Topic: BEST MODS

[mikeymuy]

WHAT are the best mods for these 2.5 97 jeep ? thanks

[Jesse-James]

A driver and a trail to wheel it on......










Sorry, but that is about the most open ended question one could possibly ask.

[jagular7]

Just sell it and save your money for retirement.













How much money do you have to spend on the mods? That will tell you where to spend the money on the hardware. Next, is what percentage on what type of terrain - rough hills, mud, rocks, concrete streets, parked in garage due to having no money left over, etc.

[neale_rs]

What most people do is install 4" lift and 33" tires.  Just with that you will be ready for the vast majority of trails.  Make sure you get one with a Dana 44 rear axle.

[jcsanders79]

A 4 cylinder with a factory D44 would be an extremely rare find, plus the D35 is stronger than most give it credit for.  The big problem with it is the C-clips which mean that if you do break it you can't limp out without a replacement shaft.  That being said I have  a D44 in the rear   The best mod would be 1)lockers(cheaper in the long run to upgrade axle and gears if your doing a slectable locker but luchbox/auto's will work just fine and are cheap) 2) Lift and tires 3) Gearing 4) Chip, cold air intake, 4.0 TB, TB spacer and headers 5) Rock sliders 6) Bumpers 7) SYE eliminator winch 9) Tera low 4:1  10) Front axle upgrade 11) Roll cage
This list is a lot of $ and time but if I had it to do over again I would probably go in this order.  I have everything but the front axle and I am collecting parts for it now.  The TeraLow and cage are not installed yet.   

[Bill M.]

Does a chip really give that much more improvement?

I know some Jeepers swear against it, but a K&N airfilter improves gas milage *2 or 3 mpg* and it gives 16 more horsepower... Just keep your old one to switch when going on a dusty trail.

[gomi]

Does a chip really give that much more improvement?

I know some Jeepers swear against it, but a K&N airfilter improves gas milage *2 or 3 mpg* and it gives 16 more horsepower... Just keep your old one to switch when going on a dusty trail.

Sorry, but the K&N is not going to give you 16 more horsepower, and milage gains are not generally that high either. I think in terms of power increasing mods, the jet chip is probably the easiest to do and offers a noticable difference in how your jeep performs. When I did my AEM intake I notice a difference in sound but that's about it, same with my catback. Didn't really notice much in terms of throttle body and spacer, but I wasn't really expecting tremendous gains anyway. The most important (to me anyway) thing about them is most of the mods are fairly easy to do and are alot of fun, also they allow you to build your jeep the way you want which is pretty cool.

[jfrabat]

I agree with what some have already answered; let us know your budget and your intended use, and we can then help you with the best mods.  For example, jcsanders79 recommended a Teralow 4:1 TC; this is a great mod if you will run in rocks, but not so great for mud (it's too low in my opinion).  So it all depends on what you want to do with the Jeep...

For a daily driver that sees some trail action, a 4" lift, 33" tires, SYE, and some lunchbox lockers will get you through most trails without heavily affecting your onroad driving characteristics.  You would probably need to reger to 4.88 for it to drive good and proper, though, and that can be expensive.  You could also go with a 2" lift, 31 mudders, some lunchbox lockers and some light engine mods (4.0L TB, new injectors, CAI, and improved ignition system) and this would look good on the street and be reasonably capable offroad without requiring a SYE or a regear.  Keep in mind that the stock jeep is not that bad at all offroad...  

But what you do depends on what you want to do...

As for engine mods, most of them you will only notice where you used to have to shift back to 4th before, you will most likely not need to drop gears after, but dont expect much more than that (it's not like the acceleration is going to be felt by your pants-meter!).

Felipe

[Bill M.]

Sorry, but the K&N is not going to give you 16 more horsepower, and milage gains are not generally that high either. I think in terms of power increasing mods, the jet chip is probably the easiest to do and offers a noticable difference in how your jeep performs. When I did my AEM intake I notice a difference in sound but that's about it, same with my catback. Didn't really notice much in terms of throttle body and spacer, but I wasn't really expecting tremendous gains anyway. The most important (to me anyway) thing about them is most of the mods are fairly easy to do and are alot of fun, also they allow you to build your jeep the way you want which is pretty cool.

Hehe... gotcha there.. My dad is a mechanic for the 10th SF here at Fort Carson... so he has access to all the engine diagnostic equiptment you can think of. Before the K&N, she was pushing just under 121.9 HP, and after it went to a little over 135.2. So it actually did increase HP... (for you stats freaks, we did the test at 5200RPM)

[dunklervogel]

Hehe... gotcha there.. My dad is a mechanic for the 10th SF here at Fort Carson... so he has access to all the engine diagnostic equiptment you can think of. Before the K&N, she was pushing just under 121.9 HP, and after it went to a little over 135.2. So it actually did increase HP... (for you stats freaks, we did the test at 5200RPM)

I assume those numbers are taken at the flywheel and not rear wheels?

[nic99007]

just wrap the steering wheel with duct tape, then people will think you are hardkore 

[stan98tj]

4 inch lifts?! Dana 44s?! 33in tires?! WOW! and here i thought i was all set with what i wanted to mod with a lowly 2inch lift on the 31inch tires shes currently sitting on, an AEM intake, chip and exhaust...seems what i think is adequate mod wise is far from the mark.

speaking of DANA 44s....i notice a lot of you guys have switched the stock axles out..is there something wrong with keeping the stock ones in? are they as fragile as what it seems many of you think?  Im not looking to slam her on huge rocks or bury her in the mud, but when i do get to finally take her off road id like to be able to tackle decent trails-moderate mud and ruts-without having to worry about an axle snapping.

[aw12345]

Actually for 31 " tires you do  not neet a lift. buy some nice mud or allterains and go have fun. For mostly mud a Dana 35 ought to be just fine

[Jesse-James]

I beat on mine pretty good with 31's and an open diff. Don't lock it and you'll be fine.

[jcsanders79]

AW, I disagree with the 31's and not needing a lift.  While it is true you can fit them without a lift it looks like CHIT.  If you want 31's get a budget boost ($240 TYD) takes a couple of hours and puts your tire clearance closer to stock.
The D35 is stronger than most people give it credit for, the reason everyone raises hell when it breaks is that it leaves you needing a spare shaft to get out (because it is retained with C-clips).  It is mostly rocks that break them like AW said.  I know several guys that have 33's a locker and a D35 that have run it like that for years without a break and there are lots of rocks around here.  Most of them are XJ's so maybe that makes a difference?  I ran mine like that (with an auto locker too) for a year.  I don't like the idea of being stranded so I replaced mine right after I saw a guy break his on the first trail ride he was on (33's and a LSD).