Upgrading to a TJ

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Old_Crow

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OK, I asked this on a Jeep forum and got the digital equivalent of a blank stare so I thought I'd ask here.  Seems to me there's a better chance of someone having done what I'm about to.

After 13 years of driving leaf spring Jeeps, I'm finally going to upgrade my toad to a coil spring setup(TJ).

My question revolves around the front bumper and winch plate.  I have the stock YJ bumper with a Curt towbar mounted to the bumper.  Also have a nice Quadratec winch/winch plate that I want to keep.
What I'd like to know is, is it as simple as just swapping the winch plate and bumper from the from the YJ to the TJ or am I going to have to go though the ordeal of drilling the TJ bumper for the tow bar mounts?  Same question for the winch plate.

I've had the hitch on the YJ bumper for 5 years now, but I still remember what a PITA it was to drill the bumper.  They don't look like much, but they're hard.  I think I burned up 2 1/2" drill bits and about 3 or 4 smaller ones drilling pilot holes.
 
I can't help with the fitting part, but if you have to drill again, try cobalt bits. They're not that much more than regular bits, but work a lot nicer in hard materials. A little cutting oil goes a long way too.
 
I've never heard of anybody moving a bumper from a YJ to a TJ/LJ, I have no idea of what would be involved. Why not just buy a front bumper for a TJ? Rockhard 4X4 makes tow bar brackets for the CJ to a JK bumper you might want to use.

+1 on the cobalt bit, but avoid the cheap Chinese versions. A good one will cost a few bucks more but will last longer.
 
The work to refit a YJ bumper to a TJ far outweighs the cost involved in a TJ Rock Hard Bumper. My RH 4010 is a bit modified to allow for a better approach angle. I use the bumper's hitch points that are RH-8000-RM to tow my Jeep behind my motor home.
 

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Since I posted, I noticed in the Quadratec catalog that most a/m front bumpers have fitment of '87-'06. Also the same for the winch plate. 
I'm already paying more than I wanted to for the TJ and I was just trying to save a bit of cash.
Oh, well, I guess once I have both of them side by side it won't take long to figure it out.

This is a much better forum than the Jeep one.  In a couple of hours I had answers.  Over there, 88 views and not one reply.
Oh, and I do have cobalt bits now(unlike back then), but they don't go to 1/2"
 
Well, the new-to-me '03 Sahara is in pieces in my shop.  The DW is less than thrilled.
Took the winch and bumper off the YJ, took the bumper off the TJ.  No, the factory YJ bumper won't fit a TJ.  Winch plate wasn't a problem except for the crappy powder coating that came off in sheets as I removed the winch from the plate.

I had been concerned about the thinness of the TJ bumper in relating to the YJ bumper until I got them off.  I had totally forgotten the 1/4" steel backing plates bolted behind the bumper at the tow points!  Heck, it's only been 5 years since I mounted them to the YJ.
Then the problems started.  We are in the last stages of selling all our stuff and actually living in the motor home on the property.  2 days ago I sold a milk crate containing all my sandpaper and 1/2 empty spray paint cans.  I also sold my big electric drill and my air compressor that I could use for my air drills. 
So, today I have to take the bumper to a friends place to drill it, then stop and the store and pick up some sandpaper and spray paint to clean up the winch plate.  At least I kept the Craftsman electric impact driver that I hardly ever used...until yesterday. 

Oh well, my wife is happy to have a shiny Jeep instead of a satin black one that had been spray canned over.  The hard top is nice and way quieter than the ragtop on the YJ.  I'm happy to have one with only 132k on it instead of the 376k on the old one.
My only complaint is the thickness of the doors.  I'm a big guy, and am really feeling crowded with my left arm pinned to my side while driving.  Oh, and the spare tire has a lock to which no key exists. 

John, thanks, I may check that forum out.  I did go back to my post and post a nice follow-up.  Maybe when they see I'm a real user and not just a hit-and-run guy they'll thaw out.  I know that's a real problem in some forums.
 
Old_Crow said:
.....John, thanks, I may check that forum out.  I did go back to my post and post a nice follow-up.  Maybe when they see I'm a real user and not just a hit-and-run guy they'll thaw out.  I know that's a real problem in some forums.
We get a bunch of the "hit and run" posters here and a few on the Rubicon Forum and I understand that - they have one and only one question to be answered and poof, they are gone.

What really yanks my crank is when I get a personal email asking for help or an opinion, I'll take the time to answer and never hear a peep from them thanking me. Sometimes I get grumpy and tell them to join the forum and ask the question there.
 
I've hit and run a few forums when I had the restoration shop.  Sometimes you need info on some old car that can be found nowhere else, then the car is fixed and gone and you don't need to go back.  Still, I always have posted followups to let people know if anything they suggested fixed the problem.

I used to hang out on a Harley group on usenet, then moved on to HarleyTechTalk.  Now that I've sold the bikes, I guess you guys are stuck with me. 
 
Well, got her dressed to tow and out on the road  Since December, new to us coach and toad.  We be stylin' now.
 

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Well it looks like you are set up now, but if not, I have a tow bar that I used on a 2001 TJ that I am no longer using.
It came from some outfit in Texas (South west??) and has a 7,000 lb rating. It bolts right where the tow hooks are on the frame rails and just uses longer bolts to do the job.
I'm in AZ
 
Thanks for the offer.  I pulled the Curt tow bar I had off the YJ. 
Also pulled the winch and winch plate and swapped them over.  Now I have to get a set of spacers to pick the front end back up level.
The off road lights I just left on the YJ as I had gone with square lights to match the headlights on the YJ.  Going to add round KC lights at the base of the windshield, but no big LED light bar on this one.  I also need to get a new set of mounts for the Hi-Lift jack.  The hood hinges are just this much >< different and the mounts off the YJ won't work.
Diodes came yesterday so I can now hook up the toad tail lights to the harness and do away with the magnetic add on lights.
 
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