I was originally going to entitle this section, "Cheap Bastard Tech" but
I was worried that some of the authors of this area's content would be offended
by the title. This part of the TECH section is a salute to the 4x4 freaks who
epitomize the phrase, "it's not what you bought, it's what you built." Each article
presented here deals with four-banana
modifications designed for the sole purpose of improving a vehicle's functionality.
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Fixing the Jeep Neutral Safety Switch (NSS)
The neutral safety switch (NSS) is a fairly well-known problem area on Jeep AW4 transmissions. When you have a problem with it, it usually manifests itself as reverse lights that don't come on, or as a no-start condition because the Jeep doesn't think the transmission is in Park. Here's how to save yourself a few hundred bucks and fix it yourself. |
Fixing A Loose Steering Column In A Jeep
One day, out of the blue, the steering column on my 1991 Jeep YJ was suddenly loose. It felt like the tilt mechanism had a lot of play in it, and I could move it about an inch up, down, left, right, and in-between. Apparently, this is a fairly common problem in GM-style steering columns. The fix is easy: tighten up four bolts. The problem was that I had to disassemble most of the steering column to get at them. If you want to know how difficult the job was, imagine defusing a bomb. |
How To Re-Assemble Your Drum Brakes
So you've taken apart your drum brakes to replace the shoes and springs and have made the newbie error of dis-assembling the brakes on both sides at the same time. And now you have no clue on how to put things back together. Have no fear. Dan Brama's first-aid article for stuffing all those parts back into the drum is here to rescue you. |
Diagnosing a No-Start Condition
There are few things more frustrating that turning the key in your truck's ignition and being greeted with the jarring silence of a non-starting, non-running engine. This usually happens when you're late for work or hundreds of miles in the woods and all you want is a quick solution. It's easy to succumb to panic but it's important to begin diagnosing the problem in a systematic and logical manner. Glen Hogenson is an ASE Master Mechanic who feels your pain. Here is his trouble shooting guide to help you fix that no-start condition. |
Winch Rope
Having spent a fair amount of time sailing and following some of the technology advancements in synthetic ropes available for the marine industry, I started to look at rope options. I figure that if these ropes can stand up to the stresses of racing around the world and through the southern ocean, they have to be able to stand up to the abuse of wheeling. |
Do It Yourself Snorkel Project
Want to reduce dust and water intake problems? Consider building a snorkel for your 4x4. It doesn't have to be expensive. All it takes is some nerve with a Sawzall and the information presented in this article. |
Hi-Steer Conversion
A hi-steer conversion is intimidating for a lot of people because there are many ways to do it wrong and it requires some quality machining work which many fourwheelers cannot do themselves. I'm one of them. Nevertheless, I had to switch Project YJ to a hi-steer setup. In this article, I'll tell you what a hi-steer setup is, and why it's a good thing to have. |
Jeep Cherokee 8.8 Axle Swap
The Ford Explorer 8.8 is a very popular swap candidate for Chrysler Jeeps that are cursed with the Dana 35 axle. With minimal work and for a reasonable price, you can end up with an axle that is stronger than a Dana 44 and has the superior stopping power of disc brakes. Best of all, all replacement parts of off-the-shelf stock; no custom axle shafts or brake calipers are used. |
How to Choose a Gas for GMAW Welding
There is a lot more to MIG or GMAW welding than choosing a welder and wire size. The type of gas you use makes a huge difference in your weld quality. We asked Dave Comer of Air Liquide to give us a run down on the various gases available for wire-feed welding applications. |
Building a Full Floating Ford 9"Axle
There's no doubt about it, a full-floater axle gives you the dual benefits of easy trail repairs and longer-lasting axle shafts. The problem is, I like the Ford 9" axle...and it never came from the factory in a full-floater configuration. So I did the only thing a rock monkey could do, I built my own... |
The Redneck Ram - Hydraulic Steering for the Rest of Us
Mike Knorr tries out West Texas Off Road's Redneck Steering Ram. Their hydraulic steering assist gives you the power to control those over-sized tires while retaining the street legal status of a factory steering system. |
Swap an NP435 & Dana 20 onto a 4.0L
Looking for affordable low gears and increased reliability for your Jeep's drivetrain? If so, read Andrew Horvath's story of how he did the swap. It's not a bolt-in job but it is do-able. |
Detroit SoftLocker Install - How To
After I picked up my new Detroit locker I was a little short on cash to just drive into a differential shop and get them to install it. Getting a locker installed can cost a pretty penny so I made the choice to try and install the locker by myself. |
Hi-Pinion Dana 60 Front Axle
Building a high pinion Dana 60 for the front of a CJ-7. It sounds like a good idea but the problem is that all the factory high pinion Dana 60's have the differential on the wrong side of the vehicle. So what's a cash-strapped rock monkey to do? Read this article and find out! |
Do-It-Yourself Driveshaft Shortening
There are some times of automotive work that most Shade Tree Howley Monkeys avoid. Driveshaft modifications are one such example and there's good reason for that. Driveshafts are fairly heavy, they can be quite long, and they turn at high speeds. Because of this, they require precise construction techniques and proper balancing. Having the proper tools and skills is crucial to successfully modifying a driveshaft. But like most things, there are exceptions to this rule. |
Swapping TJ Flares onto a YJ
The more I had seen great looking YJs with TJ fender flares in magazines and on various websites, the more I wanted to do it to my own '93 YJ. I decided to go ahead with the project for a number of reasons. In addition to the updated look, the swap increases tire clearance in the wheel wells and the cutting of the front and rear fenders allows for a little more flex without rubbing. Additionally, this modifications would keep the police off my case for tires that stick out too far. In Vancouver, some of the police can be somewhat over-zealous in giving out vehicle inspection notices. The most obvious infraction is having wide tires that stick out past the fenders. By using TJ flares, I was able to cover-up just about all of my 35" BFGs, even after my axle swap. This alone made the swap worthwhile. |
High Pinion Dana 44 Front
On the surface, building a reverse rotation (RR) Dana 44 for the front of a CJ-7 sounds like a straightforward project. But the problem is that all the factory reverse rotation Dana 44s have the differential on the wrong side (ie: driver's side) of the vehicle. A completely custom axle is the only route. Of course if you have the money, you can skip reading this article and call any one of the custom axle builders and have one made for minimal headache. Since I'm a die hard do-it-yourselfer and very short on cash I decided to tackle this myself. |
High Pinion Dana 60 Rear
You want the ultimate high pinion rear end for your Jeep but you're cash poor. What do you do? Build your own! At least that's what I did. The project isn't easy and it's not for your average shade tree mechanic but it CAN be done. It just takes time, patience, and access to some crucial tools. |
Home-Grown Samurai Rear Disc Conversion
After dealing with poor braking performance and having gone through 3 sets of rear brake shoes in 6 months, we finally decided to do the rear disc brake conversion on our 1985 Suzuki Samurai. |
8274 Upgrade
Upgrade your 8274's motor to use Warn's new high-speed motor. This article has been updated on May 23, 2007, to reflect the latest Warn part numbers that will result in the lowest cost for doing this upgrade. |
Chris Waterman's Jeep Bronco
It wasn't enough that Chris swapped a pair of Early Bronco axles under his YJ. Now he's decided to push it over the edge of schizophrenia by installing a Ford 5.0 motor, a Ford tranny, and TWO Ford transfer cases. |
The Jeep poker run – crazy as it gets!
Here's a great combination, poker and driving (well, not at the same time). There's an event called the Jeep poker run and the outline is that you drive through a number of check points and draw a card. The one with the best poker hand ranking after that wins. There's always something fun going on at the check points as well, so it's really like a long party. Here's a video from the poker run in Yuma 2010 where you can see that they integrated some lovely off road driving as well. |
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