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2002 Black TJ Sahara

31K views 112 replies 32 participants last post by  jeeper007 
#1 · (Edited)
UPDATE: 6/16/2010

So I figured I'd put some quick info in the first post for those who might have stumbled upon here for the first time. Here is a list of my current modifications that was able to get installed over the last year, pre-getting married:

-3.25" Rough Country Suspension Lift
-33x10.50" BFG KM2
-Windshield mounted Hella 500

Now for the short term list of future modifications(estimated completion date: Mid-Spring):
-Kilby Steering box skid plate (Done)
-Riddler differential guards (Done)
-ZJ tie rod
-Get a spare tire! (Done)
-Rocker Guards (Done)

Now for the longer term list (estimated completion date: End of summer - ???):
-TNT 4.5" Tube fenders (front and rear)
-PSC Trail Stinger
-LOD Xtreme Duty Tire Carrier
-LED tail lights/turn lights
-UPOL Raptor liner
-Adjustable upper control Arms
-SYE/Custom Driveshaft
-Grab Handles/Floor Mats
-Savvy Under Armor
-Savvy Gas tank skid

And now, back to the thread!
================================================================================
WELCOME to my first thread here on JF! I must say I love the site, and in the two weeks that I've been a member I've learned TONS of great information! But enough of that, lets get to the good stuff!!!!

First of all I have a stock 2002 Wrangler Sahara Edition, with around 54K miles on it. I've had it for around a month and have been itching to get some work done. I ordered from Jeffery at Rough Country a 3.25" Suspension lift as well as one of their steering stabilizers using the 2.2 Performance Shock. On the same day I also ordered 4 BFG MT KM2 33x10.50/R15 from Carlos at casanova4x4.com. The tires arrived last Thursday and due to the shocks being on backorder they aren't arriving till tomorrow morning. I've been so excited about doing some work on my jeep I went ahead and took tomorrow off!



Since I had to wait a week on the shocks I went ahead and started to clean up some of the rust on the frame. I know that ultimately I should be using POR 15 on everything, but due to financial restrictions I went ahead and just used some 3M Professional Grade Rubberized Undercoating. Before I applied the undercoating I used a 3M Paint and Rust Remover. It was just and attachment you could connect to you drill/right angle grinder to remove all the rust before applying the undercoat. Here are the before and after shots.





There are still a few places I still need to get, but figured it would be easier to get to them while I'm installing the lift tomorrow night.
 
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#2 ·
Before

In preparation for the install tomorrow I went ahead and hit everything with a good blast of PB Blaster, and will apply a second coat tomorrow morning. Hopefully we won't have any issues with rusted hardware, and we can get the kit on in no time!

I also took a few before measurements and put my new tires next to the stock jeep so you can get an idea on the change to come! The front fender was right at 32" while the rear fender was at 33."





 
#4 ·
In preparation for the install tomorrow I went ahead and hit everything with a good blast of PB Blaster, and will apply a second coat tomorrow morning. Hopefully we won't have any issues with rusted hardware, and we can get the kit on in no time!

I also took a few before measurements and put my new tires next to the stock jeep so you can get an idea on the change to come! The front fender was right at 32" while the rear fender was at 33."





more click free and nice build. Those 33s look sick.
 
#3 ·
WELCOME to my first thread here on JF! I must say I love the site, and in the two weeks that I've been a member I've learned TONS of great information! But enough of that, lets get to the good stuff!!!!

First of all I have a stock 2002 Wrangler Sahara Edition, with around 54K miles on it. I've had it for around a month and have been itching to get some work done. I ordered from Jeffery at Rough Country a 3.25" Suspension lift as well as one of their steering stabilizers using the 2.2 Performance Shock. On the same day I also ordered 4 BFG MT KM2 33x10.50/R15 from Carlos at casanova4x4.com. The tires arrived last Thursday and due to the shocks being on backorder they aren't arriving till tomorrow morning. I've been so excited about doing some work on my jeep I went ahead and took tomorrow off!



Since I had to wait a week on the shocks I went ahead and started to clean up some of the rust on the frame. I know that ultimately I should be using POR 15 on everything, but due to financial restrictions I went ahead and just used some 3M Professional Grade Rubberized Undercoating. Before I applied the undercoating I used a 3M Paint and Rust Remover. It was just and attachment you could connect to you drill/right angle grinder to remove all the rust before applying the undercoat. Here are the before and after shots.





There are still a few places I still need to get, but figured it would be easier to get to them while I'm installing the lift tomorrow night.
click free
 
#5 ·
I also went to home depot today and got the needed supplies for some quick disconnects and a 2" recovery strap. Wrote down what the parts for the disconnects, one of them being a cleavis pin(bottom two) but the picture seemed to have what was called a hitch pin(top two). Does any one have any opinions on the matter? I think the hit pin looks nicer, but the cleavis pin seems just a little thicker.



My last surprise for the day was getting a free CB. I couldn't find the mounting brackets for it or the antenna, but at least this is a start! Now I just have to figure out where to mount it at!



Well folks, that's all for now! I should have some new pictures and after measurements on the front and rear fender late tomorrow night so check back! ENJOY :cheers2:


My new hobby posing with the 2" Recovery Strap on the front bumper!!!although by no means where it will stay!)
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
Thanks! I know it's just "a band aid on cancer" so to speak, especially since I didn't use POR 15, but I am OCD when it comes to rust. The hardest thing is going to get the rust issue dealt with on the INSIDE of the frame!
I am in the same boat... I am going to buy one of these.
http://www.jcwhitney.com/Rust-Protection/GP_2000770_N_111+10201+600016934_10101.jcw

People say its a scam but read up on rust prevention, this application is used for alot of different things. It wont get rid of rust you already have but will prevent farther rusting. For just over $100 it's worth a shot. Hell i've wasted $100 on stupider crap.

Nathan
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the link! I've never heard of that system before, so let me know how it works if you get it! I read one thread where someone was recomending using boild linseed oil in a garden sprayer to get the inside of the frame, but i'm not really sure what that is supposed to accomplish. Maybe it prevents further rusting?

Id like to do as much preventative maintenance on the jeep and the frame considering I have no plans to sell my jeep anytime in the near/distant future :D Maybe once I do EVERYTHING there is to do to this jeep i'd have to sell it so I could start a new project! :laugh:
 
#14 ·
I could start a new project! :laugh:
:hahaha: Uhhh you fail to realize this project will never end. There is always that next step before you know it, it's streched, full cage, etc etc etc... Your check book or credit limits how far you take it! :thumbsup:

I'll post on my re-built thread once i get the system... Pretty sure you wont see results right away, as the system is to prevent farther rusting. Will take many yrs to notice. But like i said for just over $100 it worth a shot. There is nothing worse then a rusted out frame.

Nathan
 
#15 ·
So the UPS man didn't make it here until 6:30pm so I had a late start. As of right now we have the front end done (i.e. new shocks, springs, sway bars w/quick discos, steering stabilizer) and are about to start to do the rear. It took us right at 3hrs for the front end and now that we are in the groove i'm hoping the rear wont take as long. If i'm not completely beat by the time we finish tonight i'll through some pictures up!

EDIT: and thanks to Muddy99Jp for lending a hand tonight as well as two other buddies who aren't on JF! With out them (and their air tools, spring compressors, experience I'm sure i'd still be working on getting the first spring on!)
 
#17 ·
So we spent another 2hrs on the rear and unfortunately realized that the torx bit set my buddy had didn't go all the way to t55, so we had to stop the installation. We have everything else removed and ready to go so we should be able to get everything finished in another 1.5hrs to 2hrs MAX im hoping. Once I get some free time I throw up those pictures of the front install as promised, but right now I gotta go get my tires mounted and balanced!!!
 
#18 ·
So here are some photos from last night taken by Muddy99JP. Thanks buddy!

The new springs, fresh out of the box!


Old rear springs with new rear springs


Here we go!


One side finished!


Putting in the steering stabilizer...


Front end DONE.


The rear is still on jack stands, so the front end is a little higher than it will be. These are my buddies 33x12.50, he is letting me borrow until I get my tires mounted.


We should be starting to work on finishing up the rear in the next 30mins! I'll post more photos once we are finished, as well as the ending measurements....
 
#19 ·
DONE! With this project, but by no means customizing my TJ. I'm going to need to stop all the major upgrades until after I get married (Aug. 8th), but I still plan on working on some more of the rust, and maybe smaller things like roll bar grab handles, etc.... Anyways, now the new pics!

One side done on the rear....


new rear track bar relocator(and the dumb t55 torx bit bolt that kept us from finishing in one night!)


New height in front and rear = 4"


Here it is with my buddies wheels/tires while mine were getting mounted: pro comp MT 33"x12.50. Now that I've seen my jeep with 12.50's I want a set of those too!


At the tire shop getting my BFG MT Km2 33x10.50's on. Too bad I didn't have enough money to get some new wheels too. They rub just a bit when in full turn. Darn 5.5 backspacing :(
 
#20 ·
RC 3.25" Test Flex

So I had to try out my new sway bar quick discos(which are awesome and work great by the way), and of course I figured I share some pictures!

Due to being pressed for time I didn't hit any trails, just a stump outside my garage! Hopefully soon I can put it to the real test!

Sway bar on


sway bar off...


On the stump


another angle


and one more, the tire is all nice and tucked up in the fender with no rubbing
 
#21 ·
And finally, I couldn't help but love my buddies jeep and lifted trailer with 33x12.50 Pr Comp MT's on it. He has a 4.5" BDS SL with 35x12.50 Mickey Thompson Baja Claws, front and rear ARB air lockers, new front and rear warn bumpers and warn rocker guards, safari snorkel, round LED tail lights, and the list goes on. Something to strive for. I couldn't have done it without him and his awesome collection of tools!







 
#22 ·
Lessons Learned

Here are the lessons learned from installing my first lift kit.

1. PB Blaster is awesome. Use it like crazy on EVERY bolt and nut, and start applying like the day before and let it soak.

2. Make sure you have all the right tools. I know this sounds like a no brainier, but in my situation we had what we thought was everything (even our own spring compressors, didn't have to rent 'em!), but our torx bit set only went up to T50! That put us behind and caused my buddy to have to miss a half a day of work.

3. Give yourself some time to make sure everything works and is road safe before you have to drive the vehicle long distances. I had an issue with a broken bolt on the driver side rear spring, and had to rig it up so I could limp 6 hours home. Its at the shop right now getting fixed, but that 6 hour drive was more like 7 because I had to go slower, and was white knuckle the whole way home.

4. AIR TOOLS ARE YOUR FRIEND. If I didn't live in an apartment and had a garage that would be my next investment.

5. Having the proper tools makes life soooooo much easier (see lessons 2 and 4)

6. Finally, don't forget to have fun and take pictures. Good thing Muddy99JP was there with his cell phone to take some photos, otherwise I would have been too cought up in trying to get it done to take pictures and enjoy it.

That's all for now. Just gotta figure out what to do next :2thumbsup:
 
#23 ·
Painted Tailpipe

Now I know this is by no means a performance mod, but since I've spent a good bit of money on new parts for my jeep recently and I HATE the look of rust i decided to paint my tailpipe black.

Total cost of mod: $4 and some change......
Total time: 45mins

First I took some 150grit sandpaper and spent a good bit of time removing all the lose rust and carbon from the tailpip. I then wiped it down to remove all the rust dust. I taped everything off with newspaper, and covered the shocks and springs with tin foil(saw it in another thread and worked great).

Then I used Krylon high heat black paint (for temps up to 1200F) and sprayed a nice coat.

Unfortunately I didn't snap any before pictures, but I'm pretty sure everyone knows what a rusted tailpipe looks like....

Next I'm going to remove my hitch, remove the rsut and flaking paint and hit it up with the 3m Professional grade undercoating(and finish up the frame too!).



 
#25 ·
That looks really nice. Thats the same lift I'm lookin to go with in the near future. Did you have any complications with installing it yourself? I have done some suspension work and engine work in the past, but never a lift kit. Any early advice?
 
#26 ·
Jeepbub - Thanks for the offer! I might have to take you up on that! Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to do anything to major anytime soon. I'm getting married in August and my fiancee got a little pissed when I spent over $1k on tires/lift/steering stabilizer and said I can't get anything else big until after the wedding. After that I plan on adding new bumpers, a body lift, and some skid plates, so I might could use some help with some wrenching! I've also been thinking that its about time for a trip to Uwharrie to test out my new tires and lift!

Tick - PB Blaster everything you are going to take off a day or so in advanced(I applied 3 times). Power tools are going to be a HUGE help. Also we used a spring compressor and that certainly helped. Make sure you torx bit set goes up to T55 as ours stopped at T50. Other than that just follow the instructions. This was my first lift (although I did it with a buddy who as done many) and it seemed pretty painless. We did break a bolt off on the rear shock and drilled it out, but couldn't get the tap and die in there so I had to take that to a shop. Other than that is was lots of fun. Let me know if you have any other questions!
 
#28 ·
I sanded and painted from the tailpipe all the way up to and including the muffler. There was a little debate on the another thread I saw about how far to paint to due to high temperatures and I figured the muffler was a good place to stop. After that there wasn't really any rust anyways, I believe the from the muffler to the catalytic converter and up to the headers are a high temperature rated steel and might of had some sort of galvanization or something because it wasn't really rusted at all.

I also figured the ignition temperature of paper is 451F and surely the muffler isn't hot enough to ignite paper(could be wrong, but I doubt it). The paint can withstand sustained temps of 600F and temperature spikes to 1200F. I figured at worst all it would due is cause the paint to flake off if the temperatures are too hot for too long. Also the vast majority of my driving is less than 5miles miles one way, so I doubt anything will be getting too hot.
 
#29 ·
I went to the local 4wheelparts store in Raleigh NC this weekend while I was in town doing check-out dives(I'm a scuba instructor and I was taking students to Fantasy Lake Scuba Park), and I picked up some Smitty Built Euro Head Light Guards. I'm hoping that once I get back home I'll have time to put them on before it rains! I've also started prepping the trailer hitch for rust removal and some 3M undercoating...

 
#30 ·
I haven't had anytime yet to install the light guards. I'm hoping that it wont be raining when I get home from work today so that I get them on ASAP.

On a more exciting note I'll be heading to Uwharrie this weekend for some wheeling! This will be my first trip so I'm pretty excited! I'll be sure to get some good pictures of lift and new tires in action!
 
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