I may be buying a Yj that has been tossed once, it rolled twice, and is completely stock. Besides the usual frame and body stuff, is there anything specific to look for that would be a sign not to buy, like things that usually crack or bend?


eventually it will be built, but still an on road vehicle as well.

What year is it? Stay away from the year that has the Peugot tranny and 207 case. This is how I got my jeep, rolled in the junkyard.

it's a 90 6cyl, does that have the shitty tranny? (5spd)

you should post a pic of yours for me, you sig looks like it would be huge.

I have a '90 also. It had the AX-15 tranny and 231. The only thing that I wish it had stock was fuel injection. That was the main reason for going to the 350, and the 465 was all about gearing. Anyways, I am at work and all my pictures are at home. I will try to see if I can find any on the internet.

If you go to midwestcrawler.com then pics, page two, album is called Jake. It is the blue YJ with the black hardtop. That was before I extended the wheelbase and the engine swap.

That is how I got my YJ. Some kid rolled it down an embankment and ripped the winsheild and rear shock mounts off. He thought it was totaled and was about 5 sec from calling the junk yard. I did not even know him but I just overheard the conversation between him and someone I worked with. I told the kid I'd take it. He drove it over to my house the next day on 3 flat tires. I have been wheeling it since then. I had an offer of $2500 for it a couple weks after I got it. The only major problem is the windsheild cowel is pushed forward about 1" so it does not fit a hard top and soft tops don't work real well either. I'd say check the windsheild cowel for alignment if you are going to want any type of top other than a bkini.

yeah the top doesn't fit real good, so it may be just that,


I thought that it would be just the windshield frame bent back about an 1", will have to take a closer look.

crawlthis, it looks like you have stock steering, if it is how much lift is okay with stock steering? I have no idea about jeeps. Also if i spring over the front would it need steering mods?

Well I have recently redone the steering to high-steer. In the picture I was running the tierod and draglink off of a '97 ZJ. If you just get rid of the front panhard bar and get a dropped pitman arm (stock ZJ pitman arm is what I used) you should be okay.

I have close to 7" of lift in those pictures and never had a problem with steering with the panhard bar removed. It is sping over with 1.5" rubicon SOA springs.

Water in the cylinders :laughing: :flipoff2:

yeah, it runs and drive great, it was a high speed roll, flipped twice and barely touched the ground, landed on it's wheels. It sort rotated on the front clip.

check the transfer-case for cracks or obvious fluid leaks. they seem to be the first to break.

the frame and body can be straightened fairly reasonably on a frame rack.

fix it good enough to wheel it...and don't worry about it!

I went over four times at least (Can't remember, head was beating against the cage). It starting tearing the spring shackles out of the frame. I'd look closely at these. Also, I now know why people bolt the cage to the frame. I bent one axle aswell. Look close at the suspension cuz it pounds as it comes around. Good luck
Oh yeah, couldn't you just buy a used frame cheaper than you could straighten that one if it's bent?