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Jeep Cherokee Stumbles

In January of this year I started having stumbling issues with my Jeep Cherokee. The throttle body was cleaned, fuel pressure checked, the spark plugs, wires and distributor button were replaced yet the stumbling continued. As I drove my Jeep more, the worse the stumbling got. There were times I would hit bumps and it felt as if it were cutting off on me. Then one day as I was heading to my mom’s work to meet her, the check engine light came on so I turned onto a side street, pulled over and checked the code.  It came back as #24, Throttle Position Sensor.

Since I had a spare TPS from a donor Jeep, I just switched it out which cured the stumbling issue, for a few months. Recently the stumbling came back again. I cleaned the throttle body, checked spark plug wires, put in some seafoam in the gas tank and once again checked the fuel pressure. All were in check. As I continued to drive it, the stumbling was getting worse very quickly. Hitting bumps resulted in it cutting out numerous times. A couple of times it even died on me when I stopped at traffic lights and even parking at home. I also noticed my gas mileage was terrible which is one of the signs the TPS could be bad.

Before letting it get worse to the point the check engine light would come on, I went ahead and purchased a new TPS from Autozone for $38. It is a very simple 5 minute replacement and all you need is the T20 hexhead for the two screws holding the TPS at the throttle body assembly. So far no stumbling and the gas mileage has greatly improved.

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Jeep Car Seat Covers on a Budget

I love to go off roading but I don’t like having to clean up the dirty seats afterwards. I spent months looking for car seat covers that were reasonably priced for someone like me on a tight budget. As much as I would love to have Wet Okole seat covers or even the fancy JEEP embroidered seat covers I just could not see spending upwards of $200-$500 when that money could be spent on more useful things on my Jeep. I was mainly looking for seat covers that would be washable and keep mud and dirt from being embedded into the seats when I take my front doors off when I go off roading.

A lot of time was spent reviewing websites, talking to Jeep friends, looking through catalogs and even looking at ones at places such as AutoZone, O’Reilly, Advance Auto, Wal-Mart, Target and even Ebay. For awhile I gave up on even trying to find car seat covers at a reasonable price that I would fit not only my budget but also my seats. Back around Christmas time when I was Christmas shopping with a friend of mine we decided to go to Big Lots. Every time I went into a store I would look in their automotive section to see what car seat covers they offered.  This time though I had looked through their newspaper insert and they had advertised car seat covers for $7.

Well, I lucked out and found just one car seat cover. It was black with gray and the material was very comfortable. As disappointing as it was to just find one I found this to be the opportunity to try it out before purchasing another one. Just a couple of weeks later I returned to Big Lots and found another seat cover to match the driver’s side. Everyone who has seen the covers and/or has rode with me has been impressed with the seat covers and even more amazed at the price I paid for them.

I was also trying to find a seat cover for the back. Walmart has one made by BELL that is universal and black. From reading the reviews I was not impressed at all. Most people complained they had to make cuts in the cover just for their seat belts and in some cases, the cut that was made got worse. Even though it was just $18 I still wanted something that I didn’t have to be concerned about being torn up within a month of purchasing it.

While shopping at Autozone with a friend I decided to go check out their car seat covers again. I still could not get myself to invest $40 in a seat cover even though it seemed like a really nice one. But this time I came across a simple car seat cover for $15 that is washable! It’s primary purpose is for people who have pets although I thought it would be handy for those who have kids who tend to make messes. Having two boys under the age of 10 this is a major plus. The cover has holes already made in it for the seat belts plus it has elastic bands on the corners that were very convenient to use. So far it has served its purpose by helping keep the rear seat clean!

For less than $30 I purchased two front seat covers and a rear seat cover for my Jeep that serve their purpose by keeping them clean, protecting them and allowing them to last much longer. What’s great is that I no longer have to use a large beach towel to cover the back seat and having to deal with a 9 year old boy constantly removing the towel from the seat. In fact, he really loves the seat cover! So if you are in the market for simple and affordable seat covers I would consider purchasing the seat covers from Big Lots and the rear seat cover from AutoZone.

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Upgrading the 8.25 differential cover on a Jeep

Shopping around for a rough & tough differential cover for the Chrysler 8.25 differential can be a challenge. Try searching on Ebay and chances are you are only going to find the OEM covers or very expensive covers. If you or someone you know welds, consider purchasing a DIY kit from Blue Torch Fabworks located in the Birmingham, Alabama area. They have great shipping prices and were very fast to ship it out.

If you just want one already made then consider purchasing their differential cover ready to go for about twice the price of the DIY. Their prices are very competitive with just about anything else you would find in a catalog or even on Ebay. Not sure about Blue Torch Fabworks? Look them up on Facebook and they will answer your questions or you can view their pictures to see what great items they offer.

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Dick Cepek Crusher Tires

It was 18 months ago that I spent over a week researching what tires I wanted to purchase next for my 1992 Jeep Cherokee. My tires at the time were getting worn and being an avid off roader, I wanted tires that would perform well off road as well as on pavement daily. After coming across an article in an off roading magazine I chose the Dick Cepek Crusher tires. Today, I am still very pleased with the Dick Cepek Crushers on and off road. I purchased the tires through Tirerack.com, 33×12.50×15 was the size I chose.

The numerous times I have been off roading my friends have been impressed with the performance of the tires whether it was through mud, snow, water or dry rocks. Typically I will deflate the tires down to around 15-17 psi. I have noticed the more I deflate the tires the better the traction I get and they tend to clean themselves better.  My best friend is usually the one who spots me on the trails and he has been absolutely impressed with the way the tires grasp the rocks as I go over them.

Since I drive my XJ on a daily basis, the tires have held up much better than the previous tires I owned. These are definitely manufactured well to perform as a daily driving tire. While they have gotten noisier, I am very happy with their performance on the road. They look great on my XJ and when it rains or snows I feel comfortable driving.

My hope is that I get at least another year to 18 months out of these tires, though I am planning to purchase another set of Crushers just for daily driving as my current ones have received some premature wear due to faulty shocks. So, if you are in the market for a new set of tires to use for off roading and daily driving, I highly recommend the Dick Cepek Crusher.

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How to Save Money buying Skid Plates and other Modifications for Your Jeep

If you have ever heard the saying Jeep: Just Empty Every Pocket you know most likely it is coming from a Jeep owner. As a Jeep owner on a tight budget I have had to make a list of things I would like to do to my Jeep Cherokee with out breaking the bank. Once the list has been made of the modifications I would like to do, I spend a lot of time doing research to find the best prices.

If you have a Facebook account, there are plenty of 4×4 & off road shops that advertise their specials and a lot of them have specials just for their Facebook fans. Also, check out Ebay as there are sometimes people who have dismantled their rig either because they are desperate for money or it has been damaged beyond fixing.

On Facebook, I have every so often come across a friend who had an XJ they decided to dismantle. One for example, his XJ was stolen and wrecked. At the time he was in a tight situation so he posted what parts he had for sale. I lucked out purchasing JKS sway bar disconnects for over half the price they would be brand new. A business called Blue Torch Fab Works often posts what specials they have going on their website. I managed to pick up two DIY diff covers for half price. Luckily for me I had someone who could weld them together.

On Ebay I found a T-Case skid plate for $76 shipping and all, brand new. A guy on there decided to start making some after he made his own and this one is just as good as one I could have bought from name brand companies. I also purchased a custom made drive shaft for my XJ late last year through Addams Off Road and Driveshaft from Nevada. They are on Ebay and have auctions that you can make an offer on. Since they make drive shafts day in and day out there is no need to send measurements to them. All you have to do is tell them what make, model, year and modifications you have on your rig. They did have a special running with free shipping, a T-Shirt and sticker. Shipping was very quick and they are great with communication. As much as I would like to have had a Tom Wood’s Drive Shaft, my budget wouldn’t allow it. I am very pleased with the driveshafts performance thus far. I also hope in the future to purchase one for the front as well.

Another save from Ebay is that when I decided to go from 3:55 gears to 4:10 I was able to purchase the front and back gears, master install kit and the carrier off Ebay saving me at least $150. But I also had someone willing to install them for me. Again some people are dismantling their rigs and you may luck out. If you have time to research keep searching Ebay at least every few days because you just never know what you will come across. I do want to note a very important tip: Make sure you know if your rig has the reverse or standard gear!

My biggest wish was to have a gas tank skid plate on my XJ. If you have looked online and in catalogs you know most of them run around $300. I lucked out because my best friend and my dad both have scrap steel laying around. So for Christmas my best friend fabricated me a gas tank skid plate just as good as one bought out of the catalog and very little $$ was spent building it. The next skid plate he fabricated was one not a lot of people consider doing although they are for sale out there in catalogs.  He fabricated a rear yoke skid plate, particularly since I have sheared the straps off of mine twice :/ This skid plate will hopefully give more protection when out on the trails

If you have scrap steel laying around and know of someone who does welding on the side consider fabricating your own skid plates.

Also, to strengthen my tie rod my best friend had scrap metal piping laying around that we were able to slide over the tie rod. Tiny holes were drilled and the pipe was welded in place. A very simple procedure that has helped save a lot of time and money.

When I first purchased my 3″ lift I didn’t have an SYE. Instead of purchasing the t-case drop blocks, my best friend fabricated blocks from square tubing he had laying around. We purchased the bolts at our local Fastenal. Once I purchased the SYE and purchased Shims from Summit Racing the blocks were then eliminated. So, if anyone needs blocks I have them sitting around!

While you may not be the person who has handy junk laying around consider friends and family that do. They may be willing to give some to you for free or a minimal price. It is even handier to have someone who knows how to weld. The biggest advantage for me though is having someone (ahem) who has a hydraulic lift, my best friend 🙂

Want to save money for modifications? Do your research! Be open to finding parts in places other than catalogs because you never know how amazing it can be the treasures you will find along the way.