It's been well over a year and a half since we bought our '97 TJ from a bonehead with no clue about maintenance, cleanliness, and how to put up a Jeep's top when it's raining. We set out to build a comfortable vehicle for long-distance commuting that was equally at home doing 75 mph on the freeway as it was traversing the Rubicon or exploring desert ghost towns. We won't rehash the whole build because the prior nine installments are on our Web site at www.jpmagazine.com, but in the end, we're pleased to say we accomplished what we set out to do.
Rather than blow the whole Jeep apart and build it in one fell swoop, the modifications were done a little at a time just like most of you would do. And just like a lot of you would do, we picked one really good shop to handle all of the modifications. TAG Motorsports did the lion's share of the work, ensuring the Jeep would be ready for commuting duties at the start of each week. In this final installment, we'll show you some of the things that had bugged us about the vehicle and our solutions. Unlike the old saying, "No project is ever really done," we're calling this one finished.
A vehicle with coil springs...
A vehicle with coil springs really needs an antisway bar, so when our factory bar link broke, we quickly upgraded to a Rock Jock (you've known 'em as Currie Enterprises) Antirock unit. We run the torsion sway bar at its stiffest setting and find the Jeep corners nearly as flat as with the factory piece, but with an infinitely better ride quality.
While the Fabtech coil-spacer...
While the Fabtech coil-spacer kit we previously installed was of good quality, the fact that we only ran the adjusters at their lowest setting meant the rear bottomed out on even moderate bumps. We removed the Fabtech kit and replaced it with a 2-inch Pro Comp coil kit and a quartet of Pro Comp MX-6 shocks.
The Pro Comp coils are firm...
The Pro Comp coils are firm yet comfortable. We find the monotube MX-6 adjustable shocks offer the best compromise between a good ride and firm handling on the #2 setting, which is one click up from the softest. Even with a hard top, a heavy-duty rear bumper and carrier, and a Kilby fuel tank skid, we found the need to add 3/4-inch coil spacers to the front to even out the ride stance.
Finally, for a velvety smooth...
Finally, for a velvety smooth ride on the street without giving up the performance our recreational off-road outings will require, we upgraded our tires to a set of 265/75R16 BFGoodrich AT KO tires. We've used them on the Rubicon Trail before and have been really pleased with their grip on the slick granite there-plus, their long street life and quiet performance won't numb the brain on those long drives.
Practicing what we preach,...
Practicing what we preach, we dutifully upgraded the steering linkage to Rock Jock's superb Currectlync heavy-duty, tie-rod system (PN CE-9701). The chromoly tie rods are infinitely beefier than the factory parts, and the tie-rod ends are much, much bigger-and allow more movement.