Which Jeep Wrangler TJ mods are a waste of money?

[KCsTJ]

@JMT I found them on eBay, used. I coughed up the $130 , the cost was painful but i love em.
Sorry bout the delayed response, just saw this post today for some reason.

 

[KCsTJ]

They actually look pretty good when they are the same color as the hood. How was the install? Where did you get them?

I never considered vents until I saw this thread. Its a good idea to keep engine bays cooler but I may actually need them or actual engine cooling lol

I bought a front hitch and cargo carrier and I plan to carry a decently sized cooler right in front of the grill. It will be more than a foot away so air will easily flow around the cooler but not be forced into the grill. I wonder if adding vents will allow for better natural airflow kinda like a venturi effect. I will still monitor my temps and it may be that the fan and highway speeds will be enough but I am already thinking ahead.

The install wasn't too bad.
I used some hand metal snips to cut the hood. Took my time and it turned out nice.
I found the louvres by accident on eBay. $120, ugh, but i bit the bullet and splurged.

 

[imactj2004]

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!

I’m LOL’ing and crying because the PO (my father-n-law) gave in to at least five of the myths/mistakes which I have had to suffer from.

Fortunately for me, I didnt spend the money on these. Unfortunately for me, its been two years of undoing his mistakes for all but one, as follows:

- throttle body spacer: havent had any problems but I’m thinkin of getting rid of it to see what change is made
- low temp thermostat: this one pisses me off to no end. Doesnt allow engine to come to temp and therefore throws codes which prevents from passing state smog test.
- high capacity fan: the fan itself hasnt been a “problem” but it requires a dedicated temp switch on the thermostat housing which was also low temp and had to be replaced at same time as the thermostat. Annoying.
- headers: he had a banks header which had cracks in when I inherited the vehicle. My local exhaust shop was nice enough to sell me their display model off the wall for 50% off but in hindsight I shouldve reverted to stock. Putitng that header on, with engine block still in the compartment, was the biggest pain. Lord knows if I actually torqued to spec. It takes the hands of a baby get to the bolts. Who knows if I have any increase in “performance”. I have nothing to compare to. Oh well.
- RC lift kit. i also have nothing to compare to but gawd its awful. The upper front adjustible CA’s are total POS. Ive replaced the bushings twice in them already. Next time the threaded ring pops off, Im just gonna revert to stock. Meanwhile, Ive had to replace shocks and I think Im doing springs soon because the ride still feels like bricks hitting bricks. Pisses me off.

The silver lining to all of my dear father n laws mistakes is that fixing them has been a first course lesson in how to work on a jeep. I had zero mechanical experience prior to this but going through his mistake, with the help of this forum, has allowed me to understand how the jeep actually works. Slowly, but surely, Im getting this rig into stable shape for my daughter to drive in another couple years. But let my father n laws mistakes be the lesson for everyone else of what not to do.