I'm a new owner of an awesome 98 TJ Sport with 69k on it. Now that summer is around the corner I've picked up an A/C kit from JeepAir.com. Knowing this kit existed is one of the many reason my wife and I purchased the TJ, not to mention the color, hardtop, low miles and much more.
My question to the TJ Wrangler family is, has anyone here done the install and if so how long did it take? Also, what speed bumps did you run into?
Thanks in advice for any tips,
DuneRunner from NorCal.
Just did the install this weekend. Took me 12 hours.
Be prepared to take the entire dashboard off. I did the install without removing the steering column but I think that made it more difficult than it should have been.
The radiator also has to be fully removed and the coolant drained. Just a heads up if you haven't looked through the instructions yet.
I have not done the install, but reading reviews and watching videos. Looks like it would be a time intensive task. The people at Jeep Air are awesome so if you get stuck I know they will help you out. Also they can refer you a respectable AC shop to do the last steps.
Also I have to say, that is an awesome Jeep! If you don't mind me asking what did you pay for her?
Carlton989 - Thanks for the vid suggestion! Its a great resource. I considered finding the parts like he did, but I didn't want to wait to source them. Awesome series. Shared those vids with my pit-crew (dad and bro) to hopefully get a wrenching party going soon.
BahamaJeep - Thats reassuring that its a day+ job. I'll probably start on a Thursday night, use the wife's car on Friday and then power through with my Dad and Bro on Saturday.
WickedJester - you're correct about the intense job, but half the fun is the challenge. JeepAir is absolutely a great company. They respond to email inquires quickly and are easy to talk with on the phone. Not to mention they shipped the product out the next business day. The only hard part for me was waiting for the UPS-MAN to drop off the box. Took 1-week to get to California in the big brown truck.
Thanks for the props on our new ride. I'm the 3rd owner and its a Cali car so no salt on our roads in the winter :bop:. As for the costs, lets just say the guy didn't need it or do his research on the going rate, it was almost as if I stole it ... but I'm finding many things to replace and new dents all the time. The best of them all was the 1" of silicon between the windshield and hard top. HAHA!
I'll document what I can during the install. Should be fun.
I have a 99 tj 4 cyl auto. It's got stock gears and I'm running 31's. What would the Ac due to my already weak engine? Does anyone know what the power drain having the Ac would do?
It's coming along. 3am PT and I'm calling it for the night. Got waterpump, thermostat and temp sensor in. Plus compressor and condenser in. Tried aligning the aftermarket radiator to the semi cheap Chinese condenser and I may need to McGiver this B or get another one that aligns things better. Going to see in what it looks like with fresh eyes and some coffee.
(Friday 100 degrees, temp at 3am 70 Saturday high 97)
I guess I'm just complaining because the temps in the jeep have been insane. Here is a recent pic of the temp inside the cab. Night...
Each kit comes with everything you'll need. Mine was able to reuse the factory slide controls and just replace the slider sticker. No additional switches.
It comes with an actuator to open and close a new customized door for the housing under the dash. Check out the JeepAir.com site for your model and they will allow you to download a PDF document to see all instructions.
If you're good with your hands and have a weekend, then this kit is meant for you. Took me 15+ hours to do mine solo. However put in a new water pump and thermostat, so that added a few hours more. Fun but time consuming. c-ouch:
Another late night on a work-night. 3am stinks, but I made great progress. Got the dash apart, separated the heater box and customized the box to fit the new vent door. Boy was that fun... Seriously, it was fun, had help taking it out. But the putting it back by yourself isn't all that fun. Popped off the passenger door switch, was lucky I didn't get hit by the flying spring.
Got around to installing new heater hoses and a couple of small items.
Going to get her running after work tomorrow and take it down to get charged and tested this week.
What happened to the dad and bro helper team? You should have invited them over to see the new Jeep and then sprung the project on them. You probably told them about the project which allowed them time to find real important things they just had to do elsewhere.
Great write up. Now you know why most of us what the A/C already installed when we buy the Jeep. It would have been easier on the YJ, it used an under dash separate unit, even from the factory.
Yeah, the dad and bro crew fell through. I shared the PDF instructions with dad and he seemed a bit hesitant, but it was to late as the kit was sitting in the garage for a week or two already. Plus I decided to do the install on my parents anniversary and the hottest weekend we've seen in a while in NorCal.
Just the other day I was talking with my brother and he mentioned that our dad thought I was crazy for doing this project from the beginning. Apparently it was a daunting enough task to turn my dad off. (Which is kinda cool) ? Guess I've always been the risks taker in our family, and it "usually" leads to a great reward. Lol. (I'm the youngest at 37 in my family, but in my parents eyes I'm still that 15 year old kid) I guess there is still that joy in proving to Dad that "I can do this". Maybe that will never end.
Now my wife, I and 2 young boys can enjoy a cooler ride then it already is.
Now on to the next project: $20 factory TJ Rubicon springs to level the front and rear, and then.........
I kinda thought it was a crazy project too. But, I can remember laying with my legs over the back of the front seat and my head up under the dash on one project or another. But at 73, those days are behind me as I don't bend as easy as I used to.
I was the youngest of three, and up until I lost my parents when they were in their 80s, I was still their "little boy".
Yeah. I'm getting crap from the guys at work for not taking the doors/top off yet. I want to enjoy the AC for a week or two before going down that route. To much blood and sweat was spilled to not enjoy the AC.
I also have a nice solid bead of silicon to deal with from the previous owners. Guess they didn't know to order a new seal.
Yeah. I'm getting crap from the guys at work for not taking the doors/top off yet. I want to enjoy the AC for a week or two before going down that route. To much blood and sweat was spilled to not enjoy the AC.
I also have a nice solid bead of silicon to deal with from the previous owners. Guess they didn't know to order a new seal.
Living in Northern California you definitely need AC. We purchased our Wrangler 4L Sport with factory air and a hardtop. We visit family frequently in the North State and it is miserable hot in the Summer. The hardtop comes in handy because it rains so much here in the NW. Enjoy your new ride. The AC will prove to be a blessing.
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