JEEP
Right out of the box, as I have said before, the JK Rubicon model is arguably the best all-around OEM Jeep ever offered to consumers. And as you can see in every off-road catalog, its available enhancements cover every aspect of possible improvements; some quite difficult for the home mechanic, while others are fairly simple.
The three tasks of Facet Three (installation of front/rear bumpers and winch), which might take you three hours from unpacking the bumpers to unrolling the winch cable, are more difficult than exchanging the muffler (which I showed you in Facet Two), but not much.
I have used products from both companies for more decades than I really care to remember. I've used them in most states and provinces (north and south of the US borders) on or west of the Rockies-Bestop since the ‘60s and Superwinch since the ‘80s-and have never had a complaint. You can see all their products or find a dealer near you at their individual websites, the one-stop Jeep store. The installation instructions that come with these products are top-notch, thorough and complete, so I won't get too technical here, I'll just give you some tips that may not be included with the OEM instructions.
And now back to the action. Bestop's instructions say the front bumper's installation is moderately difficult and should take approximately 90 minutes (they say the same thing about the rear bumper, too). Actually, I found that the time estimate is fairly accurate but both tasks are fairly simple and straight-forward installs; however, because of the bumpers' weight and awkwardness in handling, you'll need a second set of hands to help you.
I hope you've had a great holiday season and enjoyed being with your families and loved ones. What a great time of the year - we get to spend time with those who mean the most to us in the world. The older I get, the more I understand that if we are living Plato's Good Life we are doing those things which not only make us happy, but make those loved ones happy too. That is a win/win situation and you cannot do anything better.
At least once a year, I have to discuss something that will make you angry and your loved ones happy. This item is also a win/win discussion - if you accept it. The topic is lifts and large tires. If you've read my column before, you already know what I am going to say, so you may want to quit reading and go do something useful. If you don't know my stance on lifts and large tires, read on.
As most of us know, a jewel's facet is one of its faces. Therefore, Facet Two
of Polishing a Rubi covers a different face of the enhancements available for
the 2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Right out of the box, the JK Rubicon
model is arguably the best all-around OEM Jeep ever offered to consumers.
As you can see in every off-road catalog, its available enhancements cover
every aspect of possible improvements; some quite difficult for the home
mechanic, while others are fairly simple.
With that in mind, how would you like a job that will only take you about an
hour? A task that will give your Jeep about 1.5% improvement in gas mileage
and add 4.5 hp at 4,400 rpm?
Then you'll want to order a new Gibson muffler (part no. 17303). You also
add 4.5 ft-lbs of torque at 4,400 rpm, and you'll only need a minimum
number of hand tools. In fact, all you'll need is a can of WD-40, a small set of
socket wrenches and a large pry-bar or screwdriver.
aFe is no stranger to the engine performance market, as it dominates market share and needs to do very little advertising to position itself at the top. Located in Corona, California, aFe produces and distributes Cold Air Intake systems for almost every make and model car and truck on the road today.
OK, it's time to get serious about initial protection. Unfortunately, stock and most aftermarket bumpers offer minimal security to vital parts under the forefront of a wrangler. Steering box, track bar, and anything else up front can be damaged or bent on contact in various off-road environments. Most front bumpers out there perch on the front rails to merely act as a winch cradle and/or a crafty menorah for off-road illumination. Then you have the ultra premium bumpers that are priced high above the average joe's budget. You're craving an upgrade up front but might have to settle for the plain Jane because of financial dictation.
CarolinaK5.com hosted our second annual Autumn Thump at the outstanding Uwharrie ORV area. The scent of burnt wood still lingered in the air from a forest fire. It had threatened to shut down the event, but was extinguished the previous week by rain showers.
When thinking of Maxxis Tires, one might conjure up thoughts of huge, ultra aggressive, professional use rock crawling tires, and cringe at the thought of a droning, rough highway trip on bias ply tires.
After all, Maxxis Tires is now a leader amongst the hard core professional teams and drivers of XRRA and UROC, among others. The pro drivers want the most aggressive, indestructible and best performing tires, sacrificing any of the creature comforts that most of us are used to with a dual purpose, radial tire. We were able to get our hands on a set of Maxxis Creepy Crawler tires to test them, trying to find out if they are only for the professional driver or if the weekend, "just for fun" crawler can drive to and from the trail in comfort, while still sporting the ultimate rubber for some extreme bashing.
Jeep. The venerable marque is the hands down "chameleon" of the four wheeled off-road world. Unsatisfied with the stock engine? There is no end of companies offering conversion mounts for just about everything else that burns fuel. Want more suspension? A quick leafing through one of a thousand catalogs will net you springs'n things to keep you drooling into the wee hours for days to come. And what if you're the do-it-yourself type? The Jeep provides the raw canvas for all your mechanically artistic endeavors.
In a nutshell, you're not likely to see the little beasts on the EPA's "endangered species list anytime soon. That said, there are some jeeps that are rarer than others. While you won't likely be hurtin' for CJ-5's or 7's to oogle the next time you're out on the trail, the CJ-8 "Scrambler" is a little harder to come by. Fortunately for us, Off-Road.com has had the pleasure of capturing 2 of the elusive breed on film; Duffy Ladd's fire red rock monster, which was featured in the Dec. 99 issue, and it's partner in crime, the white hot wonder featured here.
The new Mud-TerrainTM T/A®KM2 Tire is an aggressive tire with an aggressive look that still has decent manners on the street. This was a long time coming from BFG but it appears the wait was worth it. I believe this will be a great tire for the average trail rig that spends time on both the trail and the highway getting to their favorite off-road location.
You gotta have protection on the trail. I wanted to use the same brand for armor and cargo options. Eric Lichtbach, of Olympic 4x4 Products, helped me pick out a great front winch and rear bumpers/tire carrier and storage racks. Eric suggested that products would look great with a new look of powder coating the designed. "SIERRA CHROME", once he told me the name, I was afraid people would expect me to have gold teeth and chains around my neck. He assured me that it is the same powder coating principle, but adds a nice factory brushed aluminum type look without the "BLING-BLING" of polished chrome. This is the MR. T. of armor, a tough steel color, yet no reflection. These products are very high quality: great welds, design, but low profile and light. It's nice to have a helping hand for installing armor. The pieces used here were light enough for me to install on my own. Following instructions properly, the install was simple and stout.
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