My Jeep A history 1997 to present
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34
MY 1997 TJ
I have finally decided to do a build thread. I bought my Jeep new in February 1997 when I first started the job I am still at. For the first twelve years the Jeep was my daily driver and weekend warrior. In 2009 I bought a vintage Porsche to split daily driver duty and diversify my weekend driving hobbies.
My favorite thing about Jeeps is that they all start out essentially the same, but all come out different in the end. This is how mine turned out…
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sport
• One owner vehicle
• Daily driver from February 1997 until April 2009. Half time driver since April 2009.
• 4600lbs curb weight in summer mode
Motor
• 4.7 I6 Stroker
• 336 horse power 435 foot-pounds of torque @ 3400 RPM
• 4.0L block bored over .030
• 258 crank and rods
• 10.5:1 pistons
• Balanced
• Double roller timing chain
• High volume oil pump
• Comp cams cam
• Ported and polished head
• Back cut oversized valves
• Chevy v8 valve springs
• Late model air intake manifold
• Banks header
• Banks Stinger Cat Back with a custom tail pipe to route around the lift
• High flow cat
• K&N FIPK air intake
• 62mm throttle body and spacer
• MSD-6 ignition with custom quick disconnect
• MSD coil
• MSD 8mm plug wires
• Jet Stage II performance chip
• Centerforce dual friction clutch
• 4-core radiator
• Tomken dual battery tray
• Optima Red Top battery
• Optima Yellow Top battery
• Supplementary vacuum reservoir
Rear Axle
• Dana 60 35 spline
• ARB
• 4.56:1 Gear Ratio
• Alloy axle shafts
• Explorer disk brakes
• Solid diff cover
Front Axle and Steering
• Dana 30 High Pinion
• ARB
• 4.56:1 Gear ratio
• Warn manual hub conversion kit 5 on 4.5
• Poison Spyder Rock Ring
• Currie LCA brackets
• JKS LCA skid plates
• Moog offset ball joints
• Poison Spyder tie rod
• Currie drag link
• MORE steering box brace
• OME steering stabilizer
• AGR high flow / low RPM steering pump
• Custom braced frame side trackbar mount
Suspension
• 4 inch TeraFlex long arm
• 2-inch TeraFlex coil spacers
• Rubicon Express monotube shock absorbers
• Rubicon Express adjustable front track bar
• Currie adjustable rear track bar
• JKS quicker anti sway bar disconnects custom lengthened
• Superlift Upper Control Arm drop brackets
• Addco oversized rear anti sway bar
Tires and Wheels
• BFG 35" KM2 Mud Terrain tires
• Allied Rock 8 beadlocks
• Silver grade 8 bolts for beadlocks
Transfer Case & Transmission
NP-231 transfer case
• Advanced Adapters SYE
• Tera-Low 4:1 kit
• Heavy duty chain
• Novak shifter
Ax-15 5 speed transmission
• B&M Short Shifter
Recovery
• Pierce 12.5K worm gear winch
• Home made modifications to winch plate
• Hi-Lift Jack
• Hood mounts for Hi-Lift Jack
• Front towbar mounts
• Rear D ring for hitch
Armor
• Rear bumper - home made based on the ORF rear bumper
• Genright gas tank and skid plate
• Sun rocker guards
• Front bumper - Poison Spyder Trail Stinger
• Steering box skid plate
• TeraFlex Oil pan skid plate
• Roll Cage - Poison Spyder trail cage
• Poison Spyder trail corners
• Jeeperman rock skidz
• Teraflex belly up skid plate
• Sniperfab tube fenders with 3" flares
• Poison Spyder rear tube 3" flares custom mounted
• Gator Guard bed liner sprayed on fenders, corners, bumpers, steps, rocker guards
Security & Interior
• Tuffy glove box
• Tuffy center console with CB mount and Marathon arm rest
• Tuffy security drawer. Custom braced. Stores amp and 8" subwoofer
• Green gauge LED's
• Alpine stereo
• TomTom
• Sirius satellite radio
• Cobra CB radio
• Gator Guard bed liner sprayed on interior
Summer Accessories
• Steel Horse Half Top
• Bestop soft doors
• Tube doors, modified to have armrests
• Misting system using a 5 gallon jerry can, an RV water pump, and garden misters
• Marathon seat covers
Winter Accessories
• Factory soft top
• Front padded liner
• Hard doors
• Gator Guard liner on door handle surrounds
• Drivers side seat heater
• Sheepskin seat covers
• Bestop Windjammer as a heat partition
Miscellaneous
• Hand throttle
• Billet aluminum shifter knob and transfercase shift knob
• Green LED dash lights
• On board air using Sanden compressor
• Kilby air tank mounted under the Jeep opposite the muffler
• Scanguage II onboard OBDII interface
• Locking gas cap cover
• Overhead lights
• Swiveling CB antenna with spring
• Xenon headlights
• Headlight and taillight guards
• Olympic Mountaineer rack (improvised mounting)
• Hockey puck seat risers
• Staun deflators
• Bestop oversized tire carrier. Custom braced
• Fire extinguisher
I have finally decided to do a build thread. I bought my Jeep new in February 1997 when I first started the job I am still at. For the first twelve years the Jeep was my daily driver and weekend warrior. In 2009 I bought a vintage Porsche to split daily driver duty and diversify my weekend driving hobbies.
My favorite thing about Jeeps is that they all start out essentially the same, but all come out different in the end. This is how mine turned out…
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sport
• One owner vehicle
• Daily driver from February 1997 until April 2009. Half time driver since April 2009.
• 4600lbs curb weight in summer mode
Motor
• 4.7 I6 Stroker
• 336 horse power 435 foot-pounds of torque @ 3400 RPM
• 4.0L block bored over .030
• 258 crank and rods
• 10.5:1 pistons
• Balanced
• Double roller timing chain
• High volume oil pump
• Comp cams cam
• Ported and polished head
• Back cut oversized valves
• Chevy v8 valve springs
• Late model air intake manifold
• Banks header
• Banks Stinger Cat Back with a custom tail pipe to route around the lift
• High flow cat
• K&N FIPK air intake
• 62mm throttle body and spacer
• MSD-6 ignition with custom quick disconnect
• MSD coil
• MSD 8mm plug wires
• Jet Stage II performance chip
• Centerforce dual friction clutch
• 4-core radiator
• Tomken dual battery tray
• Optima Red Top battery
• Optima Yellow Top battery
• Supplementary vacuum reservoir
Rear Axle
• Dana 60 35 spline
• ARB
• 4.56:1 Gear Ratio
• Alloy axle shafts
• Explorer disk brakes
• Solid diff cover
Front Axle and Steering
• Dana 30 High Pinion
• ARB
• 4.56:1 Gear ratio
• Warn manual hub conversion kit 5 on 4.5
• Poison Spyder Rock Ring
• Currie LCA brackets
• JKS LCA skid plates
• Moog offset ball joints
• Poison Spyder tie rod
• Currie drag link
• MORE steering box brace
• OME steering stabilizer
• AGR high flow / low RPM steering pump
• Custom braced frame side trackbar mount
Suspension
• 4 inch TeraFlex long arm
• 2-inch TeraFlex coil spacers
• Rubicon Express monotube shock absorbers
• Rubicon Express adjustable front track bar
• Currie adjustable rear track bar
• JKS quicker anti sway bar disconnects custom lengthened
• Superlift Upper Control Arm drop brackets
• Addco oversized rear anti sway bar
Tires and Wheels
• BFG 35" KM2 Mud Terrain tires
• Allied Rock 8 beadlocks
• Silver grade 8 bolts for beadlocks
Transfer Case & Transmission
NP-231 transfer case
• Advanced Adapters SYE
• Tera-Low 4:1 kit
• Heavy duty chain
• Novak shifter
Ax-15 5 speed transmission
• B&M Short Shifter
Recovery
• Pierce 12.5K worm gear winch
• Home made modifications to winch plate
• Hi-Lift Jack
• Hood mounts for Hi-Lift Jack
• Front towbar mounts
• Rear D ring for hitch
Armor
• Rear bumper - home made based on the ORF rear bumper
• Genright gas tank and skid plate
• Sun rocker guards
• Front bumper - Poison Spyder Trail Stinger
• Steering box skid plate
• TeraFlex Oil pan skid plate
• Roll Cage - Poison Spyder trail cage
• Poison Spyder trail corners
• Jeeperman rock skidz
• Teraflex belly up skid plate
• Sniperfab tube fenders with 3" flares
• Poison Spyder rear tube 3" flares custom mounted
• Gator Guard bed liner sprayed on fenders, corners, bumpers, steps, rocker guards
Security & Interior
• Tuffy glove box
• Tuffy center console with CB mount and Marathon arm rest
• Tuffy security drawer. Custom braced. Stores amp and 8" subwoofer
• Green gauge LED's
• Alpine stereo
• TomTom
• Sirius satellite radio
• Cobra CB radio
• Gator Guard bed liner sprayed on interior
Summer Accessories
• Steel Horse Half Top
• Bestop soft doors
• Tube doors, modified to have armrests
• Misting system using a 5 gallon jerry can, an RV water pump, and garden misters
• Marathon seat covers
Winter Accessories
• Factory soft top
• Front padded liner
• Hard doors
• Gator Guard liner on door handle surrounds
• Drivers side seat heater
• Sheepskin seat covers
• Bestop Windjammer as a heat partition
Miscellaneous
• Hand throttle
• Billet aluminum shifter knob and transfercase shift knob
• Green LED dash lights
• On board air using Sanden compressor
• Kilby air tank mounted under the Jeep opposite the muffler
• Scanguage II onboard OBDII interface
• Locking gas cap cover
• Overhead lights
• Swiveling CB antenna with spring
• Xenon headlights
• Headlight and taillight guards
• Olympic Mountaineer rack (improvised mounting)
• Hockey puck seat risers
• Staun deflators
• Bestop oversized tire carrier. Custom braced
• Fire extinguisher
