Blupupher
11-26-2002, 09:01 PM
OK, I have tried this in other sites, lets try to get something started here. Maybe make this a sticky?
Have this as a post as a FAQ for TJ's (It's what I have, so if you want a YJ, start it also).
Q: What is a TJ, YJ, or CJ?
A: A TJ is a Wrangler with a model year of 1997+ and has round headlights and a coil suspension.
A YJ is a Wrangler from 1987 to 1995 (there was no 1996 model, just a early '97 TJ) with square headlights and a leaf spring suspension.
A CJ is any Short wheel base (SWB) Jeep with removable doors and top prior to that. They had round headlights and a leaf spring suspension. CJ's came in several models, the most common are CJ5, CJ7, and CJ8, but there are others.
TJ's and YJ's are referred to as "Wranglers" (in the U.S.A., not Canada). TJ and YJ do not stand for anything, just a Jeep model designation. CJ does stand for Civilian Jeep.
There are other differences, but this is the very short version.
Q: What is the biggest tire I can put on a stock TJ?
A: Well, depends. The largest tire with a guarantee not to cause problems is 30x9.5". This is the largest tire that came stock from Jeep (except for the '03 "Rubicon Edition", which has LT245/75R16 tires (translates to about 30.5x9.6")). 31x10.5" tires will fit on stock rims (either 7" steel or 8" alloy) but some people report rubbing on full turns. Adding 1 or 2 washers to the steering stops can fix this. Anything larger and you will need a lift to avoid clearance and rubbing problems.
Q: My dome light stays on when I take my doors off. What do I do?
A: Pull the # 4 fuse in the fuse panel behind the glove box. This will turn off the dome light with the doors off. Be advised, it will also turns off your headlight on reminder chime. You can still turn on the dome light with the dimmer control as before.
Q: How do I get the stickers off of my sun visors?
A: There are several answers to this. The fastest way does not remove them, just makes it so you don?t see it all the time. You remove the drivers? side visor from the rod (no tools needed, it just slides off with a little effort) and the passenger side sun visor. Then place the drivers side visor on the pass. side and place the pass. side on the drivers? side. This just puts the sticker facing up unless you are using the visor. Some have said they have stickers on both sides, so this won't work for you if that's the case.
To remove, you have to determine if it a sticker or a silkscreen type.
If it is just a sticker, use a hair drier to heat the sticker up and slowly peel the sticker off. It may leave a sticky residue, but that can bee cleaned with an adhesive remover or something like WD-40.
If it is the silk-screened type, I can't really give a definite answer, I have not personally dealt with it. The idea though is to heat with a hair drier and just pick at it. Some have used acetone or nail polish remover with success, but I'm not sure of long-term effect on the plastic visors. Anyone with actual knowledge please post or let me know by PM.
Q: My rearview mirror is to low, how do I move it higher?
A: The easiest way to fix this it to just rotate the mirror 180 degrees, so that the bottom of the mirror is now the top. This places it right at the top of the window and does not change the view out the back. Or just wait till the mounting tab falls off and mount it higher.
Q: My doors swing to far out when they open.
A: Remove the strap that holds the door closed, twist it 2-3 times, re-attach, and see if that?s better. You can twist it quite a bit more if you need it to open even less.
Q: What is a Budget Boost (aka BB and spacer lift)?
A; A Budget Boost is an inexpensive (relatively speaking) way to lift a TJ. They are spacers, usually made of polyurethane, that are placed above the stock TJ springs to increase height. They range in size from 1/2 inch to 2 inches. They are many times offered in a kit that include shocks with them. I will not go into install directions, not enough space.
Q: What is a Body Lift?
A: A body lift is just what it says, it lifts the body of the Jeep off of the frame. They can be made of polyurethane, metal, and even fiberglass. They range in height from 1 inch up to 3 inches. It generally felt that anything over 1.5 inches is too high for a Jeep. Most will say no higher than 1 inch. Anything over 1.5 inches can cause binding problems with shifting linkage and also length of wires, fuel line, and large gap between frame and body. There is also somewhat of a safety issue if over 2 inches, the Jeep becomes somewhat top-heavy.
Q: What is a Transfer Case (T-case)drop?
A: A Transfer Case Drop does just what it says. It is done with either spacers or washers placed between the frame and Transfer Case Skidplate. It is used to reduce or stop vibrations from the rear driveshaft due to a suspension lift. It has the same effect as a MM lift by getting the driveshaft in line, but you loose some ground clearance when you do it. This is the cheapest way to stop driveshaft vibrations caused by lifting your Jeep.
Q: What is a Motor Mount (MM) lift?
A: A Motor Mount lift is used to lift the engine, usually 1"-2", that helps to reduce or stop vibrations in the driveshaft caused by a suspension lift. It replaces the stock motor mounts. It helps to get the angle of the rear driveshaft more in line from the transfer case to the rear axle. When You use a MM lift, you may need to move/ trim the radiator fan shroud. If you have a body lift and a MM lift, you should not have to do this, but may.
Q: What is a SYE?
A: A SYE is a Slip Yoke Eliminator. Stock TJ's come with a slip yoke in the end of the t-case for the driveshaft to slip into. With bigger lifts, usualy around 3" to 4", there is a bind on the rear driveshaft that can not be fixed with a MM lift or T-case drop. The SYE does 2 things, it replaces the end of the T-case with a fixed yoke (what the driveshaft attaches to) to allow for a longer driveshaft and allows the rear shaft to be removed without loosing fluid from the T-case. This is the most expensive way to fix driveshaft vibrations for 2 reasons, the cost of the SYE and new, longer driveshaft.
Q: What axles do I have?
A: If you have a Jeep manufactured in for the US or Canada, you will have a Dana 30 front axle. Your rear axle will be either a Dana 35c or a Dana 44. To tell them apart, the Dana 35c has an oval shaped differential housing with a rubber fill plug on the diff cover. The Dana 44 has a 10 sided differential housing with a metal threaded fill plug on the diff cover. If you have A 2003 Rubicon, you have Dana 44 axles front and rear. (I HOPE you knew this already). The Dana 44 is The stronger of the 2 rear axles, but is available only on the Sahara and Sport as an option. If serious off-roading or tires larger than 33", it is highly recomended to have the Dana 44 in the rear.
Q: What is Limited Slip?
A: Limited Slip (LS) is a traction aiding device that is in the rear differential. The stock LS is called Trac-Lock. It is an option only for the rear axle. What it does is keeps one wheel from spinning while the other sits still. It uses friction plates to reduce the difference between the 2 axle shafts, and does so automaticly. But as the name implies, there is still some slip that occures. It is considered better than an open differential (no traction assist device), but not as good as a locker.
Q: What is a Locker?
A: Like a Limited Slip, a locker is a traction assist device that is in the differential. There is no factory Locker available from Jeep except for the 2003 Rubicon. A locker "locks" both axle shafts together, forcing both wheels to spin at the same speed. There are 2 types of Lockers, automatic and manual.
The automatic ones are just that, when wheel slip is noticed, it automaticly locks both wheels together and unlocks when not needed (as in turning).
For manual lockers, these must be activated manualy by the driver when needed. There are 3 types, air pressure activated (ARB) cable activated (OX) and electric (Eaton). As of the time I am writing this, only the ARB and OX are available for the Dana 30 front and Dana 35c and 44 Rear.
Q: What gears do I have in my differential's?
A: Your differential should have a metal tag on the side where the cover bolts on. It will be printed on this. If the tag is missing, you can figure it out by lifting both rear wheels off the ground and placing it in neutral (and blocking the front wheels). Then rotate the wheels, watching the drive shaft. You need to count how many times the drive shaft spins in 1 rotation of the tire. The number of times the drive shaft spins will be your gear ratio. Stock ratios are 3.07, 3.55 (pre-'99), 3.73 ('99+) and 4.10. To help count the rotations, mark the tire, drive shaft and axle with chalk or tape for reference.
Q: What transmission and transfer case do I have?
A: If you have a 4 cylinder, 5 speed manual, you have an AX-5. If you have a 6 cylinder, 5 speed manual, 97-99 TJ's have the AX-15 transmission. From 2000+, you have a NV 3550. If a 3 speed auto (97-02, 4 and 6 cylinder) you have an 32RH. A 4 speed auto ('03+) is 42RLE (not 100% sure on this one). Your transfer case for all TJ's (except for the '03 Rubicon) is the NV 231 (2.72:1 low range). The '03 Rubicon is a NVG 2410R (4:1 low range).
This is a start. Any more?
Please post only questions and answers or PM me with them and I can add them to this list (that way, we only have 1 post to look at).
If anyone finds any of these are incorrect, please PM me.
If you just have a question not answered here, just ask in the forum. Thanks
This is just a disclaimer, these are just things I have done to my Jeep or seen done to others. Your actual outcome may vary. All information is based on a stock, un-modified vehicle. The 2003 Rubicon has many differences than any other TJ, which I have tried to include, but may have missed. In other words, don't blame me if something goes wrong or is not correct.
Have this as a post as a FAQ for TJ's (It's what I have, so if you want a YJ, start it also).
Q: What is a TJ, YJ, or CJ?
A: A TJ is a Wrangler with a model year of 1997+ and has round headlights and a coil suspension.
A YJ is a Wrangler from 1987 to 1995 (there was no 1996 model, just a early '97 TJ) with square headlights and a leaf spring suspension.
A CJ is any Short wheel base (SWB) Jeep with removable doors and top prior to that. They had round headlights and a leaf spring suspension. CJ's came in several models, the most common are CJ5, CJ7, and CJ8, but there are others.
TJ's and YJ's are referred to as "Wranglers" (in the U.S.A., not Canada). TJ and YJ do not stand for anything, just a Jeep model designation. CJ does stand for Civilian Jeep.
There are other differences, but this is the very short version.
Q: What is the biggest tire I can put on a stock TJ?
A: Well, depends. The largest tire with a guarantee not to cause problems is 30x9.5". This is the largest tire that came stock from Jeep (except for the '03 "Rubicon Edition", which has LT245/75R16 tires (translates to about 30.5x9.6")). 31x10.5" tires will fit on stock rims (either 7" steel or 8" alloy) but some people report rubbing on full turns. Adding 1 or 2 washers to the steering stops can fix this. Anything larger and you will need a lift to avoid clearance and rubbing problems.
Q: My dome light stays on when I take my doors off. What do I do?
A: Pull the # 4 fuse in the fuse panel behind the glove box. This will turn off the dome light with the doors off. Be advised, it will also turns off your headlight on reminder chime. You can still turn on the dome light with the dimmer control as before.
Q: How do I get the stickers off of my sun visors?
A: There are several answers to this. The fastest way does not remove them, just makes it so you don?t see it all the time. You remove the drivers? side visor from the rod (no tools needed, it just slides off with a little effort) and the passenger side sun visor. Then place the drivers side visor on the pass. side and place the pass. side on the drivers? side. This just puts the sticker facing up unless you are using the visor. Some have said they have stickers on both sides, so this won't work for you if that's the case.
To remove, you have to determine if it a sticker or a silkscreen type.
If it is just a sticker, use a hair drier to heat the sticker up and slowly peel the sticker off. It may leave a sticky residue, but that can bee cleaned with an adhesive remover or something like WD-40.
If it is the silk-screened type, I can't really give a definite answer, I have not personally dealt with it. The idea though is to heat with a hair drier and just pick at it. Some have used acetone or nail polish remover with success, but I'm not sure of long-term effect on the plastic visors. Anyone with actual knowledge please post or let me know by PM.
Q: My rearview mirror is to low, how do I move it higher?
A: The easiest way to fix this it to just rotate the mirror 180 degrees, so that the bottom of the mirror is now the top. This places it right at the top of the window and does not change the view out the back. Or just wait till the mounting tab falls off and mount it higher.
Q: My doors swing to far out when they open.
A: Remove the strap that holds the door closed, twist it 2-3 times, re-attach, and see if that?s better. You can twist it quite a bit more if you need it to open even less.
Q: What is a Budget Boost (aka BB and spacer lift)?
A; A Budget Boost is an inexpensive (relatively speaking) way to lift a TJ. They are spacers, usually made of polyurethane, that are placed above the stock TJ springs to increase height. They range in size from 1/2 inch to 2 inches. They are many times offered in a kit that include shocks with them. I will not go into install directions, not enough space.
Q: What is a Body Lift?
A: A body lift is just what it says, it lifts the body of the Jeep off of the frame. They can be made of polyurethane, metal, and even fiberglass. They range in height from 1 inch up to 3 inches. It generally felt that anything over 1.5 inches is too high for a Jeep. Most will say no higher than 1 inch. Anything over 1.5 inches can cause binding problems with shifting linkage and also length of wires, fuel line, and large gap between frame and body. There is also somewhat of a safety issue if over 2 inches, the Jeep becomes somewhat top-heavy.
Q: What is a Transfer Case (T-case)drop?
A: A Transfer Case Drop does just what it says. It is done with either spacers or washers placed between the frame and Transfer Case Skidplate. It is used to reduce or stop vibrations from the rear driveshaft due to a suspension lift. It has the same effect as a MM lift by getting the driveshaft in line, but you loose some ground clearance when you do it. This is the cheapest way to stop driveshaft vibrations caused by lifting your Jeep.
Q: What is a Motor Mount (MM) lift?
A: A Motor Mount lift is used to lift the engine, usually 1"-2", that helps to reduce or stop vibrations in the driveshaft caused by a suspension lift. It replaces the stock motor mounts. It helps to get the angle of the rear driveshaft more in line from the transfer case to the rear axle. When You use a MM lift, you may need to move/ trim the radiator fan shroud. If you have a body lift and a MM lift, you should not have to do this, but may.
Q: What is a SYE?
A: A SYE is a Slip Yoke Eliminator. Stock TJ's come with a slip yoke in the end of the t-case for the driveshaft to slip into. With bigger lifts, usualy around 3" to 4", there is a bind on the rear driveshaft that can not be fixed with a MM lift or T-case drop. The SYE does 2 things, it replaces the end of the T-case with a fixed yoke (what the driveshaft attaches to) to allow for a longer driveshaft and allows the rear shaft to be removed without loosing fluid from the T-case. This is the most expensive way to fix driveshaft vibrations for 2 reasons, the cost of the SYE and new, longer driveshaft.
Q: What axles do I have?
A: If you have a Jeep manufactured in for the US or Canada, you will have a Dana 30 front axle. Your rear axle will be either a Dana 35c or a Dana 44. To tell them apart, the Dana 35c has an oval shaped differential housing with a rubber fill plug on the diff cover. The Dana 44 has a 10 sided differential housing with a metal threaded fill plug on the diff cover. If you have A 2003 Rubicon, you have Dana 44 axles front and rear. (I HOPE you knew this already). The Dana 44 is The stronger of the 2 rear axles, but is available only on the Sahara and Sport as an option. If serious off-roading or tires larger than 33", it is highly recomended to have the Dana 44 in the rear.
Q: What is Limited Slip?
A: Limited Slip (LS) is a traction aiding device that is in the rear differential. The stock LS is called Trac-Lock. It is an option only for the rear axle. What it does is keeps one wheel from spinning while the other sits still. It uses friction plates to reduce the difference between the 2 axle shafts, and does so automaticly. But as the name implies, there is still some slip that occures. It is considered better than an open differential (no traction assist device), but not as good as a locker.
Q: What is a Locker?
A: Like a Limited Slip, a locker is a traction assist device that is in the differential. There is no factory Locker available from Jeep except for the 2003 Rubicon. A locker "locks" both axle shafts together, forcing both wheels to spin at the same speed. There are 2 types of Lockers, automatic and manual.
The automatic ones are just that, when wheel slip is noticed, it automaticly locks both wheels together and unlocks when not needed (as in turning).
For manual lockers, these must be activated manualy by the driver when needed. There are 3 types, air pressure activated (ARB) cable activated (OX) and electric (Eaton). As of the time I am writing this, only the ARB and OX are available for the Dana 30 front and Dana 35c and 44 Rear.
Q: What gears do I have in my differential's?
A: Your differential should have a metal tag on the side where the cover bolts on. It will be printed on this. If the tag is missing, you can figure it out by lifting both rear wheels off the ground and placing it in neutral (and blocking the front wheels). Then rotate the wheels, watching the drive shaft. You need to count how many times the drive shaft spins in 1 rotation of the tire. The number of times the drive shaft spins will be your gear ratio. Stock ratios are 3.07, 3.55 (pre-'99), 3.73 ('99+) and 4.10. To help count the rotations, mark the tire, drive shaft and axle with chalk or tape for reference.
Q: What transmission and transfer case do I have?
A: If you have a 4 cylinder, 5 speed manual, you have an AX-5. If you have a 6 cylinder, 5 speed manual, 97-99 TJ's have the AX-15 transmission. From 2000+, you have a NV 3550. If a 3 speed auto (97-02, 4 and 6 cylinder) you have an 32RH. A 4 speed auto ('03+) is 42RLE (not 100% sure on this one). Your transfer case for all TJ's (except for the '03 Rubicon) is the NV 231 (2.72:1 low range). The '03 Rubicon is a NVG 2410R (4:1 low range).
This is a start. Any more?
Please post only questions and answers or PM me with them and I can add them to this list (that way, we only have 1 post to look at).
If anyone finds any of these are incorrect, please PM me.
If you just have a question not answered here, just ask in the forum. Thanks
This is just a disclaimer, these are just things I have done to my Jeep or seen done to others. Your actual outcome may vary. All information is based on a stock, un-modified vehicle. The 2003 Rubicon has many differences than any other TJ, which I have tried to include, but may have missed. In other words, don't blame me if something goes wrong or is not correct.