I Bought a Lifted Jeep Wrangler for $5K Will it Make it 700 Miles? Not Likely With  

I would totally watch a weekly sitcom starring Randy, Monkey Wrench Mike, and the German Shepherd on road trips across the U.S.

Such a good looking jeep, I definitely don’t blame you guys not wanting to drive it 700 miles I think I’d personally trailer that one back. she definitely needs a little tlc but overall good looking rig

Randy, it looks as if there is a lot of slack in the steering box due to the monster tires, common Jeep thing. You can tighten up the slack in the steering box with a wrench and an allen key. Rotate the front tires to the rear and do a back woods alignment with a measuring tape, common way to align the old Jeeps. Give it a tune up, fuel filter as well, 5th gear is probably more of an overdrive with the gearing and size of the tires! With almost 200k on that 4 banger you will have to bring the RPMs up before you hit any hills on the highway. I loved the Jeeplife for many years..this is all typical of how they drive! She will make it..slow and steady wins the race with these old 4 banger Jeeps BUT don’t be scared to bring up the RPMs..those old Mopar 4cyl engines can take it! Steering dampers are more for off-road than on road..lastly,lower the tire pressure…before you start your trip..she will ride so much nicer on the highway. Been watching you for years..since your Uberman days!

King Randy sitting on his THRONE!😁

IDK about this one guys 🤔. Nice looking jeep though. Definitely run a magnet along them frame rails & make sure someone didn't patch the holes with bondo & slap on some fresh undercoating. Safe travels Randy & Mike👍😎

Love the "will it make it?" videos! I would price all the stuff, especially the stock wheels and tires. If the wheels are not bad, I would try and test it with them on and see what speed you can get it up to. Can't wait for the Cadillac as well!

Steering play has to do with the oversized tires. I have a 96 and ever since bigger tires, there's definitely play in the steering wheel. You can either get used to it, or adjust the steering box and see if that helps.

I'd put that one on a trailer and drive it back on the trailer. Seems like the gearing wasn't changed when they added the larger wheels. I'd look for some smaller wheels and tires, test drive it with them on, andd see how it drives.

Hi Randy, Mike, I would give it a tune up, oil change, clear codes, and take it for an alignment / check for loose components. The Jeep never had the gear ratios changed which is why it is so slow with the 33's (Same issue I had with my YJ, I have a similar set up). I would swap smaller tires on the rims, trash the tires that are currently on (since they are cupped) and drive it.

As a fellow 4 cyl 5speed tj owner, Im wondering if they didn’t regear the differentials to compensate for the taller tires, I have stock 4.10s with 31x10.5x15 and its as large of a tire that I can have with the stock gearing, the 4 cylinders weren’t known to get out of their own way, with the larger tires the speedo is definitely off, mine reads 5mph slower than I am actually going so yours maybe off more with even larger tires. I can get up to 70 on flat ground but any small hill I’m downshifting to 4th to maintain speed.

Check your gear ratio, with the 4cyl, it may not have enough cajones to make highway speed. You also need to check the tie rods, drag link, panhard bar, etc.

First good morning randy love your videos and with mike its fireeeee you and mike are best team love your videos watch them every day I was waiting for jeep video hope you made home safely

Nice content Randy!

if the speedometer is not calibrated to the larger tires you could be going much faster than the what the speedometer is reading, it probably reading 10 miles slower than what your actually going

You have a roll back recovery truck at your disposal ,use it ! and mike could drive the caddy back saving you a 1400 mile round trip

i had a jeep, same setup, 55 mph max.

I love this road trip video's 🔥🔥🔥🇿🇦🇿🇦 plz make more of them

I really enjoy these videos

Grab a quick alignment first up I'd reckon! Love the content as ever!

It’s a Jeep thing 🤘🤘🤘

Top guys love from the u.k. Great ent , fact, And, what i love is the way you guys love what you're doing ... YOUR a pleasure 2 watch

Any shop should be able to do a alignment and the bigger tires are probably throwing the Speedo off

Thank you Mikey wrench Mike. You and Randy make a great team 😎😎👍👍

Great video guys, not risk it🔥😎 Cutest dog😍

randy,love the content, you should really consider bring car trailer with you, that way, it goes sideways, you have a tow option.

I gotta be honest. You have done tons of em' but this one? I wouldn't do it. You already paid 5K for it and to get stock wheels, tires, and what ever else it may need? Not to mention the cost to drive home? I wouldn't do it. Plus it just seems waaay to risky. I'd walk away from this one and try to get as much as you can for it to try and get some of your money back if you can. Your safety is far more important than that Jeep. Best of luck and can't wait to see the next video Randy! Keep it up!

Randy those wheels/tires don’t work with the 2.5 without it being re-geared. Stock tires will help a ton. Also run a diagnostic to check for crank/cam position codes, as Chrysler ran the wiring crappy and it had a habit of hitting the manifold causing a short that makes them run like crap otherwise I think the Ol Girl will make it.

Wv sticker I'm from westvirgina keep up the videos man love them

Happy Sunday Fun Day Randy!

I'm sure someone has already said this but the 2.5 has very little power. And with those huge tires it's probably even worse. But it is a very reliable engine. Nice looking jeep good buy for 5000. Love your videos.

Randy I’m on OG subscriber and I can sure tell you that you found your match. Monkey wrench mike and you together are just awesome and pleasure to watch anytime. Keep it up guys.

Lots of good comments here. I’ve owned multiple TJs including a 98 2.5 and an 02 4.0 that I bought new and dailied for 324,000 miles. Couple thoughts: Both motors are bulletproof but the 2.5 just isn’t enough for the big lift. My 2.5, 5 speed, stock tire size would run highway speeds just fine. This one’s lack of power and steering issues all come back to the (poorly installed) lift. The big thing that jumps out is the TWO steering stabilizers. Someone attempted to compensate for something, probably death wobble. There should only be one stabilizer. Those big tires and the multiple stabilizers are putting a lot of stress on the front suspension and steering. An alignment and servicing the front end (tie rod ends, ball joints) will do wonders. And remove the extra stabilizer. As for the seats, the passenger seat is the 1997 original vinyl. Someone recovered the driver’s seat base. The back seat is 99-2000 colors, so it’s been swapped in. That’s common-back seats often get removed and any 97-2002 back seat swaps in with no tools.

Trailer it back home is my vote. Not worth getting hurt over. The fumes from the burning undercoat is toxic.

I Been watching you for a while now big fan from New York queens

A few things to think about with the speed. You need to use a GPS to determine the actual speed it is moving. There's a good chance the gears in the axles weren't changed when those oversized tires were installed, nor was the speedo fixed. Most likely you are moving a lot faster than what's on the dash. The 2.5L is a beast. Similar to the 4.0 they will last forever, 190k miles is barely broken in. Even if they only make 140 and 190hp respectively. TJ wranglers steer weird. They have a short wheelbase with a front axle waaay out in front of the driver. The front drive shaft is actually longer than the rear. They're also known for bad wheel bearings and tierod ends. Even with a perfect suspension and steering linkage you still get a death wobble around 50mph.

I would like to watch you tune up the engine and go over the suspension.

BEAUTIFUL dog hope it finds its home oh not a bad looking Jeep keep the good videos coming just love cars man .

I'd say it is a big Hell No for the drive back to Oklahoma until all of those issues are solved.

Yolo it man . Drive it like that

Love these Jeeps. Love the color, too. 🐸

With the large diameter tires you will need to put 4:88 gears in the jeep or put 28" or maybe...maybe 30" tires on it . I've had many jeeps and the larger the tire the more money you have to put into gears and suspension. The 4 cylinder is a low power engine and every inch in diameter of tire you increase the weaker it gets. Get stock tires it will make it no prob.

Hey Randy great video I'd would try to get like you saying some original tires .

The rubber and lift alone will be extra tough on that little 4 banger.

Randy I think it would be OK. You have decide for yourself but I would go for it. Good luck.

Like the jeep I see you setting on the throat buddy hope you an mike make be safe keep warms buddy's

It definitely hasnt been gegeared for the lift and tires. A stock2.5 is fine on a factory jeep but suffers heavily with larger tires. Stock size tires will make a significant change in power but wont help your stability at highway speed with the lift. Rpm is your friend here. Keep it in 4th and see if you can hold highway speed. Make sure nothing is actively falling off and drive it. Stay around 65 if 4th will get it there and let it rip. A couple miles under your belt and it’ll feel slightly less “sketchy” at speed

Hey like I said go to stock you'll find out it will ride it will dry it will even handle and if you take the big tires off and put the little ones on the stock one time you won't have to reline the front end.

I think first thing i would do is run a diagnostic on it get it running right and then worry about the suspension

that is a fine intro pic .my nefew just recked my wife 2004 wanger it looks just like that jeep with factory wheels. I love those houses you're driving by

This is interesting…..🤔love y’all’s sprit still in a not so good car. Leave that Jeep alone I don’t think I could trust that. Love how serous ysll got on this video. Happy holidays to everyone!

I wonder if your speedometer is off because of the big wheels maybe you're actually going faster than it says you are you might want to check that with your phone you can get an app that has a speed on it also run premium in it that'll give it a little more even though they say it's the same it's not.Premium will help the power on the little 2.5 and the smaller tires will make it go a lot quicker? So good luck with your purchase my friend. LOL

Clogged cat or damaged muffler maybe exhaust mainfold leak or all of that is my guess. If the cat is melted into a ball it will roll around blocking the exhaust at times. Did you notice the gas cap had a lock ? Also that front end needs addressing big time id take it to a shop and get them to give you an estimate. Looks like fun truck worth saving though.

Hey Randy, with larger tires the speedometer would be off, so you could be going faster than what it reads. If you have a speed app for your phone you could check for accuracy of the speedometer. I had 32’s on my ‘98 Jeep Wrangler it also was a 2.4l basic Wrangler.

that thumbnail lol!! also that is one cute dog. good vid, love these 700 mile videos. shame this one couldnt do it. i say you should probably get rid of it, probably not worth all the trouble trying to get it all good and stuff. also seems pretty risky driving 700 miles in that thing

Randy, drop it like it's hot (potato), & run away as fast as you can.👍 Hello from Phoenix Arizona!🔥

Go for it

Over size tires with a small engin will kill your power

Cool Jeep, and cute Dog 🥰🥰

Always wanted one of those.

I remember back in the 80's my sister had a Datsun pickup that had a lift kit and big tires on it. We could barely get that thing up to fifty on flat ground, lol. It also steered like crap. I had forgotten all about that thing until I saw this video 🤣

This is a beautiful jeep 😍😍

The Look & Sniff test say "Maybe". I like that, because a good mechanic is really expensive 😅

This will be a interesting trip back

You can feel if hubs are hot for bad bearings ,probably need better tires and bigger tires can change your speed

Try and plan out a route that takes all back roads all the way from Indiana to Oklahoma. Or try and put it back in an auction. But it could be a decent learning vehicle for Nick. You probably wouldn't get an Uber in a rural area community, but maybe a taxi if you can find one.

4 cyl jeeps of that vintage are absolute dogs.

Randy I have the Wrangler it's a few year newer but the to lock and unlock the center console you use the ignition key and don't press down while turning just stick it in there then turn.

My German Shephard is 5 mos yesterday. Stunning dogs

Hello from West Virginia!

If you plan, at some point, to keep the Jeep sell the tires and wheels and make the lift "kit" go away. replace the wheels and rubber with factory or factory equivalent wheels and the best all terrain tires you can find and afford. Once you've returned the Jeep to factory ride specs you could easily make a couple of thousand or more profit here in the South East.. I've seen several of that era sell for around three to five thousand more than you paid for yours over the last three years or so. And don't forget to get the speedometer recalibrated.

Had a college buddy with one of these. Top speed, brand new with stock tires/gearing is about 80. Curious what the GPS speedo is showing you v.s. the in-car speedo - I bet you GPS will show this was getting up to 60 in 4th.

I'd say, find a set of stock tires / rims get a front end aligned. Check for any bad steering components. Then drive it and see what you think. I'm sure the speedometer is off because of the larger tires. Even switching the tires front to back should help the steering some. That size jeep with large tires is going to take more to drive specially with a 4 cylinder which will take longer to get up to any substantial speed like 70mph. I would drive that 700 miles but it might only be 65mph just because its a 4 cylinder and you don't want to ring it out driving balls to the wall the whole way. It's a nice looking Jeep but its more of a run around town and back roads not a highway daily driver. Good luck on whatever you decide to do... I look forward to seeing what you do. Peace ✌

Tires play a big role in handling putting stock back on will improve the handling and speed

The death wobble is real in this one. ☠️☠️☠️

The first clue is the dual steering stabilizers. They did not fix the issues in the front end and just added a new plus an additional stabilizer. The front end components are most likely worn out. They are fairly cheap and easy to replace. The shocks look like worn out and cheap. The lower control arms on the lift are non-adjustable and are normally what come on a low end lift kit. My guess would be that they just threw on the cheapest lift kit they could find so that they could run the larger tires. Did not bother to re-gear and most likely did not bother to change the speedometer gear. To get to highway speeds in a 4 cyl setup like that you are going to need a lot of down hill. My 2004 TJ with the 6 cyl was a dog on 35's until I did the re-gear. Even with 4.88's she will not hold speed in 5 gear on an incline. That 4 cyl with those tires doesn't have a prayer at 5th gear except coming down a pass out of the mountains.

We love Mike so give him a day headstart in the jeep 😆 jk Mike yall already know. Merry Christmas everyone

That dog just got you 100 more subscribers

Beautiful neighbourhood dog. They follow you because you are a good person.

That's a great dog, that German Sheppard. I love her.

I have never wanted a dog as much as I want that puppy dog!! She's so sweet.

That's a lovely Jeep I would love to have one of those it's amazing

Just drive it it’s fine!!!! I did a round trip in the 90s to Orlando and back in a rig much worth an that lol

nice jeep !

I would be happy to drive it back to Oklahoma for you. I don't mind long drives on back roads and I am extremely familiar with Jeeps. I currently have a 2004 TJ with a 4 inch lift on 35's and 2012 JKU on 35's. I have had 4 Cherokee's and 3 Grand Cherokee's all except the 2012 have had the inline 4 or the inline 6. Plus I live just down the road in TX so it would not be too big of a hassle to get to your part of Oklahoma. I even have a couple of Jeep dogs that would love the ride and would have a blast doing selfies with Mike.

Love the "will it make it" videos, I think it would be best to run the jeep back through the action.

The Chrysler built 2.5 comes standard with 100 horsepower which is only adequate for the Jeep. My old 90 Dakota had that same engine. The problem with that engine is the front and rear seals leak after 100K as well as the valve cover gasket. It is a timing belt engine.

Looks to me the right tire is kicked out a bit. Tape measure alignment could help until you get it in somewhere.

Just go for it

One of those vehicles I regret ever getting rid of. 99' Sahara in green. 4L, 5spd, bigger axles, both tops and the 30" tire option.

I used to sell these back in the day. The town I was in had a flat road on one end and a really steep and long hill on the other. When I took folks out in the 4 cyl. TJs I was sure to NOT take the hill side 😁

I would just send it on it's way. A good jeep is a good jeep. But a bad jeep is never going to be good. Thanks for the great content.

Car trek should give yall a series too that would be incredible

I love that dog it is so pretty.

That right wheel is definitely out of alignment Randy, it would definitely be risky without some work done to it. 😎?

Jeep.....Just empty every pocket. I have a 2000 tj. 2.5 4 cylinder as well only an automatic. I live in the mid atlantic. I paid a whisker more than you did for yours but it ran and drove great. no dash lights etc. Over the past 3 years i have put on a few personal upgrades. Nothing radical. Then i found the rust. Drivers side rear control arm. Got the frame repair kit and went to work. Dropped the fuel tank, cut off all of the factory welded brackets on the frame for control arms and sway bars. Cut out the rust and cleaned and primed everything i could access. Dry fit the piece several times to make sure i had it in the right spot and could reach everything to weld it in place. Clamped and welded, then began putting it back together. I lifted it 2 1/2" so i put new springs, shocks etc. in place. Everything was rusty. Had to drill out and re-tap the upper shock mounts and countless other little items. Then i did the front and it went pretty smooth, and then had 33" tires installed. Quite frankly, a pretty standard upgrade. And then, i found rust on the passenger side front lower control arm. Did the same exercise with another frame repair kit. A little easier on the front. Then i replaced the steering gear box, pitman arm, drag link, tie rod ends and ball joints. These old Jeeps require this attention and one should never buy one if they don't want to put in the time and effort. (you'll go broke faster than you can say spit if you pay someone to do it for you) The joy they give back however, is invaluable. It's a hobby and a toy to have one, and i wouldn't suggest anyone buy a tj or older jeep to daily drive. But to have it out on the weekends with the top and doors off....man, no better feeling.

The Jeep tj wasn’t known best for its ride I had one and hated the way it rode but I loved the open top driving in the summer

Love the pooch!

I looked everything over before I bought my 98, I missed the torque box inspection and will be replacing it soon. Also has piston slap.

Your life and Mr Mike means us a lot to us I prefer reselling it bk or if you have time and money then repair it but in this current setup I won't prefer you guys to driver it byers home .Stay safe you guys

Haul it back to Oklahoma and fix it be a pretty good winter ride with some work