Tj Rubicon Unlimited

[WrenchMonkey]

New to jeeps... What's a tummy tuck? Shovel?

The "shovel" is a derogitory nickname for the low-hanging stock crossmember under the belly of the TJ, that digs in at every opportunity...
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A tummy-tuck is an aftermarket crossmember that fits closer to the belly, thus improving clearance.
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...with the lift I am supposed to lower it a bit with spacers. This seems counter intuitive for ground clearance?

Lowering it will make a bad thing worse, but with the TJ's stubby driveshaft, it may be necessary (and is certainly intended) to improve driveline angles...
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Robert

 

[AU_Guy]

The "shovel" is a derogitory nickname for the low-hanging stock crossmember under the belly of the TJ, that digs in at every opportunity...
.
A tummy-tuck is an aftermarket crossmember that fits closer to the belly, thus improving clearance
Robert

Just bought a JK, what sort of things will haunt me as I go forward?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Jim K in PA]

The only reason for the winch was I needed to do some construction for my house and it was handy to have around. Was mounted to my broken jeep so said what the hell and switched it over to the rubicon. Might come in handy if I get stuck or need to get something unstuck

Winches are often used more frequently to help get others out of predicaments than yourself, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Just watch the duty cycle.

Now all the talk on the shovel.....I noticed with the lift I am supposed to lower it a bit with spacers. This seems counter intuitive for ground clearance? I do like the spacer route due to rust prevention....but what are folks thoughts?

Not sure who's lift you are looking at that includes lowering spacers for the cross member, but that is a sign to stay away from it. T-case spacers are to help reduce rear drive shaft angle. Your LJ already has a longer rear drive shaft than a TJ, and since it is a Rubicon, already has the slip yoke eliminated from the t-case, so does not need a lowered t-case. The purpose of a lift is to increase ground clearance. Spacing the t-case down is counter productive. A tummy tuck RAISES the t-case to increase ground clearance and presents a smooth surface to slide over obstacles that you may encounter. There is a pretty well proven formula to this process, which if followed works quite well. If not followed, well, better just leave it stock.

Tires; price wise how do they compare to the stock tires. I'm due for a replacement. Problem is the PO never used the spare and I would like to bring it into rotation so may have to stick with stock for the time being.

Lots of variability on price, but a slightly larger tire of the same manufacturer and model will be slightly more expensive. However, I found that the slightly larger tire from another manufacturer was LESS expensive than the original Goodyear MTRs, which are not a particularly good tire in my experience. I would also caution you to reconsider putting the now 7+ year old spare tire into full time service. Even if you stay with the same size, those old style MTRs are no longer available. Replace it with a new tire, and sell the single MTR on craigslist.

 

[The Raven]

It was the OME that called for the spacer.

 

[Jim K in PA]

It was the OME that called for the spacer.

Interesting. Mine did not come with the spacers. I suspect it may be something they do to keep a common parts list for TJs and LJs? If you go with the OME, just leave out the spacers. Skyjacker has some sort of spacer rail in their kit.

BTW - you mentioned rust concerns between the t-case skid and frame. That has not been an issue with either my stock or aftermarket skid plate, and I used my LJ as a DD for 5 years in the northeast. But I do STRONGLY recommend removing the mounting bolts for the skid and applying some marine anti-seize.

 

[The Raven]

Yeah on my 97 every place that was bolted to the frame had lost an 8th of an inch of metal due to rust. I bought the LJ used from FL with only a bit of aluminum corrosion here and there but not a hint of iron rust. First thing I did was spray the heck out of it with Amsoil HD metal protect which gave it a waxy coating. It's still there and plan on power washing it down again and reapplying it in the coming months.

Good tip on the anti seize.

 

[CRolandLJ]

LJ's are awesome. I love my 06

You'll want to make sure you're suspension is figured out before you start hitting "99.9%" gravel roads. A bad lift can make a washboard road miserable really fast... OME, AEV and others mentioned here are the route to go for a slight lift that will improve ride quality without adding ridiculous height or jeopardizing other components. In my experience the "shovel" is always the first thing you find on a trail... i've even filled mine up with dirt. A spacer lift and a tummy tuck will get most people into and out of more places than their driving skills should get them but i'd suggest a real suspension upgrade for lots of gravel roads.

 

[The Raven]

It's funny, I did not start out looking for an LJ I wanted a TJ Rubicon with a standard transmission and low miles. I found a lot of rubicons in auto, a lot of rubicons with low miles, but rarely did I find one with that combination. Eventually I found the magic combo but in an LJ package three states away. While not an initial fan of the extended wheelbase it has proved to be a versitile hauler and has tons of room for carrying crap.

In any case, my OME stuff arrived today so hope to put it on in the coming few days. I live on a 3 mi unmaintained dirt road with a lot of rocks and ruts so the better my suspension, the better the longevity of my jeep.

With the upgrade, I can use the take offs on my 97 TJ as an upgrade when I rebuild it

 

[irish1371]

I ran the ome hd 2.5 lift on my 98 and loved it i now have an 06 lj. The ome kit is a great one for ride and quality just make sure you get the correct spring at each corner or you will be tilted going down the road. I would do the ome then the adj track bars and then the tuck.

That spacer may be for automatics. the front driveshaft can rub at flex on the front drivers corner of the skid. The Wife use to say my jeep rode nicer than her Buick going down the road.

One thing I found with jeeps is that you should have a slightly nose down look when your lift is done. It takes about a 3/4" spacer to level it out front to back. I added those spacers when I put my winch on thinking I would need them. 1 I didn't 2 I lost 3 mpg average after getting my jeep level front to back.

If mpg and a nice ride is your overall want while rolling down the gravel byways then I would opt for using a 33x10.5x15(16?) tire. You keep the clearance and reduce the rolling resistance saving some gas. in mho the 10.5 wide tires also ride nicer on pavement then the 12.5 and are not as noisy.

 

[grogie]

Cool find on the LJ! I'm sure that added room will be nice to have.

Well this picture below was from 3 plus years ago after my lift with OME springs and a front 3/4" spacer. I do have a Warn M8000 winch on the front and a very light weight aluminum (Savvy) front bumper. I like the added front spacer, as it certainly helps to control the nose dive under hard breaking. I gained over 3" of lift front and back on my TJ. The added clearance is awesome as I just don't rub as I did stock with the previous 30" tires (new tires are 32x11.5" MTRs on 15x8" wheels).

The picture below is from last weekend with my recent trailer build that has matching tire and wheel size (so that they can both use the same spare). I've done a lot of other modifications of course then just springs and the spacers. I've been building this to drive it 3,000 miles for camping trips out west. It drives 70 mph on the highway easy and flexes nicely off-road, and I love the setup. I can share the details if you're interested.

 

[FleshEater]

I haven't read through your entire build yet, so I apologize if you've already tackled this. Easy, affordable rear storage idea; http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/lj-storage-1547754/index2.html

I'm hoping to learn to weld within a year or two and re-design the plywood idea. However, in the meantime it works.

 

[The Raven]

Quick question, can only afford the front shocks/springs right now. With a sagging front due to winch, will it be a problem having the OME springs/shocks in the front and stocks temporarily in the back or will it create an unsafe condition? I am hoping it will simply level the jeep.

 

[FleshEater]

Have you considered ACOS adjustable coil spacers?

 

[The Raven]

I made the mistake of adding all the aftermarket crap to my TJ. The Teraflex rear disks that ate pads and rotors like nothing, header to replace the OE manifold, but never seated properly and ended up cracking in the end, smittybuilt stuff that all fell apart and was junk.

I don't like working on jeeps, I can do it if necessary but it is not my hobby. I will have components installed that make driving it more functional. Those components however HAVE to work and cannot fail sooner than the OEM components. If that happens I have to;

A. Work on the jeep
B. Spend more money fixing crap that should work in the first place

Yup, I am very cautious and particular with what I put on this jeep. Especially suspension and driveline components. OME has been researched and was decided on for the quality.

 

[The Raven]

Oh the ACOS spacers; they would work for one season at most, then if they did not corrode and lock onto one position the threads would get gummed up with HD metal protect or gunk and they would be stuck. So $500-600 installed later I would be no better off. See above