I have not ordered it yet. I was waiting until after my vacation. Now my wife will not let me buy anything until after Christmas She said people (my daughter) have a hard time buy Christmas gifts for me because I keep buying something they (she) wanted to buy for me. I told her to just buy me the new “Star Wars” DVD release in widescreen. Oh no!! That would ruin the surprise.
I guess waiting is not that bad of an idea since a week in Maui for 4 can cost a lot of $$$. Food alone cost about $50.00 per person per day. (4 people X $50) X 7 days = $$$$$.
I tell you I saw more Wranglers, and other Jeeps, in Maui. I took a three mile walk one morning and must have seen at lease 50 Wranglers (of various colors) drive by. I told my wife the next trip to Maui we will be renting a Wrangler and exploring more of the island.
I was in Maui last year around this time - beautiful! We rented a Wrangler for our trip, and that is probably why you saw so many.
I hope you had a chance to visit Molokini Crater (by boat) and Iao State Park. I have a Webshots album that was 'featured' last year. You should check it out and see what you remember from your trip. http://community.webshots.com/album/95945904lqbXSq
Glad you're back okay. (I went ahead and ordered one this morning, so we'll see how well it works. Since I already have a quick disconnect for my antenna, it should work really well and make taking the antenna off a lot easier for when I don't need it. I'll let YOU know how it works, when I get it and get it installed.
I lived in Hawaii for 3 years and owned my 2nd Jeep while I was there . It was called the Blue Goose (with a BIG Blue Goose painted on each door) and I used it to haul diving and fishing equipment. Never had a top on it (young and stupid) and it was my daily driver.It was a 58 or 59. It made living in the islands alot of fun. I would recommend that anyone visiting Hawaii rent a Jeep. It provides a different perspective. Be careful of anything you leave in the Jeep. Better yet, leave nothing in the Jeep. Glad you had a good time. John in Connecticut (wonderin why I moved from Hawaii to CT.)
I came very close to leaving something in Thelma Jane when this happened yesterday.
I was able to just "drive out" of that situation. I figured I might as well give it a try, since I had the ONLY winch in the group. I had told the others to stay up at the top and not follow me down until I could check out the chute.
When this happened, I got on the radio and told the folks to bring a strap and come on down, but not to come in their Jeeps.
I was teetering and could have laid over about as easily as not, but when I eased out the clutch and moved forward just a couple feet, Thelma Jane came back down on all four tires.
That was absolutely as close to laying over as I have ever come!
See what a good trail guide I am? I had everyone stay up on the ridge trail until I could see how this trail going down into the hollow checked out. You have nothing to worry about! Just come on down.
I am ready to go back I was sick for about half the week so I missed a lot. We plan to go back though.
You pictures are great. I was taking pictures of my daughter and her friend boogie boarding when a big wave came from nowhere and knocked me on my but. I tried to keep the camera out of the water the best I could, but it still got a little wet. After that the camera did not work all that well.
When we go back we are going to rent a Jeep and adventure into the hills.
Let me know if you like the mount. When I order I am going to order an antenna mount and a CB mount.
Whew! I guess that's as close to laying one over as you can possibly come. A degree or two more, and...Voila! It's no longer "close" to laying it over!
Well...I guess my heater problem must be with the baffle/flapper thing. I flushed out my heater lines and core, reconnected everything and still no heat. So I guess it's time to figure out how to get to the flapper. Thank goodness it's not brutally cold (yet) here in Oklahoma.
Yeah, that was a close one. This is where the great flex of a TJ can make a BIG difference. You can get into some crazy situations and still keep some tires on the ground. Not sure if that was much of a factor here, but it sure has been in other places I have been.
Post some of your Hawaii pics. I'd love to see em. Glad you liked mine. Our trip was our anniversary, so no kids for us.
I fully agree with koolbreeze that a Jeep (or other convertible) is the best way to see Hawaii. Just be aware that it rains at least once nearly every day! I sure got good at putting the top up. With all the terrain, if you have the top down, you're missing a good chunk of the scenery. Next time though, we'll probably go with a motorized top!
As for the CB stuff, I already have the antenna mount (I got it before Camp Jeep). It is the quick disconnect variety. As for the CB mount, since I have the small Cobra all-in-one unit, I don't really need it, but it sure looks cool! I'm looking forward to installing this thing, but I KNOW my antenna is really going to stick up (it is already a foot over my top as it is).
I wonder if that mount would work if you went with an aftermarket roll cage for the front (like from ToysbyTroy or Spyder Customs). Guess you'd just have to drill holes for it and custom bolt it in.
It looks like Tom sure had an exciting Thanksgiving holiday and has quite a bit to be thankful for - you actually drove out of that!? From the photos I wouldn't have thought it would be possible.
I had the flu so I didn't enjoy the weekend much. It was extremely windy (McCarran Airport registered gusts up to 35 mph) but didn't turn into a sand storm luckily. I would have worried about my soft top windows if I had felt well enough to think about them, but they came through without any scratches. The heater works quite well in the cold, though my Alpine head didn't seem to care for the cold. I had it set to scroll through the artist's name and it was having a problem with it at first - guess it doesn't like temps in the low teens (and this is warm SoCal?).
Give the interior a few to get warm then the Alpine returns to normal. My older unit is the same way about displays. That is why I usually take the face plate inside with me (that and not getting stolen!
Living on an island gets old after awhile. At least for me ( I can't believe I'm writting this as winter is arriving). I started to feel very closed in after a couple of years. I do miss the warm outdoors and all it had to offer and the blue, warm, welcoming ocean. Thats it-tears are dropping----- OK, OK, I wish I stayed!!!!!!!!!! If I did I would definately have a Jeep (with a soft top). You just felt free all the time. Ocean, warm weather, Jeep. Go Easy, John
But if you were living in Hawaii you wouldn't have all that lovely snow for skiing and snow shoeing. Think of those magical white mornings when it is so still and there's fresh snow on the ground and on the trees. Everything looks so pristine, there's few people around, and you are the first person to make tracks in the snow.
Besides, it's great weather to drive the Wrangler in. Up until this year that was always my excuse to drive the Sport to work - the 2WD Taco couldn't get out of our driveway!
after a good snowfall. It can be so quiet, you can hear the snow falling onto the stuff that has already landed. Quite peaceful and gives you a good feeling of being totally alone. Serenity.
We have a 2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Tomb Raider with a 4.0 litre + 4-speed automatic transmission with 6,000 miles on it that NEEDS more power so the transmission doesn't downshift on small inclines and/or in strong headwinds.
I'm guessing I should get one or all of these to get this engine to produce more power:
It doesn't need more power, it just needs to switched out of overdrive in those situations.
The only way to make a significant power increase is to either enlarge the bore/stroke, pressurise the induction system with a turbo or supercharger, NO² injection, or use a combination of the above.
You will pick up little if any power from simple bolt-ons. The valves are the limiting factor on the 4.0 I6. The Banks Torque Tube header and Stinger cat back exhaust are excellent products but I doubt that you will detect any increase in horsepower or torque with the swap. I would not use any K&N filter on a street driven vehicle. There are several independent tests that prove that K&N filters do a poor job of filtering out abrasive dust and grit. If you want a substantial horsepower increase you have three options: 1. An engine swap-use a Chrysler Hemi; it drops right in: http://www.aev-conversions.com/Vehicle_Hemi.html 2. Forced Induction: http://www.kennebell.net/superchargers/dodge/wrangler40/wrangler4- - 0.htm 3. A stroker I6: http://www.golenengineservice.com/displayEngine2.cfm?EngineID=100
I agree. I missed the four seasons, especially Fall. I have friends in Vermont and I visit in Oct as much as possible. I believe (or it seems like ) Vermont has more dirt roads than paved. They are functioning roads for everyday use. Anyhow, I did missed the trappings of home so it was goodbye Hawaii.Anyone know what state has the most dirt roads (legal dirt roads)? Perhaps Maine? West Virginia? Wyoming? Go Easy, John
OK....I'm all ears here. I know the blower is working due to the cold air pumping out of the correct places. Where else should I look? Thanks for your help, Macster! Also, recommend a good reference manual? Thanks again!
Paul- I'm in Edmond, north of OKC about 20 miles. Moved here 7 yrs ago from Indiana.
I'm glad to be back in this forum - - it's amazing how many of you have been here for so long! And yes, I think tsjay and I got our jeeps about the same time. Wow - he's certainly come a long way from his "paper towel days", hasn't he?
"Everything looks so pristine, there's few people around, and you are the first person to make tracks in the snow."
If John lives anywhere close to me he's certainly not the first person to make tracks in the snow. It's very crowded here in the middle of the state. The NW and NE corners are much more remote.
I was on vacation (just went back to Ohio for Turkey day. Definitely not Maui) so I'm catching up on all the posts.
I have the Arizona mount and a 3ft firestick. It's very easy to remove the antenna when you need. It just screws onto the mount. It is very rigid when in place, I think it would take a pretty hefty branch to bend it.
The manifold issue: I know why DC hasn't issued any kind of recall ($$$$$$$$). Doesn't it seem like they should. This seems to be a problem that we (owners of 2000 and less) will inevitably have to deal with, and not a cheap one at that.
The blower isn't connected to your problem. As I mentioned earlier, the air is heated by diverting it through the heater matrix with a flap called the blend door. As it's name suggests, the blend door either partially or fully diverts the airflow, and its position is controlled by a stepper motor, which is in turn controlled by the temperature knob on the dash. Either the dash control, the motor, or the wiring is faulty..........or the blend door is physically stuck.
The only sensible source of information is the Factory Service Manual (FSM). You can buy it in printed form or CD from DC, or subscribe to it on the web at http://www.alldatadiy.com. Pirated versions are also often available on eBay.
Actually there are places on a couple of the islands to ski. And surprising as it seems there really aren’t a lot of people who live full tome on the islands, leaving plenty of places to use a Jeep.
It's interesting that this came up. I haven't done any 'wheeling around Wyoming, but I do know they have lots of dirt roads. The ones near Jackson are starting to get paved as more and more people move there.
My guess is that probably Utah has the most dirt roads and best off-roading opportunities. California has many opportunities but there are more and more restrictions and closures. It is so sad when a few people leave trash, tear up the trails, make their own trails and so on. If we don't take care of our resources, we will surely lose them! TREAD LIGHTLY!
OK, I'm off my soap box (I know, I get there often and for most of you, I'm preaching to the choir, as they say).
Well, I got my mount and installed it. It was truly a simple installation. The construction has very clean welds and looks like would stand up well over time. However, it is NOT powdercoated. I may end up painting it if I notice any kind of deterioration/rust.
Mounting it on the outside of the tire carrier (but behind the 3rd taillight) ensures the sheet metal will not bend.
I reused my quick disconnect mount that I had been using, so I was very happy about that. The mount comes right up next to the light itself and is a very clean installation. After putting my 4' Firestik II on it, the antenna sticks way up so it clears the roofline by a LONG way (about 2-2.5 feet!). I can try to post some pics once it has stopped raining.
As for manuals, how about the Jeep Owner's Bible? It seems pretty good as well and explains things pretty well too. You can get it at Barnes and Noble as well as online from a variety of sources.
K&N, AEM, Amsoil, they all let in more air--hence more dirt. However, if the dirt particles are 2 microns or under it isn't a problem. That's one of the many reasons we change our oil and oil filters. There are a lot of aftermarket tuner companies that swear by those filters.
Of course, with the powerband of the 4.0 I don't think you would see any improvement in power by using them.
I went with the Amsoil filter, which is a foam filter impregnated with oil. I am very satisfied with it. And every 9 months I wash it out and put more oil in it.
Twylie noticed in one of my pics that my tie rod is swagged pretty good, and he suggested that I replace it with a tie rod made for a ZJ (Grand Cherokee) with the 5.2L V-8. It is a much beefier tie rod. Trey saw a write up on that swap and linked me to it.
Have any of you guys done that mod? I'm seriously looking into it. It's supposed to be a direct bolt-on change. Mac, you heard of this swap being done?
but not the drag link? I mean, is it logical only to do both or do neither? I don't think I have bent the drag link so far, but it could be bent a little.
It's not like I'm running HUGE tires or anything, just the 31 x 10.50's. I think it's just a matter of the tie rod getting hit on rocks, not a matter of force bending the tie rod.
If I can get a ZJ tie rod about as cheap as a Wrangler tie rod, why shouldn't I go ahead and do it?
Hey, will be out of town a couple days, but I will check the board first thing when I get back.
The tie rod is often the first to bend, and yes, you can replace it with a stronger one, from a ZJ for instance. However, you've now made the drag link the weakest link. So you replace that.....then the next weakest link, then the next, and the next, etc., etc. This is often the path you follow when fitting larger tires and doing serious off-roading.
In your case you're sticking with 31's, and as you say, the likelihood of damage comes from rocks rather than excessive steering loads. For you, there two better alternatives.
One is to protect the tie rod from impact with a diff guard that I can't remember the name of at the moment. It has a semicircular thick flat plate welded horizontally on the front of the cover, so that the tie rod passes above it. The plate is supported by another, welded centrally and vertically below it.
The second choice, which would be my preference, is to use a tie rod that flexes then returns to its original shape. Called an Alumi-Flex, it costs around $150.
Paul/Tom - Unfortunately, I'm already committed to go to VA this weekend. I've quit telling Tom I'm coming up, since my last three attempts to get to TB have been abandoned for work and family reasons. I'm just going to suprise him one Friday with a call from KY saying "I'm here. Let's wheel tomorrow." :-)
On the tie rod, I agree that the alumiflex is a great alternative at twice the price of the ZJ swap. Given the amount of time Tom spends offroad, the alumiflex might actually be cheaper in the long run. I can get MOOG parts for the ZJ swap through my local NAPA for about $85, so it's a pretty inexpensive replacement. As far as the drag link, my understanding is that the TJ drag link and the ZJ one are the same, just the tie rod is different. The TJ tie rod is 5/8" hollow, where the ZJ is 1" solid.
Also, I'm thinking that Tom's tie rod is bent from stress, rather than hitting something. He has a shallow bow downward (that the buttf@ce diff cover would have protected against). My guess is that climbing in and out of those gulleys, he's been able to put enough force against the wheels to flex the tie rod. I would think that adding a locker may have allowed him to drive out of stuff that would have left him spinning previously. Given the amount of off-road milage and time that Thelma Jane has seen, I'd say he's gotten off pretty well with only minimal damage requiring replacements.
I agree that he possibly could also have bent his tie rod that way. I like the Alumi-Flex for the fact that as well as protecting itself, it also protects the other steering components by absorbing the stress that would otherwise be transferred to them.
A combination of both the Baer style diff guard and a flexible tie rod would probably be the ideal, though more expensive solution.
Comments
-Paul
I have been in Maui for the past week...what did I miss?
Is Tom stalking someone? Must be trying to get someone to go wheel’n at Turkey bay with him!!
I have not ordered it yet. I was waiting until after my vacation. Now my wife will not let me buy anything until after Christmas She said people (my daughter) have a hard time buy Christmas gifts for me because I keep buying something they (she) wanted to buy for me. I told her to just buy me the new “Star Wars” DVD release in widescreen. Oh no!! That would ruin the surprise.
I guess waiting is not that bad of an idea since a week in Maui for 4 can cost a lot of $$$. Food alone cost about $50.00 per person per day. (4 people X $50) X 7 days = $$$$$.
I tell you I saw more Wranglers, and other Jeeps, in Maui. I took a three mile walk one morning and must have seen at lease 50 Wranglers (of various colors) drive by. I told my wife the next trip to Maui we will be renting a Wrangler and exploring more of the island.
Glen
I hope you had a chance to visit Molokini Crater (by boat) and Iao State Park. I have a Webshots album that was 'featured' last year. You should check it out and see what you remember from your trip.
Glad you're back okay. (I went ahead and ordered one this morning, so we'll see how well it works. Since I already have a quick disconnect for my antenna, it should work really well and make taking the antenna off a lot easier for when I don't need it. I'll let YOU know how it works, when I get it and get it installed.
-Paul
Mom's Turkey or Tom's Turkey Bay??
tough choice..
jts
I was able to just "drive out" of that situation. I figured I might as well give it a try, since I had the ONLY winch in the group. I had told the others to stay up at the top and not follow me down until I could check out the chute.
When this happened, I got on the radio and told the folks to bring a strap and come on down, but not to come in their Jeeps.
I was teetering and could have laid over about as easily as not, but when I eased out the clutch and moved forward just a couple feet, Thelma Jane came back down on all four tires.
That was absolutely as close to laying over as I have ever come!
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
;--)
jts
my gosh!@! tom, I'll bet you did leave something behind in Thelma Jane, I think I'd just throw that pair of pants away if i were you.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
You pictures are great. I was taking pictures of my daughter and her friend boogie boarding when a big wave came from nowhere and knocked me on my but. I tried to keep the camera out of the water the best I could, but it still got a little wet. After that the camera did not work all that well.
When we go back we are going to rent a Jeep and adventure into the hills.
Let me know if you like the mount. When I order I am going to order an antenna mount and a CB mount.
Well...I guess my heater problem must be with the baffle/flapper thing. I flushed out my heater lines and core, reconnected everything and still no heat. So I guess it's time to figure out how to get to the flapper. Thank goodness it's not brutally cold (yet) here in Oklahoma.
Good luck with your heater.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
You'll find it easier to check the electrical side first.
-Paul
I fully agree with koolbreeze that a Jeep (or other convertible) is the best way to see Hawaii. Just be aware that it rains at least once nearly every day! I sure got good at putting the top up. With all the terrain, if you have the top down, you're missing a good chunk of the scenery. Next time though, we'll probably go with a motorized top!
As for the CB stuff, I already have the antenna mount (I got it before Camp Jeep). It is the quick disconnect variety. As for the CB mount, since I have the small Cobra all-in-one unit, I don't really need it, but it sure looks cool! I'm looking forward to installing this thing, but I KNOW my antenna is really going to stick up (it is already a foot over my top as it is).
I wonder if that mount would work if you went with an aftermarket roll cage for the front (like from ToysbyTroy or Spyder Customs). Guess you'd just have to drill holes for it and custom bolt it in.
-Paul
I had the flu so I didn't enjoy the weekend much. It was extremely windy (McCarran Airport registered gusts up to 35 mph) but didn't turn into a sand storm luckily. I would have worried about my soft top windows if I had felt well enough to think about them, but they came through without any scratches. The heater works quite well in the cold, though my Alpine head didn't seem to care for the cold. I had it set to scroll through the artist's name and it was having a problem with it at first - guess it doesn't like temps in the low teens (and this is warm SoCal?).
-Paul
Besides, it's great weather to drive the Wrangler in. Up until this year that was always my excuse to drive the Sport to work - the 2WD Taco couldn't get out of our driveway!
-Paul
I'm guessing I should get one or all of these to get this engine to produce more power:
1. K&N FIPK-II intake
2. Banks / Borla / Mopar header
3. Banks / Borla / Mopar CatBack exhaust
Cost is not an issue but I want to be able to hear my Sirius satellite / Jeep RB1 navigation radio at freeway speeds (70 - 80 mph).
Please let me know what your experiences with these products are so I can make the best purchase decision and give this Jeep the power its lacking.
Thanks!
The only way to make a significant power increase is to either enlarge the bore/stroke, pressurise the induction system with a turbo or supercharger, NO² injection, or use a combination of the above.
1. An engine swap-use a Chrysler Hemi; it drops right in: http://www.aev-conversions.com/Vehicle_Hemi.html
2. Forced Induction: http://www.kennebell.net/superchargers/dodge/wrangler40/wrangler4- - 0.htm
3. A stroker I6: http://www.golenengineservice.com/displayEngine2.cfm?EngineID=100
I'm glad to be back in this forum - - it's amazing how many of you have been here for so long! And yes, I think tsjay and I got our jeeps about the same time. Wow - he's certainly come a long way from his "paper towel days", hasn't he?
"Everything looks so pristine, there's few people around, and you are the first person to make tracks in the snow."
If John lives anywhere close to me he's certainly not the first person to make tracks in the snow. It's very crowded here in the middle of the state. The NW and NE corners are much more remote.
I was on vacation (just went back to Ohio for Turkey day. Definitely not Maui) so I'm catching up on all the posts.
I have the Arizona mount and a 3ft firestick. It's very easy to remove the antenna when you need. It just screws onto the mount. It is very rigid when in place, I think it would take a pretty hefty branch to bend it.
The manifold issue: I know why DC hasn't issued any kind of recall ($$$$$$$$). Doesn't it seem like they should. This seems to be a problem that we (owners of 2000 and less) will inevitably
have to deal with, and not a cheap one at that.
-Dan
The only sensible source of information is the Factory Service Manual (FSM). You can buy it in printed form or CD from DC, or subscribe to it on the web at http://www.alldatadiy.com. Pirated versions are also often available on eBay.
tidester, host
I describe my position on this issue in post #14865.
My guess is that probably Utah has the most dirt roads and best off-roading opportunities. California has many opportunities but there are more and more restrictions and closures. It is so sad when a few people leave trash, tear up the trails, make their own trails and so on. If we don't take care of our resources, we will surely lose them! TREAD LIGHTLY!
OK, I'm off my soap box (I know, I get there often and for most of you, I'm preaching to the choir, as they say).
Mounting it on the outside of the tire carrier (but behind the 3rd taillight) ensures the sheet metal will not bend.
I reused my quick disconnect mount that I had been using, so I was very happy about that. The mount comes right up next to the light itself and is a very clean installation. After putting my 4' Firestik II on it, the antenna sticks way up so it clears the roofline by a LONG way (about 2-2.5 feet!). I can try to post some pics once it has stopped raining.
As for manuals, how about the Jeep Owner's Bible? It seems pretty good as well and explains things pretty well too. You can get it at Barnes and Noble as well as online from a variety of sources.
-Paul
Of course, with the powerband of the 4.0 I don't think you would see any improvement in power by using them.
I went with the Amsoil filter, which is a foam filter impregnated with oil. I am very satisfied with it. And every 9 months I wash it out and put more oil in it.
Have any of you guys done that mod? I'm seriously looking into it. It's supposed to be a direct bolt-on change. Mac, you heard of this swap being done?
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Come drive by Huntsville, then we can travel up together!
-Paul
It's not like I'm running HUGE tires or anything, just the 31 x 10.50's. I think it's just a matter of the tie rod getting hit on rocks, not a matter of force bending the tie rod.
If I can get a ZJ tie rod about as cheap as a Wrangler tie rod, why shouldn't I go ahead and do it?
Hey, will be out of town a couple days, but I will check the board first thing when I get back.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
In your case you're sticking with 31's, and as you say, the likelihood of damage comes from rocks rather than excessive steering loads. For you, there two better alternatives.
One is to protect the tie rod from impact with a diff guard that I can't remember the name of at the moment. It has a semicircular thick flat plate welded horizontally on the front of the cover, so that the tie rod passes above it. The plate is supported by another, welded centrally and vertically below it.
The second choice, which would be my preference, is to use a tie rod that flexes then returns to its original shape. Called an Alumi-Flex, it costs around $150.
http://www.rockcrawler.com/techreports/challenger_tierod/index.as- - - p
-Paul
http://www.toysbytroy.com/Product_Files/Product_Alumi-Flex.htm
Wish I could remember the name of the diff guard though!
:--)
It's made by Baertrax and costs about $180, but the name of it would probably cause this post to be censored so I'll just give a link.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B21325AE9
On the tie rod, I agree that the alumiflex is a great alternative at twice the price of the ZJ swap. Given the amount of time Tom spends offroad, the alumiflex might actually be cheaper in the long run. I can get MOOG parts for the ZJ swap through my local NAPA for about $85, so it's a pretty inexpensive replacement. As far as the drag link, my understanding is that the TJ drag link and the ZJ one are the same, just the tie rod is different. The TJ tie rod is 5/8" hollow, where the ZJ is 1" solid.
Also, I'm thinking that Tom's tie rod is bent from stress, rather than hitting something. He has a shallow bow downward (that the buttf@ce diff cover would have protected against). My guess is that climbing in and out of those gulleys, he's been able to put enough force against the wheels to flex the tie rod. I would think that adding a locker may have allowed him to drive out of stuff that would have left him spinning previously. Given the amount of off-road milage and time that Thelma Jane has seen, I'd say he's gotten off pretty well with only minimal damage requiring replacements.
-twylie
A combination of both the Baer style diff guard and a flexible tie rod would probably be the ideal, though more expensive solution.