New Jeep Purchase-Need parts/accesories advice

[LadyJeepFreak]

1074788

Okay gang,

I am 30 and have always wanted a Jeep <since 16-damn those parental figures> and have just purchased one finally! It is an 03' Wrangler SE 4 cyl., manual shift. So, I have read up on Jeeps quite a bit and have been looking for over two years. Originally I had wanted an older CJ, but being a girl and not working on vehicles I finally decided I didn't want to get involved with an older vehicle (after I looked at several).

K, so I have this brand new stock Jeep right? <right> lol Well, what the hell can I do with it without tearing it up? It is important to me that if I'm going to do rough stuff <which I want to> I don't tear it up too bad.

I have available to me sand pits, muddy pits, the beach, and some forest trails. Other than that, when I get more experienced and knowledgable in Jeep stuff I'd like to do some REAL offroading. :-D I'm not as stupid as to go tearing off doing dumb stuff with a stock jeep. I have been tearing some mud up, but nothing too serious. I want to get down to the sand pits soon.

What I'm wondering is this: Where do you all get your parts and accesories at? Local places or mail order like JC Whitney or Mopar? Also, what is the best things to get first to maximize offroading without damage? I already know some smaller accessories I need, like stepups <for the old peeps>, tow hooks, spare tire cover, etc. but what about the major stuff? Oh and where can I get cool Jeep stickers and logo accessories? Dealer said they don't have much.........................

Thanks for any advice! Jeep On Baby! :-D [addsig]

 

[olyeller]

1074801

look at some of the jeepz.com sponsors.
i've ordered from quadratec and they were great.
also ordered from 4wd hardware and been pleased.
larger, more aggressive tires would prolly be the first mod for me.[addsig]

 

[Tug-n-pull]

1074823

If it is a new jeep do not do anything to void your factory coverage for a while. A stock jeep can take you there just add mud and enjoy the ride. You beat the parents advice soner than I did. I was 43 proior to getting my jeep and wish I could turn back the hands of time and went ahead and bought the new jeep back in 1976. Welcome and good luck! tug[addsig]

 

[dingus]

1074828

most everyone here started out with a stock jeep, and everyone will tell you that a STOCK jeep will never cease to amaze you with its capabilities... ask rob (pasmokeater) who drove his stock jeep up until a few weeks ago when he got his lift, tires, nitrous, neons, body graphics, spoiler, and supercharger.

er, just the lift and tires. [addsig]

 

[PASmokeater]

1074844

Welcome to the board...Dingus is right..again and again I will praise the abilities of stocker Jeeps. I was always amazed at the way my stocker took what I threw at it.

You here alot about things like 5" lift ( ok...a little extreme lol) and 45" tires but a stocker can do MOST (not all) things a lifted Jeep can do an an EVERYDAY trail in most areas. All you have to do is think a little harder, and take along alot of patience.

I like to break the whole the whole wheeling thing into these percentages..and will share them with you all knowing that I'll be slammed by some of you.
Wheeling is
60% Driver capability
30% Tires
10% Vehicle mods

What area are you from, you have a nice selection of places to go..if your in the North East, I would like to recomend Paragon AP click here for link
They have an abundance of trails set at different levels, as well as guided tours to help teach you how to tear it up with out tearing anything up.

If your interested in my stocker pics on the trails pm me and I'll send you a link to my online album.




Rob [addsig]

 

[LadyJeepFreak]

1074881

Hiya everyone,

Thanks for the warm welcome and all the advice. It helps alot to read these posts! I certainly plan to stick around.

Lady (gotta get a picture of my Jeep) [addsig]

 

[ranger4X4]

1074913

Pa smokeater knows his stuff and all about that cadillac he drives :evil:

edited by: ranger4X4, Jul 07, 2003 - 08:48 AM[addsig]

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

1074929

I'd start off with adding front and rear tow hooks. Then look at maybe a little lift like 2" coil spacers and 31" or 32" mud tires. You'll do fine stock or with slight mods like these, it's best to learn wheelin gradually and improve your vehicle as skill improves.

As far as voiding your warranty with mods, there is a little thing called the 'Magnusson Moss Warranty Act' that you should familiarize yourself with. In a nutshell, they stealership can not deny warranty work due to a mod unless they can show that the mod had a direct effect on the part failure.

FourWheel Drive Hardware
Quadratec
Rusty's Offroad
Rubicon Express[addsig]

 

[L33TJ33P]

1074949

What you can do to a Stock Jeep (Brand new 03) you can do the following, without voiding warrentee:

2" Suspension Lift (Spacer)
3" Body Lift
Tow Hooks
sway bar Disconnects

This is about all that you can do under the Tub that Chysler will let you get by with. This is the stuff that you see done to the "Big Foot Editions" you see driving around a lot of places. The only difference in your Moding the Jeep to that is, They don't use the 2.5's and they have the Dorky Decals on them. When you see "Bulldog Edition" and it is all red and black you gotta feel sorry for the UGA Sap that is driving it ;-)

I would suggest for the Disconnects that you look here for the $10 version on here or JKS quicker Disconnects. Reason being?? The Disconnects that disconnect in the center you have to wiggle the whole Jeep to get them lined up just right and it usually takes 2 people.

Tow Hooks: Unless you get the 5000lbs Rated Factory Tow hooks $50, You will have to remove the rubber bumperetts from the front of the stock bumper to get the 10,000 hooks to fit.

Suspension Lift: The stealership uses Spacer Lifts (here in Atlanta) but if you check with your stealership (where you will have to go to get warrentee repairs) to find out if they will honor it no matter what type 2" lift you use, Spacer or Coil.

Body Lift: I have heard that it isn't smart to combine a Body Lift and a Suspension Lift. I also do not plan on going higher than 2" so it really isn't needed in my case.

The Order I chose to do my Mods:
Disconnects first. Get these done before they have a chance to rust into place. TOOOO many horror stories have I heard abotu removing Factory Sways. If you get these done in the first month (as I did) and have the right tools it takes 30 min to remove the old and instal the new.

Tow Hooks: This is where I ran into some problems. When you buy after market towhooks, first you have to remove the Rubber bumperettes. Then and Only then do you realize the the after market bolts for the new tow hooks come with bolts and nuts and the thread isn't right for the Nuts that are Welded into your frame. Option, Check witht he stealership for the extended bolts that fit. If you can't find them, buy the tow hook package and have the 10,000lbs Tows for backu-up. This way you have the correct Torx bolt that matches the color of the bumper.

Wheels/Meats:
I choose do do this 3rd because, I am only going with 31" meats. These will fit pretty well under the TJ without a Lift.

Suspension:
2" Spacer lift will come soon after wheels and meats This will give me more clearence for a little tougher trails.

None of these should void your warrentee. However, I do not work for your local stealership. It is always best to enquire with them first.

Just my little Opinion.

[addsig]

 

[PASmokeater]

1074958

Here's the link to the online album you requested.....remember that most of these were takin in a stock Sahara...and alot were taken at Paragon.



Page title:My Online Album

Rob [addsig]

 

[cmoore]

1074973

Hey congrats on your new jeep. Your stock jeep will go places you wouldnt think possible. Just remember to go slow and never wheel alone. As a general rule flooring it is almost never the answer and is usually associated with breakage.

I would recommend two mods right off the bat that will increase your jeep's off road abilities without costing you much $.

1.) Make your own sway bar disconnects (essentially you want to
replace the bolt on the bottom of the swaybar link with a pin. Then when off road you can disconnect the sway bar to allow for increased suspension travel. Once disconnected just tie the sway bar up out of the way (zip ties work if you dont feel creative) This simple mod will blow your mind with the increase in your rig's capability and you can do it for about $10 at the home depot). Please be safe and DO NOT DRIVE DISCONNECTED ON PAVED ROADS.

Thanks to Tango for the pic

2.) Rubicon Express hand throttle $35. This allows you to easily use the brake, clutch, and gas all at the same time. Invaluable on steep climbs (especially if you have to stop in the middle to pick the next line), also eliminates the right foot to gas pedal bounce that often happens when you go over a big bump. Later on this is nice for helping run higher rpms while you winch. Sure you can assmble all the parts to make on yourself for $10 or so but the Rubicon Express kit is easier and still cost effective. Here's a great how-to install:Hand throttle install

Front and rear hooks, tow and recovery straps are also a must.

Eventually you'll want new tires (just about any tire with the word MUD in the name is good), suspension, body armor & skids, new gears & lockers, oh boy the wish list will grow and grow.

congrats again

cmoore
ps- where do you live? Surely some of our members live near you. Come do a trail ride with any of us if you can.
[addsig]

 

[meangreenyj]

1075005

i;ve gotta agree with cmoore..sway bar discos are a great mod for stock jeeps.. also, double check with the dealership that you bought it from and make sure that the 30 front has the larger 297 joints in the axles. those will make it stronger. you will be amazed what a stock jeep with 31" mt's can do... just be patient, read as much as you can and decide how big you need to go..[addsig]

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

1075015

All Jeeps '95 and newer have the larger 297x front axle u-joint, same as the D44 front. 260x for '94 and older.[addsig]

 

[jps4jeep]

1075055

Welcome to the board!! Lets see you got sand pits, mud, forest! Gotta be from maine!

Good luck with the new addition to the family. It will take all your money but what you will get back is ten time better![addsig]

 

[LadyJeepFreak]

1075212

Hiya all,

Forgot to post where I am from, see some of you are wondering. I ain't from Maine, good god I'd freeze my azz off! I love warm weather so I'm kissing the ground I'm on here in Maryland! (more than half the year it's not even warm enough for me here)

Eastern Shore girl here, near the beach. Lots of Jeepers here and lots of country area to have fun in.

Take care, I really appreciate all the posts. I've got some decisions to make. Been trying to figure out my tire size in inches. I think it's 28.5, thought maybe more but I don't think so. P225/75R15. Thinking bout 31"'s and the suspension lift you guys are talking about.

I'm anxious to get some slight mods done but will read up more first and call the stealership about a couple of things. Your group helps alot.

Thanks again!

(my quote dissapeared) **It ain't paid for but it's MINE!** :-D [addsig]

 

[jprtroy]

1075761

Hi, from California, ( home of the Rubicon trail)

First, welcome to our jeep family! ;-) Now, as for mod's and such. First thing I'd recommend to you is "gain experience" getting aquinted with your jeep! As you use your vehicle, you will become familuar with it's limits and yours! (yep, you have limits as to what you believe you can't do, but your jeep is more that capable of handeling) Look for a jeep club in your area, go to a few meetings, join a few run's with them. You can learn loads of stuff from club members.
Once you get a feeling of "ease" while traversing a rocky trail along the side of some mountain,upteen thousand feet up, then you can start to think about mods. By then, you'll know what good for you your jeep etc...
For safety items your should be carrying? well, having a Hi-lift jack is nice. Although your stock jack can work in a pinch. The hi-lift can be used as a "winch" and help you get un-stuck. A CB is allways nice, better yet, is HAM radio (but you need to be licensed for that) Tow strap, tow hooks (mounted solidly to frame) little box with spare fuses. (thinking....... been a long night, )Gloves, shovel, canteen/waterbottle
There's more but I have to go... Have fun... Stay smart!
:-D [addsig]

 

[FairportX97TJ]

1075819

Do a Google on "Tire Size Calculator" and you will get many calculators to compare tire sizes.

FairportX97TJ[addsig]

 

[LadyJeepFreak]

1075828

Thanks for the calculator tips. My tires are 28's I guess. All the calcs give a number a bit over 28.

I have made a list of stuff I want to get to start off. Have a question or two again.

Tow hooks....found these smittybuilt tow hooks t hat say they bolt to existing holes. Is this usually true or is that a bust? I know a couple of you said to make sure thier bolted to more than just the bumper.... Front ones come in pairs, back comes in single. Is it normal to have two on the front?

Door entry gaurds...These just bolt on too, make your own holes I suppose.

Fire extingishers, anyone found a good place to mount one of thse or do you just carry it along?

Well anyway, I do apreciate all your help. I also jotted down tow straps and a hi-lift jack. Several sites show the Jack along with some accessory kits, do I need anything besides the jack?

UMMM, need a bikini top too and a tire cover but those were easy to find and no qustions involved. lol

I interviewed for a part time job the other day and I'm pretty sure I'm hired. More money for my new toy!

Have a great weekend! :roll: :roll: :roll: [addsig]