I bought this Wrangler last summer and was a stock 1998 Jeep Wrangler Sahara, it came black with the stock tires and wheel which only had 44,000 original miles. It has the 4.0 engine with the five speed manual transmission and it provided a good base on which to build.
Next I wanted to get some lift so I could put some bigger tires and some nice wheels on it. I went with a Dick Cepek 4 inch lift and added a one inch body lift to my rig and this is what it looked like before I added tires and wheels. I added some Rancho 9000 shocks instead of the Dick Cepeks that came with the lift kit and complimented it with the Rancho steering stablizer.
The Wrangler now has BFGoodrich 33 inch Mudterrain tires mounted on Mickey Thompson Classic II wheels. The gear ratio had to be dropped to 4:10 to get a better performance out of the tire size and also to be able to use 5th gear again. I have also added some Auburn ECTED lockers to both the front and rear differential.
What Wrangler or any other four wheel drive vehicle won't be complete without a winch and I went with the Mile Marker 8000 lb and mounted it on the stock bumper, less the plastic end caps. I added a upgraded sound system and a CB to give some sound and communicate when off roading.
Added an axle truss to reinforce the not so strong dana 35 rear axle which I hope to one day replace with a dana 44 or Ford 8.8.
Took a 5x3 piece of tubing and made a rear bumper for extra heavy duty support and place to carry my high lift jack. I welded some factory Ford Ranger bumper hoops to the bumper and added a place for a pull hitch.
Went with the full size spare but had to modify the holding bracket to do so.
The third tail light had to be raised to be seen over the large BFG mud terrain tire.
The final appearance is ok, but when off roading the spare is removed because it won't be able to hold up and a swing out mount is planned for the future.
The Mile Marker winch was given a neoprene cover to protect it from the elements.
There is more than one Jeep in my carport.
Winter's with the jeep are as much fun as summer's with the top down, its fun to go places in the snow and ice where most other vehicles can't go.
Like to take my jeep for a drive in the woods on the back of my property, with a new snow fall, its even more fun.
