New 2003 Wrangler!

[Lachlan]

Hi guys,

My father and I have recently acquired a 2003 TJ Wrangler, and I'm looking for some creative inspiration as to what we should modify first. :D

I'm thinking headers and a sports exhaust, 2" lift and possibly a dyno tune and chip. I'm pretty new to modern jeeps, i.e. post 1965, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Lachlan

[crawl3r]

hey mate congrats on the jeep

well you can do a lot of research on this forum and find heaps of info

sounds like its power your after

so get a nice high flow exhaust sytem....2.5" or 3" piping is the way to go...it will sound awesome with a highflow muffler and cats

i dont think there is many tunning options but if you shop around i think you will find some and might be able to improve you fuel consumption while your at it

you can also get a CAI system....iv got a K&N air filter coming in on friday which apparently gives a lot better air flow or you could go with a pod filter....i just dunno about going in the mud and all that having a pod filter...i wouldent risk it

jks disconnects are a awesome mod...and really allows your jeep to flex once your off road :)

im looking into a 2.5" lift kit atm

heres the link(stage 1 kit)

http://www.4wd1.com/TJ-Wrangler-Suspension.htm

good bang for your buck in my opinion or try wooders.com.au

top bloke and will point you in the right direction

a lot of jeepers r running 33's, they give the jeep that really tough wide stance

33x12.5x15 for the tyre size ummm your gonna need a SYE and DC shaft or if u wanna save a bit get a TCD( transfer case drop) untill u have more coin for the SYE

but yeah i suggest start setting her up for 33's

you will be able to go anywhere with it

all you need a min of 2.5" lift, 33" tyres, SYE and DC shaft, extended flares, and a few more bits and pieces and your rig will be sweet as

your on the right forum for advice tho

welcome and

keep jeepin!

[Lachlan]

Wow - thanks for all the info! I'm pretty happy with the thought of a free flowing exhaust, because it's usually a free 15hp or so, and slightly better economy. I've looked at the K & N intake kit as well, and it looks promising. As for 4WD mods, I have no idea where to start - so the stage 1 kit looks like an awesome place to begin.

SYE is slip yoke eliminator, but what do you mean by DC shaft?

[Jeeps]

SYE is slip yoke eliminator, but what do you mean by DC shaft?

Double Cardan :

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/tacoma_4runner_30k/double_cardan.jpg

http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/images/Double-cardan-0246.jpg


cheers

[Lachlan]

Street cruisers aren't my cup of tea; they built Jeeps this way for a reason! :D Dad and I are both keen 4WDers, we just haven't really had a car to drive until now. However, it does need to be civil on the road, because it'll be a daily driver for a few years at least.

So far we're thinking exhaust/cold air intake for street power, and 2.5" lift, possibly 33" tyres and driveline upgrades as necessary (i.e. DC, SYE). Not sure whether a dyno tune would be useful at all, but it's a possibility for better low-speed torque, etc. If everything goes to plan, it'll have its maiden voyage off road around 30th September! (Can you guess where? ;))

As for doing things right the first time, you're dead right mate - that's why I'm here. And thanks everyone for the advice and kind words; I'm sure we'll both enjoy it, and hopefully we'll see you on (and off) the road!

[krankieone]

To be honest I probably leave the exhaust for now they dont flow too badly, bore out the throttle body(free if you can do it yourself0, add a snorkle (cold air & water protection offroad).

A 2 -2 1/2" lift or high hood & tummy tuck.

I'd look at a sye & DC shaft if either you drive hard or would like to do a tummy tuck,but you can get away with using transfer case spacers.

I would concider running 2 sets of tyres 33's( or bigger) in an agressive patern for offroad performance and some 30's or 31's for your daily drive as your a P plater they'll atract a lot less attention from the cops and are a lot cheeper to replace,better fuel economy etc.

You will need some extended flares.

For offroad performance a front locker makes a huge differance if your going to do the diff ratios I'd look at an ARB up front and an ARB or Detroit in the rear If your leaving your ratios standard a lock right up front works well & is a lot cheeper .

If you go out alone a winch can get you out of trouble.

[Judd]

if you wanna do things right right the first its hard to look past a rubicon express kit, they are a little expensive work well whether its short arms or long arms =P

33s are probably a good size as im not sure you'll get 34/35's under with a 2.5in lift.
along with 33's come 4.11/4.56? diff gears and while its apart why not go a locker hey ;)

good luck with the build up mate, make sure you take pics like an asian tourist

[Nauti Buoy]

this thread's great. I'm getting a lot of info from it too, i've had my TJ for a few years and trying to decide if i want 2.5 or 4.5in RE kit...
what's the legality of Long Arms?

[supemad_one]

this thread's great. I'm getting a lot of info from it too, i've had my TJ for a few years and trying to decide if i want 2.5 or 4.5in RE kit...
what's the legality of Long Arms?

Go 3.5 superflex kit mate... You wont regret it.. 2.5 is a good heigh but not quite enough and in my opinion 4.5 makes it stand out as being lifted....

[Lachlan]

I guess it depends what you're after though. How would a 4.5" lift handle around town?

I'm thinking 2.5", DC shaft and SYE, and sway bar disconnects at the moment...

And the feedback has been a huge help; thanks heaps, everyone! :D

[Will239]

I guess it depends what you're after though. How would a 4.5" lift handle around town?

I'm thinking 2.5", DC shaft and SYE, and sway bar disconnects at the moment...

And the feedback has been a huge help; thanks heaps, everyone! :D


A 4.5" lift on short arms would be terrible on the road, the trend these days is lower height with big tyres, or low center of gravity.

I tihnk 2.5" lif tis good too, and if you dont want 33's, you can always get 32's to start.

[wes]

Only problem with 32s is they are not widely available in this big brown land.
I have resorted to travelling with 2 spares on occassion.

[Will239]

I would skip the dyno tune and chip, the 4.0 isnt reponsive to tuning and from what i have read, people that do that regret it as they dont notice a power difference. I would do the exaust and intake though as this will improve efficency of the engine, improving power and economy.

How much money are you willing to spend, because to run 33's properly costs a lot more than 31's, you would definantly need new diff gears ($1500 including install), wider flares ($650), so thats allready over 2 grand more expensive than if you were to run 31's.