Topic: I need the best bang for my $$$

[colorado_jeeper]

Here is what I have:
'97 TJ 2.5, 5-Speed, 4" lift with 33x12.50, AIRAID cold air intake, Throttle body spacer, Jet stage 1 chip, Cat-back exhaust, everything else is stock.

What I Need:
I need more power without going broke. More specifically, higher speeds and higher-end HP. What else can I do to increase power without spending thousands of dollars. Electric fan? Header? 62mm throttle body? Re-Gear? Any suggestions, links, advice, or don'ts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[sharpxmen]

Here is what I have:
'97 TJ 2.5, 5-Speed, 4" lift with 33x12.50, AIRAID cold air intake, Throttle body spacer, Jet stage 1 chip, Cat-back exhaust, everything else is stock.

What I Need:
I need more power without going broke. More specifically, higher speeds and higher-end HP. What else can I do to increase power without spending thousands of dollars. Electric fan? Header? 62mm throttle body? Re-Gear? Any suggestions, links, advice, or don'ts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

all that you mentioned and if you do the header might as well go with a high-flow cat and muffler. make sure your airraid CAI is actually pulling cold air and not hot air from under the hood. A perf cam would probably be the next thing that comes to mind. Re-gearing won't give you more HP but it will make better use of it at the wheels and in your case (same as mine with 33s and 4.10) you should go with 4.88s as it will bring the final ratio back to stock level. i would do it in this order

1. 4.0L or 62mm t/b (first one is cheaper)
2. 4.88 R&P front/rear
3. e-fan
4. perf exhaust
5. perf cam

i put the t/b on top since it's the easiest mod. e-fan is good but you won't get blown away by the gains (the other 2 are more significant). exhaust and cam are more expensive, i think you can make 2 to 5 HP on the exhaust and probably at least 10HP with the perf cam (depending on which kind you get).

[FourbangerYJ]

Gearing is the biggest single improvement.

[Jeffy]

Gearing then Engine swap...

[colorado_jeeper]

Thanks! Another question if you don't mind:

If I re-gear, should i just spend the extra $$ and put in a locker since it'll be open and worked on? would that be easier regardless of the cost? or would it be just as easy to put in a locker after the 4.88's are in?

Thanks again.

[Jeffy]

Thanks! Another question if you don't mind:

If I re-gear, should i just spend the extra $$ and put in a locker since it'll be open and worked on? would that be easier regardless of the cost? or would it be just as easy to put in a locker after the 4.88's are in?

Thanks again.

There should be no labor on the locker if you have it installed as the carrier will have to come out and the ring gear removed anyway.  So if you can swing a locker then there shouldn't be any additional cost other then the locker itself.

[bootguy]

I had the gears done in my sons 94yj.  4:88's both axles and a locker in the rear, one of the best things done to the money pit.  The one thing to think about though is to get your speedometer recalibrated afterwards. You will see more speed with the new gears, but your power curve will fix itself with the speedo gear. But will tell you the locker is a different drive than without, not bad but different.

[jfrabat]

I put ARB's front and rear when I regeared (I also installed alloy axles while at it).  If you can afford them, the ARB's are, in my opinion, the best lockers out there.  Ox are pretty good as well, but I prefer air actuated to cable actuated (just personal preference; both work great).  In any case, I regeared when I had 31's, and I felt the Jeep lacking power before, and LOVED it afterwards (I could cruise in 5th all day long!).  Then I stepped up to 33's MT's and I now wish I could go to 5.13 gears.  It's not horrible, but it's not like 31's and 4.88.  The reason for the power "drop" (even though numerically you are back to stock level) is that you now have much more rolling resistance and wind resistance, which is not considered in the math...

[st.chevrolet]

I put ARB's front and rear when I regeared (I also installed alloy axles while at it).  If you can afford them, the ARB's are, in my opinion, the best lockers out there.  Ox are pretty good as well, but I prefer air actuated to cable actuated (just personal preference; both work great).  In any case, I regeared when I had 31's, and I felt the Jeep lacking power before, and LOVED it afterwards (I could cruise in 5th all day long!).  Then I stepped up to 33's MT's and I now wish I could go to 5.13 gears.  It's not horrible, but it's not like 31's and 4.88.  The reason for the power "drop" (even though numerically you are back to stock level) is that you now have much more rolling resistance and wind resistance, which is not considered in the math...

JFYI   OX lockers are available with cable, air or electric actuation.

[Jeffy]

I'm still not sold on OX.  They don't have the history like Detroit and ARB's or the networks.

[countryboy15]

Also get a throttle body spacer, it helps, I posted a reply in the internet deal section with throttle body spacers for $30-35 each shipped.

[countryboy15]

My bad I didn't read you already have a spacer

[colorado_jeeper]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Another question:

Is a 4.0 throttle body a direct bolt on, or are there any modifications needed? Also, would I re-use my current sensors on the new TB?

Thanks.

[countryboy15]

http://4bangerjp.com/forums/index.php/topic,8.0.html Here is a link to the FAQ section thread on this.

On my YJ, It was simple bolt on and off stuff, and unplug and plug in stuff. Although all I changed was the AIS motor, never could manage to force the Throttle position sensor off so gave up on swapping the TPS (throttle position sensor).

You can get technical work in this by boring out the intake hole to match the new throttle body bore diameter (I have yet to work up the courage for to do this part and I am happy with the performance I have now and dont want to push my luck). Hope this helps

[sharpxmen]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. Another question:

Is a 4.0 throttle body a direct bolt on, or are there any modifications needed? Also, would I re-use my current sensors on the new TB?

Thanks.

this is based on the info i have for my YJ:

you need the IAC valve motor and housing from the 2.5L t/b
you need the tps from the 2.5L tb (although some said that the tps is the same - in my case the part numbers were different so i went ahead and swap that as well - you might want to check on yours and see if they have the same p/n then you don't need to swap them).

if you have a map sensor on your t/b, i think that is the same but to make sure you can compare the p/n on the 2 of them (don't see why they would be different, should be both 1 bar map sensors).

the 4.0L t/b has the same diameter on the bottom as the intake manifold so I didn't need to bore out the intake, not sure if that's the case with the TJ - if you have a bored out 4.0L t/b (they are usually about 60mm on the bottom) or larger t/b then you should enlarge the intake manifold opening as well for best results.