids and filters, and seeing if a new belt might solve the damn squeaking!
Welcome to the zoo! You're gonna love it here, what with all the good information. Like this, for example: Your 2.5 has a timing chain, not a belt, so you can rule that out as a cause of your squeak. ;) Could quite possibly be your serpentine belt making the noise, though. Anyways, welcome aboard!
 
Yes, sorry, I meant the serpentine belt! From listening to it and spraying a little lube around, I'm fairly sure its either the belt itself, a pulley that's misaligned, or a pulley bearing someplace. I figured I'd start by replacing the serpentine and then just go from there! Thanks so much for your welcome!
 
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Congrats on the TJ, and welcome to the forum!

Even in stock form these things are a blast to drive, especially in the summer with top and doors off. Add a 2" lift and some 31s and you've got a TJ that looks killer and will do more than 90% of us ever intend to do.
 
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Yes, sorry, I meant the serpentine belt! From listening to it and spraying a little lube around, I'm fairly sure its either the belt itself, a pulley that's misaligned, or a pulley bearing someplace. I figured I'd start by replacing the serpentine and then just go from there! Thanks so much for your welcome!
Yeah, didn't mean to come across as a punk. ;) This really is a great place for gathering info. There are a group of guys on here that you'd swear are some kind of Jeep wizards. Lots of entertainment, too. And just so you know, everyone here loves pictures. Bring 'em on!
 
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Congrats on the TJ, and welcome to the forum!

Even in stock form these things are a blast to drive, especially in the summer with top and doors off. Add a 2" lift and some 31s and you've got a TJ that looks killer and will do more than 90% of us ever intend to do.

Thanks, Chris! That's pretty much exactly what I want to do.
 
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Yeah, didn't mean to come across as a punk. ;) This really is a great place for gathering info. There are a group of guys on here that you'd swear are some kind of Jeep wizards. Lots of entertainment, too. And just so you know, everyone here loves pictures. Bring 'em on!

Haha. You didn't! What a great site. I would be asking more questions here, but honestly with a little bit of poking around, most of my questions have already been answered! But I will for sure be posting some more pictures.
 
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Congratulations and welcome from WA, the most coronavirus cases state. 🙄

You’ll love it when you can finally go topless and doorless, nothing like it.
 
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Welcome and you're on the right track by addressing maintenance first. The 4 cyl is a solid platform to start on. A simple recipe for having fun in it is to keep the weight, think about this for everything you add, and tire size down. As Chris said, a 2" lift and 31" tires will ensure it's a blast to drive and will get you most places you'd like to go. (y)
 
Congratulations on getting a Jeep that still has character and classic style to it.
I have a 97 4 banger myself and love the dependability of it.
She's a work in progress for sure.
Best Jeep forum to belong to also.
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Welcome aboard. You will have fun with your new sled. You are about to learn the true meaning of obsessive compulsive disorder. Jeeps are a pretty strong trigger.
 
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She's a '99 SE 2.5L. Nothing fancy for sure, but the price was right. Of course to pass the safety inspection I immediately had to replace the brake proportioning valve and a rusty brake line, so I guess there's no such thing as a free lunch! I'm not looking to do any serious rock crawling, but just want something that is going to be a blast to get out and drive, and I wont have to stop when the pavement ends. I'm going to build her out over the next couple months, some suspension work, some accessories, and maybe a regearing. But first things first, replacing all the fluids and filters, and seeing if a new belt might solve the damn squeaking! I've been lurking on the forum for a while, and thanks already for all the information I've gotten here! Great site!

View attachment 143937
Welcome to the addiction....