Hi there … I have 3 TJ’s and was wondering if one of them could be in your ‘readers rigs’?
I have a 1997 that’s completely stock and my wife has a completely stock 1998 that we just use for daily drivers, and I have a 1997 that I've had since it was new that’s been just an off road vehicle from the start
A cool side note … my stock 97 just turned over 334,000 miles and has never once had anything repaired on it besides oil changes, spark plugs and spark plug wires and brakes/tires replaced … that’s absolutely it – it never even went in for any work when it was under warranty
Anyways, my off road 1997 TJ has the following:
Still only 36,200 miles on it, but the new car smell was replaced by ‘burnt mud’ smell long ago … as measured from a completely brand new and stock TJ Sport with 30.5x9.50 tires on it – mine sits 14.25 inches higher at every point
v 5.5” Rubicon Express suspension lift rear springs, front springs are stock front springs from a 2004 Chevy Tahoe (*see note about front suspension)
v 2 inch Daystar body lift and motor mount risers (to compensate for the manual transmission being shoved up by the raised Rubicon Express skid plate – this was the only way I could get it to shift properly)
(the Tahoe springs are a PERFECT fit and provide about 4-4.5” of lift compared to stock TJ springs, yet have a much nicer spring rate and allows the front to articulate better than the 5.5” Rubicon Express springs) – To compensate for the slightly shorter front springs, I have 2” TeraFlex spring spacers in the front … with the weight of the ARB front bumper and the winch, it sits with a nice stance a shown in the photos
v Full Rubicon Express long arm kit
v Rubicon Express front track bar, rear sway bar is custom built by me
v Dynatrac Pro Dana 44 front and rear axles – 5:13 gears with ARB air lockers front and rear
v Tires are 35x15.50x15 Super Swamper SX’s on 15x12 steel wheels
v JKS sway bar quick disconnects
v ARB front bumper … Burnsville Offroad custom ‘A-bomb proof’ rear bumper … it’s seriously irritating how heavy duty the rear bumper is … and I kept my 3rd brake light too!
v Warn HS9500i winch with Off Road Only synthetic winch rope
v IPF headlights with HID conversion kit – the real HID kit, not the blue light bulbs
v Windshield mounted IPF 10” wide beam off road lights
v I have 4 tractor type rubber housed implement lights mounted up in the Rubicon Express skid plate facing front and back to give a good view of what I’m driving over from under the Jeep … you can’t see them at all from the outside of the Jeep, but this helps a lot for spotters to help me see and get off of whatever may be hanging me up
v Rear mounted rack that goes above the back seat when it’s folded and the rear deck cover’s on it – I forgot the manufacturer, but I bought this from Quadratec and I think you still sell it – it’s in one of the photos
v Optima red top battery
v Double sound bar … I just bought another sound bar and mounted it in reverse on the forward side of the roll cage
v Tuffy dual overhead console … used for CB/FRS radio and I still have 1 DIN slot open
v Custom welded in roll bar braces
v Hard doors, half doors, soft doors and roll-bar type doors … the factory half doors are my favorite
v Factory hard and soft top and full bikini/deck/windjammer set up
v Wet Okole seat covers all around
v Factory Chrysler GPS navigation system in place of the stereo … it’s not the greatest nav system because the screen is kind of small, but it looks and fits 100% stock and works perfectly
v Tomken Machine 2x4 rocker skids
v Daystar poly mounts for transmission/T-case and engine
v Transfer case shifter relocation kit
v 4:1 TeraLow transfer case low range kit … also it has the slip yolk eliminator kit
v Tom Woods front and rear high clearance/high angle drive shafts
v Engine driven York compressor system with air chuck fittings at all 4 corners by the tires
v Rear bumper is sealed so it is used as an air tank, there are also 2 separate 2.5 gallon air tanks mounted up in the chassis
