Jeep Wrangler

kelleyo

One thing that I had complaints about from passengers was the lack of grab handles. So my wife got me these padded handles http://www.autobarn.net/steelhorulsp.html

that use nylon straps and velcro to connect to the roll cage. I like them so much I may get 2 more for the rear.

She also got me a waterproof cab cover http://www.autobarn.net/xxx116series.html

This is great since I do not have to raise and lower the top as often. It has straps that connect to the underside, tail lights, and spare tire to keep it down in windy conditions. It fits very snugly and will definatly keep the water out!

I married the perfect woman!

P.S. I have also found this kit http://www.drivetraindirect.com/html2/dtdframehome3.html It will upgrade my Dana 35 to a 30 spline shaft and includes detroit lockers. I can then put in 4.11 or 4.56 gears.

They also have a kit for upgrading to rear disc brakes (about 700 bucks).

Has anyone ever installed rear discs? Are they worth it?

Tanks in advance!

oceantoad

Does your wife have any unmarried sisters:)?

wheelerman

thats cool mtgal i don't know when i could make it back up there . it's like a 4hr. drive from my house in san jose . i can't wait to take my wife up there she's never been. i've been going up there for years but have only done like 3 trails up there. what town you live in mtngal?

mcrrt

No, the seats didn't appear to be trailcloth fabric that has been used in the past-the texture of the new fabric doesn't seem as coarse. They do still have map pockets on the seat backs though, and the front seats are shaped a little differently-they don't taper as much towards the top of the seatback as they used to. You're right, I think adding AC would be more hassle than it's worth-guess I'll just have to go ahead and order a new one that is equipped just as I want it.

Mcrrt

yellowman

The bottom line is, if someone wants the vehicle badly enough, they can get it. I have a friend who used to live in Hollywood (generally NOT a good area unless you're way up in the expensive part of the Hollywood Hills), and he had his car stolen twice. The second time he had not one, but two kill-switches AND an alarm on it. Evidently they just pulled a flatbed towtruck up to it, pulled it on, and drove it away without having to break inside.

I must say, though, so far I feel a little better with the clutch lock on. I'm still in the process of shopping for an alarm, but for now I feel like at least there's some deterrant. Also, looking back I feel kinda stupid for not having ANYTHING in the way of visible theft deterrants. The thief was probably chuckling to himself until he realized I had the Sentry Key system. Oh well, live and learn.

yellowman

twylie

After reading about Yellowman's latest woes, I am wondering if DC bothers to put any kind of sticker or warning that a vehicle has SentryKey. I know our other cars with factory alarm (useless against a pro, I bet) have a warning sticker on the front side windows. Maybe that's another advantage of Sentry key is that the thief doesn't know why it won't start.

Yellowman, you may want to check into the various alarm lines offered by www.directed.com. My dad has a Clifford installed in his Miata and it is easy to use and was only a couple hundred bucks. CircuitCity or BestBuy usually carry these and will sometimes run a sale offering free installation. As you mentioned, nothing will save you, but these options may scare off the casual theif.

-twylie

goducks1

Someone above asked about having factory a/c retrofitted. I did this with my 98 Sport. I got the parts online from a dealer in texas at cost (about $650+$30 shipping, no sales tax as an out of state purchase also). I had a specialty a/c shop install it for $400 cash, and they even sent in the factory warranty info for it. This was about 3 years ago and they did a beautiful job, never had a problem and the factory kit is easy to install for a professional.

mtngal

I'm down south from you, near Frazier Park (Frazier Mountain area) - top of the Grapevine. I have lots of interesting dirt roads and 2 OHV areas close by - though one of them is strictly for dirt bikes.

mcrrt - What did you think of the Sahara fabric? I hated the old stuff. Is it worth a second look?

mcrrt

The new fabric certainly doesn't have the "character" of the old, and strikes me as a little bland. However, I never thought the green/tan fabric looked quite right in anything other that a white or green Sahara...just seems a little "off" in a black or sienna one. One nice thing about the new seats: the release lever for the front passenger tip-n-fold seat has been moved to the side of the seat, near the headrest...much easier to get to now. Give the new seats a look-see and form your opinions...

Mcrrt

tluke

I was looking through the KBB info last night about the '03 Wranglers when it hit me that I forgot to order the CD player. For some reason I thought that the single CD player was standard. I did order the 7 speaker package with sub woofer but as it stands now I guess I'll have a cassette and not the CD player that I wanted. Not a major problem just a disappointment. I called the dealer to see if it was too late to add that to my order. He checked and called back saying that it was too late to change anything. It is still D1 and scheduled to be built next week. He said that they can order the same radio through the parts department and install it prior to delivery. I really didn't want anyone ripping into the dash already but it looks like I may go that direction. As much as I stared at that darn brochure you would think I would have known better!

kelleyo

bearing. Looks like I will be getting the Super35 drive shaft upgrade (30 spline) and 4.56 gears for the front and rear much earlier than expected. I figure if they gotta go in to the diff anyway a lot of the labor is already done on the case of the rear bearing. Usually if you do the rear bearings you should also do the carrier bearing...

The most extra labor will be for the front 4.56 gears..

I am also considering the complete Dana 44 unit from drivetrain direct as it will be totally built out and would be an easier install, therefore much less labor.. Shiiping will be $$ though and the complete assembly costs $2000...

In either case I will get the lockers (Detroit) installed...

Any one have any thoughts?

twylie

any idea what caused the bearing to fail? Not just a wheel bearing from what it sounds like... I'm going to have to have my rear axle reworked in my Exploder and have a quote of just under $1k to replace all the bearings and install new R&P while they are in there (125k on it now and I didn't like the wear I saw last time I changed the diff fluid). Sorry, don't have any other opinions/advice on the other stuff. We're running 3.73 on 31's which is fine, but if we go any bigger down the road, or do lockers, I'll likely regear at that time. I'd be interested to know who does the work and how satisfied you are. I know a couple of people intown looking for a decent shop to do gears.

Apparently there are some decent small shops up around Elijay, but you can't be in a hurry. You know, those "we'll get to it when we get to it kind of places". Supposedly $150 an axle (labor only) on gears. Comes with recommendations from the guys in southernjeeps.

-twylie

mac24

Super 35 plus Detroit has a good rep., as does DTD. You might also want to consider Super 35 plus OX.

kelleyo

Since I have a warranty I am taking it to the Dealership (Nalley Roswell Jeep) on Tuesday and they are going to diagnose it on Wed.

If it is not covered then I will probably do the Super35 with Detroit, and the 4.56 gears.

If it is covered I may just do the gears since there would be no reason to change out the axles.

I have also heard about an excellent Jeep garage in Roswell called Roswell Outback... ?

Mac, What does the OX do better than the Detroit and is it more $$?

Thanks!

mac24

The OX is a manually operated locking differential. Invisible on the street when disengaged, identical to a spool when locked. Cable operated, and can be fitted front, rear or both. Have a look at the links below and see what you think. You might want to discuss it with the people at DTD as well.

http://www.drivetraindirect.com/html2/dtdframehome3.html

http://www.oxtrax.com

tsjay

My buddy, Mike, at work that just bought the 97 Sport is gonna go to Turkey Bay and wheel that Jeep with me and Thelma Jane and Ross Allen!

I was hoping he would come around! He put a CB in his Jeep last night and is installing some tow hooks tonight.

Yeeeeehawwwwww!!!

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

wheelerman

my jeep has not been offroad in two weeks , so i think it's time to go to hollister hills. it should be like 100 out today . i hope alot of people come out there today . well hope you all enjoy those jeep this weekend. tom i hope you tell all about mike's frist time off road .

tsjay

Wheelerman, your wish is coming true: I'm gonna tell you guys about Mike's first time wheelin'.

We had that buddy of mine with the bright yellow 83 CJ that I think I have mentioned, and he and I met at a Minit Mart right here in my little town. We rendezvoused with Mike about half way to Turkey Bay. When we got there, we hooked up with my buddy who serves as trail guide for Jeep Jambos, and he had a couple friends with him in their Jeeps. Also there was my recent wheelin' buddy with the 77 CJ that has a Ford 390 engine in it.

So, there were seven Jeeps in our party! Just a real good number to have.

Mike did absolutley great for his first time ever, and we went through some places that were tougher than anything I did on my first ever wheelin' trip. Mikey, I'm really proud of ya!

We started wheelin' about 10:00 AM and didn't stop until about 3:00 PM.

Mike's (the trail guide Mike, I mean) friends that were down there did some radical stuff in ravines that I would never have even attempted. One of them, in a YJ, had his Jeep's tires up in the air several different times. He had that Jeep laid over so far that the body of the Jeep was within an inch of the side of the gully he was trying to get through. He had to get winched out of one big wash out, and even that wasn't easy. He didn't get a bit of damage, though.

Man, was it ever DUSTY! Thelma Jane, me, and Ross Allen are coated with dust. Thelma's interior has a layer of dust over everything.

Just as I was after my first experience wheelin', Mike is freaked out completely by what a stock Jeep will do. He must have said it three or four times that he was amazed at the places he could go with that Jeep.

Mike even disconnected his sway bars, after discovering that he was already disconnected on one side. He found that the drivers side sway bar connector had broken loose, so he went ahead and disco'd the other side too.

I still haven't wheeled with my sway bars disconnected, but I guess I need to try it sometime.

It was a great day! Everyone had a good time.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

tsjay

During our wheelin' trip today, my friend Bob's (the yellow CJ) wife told me while we were taking one of our breaks on the trail that they have a female german shepard that has NOT been fixed! That little gal is only eight months old, but in a few months, she might become Mrs. Ross Allen Johnson!

Mindy, Bob's wife, said that I could bring RA over and let him become a daddy when the time comes.

As smart, gentle, and beautiful as Ross Allen is, and as pretty as they say that Roxie (the shepard) is, there should be some handsome pups and they should be awful smart doggies.

I hope this works out (and so does Ross!).

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

dewars

Hi Everyone,
I thought I would pass along some information that some of you may find useful.
I just finished putting a Teraflex S3T system & shocks under Red. I debated for quite a while whether or not to do this myself. Since I am fortunate enough to have something else I can drive to work, I decided to go for it.
My message here is that this is something the average person can do and save yourself many hundreds of dollars.
Here are some tips and things you will need.
(I think most systems are similar)
A friend to help
Two hydraulic jacks
Standard and metric wrenches and sockets
Jack stands
Spring compressor (really helps on the front and you can borrow one for free from Auto-Zone.)
Knee pads !! (can you tell that I'm old?)
Patience
Understand that there is alot to do and some of it is hard work but, you can do it
So if you have a place to do this, go ahead and use the money you save on other mods!

Dewars

tsjay

CONGRATULATIONS! So, how do you like the results? Had a chance to really check it out yet?

Are you going up to 33" tires now that you have that lift?

How many hours did it take, and did you have another person during the whole job, or are there just certain steps that require a second person?

More details! Talk dirty to us.

I got brave enough to install my own Kilby and the Sun Performance rocker guards. I was wondering if a lift was something a mechanical klutz like me could do.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

wheelerman

sounds like you and your friend had a lot of fun . when you undo that swaybar you'll get like 5 more in.s of flex . i went out on sat. and took my friend that just got out of jail . he's never been in the jeep off road so to hollister hills we went . when we got there not one 4x4 was there . but as the day went on and the hotter it got more showed up . thats when we met this guy and his girlfriend she just bought a jeep , but he was driving . her jeep is 2002 X hard top at with 300 miles . we talked and before you know it we're undoing the swaybar and hitting a hard trail . he knows all about 4x4s but never been in a tj .he said it took him lots of $$$ to get his truck to do what a stock jeep could do ! i took out my carpet today and did the bed linner thing . it looked good . at pepboys thay sell small cans for like 30.00 .

dewars

I haven't had it out wheelin yet but it drives nice on the road (looks good too) Have had lots of compliments.
I'm running 31x1050's right now but will go to 33's next.
I really can't tell you how long it took. I would work on it for an hour or two then quit and do something else. That way I never got frustrated or mad, plus I did almost all of it myself. I didn't have that helper that I strongly recommend you get.
If you have a helper and wanted to, you could do it pretty easy on a weekend. Just read the instructions a couple times and get all the tools rounded up.
This wednesday Red goes in for new 456's and ARB's so I am really excited about that. He has 307's now and with the 31's the gear ratio is just way too high.

Dewars

tsjay

Man! You are getting serious on those mods! Must be nice!!!

How come 4.56? For 33's you need 4.10 for factory RPMs. You thinkin' you might go 35's someday? You aren't afraid that you will be over-geared for 33's?

Could you please tell me what the regearing is gonna cost? I am going to do that someday, and I would like to know what to count on for cost. Also, if you don't mind, what is the cost of those ARB's, cause I want those too someday. I know it's cheaper to have the lockers installed at the time of regearing.

Thanks

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

dewars

I chose 456's after looking at various charts and talking with other Jeepers. I also got alot of info from rockcrawler.com
Also I intend to pull a small utility trailer with camping gear in it. As you know, we have some pretty good sized mountains here in Colorado so the gears will come in handy pulling a trailer in the mountains.
My quote broke down as follows;
Precision 456 gears and install kit
for front and rear $1450.
2 ARB's w/compressor 1340.
Labor 85.

Dewars

kelleyo

Drivetrain Direct has a pretty cool solution if you have a Dana35. The Dana 35 has a weakness in that it is only a 27 spline. Drivetrain driect has an upgrade called the super 35 which upgrades your rear end to a hardned 30 spline drive shaft which is far stronger. It also includes Ox or Detroit Lockers. Looking into it further (see MAC's posts) the OX is the best since you can turn it off manually when you are on the street. For wheel'n you have a lever mounted next to your console. If you are gonna install all of this goop you might as well do the gears.

For the front end (Dana30) you must upgrade the carrier to fit a 4.56 gear.

So from Drivetrain Direct I got a price of $1700 for the Super 35 kit with Ox Lockers, and the 4.56 gears for the rear, and carrier and 4.56 gears for the front. This kit includes the overhaul and installation itmes with Timkin bearings.

I am taking my Jeep to the dealer on Tuesday and they are going to diagnose the problem with my rear end (bearings I think). If it is cheap to fix I may let it go. If it is Major surgery I am going to go ahead and spring for the Super 35 and gears since I will have to pend on the labor anyway.

Hope this is helpful.

anonymous02

http://jeepsunlimited.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=270648&highlight=Ox+locker

 

and

 

http://jeepsunlimited.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=257825&highlight=Ox+locker

 

and

 

http://jeepsunlimited.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=262862&highlight=Ox+locker

tsjay

Thanks for the info, but I have the Dana 44 rear end.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

mcrrt

Jeez, where'd everybody go....(crickets chirping)

dwrangler

I've been kinda busy lately getting things together for going back to school and trying to find out when I'll hear when or if I've gotten the teacher's aide job that I applied for *fingers crossed*. Not to mention having to wait til the thunderstorms have blown through, and not being able to type with a sore wrist(from my fall at work).

I see that more 03's are appearing at local dealers...none in my color yet Oh well, I know that I'll get it eventually.

The postings have died a bit...come on guys and gals...let's get to posting

Hug your Jeeps for me...til I get mine

dwrangler

tluke

"Goldzilla" was born Aug 12th. I called the factory yesterday and found out that it was built on the 12th and it now sits in a big lot waiting for shipment. It is in KZ status. It is supposed to trucked here and may arrive during the first part of the next week. I already have my floor liners waiting and a spare tire cover, which may get some custom painting. My vanity plate has been ordered and should take 4-6 weeks. I will most likely take a ride to the dealer sometime this Sunday to see if by chance it was delivered over the weekend. I may get a sneak peek at it before delivery. If you recall I forgot to order the CD player in my original order but when I mentioned it to my salesman he said they had the CD players in stock and they can install one at delivery. That's what I'll most likely do. In a way I hope I don't get "the call" Saturday because I will be busy all day volunteering time to work the PA state HOG rally ( Harley Owners Group) which is being held in Erie this weekend. It will be tough to know that I could have picked it up but I made prior commitments. Monday would be nice. I'm on vacation and that would give me plenty of time to get to know "Goldzilla".
I just noticed that I refer to Goldzilla as "it". That will have to change. I have to determine if "it" is male or female. I'll probably figure that out at delivery!

madebw00

Went to a local playing ground a few days ago

http://www.loanflash.com/360

And to Clayton, Oklahoma for a more serious trailride. Interesting how a 2-rated TJ performs on a 6-rated trail. Luckily I have a ton of armor on my belly, so no serious carnage. Well, a bit.

Hint: Fasten your towhooks with Grade 8 hardware, nothing less. When they rip off, it ain't purty.

http://www.loanflash.com/clayton

Last Saturday was a wrenching day - did an axle swap to get 3.73 gears under my TJ, added a LockRight and a [non-permissible content removed] <http://www.baertrax.com> and went to 33's in the process. Works well with the 2" spacers and the 1" body / MM lift.

Next mods: Warn sliders, Teralow, BDS 3" lift, Dana 44.

It never ends ...

Greetings from Texas, y'all!

anonymous02

I bet if you check around your local stereo/electronics shops, you can get a better CD player for less money than you will at the dealer.

Let us know how things go.

Good luck.

bamatazz

WOW,
where do all you guys get all the money to do all these mods? I have to scrape to get my payment. I need to work where u guys work..
Can I borrow some money?

Keep Jeepin
BAMA

anonymous02

...and I bought mine USED...a 1997!!!

I thought I made good money, but zoinks!!!

Maybe everyone is buying stuff on credit cards. Ouch!

mtngal

There are some of us poor folk out there. dwrangler is still working on getting hers, and I'm still driving my hated Taco (now up to 78,000 miles - looks like it won't be all that long before it will have more miles than my noble black steed!).

My other half suggested trading in both the Taco and the Wrangler in so we could get rid of the Taco without killing the budget. I told him that the only way that would be OK with me is if we got another Wrangler. He's actually in favor of that idea (shock of all shocks!). So who knows - I might be getting a new one!

texasjeep

madebw00
Nice pics. Looks like a good time. Thanks for sharing them.
Is 360 open? I thought that place was closed down.

tluke
I agree with looking around at the aftermarket stereos. I think you may of mentioned having the stock stereo for theft reasons. I agree with that but the stock stereo doesn't have much power. I am thinking about getting a aftermarket stereo now. If you don't need much volume and won't be doing much highway or top down driving, the stock unit may work for you.

kelleyo

were not plum blowed up!! Actually it was a wheel stud! Made a lot of noise and gouged out the wheel a bit (American Racing). Since these mods were made 3 months ago (just before I bought it) they are giving me a new wheel and replacing the stud for free. They are also going to mount the Spare on the damaged wheel so I can use it as my spare (it is not damaged too badly)! I currently have the correct 33" spare tire on a steel wheel. Will be nice to have the matching wheel and tire as a spare. I am having them do new shocks while they are under there but I am going to hold off on the gear swap a bit.

Was quite a relief!

tluke

Texasjeep
I haven't had time but I will shop around. I really didn't talk price with the dealer when I asked him about replacing the cassette player with the CD player. I guess I just assumed it would be the same price as ordering the factory CD player, about $150. Now that I think about it that may not be the case. The cassette comes standard and you pay an extra $150 for the CD player. Unless they would take the cassette player as trade and only charge me the difference I might be paying the entire charge for the new CD player which may be more than I want to pay for a factory radio. I guess I better find that out and see how much they will charge me to upgrade to the CD player. I wonder how many watts the factory system is rated at. I think I will shop around tomorrow and also call the dealer. Theft risk was not a factor in my situation.

jayorion

Can you guys tell me the best way to clean the soft top rear window? I just bought a new one for my 90 YJ because the old one became too opaque. The new one seems to be getting that way too. I washed it last weekend with some dish washing liquid in water and rinsed it with the hose but it left water spots. Any ideas?

Jayorion

tsjay

Don't do this until you confirm it by another source, but it seems to me that I have seen posts where people claim that Pledge is good for the soft top windows???? Anyone here heard of that?

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

anonymous02

I have heard of that, and done it. Seems to work. A little harder scrubbing, and you should probably rinse off the grit first so as not to rub it in.

I used the Lemon flavor, myself!

Good luck!

tsjay

CONGRATULATIONS! Man, if I were in your shoes, the HOGS would be minus one volunteer and would just have to struggle through without me. Even the POSSIBILIY of taking delivery on a new Jeep would have kept me sitting by the phone.

You ARE gonna get out of that Jeep long enough to tell us all about your first day with it, I hope? I can't wait to hear all about your initial impressions. I'll tell you right now, no matter if your expectations are very high, that Jeep will surpass them by a mile! Ain't nothin' like it!

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

P.S.

Was out of town on a business trip the last couple days. Did you guys miss me?

Let's get together in Gill's tonight. Tluke, that would be a good place to tell about your new Jeep once you get it (in addition to posting here, of course).

mzsl

I am going to be buying my first wrangler soon but I am renting an apt with no garage. i have heard that a hard top if left outside will warp. i def want a soft top for the summer but figure i need the hard top for massachusetts winters. does anyone know if the hard top will warp outside over the summer if i put it up on blocks and wrap it in plastic?

mtngal

I've never taken my hard top off, so I don't have any experience. Just thinking logically, though, mine doesn't warp when it is on the vehicle. So if you made a frame the same width of the hard top with holes for the bolts, then supported the front end appropriately, it would be just like it is on the vehicle. I think problems happen when the top is allowed to spread or sit at unnatural angles. The big question is do you have any place where you could set something like that up?

kelleyo

I haven't named my Jeep yet. Do you all refer to your Jeeps a he or a her? (I know TSJAY says her).

I got new Explorer Procomp shooks and Steering Stabalizer. This has made a great difference in handling. Very smooth on the HWY. The main thing I like is that it has greatly reduced the dive/squat under acceleration/braking that I was getting with the stock tubes (exagerrated by the 3" body lift). Since the stock tubes have almost 48k on them I figured it would be a good time to get new ones. Huge difference.

I also got Husky Liners installed in the front and back as well. I love em!

goducks1

I've left my hard top sitting outside before for months at a time w/o any damage. As long as the surface is relatively level it's not a problem.

anonymous02

I have mine sitting out in the backyard grass (in MA!) and it doesn't look like it is warping.

Even if it did, it will just have to go right back on there again when we slide it on.

tsjay

I think as long as you store the hard top on a level suface you would be allright. I would be nervous about outdoor storage from the standpoint of possible theft and/or possible damage.

Those babies are expensive! I think you would have to pay about $2K for a factory hard top if something happened to the one you got with the Jeep.

Where would you store your soft top in the winter? You do know that you are not supposed to leave the soft top on while you have the hard top on, don't you? They come from the factory that way, but that is only for shipping purposes, and you are supposed to choose which one you want to leave on and take the other one off right away.

Tom

Have you hugged your Jeep today?

desno

The video that came with my wrangler said just to take a wet rag and clean from side to side. As long as the rag isn't too soaked, you can semi control the water spots. Also, if you do this periodically, your windows should be okay. Also, that back window gets a lot of dirt because of the aerodynamics from the jeep. I try to clean mine once a week and they're almost as good as when I first bought my jeep back in January. Hope that helps!

des'