Topic: successes and failures

[stan98tj]

Let's hear about it. What were the mods you made that you totally regret and which have been the ones that you were the most proud of.

Ill start with mine:
Regret- i regret spending the money early on a dynomax exhaust kit. Total waste of $$ and I could have thrown the Banks kit a lot earlier and maybe would have saved a few bucks for something else.
Success: Def would say the rough country lift kit. Priced really well and has served really well to date. no complaints.
My jeep is still a "baby" im sure i have a lot to learn and as i get more $$ to spend on her, im sure my regrets and successes will change as well.

[YJmechanic]

this is an interesting thread idea,  well ill go in on it

regret,  putting a 3" body lift on my jeep when it was stock cause it was the fastest and cheapest way to clear my first set of 33's that i bought at a steal of a price then realized i had no where to store.  my thought was to put on the bl and then mount the tires,  save for my suspension,  then ditch then body lift.  well 10 years later i still never took the time to remove it and i cant stand it.  also broke one of the mounts in the back so it got a welded trail repair bracket that also must now be cut off and bolt extracted(prob why its still on there)


success,  building a 4cyl into a useable motor even while people called me an idiot non stop for a year while sourcing custom parts and such
whos laughing now?  prob till them as i would still have more power and less time into a v8,  but at least mine is different

[FourbangerYJ]

Failures = putting waaay to much money into the D35 only to have it FAIL! Tubular nerf bars.

Successes = beefier axles,Klune,Deaver springs, are a few of the things I like about my upgrades.

All in all I am very happy with the way my junk turned out. If I had to do it over again I would for the most part do it the same way.

[chrisfranklin]

Failures = Had a few I probably could have done better or cheaper:  

-Instead of 1" wheel spacers I might have just gone ahead and adjusted the steering stops instead.  But the turning radius, as is, is like original, so I'm on the fence on this one.
-Sail cloth top isn't quiet -- big oversell by Bestop IMHO.  But it's a soft top, so what am I supposed to expect right? But for $600 and maybe a little extra, I might have done a California Top instead
-Silverstar headlights -- went through three pair of those before going to back to stock.  Never did diagnose why those were blowing all the time for me.  Some love them, a few seem to have problems.

Successes =
-Aussie Locker and in the front end (not the back end) -- Thing is quiet 2WD/4WD and my unlocked D35 is still in one piece until I replace it.
-Firestone Destination MTs --  31MTs are quiet on-road but decent traction off-road.  Also decent wet-weather, braking  traction on road.  Only problem is 33" is the largest size they are sold.  Seem to wear pretty well even though almost always on-road.
-Armor -- Diffs, oil pan, rockers.  Also got a gas tank skid.  Armor paid for itself last year.
-Sharp's Adjustable FPR --  I've done a lot of small engine mods on the 4banger over the years, but it was good getting something in there to pick up the fuel pressure -- idle and off-idle acceleration smoothed out and low end torque improved.  If you've done intake mods including TB and changed injectors, you need to get this adjustable FPR.  Now I've got an adjustable MAP to get in there also.

[chardrc]

failure
- soft door uppers to work with hardtop.. paid way to much for them, they don't seal good, should have just saved up and gotten a set of full hard doors.
- 1 inch tc lowering spacers, sure they made my driveshaft happy but now its like driving with a big shovel under the center of the jeep, sye is on the wish list.

success
- track-bar removal and swaybar disconnects, the suspension can actually flex now
- electric fan, one of the few cheap and easy power upgrades for the tbi 2.5l and it helped free up a noticeable amount of power.
-bds 2.5l lift and 31 rubi tires, gives the yj the stance it should have had from the factory.

[Jeffy]

Failures:

• Steel horse Hardtop.  Total POS.  Seals started leaking after a few years and slider windows got stuck from the glue they used glue the tracks in and pulled the cloth covering off the metal track.  Steel horse didn't make the top but they sold it.  I then sold it as well.  I also hated how the windows couldn't be opened enough and the locks for them were a joke.  Anyone could get in.
• 1" poly Motor mounts (Currie & TD) were a failure but then it was more because I wanted a daily driver still.    For 75-80% of the time they were OK.  The 25-20% were very annoying though.  Things like the rear view mirror falling off, the exhaust hangers breaking, etc...  were a hassle.
• Warn 4x Flares were a big waste of money.  They were designed for looks and ended up coming off and just looking bad.  Sold them off and got a discount on the Warn Trail Flares were are good but way overpriced still.

Successes:

• Factory Hardtop.  They are expensive but well worth it over any aftermarket offering.  They are made a lot better and seal nicely.
• SOA/SUA suspension.  Smoothed out the rough ride of the YJ.  Was easy to do and cheap if you're already lifted.  Cost me under $100 to convert the front to SOA.
• PD Firewire Ignition, 4.0L TB, TBS, Ford 19# Injectors and FPS.  I'll lump these all together as they all seem to compliment each other nicely.
• Borla cat-back exhaust.  The warranty is what really made it worth it.  I've gone through 5 mufflers and had the rest of the pipe replaced this last time around at no cost to me.  Well there was the $14 to send the old stuff back but overall, well worth it.
• I'm all for inexpensive stuff too.  Relocating the stock YJ lines for an additional 6-8" was free.  Removing the track bars was free as well.  Swaybar disconnects were around $50 on sale and worth it too.  The Electric fan, worth it as well.  Same goes for the alternator upgrade.
• Gear change was well worth it and was dirt cheap as I did the installs.  This is still probably the biggest improvement you can make but can be expensive if you don't have to pay to get them done.

Oh and I still like my 3" shorty nerfs even though SOME PEOPLE don't.    I'll replace them with rockers for better clearance but I'll miss them.  They are tough but do eat up clearance.  Even rockers can damage the body some.  

[FourbangerYJ]

• PD Firewire Ignition, 4.0L TB, TBS, Ford 19# Injectors and FPS.  I'll lump these all together as they all seem to compliment each other nicely.

Oh and I still like my 3" shorty nerfs even though SOME PEOPLE don't.    I'll replace them with rockers for better clearance but I'll miss them.  They are tough but do eat up clearance.  Even rockers can damage the body some.  

A big X2 on the power adder upgrades! The icing on the cake is Sharps FPR!



(Never mind the OH  look on my mug!)
You can still see the Smittybuilt nerf bar leftovers on the frame. I think of you when I see them   

[chrisfranklin]

success,  building a 4cyl into a useable motor even while people called me an idiot non stop for a year while sourcing custom parts and such
whos laughing now?  prob till them as i would still have more power and less time into a v8,  but at least mine is different

That's a good point.  The 2.5 isn't a powerhouse but it's usable off-road and ok on-road.  With a few mods, mine does fine with 31MTs and 4:10s and a regear is all I'd do for 33s or 35s.  Yeah, the 4.0L and AX15 is a stronger combo, but I'm just more inclined to do a V8 if I am going to do anything other than a 4Banger in something with the 70 year history of the Jeep.  Jeeps originally made their name with a 4banger after all.

So, yes, I consider holding on to this 4banger jeep a success despite all the guff you get 

[Jeffy]

A big X2 on the power adder upgrades! The icing on the cake is Sharps FPR!



(Never mind the OH  look on my mug!)
You can still see the Smittybuilt nerf bar leftovers on the frame. I think of you when I see them   

Did you weld them on?  I like the overbite, very Abe Simpson.

[FourbangerYJ]

Did you weld them on?  I like the overbite, very Abe Simpson.

Bolted and welded 
I had no idea I was making a face. Right at that point the weight shifted and the driver front tire came a couple feet into the air.

[jfrabat]

I like this thread idea; I'll go next.

Failures:
PAVEMENT ENDS HARDTOP: basically, the same problems as Jeffy; I have spend almost as much on weatherstrips as I have on the top! (obviously exagerating, but you get the point!)
JKS ADJUSTABLE TRACKBAR: I feel it is overly pricey, and I am not convinced it is working properly when tightened
D35 UPGRADES: should have probably swapped the rear for a D44 instead of spending on regearing, alloy axles and ARB, but so far, it is holding up, so I will not complain TOO much on this one
NOT REPLACING THE CAT EARLY ON: it ended up blowing out and ruining my Banks cat back, which I kind of liked
BROWN DOG MOTOR MOUNTS: they are good, and they are tough, but they also make the Jeep vibrate much more than the stockers.  Now that the Jeep is NOT a daily driver, I like them, but for the year or so it was my daily driver, they got anoying...
CENTER CONSOLE: The one I got is a bit too long; while this is good as far as storing stuff goes, it's impossible to fold the rear bench properly.
TJ STYLE WIPERS: Have had wipers flying off in the middle of the highway more than a couple of times...
PERFORMANCE CAM: I should probably have done a little more reaserch and go for something a bit different; the one I got is more geared toward horsepower than low end torque

Successes:

REGEARING: Defenetly put some umph back on the Jeep
BFG KM2's: Great tire.  Has worked just fine both on mud and on the road (even wet pavement).  Fairly quiet also (the Jeep still makes more noise than the tires)
SUPERWINCH EPI9.0: Have not used it to pull myself out yet, but has worked every time I have tried it.
ARMOR: This includes the Hanson shorty fron t bumper, the A to Z rockers, and the rear bumper from JCR Offroad
TB AND SPACER, PD IGNITION, FRAM AIRHOG AND E-FAN: Gave a little more power to the little engine that could!
HOOD LOUVERS: Now my vacuum lines dont crack as often as they used to
STEREO: Hey, it was close to free and sounds fricking AWESOME!
WARN TRAIL FLARES: What a difference it makes keeping the spray AWAY from the windows!
MIDLAND CB: Great little radio can be used as a handheld or with the Jeep antenna and power source; I like this!
ARB LOCKERS: Defenetly the best type of lockers, in my opinion

[stan98tj]

love the responses generated by this post. Ive gotten a lot of info from the good and bad experiences you guys have posted.. keep em coming!

Ill add another failure/success
Failure: Going cheap and lining the interior with Rustoleum's EZ LINER. The stuff chipped up within 6 months. anything with an edge placed in the "trunk" would scrape off the liner. last straw was after wheeling in florida a few weeks ago, sand i tracked back into the vehicle rubbed the liner thin on the driver side floorboard.

Success: Herculiner. Went on thick over the other liner. SO i kind of have two liners on there now. Though this is kind of a failure cause i payed 90 bucks for it at Advanced Autoparts..my buddy just picked it up at autozone for 45 bucks lol.

[aka-justin]

Well, here's some from me.  I’ve had my 95 YJ since Thanksgiving of '08.  It was completely stock on worn 30" tires when I got it.  It’s almost there, just need armor, winch, front locker, and I’m good until I want to touch power or tire sizes.

failures:
Used Pro Comp 31" MT: a bush took out one of the front tires.  I now bought some BFG KM2 MT (with a warranty), no comparison to my used/abused/10 year old set.  
Floor pan: Had to have my father in law braze the pan back together under both seats and reinforced it with 1/4" plate steel.
My driving:  Getting better at not burying it down before I stop and look at what I'm doing.

successes:
Craigslist is #1 for finding parts for my budget build.
BFG KM2 Mud Terrains: totally rock!
Tow Hooks:  I just pulled them off because I got a bumper with d-ring shackles, but these 5 ton tow hooks I bought from Quadratec have helped recovery numerous times and even pull down trees for yard work.
Plexus:  A plastic polish that really cleared up my scratched vinyl windows, not 100%, but I now can see out them to backup.
Pro Comp 4” Lift: Way easy for a novice to put on.  (Almost lost my buddy’s foot when cheap jack failed, but all and all good. )

Figure this enough to bore you with for now.    Thanks for the posts  

[Mozman68]

Failures:

LiteDOT tail lights....while ORO kept replacing them for free when a bulb would burn out, there's only so many time I could take removing them and splicing new wires in.

Dick Cepak FCII AT tires (running 31" at the time)....they wore extremely well, but couldn't handle the snow or mud...kind of important in MI.

Warn PowerPlant -- ok...I love my winch...but was disappointed when it had an internal failure and cost almost $300 to fix.

Hunsaker seats -- driver seat has faded from black to a dark purple, not really designed for a daily driver.


Successes:

I was fortunate to join this site as well as my local club so I could avoid a lot of pitfalls....

3" 4WD lift -- while I only ran it for less than 2 years, it was inexpensive and got the job done when I was first learning to wheel.

4" Full Traction lift -- great flex and long arm has my rig driving better than stock on the road.

4.88 gearing with ARB's for front and rear D60's -- The D60's are great for peace of mind....gearing let's me drive down the road fairly easily (windy days excluded)...the ability to lock right in on the trail and drive without a locker on the street makes things so easy.

Flat fendering -- Not only do they look cool, but NOT worrying about all of the trees and branches that jump out in front of you let's me focus on driving.

Bestop SuperTop -- People either love it or hate it, but I loved mine enough to sell my hard top....rips right off when I'm ready to put the safari top on for the Summer...may take longer to put back on than a stock top, but I never had one of those, so I don't know any better.

Stereo -- I love my stereo...lame, but I drive my rig every day, so having a stereo that is connected to my iPhone, has built in Garmin GPS, a back-up camera and DVD player all in one is nice on the trail as well as long drives to get there.
 
Hunsaker seats -- okay, seat has faded, but they are extremely comfortable and only cost $400 for the pair.

Warn PowerPlant Winch -- love having the compressor right there when I need it at the end of the run and not taking up the limited space I have in my rig.  Winch works like a charm now that the internal controller has been replaced.

[OH-YJ]

The best thing I've done for my Jeep is joining this forum. I still have a great deal to learn, but what I have learned has been from here.

Pros: Herculining: It sure beats carpet.
        Mickey Thompson MTZ's: They're a good all around MT tire.
        4.0 TB
        My Borla Cat Back and Magnaflow Cat just arrived today

Cons: Rough Country lift: The shocks that come with the lift are crap and make the Jeep ride really rough. I need to buy new ones.