6/21/2017 The25MostAskedJeepTechQuestionsJpMagazine

TOP25MOSTASKEDJEEPTECH
QUESTIONS
PostedinHowToonApril1,2010 SHARETHIS

ChristianHazel
Editor,Petersens4Wheel&OffRoad

Sometimesitgetsabitcomical.Wegetdozensofemailseverydayaskingnearlythesamething:
"WhatgearsshouldIrun?""Whyismyspeedometeroff?""WhatsizetirescanIfit?"Yougetthe
idea.Sometimewe'llgettwoorthreeidenticalquestionbacktoback.It'salmostlikesomebodyout
thereismessingwithus.Sotoupthesanityleveljustatad,wecompiledthetop25techquestions
weareansweringoverandoveragain.

GearGrinding
QIjustinstalledXYZsizedtiresandnowmyJeepisadog.WhatgearratioshouldIrun?

ATherearealotofvariables,suchasyourenginetypeandsize,manualorautomatic
transmission,overdriveornot,drivingstyle,vehicle'sprimaryuse,andsoon.Forstarters,you've
gottokeepinmindthatasmallerfourcylinderenginewillrequiremoregearingtoregainthe
performanceandlossofdrivabilityincurredwithlargertiresthanalargerenginemakingmore
power.Also,anautomatictransmissionwithoutalockuptorqueconverterwillallowtheengineto
spinroughly100150rpmhigherthanthesamesetupwithamanualtransmissionoranautomatic
withalockupconverterduetoslippageinthetorqueconverter.Withthosecaveats,takealookat
thechartbelowforafewgeneralgearingguidelinesthathaveworkedwellforusinthepast.

FraggedFiveSpeed
QMyAX5isgrindingandneedstoberebuiltorreplaced.Whatdoyousuggest?

ATheAX5foundbehind2.5Lfourcylinderenginesisokayatbest.However,wecan'tsee
ourselveseverrebuildingone,soit'shardtorecommendourreadersdothesame.Instead,we'd
lookintoreplacingthelittlefivespeedwithanAX15froma4.0LYJ,TJ,orXJwithanAdvance

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Adaptersconversionkit.You'llalsoneedtoreplacetheinputgearontheNP231Tcasetoconvert
fromtheAX5's21splineoutputgeartotheAX15's23splinegear.

AnotheroptionifmostofyourdrivinginvolveshardcorewheelingistoswapinanSM420usinga
60degreeV6bellhousingfromaGMCamaro,S10,orBlazer.TheGMbellhousingwillallowthe
SM420toboltuptothe2.5L.I'dusethefactoryGMslavecylinder,clutchfork,andthrowout
bearing.You'llneedaconversionpilotbushingfortheSM420's0.590inchpilottipanda10spline
clutchdisc.Or,ifyoudon'twanttoscroungejunkyardparts,youcanuseaNovakAdaptersPN
B150GMtoboltthetrannytotheengine.Thereareseveraldifferenttypesofadaptersavailableto
converttheSM420totheDana300/NP231patternTcase.Althoughyou'llloosetheoverdrive,if
youdoalotofoffroading,the7.05:1FirstgearoftheSM420offersahugeincreaseinslowspeed
gearingcomparedwiththeAX5's3.93:1Firstgear.

Engine TireSize SuggestedAxleRatiosforSpecificTransmissions

(diameter,in) 3spd.Auto 4spdManual Overdrive
Fourcylinder 33 4.56 4.56 4.885.13
35 4.88 4.88 5.135.38
3740 5.13 5.13 5.38up
Sixcylinder 33 3.734.10 3.734.10 4.10
35 4.10 4.10 4.56
3740 4.564.88 4.564.88 4.885.38
Eightcylinder 33 3.553.73 3.73 4.10
35 3.734.10 4.10 4.56
3740 4.88 4.88 4.885.38
SteerClearRear
QI'vegotaDana20rearaxleandwanttobuilditforoffroadingwithbigtires.Whatdoyou
suggest?

AForstarters,aDana20isatransfercaseusedinlate'60stolate'70sJeepvehicles.AModel20
isarearaxleputinfullsizeJeepsandCJsfromthemid'70suntiltheearly'90s.

There'sreallynothingwrongwiththeModel20thatcameinfullsizeJeeps.Theseaxlesused
heavieraxletubesandgoodonepieceaxleshafts.

WhiletheCJModel20usedthesame8.875inchringgearand29splinecarrierasthefullsize
Jeep,theseaxleshaverelativelyweakaxletubesthatarepronetoflexingandbendingwithheavy
use.Furthermore,thecastingwherethetubeentersthecentersectioniscomparablyweakandhas
beenknowntocrackandfailand/orthetubescanspininthecentersectionbores,allowingthe
piniontoshootstraightupatthefloorboards.Finally,theCJsweregivenahorrendoustwopiece
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axleshaftsetupthatusedanutandWoodruffkeytoattachthehubtotheshaft.Inthefield,thenut
couldbackoffand/ortheWoodruffkeycouldshear,effectivelyruiningyourday.

We'drecommendaddingsomeonepiececonversionshaftsandhittingmildtrailswith31or32
inchtiresandalimitedslip.Butifyou'rethinkingofpunishingyourCJModel20offroadwith33sor
largertires,we'dputourmoneyintoaDana44,Ford9inch,Dana60,orsomeotherbeefyaxle
swap.

Althoughthereareanumberofonepiececonversionshaftkitsonthemarket,it'sreallyawasteof
moneyifheavywheelingisintheaxle'sfuture.Becauseofthetubeflex,axleseallifeisshortened,
leadingtoleaks.Andcentersectioncracksandbenttubesarelikelywithbigtiresandheavyoff
roaduse.

NoStinkLink
QWhat'swiththehighcostofTJ/JKliftkits?It'sjustacouplespringsandsomebushingends
weldedontosometubing,right?HowmuchdoIreallyneedtospendtogetagoodlift?

AAsidefromallthemoneythecompanyistryingtorecoupfromitsresearch,development,and
designstageswhenproducingaqualitysuspensionsystem,asurprisingamountofsteeland
manufacturingeffortgoesintoagoodsuspensionsystem.

It'soldnewsbynow,butthepriceofsteelhasprettymuchdoubledoverthepastcoupleyearsand
itonlyseemstokeepgoingup.Mostofthenamebrandsuspensioncompaniesdon'tskimponthe
qualityorquantityofsteeltheyspecforuseinthespringsandlinks.Skimpingonspringmaterials
andmanufacturingwillresultinasuspensionthatsagsafterthefirstorsecondtimeoffroad.
Likewise,skimpingonthecontrolarmtubingthickness,diameter,andmaterialcanresultinbent
controlarms.Thiscanbetrueevenifthearmsaren'tdraggedoverrocks.Thecontrolarms,
especiallythelowerarms,havetocontendwithsomecrazyforces.Andbecauseofleverage,the
longerthearm,themoreforceisexertedonthetubing.That'swhyyouseelongarmsuspension
systemsthatuseheavywalltubingonthelowercontrolarms.It'sprettystandardfor0.188wall
andeven0.250walltubingtobeusedsince0.120wallandthinnercanfold.

Whatdoyoureallyneed?Lookforcomponentslikeadjustableuppercontrolarmssoyoucandial
inthepinionangle,adjustabletrackbarsandreinforcedtrackbarbrackets,monotubeshocks,
progressiveratecoils,andanynecessarysteeringcorrectioncomponentslikedroppedpitman
armsandtrackbarrelocationbrackets.Anddon'tforgetthesmallstufflikelongerbrakelinesand
planongettingafrontendalignmenttoadjustthetoesettingsandcenterthesteeringwheel.

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TireTroubles
QIwanttoinstallsometiresonmyJeepthatwillgivemegoodoffroadperformanceinthemud
androcks,butthatwon'twearouttoofast.Ican'taffordtobeputtinganewsetoftiresonmyJeep
everyotheryear.

AWell,getcozywiththephrase"There'snofreelunch,"becausethegeneroustirevoidsand
large,aggressivelugsthatmakeatireworkwellinthemudandrocksoftenleadtoquickertire
wear.

Manymodernmudterraintiresfeaturecomputerdesignedtreadpatternsthatnotonlyevacuate
mudandwaterefficiently,butincorporatesmallgroovesorsipingonthetreadblocksthatallow
moretreadflexontheroadandmorebitingedgesintherocks.Theincreasedonroadflexallows
longerwearandincreasedtirelife.Bottomline?Yourchancesofmixinglongevityandperformance
arebetterwithanewer,moremoderntiredesignasopposedtosomeoftheoldstandbys.

WhirlingDervish
QIwanttoliftmyXYZJeepXYZinches.WillIneedtoinstallaCVreardriveshaft?

AThisisoneofthosequestionsforwhichtheanswercanvaryonacasebycasebasis,butthere
aresomegeneralrulesofthumb.Remember,vehicleswithlongerfactoryreardriveshaftscanget
awaywithmoreliftbeforeadoublecardan(commonlyreferredtoasaCV)shaftisneeded.
Assumingthedrivetrainisleftinthestockposition,meaningtheengineisnotraisedandthe
transfercaseisnotdropped,herearesomegeneralrulesofthumbgoverningatwhichliftheightsa
doublecardanreardriveshaftbecomesanecessity.

JK:Over3inches(2door)over4inches(4door)
Wrangler:Over3inches(TJ/YJ)Over4.5inches(WranglerUnlimitedTJ)
XJ:Over3.5inches
Flattie/CJ5:Over2.5inches
CJ7:Over3inches
FSJWagoneer/Cherokee:Over6inches
FSJPickup:Over8inches

RustBust
QI'vebeentryingtoremovethestubshaftsfrommyDana30'sUnitbearingwithnoluck.What's
thetrick?

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AEvendownhereinthesouthwestwereitneversnowsandhardlyeverrains,separatingthestub
shaftfromaDana30Unitbearingcanbeachore.Theproblemiscompoundedbythefactthatin
ordertopreventvibration,theshaft'ssplinesengageintotheunitbearingwitharathertightpress
fit.Throwinyearsofrustandcorrosionandyou'dbetterbepreparedforafightwhentryingto
dismantlesomeoftheseassemblies.

Yourbestmethodwillinvolvealotoftime,patience,andpenetratinglube.Therearealotofgood
onesoutthere,butyou'llhavetogetabitmoreseriousthanWD40.We'vehadexcellentresults
usingJusticeBrothersJB80(justicebrothers.com)andFederalProcessCorporation'sFreeAll
(federalprocess.com).

Soakthenutandtheshaftsplinesbeforestarting.Youmayneedtogoaslongasaweek,
reapplyingthelubeonceortwiceperday.Ifthenuthasn'trustedaway,animpactgunwillbeyour
bestbetforfreeingthenut.Otherwise,goforalongbreakerbarandgiveithell.Iftheedgesofthe
nuthaverustedaway,youcouldtryapairofchannellocksorevenViseGrippliers,butdon'thold
outhopeforeitherworking.Chancesareyou'llbecarefullyMIGorTIGweldinganewnutontothe
stripped,roundedone.

Onceyougetthenutoff,eitheruseanairhammerwithabluntbittofreethestubshaftfromthe
unitbearingorthreadtheshaftnutbackonafewturnstoprotectthestubshaftthreadsandwhack
awaywithaheavydeadblowhammer.Resisttheurgetouseasteelsledge,asitwilllikelyresult
inseriousshaft,bearing,orhubdamage.Anddon'tbreakoutthetorch.Asidefromthefactallthat
penetratinglubewillgouplikeaRomancandle,you'llprobablywastethebearing'sgreaseand
seals.

DeathWobble
QIrecentlyputlargertiresonmyJeepandnowI'vegotseriousdeathwobbleonthestreet.

AWhentryingtodiagnosedeathwobble,alwaysstartsmallandworkyourwayup.Althoughthe
largertiresmayseemlikethecauseoftheproblem,inrealitytheyareoftenonlymakinganalready
existingproblemnoticeable.Startbycheckingthefrontwheelbearings.Simplyjackthefronttires
upoffthegroundand,grabbingthetopandbottomofthetiretread,trytowigglethetire/rimback
andforth.Ifanylateralplayisnoticed,checktoseewhereit'scomingfrom.Theusualsuspectsare
thehubbearingpreload(ortheUnitbearingsonnewerJeepvehicles)ortheballjoints.

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Ifthehubadjustment,bearings,andballjointscheckoutokay,moveontothetires,makingsure
they'reproperlybalanced.Youcantrymountingthereartiresonthefrontandseeifthathelps.If
not,takethetiresbacktotheshopthatdidthebalancingandhavethemmakesurethebalanceis
stilltrue.

Withthetiresruledout,moveontothesteeringlinkagetierodsand/orrodends.Checkthetierod
ends,draglinkends,andthetrackbarbushings(ifapplicable),asanyoneorcombinationofthese
cancontributetodeathwobble.

Finally,ifyourJeephasbeenlifted,checkthefrontaxlecaster.Yougenerallywant46degrees
positivecaster(bottomballjointinfrontoftop).Usuallywhenaliftisinstalledthefrontaxlemaybe
rotatedupwardstoalleviatepinionangleandreducedriveshaftvibration.However,whenthepinion
israised,casterislowered.Ifyourcasteristoolow,removeorreplacethespringshimsifyour
Jeephasleafsprings,oradjustthecontrolarmlengthor(ifapplicable)theeccentricboltsto
increasecastertothedesiredamount.

OdoAdj
QIrecentlyinstalledbiggertires/differentgearsandnowmyspeedometerisn'taccurate.

AIt'ssimplemath,butifyouincreaseyourtiresizeby10percent,yourspeedometerwillread
slowerby10percent.Ifyouincreaseyourgearratioby10percent,yourspeedometerwillread10
percentfaster.Whichevermodificationyou'reworkingwith,thereareafewmethodsofcorrecting
yourspeedometernomatterwhatyearJeepyouhave.

OlderJeepswithmechanicalspeedometerswillneedtorunadrivejointwithaspecificratioto
eitherslowdownorspeedupthespeedometer.Thedrivejointmountsinbetweenthetransfer
casespeedometergeardriveandthespeedometercableandiscurrentlyofferedbyStewart
Warner(stewartwarner.com).

Jeepsfromthe'70tomid'90sthatrunfullymechanicalormechanicallydrivenelectronic
speedometerscanhavenewspeedometerdrivegearsinstalledintothetransfercasetailhousing.
Replacementgearswith2638teethareavailabletocorrectforseveralratiosandtiresize
combinations.Thegearsareavailablethroughnumerousdistributorsincluding4WheelDrive
Hardware(4wd.com)andQuadratec(quadratec.com).

Finally,vehicleswithfullyelectronicspeedometersthatuseaHalleffectpickup,andeven
mechanicallydrivenelectronicspeedometers,canuseanelectronicconversionbox,suchasthe

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SuperliftTrueSpeedortheJetPerformanceSpeedometerCalibrator.Orthereareanumberof
performancecontrollersandhandheldelectronicprogrammerboxesthatcanadjustthe
speedometerreadingsbyaccessingthefactorycomputersoftwarethroughtheOBDIIport.

PowerPlay
QIwanttoswapaV8inmyJeep.WillIneedtomodifythefirewall?

AThisonealwayscracksusupbecauseaV8swapinvolvessomuchworkthatmodifyingthe
firewallseemssimpleincomparison.Regardless,swappingaV8cangenerallybedoneinany
Jeepwithoutfirewallmodifications.

AboutthetightestandmostcommonswapisstickingasmallblockChevyintoaflatfender.The
twobiggestfactorsinfittingeverythinginthestocklocationisthelargedistributorcaponthe
factoryChevyHEIdistributorandthemorecommonlongwaterpumpassembly.Swappingtoa
shortwaterpumpandaccessorypackageandswappingouttoanaftermarketsmallcapelectronic
ignitiondistributorwillallowyoutojustsqueakaSBCunderthefactoryflattiehood.

Foranevencleanerswap,we'dconsiderasmallblockFord,aBuickV6orV8,orevenanAMC
engine.Allofthesedesignshavefrontmounteddistributorsthatwillallowtheenginetobe
positionedalittlefartherbackintheenginecompartmentwithoutfirewallinterference.

TreadTroubles
QIusemyJeepmostlyforcommuting,buthitthetrailsaboutoneweekendeverymonth.ShouldI
buyanallterrainormudterraintire?

AThere'sreallytoomuchpersonalpreferenceinvolvedinaloadedquestionlikethis.However,
althoughyou'llalmostalwaysgetmoremileageoutofasetofallterraintires,manufacturers
nowadaysareemployingsomeprettyadvancedcomputerdesignstocreatemoderatelyaggressive
mudtiresthatarequietandthatrollsmoothlyonthestreet.Whileyouwon'tgettheanimaltraction
ofagnarlyIntercoSwamperorBFGKrawler,amildmudtiresuchastheToyoOpenCountryMTor
theProCompXtremeMudTerrainwillgetthejobdoneoffroadwithoutwipingoutyoureardrums
onthestreet.

HoHumDrum
QWhatdoIneedtoconvertmyearlyJeepfromdrumbrakestodisc?

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ANomatterhowmuchwecoverthisquestioninthemagazineandonourwebsite,wealways
seemtogetaskedaboutconvertingdrumbrakeaxlestodisc.Forstarters,visitjpmagazine.com
andcheckoutthestory,"EarlyJeepDiscBrakeConversionTimelessTechDrumtoDisc"by
formerJpstafferVerneSimons.

EarlyJeepDana25,Dana27,Dana30,andDana44axlesoriginallyequippedwithdrumbrakes
sharethesameroundsixboltspindleandbackingplateboltpatternaslaterGM,Ford,andDodge
Dana44discbrakeaxles.So,itstandstoreasonthatyoucanusesomecombinationofthese
partstoconverttodiscbrakes.Forthestory,Simonsusedthefollowing:calipersfroma'71'78
Chevy1/2tonorlightduty3/4ton4x4withaDana44,calipermountingbracketsfroma'73'91
1/2tonChevy4x4,Rotorsfroma'77'78CJ(Theserotorsare11/8inchthick),tenlongerwheel
studs(heusedDormanPN610106),Chevy1/2tonbrakelines(ProCompPN7220),agrinder,
standardhandtools,brakefluid,newhardbrakeline,banjobolts,andableederkit.

YoumaybeabletodothesameswapontherearDanaaxleprovidingithasthesameroundsix
boltbackingplatepatternasthefront.

ShackleSwap
QI'vebeenconsideringperformingashacklereversalforabetteronroadride.Isitreallyworthit?

ATheonroadridecomparisonbetweenashacklereversalsuspensionandthestandardfactory
shackleforwarddesignislikenightandday.Butthat'snottosaythateitheriswithoutitsownsetof
advantagesanddisadvantages.

Althoughpositioningtheshacklesattherearofthespringpackinashacklereversalallowsfora
morenaturalcompressionofthespringasthefrontaxletravelsupwardandback,itcanbeargued
thatitdoesn'tofferasmuchtractiontothefronttireswhenoffroad.Inthestandardshackle
forwardconfigurationasthetirestartstoclimbanobstacleandthespringscompress,thetireis
forcedforwardintotheobstacle,increasingbite.However,havingdrivenbothsuspensiontypesoff
road,we'dsaywehaven'treallynoticedanymeasurabledifferenceinoffroadperformance.But
theonroadrideiswaybetterwiththereversal.

TooSlowtoFourOh
QI'vegota2.5LWranglerandwanttoswapina4.0L.Isthisaboltinswap?

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AFortheumpteenthtime,ifyouwanta4.0LWranglerit'scheaperandeasiertosellyour2.5Land
justbuytheJeepyouwant.Evenifyou'veloadedyour2.5Lwithabunchofmodifications,itstill
makessense.Regardless,let'srunthroughthemechanicsofitall.

Forstarters,youcan'tjustboltina4.0LtotheAX5thatoriginallybackedthe2.5L.Asidefromthe
factthatthetwoengineshavedifferentbellhousingboltpatterns,theAX5doesn'thaveaprayerof
lastingmorethanacouplehundredmileswiththepowerandtorqueofthe4.0L.So,youcan
automaticallyaddatransmissionswapintothemixaswell.Oh,andyou'llneedtotaketheNP231
Tcaseaparttoinstalla23splineinputgearsincethe2.5LJeepshavea21splineinputgear.Add
thattothepile.

Then,there'sthesundriesthateverybodyseemstoforgetabout.Sincethe4.0Lislongerthanthe
2.5Levenifyouputthe2.5L'saccessoriesontothe4.0L'sbracketsyou'llneednewpowersteering
hoses,radiatorhoses,heaterhoses,andanewfanshroud.Don'tforgetthatyou'llneedto
lengthenthefuellinestoreachthe4.0Lmanifold,doanewexhaustforwardofthecatalytic
converter,andinstallnewenginebracketsontheframe.Thenyou'llneedtolengthenprettymuch
everysensorwireaswellasthechargingsystemwiresandthenplopinanew4.0Lfactory
computerandaddtheharnessconnectorsfortheextratwoinjectors.Man!Now,considerthatyou
canpickupadecent4.0LTJforwellunder$5,000oraclean4.0LYJfor$3,000orlessandit
doesn'tmakeawholelotofsensetogothroughalloftheabove.Doesit?

ManOhManifold
QIreadthatswappingtoa'99upintakemanifoldwillgetme20hp.Isthisaboltondeal?

ADon'tyouthinkiftheswoopierUshapeofthe'99upmanifoldaddedthatmuchpoweroverthe
oldersquareshaped4.0Lmanifold(shown)thefactorywould'veclaimedthatinitsmarketing?
We'vedoneafairamountofdynotestingwith4.0LJeepsand,asidefroma10hpdifferenceeither
way,there'susuallynotthatmuchvariationbetweenthebaselinenumbersgeneratedbystock
H.O.4.0LJeepsfrom'91'06.Theyallputdownrightaround135150hpatthetires.

However,ifyoustillwanttoswaptothelatermanifold,you'llneedthe'96uppowersteering
bracketandwillneedtolengthensomeofthesensorwires.Thefuelrailshouldwork.Bewarned,
however,Trasborgdidtheswapandactuallylostpoweronthedynowithhis'97XJ,sounless
you'readdingaturbochargerorotherbigpoweradders,thelogstylemanifoldseemstobeabetter
matchtothe'98earlierheadandcamshaftprofile.

H.O.4.2L
QWhatpartsdoIneedtoputa4.0Lheadonthe4.2L?
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ATheH.O.4.0Lheadfoundon'91'06TJs,XJs,ZJs,andWJsisdrasticallybetterthanthefactory
headfoundon232and258engines.

Hesco(hescosc.com)offersakitunderPNHES4240CHCthatincludesamodifiedH.O.4.0Lhead
forusewiththe4.2Lblock,gaskets,andavalvecover.You'llstillneedtoobtaina4.0Lexhaust
manifoldorheader.

Ifyouchoosetogothelowbuckjunkyardroute,you'llneedtofillinsomeofthewaterpassageson
the4.0LheadwithepoxyorJBWeld.Mostmachineshopswe'vespokenwithrecommendusing
watersolublepackingpeanuts.Youshovethepeanutsintothehole,leavingroughly1/2to1/4
inchofroomfortheepoxy.Thenfillitupandgrinditsmooth.Thepeanutswilldissolveintothe
coolantandwon'taffectflowwithintheengine.

Thecoolantpassagesthatneedfillingwillbeevident,whenyoucomparethe4.0Lheadtothe4.2L
block,butthey'reontheintakesideandflanktheheadboltholes.

ForcingtheInductionIssue
QI'mconsideringaddingeitherasuperchargeroraturbosystemtomy2.5L/4.0Lformorepower.
Isonebetterthantheother?

ABothasuperchargerandaturbochargerdothesamething.Theycompresstheairfromthe
atmosphericpressureof14.7psiat(sealevel),allowingtheenginetoingestmoreairthanitcould
whennaturallyaspiratedandtherebyallowingaproportionateamountoffueltobeintroducedto
theengine.Itbasicallymakestheenginethinkit'sbiggerthanitis.

However,thewayinwhicheachaccomplishesthiscompressiondiffers.Asuperchargerisdriven
offthecrankshaftoftheengine.Sinceit'smechanicallydriven,itcontributesabittotheoverall
parasiticpowerlossestheengineincurs.Aturbo,ontheotherhandusestheflowofexhaust
gassestospinthecompressor.Althoughit'snotexactlyfreepower,aturbodoesn'taccruethe
sameparasiticlossesasasupercharger.Bothmethodsrequiresomeformofintercoolertorealize
theirfullpotentialsincetheintercoolerwillcombattheinescapablebyproductofcompressingair
heat.

Thatsaid,atthemodestboostlevelsof4to7psithatmostJeepforcedinductionsystemsrun,
thesedifferencesbetweenturbochargingandsuperchargingareminimized.Furthermore,the
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aftermarketisveryadeptatmatchingturbosizestotheirintendedaftermarketapplicationtodo
awaywithexcessturbolaganddecreaseddrivability.

Whichdoweprefer?Basedonitssheercapacityforpowerbuilding,we'dbemoreinclinedtogo
turbo.IntheJeepworld,505Performance(505performance.com)hassomeprettycompletekits
whippedupthatmakesomerealpower.JustcheckourrecentInsaneInlineseriesthatmadean
astounding693hpwitha5.0Lstrokerinlinesix.Ontheotherhand,superchargercompanieslike
AvengerSuperchargers(avengersuperchargers.com)andAdventureInnovations(adventure
innovations.com)bothhaveverycomplete,welldesignedsuperchargerkitsforJeeps.Intheend,
it'suptoyoutopickyourownpoison.

NoStop
QMyJeephasa4:1gearsetinthetransfercaseandanautomatictransmission.WhenI'moffroad
inlowrangeIhavetosteponthepedalwithbothfeettogettheJeepstopped.WhatcanIdotoget
myJeeptostopoffroad?

AThisisthedefinitionoftheaxiom,there'snofreelunch.Allthatawesometorquemultiplication
andoffidlechugabilitythatkeepsyougoingforwardthroughgnarlyrockscanquicklyovercome
eventhestockfourwheeldiscbrakesetuponamodernRubicon.

Forstarters,it'sprobablyagoodideatoswaptostickierbrakepads.Thestockpadsaregeared
moretowardslongevitythanbrutestoppingpower.CheckEBCBrakes(ebcbrakes.com)forsome
stockreplacementpadsthatwillreallyputthehurtin'onforwardmomentum.

However,I'msurethepadsaren'tgoingtosolveallyourproblems.SomeoftheguysatJphave
hadmoderatesuccesswithhydroboostsetups,whichdoawaywiththevacuumboosterand
replaceitwithahydraulicboosterpoweredoffofthepowersteeringpump.Or,replacingthestock
mastercylinderwithanaftermarketunitwithalarger11/8inchboremastercylinderandadual
diaphragmboosterwithanadjustablepushrodsuchastheonepicturedfromDave'sCustoms
Unlimited(davescustomsunlimited.com)willgetyougoodresultswiththestockcalipers.

JustaYoke
QMyJeepneedsaslipyokeeliminator.ShouldItakeittoashoportrytodoitmyself?Howhard
ofajobisitreally?

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AWhilewewouldn'trecommenditforthenovicewrench,ifyoucandoabrakejoborfixabroken
frontaxleshaftinthefield,we'dwageryoucouldtackleaslipyokeeliminatorinstall.

Really,thehardestpartisgettingthecasehalvesseparated.Mostslipyokeeliminatorkitsinclude
detaileddirections,buthere'saquickanddirtyrundownjusttogiveyouanidea.Startbyremoving
thefrontandreardriveshaftsfollowedbythefrontandrearoutputyokesandthespeedocableor
wires.Drainthefluidandthenremovetheboltsholdingthetailshafthousingon.You'llneedtotake
offsomesnapringsfromtherearoutputshaft,thenyoucanremovetheoutputhousingand
removethecasehalfbolts.Then,gentlyyetfirmlyprythecasehalvesapart.

Grabtheoutputandinputshaftsandmovethemtothebench,completewiththechain.Leavethe
lowrangegearsetandshifterinthecase.Removeacouplesnapringsandtransferthe
componentsfromtheoldmainshaftovertothereplacementshaft.Then,stickitallbacktogether
andboltitup.You'vegottomakesuretheoilpumpfeedtubedoesn'tcomeoffofthepumpwhen
you'reputtingeverythingbacktogether.

CraptasticAxle!
QI'mgoingtoswaptoaFord8.8/Ford9inch/etc.axleeventually,butuntilthenwhatcanIdoto
makemyDana35survive?

AListenpeople.TheDana35isaturd.Itjustis.Wejustcan'tpolishitupanymorethanthat.Ifyou
wanttomakeitlastoffroad,thendon'tputalockerinit.Withalocker,we'vereallyseenthem
breakbehinda2.5Lrunning31x10.50s.Leavingitwithanopendifferentialisoneoftheonlythings
youcandothatwillstretchitslifeoffroad.

Inreality,bythetimeyougetdoneaddinganaftermarketsetof30splineshafts,anew30spline
carrier,atruss,andgearingit,you'reperilouslyclosetothecostofagoodaftermarket9inchor
Dana44.

JKAxleInfo
QIputasmallliftand37sonmyJK,butnowmyfrontaxlelooksbent.Thetopsofthetirespoint
inwardstowardseachother.

AInreality,wedoubtyoureallybentyouraxle.That'snottosayit'snotstraight.ButeveryJKDana
30andDana44frontaxlewe'vecomeacrosshasseemedtohavenoticeablenegativecamber.

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Wedon'tknowifthefactorysetstheupthatwayforsomereasonorifit'sjustfromtheheatof
weldingonthecoilbuckets.

Butyou'renotquiteoutofthewoods.WhiletheinternalsoftheJKaxleareverygood,thefront
axletubesareasnotoriouslyweakasthepreviousWrangleraxles.Forthepermanentsolutionto
bending,Dynatrac(dynatrac.com)hasheavydutyreplacementfrontaxlehousings.Or,youcould
visitOffRoadEvolution(offroadevolution.com)tocheckoutthecompany'saffordableaxletube
sleevesandgussetsthatyoucanweldtoyourJKaxletobolsteritsstrength.However,thisisn't
goingtohelpifyouraxleisalreadybent.

WhichWinch
QI'mreadytoaddawinchtothefrontofmyJeep.ShouldIpopthebigdollarsforaWarnor
Ramsey,orgowithoneofthecheapiewinchesIseeadvertisedonline?

AThere'ssomethingtobesaidforquality.Andifyou'rehangingyourentireJeep'sweightfroma
winchgoingupawaterfallthelastthingyouwanttoheariscrackingplasticandbendingmetal.
Andyoucertainlydon'twanttosmellfriedsolenoidsandwiringduringlong,hardslogsthrough
thick,gooeymud.Ifgnarlywheelingisinyourfuture,ifyoudolongpullsthroughheavyterrainlike
mud,snow,orrocks,orifyouplanonpullingvehicleslargerthanyourown,thenwe'dsaygoing
withabignamewinchisawiseinvestment.

Ifyouonlywheeloccasionallyandyou'rejustlookingtosticksomethingonthefrontofyourJeepin
therareoccurrenceyougetstuck,thenyoushouldcheckoutourstory,"AffordableWinchReview"
onlineatjpmagazine.comforsomemoreinformationonwinchesthatwillsetyoubacklessthan
$650.

MileageMaster
QHowcanIekealittlemoremileageoutofmy4.0L?

ABelieveitornot,youcanusuallymakea4.0Lgetmileagejustasgood,ifnotbetterthana2.5L.
Remember,youusuallydrivea2.5Lwithyourfootonthefloor.

Forstarters,runacouplebottlesoffuelinjectioncleanerthroughyourfueltanktoridyourinjectors
ofanydeposits.Then,acoldairintakewillreallyhelpflowatmidandfullthrottleandbyitselfcan
beworth12mpg.Thestock4.0Lignitiondoesn'tneedmuchhelptolightoffthemixture,butit's
stillagoodideatocheckthecap,rotor,andplugconditionandreplacethemifnecessary.Agood

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freeflowingaftercatexhaustandevenaheaderwillnoticeablybumpupthepowerandhelpwith
themileage.Finally,ifit'saWrangler,considerreplacingthefactoryfixedbladefanwithanelectric
fan.OnastockJeepwithallofthemodificationslistedaboveyoucouldseeasmuchasa3mpg
increase.

NotPsychic
QWhat'sthebestliftkitformyJeep?

A"Whicheverdamnoneyouwant."Oratleast,that'susuallyourfirstthought.Whetherleafspring,
coil,simple,orfullmambo,youoweittoyourselftodoalittleresearch.TheWebisyourfriend.
Virtuallyeverymanufacturerismarketingitssuspensionsonitswebsites.Pickyourliftheight,then
pickyourbudget,thendoyourresearch.

Startbycomparingthecomponentsincludedineachmanufacturer'ssystems.You'relookingfor
steeringcorrections,droppedbrakelines,methodsofdriveshaftanglealleviation,andsoon.The
onewiththemostcompletekitisusuallythewinner.Onceyounarrowdownyourselectiontojusta
couple,thenshootmeanemail,postuptotheQ&Asectiononjpmagazine.com,orevenaskat
yourlocaloffroadshop.

Over,Under
QSpringoverorspringunder?Whichisbetter?

Acoupleyearsagowewereactuallymakingfunofguyswithspringundersuspension.Well,
maybenotmakingfun.Butwecertainlydidn'tholdtheminashighregardasguysrunningspring
over.

Ourtunehassignificantlychanged.Withalloftheexcellentspringpacksmadetoday,wecan't
reallyseemuchofaneedtogospringoverunlessyou'retryingtogototaljunkyard.Itopensupa
wholecanofwormswithregardtosteeringcorrectionsandaxlewrapissues.We'refairlycertain
we'vedoneourlastspringoverconversionforatleastthenextdecade.

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