Modification Plan for 1997 TJ

jodomcfrodo said:
I wonder if this is why I've never understood why people thought Currie rides so much better than stock. Never really seemed to ride that great in all honesty. I have 3 inch savvy springs and now I'm wondering if the up travel isn't enough (along with the fact that I think my shocks are too stiff).
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I have Currie 4" springs. I won't go so far as to say they are creating a good ride, but they certainly are not hurting anything. On a well sorted suspension, the bulk of the ride quality comes from the shocks.

Your Savvy 3" springs can be made to ride as well (or as poorly) as anything else, depending on the shocks.
 
Boinked said:
I agree completely it the more up travel will make it ride better. Less likely of hitting the bump stops on natsy roads. But like everything on a jeep the better ghe ride the more it hurts the paycheck
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This is why I try to push a well balanced build, regardless of the level of extremety. Too large of tires with too little clearance takes away the balance. Not understanding how to extend the bump stops either unnecessary limits travel or opens the door for damage to occur. Knowing your travels and clearances will allow you to make the most of what you have through thoughtful selection of parts. By doing this, you can have a Jeep that performs better than stock in every way without wasting time and money.
 
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I built my own "kit". I used OME 2" springs, HD in front and SD in the rear. 1.25" body lift. With 32" tires, I have 5+" up travel, front and rear. The OME springs netted exactly 2" in my case. Also running bilstein 5100 shocks for 0-2" lift.

I'm moving toward a 33 inch. I'm bumped for hard parts clearance. I may have to add 1/2 or so for the tires in the front end when i make the change.

To OP, I think my setup (very similar to your plan) works very well. It's a great ride on road, and it works well offroad. Don't think you need to buy a "kit." Do some research, ask questions, read some build threads, and pay attention to what some people (like @Jerry Bransford, @mrblaine, @jjvw, @tworley, @toximus, @bobthetj03) are doing and what their ideas are. These guys are all sharp, know what it takes to build a well performing rig, and willing to share their knowledge. You just have to be willing to listen.

You'll get a feel pretty quickly for what works, and what doesn't work. You'll be able to pick the right parts for you.
 
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jjvw said:
This is why I try to push a well balanced build, regardless of the level of extremity. Too large of tires with too little clearance takes away the balance. Not understanding how to extend the bump stops either unnecessary limits travel or opens the door for damage to occur. Knowing your travels and clearances will allow you to make the most of what you have through thoughtful selection of parts. By doing this, you can have a Jeep that performs better than stock in every way without wasting time and money.
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Finally went out and measured. Looks like I have just below 4" of up travel (the photo is a bit deceiving because of the shape of the bump stop and the angle of the tape measure). Pretty relieved that after spending all that money on a currie/savvy kit, up travel isn't whats making my ride less than optimal. Time for new shocks I guess!

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I'll be the first to say I'm not a fan of body lifts, but if you want 33's, then it's kind of a necessary evil if you like your stock fenders. A 3" suspension lift with a 1" body lift will give you an "ok" amount of travel. With a good shock and over 4" of uptravel before you hit the jounce bumpers, your rig will ride well. Your ride quality can be compromised some if you're always hitting the jounce bumpers under normal driving conditions. the ziptie test will let you know if that is happening.
Gearing: You'll want to think about that if you do go to 33's.
Brakes: Consider an upgrade there as well. a 33x1250x15 tire will have more rolling mass, and will take more brake to whoa. a narrower tire will be lighter (33x1050x15), but will depend on the look you are going for. Fewer tire choices as well with the narrower option.
Bigger tires will be harder on steering/suspension components, so that should be a consideration as well. a ZJ steering upgrade, or the ever popular Currie tie rod setup is a good way to beef up those components.
OME lift: Truly a top notch lift, Been running this lift for 100K miles and recently just wore out the Nitros and went with Rancho RS5000X shocks. Excellent shock, BTW, for the money. Highly recommend them.. I went with the HD springs with the anticipation of adding heavy bumpers/tire carriers, but never did, so if I were to do it all over again, I'd use HD springs up front, and the lighter (941) springs for rear. 90% of my driving is with no back seat and running light for DD purposes.
 
Thanks for all the great ideas and feedback so far. It's got me thinking. :)

A few of you had questions about what kind of axles I have. Haven't been able to get this info yet, but will soon.

A few thoughts:
1) It seems that OME 2" lift is a good choice for the suspension lift and that the Heavy Duty version will still give a good on road experience.
2) It seems the body lift is ok if kept in check (e.g. 1" - 1.25" max). Any recommendations on brands?
3) It seems like getting a motor mount lift would also be a good thing to do to match with the body lift. Any recommendations on brands?
4) There is some debate about whether this setup could fit 33" tires due to up travel issues. Some say yes, others say no. To be safe, perhaps 32" would be a better fit. However...
5) There seems to be some different opinions about whether with 33" (or 32") tires, I would need to change the gearing and other components (e.g. steering, brakes) to support the extra weight. That sounds like its adds a bunch of other cost and complexity to do it right, so it's getting me to re-think how big of tires do I want to go with (e.g. do less with the bigger tires now, and do a second round later where I could address the tires and related upgrades separately. Would love to hear other thoughts on this.

Thanks.
 
Ok, parts are all ordered and coming in. I ended up with:

2" OME HD spring lift kit
1.25" Savvy aluminum body lift
1" Brown Dog Rubber MML
Crown automotive rubber body mounts

I have build details on a separate build thread.

For now, I'm going to stick with my 31" tires...

Question: with this moderate lift, do I need to lower the transfer case at all? Or will the angles all be fine without it?
 
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Creakydoor said:
Ok, parts are all ordered and coming in. I ended up with:

2" OME HD spring lift kit
1.25" Savvy aluminum body lift
1" Brown Dog Rubber MML
Crown automotive rubber body mounts

I have build details on a separate build thread.

For now, I'm going to stick with my 31" tires...

Question: with this moderate lift, do I need to lower the transfer case at all? Or will the angles all be fine without it?
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All good choices. Your angles should be fine at 2" of lift and the mml.
 
I ran into some trouble tonight and am looking for some advice.

I was putting back on my rear factory bumper and the new tow hitch, and when I was tightening one of the bolts that go into the frame, it sheared off — pretty much flush with the frame. Obviously, a problem since that is required to secure the bumper and the hitch. :(

I believe I know the way to tackle that issue, but want to get any other advice. I don't have access to a torch or anything like that, so I was going to spray it well with PB Blaster and then try to drill a hole in the bolt, and use a bolt extractor. It could be stuck in there pretty good, so I don't know how well that will work, but it seems like a good first thing to try.

Also, any recommendations of what extractor kit you recommend? There are a few on Amazon which look ok, but this is my first time doing this, so any expert opinions are welcome.
 
Creakydoor said:
I ran into some trouble tonight and am looking for some advice.

I was putting back on my rear factory bumper and the new tow hitch, and when I was tightening one of the bolts that go into the frame, it sheared off — pretty much flush with the frame. Obviously, a problem since that is required to secure the bumper and the hitch. :(

I believe I know the way to tackle that issue, but want to get any other advice. I don't have access to a torch or anything like that, so I was going to spray it well with PB Blaster and then try to drill a hole in the bolt, and use a bolt extractor. It could be stuck in there pretty good, so I don't know how well that will work, but it seems like a good first thing to try.

Also, any recommendations of what extractor kit you recommend? There are a few on Amazon which look ok, but this is my first time doing this, so any expert opinions are welcome.
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Have you tried just knocking it around sideways with a hammer and chisel yet? I broke off a bolt in my frame when doing my front bumper. The hammer and chisel worked surprisingly well. My bolt was actually sunk into the frame and it still worked. I thought I would have to drill it out as well. Something to try!
 
Which bolt? Post a picture. It's been a few years since I last did anything with the rear bumper, but I don't recall any threaded bolt holes or captured nuts.
 
@jodomcfrodo, no I didn’t try that yet. The bumper is still attached with the other bolts, so I’d have to take it off completely to try that. Probably have to disassemble it all anyways no matter what, but just haven’t yet.

@jjvw The stock rear bumper is attached by 4 bolts (2 bolts each side) which go horizontal into the back of the Jeep and 2 bolts (1 bolt each side) that are vertical that go directly into the frame. The vertical holes in the frame are threaded — so it’s not just a bolt welded inside the frame. The bolt I broke was the rear driver’s side vertical bolt that goes into the frame

I have attached a picture looking up towards the hole but it was dark so doesn’t look like much. I can take another in the morning if that would help.

13FF1CC1-CC92-4382-8298-DC24D063F339.jpeg
 
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Creakydoor said:
@jodomcfrodo, no I didn’t try that yet. The bumper is still attached with the other bolts, so I’d have to take it off completely to try that. Probably have to disassemble it all anyways no matter what, but just haven’t yet.

@jjvw The stock rear bumper is attached by 4 bolts (2 bolts each side) which go horizontal into the back of the Jeep and 2 bolts (1 bolt each side) that are vertical that go directly into the frame. The vertical holes in the frame are threaded — so it’s not just a bolt welded inside the frame. The bolt I broke was the rear driver’s side vertical bolt that goes into the frame

I have attached a picture looking up towards the hole but it was dark so doesn’t look like much. I can take another in the morning if that would help.
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I think that it is going to have to come apart for you to try and drill it out. I would try the punch without taking it off. You can probably get the punch in on angle with it on. I didn't take my bumper off for the punch method. Worth a shot.
 
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jodomcfrodo said:
I think that it is going to have to come apart for you to try and drill it out. I would try the punch without taking it off. You can probably get the punch in on angle with it on. I didn't take my bumper off for the punch method. Worth a shot.
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Agree it’s worth a shot.
 
jjvw said:
I've read that left hand drill bits work well to remove broken bolts.
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Yeah, that’s the kind of bolt extraction kit I was originally talking about. Not sure I have a drill up for the that challenge. But if i can start the hole then use a wrench/ratchet for extra leverage if needed.
 
Broken bolt update. Short version: FAILURE

I got the kit, after getting upgraded drill bits, and a bunch of time, I was able to drill a hole in the bolt. I then tried the extraction bit and applied reasonable, but not excessive pressure, and the extraction bit broke. I've read enough to know that means "game over" for me trying to get the bolt out since those bits aren't drillable. Needless to say, I was quite disappointed. :(

Next step: Contact the neighborhood machine shop / body shop and see if they can do some other tricks to get it out.

I moved onto the front bumper without issue. When I was looking at the fog lights, I saw that the metal mounting bracket of them was a bit rusted. I should at least replace the bracket since the lights work ok. However, I would consider putting some new fog lights on if they were reasonable cost. Any recommendations?

One alternative I've been considering is to not replace the fog lights at all. It seems they are more for aesthetics than anything. Also, I'm going to be upgrading the headlights to LED headlights, so I don't know that I need the extra light from the fog lights anyways...

For LED headlights, I know there are a bunch of options. I'm trying to keep cost in check, so I think I'm going to do these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018JKIUF4/?tag=wranglerorg-20. I've read some of the forum threads and, though they are knockoffs, the price is right.
 
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It wouldn't be any fun if everything went as planned, would it? Ok, maybe it would. However, a problem free install was not in the cards for me today.

I started to work on my body lift, took out all the bolts on one side. Then opened the parts for the Savvy Body Lift kit. They only sent me 10 spacers, not 11. Yes, in hindsight, I know I should have counted before I turned a single bolt...

Unfortunately, this means my Jeep is not in a drivable state for a little bit. I've sent mail to the Savvy support team and we'll see how quickly they can send me a new part.
 
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