Hey all, joined about a year ago but life got in the way so I never got around to introducing myself or posting a build thread! My name is Chris and I am about to start my sophomore year of college. I've always been passionate about jeeps due to watching my father rebuild CJ8s and Golden Eagle CJs. When I was 14 I bought a 1997 cherokee with the money I had saved from helping around on our rice farm. It was a 1 owner rig super clean. My junior year, the wrangler bug got me and I had to have one, so the search ensued :elkgrin: After a couple of months of looking, I finally found one May 2014. I knew I wanted it to be an expedition type build ever since I saw a convoy of Jeeps and 80 series headed to Moab when I was in Colorado snow skiing.
*Disclaimer* - This build may not move as fast as some others do due to the fact that I am paying for school and everything else that comes along with being in college. I just spent $1600 in summer classes :Wow1:
Anyways, here are some specs on it.
2002 Jeep TJ Sport Factory Specs
-82,000 miles the day I picked it up :bike_rider:
-4.0L
-NV3550 5-speed
-Dana 44 rear
-Dana 30 front
-3.73 gears
-231 transfer case
-Hardtop
-PJC Paint code (light khaki metallic)
Items installed by previous owner
-Bestop Highrock front and rear bumpers
-H4 conversion headlight bulbs and housing
-KC lights on front bumper and windshield frame
-33x10.50R15 BFG KM2
-*The way he "lifted" this thing was by putting a budget boost in the FRONT ONLY. He also put shocks off a newer rubicon on all the way around. This made for an interesting ride since the rear shocks were bottoming out over every little bump
Here's a pic from the day after I got it home and all washed up!
The first thing I did was swap all the KC lights out for LEDs because of how much power the KCs draw. I also got it "broke in" after hitting the most random mud-hole ever. We were on a dirt road that I've been down 1000 times and before we know it, we sunk down to where the front bumper was level with the ground (see pic) :Wow1:
A couple weeks later, I decided to pull the trigger on a set of Old Man Emu rear HD springs. With the full intention of adding a tire carrier, roof rack, etc down the road I figured it would be best to buy the HD now and not swap them out later.
For high school graduation, my mom bought me a Bestop Trektop :sombrero: I love the fact that the windows come out and you still have a full safari top. This pic also shows the new ride height in the rear after the OME springs.
Next, with the money I made during the summer, I bought a CB radio kit from right channel radios and a set of 33x10.50r15 BFG KO2s :wings:
Somewhere in that time period I trimmed up the front fender flares.
That brings us to the most recent mods, I added an odyssey battery, small led reverse light under the bumper, and a Metalcloak rear trackbar which is pure beef :sombrero:
As I said earlier, this build won't move along super fast but I will be turning it into more of an overland build as funds allow. I dream of taking a trip out west going from New Mexico, to Arizona and up to Oregon and back through Colorado when I graduate college. If you all have any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them! Also I'm sorry if the pictures are massive, first time posting them.
*Disclaimer* - This build may not move as fast as some others do due to the fact that I am paying for school and everything else that comes along with being in college. I just spent $1600 in summer classes :Wow1:
Anyways, here are some specs on it.
2002 Jeep TJ Sport Factory Specs
-82,000 miles the day I picked it up :bike_rider:
-4.0L
-NV3550 5-speed
-Dana 44 rear
-Dana 30 front
-3.73 gears
-231 transfer case
-Hardtop
-PJC Paint code (light khaki metallic)
Items installed by previous owner
-Bestop Highrock front and rear bumpers
-H4 conversion headlight bulbs and housing
-KC lights on front bumper and windshield frame
-33x10.50R15 BFG KM2
-*The way he "lifted" this thing was by putting a budget boost in the FRONT ONLY. He also put shocks off a newer rubicon on all the way around. This made for an interesting ride since the rear shocks were bottoming out over every little bump
Here's a pic from the day after I got it home and all washed up!
The first thing I did was swap all the KC lights out for LEDs because of how much power the KCs draw. I also got it "broke in" after hitting the most random mud-hole ever. We were on a dirt road that I've been down 1000 times and before we know it, we sunk down to where the front bumper was level with the ground (see pic) :Wow1:
A couple weeks later, I decided to pull the trigger on a set of Old Man Emu rear HD springs. With the full intention of adding a tire carrier, roof rack, etc down the road I figured it would be best to buy the HD now and not swap them out later.
For high school graduation, my mom bought me a Bestop Trektop :sombrero: I love the fact that the windows come out and you still have a full safari top. This pic also shows the new ride height in the rear after the OME springs.
Next, with the money I made during the summer, I bought a CB radio kit from right channel radios and a set of 33x10.50r15 BFG KO2s :wings:
Somewhere in that time period I trimmed up the front fender flares.
That brings us to the most recent mods, I added an odyssey battery, small led reverse light under the bumper, and a Metalcloak rear trackbar which is pure beef :sombrero:
As I said earlier, this build won't move along super fast but I will be turning it into more of an overland build as funds allow. I dream of taking a trip out west going from New Mexico, to Arizona and up to Oregon and back through Colorado when I graduate college. If you all have any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them! Also I'm sorry if the pictures are massive, first time posting them.
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