MY TOP 5 MISTAKES SINCE BUYING A JEEP (learn from me)
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- If I would have known 5 years ago what I do now I could have saved lot of money and got lot more enjoyment out of my Jeep so my goal today is to help you avoid making the same mistakes Iv made and hopefully to get you maximum enjoyment out of your Jeep. Here are my top 5 mistakes since purchasing my Jeep!
Links / Socials ⬇️
linktr.ee/montanaoffroad1
OnX Offroad
www.avantlink.com/click.php?t...
FULL JEEP BUILD WITH LINKS LISTED DOWN BELOW!
- RAMPAGE SOFT TOP -
www.amazon.com/dp/B0978C6CVP/...
- NITTO RIDGE GRAPPLER TIRES -
www.amazon.com/dp/B07QCJFB1G/...
|| TOP 5 MISTAKES ||
1) Not Buying a Soft top
2) Not having Jeep Inspected By a Professional Before Purchase
3)Choosing my Tire and Tire Size
4) Not Considering My Wheel Offset
5) Not Buying Synthetic Winch Line
FULL MOD LIST:
- FISHBONE OFFROAD FRONT BUMPER -
www.amazon.com/dp/B074MJWFJP/...
- SMITTYBILT 10,000lb X20 WINCH -
- AXIAL HALO HEADLIGHTS -
www.amazon.com/dp/B07VNGBDYB/...
- Chrome front grill, hood latches and mirrors -
- NITTO RIDGE GRAPPLER TIRES -
www.amazon.com/dp/B07QCJFB1G/...
- ION ALLOY 16” WHEELS -
www.amazon.com/dp/B004J356T4/...
- 3" ZONE LIFT KIT -
www.amazon.com/dp/B017CBOOXS/...
- STEERING BRACE -
www.amazon.com/dp/B00B2AEHJ2/...
- 1.5" HUB CENTRIC WHEEL SPACERS -
www.amazon.com/dp/B083BJF6QN/...
- NEOPRENE SEAT COVERS -
www.amazon.com/dp/B07GPHXSQ3/...
- INSTA TRUNK -
www.amazon.com/dp/B009EVOMZA/...
- RT OFFROAD CLEAR MARKER KIT-
www.amazon.com/dp/B00XUX2Y94/...
- TJ/LJ RUGGED RIDGE TUB ARMOR RAIL KIT -
www.amazon.com/dp/B003AONJQK/...
- RUGGED RIDGE ENRTY GUARD ARMOR -
www.amazon.com/dp/B06XJ3XX28/...
#jeeptj
#jeepwrangler
#tj - Auta a dopravní prostředky
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Awesome top I have
What kind of tire shine is that?
I don’t see a snorkel..so you did something right👍🏻
To safely remove the hard top, cheaply by yourself , purchase from Harbor Freight a $29 2000 lb hand crank worm gear winch, two $10 7' tow straps & a $29 snatch block (which you mount to a ceiling joist or strong tree branch) mount the winch solidly to your garage or a tree, remove the bolts from the side rails of the Jeep, release the front latches from the windshield, disconnect the link for the rear windshield wiper and windshield fluid, raise the glass lift gate, gently boost up the top with a block on each side so you can pass the straps through the left and right sides and clip the loops on each end of the straps into the winch hook securely. Slowly crank the top off and up a few inches until it's clear from the Jeep. Drive the Jeep clear from the lifting area. Lower the top carefully onto a soft protective surface and cover to keep the bugs and animals out of it...
Awesome thanks for being so detailed and thanks for watching!
I had 33's on my 98 TJ. I went back to 31X10.5 with less offset because I got tired of cleaning mud off of the inside. After owning my TJ for 15 years I have found that every change you do to it effects something else.
So so so true my man!
I have a 95 Jeep YJ. If I hit a tree, I pound out the dents with a sledgehammer. Personally, I think this is the mindset to have with an older Jeep. This is what makes an older Jeep special. They are reliable workhorses that will go anywhere and are very easy to repair and work on. Don't worry about them looking new and shiny and you'll have a lot more fun.
Boom.
Great video. Wranglers are one of this vehicles with so many aftermarket options it can get overwhelming. This is a great place to start for people that are very unsure and are new to the jeep world. Good Stuff.
Appreciate the kind words Michael! Thanks for watching!
I love running 31 inch WP A/T 3’s on mine, on a 15x10 inch rim. I didn’t want to lose power or re-gear so it’s worked great for me. Gas milage is still just ok.
Pro tip about the winch cable and safety. When you hook up to something or wrap around a tree take a wet shirt/ towel/ any wet fabric about the same size and lay it over the cable somewhere in the middle. If it breaks the cable to fall straight to the ground it won’t going flying anywhere. I’ve seen that practice in action when a cable snapped and it works fantastic. Falls straight to the ground.
That’s a great tip Paul, thank you! And thanks for watching!
I've never used a winch without hanging a coat or something over the cable. I've seen a cable snap when there wasn't anything draped over it, not nice.
While I will agree with, that's a great practice, be prepared to reverse your winch later, to get your sweatshirt out of the winch. 🤣
ive seen a cable winch break under a hard pull,,,it was a big cable,,,between Caterpillar D8s,,,lots of 2" sapling trees between. When the cable broke it whipped like a snake about two swats and cut down all trees at the 3' level between. I was impressed. Learning at that one lesson to never stand any where near a strained cable. You can prevent this buy putting a piece of chain at the end of cable that is weaker and will break first and fall to the ground. The reason a cable whips about is that it is twisted internally. And when approaching the break point, the twists all begin to untwist just before it breaks. When the break happens, all the energy in the twist instantly retwists in the other direction and all that energy has to go somewhere. Look at videos on the internet of aircraft carrier recovery cables that break to get a good idea of what im talking about.....be careful,,,dont stand close,,,
@@bill45colt. 3” trees ? I call bullshit. Comparing to aircraft carrier? Just stupid and childish.
Nice jeep and great upgrades! That part never ends..lol I love jeeps, they'll surprise you over and over again.
I'm an ex heavy recovery technician/teacher and I can tell you that it's not so much the cable that should be your concern, but your points of contact and attachments such as correct hooks, chains, shackles, snatch blocks and so on. Prior to attaching your hook to ANY vehicle take an old coat or some heavy fabric like and old rug and hang it on the line. That way should a line break it won't come flying back to its point of origin. Make sure that all of your chains, snatch blocks and hooks are rated for recovery, don't use cheap stuff. I've seen shackles and hooks fail long before any well kept steel line, and go one size larger than you need, you won't regret it. I mean if you're jeep weighs 4000 lbs get a 10000 lb winch. You'll never over work it and if you're really stuck you'll be glad you have it.
1) You don’t want the wheels sticking out of the fender flares, and 2) the spacers and more negative offset are really increasing the stress on your steering and wheel bearings. You should stay with stock offset and go perhaps only slightly more negative in proportion to wheel width increase and only if you have clearance problems on the inside of the tire.
Unless you want the tires to stick out.
Nice. Being a CJ,YJ and now TJ owner, I hated my soft top-So as the top slowly degraded I replaced the "soft top" with a Wind Jammer and Bikini top and here's the best part. You can put your hard top over it and it will somewhat help with roof noise and insulation. The wheels I really suggest keeping or upgrading to the new Jeep wheels-Dont sweat the adapters, My Jeep has made it through 2 Jamborees with 35s. The winch..welp it failed when I needed it most-during a Jeep Jamboree. Its a hit or miss, especially if you have the line exposed to the Sun, road debris, chemicals and stuff-So I went back to a cable line which has been good. The MAIN thing MANY refuse to do is Re-Gear! You will LOVE your Jeep more if you run big tires and re-gear. Sorry for the book. Keep on Jeeping everyone and be safe!
Narrow tires are actually better for off-roading in 90% of situations.
We all live and learn, loving the journey along the way!
As for Tires, a good set is the Falken Wild peak at3W. The reason I like them is they are a year round tire. I don't go off road or anything but what I absolutely can't stand is having 2 sets of tires and having to change them out every winter/spring.
Just to clarify, negative/lower offset brings the wheels out. Positive/higher offset moves the wheels in towards the inside.
That’s correct, I apologize if I worded that poorly! Thanks for watching!
That whole offset of the wheel can be confusing. And if your going with wheel spacers make sure you buy quality. Don't just buy the cheapest ones you can find somewhere online.
FYI: When wheels ride outside the flares it looks very cool however, if you drive through even the smallest mud puddle your jeep gets sprayed! For this reason alone, on my next jeep I want the wheels tucked on the inside of the flares. Also depending where you live there are laws how far your wheel can ride outside the flare, it's something to consider.
I enjoyed this video, it's good advice.
Thanks and keep on wheeling!
@@jeffshultz3883 I had no idea about spacers and it looked risky driving using them and exactly what you said I installed spyder spacers which everyone recommended online
As an inspiring, future Wrangler owner, thanks for the tips. I knew of a few but didn’t know about the winch line
I’m glad you could take something away and learn from my mistakes! Thanks for watching!
Beautiful Jeep, Thanks for the informative video!!
Thank you for the kind words and thanks for watching!!
I've had my TJ since '06, it's a Flame Red '05 six-speed Sport 4.0L with the Dana 44 LSD rear. I still have the 5 OE Canyon alloys in boxes, it currently has some still fresh looking 31x10R15 Goodyear MTR tires that are actually now 14 years old on some Jackman style steel rims that do have some extra offset. I went in for a tire rotation and balance, and the tire shop refused due to the age, not condition of the MTR's. They have no cracking or dry rot, always parked indoors out of the sun. But they old, I'm thinking of going back down to the OE size 30x9.5R15 BFG Ko2. They look classic, and I can run the OE rims. I'm not out to play king of the mountain. My Jeep sits garaged, never left outside. It has zero UV damage, or corrosion. It's got about 53k on it now. Dual tops, I love having a soft top. The hard top hangs in the garage on a crane, so I don't need to invite friends over to help me swap it on. Just replaced all front end bushings, and tightend everything up, she tracks straight and true, not a hint of wobble. It's the last metal faced Jeep, and I knew when I bought it, it was an instant classic. There are no significant mods, I can have it back to OEM spec in a day. I have many friends that sank thousands in lifts, lockers, armor, lights and more. Broken axles, cracked hard tops, and body damage was all they had to show for it. All these years later, I still have my Jeep in mint condition, none of them have a Jeep at all.
Good video, thanks. I think the best upgrade I did was the 31" pro comp tires, if you go larger than 31" you need to lift it and change gears. Also as the tires extend beyond the fenders you will need fenders that cover 7" or everytime you go through mud, drive on a wet street you will get mud and or sand thrown all over the sides of your jeep and worse it sticks to the plastic windows and will not wash off without causing damage. Then my side rock guards have saved my frame multiple times.
Appreciate that John! Pro comp’s are great tires, thanks for watching!
Also, when you put spacers on to make the tires stick out you are putting a lot more stress on the suspension..the axles, hubs, spindles, bearings are under a lot more stress. Better to get proper fitting wheels and tires to begin with.
Nice vid! I’ve made a couple of these mistakes as well in the past 👊🏻
Appreciate that man! Thanks for watching!
I have a 00 Jeep Wrangler and I had the same problem as your 01, but I fixed it. It was a simple and cheap matter of replacing the front and rear wheel bearings, rebuilding the front and rear drive shafts, and replacing the axel ujoints. The electrical issue I tried tracing down, but it was everywhere meaning the alternater was shorted out so I replaced it then was able to isolate the problem. It turned out that the vibrations were so violent the rear drum brakes became out of adjustment and I was pressing too far on the brake pedal causeing the brake light switch internal leaflets to bend, but the negative wouldn't retract all the way causing a system short. I simply rebent the leaflets back to spec and no more short. So I went from a jeep that belonged in a junkyard to one that feels like a brand new car in a week. If I were to sale it ,it would be for money not for the undesirable pinion angle.
Rule #1 DO NOT MUD YOUR JEEP. Not a single frame ever survives, you will not get all of the mud out and it will rot a brand new Jeep out.
Those of us who rock climb say "MUD spelled backwards is... ;) "
I have a 99 wrangler sport lifted and all the working parts that should be there when lifting one I have had it 16 years and NEVER put it in the mud!! Love trail riding,mountain trails and snow, never mud it has been professionally built from the ground up including the engine and I used my factory block, it was built because that’s what I wanted not because anything was wrong or bad 4.0 built. Auto, 6inch long arm lift custom built drive shafts new hub assembly 456 Yukon gears front and rear new Yukon pinion shafts and bearings cold air intake throttle body spacer banks torque header , and I agree with you NO MUD that’s why it’s over 300,000 and handles like a car runs like a muscle car keep it out of the mud 😎
LMAO!!! Jeep and no mud, like buying a boat and never putting it in the water. Let me guess, you live on the west coast or somewhere out west. Clearly you don't live in the South.
@@nedhill1242yeah, I’m in the South too. I was just trying to think where I could go that there would be no mud. I guess downtown might work! 🤣🤣🤣
@@srcastic8764
It’s like when you see videos about the perfect tire or the perfect lift or the perfect this or the perfect that. Long wheelbase is better. No short wheelbase is better. No no, no! What is the application? Sometimes long wheel base is better. But sometimes short wheel base is better. Different tires work for different applications. Any good southern or knows you need at least three boats. One for the creek. One for the bay. Want to go offshore. Then again if you are a duck hunter you need one for that. If you like taking people out, you need a boat just for that. Specialization! At least that’s the best rationalization when you want more than one jeep or more than one boat. But then we shouldn’t have to rationalize anything to women the way they spend money on clothes and shoes, make up jewelry, etc.
Holy offsets! I know what you are talking about. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I wouldn't get rid of the hard top, if you're thinking of doing so; especially being in Montana. Cold weather can cause the windows on a soft top to crack. It is a pain removing the hard top, and I get what you mean about frequent weather changes. One solution is to build a hoist if you have a garage. I think you can buy one too for not a whole lot of money. I made a dolly out of 2x4s that allows me to store mine vertically and roll it out of my way when I need to. It does require a second person to remove it and then to reinstall it later. I will take mine off in April and run my soft top until September. The other nice thing about having two tops is that you get two entirely different looks for your Jeep. My regrets from twelve years or so of Jeep TJ ownership include not having held out for one with dana 44s, and not holding on to my stock rims when I went to aftermarket to go with my 12.50s. I also half-way regret lifting the Jeep. I might feel different if there were greater variety of trails where I live, but all the lift really did was make stuff my Jeep could already do easier and therefore less fun; It didn't really make it able to do much that it couldn't already handle with a little more maneuvering on my part.
Great advice, thank you!
Absolutely Jimmy! Thanks for watching!
I’ve used a Rampage top for 3 summers now. Great setup, but a little noisier than a factory setup. Love being able to store my windows up in the top though. Makes it nice when you’re out and catch a rainstorm.
Sounds like a worthy trade off to me! Thanks for watching Tyler!
After having my 05 for 12 years, I long for a hard top. Mosquitos are horrible here and it can rain at the drop of the hat. In my previous local, no rain in summer and virtually no skeeters. I used to take the top down on Memorial day and put it back up on Labor day. (I don't miss the politics of that state, but I do miss the weather.
Anyway, sharp looking TJ you have there, and I am sure many will benefit from your experience!
Hey! Memorial Falls, you're in my neck of the woods! (I'm in Great Falls) I've had multiple Jeeps as well before settling on my current JKU. I wish I hadn't made all the previous mistakes and bought the "right" one up front. The nice thing about your TJ, the hard top will easily sell if you want, so enjoy the soft top.
Nice jeep, and such a beautiful piece of property, and log cabin is awesome? Very peaceful, and calming. And a perfect place to own a jeep👊🤓👍
I’m very blessed to live in an area as beautiful as this! Appreciate your kind words and thanks for watching!
Thank you for the advice 😊
Just trying to help others avoid my mistakes! Thanks for watching!
That is great information for a Jeep owner. Thank you for taking the time to do the CZcams.
I like 2006 I own. Yes, Montana is hard on vehicles. Metal studded tires on ice are the only way to go😅😂
Great video. I’ve made all of those mistakes except the spacers. They just terrify me. I’m now on my third Jeep and much happier now that I have better knowledge of them. I wasted a lot of time and money on mistakes on all three. Great looking Jeep by the way.
Thank you Eric! Just hoping this video will help others avoid making the mistakes we did. Thanks for watching!!
Why’s everyone so scared of spacers lol like he said it’s not ideal but check your torques frequently and listen to your Jeep it will let you know somethings wrong before it’s too late!! I’ve had 1.25” spacers on my Tj with 35s for 2 years no issues
This. I agree, as long as you maintain them properly they aren’t dangerous. Thanks for watching!
Do your regular lug nuts terrify you? Quality spacers are the same thing. I agree it's not the ideal, but as long as they are torqued and retorqued properly and inspected occasionally they are fine. I've been running 5x4.5 to 5x5 spacer adapters for a while, with plenty of off roading, and have not had any problems.
So good looking TJ,got a red 4.0...a real pleasure to ride!and that's true for the hard top, each summer it's the same heavy and hard work to ride under the sun😉best of from a French Jeeper!
Thanks for the kind words! TJ’s are the best! Thank you for watching and and more content coming soon!
Great content! 👍🏻
Thanks good lookin 😉
Thank you. I appreciate this a LOT..
I have owned 3 TJs. I've worked as a mechanic that did vehicle inspections when our dealership would buy them. I was good at that particular job. However, with all of that being said, I have decided that my next Wrangler I buy, I will be bringing a different mechanic friend, better at inspections than me, to come with to check it out. Not because I will miss things, though I will, but because I will immediately be emotionally attached to the Jeep. That's why I know I will miss things, and I also need someone who doesn't want a Jeep to give it to me straight and keep me grounded.
Hey Colin, thanks for your comment! That sounds like an incredibly wise thing to do and some thing I wish I was in the past! Emotional attachment is an easy way to make a poor decision, Iv been there! Thanks for watching!
Great video!
Nice video and love the TJ!
Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching! More content coming soon so feel free to subscribe!
I would always start with the hardtop. A TJ sport should be regeared for bigger wheels and tires. You are right in the one thing you keep saying, do your research before you remove your tops or buy anything for your jeep.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for watching!
Love that emerald-forest green color. Also very informative overall, I definitely want a soft top when I get a 2-door.
Thanks man! Appreciate it!
I have a 2000 TJ in forest green with a tan soft top. Just can't imagine one with a hard top.
APpreciate the transparency BRO 😎
Absolutely man, hope it helps some people out! Thanks for watching.
I have had that soft top you are looking at. For a soft top, highly recommended.
Can you still keep the hard top? Use both? As the hard top look so good on this Jeep!
You can probably just buy a new winch cable after a couple years. That's what I would plan on.
I've had experience with steel cables failing. Specifically, a vertical boat lift cable failed while I was using it. Dropped the family ski boat about 4 feet into the water. Crazy part was the cable looked fine. It rusted from the inside out. It had been inspected and observed routinely and wasn't that old.
Dyneema has it's faults, but I'll take those faults over steel cable any day.
Excellent video. You have a good looking Jeep Wrangler.
i got an 01 that i've had for 13 years..i have a soft top and i recently bought the sunroof option. i love it.
Sunroof option? I’ll have the check that out Adrian! Thanks for watching!
@@Montanaoffroad1 best top baby lol
I love TJ’s and LJ’s. Had 3 LJ’s and 4 TJ’s over the years but basically just flipped them. Bought a 2003 TJ rubicon with 5 speed manual last week. No rust and mechanically sound but very dirty as in lots of dirt. Was a farm vehicle for the last 15 years. Just finished removing all seats, carpet and any removable dashboard components. Literally down to metal. Cannot wait to clean it up and ride. Planning on keeping this one but we’ll see. Inca Gold, hardtop, completely stock besides short front bumper with warn winch, 180k miles and no leaks whatsoever.
That’s awesome man, good luck with the build!
I f-ed up with my TJ, but I said I wasn’t going to let another TJ die and did/had a ton of work done on it. Now people who no nothing about Jeeps always ask me: “is that new??” And nope, she’s an 06, I just love my baby! It’s fairly stock, on 31s, and has a full banks exhaust. I think it looks great, and she sounds awesome! Just always remember everything was new at one point, you can always save a car, but be ready to spend a lot of time and money!
Well now that you went though the pain to get it the way you wanted it I’m sure it has that much more sentimental value! Thanks for watching!
Sad to say, a synthetic winch cable can snap back if it breaks. They are still under tension when you use them after all. Synthetic lines just don't have the mass to do as much damage. I use a winch line blanket to help negate any damage when I'm using mine.
Still a great video and you made some excellent points. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Bill, I appreciate the kind words! Since posting this I have heard from a few people to still be careful even with synthetic. Thanks for taking the time to leave this comment and thanks for watching!
Going from stock height to 33 inch tires means gear ratio change, loss of proper gearing can cost both power and fuel mileage loss. Can be very expensive to regear. With 4 cylinder, go straight to 4.88 gears. With 4.0 6 you can use 4.10 or 4.5 gears.
What you did was not mistakes, they were learning experiences. You will be able to pass on to others what you learned. That's never a mistake. Make it your jeep and enjoy.
I hope this video can help to be able to learn from my experiences rather then have to learn the hard way like so did! Thanks for watching!
I regeared to 4.88 when I went to 33’s.. it was just ok, probably would have been better with 5.13. Now I’m on 35’s with 5.38 and love it. 2006 LJ 4.0 automatic… edit-- 5.13 is the lowest you can go with the tj’s dana 30 front. I installed a currie 44 with arb and 5.38
@@jimmyvalhalla1939 good choice in my opinion. Already geared to go up in tire size when the 33s wear out. In the mean time, the 5.38s take the place of lower gears in the transfer case. Better crawl in rocks. Have fun and be safe.
Soft top won’t last long and will leak and freeze you half to death if you live somewhere that has a winter.
Learn how to tell the difference between a Dana 35 and a Dana 44 rear axle. You want the optional Dana 44, especially if you plan to wheel it with larger tires. When the Dana 35 axle breaks, and it will, your broken axle, wheel, and tire separates from the vehicle, leaving you really stranded. The Dana 44 was standard on the Sahara and Rubicon TJ’s, and optional on the Sport. Also consider the transmission. The 5 or 6 speed manual works better with big tires. The 97-2002 TJ auto was a 3 speed. 2003 was the first year for the 4 speed ( overdrive) auto. The overdrive is a nice feature, but that transmission is a slushbox and saps power.
Nice video I understand what your saying about buying a used jeep .
Thanks Pat!
Thank you for the offset information
You bet! Thanks for watching!
I like topography geography learning about the local environment as well as small facts about Jeeps and how they function...
Hey, that not exactly what my content offers but I will be adding more off-roading content in the future!
Live in Michigan and the big thing with used Jeeps is rust. Especially the frame. The transfer case cross member is one spot to check. The body is a given. Anyway nice video, and Jeep.
Thanks Walt! I actually just did a couple videos on this topic recently if you want to check them out. One all about rust prevention and this one TOP 7 COMMON JEEP TJ ISSUES You Need To Be Aware Of czcams.com/video/6pQYBKAa4jY/video.html . Thanks for watching!
Nice video. I think I heard you use the word 'research' at least once for every mistake you made. I think that is the lesson learned when buying. So easy to do now with the internet.
Oh and I am not saying I haven't been impulsive but I'm much better now. The Jeep forums have been my go to place for research and learning.
Absolutely, that is basically the takeaway! Do your research. Young and impulsive was the issue. Thanks for watching!
Awesome video 👍👍👍
Thank Daniel! I appreciate that and thanks for watching!
I think the best thing you did was purchase the 4.0 straight 6 and well before Jeeps turned mostly into Fiats. I have Michelin all season tires on my ‘06 Unlimited, but if I lived in the high country, as you appear to, I would definitely go with meatier tires as well. Mine is a “Best top” soft top with a 8K Warn winch with a synthetic line. I’ve never been stuck, but I’ve pulled a few “victims” out of the sand dunes over the years. 🤣
The 4.0L is such a bulletproof engine! The beefy tires are definitely a good add out here in Montana lol. Definitely going to make that switch over to synthetic line at some point. Good man pulling out the Offroad “victims” haha. Thanks for watching!
I live in commifornia, and the weather is 🗑 90% of the time lol
Jeeps went from a great utility vehicle to a fashion accessory. At least the Rubicon is rocking Dana 44's off the line, it's one saving grace.
Looking at sourcing a 44 for mine 💪
I love jeep, feel like a strong man if I ride my jeep, I have cj7 1981, old jepp but young spirit
to be honest my soft top is a pain in the ass to get on also. i’ve come to find out if it’s hotter outside it’s easier to get on. one time i waited till it was upper 50’s lower 60’s and i liked to never got it on. major pain. But it sure does feel nice with it off lol
Really good tips, thanks oIIIIIo
Thanks for watching!!
Hey I love this Jeep! I’m 19 years old and I just got my first Tj (a 2002) and I love working and upgrading it so far. Wanted to know two things. Your chrome front, was it custom made or ordered or was it just original? And what size/dimensions of tires did you go with?
Hey Parker, I appreciate kind words! The chrome grill was a product you could purchase but I haven’t seen one online for sale in a while unfortunately! If you are diligent I’m sure you could find one around somewhere! As for my my tires I have 33x12.5x16’s and a 3” lift. I’ll be making a video in the coming week of a complete build update so stay tuned for that. Thanks for watching!
I have a 31 on my 2.5L. I’d love a 33 but with the 2.5L and no regear I couldn’t drive up anything that’s not flat.
You’re Jeep looks great, too much offset not great, but you have fixed it!
Thanks Dave, appreciate that! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for your pearls of wisdom!!! We are in the process of upgrading our recently-bought 2001 TJ. As it has a 2.5 engine, do you think a 33x12.5 tire will work there? We already have a 3-inch lift installed. Also: did you go with 15 or 16 inch wheels? Best!
Hey Walter I saw this and thought I may answer. Even with the 2.5 you can still run 33's and get away with it. You may suffer from that "Get up and go" but you will be ok. Personally I would go with 15 inch rims. They weigh a little less and with that 2.5 and added weight hurts performance.
Have you already done these mods?
Enjoyed your video and love your jeep! But the offset of the wheels in some states like mine you are only allowed to have the tire stick out so far I believe here in MD it's 2 or 3 inches. Also I've seen a synthetic winch line snap back and do some damage as well as the steel line it's always a good idea to cover the line synthetic or steel with a blanket or something when using your winch. Thanks for the video and I don't mean any disrespect just figured I would share
Thank you Cassidy, I’m glad I live in a state without any restrictions and what you said about the synthetic line is very true! Thanks for your comment and thanks for watching!
Great content!!!
Thanks! More on the way
How is street driving / highway driving ?
Great video
Thank you and thanks for watching!
Bigger tire shops such as Firestone or Discount tire, typically have a 30 day return policy if you don’t like them.
Yeah I did not have a reputable shop do it unfortunately. Young a dumb me, but it was a learning experience!
Your first complaint about the top is opposite of mine. Getting into the fridge with the zipper rear window sucks. SUCKS!!
Can one keep the hard top and use soft depending on season??
Subbed... love jeeps... any plans for more driving/ go pro style videos?
Yes! More videos of this nature will be coming in the future!
I don't recommend that rampage top, they say it's quick on and off, but of all the jeeps I've had I would say the factory top or bestop equivalent are best. Yeah they cost more but they're much higher quality and are much quicker to put up and down
I’ll take that into consideration and do a little more research, thanks for watching!
Agreed. I owned a 1994 YJ for 5 years and now a Rubicon TJ for the last 13 years. Best Top Supertop is the way to go.
Iv heard good things about that one! That’s probably the way I will go. Thank you for your comment!
I bought my jeep with the winch, but I have to agree, cable sucks, synthetic is the only way to go. I have a commerical warn that reels itself up nice, but it's like a 3k dollar winch. The warn on the jeep is also getting bound up. I'm getting synthetic rope before winter
For sure man, good for you! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. I can relate to the confusing elements of wheel offsets. I've got a 98 TJ that I've been upgrading for four years. Lots of mods. Just installed decent suspension links--what a huge improvement. Where in Montana are you located? I'm in the NW part of the state.
Paul
Hey Paul, thanks for watching! I love in central Montana but I love Northwestern Montana! I’ll probably move out there someday. TJ’s are the best!
@@Montanaoffroad1 Hey, if you ever get to the Thompson Falls area, let me know and we will go wheelin"
You bet I will!
I lift my top on and off by myself. Super easy. But man a soft top new isn’t that much money and used even cheaper
Just something to checkout before setting tires past the fender or the fender flare. Some states have equipment codes that don't allow tires setting past the fender \flare. Check with your local laws. A ticket happy Johnny law will cite you.
That’s a good point! Fortunately Montana law makers could care less! Thanks for watching!
How did you get your tires so nice black and shiny? Mine are pretty new and they look so dull already. We have the exact same brand and size of tire. Great video. Thank you
www.amazon.com/dp/B006ZBAXJG/?tag=montanaoffr0c-20
It lasts on the side walls for a while but not the full tire. That was more so they looked nice for the video. Thanks for watching!
Just got a 2012 jeep wrangler sport as my first car , am a little worried about tipping as i do tend to take my corners a little fast and my tire size is a 225/75R16 , but hopefully i can ease my worries with driving it more and more
I wouldn’t be too concerned Travis. The wheelbase is longer on the 2012 then the older models making it a lot less top heavy. As long as you aren’t doing anything too egregious you’re going to be just fine 👍 congrats on the new Jeep!
Nice vid bro
Thanks man, and thanks for watching!
you need a harken hoist lift for that hard top so you can run the soft top in the summer and the hard top in the winter.... 100% worth the money
Hey man! Thanks for your comment, Iv considered this but I do have a fairly low clearance garage that may make this setup a little bit difficult. I am however not selling my hardtop as I have enough space to store it away in the summer. Thanks for watching!
Your wheels should not stick out beyond the fender flares. You are kicking up stones into the air. What you need are wider fender flares!!!
Hey Julian, I prefer it just the way it is. Thanks for watching!
Should've had my 97 TJ inspected, previous owner had a new transmission put in, return atf line was crimped. Left me stranded in Alabama at midnight for like 6 hours
Sorry to hear that! 😬 thanks for watching!
I have a 2004 Rubi, owned it since new. To this day, I don't understand the "must regear", though it IS a Rubi, not standard TJ, so the gearing is already a bit lower. I run LT285/75R16 Toyo M55s. 33" equivalent. Fantastic in snow and mud, rated for both, including the "snowflake" and sit inside factory fenders. (2" puck, 1" BL intrepid.for belly up.) Looks factory to almost all police.
My biggest 2 mistakes (not including moving to a seaside location) are:
1) Not washing it enough.
2) Not doing annual RustChek treatments.
They use a lot of salt on the roads on top of the already salty air.. and NOW major body repair is on the plate, not my Forte, especially being an apartment dweller now.
I don’t think you have to regear a Rubicon on 33”. If I remember right they come stock with 4.10 gears. The ideal for 33” is either 4.56 or 4.88 if you think you might go to 35’s at some point so it’s pretty close already. I’m still on my stock 3.73 gears because rather than regear my Dana 35 I am going to wait to just buy some Dana 44 axles with the gearing I want and save the money and honestly 33” tires aren’t even bad on 3.73 gears.
That being said I’m sorry to hear about all of the rust issues, I feel very fortunate to live Montana where that isn’t as much of a worry.
Thanks for watching Patrick!
@@Montanaoffroad1 Thanks. Originally I was just a smidge North in Alberta. It rusts there, but nowhere near the same.
nice vid. what is this color on your TJ called? it looks like the shale green metallic but i could be wrong
Emerald Pearl. Thanks for watching!
Lessons learned. I hope.
Absolutely, hopefully others can learn for this rather then the hard way. Thanks for watching!
Can you still find a '95 - '03 Wrangler that is not beaten up to death or rusted to the bone?
Wish i saw this before just did the same thing with the tires. Exact same size 😂
😂 happens to the best of us, thanks for watching!
Having worked with all kinds of steel cable and wire rope makes me think today's synthetic line preference due to safety issues is namby pamby.
I may have to do some more research, thanks for watching!
First, if at all possible get a 2 door jeep
He's right about a soft top especially for a 2 door. Get a fabric top because it's a lot quieter than the vinyl one
Sunrider style soft top is also a great addition. Thats what I would like to have next
Yes definitely a good option as well!!
I'm jeep person myself. I don't own a TJ (yet) , i do have a 2018 compass latitude , 2021 Gladiator , 2022 392 Rubicon , but the one set of keys i grab 99.99999% of the time are to my baby . The monster '89 4dr cherokee laredo , i pulled it out of a field 10yrs ago she now has a 5.0L stroker I-6, 8IN lift & 40 in tires.
That’s badass man! I’m just that thing is sweet! Nice to have the selection but I would probably do the same in your situation. Thanks for watching!
Wheel spacers are dangerous. Negative offsets are for widening your wheelbase for stability, not looks. Synthetic rope is stoopid expensive, plus the rope has to constantly be cleaned or grit will wear it through. They also have to be replaced from time to time.
Hey Vince, wheel spacers installed incorrectly are are dangerous but hubcentric spacers installed correctly and re-torqued upon tire rotations are not. As for the Synthetic it has its downsides just like Metal but in my opinion is the better choice. Thanks for watching!
The mistake I made was selling my 2013 JKU it had a couple of electrical gremlins, I had it pretty much set up the way I wanted it, but the biggest reason for getting rid of it was my dad had trouble getting in it & I didn't have some crazy 8" lift just a leveling kit with a 1.75" lift I even carried a step stool for him. He was 89 when died, but if I would of kept it, it would've been paid for (I bought it used & it only had 60,000 when I bought it). Now I bought another one, low miles, but not as clean as the other one, on a fixed income (disability), now I have to save up for any accessories I want to buy, had I known then that I could cashed out my 401 without being taxed to death I would've fixed any issues.
That is a bummer man! At least you made the right choice in buying another Jeep! I’m sure you will get it modified the way you want eventually and it will be worth it. Appreciate you watching man! Thanks for comment!
@@Montanaoffroad1 I had 20X10 XD wheels on 33’s I didn’t want to go much bigger cause I didn’t want to mess with gear ratios, I think I could’ve gone up to 35’s with that lift. It was my daily & just put on some running boards witch the other one already had.
I hear you on the gear ratio. If I ever go to 35’s I’ll just buy bigger beefier axles with the gear ratio I want because of how expensive it is to have done. Two birds, one stone.
@@brooksteer5629 Thank you, I think it was for the better, I lost my mom 3 years prior we tried to keep him busy but I think he was just lonely
I had to get my car with the Soft Top! I HATE IT! I like Not getting sunburned in when driving. Or have Dirt/dust coming (with the top up!) in when going down dirt roads. or the theives getting in. And the mess of taking the top of , and the dirt/dust coming down on you when dealing with it. I went out and bought an after market hard top! I think you might end really regretting putting the soft top on. Oh well that could be for a later video. 😅😉 Yep, jeeps have "Issues" even right off the showroom floor. Why do you tires look like they have Oil/Tire Shine all over the Tread? 😲 yep, cables can be Knarly/deadly. somebody on the closest beach to me got their head taking off by a snapped line. And I mean that Litteraly. Actually I think that happened more than once... Hmmm 🤔 So how close, (far) is that waterfall from Polson Montana?
This is really helpful.. thanks new subscriber here
Appreciate that! New videos coming hopefully this weekend but until then I have some others for you to enjoy!
Get a Bestop trektop , get rid of the hardtop , been running softops year round, I live in Maine, plenty warm in winter!
Yeah since posting this I have gotten a lot of comments to get the bestop so that’s that I’m going to do! Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching!
I've had a Trektop and commuted every day in sub freezing temps over an 11,000 foot pass here in Colorado. Plenty warm in the Jeep but the mag chloride destroyed the windows. Stil useable though...they just look bad.
Nice video! I'll say this first, you don't want a Rampage soft top. They are horrible to work with. It looks cool but they suck Trust Me! My wife had one on one of her Jeeps and it is a pain to put back on each time you retract it. Buy a Bestop which is who makes factory Jeep soft tops. Also, the offset you want for your wheels is a -12 offset with 12.5 wide wheels. Great look. I agree completely with having a soft top. Every time I see a Jeep with a hard top on in nice weather I think of a turtle and how they are missing out on one of the best experiences of having a Jeep. You'll hate the Rampage especially if you've ever worked with a factory soft top. Keep on Jeepin'
Hey Bob, I appreciate you taking the time to let me know this! Iv actually had a few people reach out and say that the Bestop is the one to go with and this affirms that. Thanks for watching as well!
The Bestop Trektop is the way to go. Installed one on my '05 and it's been working great almost 8 years later.
For new buyers that don't know any better. The biggest thing to look at is frame rust.
Absolutely, I plan on making a whole video on what to look out for.
Are your wheels 15's or 16's and are 8' or 10' wide ? ... Great video and thank you for making it. Happy New year to you and yours !
16’s and 10 wide. Thanks Sinjin!