Moses Ludel

Would like to hear from more actual users, comments like biggman100, especially on the smart phone models. You're right about "apps" being the wild card, the smart phone is even more gimmicky, as one device can host a variety of apps, and the functionality grows with for-pay downloads or at least apps and subscriptions. I just stumbled onto Controller Technologies' new DRB III emulator tool, promoted at the Mopar TechAuthority site. This is an OBD-II scanner that has functions like the dealership DRB-III, which is true two-way communication. Not sure whether you must use this in conjunction with Wi-Tech from Mopar, a J-subscription is mandatory for downloading any re-flashes. Here's the PDF brochure for more information on the DRB-III Emulator: http://shop.networkvehicle.com/media/DRB%20III%20Emulator(1).pdf I'm inquiring about the scope of this package at the $2,495 price tag. Smaller 4x4 and Jeep shops, dealerships and tune-up shops would find this affordable. A DRB-III tool, if you can find one available, runs $6K plus periodic update software. Leasing has become the option. Both Mopar's Wi-Tech and DRB-III Emulator are PC based. Moses

JJ, I would have the battery load tested, which simulates the cranking amperage draw. To put this in perspective, a drained battery (still intact) will read 12V. 12.3V is 50% charged. 12.6V is 100% charged. These are approximations. Your battery is less than 50% state of charge at best, and below fully drained voltage with any kind of load. This sounds like a "bad battery". Load testing will confirm. You're getting consistent 12.27V, so the battery seems to peak there. The PCM likes 12.4V minimum, so this is a marginal situation. How old is this battery? Do you have aftermarket accessories or possible drains on the battery when static? Assuming no draining down, and with daytime running to fully charge the battery, this battery is not in good condition. Did you catch my comments about a clean battery case? We're all expecting better terminal connections soon. Next stop: a load test, likely followed by replacing that battery. Moses

Recently, I've found time to catch up on some XJ Cherokee care. Our '99 had issues with the power window/door lock system, the A/C dash panel air flow and the "No Bus" gauge drop-off problem. Each of these problems is common to the XJ Cherokees and TJ Wranglers, making forums all over the internet. On our Cherokee, I worked through the troubleshooting and solutions for each. If your Jeep XJ Cherokee or TJ Wrangler is experiencing erratic dash panel air flow with the heater or A/C controls set to different positions, you'll want to check out this new article at the magazine: http://www.4wdmechanix.com/How-to-Jeep-XJ-Cherokee-Air-Conditioning-Fix.html. Another symptom to consider is the cruise control and the A/C and heater panel settings not working when you're climbing a grade with the Jeep. I made the Chrysler TSB #24-12-99 available as a PDF download. This is one cure, but it did not apply in our case... If your power windows, door locks and remote door lock control are not operating properly, you'll want to see my recent article: http://www.4wdmechanix.com/How-to-Jeep-Cherokee-Power-Window-and-Door-Lock-Switch-Replacement.html. This includes troubleshooting symptoms and the actual replacement of a door switch module. If your dash instruments suddenly drop-off to zero with the engine running or on the road, or if the "No Bus" signal appears at the instrument panel with erratic gauge activity, you may have the electrical connector issue that I address in the article: http://www.4wdmechanix.com/How-to-XJ-Cherokee-Erratic-Gauges-Fix.html. This how-to goes into detail about the problem, the parts involved and the fix, including soldering a new plug and wires into the dash panel circuit. I even included a PDF of the Chrysler/Jeep TSB #08-15-99 on this problem for both the Jeep XJ Cherokee and TJ Wrangler. Having troubles in these areas? Check out the three new articles at the magazine. Another issue is the rear door latch and having to press the outside door release button with great force to open the door. Possible remedy: There is a slot on the rear facing edge of the door that has an adjustable slide for the door button. Work the button and watch this lever move. You can loosen the Torx screw and move the lever/button adjuster to allow for a full throw of the outside handle button when you press the button. This and some white lithium spray lube at pivot points of the latch mechanisms can have your "defective" rear door latches functioning as new! Moses

Now we're talking! Though I'm not a die-hard Blue Oval advocate, I have always respected the 351W and the 302 5.0L for their light weight, simplicity and reliability. The 351W is the better choice for crankshaft stamina, beefier parts and truck use. For a YJ Wrangler, a smaller journal 302 crankshaft would not be a liability in any case. The problem with the AX5 and AX15 is that they are not interchangeable. You cannot "bolt-in" an AX15 behind your 2.5L with its bellhousing. And the four-cylinder engines do not share the 4.0L or 4.2L bellhousing pattern. You will need Advance Adapter pieces to retrofit an AX15 into your '95 four-cylinder Wrangler behind a Ford small-block. From what I saw on my filming tour at Advance Adapters in January, they have a way to retrofit the AX15 or NV3550 into the vintage '66-'77 Bronco chassis with a small-block V-8. I just looked at the website, and the bellhousing did not appear there. However, this is something we discussed at the plant. (You can see the extensive HD video coverage at the magazine site.) I suggest a call to Advance Adapters at 1-800-350-2223. You'd have two questions, and one I'm fairly certain will go your way: 1) Will an '89-'90 AX15 transmission fit to your NP231 transfer case in the '95 (answer should be yes, spline count and clock pattern would be the concerns here) and 2) do they have the motor mounts and a bellhousing to get a small-block Ford V-8 into your YJ with an AX15? Mention the early Bronco bellhousing for the AX15 or NV3550. Ask if that would be the bridge. Share that I suggested you call... Not clear whether you're in an emissions sensitive area. If so, the Ford 351W and 302 5.0L would need to be 1995-up with MPI. You'd like that for off-pavement, anyway. Both engines were available in '95 although close to extinction with the "modular" replacement engines phasing into the Ford equation. (Do yourself a favor and avoid the Triton engines.) I would stick with the traditional pushrod 302 or 351W. Let's continue this dialogue. Many owners know of the popular G.M. V-8 swaps, especially the late Gen/LS engines. A 351W or 302 Ford V-8, with distributor at the front, light in weight, the 4WD trucks using a rear oil sump, you have a definite way to go here, Smokie! Another approach that might sound odd would be a Dakota V-8 with an AX15 behind it. Dakota did use the AX15 and NV3500, the NV231 transfer case, too. This is starting to sound like a "factory" parts swap with only the engine mounts requiring fabrication. Why the Mopar 5.2L and 5.9L pushrod V-8s with MPI do not see more swap action is beyond me. There are factory parts for conversions, the engines are longevity types with ease of service, and the chassis interface would not be that difficult since Chrysler is Chrysler...Any takers? I like it! Moses

I was really pleased with the response on this question, biggman100 taking the time to offer keen insights, photos and leads, RareCJ8 sharing hardcore trail insights...Thanks, everyone, for helping JJ_Jeep here! JJ, your comment about the firewall ground is very important. Many Jeep vehicles suffer from corrosion and electrolysis at these ground points. Catch-22: You cannot have a painted surface at ground threads, and corrosion enjoys unpainted (even galvanized) surfaces. I'm from the West, and road salt is not as prevalent. (Salt was once unheard of, now various areas find it cost effective to use salt, even Elko, Nevada!) Regardless, the firewall ground is a place to run an ohms test. You also hint about wicking corrosion. This is very common. Even our "Nevada Cherokee" had a huge buildup of battery corrosive deposits inside the plastic-coated battery hold down frame! Wires and cables are especially vulnerable, with damaging corrosion often invisible and running for several inches from a terminal up the insulation. If you do a terminal replacement, keep in mind that conductivity must include all strands of the wire. RareCJ8 assures this with his crimping tool. Biggman100 illustrates several terminals with heavy-duty screw clamping. Mention of soldering to make a one-piece wire at the terminal is sometimes a solution, use rosin core solder only. OEM cables are either molded lead or a solder process. Straggling strands of wire are common on cheap, two-bolt with a light strap replacement terminals. Use a high grade terminal...Solder might help here, see whether it's recommended by the terminal manufacturer. We're talking about a healthy size soldering iron for this gauge wire! Others can add to this... Moses

JJ_Jeep...Glad you had some camp time with the troop and your son! I read your findings, and the battery sounds shot. After running, it should have from 12.6V (full state of charge) to 12.8V (common voltage for a freshly charged, newer battery). 12.2V is below par. Not sure when you checked it, right after running, after setting a while, overnight? This makes a difference. If low after setting overnight and the battery case is very dirty, voltage can leak off the sides of the battery case or from post to post (a grounding discharge) and slowly discharge the battery. Or you might have a slight drain from an accessory or whatever. The best way I can illustrate this is to share a quick story about my wife Donna driving off with the XJ Cherokee after a sluggish engine crank over. (Most unusual, we wrote this off to the door being left open with the interior light on.) Donna came home shortly thereafter, quite irritated, sharing that while she was at a stop sign, the engine died (again, most unusual!). When she did get it going, the engine misfired and lacked power. This is unheard of around our place because I do "preventive maintenance", a habit from my truck fleet mechanic days over forty years ago... Anyway, I quickly checked the charging circuit, it read much like your findings. I checked the battery immediately after shut-off, and the battery voltage was 12.7V. Seemed okay, so I ran a simple load test. AutoZone, NAPA and others will do this for free, in or out of the chassis. In my case, I did a basic approach: turning on the headlamps with the engine off. Under this headlamp load, the voltage at the battery read 10-volts with the headlamps on just a few seconds. Cranking would have dropped the voltage even lower. Try this with your volt-ohmmeter and headlamps on, picking up a voltage reading away from the battery to prevent sparks that might ignite a defective battery under load. (Heavy battery lead contact at the starter motor is a good point, or even the alternator battery terminal.) If your voltage drops to 10 or so, you've found what occurred in the Cherokee: a battery with a dead cell. Now, if you do have a dead cell in the battery, it's possible that your engine will run erratically, just like our properly tuned Cherokee 4.0L did. A dead cell is like an open, and regardless of the normal output from the alternator, the battery itself is not a reliable conductor of voltage to the PCM—or anywhere else. I replaced the battery with new, and the problem immediately disappeared. In your case, since I'm not comfortable with spending your money, try the load test with the headlamps on for a minute or so. Or better yet, let AutoZone, NAPA, O'Reilly's or a similar "free test" outlet do a bona fide load test on your battery. Replacing the battery is not a guarantee that your #1 misfire code will go away. However, you can be assured that a defective battery will raise havoc with your engine's performance and reliability. With the new TPS, I'm curious to know what code(s) the engine is now throwing. Read the stored codes before disconnecting the battery. Deal with the battery and see if solving the battery issue cures any MIL or code problems...The ohms resistance from the injectors (red lead) to battery negative requires some thought. The injector pulse width is a function of grounding at the PCM, not positive current switching. We can discuss this further after you retrieve the codes. We'll keep at this JJ! Moses

Hi, Smokie, welcome to the forums and thanks for posting this topic! I've talked around this subject in other topics related to the AX5 and AX15 differences and even specific discussion about the 2.5L versus 4.0L frame designs. To be blunt, it's almost as easy to swap in a V-8 (G.M. or Ford small-block, Gen engines and such) as it is to convert a four-cylinder Wrangler to an inline six. (This is not considering cost, simply the effort involved, Smokie.) For whatever reason, AMC/Jeep decided to make different frames for the YJ Wrangler four- and six-cylinder inline engine models. Prior to the Wrangler, the Jeep CJ had bolt-on engine/frame adapters, which at one point could put an Iron Duke G.M. four, a 4.2L six or a 304 V-8 into the same chassis, simply by a change in the bolt-in engine/frame adapters, a bolt-in brace and the right motor mounts! Click here for a MIG welding article I did at the magazine. In those pictures, you will see what it takes to convert a 2.5L frame into a frame that will accept the 4.0L or 4.2L inline six. This happens to be my son-in-law's Jeep, an '87 YJ model originally equipped with the AMC 2.5L four. The rest of the changeover involves use of 4.0L and 4.2L parts, including a bellhousing, the radiator, fan shroud, transmission mounts for the AX15, throttle linkage, air filter system and a list of small parts and hardware. Since your Jeep is a '95 with the in-tank fuel pump, you would need to deal with the pickup from a 1987-90 YJ Wrangler 4.2L six if the engine swap involves a true 4.2L engine. That engine is carbureted and if original with an AX15 attached, it's an '89 or '90 application. What I have done with carbureted model year swaps (pre-1991 YJ Wrangler or back to the CJs) is add the Mopar EFI conversion. Despite the cost, which has soared in recent years, this can actually make the swap a bit easier. Mopar patterned the original EFI kit after a '94-'95 Wrangler 4.0L. You would need the current kit's pressure regulator and fuel pump, since the later Mopar EFI Conversion Kit is actually a single rail design (built around a TJ Wrangler prototype). In my view, you would be making more work for yourself than if you sell your 2.5L and buy a 4.0L model. You could then consider a stroker 4.6L build at some point if you like the 4.2L kind of torque over the 4.0L inline six. If emissions is an issue, the 4.2L carbureted engine would be a poor choice in any case, since the last use of carburetion was 1990, and the 4.2L engine is glaringly retrograde for emission purposes. I would opt for a V-8 conversion. In the long run, an emission legal swap can be done with an LS engine like I filmed at Advance Adapters. See that HD video for ideas. The YJ swap would be similar. This is not a bargain cost-wise, either, but the work is no greater than the 4.2L swap into your 2.5L YJ Wrangler chassis. For others, note that the 1997-2006 TJ Wrangler also uses two frame designs, one for the 2.5L four and the other for the 4.0L inline six. This creates the same challenges for an engine upgrade. There are still the radiator, shroud, bellhousing, motor mounts, transmission mount and other differences involved. We can discuss this further and to any degree and detail that is helpful, Smokie. I value your question, it is of common interest among 2.5L four-cylinder Wrangler owners. Moses

As long as the compressor is not running continuously, you should be okay. (You'd know from the engine load/rpm change when the unit gets switched on.) If you're making compressed air, the clutch is live! Good job there, LastCJ7, great air supply system...What's your reservoir tank volume, or are you running the system straight off the York unit? Moses

Sounds good and consistent with the info I saw at the Kilby Enterprises website. Does no click indicate that the compressor runs all the time? Is there power to the clutch continuously? Moses

Nevada ATV, thanks much for opening this section with a practical, universal product suggestion! Members and guests will value looking into the "Quick Fist Clamps" at the company's website (www.endroad.com). I did! This is a line of functional products for folks with our interests and needs. Check out the website! Moses

Since you have a four-cylinder, the rear axle ratio should be 4.11. Count the ring-and-pinion gear teeth and do the math. 4.10 is 41-10 tooth count. 4.11 should be a 9-tooth pinion and 37-tooth ring gear. The Dana 35 should be 4.11 for a four-cylinder application YJ model. There's a lot of misinformation floating around about 4.10 versus 4.11 ratios. Some think these are each the same gear tooth count of 41 (ring) and 10 (pinion). They are not. The true 4.11 is 37 teeth on the ring gear and 9 teeth on the pinion. Please do a count of your old gear set's teeth versus the replacement axle to confirm a match. Let us know what you find! So, why is the Dana 30 front axle on a YJ Wrangler 2.5L a 4.10 ratio? A couple of possibilities: 1) the axle housing can accept the 41/10 gear sizes more readily or 2) because Dana prefers this tooth count/ratio for gear fit into the Dana 30 axle housing, using a particular differential case design. 41-10 ring-and-pinion gear sets work with a common differential case flange offset. Sometimes the axle housing itself will only accept a certain ring gear thickness or differential mounting flange offset. The differential case ring gear mounting flange has a specific offset. A particular offset may, for example, work with the popular 3.55, 3.73 and 4.10 gears. So, why is the Dana 35 rear axle a 4.11:1? Likely because the rear axle housing and differential case are better suited for a 37-tooth ring gear size with a 9-tooth pinion. The ring gear diameter is constant for a given axle type. (As such, the Dana 30, 35, 44, 60, etc., each have their own ring gear diameter.) The ring gear thickness and differential case flange location/offset must line up the ring gear with the pinion gear's teeth. Again, from a manufacturer's perspective, it is easier and cost effective to use ratios that will enable use of a particular differential case over a wider range of gear ratios. Generally speaking, the 10-tooth pinion is stronger by design than a 9-tooth. This takes into account that the ring gear diameter remains constant. (Dana 35 is 7.625" diameter.) Housing design plays a role in this choice, too, determining the position of the ring gear laterally. Consider that a numerically higher (lower gearing) gear set is under less load due to the lower gearing, and this helps offset the pinion tooth count and the smaller pinion gear head diameter. This means that a 9-tooth pinion gear can survive in a numerically higher (lower gearing) axle because the smaller pinion gear head gets less load due to the reduction ratio—a trade-off. This chart, found at the Quadratec website helps illustrate the relationship between ring gear tooth count, pinion gear tooth count and axle ratio. Will a 4.10 front axle work with a 4.11 rear axle ratio? Absolutely, and this is very common due to manufacturers mixing axle designs front to rear, like a Dana 44 at the front of a Ford Bronco or F-pickup and a Ford 9-inch axle at the rear. Sometimes this is just the available options offered for a given manufacturer's axle type. Over the years, you can find mixes like 3.70 with 3.73, 3.54 with 3.55, 4.10 with 4.11, 3.07 with 3.08, 4.86 with 4.88, the list goes on, there are many examples of these "near ratios" throughout the 4x4 make and model applications. Some have to do with outsourcing of axles from two manufacturers, some have to do with given ratios and axle housing or differential case designs. According to the official Mopar parts listing, your rear axle should be 4.11 (OEM ring-and-pinion replacement gear set kit #83504938). Your front axle should be 4.10:1 if it has the vacuum axle shaft disconnect: Mopar complete axle assembly #04637925, 4.10 Ratio, tagged #53009329 or #52068203. Note: Mopar also lists a non-disconnect front axle at 4.11:1 ratio for the 1991-93 YJ Wrangler. The complete axle is part #04741047 at 4.11 ratio, tagged #52068206. This must be a one-off item (listed as "KDX"). Frankly, I've never seen a YJ without the disconnect mechanism...If anyone has seen a "KDX" model, please share your comments! Compare axle tag numbers if still in place. We can verify ratios from tag numbers; you can count gear teeth as easily if the diff covers are removed. Do you have OEM or aftermarket limited slip (locking differentials) in either of these rear axles? Note the axle shaft bearing condition by rotating each axle shaft and shaking the shaft or brake drum sideways. Note whether you have C-lock type axle shafts (OEM for the '91 application) or pressed-on wheel bearing type axle shafts. Compare the brake shoe sizes, brake drum sizing, cable hook-ups and pinion flange/U-joint design and size. That should do it! Torque all fasteners to spec, and make sure you bleed the brakes after hooking up hoses and lines. (Keep debris from entering the open brake lines or hoses!) If the replacement rear axle's wheel cylinders look questionable and you plan to use them, rebuild or replace the cylinders. (I would at least rebuild them, who knows their condition, right?) Replace worn or thin brake lining, and resurface the brake drums if necessary. Install new shoes and spring/hardware kits. This is a good time to flush and purge the brake system, using fresh brake fluid (type DOT 3). I've shared that my preferred method for flushing and purging the hydraulic system of contaminants is with a vacuum bleeder, applying vacuum at the calipers and wheel cylinders. This draws old fluid and contaminants from the cylinders, doing a much better job than pedal or pressure bleeding from the master cylinder end. Warning: Keep the brake system clean...Do not use petroleum distillate or chlorinated solvents (found in most aerosol brake parts cleaners) around any of the brake system hydraulic seals and other rubber parts. Read the labels: These solvents are for metal parts, not for use around rubber! Use denatured alcohol or isopropyl alcohol to clean brake hydraulic system parts; dry parts thoroughly with filtered, dry compressed air before installing new rubber seals and cups. Use only recommended (DOT 3 or equivalent) brake fluid. Be sure to test drive the Jeep carefully, and let us know how the job turns out! Moses

Good questions and concerns...Tires are time-stamped carefully these days, there are actual date codes molded on the carcass, and older tires are a liability. Setting on the lot for two years could be 3-year-old tires, many say that six years is max life, so you may have some negotiating room here. Read the tire date codes, they should be quite visible on any tire built after 2007...I would at least shave something off the upgrade to 225s, and yes, I would step up for Load Range D. Sounds like you're on the cusp for the 18-footer, and I am still swayed in that direction. You can readily "live" with the 16-footer, and putting the tool tote on the tongue is not a major issue. You can even get the battery inside the tool box on the tongue to protect and secure it. You may want a full size battery if you anticipate adding a winch for loading a "wounded" Jeep or another vehicle. I checked out the hitch, and the idea of a friction sway control built into the hitch is nice. When Rick Preston outfitted me to the gills years ago, we went with a heavy-duty, Draw-Tite equalizing/load distribution assembly with torsion bars that enter the bottom of a massive ball mount. The mount weighs plenty, the bars are hefty, too. Rick added a "sway brake", which is actually a sliding friction brake that serves much like the hitch you have shared. For my longer wheelbase Suburban 4x4s and the Dodge Ram 3500 4WD chassis, I really could not feel much difference with or without the use of the sway brake. If we were back to the Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser's 90-inch wheelbase towing a 21' travel trailer across the Mojave Desert in a crosswind, I would definitely mount the sway control brake and use it! The brake has its own smaller mounting ball/studs and attaches readily with hitch pins. I'm not minimizing the importance of resisting side sway. I'm simply sharing my own experience. When we trailered the XJ Cherokee to Moab at 70-plus mph across the wind-swept Bonneville Desert, we did just fine with the heavy duty equalizing/load distributing hitch and no add-on sway control brake...There is nothing wrong with a load distributing hitch assembly that has a built-in sway control, so if the price is right, get it! Given that you have a heavy camper on the truck, I would go with both the load distributing hitch and a sway control of some kind. When selecting a load distributing/equalizing hitch assembly, look at its load rating. By design, any equalizing hitch will work if rated for your anticipated loads. If possible, get an equalizing hitch that is easier to install and remove. Ours is very bulky, but I don't mind a good workout! As for your concern about a shorter trailer and the effectiveness of the load distributing hitch, by design the hitch levels the truck and trailer, regardless of the trailer's length, so there should be little difference in the handling with the 16- versus 18-foot trailer. The maneuverability would be slightly better with the 16-footer, the 18-footer would have more flexibility for loads and hauling different wheelbase vehicles. Handling physics would be slightly different but minimized if the trailer's axles are placed properly for a load like your Jeep Wrangler. We haven't discussed wiring, lighting, the post jack and tie-down provisions, and these are important, too. Make sure the trailer you pick has reliable brakes, well routed wiring, good lights with common replacement lenses and strategically placed D-rings. Get good straps, and check out my tie-down article at the magazine for ideas on tie-down points, axle wrap straps, chain and ratchet straps. There's a lot to consider when trailering and hauling a vehicle safely. Sounds like the bargains are disappearing fast. Pick the trailer that fills your needs, and if aluminum wheels are not expensive, they do eliminate rust issues. Galvanized steel is okay, but the galvanizing seldom lasts at the wheel nut seats—or when tires get dismounted and re-mounted, or wheel weights get installed and removed. Aluminum can oxidize, too, but the effect is less of an issue cosmetically. Aluminum can be lighter, too, but not much lighter at these wheel sizes. Moses

Hi, LastCJ7! For those who aren't aware, the York air conditioning compressors make a terrific air supply source for off-road vehicles. York A/C compressors were popular with Ford, AMC, I-H and others that wanted a rugged, high-output compressor unit. Also unknown to many, including those building air supply systems for off-road use, is that the York compressor you describe has a "crankcase" and oil reserve for the crankshaft and bearings. When this crankcase runs dry, just like with an engine's crankcase, the compressor bearings and crankshaft, pistons and other parts, starve for lubrication and fail, often seizing. The clutch you describe is a simple, magnetic field design. You can test the clutch engagement by magnetizing the clutch. There is one wire coming from the clutch unit, and if you apply 12-volt current here, you activate the magnet and lock up the clutch. Simple test is to run a fused jump lead to that wire. If the clutch locks, the magnet is good. These magnets do fail and should be available. Make sure you have a sufficient ground, although this is generally assured by the metal case attaching solidly to the engine. It is presumed that your grounds to the engine are good. Test the magnet/clutch activation. When activated, you will see and hear the clutch engage. When engaged with the engine running, the load on your engine should be noticeable if the compressor has good seal. Clutch engagement causes the compressor's crankshaft to turn. I've always wondered what is normal "oil consumption" for these compressors. Do you add much oil after the initial fill and leveling? I know the crankcase oil level should be checked periodically. I would guess that very little oil gets past the rings and into the air supply. If it does, do you filter the air to eliminate oil contamination when inflating tires and using compressed air? For air tool operation, this is a non-issue, as it's advantageous to oil your air tools regularly! Kilby Enterprises does a lot of onboard air stuff with the 210 compressor. This is a high output unit, and in top form, it is capable of running air tools! One concern with the York units is mounting position, as the suction port must be on top. See the notes at the Kilby Enterprises site. Kilby also has parts if you need them, plus this York Manual in PDF download sections. For the clutch service section, click here for PDF service steps—thanks, Kilby Enterprises! Let us know whether the clutch engages...If not, it's straightforward to replace the magnet—when you find a new or good used one. Kilby Enterprises does offer new service parts for these units. Moses

All good points, Megatron, each deserves an explanation, so here we go...I'll begin by sharing that I ran a four-wheel alignment rack at a GMC truck dealership in the mid-'80s, the era of both beam front axle 4x4s and IFS 2WD and 4WD front ends. For fifteen years prior to that, I had been doing alignment with far less equipment than that new Hunter four-wheel, electronic light beam rack. Fifteen years after the dealership stint, I taught wheel alignment at the adult vocational training level and merged my varied equipment experiences, which reflect in what I'm now sharing. It's great to use precision four-wheel alignment equipment. However, "computer" alignment equipment is also limited in many ways. For example, you describe aftermarket wheels, suspension and tires, and you're right, of the three (assuming the suspension kit is as adjustable as yours), the wheel offset is the most critical modification. Because your truck falls outside the OEM guidelines built into the software for modern alignment equipment, many shops will avoid doing your truck's alignment. Reasons for refusal include "liability", "unpredictable results" and "possibility of abnormal tire wear"—regardless of the alignment procedure. In many cases, the shop simply doesn't know what they can do to address or compensate for your modifications...After all, this is the era of plug-and-play. Follow the flow charts or stare at the computer screen or scanner. Wait long enough, and maybe an answer will materialize...That's not going to happen here! For now, let's suspend judgment about why your truck and millions of other 4x4s are in this predicament. You've installed all of this hardware, and it's time to make the vehicle track as safely as possible—and for the tires to last. As for front axle lateral alignment, your adjustable track bar is a real asset. Alignment does reference from the rear axle, and for good reason. The term "thrust" is just what it sounds like: The rear axle on a RWD vehicle is the traction point, pushing the frame and the entire vehicle forward from the rear. Unless you're driving backward, your rear-drive truck requires the front axle to align squarely under thrust. (Thus the term "thrust alignment"!) The axles must be square, in any case. To illustrate, draw a line forward and perpendicular to the centerline of the rear axle. This follows the driveline in approximate terms—unless the driveline is offset like with a side-drive transfer case. This line of force, aimed forward and perpendicular to the rear axle, becomes the reference point for the front axle's position. The front axle ends up parallel to the rear axle, which is simple to visualize on beam axle trucks like our Ram 3500 models. The front axle must also align sideways or laterally, the reason for your adjustable track bar. Whether the frame is perfectly square or not, if the front axle is parallel to the rear axle (plane view from the top), and if the axles center laterally with each other, you can align the truck's front end. The frame should be square, though, because an out-of-square frame would place the springs, suspension arms and steering linkage at odd angles with the axles. So, let's start with a square frame, no collision damage, and a rear axle that sets squarely in the truck. It's much easier with our leaf sprung, beam rear axle: The centering points for the rear axle are simply the leaf spring center bolts and the axle's spring perch holes—plus any spacer block alignment holes or pins. Rear axle in place, you can use the string-in-diamond method for setting the beam front axle's position for both parallel to the rear axle and laterally on center. I used the string method for two illustrated how-to articles at the magazine: my Jeep XJ Cherokee 6-inch long arm installation at the "Jeep XJ Cherokee & MJ Comanche 4WD Workshop" (see the left panel menu) and also the Jeep TJ Wrangler Rubicon Full-Traction Ultimate 4-inch lift. The XJ Cherokee is similar to our Dodge Ram trucks with link-and-coil front suspension and leaf springs at the rear. Both Jeep vehicles have beam axles front and rear. Critical to a string-in-diamond beam axle alignment is finding precise reference points at each of the axles. You must have a reference point at each side of the front axle that is truly equal distance from the axle's centerline. The rear axle on our trucks is simple: Use the leaf spring center bolts as the rear reference points. On a Jeep TJ or JK Wrangler, there are matching suspension points that are equidistant from the rear axle's centerline. The front axle should align with equal string lengths to the rear axle, measured in cross or "diamond". This means measuring from the front axle's left side reference point to the right rear spring center bolt, then from the front axle's right side reference point to the rear axle left side spring center bolt. This measurement must be very accurate. Even 1/16"-1/8" variance can make a difference. If there are obstacles under the chassis that prevent an accurate measurement, you may need to relocate your reference points or even make "extensions" from the reference points to below the obstacles...For these measurements, you can have the axles suspended to full drop, which may help the string lines clear the transfer case skid plate, the exhaust or any other objects in the way. Be creative. It's crucial that your four reference points reflect equal distances from the center of each beam axle outward to each axle's reference points. Strings then measure in cross between the front and rear axle reference points. Again, the end game here is to have the axles parallel and tracking in line with each other. When the front axle is offset laterally, one way or the other, we call this "dog tracking". Note: Don't be confused if one axle's track width is actually slightly wider than the other axle with the wheels in place. Some trucks (G.M. beam axle 4x4s come to mind) were designed this way, typically with the front axle slightly wider than the rear. I won't digress into "why" this was the design, simply know that if your reference points match side to side on each axle, and if you run the string lines in cross to matching points at the opposite axle, you will determine both the square and lateral alignment of the two axles. Checking for square with two strings-in-cross is a simple function of geometry. If anyone is having difficulty understanding the principle, draw a perfect square on a piece of paper; now draw an "X" from opposite corners, intersecting at the middle. Measure the length of each "X" line. It will be equal. If you now use a rectangle instead of a square, the results will also be two equal length, intersecting lines. Play with this, and then transfer the "X" lines to your truck's chassis: On your long wheelbase Dodge Ram 3500 truck, the beam axles represent the short ends of a rectangle. The most elaborate "4-wheel" alignment machine will not produce any more accurate results than doing a string line test properly. Once you get the axles square, you can concentrate on a front wheel alignment. This, as you say, is not rocket science, and it's even easier with a beam front axle. Camber, in particular, is factory pre-set on a beam axle. Camber measurement indicates the degree to which the axle beams, steering knuckles and ball joints are in alignment. As you mention, you can make camber corrections with off-set ball joints, or eccentric ball-joint seats, and a source for such parts is Specialty Products Company. Caution: I am against "bending" beam axles to correct slight camber issues unless a racing, weld-on truss is part of the straightening process. (Be aware, too, that welding on a truss is a good way to warp an axle and alter camber!) Consider the axle tube and center section materials plus the original stress that caused the axle to bend. There are metallurgical changes that take place with cold or hot bending. If you need to correct for a slightly bent or out-of-spec axle beam, use offset ball-joints or eccentric ball-joint seats. Make sure the bend did not stress-fracture the axle pieces. Toss out the axle housing if in doubt—you can transfer internal pieces and add-on goodies to a new housing. (See the magazine's many axle rebuilding articles and the HD videos on axle setup.) Be aware that beam front axles come from the factory with +/- camber often slightly beyond the factory recommended camber degree range. I have seen this on Dana Jeep front axles, typically at the short beam side with more factory welding. An extra 1/8 to 1/4-degree camber at one side is not earthshattering and likely was acceptable during OEM axle assembly and installation. This will not impair vehicle handling and has negligible effect on tire wear if you rotate your tires on time. If you are adjusting caster and camber with offset ball-joints or eccentric ball-joint seats, bring both the caster and camber within their recommended degree ranges. To answer your questions about "do-it-yourself" alignment, go no further than these three features that I've done at the magazine. They each get brisk traffic, addressing alignment goals with inexpensive solutions for doing your own alignment work. First is the ‘DIY’ feature on a beam front axle wheel alignment. This is a useful article for understanding the principles of front wheel alignment as well as a 'how-to' on using an affordable SPC Off-Road Fastrax 91025 gauge kit designed for tires to 44" diameter. Click here to see this DIY how-to and equipment article. For those on a shoestring budget, a single gauge kit will do. You can even improvise on the need for turn plates. SPC suggests using plastic sheeting beneath the front tires for a slip surface. On a beam axle, you can unload the weight slightly with the use of two floor jacks, raising the weighted axle evenly and just enough to take the heavy load off the front wheels and tires. This provides easier wheel turning. There is also a photo closer to home, my Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 alignment after installing the Mopar lift kit. Here, I purchased inexpensive front turn plates ($100 for the pair!) from Gil Smith Racing at New York. Gil is a personable family guy, and these plates do the job despite the massive front end weight of the Cummins engine, 9.25" beam axle and 500 pounds of Warn bumper with M12000 winch and stainless wire. For the Dodge Ram alignment, I added a second Fastrax 91025 alignment gauge kit from SPC to make toe setting easier and quicker. This way, you can use the winged braces and separate gauges at each side of the truck during the alignment procedure. This eliminates the need to swap a single gauge set from one side to the other. Last, but surely not least, is the HD video walk-through of alignment on a Jeep TJ Wrangler Rubicon. You'll like this for both a visual orientation and added quips about the process. In this HD video, I do use the double alignment gauge sets from SPC and the Gil Smith turn plates. You’ll see how this speeds up the process. Some additional pointers on doing your own alignment at this level: 1) make sure the floor is flat in both directions or compensate when taking the measurements with the bubble gauges, 2) make sure the turn plates are thin (like the Gil Smith type) or if you spring for more commercial type turn plates (available from several sources, do a Google search under "wheel alignment turn plates"), make sure you raise the rear of the truck to compensate for the turn plate height at the front. Even with a 140.5" or longer wheelbase, a sloping or leaning truck will throw off your camber and caster readings with the SPC 91025 bubble gauges...If you want to add a touch of professionalism, purchase a pair of rear slip plates from Gil Smith Racing that will enhance the work and raise the truck's back end to match the front turn plates. As you mention, always save the toe-in setting for last. Camber and caster angle must be right, with the vehicle setting at static (curb) height on the ground, before setting toe. I use factory toe-in and caster angle settings, and the Dodge Ram handles very well. And, yes, caster is important, this and steering axis inclination (SAI) are what return the front wheels to center after coming out of a corner. The surest sign of too little caster angle is a vehicle that requires turning the steering wheel back to center after a turn. I'm at 4-degrees positive caster on the Dodge Ram 3500, closer to 7-degees positive on the XJ Cherokee. More can sometimes be better for off-pavement turning radius; however, factory specs are the best for normal tire wear and handling in general. I mentioned another specification that is of concern during alignment: steering axis inclination (SAI). We can go into this if you want, but the important thing to note for DIY alignment purposes is that strange caster and camber angle readings over the full turning arcs (illustrated in the XJ Cherokee alignment how-to article and shown in the TJ Wrangler HD video coverage) are an indication of a bent steering knuckle on a later beam axle 4x4 or a bent spindle on 2WD and vintage 4WD vehicles. On alignment equipment that will identify SAI error, if all measurements are correct and SAI is off, we inspect the steering knuckle, spindle or unit bearing hub for damage. Make sure any strange readings are not from bad steering knuckle ball joints or worn wheel/hub bearings! Better yet, inspect for ball joint, wheel bearing and unit hub bearing wear before attempting the alignment. Check steering linkage for loose joints, too. This is ground school, we can go from here. As a light- and medium-duty truck fleet mechanic in the late 'sixties, I began aligning my own beam axle Jeep CJ3A and vintage '55 Ford F100 at home. On these vehicles, toe-in could be set with nothing more than a tape measure. If you do wheel alignment with turn plates, the steering linkage and suspension will be unloaded, and the measurements will be that much more accurate. Add rear wheel slip plates and Fastrax gauges, and you can emulate a "pro" alignment! Even on the vintage 2WD and 4WD fleet trucks with beam axles, I did quick, rough-in beam axle wheel alignments with nothing more than a tape measure or a portable, adjustable "toe bar". Floor jacks were placed evenly under the axle at each side. I would lift the axle beam just enough to "unload" the wheels and tires. Before setting toe, I made sure the wheel bearings and kingpin bushings or bearings were in good shape and adjusted properly. Tape measure alignments on the trail are often necessary when someone bows a tie-rod on a tall rock or snaps a tie-rod in half. A Ready Welder tie-rod repair at Moab's Rose Garden is just one place where your tape measure alignment skills would be popular. This can get a vehicle home from the trail and tracking down the road safely to a wheel alignment shop. When using just a tape measure for toe-set, make sure you follow the tread pattern closely at the front and rear midline of the tires. When using turn plates to unload and center up the steering linkage and suspension, it helps to bounce the front end. Push down on the front bumper a few times—the bumper is conveniently located at waist height on your Mega Cab! If necessary, use a pair of floor jacks under the beam front axle to take weight off the wheels and tires, then lightly rock the steering wheel at its center position before setting the front tires and steering wheel to straight ahead. This will unload the steering linkage for more accurate alignment settings. When using a tape measure only (not the Fastrax 91025's wing arms), always measure matching tread points. Measure as close to the midline (3 and 9 o'clock) of the tires as possible. Avoiding obstacles is sometimes difficult, but midline of the tires is preferred. Always set toe-in, followed by centering up the steering wheel. You center the steering wheel by adjusting the steering linkage sleeves—never by removing the steering wheel and repositioning it! Caution: The steering wheel spokes are factory set to align with the center or “high” point of the steering gear in the straight ahead steering position. Bring the front wheels into alignment with the centered steering gear and steering wheel—not the other way around! If the steering wheel has been repositioned from factory, find the precise center point of the steering gear. Position the steering wheel there before aligning the front wheels to straight ahead. This also applies when making fine steering wheel position changes after an alignment: Adjust the steering linkage sleeves, do not reposition the steering wheel! Always check toe-in again when you center the steering wheel. To illustrate how well you can do a 4-wheel alignment with strings, a tape measure, a common spirit level and a protractor, I installed the Full-Traction Ultimate lift kit on the Jeep TJ Wrangler Rubicon in just that way! The job began with the vehicle on my hoist and as level/parallel to the ground as possible. I placed a pair of adjustable tripod stands beneath each axle and raised the vehicle straight up, just enough to install the lift kit. The axles remained on the stands with cables and other chassis attachments still in place. After installing the kit, including a bevy of adjustable link arms and a unique rear tri-mount suspension system, I used the string method to square the axles. The rear axle location, fortunately, was fixed by the kit’s design, so this became the reference for making everything square with the frame. The approach was similar to the rear leaf springs and center bolts on our Dodge Ram 3500 trucks. In our case, the rear springs and axle spring perches locate the rear axle squarely at the frame. I set the caster with a quality bubble level and a 180-degree, indexed protractor. I set toe-in with vehicle weight on the axles and tripod stands, using a tape measure fore and aft (as close to 3 and 9 o'clock as practical) at the front tire midlines, keeping the tape as level and parallel to the floor as possible. In my view, this was all just a preliminary, rough adjustment. The next stop was a friend's shop with a $40K alignment rack capable of 4-wheel "thrust" alignment. On the alignment rack, to everyone's surprise, the entire suspension system took only one-half turn of one threaded link arm tube to be fully square! Caster was on, camber (non-adjustable on a solid beam axle) was okay, toe-in and centering of the steering wheel were just routine, slight adjustments. Caster angle was within spec and did, as you describe, provide an acceptable angle for the front/pinion U-joint flange. With a double-Cardan (CV) joint at the transfer case, there is some leeway on this front axle pinion joint angle, and the compromise is between caster angle and U-joint angle. Like you comment, caster usually wins if you want the vehicle to steer correctly! For modified trucks with suspension lifts and oversized wheels and tires, there are two very important considerations for handling. First, the aftermarket wheels' offset and the tire diameter must provide the right intersect point with the ground. This is the “scrub radius”. Visualize the front wheels pointed straight ahead. Draw a line through the ball-joint stud centerlines and observe where that line intersects the tire tread at the ground. This point must be similar to the OEM wheel/tire intersection point, or you will swing the tire on an odd arc during turns, resulting in strange handling and premature tire wear. Scrub radius impacts tire wear as well as handling. Secondly, consider the arc of radius and caster angle changes as the front suspension (link arms in your case) rise and set. Arc of radius is why we do long-arm kits for dramatic lift. When we increase suspension travel, short arms exaggerate the caster angle changes as the suspension extends and compresses. Long link arms are the solution for increased suspension travel. Longer arms will create less caster angle change over the suspension and axle’s arc of travel—or radius. Simply put, you can set the caster at static/curb weighted chassis height, and the caster angle does not vary excessively as the link arms move up and down with the axle. When buying an aftermarket suspension lift kit or bigger/wider wheels and tires, consider these issues. In looking at your Mega Cab components, I really like the stamina and quality of the aftermarket joints, link arms and drop brackets! What you want at the end of the day is suspension that behaves as well as or better than OEM engineering—yet with the lift and tires you desire. Going beyond “looks”, the goal is to understand the demands and dynamics of vehicle suspension and handling. Doing your own wheel alignment is a good start. As for the rear axle, the usual concern is pinion and driveline angles for U-joint survival. Within reason, you can rotate the axle housing for pinion angle change without affecting vehicle handling, as the rear drive axle’s shafts are not sensitive to caster. (If we were talking about a front wheel drive car or an IRS/AWD car, there would likely be provision for adjusting rear wheel caster, camber and even toe-set.) For our trucks, tall lift blocks at the rear leaf springs can create some issues, mainly traction and spring windup related. So, you might skip the visit to the local 4-wheel alignment shop and the brief Car and Driver read—likely just long enough for the tech to discover that specifications for your lifted and modified '06 Dodge Ram 4x4 Mega Cab are nowhere to be found in the alignment machine's software program. As an option, consider the SPC Off-Road 91025 alignment equipment...Two kits work even better than one! Used properly, this accurate, portable SPC setup can help you dial your front end alignment for both safety and good tire life. Bubble caster and camber gauges were an automotive industry standard for at least sixty years prior to light beam, infrared, RF and laser alignment equipment. I entered the service and repair industry when we were still called "mechanics", and breaker point ignitions were the norm. Smaller shops used floating caster/camber bubble gauges that fit magnetically to the end of front wheel hubs! Professionally, I've spun wrenches all the way into the contemporary electronic fuel-and-spark management "technician" era. Electronic, beam four-wheel alignment equipment has been in vogue for more than three decades now...I find it advantageous to have walked in both worlds. Beyond alignment, make sure that the wheel offset and tire diameter add up to a safe and tolerable "scrub radius”. As an alternative to Car and Driver, sift through this Wiki info about scrub radius and SAI. When you widen the wheel rims, you can only go inward so far. (Rotors, calipers and hubs limit the inward wheel position.) For that reason, wide rims almost always offset to the "negative" direction or outward. If there are wheel backspacing choices, match up the wheel width, backspacing and tire diameter wisely! The concern here is the scrub radius. We lift our vehicles and mount oversize wheels and tires for a variety of reasons. In the end, we get to make the handling and safety corrections that these modifications require. Routine tire rotation is always essential, even more so when scrub radius and arc of radius get compromised. Once you dial the front end alignment to the best point possible, watch for ball-joint wear, wheel bearing or hub bearing wear and any tire issues. This can sometimes be the price for a lift and oversized tires. We can, however, reduce, minimize or even eliminate that risk and expense! Moses

Actually, you would make an excellent travel journalist, biggman100! You make Upstate New York very appealing and real to those of us from out of the area...While the West gets kudos for places like the Rubicon Trail, Moab, the vast deserts, tall mountain ranges and wild horses, what you describe is the essence of why we four-wheel and camp outdoors: enjoying the woods, water recreation and family time—wherever Nature calls! Apparently, the call is clear from Upstate New York! Wow, this is a great place for parents to share with their kids. Actually, any outdoor enthusiast would enjoy traveling here, sounds like year round recreational opportunities! I trust other members and guests at the forums will get the message: Upstate New York has great outdoor offerings! We have Jeep 4x4 friends at the White Plains/Sommers Area who introduced us to Cold Springs, the Hudson River and the many wooded and stream-fed areas within a stone's throw from New York City. The Fall is incredibly colorful, drawing canoeists, fly fishers and those who want to see firsthand what inspired people like Thoreau (Walden Pond at Massachusetts)...For fishing and outdoor recreation, the Oswego County that you describe sounds terrific! Thanks for sharing! Trust others will add to your travelogue and detailed account of the regional activities... Moses

Papa, I have lived and breathed Jeep 4WD vehicles for fifty years now and have authored three bestselling Jeep books (Bentley Publishers) that each earned a Mopar official part number. I still discover new Jeep information and facts! I, too, taught, serving as an adult education level automotive/diesel and welding instructor at the Rite of Passage program before advancing to Director of Vocational Training and Site Supervisor of Education...My work with tough young men (often gang affiliated when they entered the program), many eager to learn and dedicate themselves to a productive life through technical training, proved challenging, humbling and, ultimately, highly rewarding. These students raised the bar for my effectiveness and sense of purpose, and I credit them with making me a better teacher... Thanks very much for your comments, I value your feedback and am very pleased that the information serves well! Looking forward to your thoughtful topic posts. Moses

Yep, a rock and a hard place! You're right, there is no "silver bullet"...Sounds like cellular would be similar to the Wi-Fi at Starbucks: great when available. Wi-Fi cafes are largely an urban phenomenon. At Moab and other places, the RV trailer parks now have Wi-Fi. However, there's no promise of evening bandwidth availability when everyone in town is drawing down the local server with streaming Netflix, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter—as the night drags on, speed and bandwidth dwindle to something like the 24K modem and analog phone lines at Yerington. Nothing's perfect, and you do paint a brighter future. For now, Wi-Fi and spotty cellular access can at least keep track of the magazine's 450-plus URL pages and its dozens of dedicated-domain, Vimeo Pro hosted HD video frames. I'll add more info as this "connected at the woods" venture unfolds...Thanks for the reality check, Megatron! Moses

biggman100, this is very helpful! Even for the smaller shop facilities that I've operated, there never seems to be an adequate first-aid kit available. Either a company designs kits for commercial EMTs or has nothing more than the bare essentials for small-scale use. If others would like to comment on Eastern Mountain Sports and other sources for first aid kits, and ways to make sure we have adequate safety equipment for our families and friends afield, please jump into this discussion! Moses

At the 4WD Mechanix Magazine 'Tech and Travel' Forums, the goal is meaningful discussion groups and forum communities. We value everyone's input, and when member "biggman100" made the following suggestion, I promptly responded: "I have a suggestion for the forums. We should have an off topic area that isn't specific to any one make or model, so users can post comments or suggestions relating to the off-road community, items that wouldn't otherwise fit in any one category. Like, for an example, say a new style multi-fit bed tool box comes out, and someone wants info on it. Or maybe someone would like to share experiences with a certain off road parts supplier—that kind of thing...I have a question that has been submitted to every forum I am on. It's about time to get my wife a new car, and I'm curious about AWD sedans. I have been asking around for opinions but haven't yet found a place to post such a question..." Well, biggman100, please post your full question at this forum! The new "Let's Talk!" category and these four new forum groups are specially set up to field these kinds of questions. Thanks for your suggestion, it's now a part of the message board communities! Moses

Megatron, very insightful! I'm still laughing about making a sandwich and watching the sunset as the data uploads to the internet! I took a quick look at satellite services, the affordable ones tie to HughesNet. A bit of history: We lived and I wrote from Yerington, Nevada for years. We began our internet access with a 24K modem to a local server host, with bandwidth, as we used to say, generated by squirrels running in a cage. This thin stream of data fed through our archaic, analog telephone lines, which would unexpectedly disconnect at odd times in the winter months. Next up was the quantum leap to a Wild Blue dish (somewhat like HughesNet). I could actually upload a light URL page in just minutes—as long as Nevada Energy wasn't dropping electrical service on our rural power line to satisfy big agriculture's irrigation and pumping needs during the summer season—and barring January or February storms that would smother the receiving dish with blizzard snow every ten minutes. The magazine's location at Fernley revolutionized our internet access. Charter, frankly, has served us well. Plenty of speed up/down (4-5MB up, 10-15 down) without a high monthly cost. Given our historic experience, this is really something and certainly acceptable for the magazine site's maintenance and HD video uploads to Vimeo Pro. Fast enough. Given your expertise in cellular, is there a cellular solution that makes sense? Satellite with any speed is too costly, but cellular with current 4G available in many locations must have some potential, right? We're using Verizon, would otherwise consider Sprint, and I appreciate your comments here. For years, we had AT&T for cellular phone service and discovered its perfect score for dead cell areas that never improved, despite the AT&T claim that the company was "constantly adding towers"—certainly nowhere near rural Nevada! On trips to Moab, Utah from Fernley, we have traveled from just east of Fallon, Nevada to Delta, Utah, along U.S. Highway 50 ("The Loneliest Highway in America"), without any cell phone reception—either from AT&T or any partners in the area: a distance of 437 miles! This and chronic dead spaces from Yerington to Silver Springs, Nevada, and from the Humboldt Sink NE of Fernley all the way to Wendover along I-80, made us believe that AT&T meant, "You'll only have service when you don't care, and never where you might really need it!" Despite promises to build more towers, AT&T apparently held out for the next leap in technology. The combination of fiber optic and RF sounds promising, though likely expensive for consumers initially. (I did spot the RF fixture atop the stealth pine tree, it's at the upper branch, right side, right?) A visit to the local Verizon office a year ago to consider an Android and similar options left my wife and me scratching our heads. Would 4G and a tablet make sense, and is that cost effective? Is this an alternative to a satellite dish on the trailer? Could I keep the magazine fresh and running (including uploads to the server and Vimeo) from the Rubicon Trail or Black Rock Desert? Your comments about traveling deep into the woods or desert and watching the signal get steadily dimmer is all too true! We do magazine coverage at places like Moab, Utah and High Rock Canyon, Nevada—as a general rule, the words "canyon" and "cellular" should never be used in the same sentence! Your thoughts? Comments from others? Moses

Sounds like you're on the right track, Joe Mac! I would contact EBC and ask if there is a pad set compatible with your OEM rotors... Moses

Hi, Papaobewon, thanks for posting your first topic! You have given us all an excellent opportunity to discuss the concerns around buying a used Jeep TJ Wrangler and aftermarket equipment. There are many vehicles out there, as the TJ was extremely popular in its 1997-2006 production period. I'll describe some things to look at and question regarding this particular Jeep for sale. My intention is not to berate the vehicle or the individual offering this 1998 TJ Wrangler 2.5L Jeep for sale... Here are two distinctly different Jeep TJ Wrangler profiles. At left, a hardcore trail runner does what you would expect—drives the hard trails and works the suspension thoroughly! At right, a very clean Jeep TJ Wrangler with hardtop boasts factory and mild aftermarket upgrades—for a very long life expectancy. First, let me distinguish that a 2.5L YJ or TJ Wrangler has a different frame than the 4.0L six-cylinder frame. This is important if you decide that four-cylinder power is "not enough" for the weight or usage you have planned. With all of the accessories and add-ons that this Jeep features, the 4-cylinder engine is toting quite a package, so fuel efficiency will be only marginally better than a 4.0L six-cylinder model. The 2.5L pushrod OHV engine is a great design, AMC's contribution that Chrysler carried forward until the introduction of the 2.4L high-tech engine. It does a good job when not taxed too much, and the axle gearing is 4.10/4.11:1 on these models with the larger case Dana 35 differential. The transmission is an AX5, the lighter version of the AX designs yet with the right gearing for a four-cylinder engine. Six-cylinder models use the AX15, which does offer a higher torque rating. To use the AX5 with a six-cylinder engine, you would need an adapter. If you wanted to make that swap, the YJ or TJ Wrangler changeover involves relocating and building motor mounts because of the frame differences. (Click on the link to see my MIG welding project.) This includes differences in the location of the rear transmission mount as well, a lesser fix that involves the skid-plate/crossmember. For these reasons, it's very important to decide whether you want a four-cylinder versus a six-cylinder model at the onset. In making that choice, there are a variety of motives. Some purposely buy a four-cylinder if they plan a V-8 and alternative transmission swap into the Jeep. Others believe the four-cylinder will get the job done and deliver better fuel efficiency, which it does to a degree—until the weight of the modified vehicle taxes the engine to the point of offsetting the fuel efficiency. I'd like to draw attention to the performance curves of the 2.5L inline four versus the 4.0L inline six: The four develops its peak torque at a higher rpm, horsepower peaks at 5,400 rpm, a virtually unattainable speed under most driving conditions and surely not fuel efficient at that speed. Compare the two engines and transmissions at: http://www.allpar.com/model/cj/specs.html. This is a 1997 Jeep TJ Wrangler spec readout, the same as the 1998 you're considering. Also noted is that some base models did not have power steering, I'm presuming this Jeep does? You need it. As a footnote, even the 4.0L inline six has a stodgy torque rise in my view, peaking at 2,800 rpm. By contrast, the legendary 4.2L inline six that contributes its crankshaft to the 4.6L stroker motor build-ups reaches peak torque between 1,600 and 2,000 rpm, depending upon the year model. That's diesel-type torque and why the 4.6L stroker motor is so popular! As for the off-road performance of the four-cylinder models, they do quite well. Gearing in low range makes the engine sufficient for the job, and the MPI (1991-up) version of the 2.5L fuel injection is quite stable in slow crawling. I'll address each feature in the order you listed them in your post: 1) A rebuilt or remanufactured engine should have receipts. A remanufactured engine is sold as a long block or short block (without rebuilt cylinder head); the complete long block includes the cylinder head and is desired here. A rebuilt engine should have receipts for machine work as well as parts. We can discuss the details if receipts are available. 2) Since this is a four-cylinder model, it has the AX5 transmission as I described. 3) The description sounds good: a fresh engine, 138,000 miles, only 3,000 on the new engine. Black is an awkward color, draws heat and tends to oxidize faster. The peeling or "crazing" is not uncommon for a black vehicle exposed to a lot of sun or parked outside. 4) A 4-inch lift is common, the body lift is mild as is the motor lift; if done right, this is an asset for off-road use. 5) Swing-out tire carrier is a plus. 6) Aftermarket sound is nice if a quality system and installed properly; always concern about wiring during the installation, must be done right. 7) Tires and spare sound good, 31" is not radical, and the OEM 4.10/4.11 gears can tolerate this diameter tire well. Speedometer may have slight error if not corrected for the 31" tires, this can be remedied with a speedometer drive gear/tooth count change. Note: It surprises me that there is this much suspension lift plus a body lift for only 31" diameter tires. A four-inch suspension lift will accommodate 33" tires, which would require a ring-and-pinion gear change to 4.56:1 or even 4.88:1 for restoring performance. Maybe this vehicle did have 33" tires at one point; otherwise, the combination chassis and body lift is actually excessive for 31" tires. (A two-inch suspension lift would be sufficient for 31" tires on a TJ Wrangler.) The 31x10.5 tires are likely on 8" rims, and that's really not much track width increase for the amount of lift. For this amount of lift, I would do a 10" rim with 33" tires to widen the track width and help restore the vehicle's center-of-gravity. 8) Adjustable track bar is desirable with a link-and-coil suspension lift. This allows precise alignment to eliminate axle offset or dog tracking. Suspension parts and axles need to match up and align when there is an aftermarket lift on link and coil suspension. 9) New shocks and stabilizer are a plus if "new" means quality replacement parts. Gas-charged shocks are preferred here, Bilstein or equivalent. 10) Long sway bar links needed to compensate for the 4-inch suspension lift. 11) Stronger control arms, if quality made, are a major improvement over the stamped steel OEM arms. 12) Cold air intake can improve performance. System should not permit exposure to water, however. Any open faced air filter should be kept away from the spray or slosh of water during stream crossings! Sucking water can cause engine hydro-locking and severe internal engine parts damage. 13) Quality fog lights can be useful for the trail; make sure they're quality with safe, proper wiring. 14) Same as windshield lights; great if done properly. 15) Diff guards are a real plus for off-roading in rocky terrain. 16) Full skid plates are a plus, too! This adds weight, though, and we're talking four-cylinder power in this case. 17) The security console is a real plus, especially when parking the vehicle with the top removed. 18) Okay on the tint if legal and visible. Not sure of the motive. 19) Receipts useful here. Quality parts should be verified. Is the clutch new, too? Flywheel new or re-surfaced? Should be included with an engine replacement or rebuild. 20) Hardtop, especially factory type, is a valuable accessory! These tops are expensive to purchase later, a hardtop has many advantages: weather protection, security, added value. Downside is weight, another tax on that 120 horsepower engine. 21) Undercoated frame can be okay. Is the vehicle at a climate without salted roads? If salted, inspect the chassis and body end to end for rust and any signs of body or frame rust exfoliation. Undercoating is great if applied for the right reasons—not to cover rust, though! 22) Clean title is a must... 23) Chipping paint is back to the black. If the price is right and you want to restore this vehicle cosmetically, you can do so. Regarding your last questions, a MOAB sticker can be good or bad. I've been to Moab since the mid-'nineties and witnessed vehicles used moderately by responsible folks, and I have also seen vehicles pounded mercilessly and abused, even wrecked—often due to driver inexperience. That said, Moab does mean something—what it means depends upon the driving skill of the owner and which trails the Jeep took at Moab. The same applies to the Rubicon Trail, Fordyce, Sierra Trek and so forth. Get underneath and inspect the Jeep end-to-end. The most critical and expensive areas are the frame and axles. Look for signs of collision repairs and trail damage, abuse and so forth. Aftermarket products like lift kits have "perishable" components such as urethane bushings, Heim joints and other pivot points. Drivelines are a source of trouble, and this Jeep TJ Wrangler should have a slip yoke eliminator (SYE) kit at the transfer case outlet to the rear driveline plus a CV-type rear driveshaft. If not, the rear driveshaft is at risk; U-joint life will be short, driveline vibration likely. Look for signs of rock-sliding along the control arms and other symptoms of hard use. Look for scarred diff skid plates. See if the steering gear is loose by manually moving the pitman arm back and forth with the vehicle parked, its front wheels pointed straight ahead; drive the Jeep and feel for steering wander and suspension looseness. Signs of trail use are not, in themselves, a reason to pass up the vehicle; however, scarring and looseness do suggest the kind of use the vehicle has seen. In addition to writing for the 4WD magazines, I wrote for Popular Hot Rodding and several other muscle car and high performance magazines in the 'eighties and 'nineties. My tech Q&A columns would often receive questions about purchasing a used muscle car or Corvette with "low mileage". If a muscle car had "only" 50,000 original miles, I would reply that this could potentially be 200 trips down a quarter-mile drag strip! For a 4WD trail vehicle, 138K miles could be many thousands of trail miles. Metaphor: The notorious Rubicon Trail is only 12 miles long. We can "do the math". Although none of these comments are meant to discourage your purchase, a used trail vehicle is all about its history. Modified vehicles are typically intended for hard trail use, so you do need to adjust your purchase price to allow for any parts damage from trail pounding. I would test drive the vehicle with an ear toward axle/differential noises, transmission synchronizer noise and feel (including "jumping out of gear"), clutch and driveline response, plus the drivetrain play and sounds in 4WD low range. Look closely at the front axle shaft joints in the steering knuckles. Steering knuckle ball-joints and steering linkage joints can be worn out by this mileage from a lot of trail crawling or oversized tires. Inspect the front brake calipers and rotors, they're visible. Look at the drivelines and check for worn U-joints, grease seepage and a torn boot. A major oil leak at the rear main seal can be a nuisance and ruin a clutch disk. Axle pinion shaft seals and the transfer case output seals are other areas to check. Anticipate what you want to do with the Jeep and how the modifications impact your use—or dovetail with it. Also weigh the cost of outfitting a stone stock 1998 TJ Wrangler with these upgrades. Consider a stock vehicle with an extraordinary history, something like "driven on icy highways but never off-road," "driven only on graded gravel—occasionally," "used to get back and forth to work in the winter," "used to access a ski resort in the winter," "not sure what this lever position [4WD/low range] does, I've never used it" —fill in the blanks. My brother-in-law found a 1999 Jeep TJ Wrangler, stone stock with 70K original miles, the auxiliary cloth top never installed, the hardtop never removed, the wheels and tires stock with one OEM tire replacement; the engine is a 4.0L with 3-speed 32RH automatic transmission—owned by a mature couple, they never went beyond a graded gravel road with the Jeep and used it primarily for basic highway transportation and winter driving. He paid $6500 for the Jeep. It is prime for any kind of personalization and modifications, virtually a "new" Jeep TJ Wrangler. While this sounds extraordinary, it's not a Rubicon model. For "hardcore" wheeling, the Sport model could use a rear locker. (Note: Some non-Rubicon TJs actually have the Dana 44 rear axle with limited slip option.) There would be a need for a lift kit, 4" for 33" diameter tires. Then all of the other driveline, SYE and other modifications...The cost of parts—and labor if you sublet all of this work—must be considered. It's not easy making these choices. The best way to approach this is as an "informed" buyer. I trust that these comments, the magazine and the forums help. I and many others can contribute additional comments and ideas, so please ask. It's for the benefit of everyone! Moses

As the publisher of 4WD Mechanix Magazine, I often find myself covering events and subjects at remote areas or outside the Starbucks or motel/hotel's Wi-Fi internet access. The magazine and forums require ongoing access. Sometimes HD video news warrants immediate uploading to the 4WD Mechanix HD Video Network at the magazine website... Does anyone have experience with reliable, or for that matter unreliable, mobile or RV internet access equipment and services? The aim is to be anywhere within reason and still remain connected. I understand the satellite needs: a clear line of sight South and no dense cloud cover. We used Wild Blue (Hughes) coverage years ago. Upload and download speed is very important, cost is always a consideration, and reliable internet service is a must. Any insights here? Appreciate all comments, many of us need more than "Dish TV" and HBO in the wilderness. A trip to Alaska along the Alaska Highway through the Yukon cannot mean the end of internet access—or magazine connectedness. Moses

Joe Mac, EBC has a reputation at racing and high performance braking. I reviewed the corporate website, and it looks like a good all-around approach would be the Extra Duty Orange Pads with GD Series rotors. Given the road speeds you describe and your significant off-road use of the Jeep, I would try upgrade pad material before changing out the rotors. A rotor upgrade bumps cost up considerably. I would research EBC's pad recommendation for stock rotors. If necessary, resurface the rotors, which is simpler and more accurate with contemporary on-the-vehicle resurfacing equipment. This addresses any discrepancy in the wheel hub alignment and provides a rotor that runs true with the wheel hubs—all machining is with the rotors in place. This way, you could see the difference in the pad composition. You're neither in a racing environment nor situations where brake heat and fade should be issues. "Fade" at a low 35K miles is likely due to moisture/water in the brake fluid. Your factory DOT 3 brake fluid is hygroscopic, drawing up to 3% moisture per annum. Actual moisture contamination is usually less with a bellows type master cylinder seal and cap—or other modern master cylinder sealing methods. Your Jeep has low mileage, which means it's parked a lot, and this makes it more vulnerable to the hygroscopic effect of the brake fluid. If you live at a humid climate, this adds to the problem. You have "bled" the brakes. If this was a vacuum bleed from each of the calipers, I would be confident that all old fluid and debris are gone. Pedal pumping bleed jobs and even pressure bleeding from the master cylinder end do not guarantee full fluid evacuation if the calipers remain assembled. These are some thoughts. Perhaps others can jump into this discussion with actual experience around aftermarket upgrades to the OEM brakes on a Jeep Wrangler TJ Rubicon... Moses

Very helpful, biggman100, you've drawn some lines on what can be expected from the different levels of basic readers and scan tools, and as you aptly describe, an increase in price does not necessarily guarantee more functions. It's important to note that scan tools have far more functions than a very simple code reader. I bought a Harbor Freight basic code reader to carry in my off-road tool box. This very inexpensive device came with a code book (hexadecimal) for OBD-II. I would describe the Harbor Freight tool as simply an alternative to those vehicles that enable you to read a MIL stored DTC by cycling the ignition switch: Three times on-and-off in succession, and our '05 Dodge Ram/Cummins 3500 will deliver an instrument panel LED readout of the stored DTC(s). The Harbor Freight reader will even erase the stored DTCs; maybe not a big item, as disconnecting the battery will do the same; however, disconnecting the battery also means having to reset the clock and other battery powered time functions. So, like biggman100 clearly shares, if you want actual data and useful stored or streaming information, including the PC download option, make sure you're getting those features. Thanks, biggman100, for leading the discussion forward! More experience and insight to share out there? Join us! Moses