Reedfe's 2002 Sahara

[reedfe]

Ok hi,

Lurk here finally deciding to join the board that has been super helpful to me already! Figured I'd share my build here in an efforts to repay you guys for the invaluable amount of knowledge I've already gained.

Hey, I'm reedfe but you can call me reedfe. This here is my 2002 Sahara that I picked up in December of 2020 after my 2000 Miata met an unfortunate demise due to the some of our incredibly talented SoFlo drivers (RIP Marilyn, your topless motoring will be missed). But this isn't a Miata board. This is a Jeep board. For Jeep things. And Topless Jeep motoring.

When I picked her up she had just under 178000 miles on her. 4.0, 5spd, Dana 44 rear with 3.73 gears and factory LSD. The PO had taken very good care of her (brand new soft top, super clean interior) and wasn't a spot of rust on the frame or tub that I could find. It ticked all my boxes so I went for it and am still enjoying that decision.

First order of business was new wheels/tires as the tires were very very close to bald and a set of 4 with the undersized factory spare 5th. Took the opportunity to replace the 15x10s with a full set of five 15x8s and wrapped em in 31" KO2s. I've been very satisfied with them so far.

Soon after we went on our first trip together. I was meeting a buddy a couple hours away near Ocala for some camping near a spring. Sent her through Ocala Nat'l Forest for her first taste of offroad. She did just lovely and I was loving it. I had pulled the rear seat and loaded up my camping equipment and ratchet strapped everything down to live out of her for the next few days. I'm not the tallest of guys at 5'9" in the morning with shoes after eating wheaties and standing on tip toes, but I can actually fit and sleep in a hammock strung from corner to corner of the roll cage. Worked like a charm and will be taking full advantage of that on future trips for sure.

Since Angie did so good on that trip, she would be rewarded for her troubles. I decided to replace the replace the headlights as I was less than thrilled with the factory set. The new ones are much brighter for sure but I'm not super stoked on the beam pattern. Don't get me wrong it's great to be able to see but a more uniform pattern would have been great. I would probably buy again but yeah.

As part of her upgrade treatment, I opted to replace the 2" coil spacers from the PO with nearly a full Codaman Lift (see I told you I lurked!). I wanted to avoid a TC drop and SYE while still keeping the streetability. I swapped the spacers for 2.5" RC springs, Rancho shocks, steering stabilizer, actual bumpstops, and a RC rear adjustable track bar. I also took the time to opportunity to replace the factory sway bar endlinks with a set of quick disconnects. The front axle got thrown to the side a bit and I am considering a front adjustable track bar to help fix that a bit. Here she is after the driveway install. Gained a bit of lift from previously but not too much and brought the front close to level. Stoked.

At this time I also baselined the Jeep with all new fluids everywhere. I knew the oil and spark plugs had been done just before I purchased so wasn't too pressed to get this done ASAP. It's nice knowing that I won't have to worry about any of the fluids other than oil for a while now. She does have a small RMS leak as well as a bit of residue around the oil pan gasket but levels stayed pretty much full over the lifespan of the last oil change so I decided to wait until it got where I was needing to add oil to replace. If it ain't broke, fix it till it is!

I had picked up a bit of wheeling accessories for her through this time as well as fix a few minor things (sun visor, AC blower motor, taking off the milkjugs, etc...) but overall she has been trouble free and I couldn't be happier.

Loaded her up with a few friends for a day of wheeling at one of the local Wildlife Management Areas. Definitely got into some trouble but nothing that couldn't be fixed with the help of another vehicle. We were all smiles, ear to ear. The mud on our faces sure was a fun time too but I think next time I'll leave the doors and top on so I don't have to deal with the chore of cleaning the mud from the interior

I know what you're thinking, "ok reedfe that's great and all but what are your plans for the build?" I thought you'd never ask.

I plan on building Angie out to be a capable overland rig while still keeping her comfortable and economical as a DD. She is my daily and my only vehicle so I will be making some compromises (see 31" tires and 2.5" lift) but so far she has been very capable. And being my only vehicle, I think it is far less likely I will be doing gnarlier stuff that would require bigger Jeep for fear of leaving me vehicleless while I fix her. With that all being, said I am considering the usefulness and effectiveness of the following:

-Hardtop (yes pls I want for the whole sleeping inside the hammock thing as well as a security feature. I always worry about leaving anything in the soft top)
-Roof rack (thinking Garvin to help free up some interior space so I can still sleep inside. Eventually a RTT might be nice to be able to bring a friend along. but until that time the hammock or regular ground tent will do just fine)
-Higher clearance rearbumper with maybe a tire carrier (to mount things too and save the stock tailgate hinges. potential to future proof for a bigger set of wheels as well)
-High clearance fenders and sliders at some point (the fenders are the weak point in terms of exterior condition as some show beginning signs of rust, as well as clear coat being gone on others. correct me if I'm wrong but I think this might allow me to run some 33s down the road if I decide to as well. Plus i think they look cool)
-Front mounted winch? (maybe: deciding if this will be useful enough to allow me to comfortably wheel while solo)
-Lockers? (still going to wheel a bit more before i decide if this/these are needed. but thinking about a lunchbox over selectable for simplicity and cost. I like this idea for the whole concept of leaving me stuck and stranded less than with open diffs)

Open to your thoughts and opinions on the build as well!

I'm planning on a roadtrip to the Carolina's in a few weeks to see some friends and do some wheeling/overlanding with the ole girl. Would love some recommendations on spots up that way (Greenville/Charlotte area). Going to pick up a tire gauge and compressor so I can air down to push her power levels over 9000

This weekend going to attempt to build out a rear storage area to help secure my camping gear when I send it thatta way. I'll strip her naked and hit the beach as well to fully enjoy this south florida weather (please don't move here, I'm trying to buy a house and the real estate market is crazzzzy inflated right now k thx!)

Anywho, thanks for taking the time to read my spiel and maybe I'll meet some of you guys out there on the trails. Looking forward to being a bit more active on the board and to many many many smiles per gallon with my girl!

-reedfe

 

[Mrgreg66]

Nice looking TJ! I also have 31" KO2s and about 2" of lift. Not planning to go any higher. I have the Garvin Expedition rack and love it. not only handy on the trail sometimes, but I can carry an amazing amount of things on it as a daily driver because it is 6' long and the basket is flat around the rim. I have carried furniture, drywall, fairly long lumber and kayaks to mention a few. I put a lunch box in my front end first, then an air locker in the rear. If budget allows, I will probably replace the lunch box with another air locker in the future, mostly due to convenience of driving in the snow without adjusting for understeer in 4x4.
Please post your cargo storage build when you do it. I am considering building some type of removable, locking rear storage that will be flush with the top of the tub for summer trips when the top is off.
BTW, I always camp in my hammock! At 6'1" i have to find a couple trees though.

 

[Vasq]

Love that color! Great looking Jeep!

 

[reedfe]

Nice looking TJ! I also have 31" KO2s and about 2" of lift. Not planning to go any higher. I have the Garvin Expedition rack and love it. not only handy on the trail sometimes, but I can carry an amazing amount of things on it as a daily driver because it is 6' long and the basket is flat around the rim. I have carried furniture, drywall, fairly long lumber and kayaks to mention a few. I put a lunch box in my front end first, then an air locker in the rear. If budget allows, I will probably replace the lunch box with another air locker in the future, mostly due to convenience of driving in the snow without adjusting for understeer in 4x4.
Please post your cargo storage build when you do it. I am considering building some type of removable, locking rear storage that will be flush with the top of the tub for summer trips when the top is off.
BTW, I always camp in my hammock! At 6'1" i have to find a couple trees though.

Oh yes I'm very happy with the 2" and 31s so far. Went just about everywhere my buddy with his 4.5 inch and 37s did this weekend. this potential update to bigger is years down the road... once the tires have worn down and I can afford to have a second vehicle.

I've only heard good things about the garvin rack and your confirm that! I like it more than some of the cheaper options because it seems to sit a lot closer to the body than others and doesn't look like nearly as much as an afterthought.

I would probably do a similar upgrade path with regards to lockers. Correct me if I'm wrong but from what I understand, the front lunchbox is really only negatively affected by snow as you are actually using 4H so it is then locked out whenever you are on throttle? Fortunately I've only ever driven in snow once (I love Florida) but we do have a lot of sand here but that is usually 4L territory where you are not as concerned with the understeer as it is slower speeds. Don't think I've ever driven in 4H for any substantial amount of time. I do like the idea of a selectable locker in the rear as well but may go with a beefier LSD for simplicity sake. What Air locker did you decide on? I've seen lots of good stuff for ARB. Again this is upgrades for down the road. As it sits now, she is much more capable than I am.

I'll be sure to post the storage build but might be different from what you are looking for. Right now I am anticipating a holder for my cooler, a pullout table for my stove and open storage areas for other equipment (camp kitchen and gear, recovery and tools). Def would like to get a lockable storage area in there but we shall see

6'1" sounds like the perfect height to hammock an LJ

Love that color! Great looking Jeep!

Thanks! I really wanted a yellow one but couldn't find any down this way. At first I wasn't super stoked on the color, but the Sienna Pearl has certainly grown on me and I think she looks awfully pretty with the green/tan interior.

 

[TWiG01]

Great looking Jeep, I’m glad you didn’t end up with yellow lol. When you head up to NC, make sure you check out Uwharrie national forest. They have some great trails that will be a nice change from Florida.

 

[Mrgreg66]

Oh yes I'm very happy with the 2" and 31s so far. Went just about everywhere my buddy with his 4.5 inch and 37s did this weekend. this potential update to bigger is years down the road... once the tires have worn down and I can afford to have a second vehicle.

I've only heard good things about the garvin rack and your confirm that! I like it more than some of the cheaper options because it seems to sit a lot closer to the body than others and doesn't look like nearly as much as an afterthought.

I would probably do a similar upgrade path with regards to lockers. Correct me if I'm wrong but from what I understand, the front lunchbox is really only negatively affected by snow as you are actually using 4H so it is then locked out whenever you are on throttle? Fortunately I've only ever driven in snow once (I love Florida) but we do have a lot of sand here but that is usually 4L territory where you are not as concerned with the understeer as it is slower speeds. Don't think I've ever driven in 4H for any substantial amount of time. I do like the idea of a selectable locker in the rear as well but may go with a beefier LSD for simplicity sake. What Air locker did you decide on? I've seen lots of good stuff for ARB. Again this is upgrades for down the road. As it sits now, she is much more capable than I am.

I'll be sure to post the storage build but might be different from what you are looking for. Right now I am anticipating a holder for my cooler, a pullout table for my stove and open storage areas for other equipment (camp kitchen and gear, recovery and tools). Def would like to get a lockable storage area in there but we shall see

6'1" sounds like the perfect height to hammock an LJ



Thanks! I really wanted a yellow one but couldn't find any down this way. At first I wasn't super stoked on the color, but the Sienna Pearl has certainly grown on me and I think she looks awfully pretty with the green/tan interior.

you are correct that the understeer is more pronounced in 4H on the road driving in snow. It is still totally manageable, but I would not let someone who was not experienced with it borrow my TJ in snow deep enough to need 4H on the road since the steering reacts differently than they would expect. There is zero effect when not in 4WD. At 4L speeds, it's not much of an issue because you have time to react. Overall I have been very happy with the Torq locker in the front. I went with a Yukon Zip air locker in the back, I only hear great things about ARB, and I went with ARB for my onboard air compressor, but my local shop has installed 100s of Yukon's and highly recommended them. With that recommendation, a great warranty and the difference in price, I decided to go Yukon. I just finished installing it and have only barely used it, but very happy with it so far.

I should mention that I have also slept on my Garvin rack in nice weather, a 6' air mattress will perfectly fit inside the basket if you put it between the rails while it is still a bit soft then inflate the rest of the way, it is held there and won't move. As long as you don't roll off in your sleep!

 

[lBasket]

I'd be interested in seeing pics of your hammock setup... how tall are you? I've read of people doing that but in the SWB TJ it seems like it'd be impossible for me. Not sure if I'm just too tall or it's just too hard to picture without seeing it.

Nice lookin' Jeep btw, pretty clean for the mileage!

 

[reedfe]

you are correct that the understeer is more pronounced in 4H on the road driving in snow. It is still totally manageable, but I would not let someone who was not experienced with it borrow my TJ in snow deep enough to need 4H on the road since the steering reacts differently than they would expect. There is zero effect when not in 4WD. At 4L speeds, it's not much of an issue because you have time to react. Overall I have been very happy with the Torq locker in the front. I went with a Yukon Zip air locker in the back, I only hear great things about ARB, and I went with ARB for my onboard air compressor, but my local shop has installed 100s of Yukon's and highly recommended them. With that recommendation, a great warranty and the difference in price, I decided to go Yukon. I just finished installing it and have only barely used it, but very happy with it so far.

I should mention that I have also slept on my Garvin rack in nice weather, a 6' air mattress will perfectly fit inside the basket if you put it between the rails while it is still a bit soft then inflate the rest of the way, it is held there and won't move. As long as you don't roll off in your sleep!

Okay cool that's about what I was expecting. The lockers will likely be pretty far down the road. I think the first couple of purchases will focus on enabling road trips more (roof rack for storage, hardtop and sound deadening for comfort).I bet you get a pretty good view of the stars from up there

I'd be interested in seeing pics of your hammock setup... how tall are you? I've read of people doing that but in the SWB TJ it seems like it'd be impossible for me. Not sure if I'm just too tall or it's just too hard to picture without seeing it.

Nice lookin' Jeep btw, pretty clean for the mileage!

Yup yup I'll snag one next time I've got it deployed for sure. But I am at 5'9" and fit pretty comfortably. A couple inches clearance at the head and the feet with it strung pretty tight. It goes from front passenger roll bar connection near windshield to rear driver roll bar just wear it bends down. I fold the driver seat forward and lay the passenger back flat to get some clearance for my bum and then get busy sleeping.


This weekend made some slower progress than I would have liked. Just got busy with other things but did manage to get it out on the trails briefly (sorry no pics this time... I know, I'm bummed too).

Hoping to get my DRL wired up this weekend and build out the rear storage in preparation for my trip two weekends from now. Will be sure to post pics of the build.

 

[MeanGreen86]

Love the color. Looks like you're enjoying it!

 

[reedfe]

Love the color. Looks like you're enjoying it!

Very much so! It's a different kind of fun from the miata I had but def enjoying it.

This will be the last weekend I'll be able to work on her before taking the roadtrip to the carolinas. Naturally, she started cranking very slowly and failed to start the first time leaving work today. Got a battery test and is suggested to replace battery. Has a walmart battery in there so will likely replace even just for peace of mind. I've read to get a group 34 battery, above 650 CCA to be able to power more electrical things (future proofing for more accessories), and AGM as it holds up better to trail beatings. Any bias for brands?

I also have rear upper adjustable control arms coming in to help correct the pinion angle and a sinusoidal vibration experienced above roughly 55mph. I don't do much driving above that speed daily but will be doing a ton of highway miles here so hoping this will clear that up. Plan is to leave the jeep on the ground, unbolt ebrake bracket, drop out both the upper control arms, jack up the diff to correct pinion angle and then set the new length of the adjustable control arms and bolt them in. Seems simple enough but as we all know, things are never as they seem. Might not be getting around to that cargo area build like I had hoped but I mechanicals>>>comfort. Ratchet straps it is!

 

[reedfe]

So it turns out not only was the battery bad but the starter was toast as well. Push started her to get to work on time and picked up a new starter along the way, then changed it out after work before heading home. A very very simple job probably only took me 15 minutes to do and only required a 13 and 15mm socket.

This weekend I also wired up my DRL Halos, replaced the faulty connection to the AC blower motor which caused it to not operate 95% of the time, cleaned front brakes as they were gunked up with sand and mud and pulling to passenger side, and then replaced rear upper control arms to correct pinion angle. Vibrations are noticeably less so I am happy but not totally gone at all times. the new pinion angle also caused the rear track bar to rotate back and make contact with the top of the gas tank skid plate. I haven't been able to feel or hear any bad conflicts but it does make me feel a bit uneasy.

I also finally convinced my dad to come along for a ride and stripped her down for the occasion. I think he had a good time?

I threw a P0455 code for a Large Evap Leak on a short drive just now and noticed a slightly higher idle on startup, Will attempt to trace that down tomorrow. I'm thinking it could be gas cap (as I had to replace mine due to leaving it at the station one time) or the pcv hose as I had ordered a replacement for the old and cracked one but the length didn't totally line up (I'm thinking it maybe just popped off). Hoping its a quick fix before her trip on Thursday. Also will be picking up some PCV grommets as I'm seeing some oil on top of the valve cover gasket around those spots.

I attempted to make a tailgate table but it didn't come out too well. Will be taking it out before the trip. Other than that, no progress on an interior build out and still no Hammock pics but I haven't forgotten about em!

 

[reedfe]

So replaced the car parts gas cap with a MOPAR replacement, and check engine cleared itself on the drive to work today. What a way to start the day. I'll be packing for the trip tonight and leaving from work tomorrow evening. looking forward to rolling out and getting to see some of my buddies haven't seen in a few years.

 

[reedfe]

Jeep did wonderfully. Over 1700 miles in 5 days without much issue. Got to get out to Uwharrie (thanks for the rec) and it was sick. So much different from the trails in Florida, like there is elevation and rocks. Here she is at the start of Dickey Bell

She did everything I asked of her with ease. I didn't attempt to push it too hard because she still had to make it home and this was my first time doing this type of offroading not just sand pits and mud holes. Will def be back here or to similar trails.

For those that were curious about the hammock set-up, this is the best I have right now for photos. You can see in the first where it is strung from corner to corner. I fold the driver seat forward and lay the passenger seat back. I have a small amount of wiggle room at 5'9" and I think you might be able to get it up to about 6'0" if you are comfortable curling a bit. Side note, not sure if i really need to build a storage thing. This all fit very snug in the back but I would like a tailgate table to cook on.

A couple of things from the trip I would like to fix/do to the jeep and in order of how much I want

1) AC Blower motor went out. haven't investigated much but I think it was my poor attempt at making new connections for it. Either way, at highway speed it flows enough cool air that I wasn't hot but in traffic it was not as fun.

2) My front passenger brake decided to lock after the offroading. I was able to clear it up with a the pressure washer at a self-serve car wash but wow it pulls hard when it was locked. I'm thinking I will get new calipers for the front and replace.

3) This solidified my desire for a hardtop and sound isolation. Definitely beats you up a bit on these long hauls.

4) Parking brake needs to work better... On the trails, it is inconvenient to have the car be in gear and turned off to prevent from going off. most of the time i found as flat a spot as I could before hopping out for a second. I have already attempted to adjust the brake, maybe it needs new drums and pads? I've also seen disc brake conversions for the rear that seem to offer better parking brake performance. Has anybody had experience with these conversions?

5) I do not need bigger tires. Repeat, I do not need bigger tires. If I ever put bigger tires on this, somebody slap me. Saw a guy in an XJ get up Dickie Bell on 29"x9.5" Mud terrains with just a rear locker. Driver skill trumps all!

6) I would like to get lockers at some point but again this will be way down the road as as the jeep is now, it is wayyyyy more capable than I am.

Very happy with how she did. She's a doll and deserves to be rewarded with new parts

 

[reedfe]

So Its been a while but that doesn't mean there haven't been any changes.

No big wheeling trips lately but have taken her out to some of the local spots here which are mostly sand and mud which def can be fun. Taught my brother how to drive stick in it and got him to play around in the mud a bit.

As you can see I managed to score a hardtop which I have been very happy with. Honestly the best improvement was a liftgate instead of fussing with zippers every time I needed to load something large into the trunk.

I also took the time to lay down sound deadening as per the guide here throughout the interior. Purchased Bed Rug carpeting for the interior as well. It has certainly helped with sound and heat inside the cabin as the bare metal is no longer exposed and burning rear passenger's feet!

Took her down for a trip down to Key West soon after all that and naturally after all the comfort improvements, my AC compressor decided it didn't want any more abuse in this world and locked up, dumping smoke all into the engine bay. Here she is around MM 40 on US-1 once it gave out

That's all been sorted now. Also installed a JKS front adjustable trackbar to re-center the front axle after the lift. Was mostly for peace of mind but I'm happy she no longer pokes out more to one side.

While she was in the shop for the AC repair, they gave me a laundry list of items of things (I shouldn't have asked em to look her over, ignorance is bliss) But they refused to do an alignment as they said the ball joints were shot. So looks like that will be my next job once I recover financially from the AC shindig. Any idea how much it should cost to do upper and lowers on the front axle? Its a job i could do myself but kinda just don't want to unless I will save a ton.

Oh and just after I got her back from the shop, the blower motor decided to melt the connector to it and dump tons of smoke into the Cabin hahahaha. So a new blower motor is on order as i read that an old one can draw lots of current, causing connections to fail, but I have not been able to find a new female end of that connector anywhere to replace.... If anybody has any leads I'd love to hear it. None of the local junkyards have a TJ on the lot right now to just cut the connector from the harness...