The purpose of this thread is to inform new Jeep Wrangler TJ owners of the "mods" they should stay away from. These mods may have internet hype behind them, but it's nothing more than that... hype. You won't gain any power with these mods, and if you feel anything at all, I guarantee you it will be the placebo effect. You're better off throwing your money down the drain (seriously) as oppose to buying into the B.S. here.
So, here's the list of mods you should stay away from:
Throttle Body Spacers
(See this thread for more info: Do throttle body spacers work on Jeep Wrangler TJs?.)
4-hole Fuel Injector Upgrades
Sorry boys and girls. This 4.0 engine has more in common with a tractor engine than a Ferrari. I love when people like to throw out that the 4-hole fuel injectors help "atomize" the fuel better. Okay, and that does NOTHING for power on your 4.0.
Cold Air Intakes
(See this thread if you need proof: Cold Air Intake FAQ.)
Superchips or any other PCM / ECU reprogramming advice
(To my knowledge, no one has ever cracked the PCM code on the TJ model Wranglers, and therefore none of these units can actually give you any better performance like they could on other vehicles such as the JKs.)
"Performance" Steering Stabilizers
Or dual steering stabilizers for that matter. They do literally NOTHING for your rig. That's not a statement, it's a fact. Unfortunately the internet has a real hard on for flashy, expensive steering stabilizers. Therefore people assume they must do something.
Low Temperature Thermostats, "Performance" Radiators, and Electric Fan Conversions
Please don't be stupid enough to buy into this total internet hype B.S. Read this thread if you need convincing: The myth: low temp thermostats, electric fan conversions & "performance" radiators
Headers
While controversial for sure, I believe headers to be a huge waste of money for these TJs. For one, they crack in short order (my Banks headers cracked in under a year) as they don't have flex joints like the stock headers. For two, they're all made of cheap metal. For three, unless you can show me a before and after dyno chart that shows more than 2-4 hp of difference (before and after the headers), I still won't believe you, because those numbers amount to nothing more than variables in the dyno charts such as temperature changes, heat soak, outside temp, speed, and dyno variances. If we were talking about some huge, long tube headers like you'd find on an old school V8, then I'd believe there was some serious power to be gained. But since we're talking about a small, tiny portion that is the upper exhaust manifold, I don't buy it one bit. If you want to waste your money on "headers", go for it. I'm just giving you some good, solid advice.
If anyone has anything else to add to the list, please let me know.
Oh, and the disclaimer here is that if you want to prove me wrong on any of this, I implore you to go out and have back-to-back dynos done before-and-after the mod. If you see a few horsepower variance between dynos, that amounts to nothing more than changes in conditions (i.e. engine heat soak, dyno variances, margin of error, etc.).
If you choose to ignore the advice here, it doesn't bother me with one bit. It's your money and you can spend it however you want. Besides... the placebo effect can be quite a powerful thing!
So, here's the list of mods you should stay away from:
Throttle Body Spacers
(See this thread for more info: Do throttle body spacers work on Jeep Wrangler TJs?.)
4-hole Fuel Injector Upgrades
Sorry boys and girls. This 4.0 engine has more in common with a tractor engine than a Ferrari. I love when people like to throw out that the 4-hole fuel injectors help "atomize" the fuel better. Okay, and that does NOTHING for power on your 4.0.
Cold Air Intakes
(See this thread if you need proof: Cold Air Intake FAQ.)
Superchips or any other PCM / ECU reprogramming advice
(To my knowledge, no one has ever cracked the PCM code on the TJ model Wranglers, and therefore none of these units can actually give you any better performance like they could on other vehicles such as the JKs.)
"Performance" Steering Stabilizers
Or dual steering stabilizers for that matter. They do literally NOTHING for your rig. That's not a statement, it's a fact. Unfortunately the internet has a real hard on for flashy, expensive steering stabilizers. Therefore people assume they must do something.
Low Temperature Thermostats, "Performance" Radiators, and Electric Fan Conversions
Please don't be stupid enough to buy into this total internet hype B.S. Read this thread if you need convincing: The myth: low temp thermostats, electric fan conversions & "performance" radiators
Headers
While controversial for sure, I believe headers to be a huge waste of money for these TJs. For one, they crack in short order (my Banks headers cracked in under a year) as they don't have flex joints like the stock headers. For two, they're all made of cheap metal. For three, unless you can show me a before and after dyno chart that shows more than 2-4 hp of difference (before and after the headers), I still won't believe you, because those numbers amount to nothing more than variables in the dyno charts such as temperature changes, heat soak, outside temp, speed, and dyno variances. If we were talking about some huge, long tube headers like you'd find on an old school V8, then I'd believe there was some serious power to be gained. But since we're talking about a small, tiny portion that is the upper exhaust manifold, I don't buy it one bit. If you want to waste your money on "headers", go for it. I'm just giving you some good, solid advice.
If anyone has anything else to add to the list, please let me know.
Oh, and the disclaimer here is that if you want to prove me wrong on any of this, I implore you to go out and have back-to-back dynos done before-and-after the mod. If you see a few horsepower variance between dynos, that amounts to nothing more than changes in conditions (i.e. engine heat soak, dyno variances, margin of error, etc.).
If you choose to ignore the advice here, it doesn't bother me with one bit. It's your money and you can spend it however you want. Besides... the placebo effect can be quite a powerful thing!