2000 Wrangler TJ Sport

Topher

Jeep Owner
My wife always wanted a Jeep. We needed a new ride around our first year wedding anniversary, so we were shopping Jeeps. My buddy said, white hardtops fade to black and make sure you get one with a Dana 44 rear axle. My wife picked out a brand new grey 2000 Jeep Wrangler TJ Sport with black hard top and it had a Dana 44. I believe we paid $22,000. I hope we paid that, but we probably spent more. I remember while at the dealership we were telling each other "we can never sell this Jeep." We came up with the plan that whom ever lives closest to work drives the Jeep. As of October 28th, 2017 it has 124805 miles.

On September 2nd, 2017 I purchased and had installed 4 ProComp 33/12.50R15 tires. I had a 2" level kit on at the time.

September 8th, 9th and 10th 2017 my buddy and I installed the Metal Cloak Long Travel, Short Arm Suspension, 3.5", RockSport Edition.
That was a lot of work for two old guys on the floor of a work shop. That reads weird, oh well. The SYE kit ate our dinner, breakfast and lunch. We started on a Friday after work. We didn't finish the SYE kit till Saturday morning getting the transfer case back in the Jeep by afternoon. We finished everything on Sunday around noon. I was bouncing off the walls excited. My friend wouldn't let me leave his shop till I calmed down. The whole thing worked, all that time and effort and it worked. The first test drive went perfectly. It was an amazing feeling. Like a brand new Jeep, but better.

It's October 28th, 2017 and I'm going back to 31 inch tires due to power loss. My biggest complaint is highway driving. Staying in fifth gear with 3.73 gears on 33 inch tires was not working out. I like going fast on the highway. I need 4.56 gears to run 33s or 35s.

The Jeep looks a little goofy with a 3.5 lift on 31s, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
 

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Brian

Jeep Fanatic
Welcome! Awesome story! I have a 2006 that is very similar to yours. There is a thread on it somewhere around here.
 

Pthorpe84

Moderator
Staff member
My wife always wanted a Jeep. We needed a new ride around our first year wedding anniversary, so we were shopping Jeeps. My buddy said, white hardtops fade to black and make sure you get one with a Dana 44 rear axle. My wife picked out a brand new grey 2000 Jeep Wrangler TJ Sport with black hard top and it had a Dana 44. I believe we paid $22,000. I hope we paid that, but we probably spent more. I remember while at the dealership we were telling each other "we can never sell this Jeep." We came up with the plan that whom ever lives closest to work drives the Jeep. As of October 28th, 2017 it has 124805 miles.

On September 2nd, 2017 I purchased and had installed 4 ProComp 33/12.50R15 tires. I had a 2" level kit on at the time.

September 8th, 9th and 10th 2017 my buddy and I installed the Metal Cloak Long Travel, Short Arm Suspension, 3.5", RockSport Edition.
That was a lot of work for two old guys on the floor of a work shop. That reads weird, oh well. The SYE kit ate our dinner, breakfast and lunch. We started on a Friday after work. We didn't finish the SYE kit till Saturday morning getting the transfer case back in the Jeep by afternoon. We finished everything on Sunday around noon. I was bouncing off the walls excited. My friend wouldn't let me leave his shop till I calmed down. The whole thing worked, all that time and effort and it worked. The first test drive went perfectly. It was an amazing feeling. Like a brand new Jeep, but better.

It's October 28th, 2017 and I'm going back to 31 inch tires due to power loss. My biggest complaint is highway driving. Staying in fifth gear with 3.73 gears on 33 inch tires was not working out. I like going fast on the highway. I need 4.56 gears to run 33s or 35s.

The Jeep looks a little goofy with a 3.5 lift on 31s, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
Awesome read. Your jeep does look great even with the 31’s. I hope that mine survives the next 10-15 years. Great thing about our rigs, if it breaks....just upgrade it[emoji1303]


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Topher

Jeep Owner
I went to my local wheeling spot for the first time since going back to 31s and wow I really miss the 33s. The Jeep struggled in places where it previous just crawled over it with the 33s. I totally get it now, there's no way I can do what I want on 31s. 35s might be where our Jeep ends up. Gears are what I'm saving for now.
 

Pthorpe84

Moderator
Staff member
I went to my local wheeling spot for the first time since going back to 31s and wow I really miss the 33s. The Jeep struggled in places where it previous just crawled over it with the 33s. I totally get it now, there's no way I can do what I want on 31s. 35s might be where our Jeep ends up. Gears are what I'm saving for now.
Ahhhh and the sickness begins....you will get the 35’s and wish you had 37’s. Go ahead and regear to 5:13’s and slap on the 37’s. You know you want it lol


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Scott B.

Jeep Owner
I went to my local wheeling spot for the first time since going back to 31s and wow I really miss the 33s. The Jeep struggled in places where it previous just crawled over it with the 33s. I totally get it now, there's no way I can do what I want on 31s. 35s might be where our Jeep ends up. Gears are what I'm saving for now.
4.88's and 35's is what I ended up choosing for my 2002.
 

Todd Ockert

Moderator
We have a 2004 TJ, on 35's. We have 4.56 gears in the axles. We have the MC 3.5 inch short arm kit on our Jeep and it is a wheeling machine.
in 2011 we installed a Currie F9 because we were breaking rear ends.
2016 we installed an Atlas transfer case because we broke the case on our 231.

As Pthorpe84 mentioned, it is a sickness.
The only thing I would like to have now is the matching F9 front axle from Currie, as the stock D30 is the weak point in my driveline.

Nice looking Jeep.
Todd
 

macgyvr

Jeep Newb
Did you thank your buddy for the solid advise all those years ago about a D44 rear axle and the hard top color?

I run 4.56 on 35s with an automatic.

Re-gear that thing and put the 33s back on it.

mac 'make it a hot rod again' gyvr
 
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