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As for the factory speakers, they were the first things to go for me. The soundbar speakers were easy enough to replace, but the dash speakers aren't "standard" in their method of attachment, so you'll either need to find some brackets to provide a standard mounting, or build your own. I took the second route, because I was not able to find anything locally, and didn't want to wait to try and order something (I reallized my problem after I'd already ripped out the existing speakers).
In terms of the actual head unit, I decided on going with a Rockford Fosgate CD/MP3 player. There were two reasons for going with CD/MP3 ability. The first being that with the way the Wrangler rides, I would occasionally get skipping in the CD player. The buffering used for MP3 playback totally removes this problem from the picture. No matter how bumpy the ride, the music plays smooth. I've yet to have so much as a single skip while playing back MP3s. The second being that I like to leave my Wrangler open, rather than locking it and providing a reason for a thief to cut the soft windows/top trying to get in. As a result, I don't want to leave a cd collection out for the taking. I can get 10+ audio CDs of music onto one MP3 CD, and I just leave that in the head unit, and take the faceplate with me. Lots of music one a single disc is a wonderful thing.
I chose the Rockford Fosgate unit because it was well-rated most everywhere I went, and because of the controls being very easy to use on a bumpy ride and without looking. The volume knob is a real knob, and it is also used for all the sound-tailoring settings. The preset buttons are slightly small, which is the biggest annoyance I've noticed. The scan/seek/track-change buttons are fairly large, and are right next to the volume knob and very easy to access.
The display is really bright and large. Very easy to see on a sunny day with the top down. Only real compaint is that the deck doesn't have ID3 tag support for MP3s. It's a standard DIN unit, so a mounting bracket is needed as well.
As far as the order of improved sound quality:
1:speaker upgrade (put in Infinity speakers)
2:head unit upgrade
3:poly-fill in soundbar
Of course, that is just the opposite of the ordering based on cost:)
I'm new here and have been thinking about getting an 02 soon. I am trying to determine what is really different between the X and Sport, aside from fog lamps, full doors std., and a tilt steering wheel. I haven't been to a dealer yet, so this is just what i've gathered on my own.
So here is my question- I don't want full doors or tilt, but do want the fog lamps, which aren't an option on the X (from what I can see) - The fog lamps don't justify the extra 1300 dollars to get the Sport- How difficult is it to add fog lamps after I buy it?
Also- I live in Chicago, want the soft top, but curious how cold it gets in there during the winter.
Thanks!
Go here and ask for Cibie E-Code headlamps.
If you go with a higher wattage bulb, get the relay/harness.
http://lighting.mbz.org/
and read the faq:
http://lighting.mbz.org/faq/
don't forget to aim them:
http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/how_to//aim/
see also:
http://www.talbotco.com/cibie_main_frameset.htm
http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/
http://www.alfacybersite.com/ACSCibhl.html
http://www.miata.net/products/lights/hella.html
http://www.d-90.com/faq/Light/LightHead.html
tidester
Host
SUVs
Regarding multiple links in a message - just enter < br > or < p > (without the spaces!) after each link and it will produce a line break in the text. I am not sure why it's not automatically being done with your links. How, exactly, are you entering the links onto the page now?
tidester
Host
SUVs
I picked it up near the middle-end of last summer, and at the time the number of "good" head units in the CD/MP3 catagory were few. The Kenwoods were having problems with quality control, the sonys were laughable at best, and the only two that I saw that were worth really considering were the Rockford Fosgate RFX9000 and the JVC SH99. Actually, the SH99 was blowing the doors off of everything, but I sadly couldn't find a local dealer and at the time wasn't feeling like taking the risk of ordering something I couldn't check out first-hand. Eventually one of my friends picked up the SH99, and he loves it. It is honestly a bit more feature-rich than the RF, and if you can get past the fact that it is made by a company that is not renowned for their car stereos, the SH99 really is a superb head unit.
So far though, no regrets. I got everything I really wanted, and none of the stuff that I didn't really need.
Well after months of putting it off, procrastinating, and working on the design, I finally got my custom spare tire cover made. As you may recall, I wanted to advertise for my company when driving around town. I purchased a Bestop vinyl spare tire cover from Quadratec for $19.95, then took it in to a local flag & banner store. They told me that, due to the large diameter and shape, they didn't have the equipment to stretch the cover properly to make it flat for printing purposes. Therefore they decided to print my ad on a separate round piece of vinyl and stitch it to the spare tire cover. I used Adobe Illustrator 9.0 to create the graphics (which consist of mostly text with a big yellow happy face and a line drawing of a lunchbox). It took about a week for them to do, but the finished product looks pretty damn good!! It's very smooth and shiny so I'm not too worried about water messing it up. The stitching overlaps some of my artwork, but you can't really tell from 5-10 feet away. Also you can see the outline of the material if you look closely, but again it's not something noticeable from a viewer's perpective from within another car. One thing to keep in mind if you're going to do this - do not make your artwork stretch all the way to the edge, because it will start to bend outward due to the curvature of the tire. I left a one-inch gutter and I'm glad I did!
Anyway hope this helps anyone thinking of doing a custom tire cover. Oh, the total price for the custom printing was $260.00.
yellowman
I will take your advice and upgrade the factory speakers though. Do you think that will get enough bass into the picture or will I have to opt for a one of those powered subwoofers like a Bazooka tube? I am not looking to wake up the neighbors... but as it is now I have no low range coming from the speakers at all and at high volumes it is very distorted. that is the main reason I want to upgrade. Thanks in advance!
Michael
If you are willing to do a bit of cutting, I know some people have been able to fit 6-1/2" speakers into the soundbar by trimming just a bit of the enclosure. This should definately improve things over just doing a straight upgrade to better 5-1/4" speakers. The ones in the dash though are pretty hopeless. Those things seem to distort at any reasonable volume no matter what you put in there. Almost better off to get a bass-block and use the front speakers only for mid-range/highs.
Another thing to worry about is the amount of current the factory head unit can supply if you are worried about getting distored bass at high volumes. That most likely adds to the distortion as well as the limitations of the speaker.
If you want "real" bass, you'll probably have to end up going with some sort of additional bass tube. Swapping in new speakers and adding poly-fill to the soundbar did increase the amount and tightness of the bass at lower volumes, but I still get distortion at high volumes. Really noticable in the front speakers, not as much so in the soundbar speakers (though it is still definately there).
This is also VERY dependant on the frequency range in question. My stuff seems to handle mid-bass just fine. The really low stuff though still reveals the problem (which is what I'd expect trying to recreate it using a 5-1/2" driver). I'd suggest doing the factory speaker swap first along with the poly-fill, and seeing how that upgrade handles the music that you listen to. Depending on your musical taste, that may be enough to make you happy. If you listen to a lot of electronic music or hip-hop/rap/anything-in-this-genre frequently, you'll almost definately want to start looking for some sort of stand-alone sub setup.
Nothing really important to say, just really excited about the whole new level of happiness I've reached with my Wrangler. Doors off is going to be the standard so long as the weather is willing to play nice.
Must be nice to live in a place where you can go doorless this time of year!
tsjay
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Regarding multiple links in a message - just enter < br > or < p > (without the spaces!) after each link and it will produce a line break in the text. I am not sure why it's not automatically being done with your links."
I think it is a combination of the 115 limit and multiple links (it thinks they are all one link?).
"How, exactly, are you entering the links onto the page now?"
Copy and paste.
This is all new (news) to me.
"They really need to put a 4 speed auto option, rear disc brakes, etc. on the Wrangler? 3 speed? Read drums? Whazzzzupwitdat?"
Is that a question or a declaration? I think the reason they have the 3 speed is because there is not enough room (length) for the larger tranny. The V6 would shorten the engine, and allow room for a longer tranny, from what I've been able to piece together. As far as rear discs vs. drums I don't know, but it is a pretty light vehicle, and discs probably aren't worth the cost when the drums do just fine. Beats me.
I've really changed my mind about silver Wranglers. They are good looking.
http://www.car-truck.com/image/chryed/buzz/apex4.jpg
fiver
He had quoted me $150 over invoice on an ordered sport '02. Figure I'll pay $200 to $500 over.
Also - when you remove the doors - how do you disable the the interior lamps? I couldn't find that in the owners manual. there's gotta be an easy way to set the switches in the door jamb but I can;t figure it out.
Thanks!
You can disable the interior lights by simply removing the fuse (behind glove box). It is the one on the lower right corner, but I don't remember the fuse number. Check your owners manual for the fuse number.
It is in the owner's manual somewhere.
Hey, when you own a car which has zippers and most of the body parts either fold or come off completely, some noise is assumed.
Let's hear some more about this! Has "Red" been a good boy the whole time?
You must do a lot of highway driving to put that many miles on a vehicle. How is Red set up? Is he a Sport or SE or Sahara? Stock?
Talk dirty to us!
tsjay
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Red is may second TJ I had a 97 SE 5 speed she had 74K when I sold her. The only things I had to replace were the rotors and the catalytic converter and both were under Warranty.
And yes I hug Jeep every day
We did drive the Wrangler today and it is so much quieter! I had gotten used to the loud engine I forgot what it should sound like. I'm not really complaining, since this is the first major repair we've had.
Just wondering how often people change spark plugs and / or plug wires on their Wranglers.
I thought I remembered seeing here somewhere that there are some certain types of plug to avoid (I hear splitfire suck no matter what type of car), and one particular one to try to get. What would that be? Anyone?
If I were you, I'd go for the 1997 or newer. It is worth it for the new design. I'd imagine you could get a 1997 now for maybe $12,000.
http://www.edmunds.com/used/2000/jeep/index.html#wrangler
Click on the Wrangler model and you should be here:
http://www.edmunds.com/used/2000/jeep/wrangler/index.html
The rating bar will be towards the upper right of the page. Clear as the mud on your fenders?
It's similar for other models (except click on New and drill down for, say, a shiny new Liberty). I'll search for a generic link shortcut too.
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
http://www.ewylie.com/jeep/mods.htm#sparkplugs
Yours will be different in that mine is distributorless, but the plug numbers are the same for the 4.0. Champion or Bosch is a matter of personal preference. I've always used the Bosch Platinums since they are generally good for 60k+ miles, but the plugs in the 4.0 are super easy to get to and changing them could be done in 15 min. You may read that "platinum plugs are bad for a Jeep". I have found absolutely ZERO credible evidence of this. To each their own.
HTH
-twylie
JeepHead
Now if we can just get that forecasted snow for today, I'll be happy!
I am not sure if I am ticked or happy to have a distributor.
:-) :-(
?
My only experience has been with these particular mirrors, but I'm sure at least some of it carries over to others as well:
1) The actual installation was a breeze. Had to go out and pick up the proper torx bit to get the bolts out of the windshield hinge, but it took very little force on my part to get them out, and the entire install time was roughly 10 minutes for both sides.
2) Getting the doors off was fairly easy as well, but I quickly decided to leave the bolt caps off of the door bolts when I put the doors back on. They don't really seem necessary, and it is just one less step that I have to do which risks putting a big scratch in the side of my jeep. (Also, make sure to undo the door-restraint strap before attempting to lift the door off the pivots. This sounds obvious, but I wasn't paying attention and the first door I lifted off was still strapped to the inside of the jeep....)
3) As for the add-on mirrors themselves, the passenger side mirror in the "QM-II" pair that I bought is a really funky looking thing. I assume there is a legit reason for this, but I really wish they'd just have included the same mirror arm as they did on the driver side. I'd have to go look at the mount bracket, but I think you might be able to get away with buying two driver-side mirror packages, and just flipping the bracket on one of them to mount it to the passenger side.
4) At least for the "QM-II" setup, the piece of the bracket that actually holds the mirror arm needs to be postioned such that the hole that accepts the arm is on the front side of the car. Kind of difficult to put into words, but you would know what I'm talking about if you actually see the hardware. This is necessary to limit one of the below problems.
5)As for the actual mirrors, there are some serious issues that you have to make sure to work around. If you are going to be using them at highway speeds, that is going to put a LOT of torque on the mounting hardware. This won't damage the mount at all, but since at least with the QM-II model, everything is held in place using friction, so there is nothing actually "locking" the mirror in place. This is a real problem with the passenger side mirror. Because of it's funky arm, wind places some serious torque on the mirror in such a way that it WILL rotate while you are driving. I hand-tightened that thing as far as I could get it, and it still would start to move about the time I hit 50mph.
The driver side mirror is a bit better. It has a long arm, but because of the way it sticks out (which is totally different from the passenger side arm) the torque gets applied in a different plane, and as long as you make sure you took into account the info in #4, the mirror shouldn't move a bit.
6) The "QM-II" kit came with some really tiny hex-bolts to lock the mirror arm in place with. These things are REALLY easy to mis-thread, so be super careful.
Last minor annoyance is that the mirrors make a whistling sound at high speed. Not a huge gripe by any means, but it is noticable.
All in all, I ended up not even using the passenger side mirror. I've contemplated ordering a second driver-side kit and using the arm from it to attach the passenger side mirror in the same fashion as the driver side, but it isn't essential. The driver side mirror once properly attached has worked great. I've had it up to about 80mph just to see if it would hold, and it didn't budge a bit. If they'd just have not used such a funky mount arm for the passenger side, I'd have been completely happy.
Well, that is my experience so far. Overall I'm satisfied, but just be aware up front that if you are going to be driving at highway speed with the doors off, make sure the mirror kit you end up going with is capable of handling the torque. Looking back, I'm thinking I may have been best off just getting some of the relocation brackets and moving the factory mirrors off the door and onto the jeep body itself. Don't know if that would have given me the best position or not, but at least the factory mirrors don't have long arms on them and hence aren't as affected by the torque that wind causes......
-twylie