"Upgrades" you most regret spending money on

[FlexdXJ]

OME leafs. They rode great and were nice until they went from 3.5" (2.5" advertised height) to basically stock height in under a year of wheeling and a year of DDing, which didn't really impress me much.

I carry 200lbs of junk in the back of mine at all times and mine never sagged. You need a traction bar or something! Going on 2.5 years on used springs BTW.

 

[kastein]

I carry 200lbs of junk in the back of mine at all times and mine never sagged. You need a traction bar or something! Going on 2.5 years on used springs BTW.

I probably did. I get worse pinion wrap on the MJ than I did on the XJ though and my Rusty's leafs have held up great.

 

[chedisme]

I probably did. I get worse pinion wrap on the MJ than I did on the XJ though and my Rusty's leafs have held up great.

I bet it was the XJ that sagged not the leafs

 

[shortxjdoug]

Ballistic joints.... The first wheeling trip I took my now fiancée on we couldn't have a conversation over the noise.

I built a Cherokee on front leaf springs once too.... That was a misguided teenage adventure

 

[supertubesocks]

Re: Re: "Upgrades" you most regret spending money on

yea older cars need to run on the dyno. it isnt a big deal though, i think of it as a free checkup. I WANT my car running properly, the extra money wasted on gas does not compare to the $35 smog check every 2 years.

Except you have to pay extra for the Evap test, and of course mine didn't pass because if the gaskets on the check valves.

 

[G2WANIT]

No, aside from emissions, which a smart person can work with, California is pretty good for car culture. THink about it, no safety inspections like you'd have back home.

No safety? Then why in the hell did that state trooper pull us over as soon as we hit the CA state line in Tahoe and tell us we had to have our mudflaps on??

California is the same now, they just changed it in January.

So no more looking for the "CARB" stickers or whatever, checking for aftermarket air intake and making sure your muffler & cat PNs are rated for your vehicle?? That would be a welcome change.


Upgrade I most regret: building my own air system... By the time I got done buying tubing, connectors, wiring, air compressor, tanks, blow-off valve, regulator, manifold, relays, check valve, adapters for bulkhead fittings, etc, etc - I could have bought the high-output ARB system with my locker and it would have been cheaper and saved me 2 days of "tinkering"!

... But I do enjoy the in-cab, lighted, dual needle air gauge :looser:

 

[GSequoia]

No safety?

Mudflaps and flares are required, there are no inspections.

But it is very rare to get pulled over for mudflaps or spares. My 35s stick out 3" - 4" and so far I haven't been hit. Generally you need to be in a particular high enforcement area for it to be common (I'm looking at you, Asuza Canyon).

 

[Vanimal]

Mudflaps and flares are required, there are no inspections.

But it is very rare to get pulled over for mudflaps or spares. My 35s stick out 3" - 4" and so far I haven't been hit. Generally you need to be in a particular high enforcement area for it to be common (I'm looking at you, Asuza Canyon).

this. the only cops that pay me any attention are the ones that wanna check it out because they're jeepers too.

 

[Rod Knee]

My overherating problems began shortly after I installed the vaunted aftermarket all-metal radiator. The stock setup had worked fine for the most part.

 

[srmitchell]

Buying an 8.25 on here because it was geared to 4.56, too bad the gears are terrible quality, so it is noisy and Im pretty sure it might explode. Payed 250, should have just spent the 300 or so to regear my stock one properly.

Wasted my money on a K&n intake... Same story, dirt in the intake

In some ways, I regret having such a huge rear tire carrier, it's freaking heavy.

 

[Lowrange2]

I regret ever spending a dime on a Dana 30 axle.

I'm much happier with the 44 and spent less money on the 44 than I lost when I sold the Dana 30.

 

[MaxxXJ]

Dana 44 fronts are rare in stock width.. And the JY downtown wants 2500 for a rubicon axle

 

[94xjsport94]

I regret ever spending a dime on a Dana 30 axle.

I'm much happier with the 44 and spent less money on the 44 than I lost when I sold the Dana 30.

What all were you breaking on yours?

 

[cf_collins]

If I'm not mistaken his old red jeep isn't street licensed. I think he has off road only plates on it.

Off road only plates???

Dana 44 fronts are rare in stock width.. And the JY downtown wants 2500 for a rubicon axle

At the price, just goto a Mopar dealer.

 

[DrMoab]

Off road only plates???

OHV stickers. Like ATVs have.

 

[MaxxXJ]

At the price, just goto a Mopar dealer.

I agree or get the g2 setup... 06 and earlier d44's were glorified d30's it wasn't until 2007 that the d44 became Offroad worthy..

 

[Vanimal]

I regret ever spending a dime on a Dana 30 axle.

I'm much happier with the 44 and spent less money on the 44 than I lost when I sold the Dana 30.

i dont know, after having done all 3 (polished d30, polished dana 44, and moderately polished dana 60), i think the 44 was the biggest waste of money out of the 3. it broke just as often as the dana 30 but cost more to fix and was heavier.
The dana 60 was the cheapest and strongest of the bunch.

 

[kastein]

I agree or get the g2 setup... 06 and earlier d44's were glorified d30's it wasn't until 2007 that the d44 became Offroad worthy..

I think you need to either go into more detail about what 44s you're talking about or stop talking about them. I suspect you're speaking of the TJ Rubicon...

late 70s and early 80s 44s from F series trucks, Dodges, and FSJs of various sorts are the ones most people are looking at swapping into XJs/MJs. I forget which side the diff is on for the dodges, but some make good knuckle donors for high steer IIRC.

 

[rockclimber]

I think you need to either go into more detail about what 44s you're talking about or stop talking about them. I suspect you're speaking of the TJ Rubicon...

late 70s and early 80s 44s from F series trucks, Dodges, and FSJs of various sorts are the ones most people are looking at swapping into XJs/MJs. I forget which side the diff is on for the dodges, but some make good knuckle donors for high steer IIRC.

he is talking about rubicon 44s... and for the most part is correct about them.

 

[MaxxXJ]

I think you need to either go into more detail about what 44s you're talking about or stop talking about them. I suspect you're speaking of the TJ Rubicon...

late 70s and early 80s 44s from F series trucks, Dodges, and FSJs of various sorts are the ones most people are looking at swapping into XJs/MJs. I forget which side the diff is on for the dodges, but some make good knuckle donors for high steer IIRC.

My bad, stock direct drop in Dana 44's from the TJ wranglers were glorified Dana 30's basically, also the TJ REAR 44's Are weak too, they have 44 shaft and carriers but the axle tubes themselfs are the size of Dana 35's, the full size Dana 44's are Offroad worthy, but if your going to have to tear Into a full width 44 why not just get a Dana 60? And the junk yards that I frequent I saw 3-4 complete full floating 14 bolts just last week and I wasn't even looking that hard, saw 2 regular 14 bolts from Chevy 2500's... If I had the $ I wouldn't mess with my cherokee, I would just buy a bare bones rolling chassis rock buggy and go from there