Buying a TJ, what to look for.....
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Jax, FL
Buying a TJ, what to look for.....
Hey everyone!
New here to the board and the world of Jeeping! Looking to get a 2000-2005 TJ and wondering what to look for to stay away from a headache. Not looking to do any serious rock crawing but an occasional dirt trail would be in the cards.
Thanks for any and all advice!
Erik
New here to the board and the world of Jeeping! Looking to get a 2000-2005 TJ and wondering what to look for to stay away from a headache. Not looking to do any serious rock crawing but an occasional dirt trail would be in the cards.
Thanks for any and all advice!
Erik
JK Super Freak
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,350
Likes: 3
From: MD
Shoot for one that has 3.73 or 3.55 gears. Look for busted sway bar links. Unless replaced, most will have a leaky radaitor. No big deal really. Are you looking manual or auto?
To help negotiate a price, check the top and zippers for proper function. Look for rust under th carpet(especially passenger side). Definitely make sure it shifts into 4wd smoothly.
I had a 2000 and never had any problems with it other than the radiator.
To help negotiate a price, check the top and zippers for proper function. Look for rust under th carpet(especially passenger side). Definitely make sure it shifts into 4wd smoothly.
I had a 2000 and never had any problems with it other than the radiator.
Last edited by EzK; Jan 11, 2011 at 05:18 AM.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 103
Likes: 0
From: Suffield, CT
While it seems everyone here is helpful, I 'd like to point out that this is a JK forum not a TJ forum so the information here is different.
That said, I have had 2 TJ's. Both have been good but the main problems I have found are the manual transmissions, 2nd gear seems to become an issue on higher mileage ones.
The radiator develops leaks if it hasn't been replaced by 75000 miles. The exhaust manifold develops a crack near the collector so listen for a ticking noise.
Check the rear pinion seal for signs of leakage.
Check the door for alignment.
The sway bar links like mentioned, easy enough to check on a test drive as the Jeep will be all over the road. I drove from NJ back to CT with a busted end link, scary as hell and I ended up buying some bailing wire and tried to "repair" it as best I could. It worked and after fixing that, the radiator and the exhaust the Jeep has been great.
That said, I have had 2 TJ's. Both have been good but the main problems I have found are the manual transmissions, 2nd gear seems to become an issue on higher mileage ones.
The radiator develops leaks if it hasn't been replaced by 75000 miles. The exhaust manifold develops a crack near the collector so listen for a ticking noise.
Check the rear pinion seal for signs of leakage.
Check the door for alignment.
The sway bar links like mentioned, easy enough to check on a test drive as the Jeep will be all over the road. I drove from NJ back to CT with a busted end link, scary as hell and I ended up buying some bailing wire and tried to "repair" it as best I could. It worked and after fixing that, the radiator and the exhaust the Jeep has been great.