"If we got another car, a Jeep would be OK." — my wife.
That was it. I had permission, and I figured I'd better move quickly. So I picked up this 2005 Sport:
The Jeep had one owner who had racked up 130K miles using it as a DD in SoCal. No scuffs or rust on the underbody, and the axle seals were good. Nothing worse than the usual minor leaks from the engine.
Pretty standard configuration for a 2005 Sport:
My initial plans were to use the Jeep to shuttle mountain bikes up fire road to remote trailheads and to do some light offroading. My wife figured she could use the Jeep to get to hiking trails, which is why the automatic transmission was a requirement. Also, AC was necessary so we could bring the dog.
The only major issue on day one was a leaking power steering hose, which got immediately fixed.
The first upgrade was a Draw-Tite hitch, which was necessary so I could use the bike rack. This was a mistake because it caused clearance issues with the tailpipe
and eventually was responsible for ground clearance issues.
No issues with the bike rack itself. It was just the hitch mounted beneath the stock bumper that was a problem.
I really wanted hard top instead of soft top, and the old soft top was really crispy from being in the sun and the windows were badly scratched and fogged. So I got a new top from Camper King since their prices are low and they're just down the road.
I swapped out the milk jugs for stubby bumper caps.
... and that front bumper is done! The stock bumper looks so darn good with the stubby ends. And it's still totally functional and lightweight. I figure I'll keep it like that until there's a really good reason to replace it.
Added handles for the wife:
And the Rugged Ridge dash tray and phone mount:
That was a cheap and easy upgrade, but it's one of the best things I did. It allows me to use my phone as an OBD2 monitor, navigation system, and audio source for the stereo. I also use the mount on top for a little GoPro Session cube camera to get video of trail runs.
Like many new owners of old Jeeps, I felt like the ride was way too harsh, and that led me to look at the suspension since my tire pressure was already reasonably low. While checking things out, I started to wonder if my front springs were sagging. (See https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/sagging-stock-front-springs.11772/) The springs definitely were sagging after 130K miles, and replacing them with Moog 3226/3227 springs restored the stock ride height. (See https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/stock-spring-swap-walk-thru-with-pics.12655/)
While replacing the springs, I did a bump stop check (See https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/bump-stop-check-walk-thru-with-pics.12883/) and learned that the RS9000x front shocks are just a little too long when fully compressed, and that I needed a little bump stop extension to protect them from full compression. At the same time, I learned that my 31x10.50R15 tires rub slightly at full bump, and that they rub hard on the spring perch at full flex with any amount of steering. That goes counter to the prevailing wisdom that 31s fit fine with stock wheels and suspension.
I replaced the old coil spring isolators when I replaced the springs, and that made a noticeable improvement in ride quality. That and the thread about control arm bushings (https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...composition-affect-ride-quality-or-nvh.13928/) got me thinking about the other worn out rubber on the Jeep.
Just look at those cracked LCA bushings! So I swapped the OEM control arms for a set of Moog control arms, but just one location at a time. That let me see how much the control arm bushings affected ride quality. In my experience, front lower control arms make the most impact on ride quality, followed by rear lower control arms, and lastly the upper control arms. But swapping the old front LCAs for the new ones was like night and day.
After having success with the control arms, I figured I'd replace the old, cracked body mounts with a new set of Crown body mounts. That improved ride quality a little too.
Then my wife hooked me up for Xmas:
Somewhere along the line I added a Uniden Pro 520XL CB with Arizona Rocky Mounts for the CB and the antenna with an add-on NMO mount for a future Ham rig.
After that, the Jeep had been running well and doing a great job on the trails. Until I overlooked a rock on the exit from this waterfall and crunched the tailpipe into the hitch.
You can see it right there — the bolt-on flare for the tailpipe hanging right below that bolt-on hitch. Just waiting for the right rock to come along. That whole setup had been annoying me since day one. And I figured that since the hitch was in the way and I managed to destroy the tailpipe (it got a minor dent), I needed an upgrade.
So that whole mess came off and I mounted a Dirtworx rear bumper and a low-profile tailpipe flare that tucks in nicely. While I was at it, I added the Poison Spyder frame tie-ins. They might not be necessary, but I figured I'd rather distribute the load on the bike rack as widely as possible. Also, they're really sweet looking little bits of steel and nicely made!
With the rock solid Dirtworks bumper and the frame tie-ins, the bike rack is now way more stable than it ever was on the bolt-on hitch. It also sits a lot higher — good for ground clearance, bad for tailgate clearance.
I had been kicking around the idea of adding a winch for a long time, but really got serious about getting one when I found that there were some reasonable deals on used Warn PowerPlants with on-board air. I had been airing up my tires with a high-volume bike pump, which worked reasonably well but was a lot of effort. Then I got this.
I also scored the 100' 3/8" Spydura line and fairlead off of CL new-in-box for a song! Fog lights got relocated outward by a couple inches to make room for that beast.
It's turning out to be a pretty good setup overall. Good enough to lead a couple of new Jeepers around the local trails.
But especially with the added weight of the winch, the stock suspension isn't leaving me much room to get over obstacles. And that's the reason for this thread.
It's time for some real upgrades!
That was it. I had permission, and I figured I'd better move quickly. So I picked up this 2005 Sport:
The Jeep had one owner who had racked up 130K miles using it as a DD in SoCal. No scuffs or rust on the underbody, and the axle seals were good. Nothing worse than the usual minor leaks from the engine.
Pretty standard configuration for a 2005 Sport:
- 4.0 I6
- 42RLE Transmission
- NV231 Transfer Case
- Dana 30 Front
- Dana 44 Rear with LSD
- 3.73 gears
- Soft top
- AC
- AM/FM/CD with subwoofer and sound bar
My initial plans were to use the Jeep to shuttle mountain bikes up fire road to remote trailheads and to do some light offroading. My wife figured she could use the Jeep to get to hiking trails, which is why the automatic transmission was a requirement. Also, AC was necessary so we could bring the dog.
The only major issue on day one was a leaking power steering hose, which got immediately fixed.
The first upgrade was a Draw-Tite hitch, which was necessary so I could use the bike rack. This was a mistake because it caused clearance issues with the tailpipe
and eventually was responsible for ground clearance issues.
No issues with the bike rack itself. It was just the hitch mounted beneath the stock bumper that was a problem.
I really wanted hard top instead of soft top, and the old soft top was really crispy from being in the sun and the windows were badly scratched and fogged. So I got a new top from Camper King since their prices are low and they're just down the road.
I swapped out the milk jugs for stubby bumper caps.
... and that front bumper is done! The stock bumper looks so darn good with the stubby ends. And it's still totally functional and lightweight. I figure I'll keep it like that until there's a really good reason to replace it.
Added handles for the wife:
And the Rugged Ridge dash tray and phone mount:
That was a cheap and easy upgrade, but it's one of the best things I did. It allows me to use my phone as an OBD2 monitor, navigation system, and audio source for the stereo. I also use the mount on top for a little GoPro Session cube camera to get video of trail runs.
Like many new owners of old Jeeps, I felt like the ride was way too harsh, and that led me to look at the suspension since my tire pressure was already reasonably low. While checking things out, I started to wonder if my front springs were sagging. (See https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/sagging-stock-front-springs.11772/) The springs definitely were sagging after 130K miles, and replacing them with Moog 3226/3227 springs restored the stock ride height. (See https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/stock-spring-swap-walk-thru-with-pics.12655/)
While replacing the springs, I did a bump stop check (See https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/bump-stop-check-walk-thru-with-pics.12883/) and learned that the RS9000x front shocks are just a little too long when fully compressed, and that I needed a little bump stop extension to protect them from full compression. At the same time, I learned that my 31x10.50R15 tires rub slightly at full bump, and that they rub hard on the spring perch at full flex with any amount of steering. That goes counter to the prevailing wisdom that 31s fit fine with stock wheels and suspension.
I replaced the old coil spring isolators when I replaced the springs, and that made a noticeable improvement in ride quality. That and the thread about control arm bushings (https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...composition-affect-ride-quality-or-nvh.13928/) got me thinking about the other worn out rubber on the Jeep.
Just look at those cracked LCA bushings! So I swapped the OEM control arms for a set of Moog control arms, but just one location at a time. That let me see how much the control arm bushings affected ride quality. In my experience, front lower control arms make the most impact on ride quality, followed by rear lower control arms, and lastly the upper control arms. But swapping the old front LCAs for the new ones was like night and day.
After having success with the control arms, I figured I'd replace the old, cracked body mounts with a new set of Crown body mounts. That improved ride quality a little too.
Then my wife hooked me up for Xmas:
Somewhere along the line I added a Uniden Pro 520XL CB with Arizona Rocky Mounts for the CB and the antenna with an add-on NMO mount for a future Ham rig.
After that, the Jeep had been running well and doing a great job on the trails. Until I overlooked a rock on the exit from this waterfall and crunched the tailpipe into the hitch.
You can see it right there — the bolt-on flare for the tailpipe hanging right below that bolt-on hitch. Just waiting for the right rock to come along. That whole setup had been annoying me since day one. And I figured that since the hitch was in the way and I managed to destroy the tailpipe (it got a minor dent), I needed an upgrade.
So that whole mess came off and I mounted a Dirtworx rear bumper and a low-profile tailpipe flare that tucks in nicely. While I was at it, I added the Poison Spyder frame tie-ins. They might not be necessary, but I figured I'd rather distribute the load on the bike rack as widely as possible. Also, they're really sweet looking little bits of steel and nicely made!
With the rock solid Dirtworks bumper and the frame tie-ins, the bike rack is now way more stable than it ever was on the bolt-on hitch. It also sits a lot higher — good for ground clearance, bad for tailgate clearance.
I had been kicking around the idea of adding a winch for a long time, but really got serious about getting one when I found that there were some reasonable deals on used Warn PowerPlants with on-board air. I had been airing up my tires with a high-volume bike pump, which worked reasonably well but was a lot of effort. Then I got this.
I also scored the 100' 3/8" Spydura line and fairlead off of CL new-in-box for a song! Fog lights got relocated outward by a couple inches to make room for that beast.
It's turning out to be a pretty good setup overall. Good enough to lead a couple of new Jeepers around the local trails.
But especially with the added weight of the winch, the stock suspension isn't leaving me much room to get over obstacles. And that's the reason for this thread.
It's time for some real upgrades!
