[dnsource]

Hey Guys, I'm new to Jeep and to this forum. I just purchased this 1998 about 5 days ago and I have been doing little cosmetic things here and there. The previous owner didnt really take care of it.

A few things I have done:

Painted the fenders

Painted the door panels ... Next will be the whole dash. Im scared of taking it all apart so I will be doing a whole lot of prepping to paint.

Painted the covers on the bar


Please try to answer some questions I have bellow.

Thanks
Jason







Is there supposed to be anything where those holes under the grill are?? (on top of jeep sign on the fender)


Should I paint this handle on the hood or is this a cheap piece?






Is there anything that will help me with this nasty rust?!?!?!


I just purchased the bezel. I must have done something wrong because its still falling in the hole..



I purchased a new replacement fender but I have no idea what hardware I need to hook this up?


Any other comments and ideas Welcome!!

 

[Chili TJ]

I just purchased the bezel. I must have done something wrong because its still falling in the hole..

You have to attach the shift boot to the bezel and then put the bezel in. I know some use superglue :thumb:

 

[steelslinger]

Get the pocket flares. They come with everything. I just put a set on my wife's '98

 

[brs256]

just paint the hinges and hood tie down, for the holes on your windshield I might recommend paint and the window frame guards to cover the holes (available as a decal or metal covers

 

[brs256]

Get the pocket flares. They come with everything. I just put a set on my wife's '98

pocket flares are junk, and imo ugly as all get out.

they crack very easily

 

[brs256]

it appears as though you have a rather large body lift, that is why your grill has those large gaps under it


this is prbly another reason y the shift boot was removed/disconnected when you purchased the jeep

 

[dnsource]

pocket flares are junk, and imo ugly as all get out.

they crack very easily

I have a aftermarket factory style fender on hand. I just don't know what hardware I need to put it on.

 

[dnsource]

just paint the hinges and hood tie down, for the holes on your windshield I might recommend paint and the window frame guards to cover the holes (available as a decal or metal covers

I bought some touch up paint (spray). Any recommended prepping I should do before? The screws are really rusted.

 

[Robertsk1]

I agree with brs256. It looks to be a 2-3 inch body lift. I'd try to get that replaced or shaved down to a 1" BL and a suspension lift to clear the tires if you can swing it.

 

[dnsource]

I agree with brs256. It looks to be a 2-3 inch body lift. I'd try to get that replaced or shaved down to a 1" BL and a suspension lift to clear the tires if you can swing it.

Bad news for me.

I just went back to my sellers craigslist post:
". Has 3 inch body lift with 33 x 12.5 R15 BF Goodrich tires. Borla headers, FlowMaster exhaust. Dana 4:11 differential gears. "

Can you guys guide me the right way. I have read nothing bad bad news on anything over a 1 body lift.

What shocks and springs should I get?

What 1" BL should I get with?

Is this something I can do at home?!

I would like to keep the same wheel tire setup (all I have)

 

[calwick20]

I would look into the zone 4.25" combo lift. I've heard a lot of good things about it

 

[Robertsk1]

Bad news for me.

I just went back to my sellers craigslist post:
". Has 3 inch body lift with 33 x 12.5 R15 BF Goodrich tires. Borla headers, FlowMaster exhaust. Dana 4:11 differential gears. "

Can you guys guide me the right way. I have read nothing bad bad news on anything over a 1 body lift.

What shocks and springs should I get?

What 1" BL should I get with?

Is this something I can do at home?!

I would like to keep the same wheel tire setup (all I have)

Definitely not bad news. You don't have the problem 90% of this forum has. Weak axles and stock gear ratios dragging us down.

The body lift is simply done to clear tires. It does nothing for offroad/driveability etc.. except minor details when doing a tummy tuck. You have plenty of options. If you trust your fab skills, you can remove the pucks and cut them, but it might get complicated and there's a chance for error. The JKS 1.25 BL is a great kit that I have on my jeep and highly recommend. Inspect your body mounts though, if they look like they've seen much better days, the Daystar 1" kit will replace them and provide the 1" BL that is much more practical. A Body lift is something that can be easily done in your driveway with a jack and simple hand tools. You will have to inspect your fan shroud to see if it needs modification after the body drops a couple inches. Your fuel filler hose may need adjusting as well as your transfer case linkage.

As for tire clearance, I'm not well-versed in the "what lift do i need for what tires" etc.. but I can tell you 1" BL is not enough for those 33 tires, and you will need some sort of suspension or budget boost lift in order to clear them.

My final advice? If you can't swing a 2-3" suspension lift at the moment, run with what you got. You're not gonna die because of it like some members on the forums believe, but it's not the best setup. Save up some cash and put it on the list.

Enjoy the jeep! :thumb:

Edit: If you do decide to modify the body lift yourself, the hardware may be too long and the radiator supports would also be too long, so it may be a little more work than it's worth.

 

[dnsource]

Definitely not bad news. You don't have the problem 90% of this forum has. Weak axles and stock gear ratios dragging us down.

The body lift is simply done to clear tires. It does nothing for offroad/driveability etc.. except minor details when doing a tummy tuck. You have plenty of options. If you trust your fab skills, you can remove the pucks and cut them, but it might get complicated and there's a chance for error. The JKS 1.25 BL is a great kit that I have on my jeep and highly recommend. Inspect your body mounts though, if they look like they've seen much better days, the Daystar 1" kit will replace them and provide the 1" BL that is much more practical. A Body lift is something that can be easily done in your driveway with a jack and simple hand tools. You will have to inspect your fan shroud to see if it needs modification after the body drops a couple inches. Your fuel filler hose may need adjusting as well as your transfer case linkage.

As for tire clearance, I'm not well-versed in the "what lift do i need for what tires" etc.. but I can tell you 1" BL is not enough for those 33 tires, and you will need some sort of suspension or budget boost lift in order to clear them.

My final advice? If you can't swing a 2-3" suspension lift at the moment, run with what you got. You're not gonna die because of it like some members on the forums believe, but it's not the best setup. Save up some cash and put it on the list.

Enjoy the jeep! :thumb:

Edit: If you do decide to modify the body lift yourself, the hardware may be too long and the radiator supports would also be too long, so it may be a little more work than it's worth.

Thank you for the great advice. I'll run my current setup for now till I come up with some money for suspension.

Next question.

Will I be better off doing a 1" body lift with 2" suspension or should I go only with 3" suspension???

Yo also mentioned possibly moving the fan and filler hose. I've never really done any engine work lol I might he to have someone do the install

 

[Water Dog]

I would look into the zone 4.25" combo lift. I've heard a lot of good things about it

^^X2^^ Very nice kit for about $500 and comes with everything you need. 4.25" TJ Combo Lift J25/J26.

Attachment of stock flares is done with mostly nutserts (also called insert nuts or blind nuts) try Ace Hardware (See picture below) They work like a molly bolt and are installed from the outside and then with a tool (or a bolt and oversized nut) are compressed against the back of the sheet metal for a permanent installation. The areas where you have access, you can use a bolt and nut with flat washer (from the factory they used U-nuts).

 

[Robertsk1]

Thank you for the great advice. I'll run my current setup for now till I come up with some money for suspension.

Next question.

Will I be better off doing a 1" body lift with 2" suspension or should I go only with 3" suspension???

Yo also mentioned possibly moving the fan and filler hose. I've never really done any engine work lol I might he to have someone do the install

There's tons of options. Most guys prefer the BL SL combo to keep their driveline close to to stock while still getting that 3.5"+ lift. A 2-2.5 lift will do just fine. If you jack it up too high you start getting into driveline geometry etc.. A 2.5 lift is nice because you won't have to drop the transfer case, you can simply install a motor mount lift to keep your rear driveline close to stock angles.

Don't let the fan shroud scare you. It's simply four bolts and the previous owner probably put slots in the shroud to allow it to be moved down on the body so it wouldn't interfere with the engine's fan. Simply loosening those bolts and adjusting the shroud so it doesn't collide will do the trick. The filler hose is a couple hose clamps that loosen with a screwdriver and can be adjusted.

On my rig, I have a 1.25" BL, 2.5" suspension lift, and a 1" Motor mount lift and I'm perfectly happy. Relatively inexpensive as well. But that's just my preference.

 

[dnsource]

It looks like I might be going with this kit which brings everything.

Would I need any of the extra options?

 

[Robertsk1]

The quick disconnects are nice, and for an extra 60 bucks, depending on their quality, would be worth it, assuming you go offroading enough that requires more articulation from your front end. As for the shocks, hydraulic shocks are perfectly good designs and it'd be a 20 bucks I'd keep in my wallet.

 

[calwick20]

http://www.baseline4x4.com/p-11034-...way-bar-links-1997-2006-jeep-tj-wrangler.aspx

It's cheaper from baseline and free shipping.

 

[dnsource]

The quick disconnects are nice, and for an extra 60 bucks, depending on their quality, would be worth it, assuming you go offroading enough that requires more articulation from your front end. As for the shocks, hydraulic shocks are perfectly good designs and it'd be a 20 bucks I'd keep in my wallet.

I haven't gone offroading yet but I plan on doing it from time to time when I get my suspension. Do I need those quick disconnects? If so, what other brand is recommended. It wasnt an option on the site calwick recommended.

Sorry if any questions are dumb, just trying to learn..

Thanks calwick for helping save a few bucks.

 

[biggdave92]

i suggest getting discos. I have JKS and love them.