Jeep Cherokee Trouble Shooting

I have started a series of articles relating to trouble shooting problems with your Jeep Cherokee.

I will cover topics like what to do when it won't start and instructions on common repairs like changing the alternator.

For more info see: Jeep Trouble Shooting and Performance Improvement

Making the Doors Removable

One of the most obvious modifications I made to my XJ before gong the the spring fling was making the doors removable. I love the modification!

The visibility is wonderful when crawling over the rocks. I also love the open air feeling. And not having to open the big heavy door when jumping out to check something is a huge plus as well.

At night and on the trip to and from the park, I put the doors back on and felt secure that all my tools and goodies were locked up safe.

For more on how I made my doors removable, click here.

Playing in the rock garden at Harlan.

Comments on Off Roading from another Jeep Girl

I really do not look like the typical off-roading, adventurous person. I'm just a 31 year old single mom of three children ages 10, 5 and 2. But I own a 1992 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4x4. It has a 3" lift, 31" Maxxis Buckshot Mudder tires, and Craggar Black wheels.
Last year I owned a 2000 Mazda MPV minivan. My kids enjoyed it since it had a video player, but surprisingly they were not sad to hand it over to grandma and grandpa.
In fact, all three of them are protective of "Princess." We have named "our" Jeep (XJ) Princess of the Mud.
I practiced off roading at my best friend's 26 acre property. He has created several trails all around his house along the creek.
Practicing helped prepare me for my first real off-roading adventure in October 2007. I was heading to Windrock located in Oliver Springs, Tennessee. It is 73,000 acres that a mining company has leased out.
I met up with several other XJ owners from the Yahoo XJlist, most of them from Kentucky. I managed to show them that a female in a stock Jeep Cherokee can keep up with the souped up XJ's. I made a couple of dents and scratches which is no big deal to me.
When you are off-roading the world's problems are forgotten otherwise you end up smacking a tree, the side of a hill or expect to go off a cliff/mountain. The adrenalin rush is awesome. Watching the XJ'ers in front of you take a challenging climb up a trail is exciting. When it's your turn, the adrenalin kicks in.
At Windrock on trail 39 I amazed everyone by making it up a part of the trail the rest of the group had trouble with in their lifted, off roading tires. At Windrock I had not made any modifications so mine was still just a street, stock Jeep Cherokee.
Then I blew them away on trail 16 making it up an up hill part of the trail on the first attempt while the veterans took two and three tries.
Nine months later we all meet up near Harlan, Kentucky at Black Mountain. This time my XJ is modified from the street stock it had been.
I have also brought along my oldest child, my daughter Shiloh who is 10 years old. After the Windrock trip she was highly upset I didn't take her so this is kind of a vacation for the two of us.
Myself, Shiloh and my best friend Janice meet up with her husband also my best friend, Mike. He had arrived a day earlier just to hang out with the guys. When I say meet up I mean out in the middle of the entire off roading map. Trail 45 looks innocent at the beginning since it is the main trail. But since it had rained there was mud and alot of slipping.
It was fun though to be able to do some trailing by myself without the guys around. Eventually we met up with them at the bowl. The bowl has numerous trails for ATV's and off-roading vehicles. After the guys kept asking me if I was going to go I got Janice to ride with me. I was looking forward to that adrenalin rush. I got it too.
The guys had been joking around with me since I had a chance to practice a few weeks earlier at Coppinger Cove near Jasper, Tennessee. Mike had me try out what looked like a tiny innocent hill. I nearly did a Dukes of Hazard jump which is why the guys were teasing me.
While in Kentucky, it kept raining. The first morning at camp (for us ladies) it rained and rained. Our plans had to be modified because some of the trails were going to be extremely difficult if not dangerous. We had all hoped to go to the Mason Jar area but that had to be cancelled since the rocks were going to be too slick. Mike had mentioned a section the guys had all been to before would require strapping to avoid going off the side of the mountain. With it being slick from the rain the guys just did not want to risk it.
Most of us went up trail 15 when it was nice and muddy. Half way up the first section it was very slick. It was fun though since I ended up being the last person. Neal, our leader and "expert" was in front of me. After the third section I made him look bad since I made it up all three on the first attempts. Apparently Neal forgot to put his XJ in 4 Low like everyone else had done.
One of the things I had the chance to do was try the beginning of the rock garden. Since I didn't get to have my rock rails put on before Kentucky (only one was ready to be put on), Neal decided just to let me try the first part of it. I hope on our next adventure to have the rails on so I can try a rock garden out.
After we got home, some of the guys expressed how they were continued to be amazed by me accomplishing the trails that some of the amateurs had difficulty on. We all had fun which is the most important part of the Spring Flings and Fall Crawls.
Living in the southeast part of Tennessee it is not unusual to see a lifted XJ or really any SUV or truck lifted with bigger tires. To some of us, off-roading has become a part of life. It is a way to get away for just awhile from a world that can be cruel at times. We get an adrenalin rush that tends to build confidence in a positive way.
Normally it's the men that are doing the off-roading. But for them to see a woman doing it makes it even more fun and exciting.
Jennifer Bryan
http://www.empowering-solutions.net - http://www.jenniferbryan.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Bryan

The ultimate road trip? NEXT Road Rally

Is this the ultimate road trip?

The NEXT group is hosting a Road Rally in September. This road rally will be a tour of nine states in the northeast USA.

The event looks like a lot of fun with entrants competing for $25,000 in prizes.

The NEXT group is also recognizes the potential for environmental impact for such an event and has teamed with carbonfund.org to minimize the impact of the event. However, I would have thought the north east would welcome some global warming.

Anyway check out this TSD road rally at http://www.nextroadtriprally.com/

XJlist Spring Fling in Harlan KY

The XJ list returned to Harlan Ky for their annual Spring Fling this year. As usual the event was huge fun. We welcomed new member Evan and his Cherokee.

AS you can see in the photo, I made Scuffy's doors removable for the event. I really enjoyed the extra visibility. And I really did not have too much trouble even in the heavy rains.

I took on a couple of the rock gardens this time and found out how much fun they are. Naturally that got me thinking about more modification I would like to do to Scuffy.

My ARB worked well after the repairs. I now have a few more repairs to make as my alternator and wipers became intermittent during the weekend. Probably mostly from disuse.

I also have an exhaust leak that becomes annoying at times so I need to quieten that down before my next trip.

Look for a full writeup and photos later at http://www.mikestrawbridge.com

The Power of Focus

My Dad just bought a Ford Focus, but that is not the kind of focus I am focusing on today!

Today I heard a talk on the subject of focus. The speaker pointed out that much of the chronic fatigue that we have in our lives is because our energy is so scattered. Multi tasking in considered an asset, however when taken to extremes it actually reduces our productivity.

For example when working on my Jeep, I find I can accomplish much more is a shorter period of time when I am alone in the shop. Just having someone stop by and speak to me is often enough of a distraction for me to injure myself. even if just a little cut or smashed finger, the pain reminds me that I have been distracted.

I don't even play music in my shop anymore while I work. The work becomes like a meditation. When I am truly focused on the work I am doing, I am purely in the present moment. If I find myself thinking about the past - of maybe how this problem came to be or to the future like how this problem will effect the performance of my Jeep, then I will either make a mistake or cause myself pain.

When I am truly focused on the task at hand, turning the one bolt, locating a gasket just right, finding a locating pin or tab, or just visualizing the flow of electricity through a circuit, I am most effective if I am focused on just that one thing.

Working on my Jeep has become great therapy for me. Learning to focus on the present moment and getting the instant feedback of seeing myself become more productive is a fantastic learning experience.

I find that when I am focusing on the present moment, I can get great clarity and trouble shoot problems that have eluded me for hours or even days as my attention has been divided.

I am often inspired to test things that might not even be on the checklist and suddenly uncover the source of a problem. At other times, I am reminded to just follow the trouble shooting chart ignoring the history for the problem and simply focus on what works and what does not to get the the root of a problem.

Staying focused is the key. Maybe I need to borrow Dad's car.

Buy parts on line and earn rewards

Do you buy Jeep parts on line? Unless I am in a huge hurry I buy almost all my Jeep parts on line. And even when I am in a hurry, I can sometimes purchase parts on line and pick them up at my local store. Parts America is one company that offers this option. Walmart is another.

By clicking this link and signing in as a preferred customer, each purchase you make can earn you reward points good toward free products. There is no cost to join, just click "sign in" in the upper right of the screen and make up a user name and password. Each purchase you make through this simple portal will earn you reward points that can be redeemed for free products.

Also, many vendors offer special pricing when accessing their site through this portal , so be sure to check them out and compare prices. Save money, save gas, save time and earn free products. It doesn't get any better than this does it?

Click here.

Starting problem follow up

Well it turns out it was not the NSS after all. My XJ finally failed to start at home where I had all my tools handy to check it out.

I first noticed that as I moved the shifter back and forth I could hear a relay click. That told me the NSS was doing its job.

I then hooked my voltmeter to the terminal on the starter solenoid and found that there was power there when the key was turned to the start position.

I used a screwdriver to tap on the solenoid and it started right up.

I promptly drove my Jeep to the barn and put it on the lift. I pulled the very muddy/greasy old starter off and replaced it with one from a ZJ that I am parting put.

Oddly the old starter tests fine now that it off the Jeep. I probably just needs a good cleaning. But after 295,000 mile it is probably due for a replacement. I will likely clean up the old one and keep it for a trail spare.

The Go Now Girls

The Go Now Girls:

JeepGirl has teamed up with Jennifer of www.jenniferBryan.com to promote a new home based business opportunity.

They are having a really fun time driving their Jeeps to meet with new friends to tell them about this new business opportunity that allows them the freedom to spend time with their children, as well as play with their Jeeps.

See http://gonowgirls.blogspot.com to see what fun they are up to today.

Interesting NSS problem

Yesterday I had an interesting problem with my XJ. I had met JeepGirl and Jennifer to work on our Marketing business.

When I got ready to leave, I hit the key and nothing. Guessing it was the NSS, I wiggled the shifter around and tried both neutral and park. No go on the starter. I opened the hood and checked the other basics like battery cables and the wires to the starter. All good just no power to the starter.

JeepGirl took me home to get the Suburban and trailer. Jenny, towed me out in to the street and I let my XJ roll down the hill onto the trailer. Gravity works with you some days.

I finally got my XJ home and pushed it through the garage doors to put it on the lift. Note that I tried at every opportunity to start the engine but never a hint at triggering the starter relay.

I took a break to change clothes and eat supper.

When I got back to the shop I got pout the test instruments to see where in the circuit I was loosing the signal. When I clicked the switch to begin the test the engine started right up!

I was happy the problem was fixed but annoyed that I did not find the cause since it is likely to reappear. I tried several more test starts and it works fine in both park and neutral.

When I get more time I will clean the switch anyway. See my earlier post about how to clean the NSS.

Coppinger Cove off road trip

This weekend we made a trip to Coppinger Cove along the Little Sequachie River.

We decided to take Jenny's XJ to test her new lift and tires.

We met there with a group of Toyotas from Atlanta.

The rains and snow melt had the water much higher than normal so much of the road in was flooded. Once we made it to the river crossing however, we found the water very deep and the current very swift.

We then decided to return to the highway ans come in from the north. We entered on Pocket road and went down the stair case n to the valley. We passed the waterfall that springs from a cliff and falls into a sink hole.

We finally worked our way back to the other side of the river which had dropped a little since the morning when we first tried to cross.

The water crossing was a little scary due to the swift current but we all made it across safely.

See the videos here:
http://youtube.com/user/mlstrawxj

Mike

http://www.free2bme.ws

Maxxis Buckshot Mudders

This week we completed Jenny's lift by installing her 31" tires.

Photos and the complete story are posted at:

http://www.mikestrawbridge.com/buckshots.shtml

Her new tires and wheels have really transformed the look of her XJ.

A quick test drive shows they have greatly improved the off road capability as well.

To get your own set of Maxxis Buckshot Mudders, see

http://www.induprod.com/

My XJ broke in holiday traffic

Last night while doing some Christmas shopping, I heard a huge noise from under the hood of my Jeep. It would go away if I revved the engine and return at idle.

Since I was in the middle of holiday traffic I drove on a few miles before I checked it.

When I opened the hood I found the idler pulley had spit out its bearings.

The thing I found most interesting was that there was no warning. There was no squeak or roar before the bearing separated. I have heard others squeak for years without failure.

So I am now recommending that this part be changed as a matter of preventative maintenance. Luckily I was able to drive mine to the perts store and them back to the shop. I would hate to have been stranded in holiday traffic if the belt had slipped off.

See my post on http://induprod.blogspot.com/ for a special holiday offer.

XJ List trip to Windrock

The guys and gals from the XJ list met up at Windrock, Tn this month for what has become a semi annual meeting.

A short video of my Jeep on one of the hill climbs is posted at this link:
http://induprod.com/Jeepparts.shtml

More info to follow.

Mike

XJ List Spring Fling

The XJ list converged on Harlan, Ky once again.

Since we saw so little of the park last time we went back for a repeat visit. We got in lots of play time this trip.

Friday's adventure ended in a slip and slide as we got caught in a rain storm on our way back to camp. The long muddy hill we started the day with was a big water slide for most of the group.

Saturday we ran a super fun trail called Mason Jar. This trail starts with what looks like an impossible obstacle. Our first Jeep made it over just to prove it could be done. Then the rest of us took the by pass. However this was no easy bypass. It was an extremely off camber run on the side of a cliff. Each jeep had to be strapped up for safety as we crawled through.

A few busted taillights and some new pin striping seemed to cover most of the damage in the group.

See the pictures at:

http://mikestrawbridge.com/jeep-cherokee-off-road.shtml

Tennessee Back Roads Heritage Rally

This weekend, JeepGirl and I ran the Tennessee Heritage Back roads Rally.

This rally started at Motlow College just south of Tullahoma, Tn

The route took us on some very scenic back roads between Tullahoma and Lynchburg.

The rally consisted of some fairly challenging navigation but was scored based on the answers to questions about the route.

The navigation tripped us up only once when we read a little too much into some of the pre rally hints. We quickly recovered our course and finished the route to Lynchburg well within our allotted time.

Arriving at the park in Lynchburg early gave us plenty of time to tour downtown Lynchburg. Being the home of Jack Daniels distillery gives this small town square a unique flavor of shops and atmosphere.

We took first place in our class and if I understood correctly we were the only team to get all the questions correct.

We look forward to returning to Middle Tennessee in July for the Bell Buckle Park rally.

Windrock

Windrock

I made a return trip to Coal Creek OHV area on Windrock mountain. The last time I was here was when I met the guys from the XJ list here.

There have been several changes since my last visit. Mainly the new windmills and the changes to the roads required to transport the windmills to the top of the mountain.

They now charge per person instead of per vehicle. This essentially doubles the cost for most trips but at $15 per person it is still a bargain.

Traveling with me this time was Robert in his Toyota pickup. Navigating for both of us was our friend Tom.

Even with three very skilled map readers, we got lost several times using the park provided map. Once we finally learned to ignore the new looking roads, we id much better at navigating, but still somehow ended up exiting the park in stead of back at the snack shack for lunch. We are still not sure how we did that.

What was most interesting about the day was the variety of trails. Most of the day we had dust to deal with. Then we found some rocks. Later we found these huge mud holes on the top of the mountain, I think my alternator fell victim to one of them as on the trip home it stopped charging. I drove 150 miles on the remaining battery.

Mike Strawbridge in IMSA?

It is amazing what you can find when you Google your name. Seems there was a racer with my same name back in the 80's. I do remember one time someone asking me about a crash they had seen me in on TV. Was probably this guy.


1986 : Al Holbert last title, part 3By AlexGT Ron Canizares and Mike Strawbridge took a second place in a Tiga GT286 Mazda, just ahead of class Champion Jim Downing, who drove his usual Argo JM19 Mazda with friend John Maffucci. The GTO class was to be a big fight between ...IMSAblog - http://alex62.typepad.com/imsablog/

100AW Rally

Once again this year I visited Salem, Mo for the 100 Acre wood rally.

This year my job was event steward.

Read more....

Mysterious Jeep CPS failure

Friday afternoon, I got a call form Scott saying his new stroker motor had died just east of Nashville, Tn. He was going 70mph and it just cut off.

I worked him through trouble shooting the system on the phone.

When I told him to check the connector on the CPS, he told me that he had found the trouble. The wires were gone!

I did not comprehend what he was saying at the time. I thought he said they were broken. He meant GONE!

While I loaded my XJ on the trailer and hooked up the Suburban, he was laying on the cold ground on the side of the interstate removing and rewiring his CPS.

By the time I got there (3 hours later) he had new wires run from the CPS to the ECU and had it running. One bolt was inside the Transmission however.

So we swapped XJ's and he headed on to Alabama to see his girl and I took his XJ back home to swap in a new CPS and repair the harness.

It looked like some gremlin had jumped in there and yanked the wires out. I can't figure out how it happened as that wire is pretty protected. I made sure the new one is tied up out of the way of anything.

I did enjoy taking his XJ back to him Sunday. His stoker motor has way more torque than my daily driver. I managed to take some tread off the rear tires when crossing the street to where we were meeting when I got into the gas just a little bit too much.

New 4.7 L Stroker install

Scott's Wagoneer gets a stroker




During Scott's Christmas break from college we installed a Titan Stroker motor in his 88 XJ Wagoneer.

He also added some lace wheels and a new gage cluster at the same time.

Due to the holiday season and some illness in our family, we have not really pushed to get the job done quickly. Working just a few hours here and there. Even at that pace it has taken just over a week to get the swap completed.

The motor started on the first revolution and after a few seconds of rough idle the computer began to adapt to all the changes: different injectors, new o2 sensor etc.

Once it warmed up it settled into a nice steady rumble. Since he has a quiet muffler on his and soft motor mounts, there is not much difference in the sound from stock. It runs so quite you can hear the injectors clicking.

Scott asked Titan to build this one to be as fuel efficient as possible. Chuck at Titan engines said he built it with lower compression and a milder cam than my race engine.

Scott will be keeping records to see how good the fuel economy really is. He may have to get past the period of enjoying the new found torque before he gets really good number however. I have had my motor for about a year now and I still have not gotten past playing with it every time I drive it. Just as well I don't keep fuel economy data on it.

So thanks to Chuck at Titanengines.com we have another stroker in the family.

New Titan engines 4.7L Stroker install

4.7L Stroker Motor

We have been so happy with the first Titan Stroker motor that my son Scott decided to get one for his XJ Wagoneer.

We got it bolted in place yesterday. Now we just have to do the finishing touches like wiring up the alternator, starter and new injectors that are still in route via fed ex.

Hope to start it up before new years.

Don't be a wuss!

David DeAngelo is one of the greatest writers I have read on the subject of not being a wuss. While I usually try to phrase things in a more positive way, he drives home the important point that the biggest problem men have these days is their lack of being men - being a wuss.I have posted two new article for you to learn from:
Ten most dangerous mistakes men make with women
and
A secret women know that men don't

Be sure to get his foundation book "Double your dating."

Sad day for the Green Mamba

The Green Mamba, a jet powered show car and dragster from the sixties has been stolen and stripped. I remember seeing this car at a car show when I was a kid. My condolences to Doug Rose on the loss of his prize possession. Maybe he can rebuild it.

Read the article here....

What makes a great kiss?

How to be a Great Kisser

The kiss near the end of Gone with the Wind is rated as the most memorable movie kiss of all time. Even after seventy years this one is still the greatest.

But what makes a kiss great? Is a kiss not just a kiss?

Read more about the five characteristics of a great kiss in this article:

http://mikestrawbridge.com/attraction-kissing.shtml

Practice with your JeepGirl.

First speeder caught in 1912

First Woman Speeder Is Fined $25 in Minneapolis;Accident Causes Arrest

Mrs. Margaret Speer, the first woman in Minneapolis ever charged with auto speeding, paid a fine of $25 today in municipal court for running faster than fifteen miles an hour on Washington avenue N.
A big hat, a high wind and an unlucky circumstance that put the police auto directly in the path of Mrs. Speer’s machine, caused her arrest. Otherwise the police say her speed was so great they never could have caught her.

Read more here....

Now if she had just had this information she might have gotten out of that speeding ticket.
Read more here...

Boosting our testosterone levels

John Alanis wrote this week about the declining testosterone levels of the American males. In his article he mentioned that few men do manly things anymore. Most of them just sit around on the couch and watch TV.

Well this weekend at least a few men went out into the woods and did manly stuff. Taking Jeeps off road this weekend turned out to be a bigger adventure than any of us planned for.

But we got a great lesson in how to work together and how to perform like men.

During what was planned to be just a quick warm up before we hit the hard trails we encountered a hill that few of us could climb. But once it started to rain, we were committed to getting up, down and out of the woods together.

This group of relative strangers pulled together and quickly formed a smooth working team. There was no whining about the cold and rain, there was a truck to get up the hill. No egos got in the way. Just the powerful relaxed confidence of knowing that we had the skills and tools we needed and we were going to accomplish the task of getting everyone safely out.

This type of activity is what John says in missing in our modern American culture. That is why so many men are having trouble in their relationships. They don't have that relaxed confidence in their masculinity.

If you want to learn more about being a man that attracts women, or just having the relaxed confidence to handle any situation, you don't have to risk your life or your Jeep, just click here to get John's course.

For the full story of the Harlan Adventure see
http://mikestrawbridge.com/jeep-offroad-harlan-ky.shtml

Harlan, Ky Jeep Cherokees Off Road

The XJ fall Crawl was in Harlan, Ky this year. The rain and steep hills of Kentuky made this the most exciting fall crawl ever.

The complete story is posted at:

http://mikestrawbridge.com/jeep-offroad-harlan-ky.shtml

XJ List fall crawl

I am getting packed now for the XJ list fall crawl. This year we are headed for Harlan, Ky.

None of us have ever been but the pictures look awesome.

There have already been some great stories told about the adventure of getting there. Adam has lost his keys and some of the others are stuck in traffic trying to get off the interstate.

I still expect my trip to be relaxing and uneventful. I have the Suburban packed and the XJ is ready to go.

I raised the Co driver seat off the floor so Scott can see out. He will make a better spotter that way. A rally co driver does not need to see as well so I have the seat mounted low and to the rear normally.

We head out tomorrow.

Jeep Coaching

Are you absolutely thrilled with the car your are driving right now?

If not what are your car dreams? Do you want a lifted stroked Jeep that will go anywhere safely and reliably?

Or do you desire a powerful diesel pickup that will tow all your off road toys to the woods?

No matter what your car dreams are, I can help you achieve them.

I am now offering for a limited time a coaching service for men and women who want to enjoy the feeling of knowing they are driving exactly the kind of vehicle they always wanted.

So no matter what kind of car or truck or Jeep you want to drive, my car coaching will help you get there in the style you deserve.

Read more at www.car-coaching.com or contact me at www.mikestrawbridge.com/contact-mike.shtml to set up a free coaching assessment session to find out if car-coaching is right for you.

Jeep Cherokee winch mount

Instead of reusing the bumper form Scuffy I, I decided to mount my new harbor freight winch.

I used the base plate that came with the winch as the bulk of the bumper. I used angle iron to make frame attachment brackets and some of the square tubing let over from the old bumper to make the outriggers.

Cost $5 for bolts.

Stroked and Lifted Jeep Cherokee update

A little spray paint helps to blend in the cut fenders.

Scott got artistic with the grill as well.

Scuffy II progress report

I just swapped the cut fenders from Scuffy I onto the race car and rolled the rear fenders to clear the big tires.

Now I just have to decide which front bumper to use or maybe fabricate an new one to hold my winch.

Snake Photo

Thanks to Jamie Perry for sending me this photo for our Course response vehicle with the mounted "trophy"

Crow Mountain Hill Climb

This past weekend I had huge fun working the Crow Mountain Hill Climb.

While it is technically an SCCA time trial event, the fact that they use a section of public road that is closed for the timed runs makes it operate like a single stage performance rally.

Because of my Rally experience, I was asked to assist in the function of course marshal.

This job consists of monitoring the safety and security of the course during the event. We also had Bill Perry's Jeep equipped with sufficient supplies to qualify us as a first response vehicle.

If anyone had an incident on the hill, we could respond quickly and determine the best course of action - like getting a wrecker or ambulance if needed or simply towing them ourselves if that was possible.

Our biggest surprise of the day was when turn nine reported unknown debris on the track. We were dispatched to investigate and discovered that a 44 inch timber rattler had made it on to the course and had been fatally struck by one of the race cars.

Sadly I swept the remains off the road. But after the event, I recovered the snake and mounted him on the front bumper of Bill's Jeep to show the unbelievers in the paddock area.

We used wire ties instead of duct tape so we don't really qualify as rednecks.

Pictures to follow.

Beasley Knob trip

I ran Beasley Knob today to give Scuffy II a trial run. I ran with Robert's Toyota Pickup as backup.

We ran trails A, C, D, and G
The above picture is from Trail D just before the Hill climb.

Trail C was blocked by a fallen tree between E and B so we could not make the whole loop.

The forest service has just done some grading and graveling on the main trail A. They have also run a dozer over some of the more difficult trails but they are still challenging on 30" tires.

We had the place pretty much to ourselves during the morning but after noon we started meeting ATVs and Motorcycles so we decided to head out as passing is very difficult on the narrow trails.

The red clay was slipper when wet but offered good traction when dry. The area has very few rocks. Mostly just narrow and sometimes steep clay roads.

Some places are very narrow and look like they would be difficult to get through in anything wider than a Jeep.

I was very happy with the way Scuffy II handled the obstacles. I only locked the front once and it did not help as i had the rear diff hung on one of the few rocks there so even all four tire pulling would not get me up the hill. Taller tires would have made a big difference.

The stroker engine was great all day. I still had to be careful not to give too much throttle or I would spin in the damp clay. The compression braking was way better than my old motor making going downhill very nice and controlled.

Scuffy II update

Stroked and Lifted Jeep Cherokee

This past weekend I stripped the lift springs and rock rails off of

Scuffy to swap on to the Rally racer to make Scuffy II.

Because I cut one of my 35" tires on playing on Scuffy's last run, I am running 30" for now.

The flex is amazing and the tight turning radius is nice on the tight twisty trails around my farm.

The torque of the Titan Engines Stroker motor is awesome. Even with the race cam, the power comes on nice and smooth. There is a noticeable bump in power as the revs go up. It caught me off guard on one side hill climb and got me in a scary spot for a while.

Proper use of the roof rack

Here is a story about a guy who lost 1.1 million dollars worth of paintings off the roof of his car.

And I worry about hauling my ladder on my roof rack.

Suntimes article

Jeep Cherokee Blind Spot?

According to this article the Jeep Cherokee has the worst blind spot of any car they tested. maybe they see things differently in South Africa, but one of the things I love about my XJ Jeep Cherokee is the visibility.

I did relocate the rear view mirror higher up on the glass to rid myself of that blind spot , but they are talking about the A pillar.

Even in my Rally racer, we were able to fabricate the A pillar bars so that there was no loss of visibility around the A pillars.

The photo they show in the article looks like form a Lumina APV. My dad has one of those and I hate driving it due to the huge blind spot due to its massive A pillars and strangely sloped windshield.

Anyway, I don't get it. I don't have a problem with my Jeep Cherokee blind spots.

Electric trailer brakes or lack there of

My trailer gets a lot of use. When it is not being used to transport my RallyJeep to and event or Scuffy to the woods, it is being used to haul furniture or maybe scrap metal to the recyclers.

I often pull it with my Jeep Cherokee but if it has a heavy load I pull it with my Suburban. I prefer the long wheel base of the Suburban to keep things stable.

Well, recently I offered to haul a friend's minivan to my shop to replace his steering rack for him.

He lives at the top of a steep gravel hill. It would have been no problem if the trailer brakes were working - but they we not. Click here to read the rest of the story and how I repaired the brakes.