Wanting to Modify!

[redwrangler02]

I think I've still got stock gears but am running 33x12.5in MTs with I think just a 2in coil spacer lift? I know I should probably upgrade some stuff cause my jeep seems to be taking a beating not even being off the road. Whoever I bought the jeep from I don't think was very smart with doing the mods. I've tried some pathetic offroad stuff with it and just bury the tires in the wheel wells and the engine just wants to die. I dunno what all I should do to make it run well. I would like to be able to take it on actual trails. 2002 wrangler, standard, I6. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

 

[TerryMason]

Are you sure that you only have a 2" lift? That would be a bit light with 33" tires. I've got stock gears and a 2" lift with 31s and it seems to work fine.

You could go down to 31s or 32 inch tires..

Does your lift look like this:

 

[TerryMason]

you could pick up a cheap set of tires and rims for offroading...

4 - 15" Aluminum Jeep Rims
Set of 4 - 5 Lug Xterrain 31x10.5xR15 Tires and Rims

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Check the tag bolted to either diff cover and let us know the numbers on it, this will determine your current gear ratio. We can then suggest what gear to change to.

Are you in 4hi or 4lo when it dies offroad?

 

[redwrangler02]

Well I don't think I've actually used 4wd yet cause I feel my tires are too big with the lift I've got I feel to take offroad. The jeep just seems to run really sluggish unless I just punch it and run hi rpms.
Here's what my lift looks like

And I'm not real sure about the green shocks, i think someone told me once they've never even heard of green shocks. Yeah, with the lift i've got it just feels like the tires are too big, but I would like to be able to run them on trails and such, eventually cause i sure can't now.

Also, what and where do I find the tags? What numbers or words am I lookin for? I'll take some pics tho also.

 

[TerryMason]

I'll defer to other people, but that looks like a 2" spacer with stock length shocks to me. My kit came with the spacers (black pucks at the top of each spring) as well as shocks that are 2" longer than the original ones.

I believe the tags are on the pumpkin on each axle (the large bulge in the middle of each axle).

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

You will find a diff cover bolted to the middle of each axle, it's fairly round and held on with 8 or 10 bolts. There will be a tag beneath two of the bolts, tell us what all the numbers are on the tag.

As for 4wd, using 4lo is a gear reduction and helps keep the engine from bogging down when offroad. That's what it is there for. Throw it in 4low and you will see, it is a 2.72:1 gear reduction in the transfer case so you will notice a difference.

I'll agree, looks like you have the 2" budget boost lift with stock shocks.

 

[redwrangler02]

So, if its the 2in lift, should i probably do some to it? Would it not be recommnded to drive it offroad how it is?

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

It may do okay offroad as long as the swaybar remains connected. Don't do it if the tires rub the inner fenders very bad.

A common mod is the 1" body lift to compliment the 2" budget boost, to clear 33" tires.

 

[jfrabat]

As for 4wd, using 4lo is a gear reduction and helps keep the engine from bogging down when offroad. That's what it is there for. Throw it in 4low and you will see, it is a 2.72:1 gear reduction in the transfer case so you will notice a difference.

To put it in another way what bounty is mentioning (and I am not sure on the TJ, but it should be close to the YJ), if you put it in 4lo, 3rd gear is equivalent to 1st gear in 4hi. 5th low is equivalent to 2nd hi. So 1st and 2nd are lower than your 4hi (or 2hi) 1st, which means more power is getting to the wheels.

Hope this makes it easier to understand...

Felipe