Long-term TJ owner insights

[AdventurePig]

Calling all grizzled, salty, seasoned owners to share your wisdom from 10, 15, 20+ years of experience of owning TJ’s..

What have you learned (maybe the hard way- but learned nonetheless) while owning your TJ?

Just some optional data point starters to consider…

Primary use:
Years owned:
Total Miles driven:
Lessons learned:
Best practices:
Best mod:
Worst mod:

 

[matkal]

 

[TheBoogieman]

Having one of these and getting divorced helps.

 

[tworley]

What have you learned (maybe the hard way- but learned nonetheless) while owning your TJ?

Just some optional data point starters to consider…

Primary use: From 2014 to 2021 it was a daily driver and my weekend rock crawler. Its now a garage queen.
Years owned: 10 years and 2 months
Total Miles driven: 95ish-k I think? IIRC I bought it with 69k, and I believe its hovering around 165k now.
Lessons learned: Learn to cycle your suspension with the coils removed. It's amazing what you can discover and learn.
Best practices: Don't wheel hop. Crawl slow and controlled.
Best mod: I recently added hydro-assist and rebuilt a few other steering components (new steering shaft, new steering gear, new track bar ends, new pump). Having a lifted TJ that can drive in a straight line on the highway without having to constantly over-correct is a fantastic feeling.
Worst mod: A tire carrier mounted on an enormous bumper.

 

[JEEPCJTJ]

Having one of these and getting divorced helps.
View attachment 550274

After a divorce if you still have anything close to that, even just a potted plant, you are one lucky son of a bitch.

Not saying growing something like that isn't possible, it just takes quite a while (decades?).

 

[bucky]

Ii’ve only had my TJ for 2.5 yrs but I’ve had my Yj for over 30. Owning a Wrangler is like owning a boat. If you keep up on the maintenance and don’t beat the crap out of them they are like any 20+ yr vehicle. The fun factor negates the cost. I’ve found that they are easy to work on compared to other vehicles. I do enjoy working on mine when the need arises. Unlike most vehicles they are an enjoyable lifestyle allowing me to access beautiful places and meet nice people.
Money well spent.

 

[AdventurePig]

Ii’ve only had my TJ for 2.5 yrs but I’ve had my Yj for over 30. Owning a Wrangler is like owning a boat. If you keep up on the maintenance and don’t beat the crap out of them they are like any 20+ yr vehicle. The fun factor negates the cost. I’ve found that they are easy to work on compared to other vehicles. I do enjoy working on mine when the need arises. Unlike most vehicles they are an enjoyable lifestyle allowing me to access beautiful places and meet nice people.
Money well spent.

I have a friend who daily drove a YJ for about 5-6 years. Young guy with a small budget, but he went to a bikini/safari top for most of the year and only put his hardtop on during the drizzly winter months. He kept it stock, other than a set of BFG KO2's and a few interior bits (tuffy locking storage units) and enjoyed the heck out of it. Great rigs.

After 6ish years he decided to upgrade and grabbed a 2-door, manual JL willys edition. Same deal, KO2's, a few lock boxes and soft top is zipped to safari mode most days.

 

[DuckNut]

I've owned one for nearly 10 years. Don't beat on it but use it offroad. It is in rotation in my stable of cars so not alot of miles. It is by far the least expensive car I own. It is also the only car I own that I am able to actually work on. My son and I work on it together to teach him basic repair and to give it to him when he starts driving in a few more years. He had a lot to do with how this current one looks.

This thread is reminiscent of the mpg thread.

 

[hear]

You're fighting a never ending battle against time, in at least 2 dimensions. First, everything on the jeep is degrading over time. Even non-wear items like wiring. Second, OEM parts are scarce and aftermarket parts availability isn't going to increase as TJ's get older.

Primary use: driving around town, but also doing some pretty hard wheeling a few times a year
Years owned: '97x2, '02, and an '00 I had years ago....been deep into TJ's since 2020.
Total Miles driven: hard to say....40k? It's spread over too many TJs.
Lessons learned: wiring is always a problem, even if it isn't currently a problem you're aware of. And the 32RH is easier to rebuild than you could possibly imagine.
Best practices: You're never not rewarded by de-looming & inspecting your wiring harness. In the extremely rare event that you didn't have any damaged wires, you'll still end up with fresh tape & loom.
Best mod: This style of handle
Worst mod: Limb risers. We go though some places where they should be helpful, but they weren't actually helpful in reality. Very disappointed about that.

 

[OldBuzzard]

Best mod: This style of handle

Looks like a link, acts sort of like a link, but doesn't go anywhere.

 

[hear]

Looks like a link, acts sort of like a link, but doesn't go anywhere.

fix'd

 

[YonderNorthwest]

Primary use: Daily driver & weekend warrior.
Years owned: 15
Total Miles driven: 150,000 (236,000 on the odometer)
Lessons learned: It's not a trophy truck. It's a mountain goat. Take it slow and go anywhere.
Best practices: Budget for a lot of sensor replacements when you get to about 200k miles. Buy MOPAR when available.
Best mod: Golen 4.6L I-6
Worst mod: Roof rack. Buy/build a trailer. Check out Dinoot J-series or M-series trailer kits.

 

[LakeBeard]

Primary use: Trail rig
Years owned: 7
Total Miles driven: 240k on odometer
Lessons learned:
Best practices: Keep it slow, no wheel hop
Best mod: Currie HP axles
Worst mod: Rugged Ridge Tire Carrier

 

[GregBelleville]

Primary use: trail rig

Years owned: 2

Total Miles driven: about 3k by me (190k by POs)

Lessons learned: mechanics are expensive and knowledge is valuable. Also the transmission skid supports the weight of the engine and trans.

Best practices: wheel it first, then decide what needs an upgrade

Best mod: Anti rock (gasp!)

Worst mod: Smittybilt rear bumper with tire carrier (PO mod)

 

[jjvw]

Primary use:
8 years as a daily driver

Years owned:
10

Total Miles driven:
135,000ish

Lessons learned:
Shocks can transform a Jeep into something unbelievable. Build around making the shocks work.

Best practices:
Build to handle well on the street. Build with a focus on unified function across the board. Make everything work together.

Best mod:
Fox 2.0 with DSC resevoirs

Worst mod:
Swing out tire carrier

 

[motofan]

Thanks for this thread. I bought our first tj (06 Rubicon) last Saturday.
Question #1: if a swing out tire carrier is a bad mod, and stock hinges won't hold up; what is the best option?

 

[L J]

Primary use: fun
Years owned: 16 years
Total Miles driven: ~120,000
Lessons learned: should've bought an auto
Best practices: go big or go home
Best mod: dropping it off at mrblaine's
Worst mod: heavy steel "armor"

 

[Apparition]

Primary use: In daily rotation, summer only and wheeling trips

Years owned: 6 years
Total Miles driven: ~50k
Lessons learned: Buy once cry once
Best practices: Light and capable
Best mod: Lockers
Worst mod: Swing out tire carrier

 

[Illiquid]

Thanks for this thread. I bought our first tj (06 Rubicon) last Saturday.
Question #1: if a swing out tire carrier is a bad mod, and stock hinges won't hold up; what is the best option?

https://gr8tops.com/shop/jeepmodels/wrangler-lj-2/tj-lj-exogate is what you want @motofan

 

[Illiquid]

Primary use: Learn how to do everything myself

Years owned: 3 years

Total Miles driven: 3k (85k by previous owner).

Lessons learned:

- Spend the money on good tools. Every time Ive gone cheap Ive regretted it.
- Buy once cry once
- Ask questions. People here will help.
- Shops dont actually know better.They have experience but you should weight that like everything else in life. Ive had a few tell me complete nonsense about TJs. Same people who wanted me to pay them $$$ for jobs on my LJ.

Best practices: Only buy parts you are going to install soon. Ive been burned multiple times by opening a box 5 months after I ordered and realizing I was missing parts.

Best mod: Double adjustable control arms. The cost upgrade is minimal for the convenience.

Worst mod: Roof rack. Sold after few months. Hated it.