Best way to drop weight on a TJ

jeepinmatt

jeepinmatt

#1 WEBWHEELER
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Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Location
Stanley, NC
When I was on full widths/38.5's/etc, the TJ was about 52-5300 pounds. When I sold all that off, I was looking to drop some weight. Current setup is stock 2000 TJ with the following:
4.0i6
NV4500 trans
NP231 t-case
CV driveshafts
High pinion D30 w/lockright
Ford 8.8 w/lockright
Full doors
OEM softtop
Full stock interior and seats
Stock cage
Stock front bumper
1/4" plate rear crossmember cover with D ring mounts
Stock fuel tank and skid
1/4" plate flat belly
Teraflex longarm kit
2.5" OME springs and shocks
15x8 aluminum wheels
35" BFG MT KM2's
Smittybilt XRC8 winch with synthetic line

I'd guess its around 4400-4500 lbs. It'd be nice to get it down to sub 4000lbs (preferably closer to 3500lbs) without sacrificing too much in the arena of creature comforts. What does the wisdom of the internet say?
 
Switch to an LS. The 4.0s are heavy.
 
My yj.

4.7 stroker, ax-15, Dana 300, Chevy tons and 860lbs of tire wheel. 42"sx2s on hummer wheels. 24 gallon fuel cell. Cage, bumpers, linked rear, leaf front, huge 1/4" skid plate and that's about it. Right at 5000 ready to ride.

Have you weighed it with current setup? Or just guessing?
 
Looks like a good combination of parts to keep it light and functional.

Can you get full soft doors for a TJ?

Do you have heavy steel rock rails bolted to the tub?

Fiberglass hood?
 
I would say the NV4500 in favor or a AX-15, but I know you don't want to do that. I wouldn't either. Remember, you said lighter, not better
 
I guess the part I forgot to mention is by changing some of the obvious things, how much will I save. Like aluminum skids/rockers, etc
 
Most of your weight is the engine and transmission, obviously. Cast iron block, cast iron head, cast iron transmission case....nothing serious!

If you went LS...an L33 5.3 or LS1/LS6 are all around 400lbs and have aluminum blocks/heads. I think a 4.0 is about 525ish. Not a lot of weight difference when you're looking to ditch 500 pounds or more.


Once you get in to changing existing things to aluminum, you get in to the cost vs. necessity area. Is the high cost really worth the little bit of weight savings?
 
Croatan_Kid said:
Most of your weight is the engine and transmission, obviously. Cast iron block, cast iron head, cast iron transmission case....nothing serious!

If you went LS...an L33 5.3 or LS1/LS6 are all around 400lbs and have aluminum blocks/heads. I think a 4.0 is about 525ish. Not a lot of weight difference when you're looking to ditch 500 pounds or more.


Once you get in to changing existing things to aluminum, you get in to the cost vs. necessity area. Is the high cost really worth the little bit of weight savings?
Click to expand...
Yeah, that, haha. Quit posting while I'm typing :D
 
With the 4500 in place, it'd actually be pretty cheap to swap in an LS....just saying :D It'd bolt right up with a GM bell housing.


Type faster than I post! :flipoff2:
 
There have been some recent articles and project rigs in the usual rags that cover this topic.

But for the most part this is the basic summary of those I've seen.

Take as little extra crap on the trail as possible. If your wheeling a small park you shouldn't even need to carry a spare tire since it would be just as easy to get a tug back to the trailer. And as far as a list of items to ditch; tailgate, spare tire carrier, any heavy front bumper, doors, fenders, any unnecessary engine accessories and all wingdings such as lightbars and other "hood ornament" accessories.
 
Oh and creature comforts don't really transfer to light weight. The more basic the better so no carpet, backseat, radio and replace the front seats with lighter suspension seats.

You could even go as far as replace your steel body with some kind of fabric like on this jk called stitch lol.
aproject_jk_com_gallery2_main_php_efe7353ee6106a5f44f5d916021a5c5d._.jpg
 
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Steel cable -> Synth line
8274 -> some shitty plastic winch
4500 -> AX15
Tube fenders -> trash
Windshield -> trash
Doors -> trash

That's about it unless you want to swap in a 4cyl.

But I'm guessing yours weighs less than you think.
 
If you want a super light wheeling rig, buy a Samurai. I weighed mine on the scale at work back when it was stock. It was 1,980 lbs with no doors, and no top. I did have the stock spare P205 tire on the tailgate though. I would guess it weighs 2,400 lbs as it is now.
 
shawn said:
Steel cable -> Synth line
8274 -> some shitty plastic winch
4500 -> AX15
Tube fenders -> trash
Windshield -> trash
Doors -> trash

That's about it unless you want to swap in a 4cyl.

But I'm guessing yours weighs less than you think.
Click to expand...


I did my part, @jeepinmatt 's 8274 has been sitting on the front of my TJ for 2 years. :driver:
 
Have a sex change doucher and loooooooooose the weight,
Caitlyn Kelly shall be thy name.
 
Switch those skids out for skid frames and UHMW Poly sheet skids. I have huge (frame rail to frame rail) 3/8" skids under my truck and they weigh hardly anything compared to steel equivalents.

Change to narrower tires, aluminum tub, plexiglass for windshield, etc.

I agree with an above post I do not think your TJ weighs as much as you think. The rear axle, tires, and suspension links weigh incrementally a bit more than stock but other than beefy skids and the winch it does not sound like you have added much dead weight. When I look up specs on a 2000 TJ I see weights in the 3300# range for the 4.0 manual. No way you have added half a ton to it with what you bolted on.

Get it on a truck scale and report back.
 
If a 2000 TJ 4.0 manual with AC is 3300lbs, then I agree, I'm pretty close to 4k. But I believe they are closer to 3700lbs.
Lets add some accessories to that base weight:
Winch and plate 100lbs
35s vs 28.5s 150+lbs
Longarms and related accessories 100lbs
Skid and rocker protection 100lbs
NV4500 's NV3550 100lbs
Ford 8.8 vs d35 100lbs?
Tools 100lbs
Full doors 50lbs


That stuff there puts it at 4500lbs. Not sure if fuel is part of the curb weight, but if not, that's another 100ish pounds.
 
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