Jeep, Truck & SUV Parts

The Spirit and Their Jeeps Move Them – Jeep Blessing

tjsp_wpadmin — Fri, 03 May 2013 22:49:47 +0000

4×4 enthusiasts are gathering in Mesick, Michigan this Saturday for the 12^th Annual Jeep Blessing organized by the local Cadillac Jeepers. Pastor Chad Carmichael will lead a blessing to ask for God’s grace and safety in light of the upcoming off-roading season.

In the Beginning…

The yearly event that happens on the Saturday before Mother’s Day weekend has humble beginnings. “My husband Gordy and I started the Jeep Blessing 12 years ago in a little church just for the fun of it and threw it together in about a month,” says Cadillac Jeepers Co-Founder Deb Stafford. Initially, the community wasn’t too supportive and thought the blessing was just a passing fad. A pastor from nearby town Boon blessed that first congregation of 45 Jeeps. On Saturday, it’s estimated that 1,200 vehicles and roughly 4,000 souls will be on hand when Pastor Chad leads the ceremony.

Many Are the Plans

Following the blessing a full slate of activities are planned for the day. “It’s family oriented and there’s something for everyone there,” says Stafford. “We’re having a Jeep pull, mud bog, off-road courses, giveaways, and a Jeep parade and you can be a spectator or a participant.” Chadeville is the course set up for extreme off-roaders, requiring at least 35 inch tires and a winch. There will be a cement ridge and obstacles feature sacred names like Mt. Blessmore and Blessing Ridge.

Giving Back

Gaining traction and attention over the years has helped the Jeep Blessing raise money and put it back into the community. “Over the last three years we’ve donated $10,000 every year to causes,” says Stafford. Those causes include CareNet, a Christian resource center for young women, the Narrow Gate Youth Ranch, and the local Cadillac Senior Center. In just the last six weeks the organization has added over 100 people to its Facebook site and recently re-designed the Cadillac Jeepers website.

Nothing Shall by Any Means Hurt You

The benediction asks to keep off-roaders safe in the midst of their adventures. “People are really amazed by the blessing and we all know off-roading can be dangerous,” says Stafford. The gathering is not exclusively for Jeeps and Stafford stresses that 4×4s of all sorts are welcome to attend. And attend they will – since the Jeep Blessing began a dozen years ago the Michigan May crowds have swelled to multitudes.

David Beran is a Copywriter at 4WD

Army Humvees to get Banks Overhaul?

tjsp_wpadmin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:42:27 +0000

After several increases in the vehicle’s armor plating (as requested by the DoD), the HMMWV’s 6.2L and 6.5L engines have lead to a slower vehicle that’s often deployed in areas where speed is an asset.

Enter Gale Banks; the automotive speed and performance legend Gale Banks is vying for contracts to improve the HMMWV’s speed.

Detroit Automakers Reporting Sales Growth

CJ Bantam — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 00:31:33 +0000

The Cosmetic Virtues and Financial Cautions of Going to the Car Wash (Part 1)

tjsp_wpadmin — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 00:04:02 +0000

In these tough economic times, car maintenance is a top priority for most automobile owners. Some people choose to wash their vehicles themselves. Other people do not wash their vehicles at all (some of these people casually joke, “I wait for it to rain.”). Many automobile owners go to the car wash. At the car wash, automobiles are cleaned in a time-saving and less strenuous (from a physical standpoint) manner. Most car wash operations are automatic/drive through cleaning businesses. Automatic car washes are considered by many to be the safest course to keep a car clean. They usually provide a quality finished look for the vehicle and a means to allow the automobile to maintain its look longer. According to experts at 4 Wheel Parts, automatic/drive through car washes can be safer than a vehicle owner washing the vehicle him/herself because “do-it-yourselfers” sometimes do not use the proper amount of water to remove dirt; wash the vehicle in direct sunlight (which can burn spots in the paint); or use the wrong type of soap (e.g., dishwashing liquid which removes car wax and leaves a chalky residue on the finish). Although there is the financial benefit of saving money by washing one’s own automobile, key mistakes combined with the ones mentioned above may do more harm than good–thus creating a financial problem. Keeping the vehicle clean and the finish looking good will enhance its resale value when the opportunity comes to by a new car. Make no mistake about it, a vehicle of the same make and year with a dingy look and faded paint will sell for less than a clean, well-finished one. When dealing with identical automobiles, the nicer looking one will get a longer look and attract a better offer. Typically, the frequency that a driver have should have his/her automobile washed depends on how dirty it gets and how quickly it gets dirty. For some vehicles, once or twice a month is fine. 4Wheel Drive Hardware experts say this would apply to automobiles that are rarely used and/or kept in a garage. However, cars that are used frequently and are regularly parked outside (exposed to morning/evening dew, dust, foliage, tree sap, birds, etc.) should be washed once a week. Automobiles also in need of more frequent washing are those driven in areas that experience harsh winters, thereby increasing salted roads to neutralize the snow and ice. Brushes are generally harsh on a vehicle’s finish and paint job, so it is most beneficial if using an automatic/drive through car wash to make sure it is “brushless.” Some of the older car washes still use rough-edged–not cloth—brushes that leave small scratches and abrasions on an automobile’s finish. On older cars that have “single stage” paints jobs, light scratches can be buffed out. However, most contemporary vehicles use a base/clear system that uses a thin, transparent clear coat over the underlying color coat to give the vehicle its shine. Once the clear coat is damaged, the whole damaged area must be repainted.

How Often You Should Wax Your Jeep or Truck

Arun — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:53:53 +0000

By Joe Seals

A frequently asked question is how often should one wax their Truck or Jeep? It is a very valid question as waxing ones vehicle is an important step in maintaining aesthetic and structural value of your vehicle. Waxing is not just for people with expensive sports cars, or people that over identify with their vehilce’s, it is for everyone. Honestly most regular people either do not wax enough, or some do not even wax them at all. Waxing your vehicle should NOT be viewed as a luxury item but most people still view it that way. Waxing should be viewed as a necessary part of vehicle maintenance, just like an oil change or diagnostic check up. Other than to maintain your engine, nothing helps the resale value of your Truck or Jeep like a beautifully kept up body and paint job. This is important as the paint and shine is the first thing that a potential buyer will see, and not far from that is checking to see how sound the body is and make sure that there is no rust.

So How Often Should I Wax my Jeep or Truck?

There are many different opinions out there on how often one should wax their vehicle and other than never or just before you try to sell it, most are really pretty sound opinions. One of the key factors of how often waxing should take place revolves around where you live, and more importantly weather and climate your vehicle deals with. If your car goes through a winter in an area with snow, you should find yourself washing and waxing your vehicle more often as you will need to remove the chemicals that are used to deice the roads. The chemicals are so strong, that without waxing you could see your luster diminish greatly in just one winter. You may even start to see rust after just one winter without washing and waxing your car, this is not uncommon. If you are in a dusty area it is really more up to you, as washing and waxing becomes more so for aesthetic purposes as opposed to protection. It would still be a good idea to wax frequently, as you would not want your car to lose its eye grabbing luster and hurt its resale. Besides who doesn’t like driving around in a good looking Jeep or Truck?

Waxing Depends on Your Lifestyle & Where you Live.

Lots of people say that waxing your vehicle should take place after every washing, and that you should wash your vehicle at least once a month. There is nothing wrong with doing this, but you really do not need to wax it that often. It is true that your Jeep or Truck will look great if you do this, but it is a bit much and not completely necessary. You definitely should wash your car once a month if not more, especially in the snowy climates, for protection and to keep it looking nice, but the truth is that if you wax it every time you are just wasting wax. Depending on the type of wax used, it should last anywhere from one to three months, and if you use it too often you are just caking on more wax without any real benefit. If you are washing your car once a month, it is ideal to wax it every other wash. By doing it every other month you maintain a healthy shine, protect your car form chemicals and the sun, and are not needlessly wasting money by over waxing. Waxing every other time is the perfect way to make sure that you Jeep or Truck stays looking great without having to set aside a second savings account just for your wax budget.

Author Joe Seals is the owner of SoCal Mobile Auto Detail & Wash, A Professional Mobile Auto Detailing Company. Be sure to check out his very popular Auto Detailing Blog at http://autodetailingblog.thesocalway.com stop by and leave a comment.

Alloy Wheel Cleaning – The Home Remedy!

tjsp_wpadmin — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:06:17 +0000

Cleaning and maintaining those shiny alloy wheels can prove a herculean task for some–especially those of us who enjoy off-roading. Fortunately, a simple home remedy requiring a few simple tools:

- Blowdryer
- Extension Cord
- Baking Soda
- Baking Soda
- Dishwasher type detergent
- Hose
- Rag

And a few simple steps:

- Heating your wheels
- Applying absorbent
- Rinsing<
- Applying Detergent
- Rinsing Again

…and you are on your way to clean wheels. A full explanation can be found on this mobile detailing article on The SoCal Way.

Winning At The Carlisle Truck Nationals 2012

Adreana — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 20:26:49 +0000

Get Your XJ Out To PA

The Carlisle Truck Nationals 2012 are August 3rd through August 5th in Carlisle Pennsylvania. It’s all comers so tighten up the Rubicon Express Lift Kits on your trucks and Jeeps and head on out to the East Coast. Here is what you need to know. . .

Have Some Class

Here are the classes in which the off-road enthusiast is most likely to compete in the Carlisle Truck Nationals 2012.

Carlisle Truck Nationals Domestic Stock Class

101 Pre 1980 Domestic Stock
102 1980 To Present Domestic Stock

Carlisle Truck Nationals Ford 4×4 Or Lifted Class

137 Ford 4×4 or lifted Mini all
138 Pre 1987 Ford 4×4 or lifted full size street
139 1987-1996 Ford 4×4 or lifted full size street
140 1997-Present Ford 4×4 or lifted full size street
141 Ford 4×4 or lifted SUV & Special interest street
142 Ford 4×4 or lifted full size custom (all years)

Carlisle Truck Nationals GM 4×4 Or Lifted Class

117 GM 4×4 or lifted Mini/Mid all
118 Pre 1988 GM 4×4 or lifted full size street
119 1988-1998 GM 4×4 or lifted full size street
120 1999-2006 GM 4×4 or lifted full size street
121 2007-Present GM 4×4 or lifted full size street
122 GM 4×4 or lifted SUV special interest (Blazer, H)
123 GM 4×4 or lifted full size custom (all years)

Carlisle Truck Nationals Import 4×4 Or Lifted Class

146 Import 4×4 or lifted mini street
147 Import 4×4 or lifted mid size/ full size street
148 Import 4×4 or lifted custom (all)

Carlisle Truck Nationals Jeeps Class

156 Jeep street
157 Jeep custom

What Class Should You Enter?

Before you enter your off-road ride in one of the classes above there are some things you should consider.

What Is Stock Class According To Carlisle Truck Nationals’ Standards?

Stock class includes original appearing vehicles with factory options or vehicles restored to original appearance with factory options.

What Is Street Class According To Carlisle Truck Nationals’ Standards?

Street class includes modified vehicles with decorative and performance bolt-on items that can be installed by an owner including parts & stylings such as push bars, bed covers grilles, running boards, audio systems, gauges, mild suspension modifications to include mild suspension adjustments such as leveling kits, mild lifts or drops, graphic kits, engine swaps, -ground effects, tires and wheels.

What Is Custom Class According To Carlisle Truck Nationals’ Standards?

Custom class means vehicles with changes to the exterior or interior that are not available from the factory. These are changes that alter the factory look of the car. Examples are:

Body modifications of any kind

Channeled
Chopped
Shaved door handles
Molded scoops
Bed tilts

Frame or chassis modifcations

Tubbed
Back-halved
Custom bed treatments
Suicide or lambo doors

Extreme lifting and lowering modifications with conforming wheel and tire upgrades
Special exterior paint jobs such as

Candies
Pearsl
Metal flakes
Chameleon flip-flops
Graphics

Non-factory interior modifications such as:

Custom stitching
Designs
Non-factory materials
Extreme electronic applications and fabrications

Let’s say you made modifications to your car that disqualify you from entering in the Stock class. On top of that there is no category for your car in the Street class. Your only option is to enter the Custom class. The top judges at the event will have the final say on what class your car enters. Contestants’ cars will be judged on standards based to form, fit, finish, detail and cleanliness of body, paint, interior, glass, trunk, engine, engine bay, undercarriage, wheels and tires.

What Is There For The Family To Do While You Are Showing Off Your Hot Ride?

Pennsylvania Country Radio Station WGTY will have a stage at the Carlisle Truck Nationals. Deezle Church will perform as well as Chris Woodward. There will be a shopping area set up especially for females called “Women’s Oasis” where vendors will display handcrafted jewelry, clothing, crafts and more. There will also be a custom van display and a display of cars outfitted with neon lights.

Good luck out there!

by Adreana Langston

Whiskey Dawn Keeps Drivers Dancing Over The Rubicon Trail At Jeepers Jamboree

Adreana — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 23:10:14 +0000

60th Annual Jeepers Jamboree Features Whiskey Dawn

Does your Jeep have what it takes to navigate the rocky sluices and granite slabs of the "godfather" of all 4 wheel drive trails? I'm talking about the forty-five mile Rubicon Trail near Georgetown, California in the El Dorado National Forest: So challenging most four wheeling is done at under five miles per hour. Can your Rubicon Express XJ handle the Rubicon Trail? Can Rubicon Express Lift Kits handle "The Rube"? If you think your Jeep is up to the challenge, you should join the 35,000 other jeeps August 3rd through August 5th and the Jeep Jamboree. The headlining entertainment will be country band Whiskey Dawn.

Jeep Jamboree Basic Facts

The three day Jeep Jamboree costs $340.00 per person. You can register for the event at http://www.jeepersjamboree.com/trips_reg.html. Here is what is included with your registration costs:

You and other Jeep Jamboree participants will be the only drivers on Rubicon Trail during the three days.

You get breakfast, lunch and dinner on days 1 and 2

On day 3 you get breakfast and a sac lunch

Fees Paid Include:
- Vehicle Fees
- Camping Fees
- Permit Fee (if you decide to go hiking in Desolation Wilderness)

Accompaniment by experienced guides

Entertainment including a concert by Whiskey Dawn

The Jamboree starts in Georgetown California, crosses the dam at Stumpy Meadows and passes by Uncle Tom's Cabin where cattle herders use to camp back in the day. You can click the image below to check out an interactive map of Rubicon Trail.

by Adreana Langston

Will Everyman Be The Last Man At King Of The Hammers?

Adreana — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:30:03 +0000

In June of 2011 Hammerking Productions, owners of the King Of The Hammers race (called the 4 Wheel Parts Grand Prix) announced an all new race for the “everyday driver”. It was announced that the race would “ allow off-road enthusiasts a chance to race their stock and modified stock vehicles in the toughest one day off-road race on the planet. ” The race was titled the Every Man Challenge. It was sponsored by Smittybilt, it took place in on February 5, 2012 and it was a big hit. John Currie finished the race in a modified Jeep Wrangler in under 4 hours, earning the first place trophy. The rules for the Every Man Challenge are pretty strict. There are two classes in the race, Stock and Stock Modified. Stock Modified tires can only be 37″ DOT approved tires. Stock Modified steering can only be mechanical steering. And as far as lift, Stock Modified lift can only be 2.5″ per corner, which would mean the best off-the-shelf a driver could get would be the Rubicon Express Budget Lift unless he or she was to fabricate it in his/her own shop.

The upcoming excitement at King of The Hammers will be the 4 Wheel Parts Grand Prix on August 4th and 5th. Familiar contenders in the ultra 4 class will be Mustard Dog Anderson and Kevin Adler in the stock class. Both of them race for Team 4WheelParts. Adler is related to the team owner, Greg Adler. In the stock class Kevin Adler will be riding on a Rubicon Express lift kit as well as Rubicon Express shocks.

However well Adler and Anderson do and no matter how well Currie did it may be the last race at King of The Hammers for all of them if the U.S. military gets its way. The United States Marine Corps, which has a base right there in Johnson Valley at Twenty-Nine Palms, wants to annex the land on which the King Of The Hammers race now takes place and use it as place to do combat practice.

The Bureau Of Land Management is the entity in charge of the land right now. When the Bureau first received the U.S. Marine’s request for expansion and opened the topic up to discussion from the public, the Bureau received 25,000 responses. In June 2012 members of the San Bernadino County Board Of Supervisors sent letters to the Administration and to members of Congress asking that the Johnson Valley area be kept open for off-roading.

For updates on whether or not the King Of The Hammers Race Space will be taken over by the Marines, visit http://www.savethehammers.org

Winch Mods We Love For Smittybilt XRC

Adreana — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:27:37 +0000

Making Your Winch Last

Even though Smittybilt winches are affordable, they are not cheap. If you are going to come out of pocket with that kind of money, you might as well come out of clock with enough time to modify the winch to make it last. In this post I am recommend three Smittybilt XRC8 modification tutorials. Two are for increasing the longevity, and performance of your winch. The first, and most difficult, is just to swag out your ride and impress the heck out of your trail buddies.

Pimp Your Winch

The first tutorial is about functionality but mostly it is about pimping the hell out of your ride. On the Expedition Portal forum a poster from Orange County going by the handle barlowrs mounted his solenoid box under the hood and installed in-cab winch controls. The controls are sic! He used a laser inscriber to etch labels on the actual controls. They look cooler than the painted label controls that come stock in most vehicles. The controls are in a custom modified overhead console he tricked out himself. Check out the pic.

This is the custom console he constructed for his in-cab Smittybilt XRC8 winch controls. He laser eteched the text and symbols on all the controls.

He went to Home Depot where his girlfriend found a 4” x 4” x 4” junction box which he used to to mount his solenoid under the hood (where he was already mounting a auxiliary fuse box for which he had made a bracket). He purchased pricey marine grade gage wire to connect the Smittybilt XRC winch to the solenoid box. Here’s a shot of the finished result. You can kinda see the cables running out from under the junction box mount.

Pretty swank, I’d say. Now what I’m looking for is winch controls mounted to the Smittybilt nerf bar so that you can just tap on them with your foot to control the winch.

Resealing The Smittybilt XRC Solenoid

If you live near the ocean with salt water breezes or in a very humid climate, you may wish to consider resealing the solenoid. Out of the box it comes with a clear rubber gasket but under the duress conditions of salty winds or humid air, it may be the part that causes your solenoid to corrode before its time. To avoid that, Maxamillion2345 from Reno resealed his solenoid using RTV. In this tutorial, on the tacomaworld forum, he provides very descriptive pictures outlining in lime green where you should put the RTV sealant.

He also suggests using dielectic grease on all the connections for the winch controller. Max also points out that the rubber boots on the connections on the housing collect water if the solenoid is mounted feet forward. His solution was to let the water drain out by cutting holes.

Repacking the XRC8 Solenoid With Good Grease

This is from barlowrs at the tacomaworld forum again. This is basically a rebuild of the Smittybilt XRC with the objectives being better spooling, less noise and longer wear. Barlowrs has the same claim that many XRC owners do, which is that trying to pull the rope by hand takes quite a bit of effort. He attributes this to the grease used in the XRC gears, which barlowrs claims is too thick. He cleans all the gears with degreaser then repacks them with quality grease. Complete with pictures.

He then addresses the issue of how much electricity the powerful Smittybilt XRC pulls. In order to make sure he is giving the winch the full power it needs, he scrapes all the paint off the factory ground terminals.

He finishes up by shielding his marine grade cables and replacing the bolt that attaches the drum to the synthetic line.

This, along with the other tutorials, is how you stretch your dollar. By making your investments last.