Questions about my 1999 Jeep Wrangler

OK, I took the plunge last week and bought myself a Jeep Wrangler. Nothing fancy, a 1999 Sport with 122K miles. Its in very good shape judging from the number of other 98 & 99's I looked at before bringing this one home. I also took the advice of members of this board and made sure it had the Dana 44 rear with 3.73 gears, 5 Speed, 6cyl. It also has a Hard Top and a decent stereo system. Teh tires are almost new, the battery brand new, its been mostly garage kept and only had 1 previous female owner. This is also my first Jeep so I an a new convert as well.

Here are some of my newbie questions, please feel free to share your advice.

1) The New Tires are 31" x 10.5"and there is no lift, is it possible that these rub when the wheel is fully turned? I definately hear somehting going on when the wheel is fully turned, Is that a big problem, safety wise? Will a body lift fix this (I know please don't cream me about body lifts, if it will help this and be cheap then I may have to add an inch or 2).

2) The spare is undersized. It looks like a 29" but is definately smaller then the 31"s. Is this an issue I need to address before I get a flat, will driving on the undersized spare wreck anything?

3) Has anyone used anything to brighten up the oxidized fender & flares? I assume they were black once and are now chalky grey. I see that there are some products out there but don't want to waste my time or money unless I know its been done. Is it cooler to just keep that faded worn in look?

4) One of the AC knobs came off of the the opnly replacements I see at Quadratec are $50 for a set of aluminum ones. Is there a way for me to order cheap plastic knobs online or is it something I would need to get from a dealer or salvage yard?

Thanks for reading my questions and offering advice if your in the mood

Reply to
Kevtrane
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Do people usually name their Jeeps? A friend of mine calls hers Granny, after a Dave Mathews song. I have taken to calling mine The Grinch, I just need to know if this is normal Jeep behavior. As a qualifier I have never called any of my other vehicles anything, well not anything nice at least.

Reply to
Kevtrane

I never heard of such a thing...... naming your vehicle...... next thing you will want to be doing is wash and wax it...

Seek professional help, preferable far off-road.

Reply to
billy ray
31s may be a bit tall for a stock suspension.

I think it may be safe to say that body lifts over 1 inch are to be avoided, a coil spring spacer boost is cheap and easy. You can retain your stock shock absorbers as long as you stay at 2 inches or less although you will lose a little articulation.

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An undersized spare is not a problem as long as you do not have a locker or posi. That being said you may want to keep your eyes open for a used 31" that you can get cheap....

You can also extend your steering stops, all it takes are a couple washers and a wrench

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There are lots of temporary fixes for the faded parts. Some folks touch them up with the Krylon Fusion Spray Paint which is especially made for plastic or truck bed coating.

Real Jeeps don't have AC.....

Reply to
billy ray

The tires are rubbing on the front lower control arms. Your steering stops need adjustment, takes about 10 minutes. A body lift wouldn't do a thing for this. And, it's not a huge safety concern, when you have the wheel at full lock you shouldn't be going very fast anyway...

Only if you are in 4wd. If you have a rear limited slip, the undersized spare isn't good for it, so in that case if you have a rear flat you would want to swap out a front for the rear and put the spare on the front. To me that's a real big PITA so I'd recommend getting a new spare of proper size.

I haven't had the problem but others have used a gently applied heat gun to the flares with good results.

Google "TJ A/C parts"

Reply to
Matt Macchiarolo

"Real Jeeps don't have AC..... "

Thanks, that Would Explain the Smell in most of the Jeeps I looked at before the Grinch.

I appreciate all your help!

Reply to
Kevtrane

Naming a Jeep?

Nah... never heard of such a thing. =D Time to seek professional help... its as close as your nearest club!

-jenn

Reply to
jbjeep

Probably you need to adjust the steering stops. Its easy to do. Search this group or google it. I dont have a link handy.

Depends on what you are doing and where you are. Personally, I would go find a used

31" to use as a spare. If you have a limited slip in the back, a full time locker, or are in 4wd at the time, yes, you can wreck stuff.

Heat gun, back to black, and a number of other products. Its a known problem. I prefer to just keep mine covered in mud and no one notices that they are grey and not black.

Whats AC???? (lol)

-jenn

Reply to
jbjeep

Of course. All my jeeps have had names. My current one I generally call "you piece of #$%&". Every once in a while though if I'm in a particularly affectionate mood I call it "you effin piece of #$%&". When I tell people about the jeep I just sold I call it my "last piece of #$%&".

It's quite common. Most people don't really think about it until they open the hood for something and then it usually comes to them in a flash of verbal inspiration. Don't think about it too hard, just pop the hood, grab a wrench, and it will come to you naturally.

Good luck!

Reply to
Tom Greening

Kevin,

I've got 31" on my 1999 TJ (Goodrich Mud Terrain) and they hit on the last 1/4 turn to full lock. So I just stop 1/4 turn short of full lock. This is normal.

As for the smaller spare tire, I just remember that if I have a rear flat, I've got to change out and front tire first. Like you, I've got the Dana 44 axle with Trac-Loc.

I love my Jeep...you will feel the same about yours...

Good Luck!

Walt Johnson

Reply to
Walt & Lynda Johnson

One of my a/c knobs broke off, and I found a good replacment at Radio Shack. They have a variety of knobs. Look closely at the size of the shaft, as there are at least two sizes.

Good luck !!

--James--

Reply to
James

Thanks For all of the Feedback and Ideas. This group is obviously a rich source of experience and humor. Very glad to have found ya'll!

Reply to
Kevtrane

I agree. Radio Shack is full of knobs.

tw

Reply to
Thomas Waldron

Well i'd get a spare thats the same size. As for the flares. I take them off and paint them with black spray paint for plastic. You can find it at any hardware store. I did mine a few years back and they still look good. For the knob. Try a junk yard. Or call Collis Brothers from Texas. #1-800-699-5337.

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See what they have. 47 Willy's 50 Willy's 87 YJ 33"

Later Mike

Reply to
Mike chambers

Just thought I would follow up.

I was able to get the knob at the Dealer for $7.50, seemed like the best way to go.

I think I'm going to try and spray paint the flares, I'm still trying to decide which replacements I want and this will buy me some time.

As far as the tire rubbing, it looks like its hitting the control arm at full lock. I'm going to add 1" tire spacers to get it away from the arm. I also think I'm going to go with 1 3/4" Spring Spacers to add just a bit of lift mainly for cosmetic purpose.

Reply to
Kevtrane

Have you tried extending the steering stops to limit the rubbing?

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Reply to
billy ray

I 'Really Really' don't recommend wheel spacers on a Wrangler! This will put way too much stress on the sealed wheel bearings and if you add any tire above stock size, the wheel bearings will die a fast and nasty death.

All you have to do to stop the hitting is to add a washer under the steering stop! You just undo the bolt and put a washer under it and put it back then check it. Some need 2 washers.

When you add the spring spacers, don't forget to get new shocks. The old shocks won't extend far enough which will cause them to limit axle travel which 'will' break something. I have seen older frames snapped even from this. Some folks are lucky and only snap shock pins off.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

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