Long(er) Haul YJ

[Fish!]

I'm getting ready to rebuild the 4.2 in my 90YJ and I'm trying to make some mods that will let the ol' girl be a little more useful for longer family trips.

Basically, my Jeep is starting to turn from occasional driver/weekend desert rat to weekend explorer but I want to make some mods that will let the wife and kid have an easier time of it on longer trips at highway speeds.

Right now it sits on a 2.5in lift with 32 BFG ATs, which is fine for what we do. I've got to put a top on, but trying to decide between hard top and soft. Carpet is going back in as well as new seats front and back.

Any suggestions to add some comfort for the family? Any tips to make it more freeway friendly without taking away too much off road ability?

Thanks

 

[superj]

put some cup holders in the back. mine is a family hauler too and unless you want crap spilled all over your carpet, put some cup holders.

i also lifted my rear seat 2" for more leg room for the back people by using some u-channel. my kids say it made a huge improvement in their comfort. the only thing they are asking me for now is head rests.

i had it moved back and up but when i put my boxes in the back, i had to move it to its original spot, but higher

 

[superj]

 

[TerryMason]

Don't skimp on the carpet - get a nice thick one that will kill some of the road noise. The same goes with a top.

As to hard vs soft - I really like soft tops. When I had a hard top I found that I never took it off, and when I did, I had to get friends over to lift it, then store the beast. You can forget about dropping the top while you're out, or putting it on in a surprise rain storm.

Things that help:
A nice stereo with ipod interface (really cheap these days).
nice seat covers.
Hard doors with roll up windows
working AC
adjustable front seats

 

[jfrabat]

For wheeling, nothing beats a soft top; they are lighter (so you will have more ground clearance and a lower center of gravity), and you can take them off for improved visibility. But for long runs, the hard tops make the Jeep MUUUUUCH more civilized. I run 600 miles between Panama City, Panama and San José, Costa Rica 4 times a year, and the hard top makes ALL the difference. I also lined my interior, but kept the carpet, and this helps, although I am now looking for a new carpet (I just pull out the carpet for wheeling and put it back on when I'm done).

If you plan on having 4 people inside the Jeep, i think you should also look into a small trailer to carry your cooler as well as travel bags, camping gear, etc. You can always leave the trailer at the base camp and then go wheeling with just the Jeep. For long trips, AC and good tunes are also a must, as well as confy seats. I used seat covers on mine (the ones with extra padding), and I also take these off for wheeling (seat covers are cloth, and vinyl is easier to clean the mud off!).

 

[superj]

good call on the seats. i have the original seats in my 87 as the 90 should have and they do not tilt. my wife hates them on long trips. i don't mind

 

[jps4jeep]

fuel injection

 

[Fish!]

Thanks all for the tips. Really giving me something to think about.

I think I'm going to go the soft top route, mostly because I'm out of room to store parts in the garage. I've never had a top on the jeep, but it did come with some hardware and the frame. Is there an easy way to ID the parts to see if it's stock or aftermarket? Are some soft tops much better than others?

Front and back seats are absolutely on the list. Right now my front seats are out of a CJ... way too hard and springy with no side support.

Luckily, the back seat will only be occupied by 1 pre-teen girl. So she should have enough room. I'm thinking about building up the wheel well tops with some storage bins and then padding and covering them for added utility and comfort.