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You may be able to use the above process to run the wiring under the windshield frame, but the rubber sealer isn't as thick there, and may induce some leaks.
Be sure to use wire loom to protect the wiring.
As for a switch, I have switches mounted on the dashboard black bezel (one for front, one for rear). You may also find a factory OEM switch and use it for lamp wiring and mount it with the other switches (if you have an open space).
-Paul
If you put a page on the carspace here (like myspace for cars), you can post em easily!
-Paul
Also pay attention to your surroundings! While you might not be doing something dumb like parking your hot catalytic converter over some tall grass, it doesn't mean that someone else not far away hasn't done that very thing, or (even dumber) burned a "small amount of rubbish" on steep, national forest land. I bring that up because the Day Fire burned through one of my favorite off-roading places. I'm not sure which upsets me more - the loss of a lovely place to wander for an extended period of time, or the fact that I don't know when I'll be able to go home, the latter is at the moment a temporary annoyance while I'll be unhappy about the loss of my recreational playground for a much longer time.
Paul - have you finished fixing Kermit yet? Tom - are you going to be hitting the trails with Thelma Jane this weekend? Glen - this summer you should be glad you bought up at Arrowhead, rather than our area. Next summer all bets are off, though!
I'm hoping to get out there, but with all the rain we've had, I'm not sure Turkey Bay will be open. I'd say the odds are pretty good right now that it will be open.
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Kermit is as fixed as he is going to be for now.
I found a junkyard windshield frame in a matching color (and better shape than my old one pre-flop) and a junkyard cowling, again in the same color. Total cost: $205 for those 2 parts. I did have to buy new glass for that frame at $175, but that old glass was really pitted anyway from blowing sand in the Mojave desert and was on my list of maintenance anyway. $385 is the tally at this point.
I skipped the body shops. they wanted to replace my hood, which meant replacing the grille (since my 97 hood latch was the ONLY year Jeep did it that way) for a cost nearing $1500. Uh... NO.
I bought a slide hammer and body repair kit ($60.00 total at Harbor Frieght) and fixed my firewall where the hood hinges mount by myself. I worked out quite a few of the dents on Kermit's hood, but it isn't perfect. I got new hood latches from the Bay for $25.00. My old one that was left was really stretched, so replacing both made sense. Plus they look a LOT less faded.
Tally is $410 for parts + $60.00 for tools = $470.
So, here's Kermit as he sits today.
Here's how much the hood was dented and sticking out before I started pounding on it.
I had to bend it a bit in with a mallet and it still isn't quite as nice as I'd like, but I was running out of daylight. I'll work it some more when time allows and hopefully get it a bit better.
The pictures really hide the dent in the hood still, but I can live with it. I was also able to straighten the fender a bit more by using a hilift jack. I will use my body repair tools to work that area by the turn signal and try to improve it a bit too, but still, it won't be perfect.
I'm waiting for the time I can find a totalled hood from a 97 and pick it up for a steal and just swap it out. Same with the fender.
Mechanically, Kermit is running great. I replaced his lousy battery with an Exide Orbital with 1000 CCA above 32 degrees and I rewired some circuits that I think were causing a slow drain. Engine, transmission, brakes, etc are all working well (or as good as they can with 33" tires). I rewired my Camaro rear view mirror / map light setup too.
$470 + 110 for the battery, which again was old anyway = $580.00 for all the repairs and make Kermit reliable again. That total is pretty darn good and below my deductible even if I COULD have made a claim on this, which I did not.
All in all, I got VERY lucky by finding parts I needed in the right color. That probably saved me some serious coin and/or effort by not having to paint them or get them painted.
I did have some soft top damage, but the tears are in a location that when it gets wet, runs on the outside anyway so is a non issue. The soft top hardware got bent, but last year I got a used soft top/frame and door surrounds for $250 from a friend who had sold her Jeep. I used my sailcloth top, but transferred it to the new/used frame and everything fits fine. I plan to stitch up the leading edge tear so it doesn't get worse, but if glue will work, I'd go that route first.
I'm still working on putting in a cage and lining the tub, but those plans are still being worked/approved.
-Paul
I appreciate the comments though. After I got the windshield worked out and it was driveable, albeit with the hood strapped down, my wife and I took it to a friend's house to do a photo shoot for her horses she's selling. My wife commented that she really enjoyed riding in the Jeep and keeps asking for us to take it when we run errands around town.
She has gotten upset with the time/money I've spent on the Jeep, so her having said that really surprised me. And that is also why any major mods other than repairs have been placed on indefinite hold.
-Paul
Our news is equally good - they've downgraded the evac status for us, and we can return home. There's a community meeting about returning, probably outlining remaining restrictions for our area (continue to keep your cars packed, it's not over yet). It'll be interesting to see if they mention when Hungry Valley OHV area and Los Padres will re-open.
Tom, please send us some of that rain that might be closing Turkey Bay, we really, really need it.
I put Thelma Jane's top and doors back on her after work this evening in preparation for my trip to Turkey Bay in the morning. It takes an hour and fifteen minutes to get there, and that is too long to be COLD, as far as I am concerned.
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
This is not meant to be a highly detailed, technical dissertation about lifting a Jeep; it is intended to be only a quick run down of things that you should consider before deciding how high you are going to lift your rig.
There are two main purposes that people have for lifting their Jeeps and installing bigger tires, one being for off road capability enhancement, the other being for looks. I consider either purpose to be perfectly legitimate. Some people who off road a lot get really bent out of shape over someone lifting his Jeep and never taking it off the pavement. I'm one who loves off roading his Jeep, but who also knows that Jeeps are tons of fun, even on the pavement. So, if you want to get a lift and bigger tires for your Jeep just to make it look better, I would not criticize you for that.
Obviously, the objective of the lift is to provide extra clearance in order to accommodate larger tires. How much lift is needed depends on what size tires are going to be run. To a certain extent, it depends also on whether or not the Jeep is going to be used for more than mild off roading. Moderate or more extreme off roading usually involves a lot of axle travel, or "flex," as it is called in off road vernacular. This means that more clearance is needed for the tires, and a higher lift will be required.
So, the first step is to decide what size tires you want to run. A stock Jeep with no lift at all will accommodate 31" x 10.50" tires, and that's as far as you can go, unless you add a lift. In this configuration, if the front sway bar is disconnected and a Jeep is taken through obstacles that flex the suspension, fender flare rubbing is a certainty.
You should realize that going to bigger tires has the net effect of running with higher gearing (numerically lower ratio), and that is going to effect your acceleration and your ability to hold your speed on steep inclines. You may not like the power loss associated with going to bigger tires. (Some folks have their differentials re-geared to get back to the original power, but this is expensive; and, remember, you have TWO differentials to re-gear, front and rear.)
After you have decided on tire size, then you can pick out a lift kit.
A body lift is a good way to get one inch of extra clearance, but it is NOT recommended that anyone go over one inch with a body lift. A body lift leaves the frame and axles in the same relative position to each other and only raises the body above the frame. Body lifts can be used in conjunction with suspension lifts to get an extra inch of clearance.
A suspension lift raises the frame further above the axles than the stock distance, and this is where some complications come into play.
The axles are connected to the frame by control arms with fixed lengths. As the frame is pushed upward from the frame by a suspension lift, the front axle is pulled toward the back of the Jeep, and the rear axle is pulled toward the front of the Jeep.
This happens because the front axle control arms are attached to the frame behind the front wheels, and the rear axle control arms are attached to the frame ahead of the rear wheels. The result of this is that the angles between the transfer case's front and rear output shafts and the differentials is increased. This can cause U-joints to operate outside of their designed angle range, resulting in vibrations.
A common cheap fix is a transfer case lowering kit, which simply amounts to using spacers where the transfer case skid attaches to the frame, thus allowing the transfer case to ride lower. The more expensive, but better, long term fix is a slip yoke eliminator and a new driveshaft. A lift of two inches or less will usually not require driveline angle correction, so many folks opt for no more than two inches of lift.
If you are not going to do more than mild off roading, then you might get away with 33 inch tires with a two inch lift, but if you are going to off road very seriously and disconnect your front sway bar for more flex, then you are certain to rub your fender flares with the tires while going through obstacles that flex your rig.
Control arms, as stated, hold the axles in position front to rear, and trac bars hold the axles in position across the width of the Jeep to keep them centered. The trac bars are attached on one end to the axles and on the other end to the frame. Just as raising the frame higher above the axles with a suspension lift pulls the axles into new positions front to back, so will it pull the axles off center toward the side of the Jeep where the trac bar is attached to the frame. This is why people have to buy and install adjustable trac bars after installing a lift, if the lift is more than a couple inches.
As I hope you can see, lifting a Jeep involves a lot of factors and can lead to a lot of expense. I am not trying to discourage anyone from lifting his Jeep, just trying to make folks aware of all that is involved before they begin a project, only to find that it is going to cost much more than they had planned on spending and is going to be a lot more complicated than they thought.
Try off roading your Jeep while it is still stock. A stock Jeep will do some amazing things, and you can have a lot of fun off roading one without spending a fortune on mods. Just be sure you have tow hooks front and rear, a CB, and a good recovery strap with loops on each end (NOT metal hooks), then find some buddies and hit the trails (don't go alone).
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Terry
New control arms may be included in your kit, but they are still items that must be changed out, and they add to the list of complications.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Terry"
I hope so, Terry.
I think I am regaining some enthusiasm. I still had not recovered completely from losing Ross Allen when I lost Gill, who was one of my closest friends in the world, if not my best friend.
For the benefit of those who have joined us since I stopped posting on a regular basis several months ago, Ross Allen was my dog and very best friend in the world. He loved to go Jeepin' with me and went with me every time. I had him for ten years, but I had to have him put to sleep on September 19, 2005, just a little over a year ago. Here's a link to the website I made to honor his memory.
http://home.earthlink.net/~tsjay53/
Gill was a Jeep friend from southern Alabama who operated a Jeep website that I hang out in with many of the same folks that I hit the trails with. Gill died of cancer on August 31, 2006.
Gill and I hit it off from the get-go and became very good friends over the Internet before ever even meeting in person. When we finally did meet in person, it was at Turkey Bay, when Gill came up to go wheelin' with me over the Thanksgiving weekend in 2004. As much as he loved Jeeps, he had never had the opportunity to do any real off roading, since there just aren't any good places anywhere near where he lives. He had the time of his life at Turkey Bay and was like a kid in a candy store. I consider it a great blessing that I was able to be with Old Giller the first time he experienced some real wheelin'. God rest his soul.
The last year has been a rough one for the Old Tomster.
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
I saw some pics of Yellow Belly gully from Saturday. Man, that flop has me feeling uneasy about doing something like that again...
I only hope my enthusiasm will return, albeit for different reasons.
-Paul
It's hard to beat driving around with the top down and some Sinatra blairing from the cd player.
That thing is used for securing the windshield to the hood to keep it from banging when it is folded down. Those little knob-like things on the hood are for the folded-down windshield to rest on, and that loop thing gives you a place to run a strap through to secure the windshield.
Not too many people fold down their windshields, though.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
I have some plastic footman loops screwed into the interior of my minivan to use as tie-down points for bungie cords. Handy gizmos.
So autumn has arrived! We actually had rain Sunday - thank you, Tom, for sending some of that wet stuff our way. It dampened things down and while it wasn't a huge amount, I'm sure it helped all those wonderful firemen who did such an awesome job around my little neck of the woods, saving everyone's homes.
If there's any Jeepers out there who are fire fighters - you certainly have my respect! So many guys who had to pick up and leave on a moments notice, to spend days in high heat against a big fire, camping under the stars miles from their homes (they even came from New York City, a long way from California) - that's real dedication!
Just thought I'd let you know.
Speed 'Test Drive' Link
(P.S. Inside voice please, all caps is SHOUTING!)
:shades:
They wanted my little ol' TJ. I told them no way.
They asked if I liked the 4 door. I said for onroad, yes. Offroad no. They seemed totally perplexed. I told them that given the Unlimited's wheelbase and width it was adequate offroad, but that breakover angle and shallower departure angle could create some issues where I wheel. I told em SWB for offroad.
-Paul
You just never see any of them on the trails at Turkey Bay, and it will be very interesting to see their capabilities.
Most of the guys who are coming down have done some mods, but I think at least one Libby will be stock.
Tomster
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Is there a reason that you'd particularly want 18" rims on a Rubicon?
Jeeps Are Us anodized door nuts
Honestly, putting 18" wheels on a Rubicon will do a few things for you:
1. DRAMATICALLY increase the cost of tires that will go on them.
2. DRAMATICALLY LIMIT the number of tire choices, especially in all terrain and mud terrain tires, the two primary tire types desired for a Rubicon.
3. Affect your sidewall size when offroad. I know that sounds wierd, but it is true. Frequently, people air down when offroad to soften the tire a bit for better grip. It also makes the sidewall less stiff in the event a stick/root/rock/whatever wants to try and tear that sidewall. It'll tear a lot easier at full pressure. With the bigger wheels, your sidewall will invariably be shorter.
15 or 16" wheels (16's being stock on the current 06 Rubicon) have a LOT of options available to them for offroad tires.
18's would appeal more to the Jeep owners who will not wheel their Jeeps. Those that DO wheel them, especially Rubicons, will want something that doesn't limit their tire options.
-Paul
I know the pickup world is embracing it. For street looks and to some measure, street performance/handling, the smaller sidewalls and bigger wheels help. So I can see SOME logic in that. However, offroad, the 15x8 or 15x10 wheels are still a smarter solution. It isn't as pretty on the street, but most who offroad don't really care about that 'sport image' or street cred.
I've driven a Chevy Avalanche on 20's and it rode quite nice. It even had the Z71 package. But offroad, even in a muddy field, it would have been useless.
I guess those who want to do it for the sporty image can go ahead and do it. If they want to look all sporty, that is fine and it should suit their needs and wants just fine. It is their choice and prerogative, just as it is for those who offroad and choose the setup that is best for THEIR needs and wants.
I personally make mods when there is some benefit or value added for what I use it for. Image has never been part of it for me. If people think my Jeep looks aggressive, sporty, (insert adjective here), that's fine and I'll appreciate any comments I get, but ultimately it is what worked for me. Part of it is also an economic reasoning. I'm NOT going to pay even more for my 33x12.5's. They were about 150 each IIRC. A version that will wrap around 18's would be even more. No thanks.
More power to anybody who wants to do that though!
-Paul
Voilà, a Wrangler with the external appearance of a Rubicon with OE 18" wheels, and at a significantly reduced price compared to the real thing.
32" BFGoodrich MTR Tires
New industry-exclusive BFGoodrich® Mud tires have more tread blocks with biting edges for foul weather and off-road traction.
This option is included with your selections.
Now, Rubicons have always used MT/Rs as a 31x16, so a 32x17 seems a reasonable next step. However, MT/Rs are a Goodyear tire and Goodyear have always supplied Wrangler OE tires, usually GSAs.
So, BF Goodrich is hardly a slip of the finger for Goodyear. A search of the BFG site reveals no tire called an MT/R. I guess that the mystery will be resolved when the first Rubicons appear on the lots.
Here's one I found...
Guess the Saharas are running Bridgestone Dueler AT's
-Paul