New Jeep owner..questions. Flares and Vinyl Windows

S

SXR311

New member
Hello all...

I tried to do a search but I havent found what i was looking for.

I bought a 2000 YJ, and I love it. But the fender flares are faded very grey.

And the plastic windows are pretty dirty.

So 3 questions....

1) How do i clean the fender flares? I've heard a heat torch, is that right?

2) How can i clean the vinyl windows so they are clear again?

3) Has anyone invented a way to quiet the soft top down while driving? How about some bendable bars that go side to side to keep the top tight and from shaking around?

If you guys could point me in the right direction, that would be great!
Thanks so much.
 

I've never done the torch myself, I've heard that it only works a few times, so I'm saving that for when nothing else works. I start by hitting them with the pressure washer - it takes off a layer of white crud. I then either use something like "back to black" or standard vinyl polish. If they are really faded, use some forever black - Forever Black FB080 - Forever BLACKâ„¢ Cleaner & Reconditioner Combo - Quadratec It has dye in it that will re-black your plastic.


for the windows, use something made for it like this
Bestop 11203-00 - Bestop® Vinyl Window Cleaner 8 oz. - Quadratec

There are tons of ways to clean the top and the flares, so just try a few and see what works for you.

As to quieting the top, the tighter it is the better.
 
Thank you for the speedy reply. I will try and order some Forever Black, and see how that works out.

I should probably do a tune up as well. I can get the plugs at Advanced Auto, but I have the 2000 with eh 1 piece hard plastic unit that covers the plugs. Does that need to be replaced as well? I was going to change the inline fuel filter, but the 2000 doesn't seem to have an inline, just an in tank unit.

Maybe some injector cleaner, or throttle body cleaner?
 
Congratulations on your jeep!

If your jeep is a 2000 Wrangler it is really a TJ. CJs go from 1946 until 1986. From 1987 to 1995ish the Wranglers were denoted as YJs. I say “1995ish” because, and there is some argument over this, in reality there is no such thing as a 1996 YJ. All 1996 YJ were suppose to be 1995 models while Jeep switch to the 1997 Wrangler which is a TJ. TJs ran from 1997 to 2006 then in 2007 the latest version of the Wrangler became the JK.

As far as the hard plastic over the plugs I think the 2000 had switched to the coil over plug design so each plastic “box” is a coil for that plug. They can be removed so the plugs can be changed. You don’t want to change the coils unless they are bad as they are expensive. If the coil is bad you should get a code.

The fuel filter, unless something changed I don’t know about, is on the inside frame rail towards the rear.

The Bestop “Sail Cloth” replacement top is the quiets one on the market. The fabric is much heavier so it cuts down on the snapping but all rag tops are noisy to some extent; you get use to it.
 

Thank you for the reply.

I checked a few times, and I can't seem to see any inline fuel filter on my Jeep. I've check everywhere from the drivers side door hinges back to the fuel tank. Unless it is located inside the tubular frame rail. Every other vehicle I've owned had a bracket, or rubber mounted holding device securing the fuel filter.

I'll look once more.

I think the AutoLite plugs call for a AP985, are they the best option, or can a AC Delco or NGK plug also be used?

This is a great forum so far!
 
1.I rattle canned my flares a flat black.No problems yet and its been a year.Cost was about $6 for two cans.

2.Buy new windows,I dont know of any way if they are scratched.

3.What I did was but some Styrofoam pads for water pipes.wrapped it around the top support bar and used a couple tie straps to keep it in place.
 
Thanks for all of the info guys, im going to give the acetone cleaning and Krylon Fusion paint a try.

Next up will be tires, will 31's fit on a stock ride height Wrangler? Any suggestions?
 

SXR311 said:
Next up will be tires, will 31's fit on a stock ride height Wrangler? Any suggestions?
Click to expand...


Yes you may have some rubbing at wheel lock when turning left if you have stock rims.
 
Congrats on getting your Jeep. You're in for a lot of fun.

About the coil rail... Be very careful removing the coil rail. Remove the bolts and slowly wiggle and pull the rail upwards off the plugs. Be sure the plug boots are NOT stuck to the plugs. If they are stuck you need to carefully get them loose. There is not much holding the boots to the rail and they CAN NOT be replaced if damaged or pulled off. Also, the electrical plug for the coil rail is at the rear and the wire harness is very short. Best of luck and good Jeepin' - John
 
For plugs would the Autolite AP985's work, or would an NGK be a better plug?

The Jeep is pretty clean, but I want to do a tune up just for piece of mind, and to treat the new toy well. I figure if I take care of it, it will take care of me.
 

For your flares, forever black should work just fine. As for the filter, not sure on the TJ, but on the YJ there is a skid plate that hides it (in the case of the YJ, it is by the rear driver side wheel, but I know for a fact the TJ fuel system is different, as it does not use a return line like the YJ does).
 
So I gave the TJ a splash of new oil, some new 7034 Champions, and I cleaned the throttle body to clear out any carbon build up. Not a huge improvement, but noticeably less gas pedal action to get going, which is easier driving.

Now it's time to upgrade these headlights. How do the Sylvania's work?

And I'm going to add some louder speakers, and an amp.

Next step is to paint the fender flares, and clean the vinyl windows.
 
Hi guys...any secrets to getting the black soft top back to black?

Does any company make a stain or reconditioning spray that will bring the color back to a dark black?

I krylon'd my fender flares and they look fantastic, but now the faded top takes away from the deep dark color of the flares.
 

I used Krylon Fusion on my flares also. Worked real nice. Either Bestop's window cleaner or I got Meguier's Plast-X at Wally-Mart which does a nice job of getting the oxidation off. But if it's bad, there is only so much you can do. I use it inside and outside both.
If the 2000 is like my '97, the fuel filter is in the tank and good for the life of the vehicle, or fuel pump, whichever ends first.
 

SXR311 said:
For plugs would the Autolite AP985's work, or would an NGK be a better plug?

The Jeep is pretty clean, but I want to do a tune up just for piece of mind, and to treat the new toy well. I figure if I take care of it, it will take care of me.
Click to expand...


As for the plugs, you will probably get different responses. My opinion, and this is just my opinion, is that the NGK V-powers are GREAT plugs. I have owned a couple of old Mazda's (still have one of them). I have run bracket races for years in one of them and I started using V-powers back about 11 years ago. I went to a Western Auto parts store (owned by Sears that are now out of business) and they were on sale for $2 for a set of 4 plugs. I had never run them before but it was such a great deal I bought 10 sets of plugs. Keep in mind this was a car I pretty much only ran at the drag strip and I had a high-powered MSD ignition on it and ran a big (.064 compared to .042 stock) gap so it ran through plugs relatively fast. Anyway, they performed great and I've ran the V-powers exclusively in everything I've driven since then.

That said, in '06 when I bought my TJ, I figured since it was an American car it would probably come with American plugs (AC Delco or Champion or the like). When it came time to change plugs for the first time I thought about going with V-powers but I figured it would be best to stick with an American plug so I bought a set of regular Champion plugs. When I pulled the factory plugs out, guess what they were? Yep, V-POWERS!! I know what I'll be running from now on! Although to be fair, the Champions have performed very well and I have no issues with the quality or performance of those plugs. I just have a long history with the V-powers being very reliable for me.

That said, either plug should be fine, but as you can tell I personally favor the V-powers :).
 
Jason4x4 said:
As for the plugs, you will probably get different responses. My opinion, and this is just my opinion, is that the NGK V-powers are GREAT plugs. I have owned a couple of old Mazda's (still have one of them). I have run bracket races for years in one of them and I started using V-powers back about 11 years ago. I went to a Western Auto parts store (owned by Sears that are now out of business) and they were on sale for $2 for a set of 4 plugs. I had never run them before but it was such a great deal I bought 10 sets of plugs. Keep in mind this was a car I pretty much only ran at the drag strip and I had a high-powered MSD ignition on it and ran a big (.064 compared to .042 stock) gap so it ran through plugs relatively fast. Anyway, they performed great and I've ran the V-powers exclusively in everything I've driven since then.

That said, in '06 when I bought my TJ, I figured since it was an American car it would probably come with American plugs (AC Delco or Champion or the like). When it came time to change plugs for the first time I thought about going with V-powers but I figured it would be best to stick with an American plug so I bought a set of regular Champion plugs. When I pulled the factory plugs out, guess what they were? Yep, V-POWERS!! I know what I'll be running from now on! Although to be fair, the Champions have performed very well and I have no issues with the quality or performance of those plugs. I just have a long history with the V-powers being very reliable for me.

That said, either plug should be fine, but as you can tell I personally favor the V-powers :).
Click to expand...


Thanks for the reply. I ended up using Champion 7034 plugs as I couldnt find the NGK V or Autolite's locally. Hopefully MSD has gotten better, when i was bracket racing i used to have trouble the the MSD 6AL and Digital boxes. I switched to a Jacobs Electronics set up and no longer had any issues.
 
SXR311 said:
Thanks for the reply. I ended up using Champion 7034 plugs as I couldnt find the NGK V or Autolite's locally. Hopefully MSD has gotten better, when i was bracket racing i used to have trouble the the MSD 6AL and Digital boxes. I switched to a Jacobs Electronics set up and no longer had any issues.
Click to expand...
I actually used an sci model msd and had no issues.
 

It's time for new tires...

I'm looking at the Goodyear Duratracs 31x10.5x15, General Grabber, or BFG T/A's

Any thoughts on which is the best tire with minimal road noise? Also anyone have pictures of he Duratrac's on a stock lift jeep?
 
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