SuperWade2

I can relate...I just shelled out $150 for 4 tickets to see the live action Elmo/Sesame Street show in San Jose in June....get this, IT'S ON MY Birthday...happy birthday to me... :mad: SW2

Without a doubt, the absolute best parts that that entire story...Had those outcomes been any different the rest would have been totally meaningless... SW2

Didn't have a Cheese Wheel handy?

3 year old Twins -> Wife that works most evenings and weekends Not Equal much time for MJ projects... Someday maybe... It's been 19 years since the MJ was new...maybe it will make another 19 and I will have time to finish it... SW2

EasyThumbnail Creator... http://www.fookes.com/ezthumbs/ It's free and worked every time I needed a small avatar... SW2

...that is leaking axle fluid from the drivers side like the fountain at Bellagio in Vegas...Sounds like a Diesel because the lifters (I'm pretty sure ALL of em) rattle around so bad, and smells like a burning oil rig in the fields of Iraq due to the smelly exhaust flowing out of my exhaust manifold that has more cracks than a plumbers convention... Yeah I'm stylin' SW2

We bought our TJ Sport new in 1999... It was originally (and for the first few years the wife's primary vehicle) We basically wanted a 4.0L with Auto and a Hard top and AC (we lived in SoCal and it was HOT) and it had to be green (again the wife's decision). Everything else didn't matter. We didn't even wheel it for the first few years and basically after we got the family vehicle in 2003 (Chevy Tahoe), the Jeep become mine. If I were buying a newer one today, I would be torn between a base model for quite a bit less money and spend that extra towards the real stuff you want (axles/gears/lockers/armor, etc) vs a Rubicon that is pretty nicely setup, but not super hardcore. If I got a Rubi today, the stock Axles and Gears and lockers would be a step down from what I've added to my TJ now, and I'm much better setup to go bigger (35"-37") down the road that I would be if I had a stock Rubi... granted it wasn't cheap, and I spent better than $15 last year to build it up. So I guess it depends if you want to build a "monster" then I would start base and build the stuff I want, or if you just wanted a good everyday offroad rig, but not plan any big upgrades (at least for a while), then the Rubi's are great too. A guy in our club bought a brand new Rubi, swapped out the brand new Rubi Axles with some Dynatrack ProRock 60's front and rear, some insane long arm kit and 38" Tires... the thing is a TANK... of course the dude is loaded, so cash wasn't a concern...

Maybe everyone is out wheeling or drinking or other fun stuff like dinner / movies etc? A bunch of guys from my 4x4Club were going down to Johnson Valley and the Hammers this weekend (and I got to say that I was a little jealous). I had dinner at the busiest annoying pizza place in the world with my wife and 3 years old twins, and now I'm watching the squiggly little boogers take a bath (and decimate my bathroom in the process)... then I get to finish my Homework (UofP Online Degree thing...) and probably goto bed... I get to spend the morning tomorrow dragging the family to the mall to get our studio pictures taken (I asked the wife if the ComancheClub hat could be in the pictures...was summarily dismissed as crazy, sorry Pete), and then get to take care of the rugrats while the wife works all afternoon/evening... Boy life is good... really... SW2

Assuming "stock", a Rubi should have F/R Dana44's with 4.10's and the Rubi Air Locker setup... I would just look for the "normal" stuff.. Body, Mileage, if anything looks to be non-stock (lift components, etc). If he sticks with a Rubi, he should be pretty well setup, depending on what he wants to do... a "X" or "Sport",etc are obviously going to have a butt load of different options (lower end, and usually less $$$). Would also consider what Top options (soft/hard/dual top) come with the TJ and if they want the Unlimited or Short Wheel base (2004 and newer, but 3.73 gears instead of 4:10). A friend got a 2004 Rubi Unlmited, and I like the space in the back, just not crazy about the overall look... it's OK, I just prefer the SWB in the TJ Body (just a personal preference). "The Wrangler Rubicon (named for the famed Rubicon Trail in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California) was introduced in 2003 and has been considered the best out of the box off road vehicle ever built. It featured front and rear Dana 44 axles with built-in air-actuated locking differentials, 4:1 low-range NP241OR transfer case, 4.10:1 differential gears, 16 inch alloy wheels, and Goodyear MTR P245/75R16 tires. All Rubicon models were equipped with the 4.0L I-6 engine. 2003 and 2004 featured the NV3550 manual transmission in the Rubicon while 2005 and 2006 models used the NSG370 six speed. The 42RLE four-speed automatic transmission was available from 2003 to 2006. Rubicon models also featured rear disc brakes, diamond plate rocker guards and wider fender flares. The Rubicon was available in Unlimited and short wheelbase versions."

I read the same stuff and skipped the HF Tool and picked up the OTC 7249 + 7894 from Amazon.Com...kind of pricey, but still less than my local shop wanted to charge me in labor to do the 4 joints...

I have the AX-15 (99% sure)

Thanks for the great reply... I understood "almost" everything :D ... and your right, spending $6K on a truck that isn't probably worth $6K seems maybe off base...BUT I do happen to have another Jeep that IS worth quite a bit more than which might have a "donor"... While moving away from my initial notion of "easy", "simple" and "bolt-in", I was wondering about the possibilities of taking the 4.0L out of my 99 TJ (with only 38K miles) putting it into my MJ and then thinking about a stroker setup for the TJ. I'm sure there are significant challenges with that build too, but I would have a nearly new, well cared for 4.0 in the MJ and be able to get a stronger running stroker engine in my TJ (which has been a complaint of mine since the Lift/Regear/Tire size bump). One bad thing is I would be without both vehicles for some period of time... and I agree with your notion that it might be best for me to just pay someone to do the work. Having 3 Year old twins which I care for basically every evening after work and full time every other weekend leaves very little time for wrenching projects. It took almost two weeks for me to do ball joints because I could only dedicate a few minutes at a time (or had to work when they were in bed, which happens to be right above the garage). None of that bodes well for me thinking about doing my own engine swap and getting it done in any expeditious fashion.

I just pee'd a little bit... :eek:

Now that JeepCoMJ has me all hot and bothered with talk of a Supercharged 3800, and I'm at some point in the not too distant future will be looking at Engines, I thought I would get some engine input... Let me start by saying this will have to be a fairly LOW level (technically) conversation, or your going to lose me right off. So you need to talk slow and like I'm 3 :oops: ... I've never pulled an engine, tranny, etc, or rebuilt much of anything major in the engine area at all. Although I'm not against doing some, but I know my limits (but do have the offer of help from some knowledgeable guys in my 4x4 club). SO with that being said, I'm considering possibly a New Crate engine... I know I'm spending a ton of money to pay someone else to do work that I could and should be doing myself, but I'm OK with that... and I'm looking for something that is more or less "new" that I don't have to rebuild before I even install, or put something in that is more or less 'used' and have to worry about another swap or rebuild down the road. I like the idea of crate engines because at least in my limited knowledge set it seems that I would have to do the "least" amount of work to get the thing installed and running once I pulled my old Engine out, correct? I also want something nearly 'bolt-in" that I don't really have to change much (structurally) to get it in. While I envy JeepCoMJ and what he's doing with his 3800, it's not something that I see myself ever being able to handle. (Time, Space, tools, Patience, etc, etc.). So that limits my choices somewhat...yes? Hesco or Titan Stroker maybe? I know I could go cheaper, or used, or whatever, but I have a fairly straight and more or less rust free MJ, so I'm not against spending the extra $$$ to get a stroker vs. something more stock. I only want to have to do 1 swap/rebuild... I'm looking for something "permanent" or at least LONG TERM. I'm probably a little ways down the road before doing something (unless my 4.0L now takes dump sooner rather than later) Discuss....What do I need to know, am I thinking way off base on the entire subject, should I not consider the Stroker if (at least in theory) $$$ is not a major issue, are there other easy bolt-in, like new, crate options that would be comparable that I should also be considering? SW2 :popcorn:

I'm JEALOUS! I don't have the know-how, tools, space, time, etc to pull something like that off. I'll be lucky if I can get a direct swap done on mine in the near future (Next 12-24 months or so is 'Near' future for me) I'd like to consider a Stroker setup, but don't know that I have the extra $$$ (on top of what a rebuild is already going to cost me) to do one. SW2

I drove a friends 99 Grand Prix GTP (3800 Supercharged) with a Smaller Supercharger Pully setup and Computer Swap (basically to one that was tweaked) and it was BAD A$$... I really enjoyed my 97 Grand Prix GT with the standard 3800, but the GTP Supercharged really hauled... Would love to see one of these in an MJ (would like to see one in mine, but I will live vicariously though you).

I think mine is gonna get done in "$500MJ Blue" color and then your post would read something like :cheers:

Not to hijack, but how hard is it? I need to do mine and was finally going to do the 1 Piece Axle conversion that I've been sitting on for a couple months now at the same time... SW2

Looks like something out of the Game HALO.... //Just Sayin'

I like to SO much more... I have some "gunk" still remove, but I'm MUCH happier, especially after looking back at these old pics... nothing wrong, just not my deal... Looks very 1980's... which is was, but that was almost 20 years ago... SW2

Here is a big list of what I'd like to do...maybe over the next 12-24 months or so. - Swap Rear Tube Bumper with something else (maybe a cheap stock black step bumper will fall into my lap until I decide what I want) - New Front Bumper (I'd like something like my Hanson on my TJ, I just don't want to spend $800) - Replace Rear White Tailgate with one less beat up - Rhino/Line-X/Herc the Bed - Engine Swap/Rebuild (Maybe Stroker?)/New Exhaust Manifold, maybe Catback Exhaust setup - Install One Piece D30 Axles from my TJ and bypass the front Vacu-Disco (Have Axle Seal Leak anyhow, so this probably has to happen sooner rather than later) - Install Rear Monroe Shocks - Touch up all little Surface Rust Spots - Install Black Drip-Rail on Drivers side (if I get the one I'm still looking to receive from a previous purchase) Longer Term: Lift (3"?)/Bigger Tires (31" maybe)/Re-Gear/Lockers, etc etc....Actually have a chance to Wheel it... I'd like to get it setup and be able to take both the TJ and the MJ out on some of my local 4x4Club runs...

I'm sure I'm missing something, but the next big thing I can think of right now just happened this past weekend... I removed the Pioneer Letting and Black/Grey Stripe and lower black molding (still need to clean the rest of the molding glue residue...) Here is how the Truck sits as of a few minutes ago.

Replace a 4 Ball joints up front, and installed some new Monroe Shocks up front (have the rears still sitting in the box waiting to install).

Swapped the Black Jeep OEM rims and cheapy tires (which I also still have) that were on the MJ when I bought it with some OEM Gambler Rims (from a friends 99 TJ) and TrXus STS 29.10.5r15 tires BEFORE AFTER

First thing I did when I brought it home was remove the front Tube Grill Push Bar Thing (still have it in the garage if anyone is interested)... I moved the License Plate from the Home made bracket and onto a stock Licnese Plate frame...Removed the Steering wheel grip pad and cleaned everything up. I installed a Black Side view mirror on the Pass. Side to match the Driver side (and the chrome one was busted to crap anyhow). Next was mostly interior stuff... I got some stuff from JeepCoMJ (still waiting on a couple things... :roll: ) Replaced the jacked up Shifter Boot with a Mini-console, swapped out the Shifter Ball thing with a stock new one, and replaced the window cranks (since I busted one messing with the door panels). BEFORE: AFTER: Added a couple dash switch panels (even though the switches aren't hooked up), added some trim pieces that were missing and installed a new Stereo and all 4 Speakers.... Sony Deck and Pioneer Speakers all around, nothing super, but it makes sound, and I can try to turn it up to cover the sound of my bad running engine.