Roblaza
New member
Hello everyone, I've been a lurker for a while and figured it was time to start a thread to share what i've been able to accomplish with my tj, as well as what i'm hoping to accomplish in the future.
A little background...I bought this 97 TJ sport about 2 and a half years ago from a friend whom I met through another Canadian Jeep Site. When I got it, it needed a little work; Nothing major. Some paint on the pre-installed flat tube fenders and a couple holes in the floor patched up. After that was said and done it looked like this:
Next up was the regular "new vehicle service"...All fluids were changed, brakes, lights, ect. I also replaced the bald 33's with new Trail diggers, which in hind sight were still too small for my liking...but being new to jeeping I was clueless. I then opted for a 4'' lift to get it a little higher, and ditched the 2'' budget boost. AGAIN, hindsight is coming back into the mix here and I now know that instead of opting for the cheap option, I should have saved some more cash and went with a better quality kit from the get-go. I have since replaced about 90% of the components with much better items. I have also changed the tires from the 33'' trail diggers with 35'' MTR Kevlars which in my opinion are absolutely amazing tires.
Over the next winter I threw some more money and some more time at it and upgraded the steering, brakes lines, installed a SYE and currie arms, various skid plates, and assembled some rear corner armour and tube flares from Trail Head Customs here in Ontario. I also bought and built their DIY rear bumper and tire carrier as well as rock sliders with tube steps and rock rings. All in all i've managed to come up with a half decent capable rig that I truly enjoy driving over everything I can. It currently looks like this:
Next on my list of things to accomplish this winter is the axles. I've got a ford 8.8 with 4.10s and an artec truss that is ready and waiting to be installed, as well as a hp30 with an artec truss that is also ready and waiting to be installed. I'm also going to grab some chromoly shafts front and rear to attempt to avoid breaking shafts with the 35s (only on failure so far on the stock axles, luckily). Not only that, seeing as TMR Customs is only about 25 minutes from my house, i'll by buying a trail cage from them as well.
To date here are most of the things I've been able to get Done. I say most because I'm sure I've forgotten some.
4"rough country springs
Rough country lower adjustable arms with tmr Johnny Joint guts and poly bushings
Currie adjustable uppers with Johnny joints
Rubicon express mono tube shocks
Rubicon express front track bar
JKS rear track bar bracket
Grand cherokee steering with Dakota steering gear
Rubicon express flex lines
Alloy USA ball joints
Lokka locker in the front
Teraflex oil pan skid
Tom woods rear shaft
Rugged ridge sye
Rebuilt trans with upgraded valve body, hd torque converter and relocated vent
Trailhead customs front tube fenders
Trailhead customs rear armour and tube flares
Trailhead customs rock sliders and tube steps
trailhead customs rock rings
Trailhead customs rear bumper and swingout
Home brew oba using factory ac compressor with mac air horn for kicks
Rtx led lighting (7.5", 21.5", 2X2 pods)
Motobilt hood bracket for 21.5"bar
Super wader snorkel
Custom hid projectors (Morimoto mini h1 with control harness)
Superwinch lp8500 (hoping to upgrade this spring)
35"mtr Kevlars
Thanks for reading, and i'll try to update this thread when more progress is being made.
A little background...I bought this 97 TJ sport about 2 and a half years ago from a friend whom I met through another Canadian Jeep Site. When I got it, it needed a little work; Nothing major. Some paint on the pre-installed flat tube fenders and a couple holes in the floor patched up. After that was said and done it looked like this:
Next up was the regular "new vehicle service"...All fluids were changed, brakes, lights, ect. I also replaced the bald 33's with new Trail diggers, which in hind sight were still too small for my liking...but being new to jeeping I was clueless. I then opted for a 4'' lift to get it a little higher, and ditched the 2'' budget boost. AGAIN, hindsight is coming back into the mix here and I now know that instead of opting for the cheap option, I should have saved some more cash and went with a better quality kit from the get-go. I have since replaced about 90% of the components with much better items. I have also changed the tires from the 33'' trail diggers with 35'' MTR Kevlars which in my opinion are absolutely amazing tires.
Over the next winter I threw some more money and some more time at it and upgraded the steering, brakes lines, installed a SYE and currie arms, various skid plates, and assembled some rear corner armour and tube flares from Trail Head Customs here in Ontario. I also bought and built their DIY rear bumper and tire carrier as well as rock sliders with tube steps and rock rings. All in all i've managed to come up with a half decent capable rig that I truly enjoy driving over everything I can. It currently looks like this:
Next on my list of things to accomplish this winter is the axles. I've got a ford 8.8 with 4.10s and an artec truss that is ready and waiting to be installed, as well as a hp30 with an artec truss that is also ready and waiting to be installed. I'm also going to grab some chromoly shafts front and rear to attempt to avoid breaking shafts with the 35s (only on failure so far on the stock axles, luckily). Not only that, seeing as TMR Customs is only about 25 minutes from my house, i'll by buying a trail cage from them as well.
To date here are most of the things I've been able to get Done. I say most because I'm sure I've forgotten some.
4"rough country springs
Rough country lower adjustable arms with tmr Johnny Joint guts and poly bushings
Currie adjustable uppers with Johnny joints
Rubicon express mono tube shocks
Rubicon express front track bar
JKS rear track bar bracket
Grand cherokee steering with Dakota steering gear
Rubicon express flex lines
Alloy USA ball joints
Lokka locker in the front
Teraflex oil pan skid
Tom woods rear shaft
Rugged ridge sye
Rebuilt trans with upgraded valve body, hd torque converter and relocated vent
Trailhead customs front tube fenders
Trailhead customs rear armour and tube flares
Trailhead customs rock sliders and tube steps
trailhead customs rock rings
Trailhead customs rear bumper and swingout
Home brew oba using factory ac compressor with mac air horn for kicks
Rtx led lighting (7.5", 21.5", 2X2 pods)
Motobilt hood bracket for 21.5"bar
Super wader snorkel
Custom hid projectors (Morimoto mini h1 with control harness)
Superwinch lp8500 (hoping to upgrade this spring)
35"mtr Kevlars
Thanks for reading, and i'll try to update this thread when more progress is being made.
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