jeepin.jason

Since I had the whole week off from work for Christmas, I took the opportunity to replace the radiator in our TJ with a nice new 3-core model from CSF. The install went smoothly, and as with most things, it was easier to do on a TJ than it was on my XJ. You can check out my install photo album here, and read my forum write-up here.

J Rations, a new multimedia publication for Jeep enthusiasts, is finally launching! Started by the same people that originally brought us Jp Magazine, J Rations will combining print, inter-active CD-ROM, and exclusive internet content to give us what should be a very cool new type of publication. I’ve actually known about J Rations for quite some time now and have already ordered a copy of their debut edition, called Standard Issue #1. Their website is excellent, so I’m pretty excited that the magazine and CD-ROM are finally shipping out.

Paying homage Jeep’s army heritage, J Rations incorporates a lot of military-themed terms, from their very name, to sections of their site dubbed Base PX (their online store for gear) and J Company (a section with readers’ rigs, events calendar, and an extensive list of Jeep and 4×4 clubs).

Check out the offical press release on Jeepin.com, and of course be sure to check out the J Ration website to see what it’s all about and order your copy of Standard Issue #1 too.

I think the folks at J Rations have the potential to have something great going, and I really hope they succeed at it.

TheCarConnection.com/ (scroll down a bit to find it)

From the picture in the link above, you can obviously see the long front control arms, which should eliminate any lingering doubt that the ‘07 model will have a solid front axle. The muffler has indeed be relocated to where the TJ’s gas tank sits, so you can expect muffler skids to be one of the first products on the market for the new models. The door handles are clearly revised, though it appears that they use a small pushbutton, ala the XJ’s door handles, instead of an actual pull-handle like the Grand Cherokee has (which is what I thought it would have). Unlike the Rescue concept and the Liberty, the rear flares are not split with the front half mounted to the door—which makes sense considering that all four doors are removeable. There’s some type of hinge looking assembly on the windshield, indicating that it will still be foldable (though I’ve heard conflicting info on just how exactly this will work). The overall appearance of the front is very much like the Gladiator concept, even down to the small round side marker light on the fender/flare.

Oh yeah, the model shown is right-hand drive, so it’s probably a euro-spec model. That would (hopefully) explain the red lens (probably a UK-spec rear fog light) on the rear bumper as well as the end caps on the front bumper extending up to meet the flares.

Admittedly I’ve slacked off on regularly checking our TJ’s cooling system this past year. The Jeep is five and a half years old now, but it doesn’t even have 30k on the ticker yet, so I really hadn’t given the radiator much thought… yet.

This morning I noticed an odd small puddle of brownish water on the garage floor under the front of the TJ. It was dripping from the bottom passenger side of the fan shroud. I popped the hood and didn’t see any noticeable problems, but I didn’t have time to really check around since I had to leave for work.

So I went to look at it again tonight and the puddle had gotten a bit bigger. I checked around under the hood a bit closer and noticed some rusty looking gunk around the edge of the top cap on the radiator… I pull the cap off the filler neck and instantly smell… rust. The whole inside of the radiator is fully of rusty water. And the fluid level is low too (no doubt due to the leaking).

Guess I know what my next project on the TJ is going to be… A CSF radiator.

According to an article on thecarconnection.com, DCX will be officially unveiling the next generation Wrangler outside next month at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

“...in an auto-show first, the Wrangler will be launched outside Cobo Hall, on a display built outside in the latest iteration of Chrysler’s Camp Jeep theme.“

Check out TCC’s Auto Show Preview for more info on some of the vehicles we’ll see at NAIAS. Just don’t pay much attention to the specs they talk about for the new Wrangler, because they’ve still got most of their info wrong…

Oh, and even though the 4-dr model is supposed to be available first, DCX will apparently be showing the 2-dr model at the auto show.

Haven’t had much to report on in a while. My current project is installing a Durango steering box, new pump and reservoir, and a C-ROK Engineering inner steering frame plate on our Project XJ. I first noticed problems with the stock steering box getting stiff this past summer, and it’s progressively gotten worse, to the point the Jeep was basically undriveable by November.

As of right now the stock stuff has all been yanked out and the new parts are ready to go in. You can check out pics of the progress here, and there’s a discussion thread on the Jeepin.com Forum here.

Why a Durango steering box you ask? Well, the Durango box (spec’ed for a ‘99 Durango w/V8 and 4wd) has a 3/8” larger piston for more power and it’s supposed to have a slightly quicker turn ratio. And aside from needing a few washers to space it away from the frame a bit, it’s a direct bolt-in. I’m hoping to have a complete write-up posted on Jeepin.com in January.