i picked up a 97 tj a few days ago that had been rolled overall everything is still sound and strong but the windshield frame was trashed along with the factory roll cage and the window frames on the doors. the body is still fairly straight though just tweaked a little to the side in the rear. it has the stock 4 banger with a 5 speed in it, 4" shortarm lift, and 32" bfg at's. i will probably stick with the 4 banger for a while but might put a smallblock in it eventually. i ordered a new window frame and hinges for it today. the first thing on the list for upgrades will be a new stronger cage a new warn 9k that is in my garage, then i will put some new tires on it most likely just some 33 swampers. and wheel while i collect parts for the main build. that will consist of either a 60 front or 3/4 ton 44 front. and a 60 rear, 4 link and stretch front and rear with a comp cut. and 37-38" tires and of course lockers.
does anybody have any other ideas?

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c296/shibby307/tj97.jpg

go with 9"s


you'll be happier in the end

Keep it low and light weight...:smokin:

Dana 300 with 4:1 or np231 doubler it'll be the best 500 bucks spent and allow the four banger to stay longer = less money spent

Keep it low and light weight...:smokin:

thats the plan when i link and stretch it it will stay about the same height. i need to order a bender and some tube soon so i can get started on the cage though. does anybody have any opinions on the size tube i should use? and i will probably be going with a jd2 bender for it

For the cage 1.75. Also to help keep your COG low either buy or build some highline fenders front and rear. Like these.
http://www.genright.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=TFF2XXX
Heres some TJ cage ideas.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=564706
And heres a great article on cage building.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/bendin_tube/index.html
Good luck and post up the build.

FYI, with the pricing Polyperformance had on their cages, you might look into that. Depending on the time you have to do this and the cost of tube in your area, the poly kit may be a better deal for you after all is said and done.
Normally, we'd build our own cages but now that Dallas has seen how fast and good their cage is, and put the price up against the other costs he'd have, he's no longer building Jeep cages unless the customer asks for something very specific...he's using the Poly kit.

http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/Jeep-TJ-Bolt-In-Sport-Cage-p-1845.html

It's a solid cage!

Just a thought...even we build our own stuff but this particular cage makes it a little different.

thanks for the ideas. that poly cage looks pretty good the best looking kit cage ive seen yet. i will probably end up ordering the bender though since i have to build a cage in my f-250 too.

i got my front bumper and tube fenders ordered today along with getting the jeep to my house. i also got my new windshield frame and hinges on the way.
i will put the winch and winch plate on tomorrow. but i just had to wheel it a little today on some trails. i will get more pics up tomorrow when the winch is on.
and i may end up getting a set of 39.5 iroks they are to good to pass up for being new.

i got my winch mounted and hooked up today it works great. i will get more pics up as i get more done to it.

i had it take it out on a little wheeling trip the other day it did good in most places but in any kind of mud it sucked those a/ts need to go now! but i cant decide on the tires for it i was looking at the 36" iroks and a few others but they are over a month out at the tire places i went to. does anybody have any opinions on what tires to run? i need something in a 36-37 for a 15" wheel it will be in about 75% muddy trails, and 25% rocks.

and i may end up getting a set of 39.5 iroks they are to good to pass up for being new.

I thought you were gonna go with these tires? If not, and you found a good deal... you should let me know, haha

that deal fell through my buddy sold them before i could get ahold of him and claim them. and i dont think my axles would have held up much longer than the drive to the trail. im definately not going to be bouncing it off the rev limiter before i get my new axles though. well maybe the day before i put them in.

So you gonna stick with the stock axles and the 36's? You've got that "awesome" 4-cylinder in there so they probably wouldn't blow up... although I broke my 35 once with stock 30's and then again with 33's. I've got an HP44 and 9" under it right now that I'll be selling soon if you're interested...

thats mostly the plan for right now im thinking about just running some 35"s i have for now and ordering a set of 39"s when i get axles. the 4 cylinder really isnt as bad as i thought but might also be partly because its a bit lighter with no doors top or window frame. how much are you looking for for those axles and what is done to them?

Yeah, I hear ya. I've lived with it for 6 years now and there's just so much more motivation to go with bigger tires and axles than there is to go for a full on engine swap. So far I've just upgraded when things broke and the only thing I've had go wrong with the 4-cylinder is put a hole in a valve. The darn college budget wouldn't allow for an engine swap though.

The rear is a full width 9" out of a 79 Bronco. 4.10 gears with the stock limited slip that I geared and rebuilt 2 years ago. RE brackets for my SA lift that I currently have.

Front is a HP 44 out of a 78 F-250 with the outers from a 79 Bronco. matching gears, open diff. I did a tie rod over knuckle mod to it with 1.25 x .25 tie rod and drag link with one ton TREs. RE brackets for the lift as stated above.

I've spent around 1500 after all the brackets, gears and cost of the axles so I'm want to get 1000 since they are assembled and welded up, virtually ready to swap right in. A few of the brackets on the front need a little massaging or replacement but everything should swap right in.

I'm doing a 1-ton swap when tax returns come in... yet I'm still sticking with the 4-cylinder, haha :shaking:

You just go up to TSF most the time? I've lived in Hillsboro all my life except for college and now I've moved to Sherwood.

thats not too bad for basically bolt in axles. i will keep those in mind if i cant find tons soon.
yea i usually go up to tsf since its just down the road i also do some trails up on pumpkin ridge. where did you go to school in hillsboro?

Yeah they are definitely good axles and can handle fairly large tires especially with that 4-cylinder. A buddy and I just finished out searches for front 60s. Just kept a watch on Craigslist. He ended up finding a full 91 f-250 down in Stayton that he bought for 1500. He kept the front axle and is trying to part the rest out to make up some of that cost. I just kept watch and late night saw a 79 go up in Vancouver. Called the guy within half an hour of him posting and reserved it for 1200. It was a bit more than I wanted to spend, but was within my range of what I was willing to spend for it. I sold my dirtbike and am selling my truck after a quick fix up to pay for my build but the mortgage payment really puts a damper in the budget!!

I know how it is to want to do it once and do it right, but for about a 1/4 of the price of a full-size buildup, they are an awesome middle step.

I went to Glencoe, I'm assuming you did as well. Graduated 2002 (yeah, it's a palindrome, oh yeah) and then just graduated from Oregon State. Don't really talk to too many people from Glencoe anymore but it was a fun school for sure.

Good Luck!!

yea true. i will probably buy those axles off of you though just to keep me wheeling. then before moab and the rubicon ill swap in some rockjock 60's

yea i went to glencoe only class of 07 though.

i decided today with how hard i will be beating this jeep i will just go with the poly cage so i got that ordered up and figured while i was spending money i would buy bumpers for my 08 rubicon unlimited. i will throw a few pics of that up in a day or 2 when its out of the shop and i get the bumpers on.

mas picturias por favor

sorry i havent had a chance to work on it much ive been kinda busy an all this damn snow. i got an interesting email today though a guy wants to trade me a 97 tj with the 4 banger and an auto trans that had a good body it just has a lost title and all he wants is the stock tires and wheels off of my jk.. so im thinking do a body swap since my tub and dash are pretty trashed the dash is about 3/4" pushed in on the drivers side and the tub is bent and tweaked about an inch off to the side.
any ideas on this? sounds like it might work out good.

edit on the other hand though me and my buddy were talking and he suggested selling the rolled tj for 3k (i have a little more than that into it with purchase price the window, window frame, new hinges and a few other little parts.)
then take that money and put it into a 60 front, 70 or 14 bt rear, injected 351w tranny and t-case and linking it. then throw my other parts that are in the garage into it.

it looks like im going with plan c. tons, injected fsb, and linking it. im going to pick up that other 97 tomorrow it is only missing the doors, seats and tailgate which are not a big deal at all i can pick all of those up at the tj salvage yard.

i have been beating the hell out of this thing with the 38"s on it. and collecting parts for the build i decided to go mostly chevy with it since i can get chevy parts alot easier. im checking out a fresh 383 stroker and a 350 tomorrow, a couple friends have th350s and th400s for cheap, checking out a 60 front and 14bt rear front has arb, rear is spooled, i got the motor mounts ordered,

does anybody have suggestions for the suspension? i want to keep it low and wide. but it will be on 44 boggers. but 4 link with panhard? dual triangulated 4 link?, 3 link? 1 link with panhard? i know they are all proven designs but what is best? then should i run springs?, fox nitrogen shocks?, coilovers? (i know coilovers are best but they add up quick with springs)




but here are updated pics with 38" sxs on it. hydrolocked the motor once, almost took it off a cliff, taking it down quad trails and had it packed with snow up to my shoulders. its been fun but it needs to be bigger, more powerful an of course locked.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c296/shibby307/jeep38s.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c296/shibby307/jeepsubmarine.jpg

and i had to pick something up to haul it with

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c296/shibby307/powerstroke.jpg