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OK, so it's summertime here in Florida, and that means I'd like to take my kayaks to the beach and various other launching points along the Gulf of Mexico that are nearby.

Unfortunately, the current rack options pretty much suck. :-)

I'm currently running with the hard top on, just so I can use my Thule gutter mount rack along with a pair of Thule Hull-a-Port kayak holders which allow 2 kayaks to be carried semi-vertically. It works, but...I might as well be driving a stupid Hummer H3 if I'm going to be cooped up in the hard top in the summertime, right? I need to pull my soft top out of storage!

I'm prepping a writeup of what roof rack options are out there, and what's coming...so look for more info soon.

permalink | posted on 14-Jun-2007 | Topics: Hard Top  Racks  Soft Top  

Gosh I've been busy lately, I keep forgetting to post these photos. My job has been keeping me away from doing the fun stuff, I guess.

So here's the AEM intake install in my 2007 Wrangler, in 4 photos. :)

Here's the "before" photo:

Here's the stock intake removed. It took all of 5 minutes, I think. The instructions were great. Getting the IAT sensor out of the stock intake was the longest part of the whole process.

And now the bracket/partition that keeps the filter kind of away from the warmest part of the engine bay:

And...ta da! Completely installed:

The hardest part was dealing with that damn IAT sensor. There's a grommet that holds the sensor to the breather tube and it's tricky to get that all put together without breaking the sensor or uttering some unsavory words. :)

The intake sounds great...the engine has a nice rumble/growl to it when you stomp on the gas. The MPG's are up a little, maybe 1 - 2 miles per gallon better. Definitely more power from the get-go and up in the higher RPM's. The only thing I don't like is there is a high-frequency whistle that comes in sometimes...I think it may be that IAT sensor grommet leaking a little air or something. Needs to be investigated...

permalink | posted on 05-Apr-2007 | Topics: Engine  

The nice UPS dude delivered my AEM Cold Air Intake last night!

I have a hockey games to go to Thursday and Saturday, so I'm thinking I'll block out a few hours on Sunday to install it. I've heard nothing but good things about the AEM Brute Force intake for Jeep Wranglers, so I can't wait to see for myself!

I've only put on about 110 miles since I filled up the tank the other day, so a few days of waiting will give me time to burn some more dino juice and get a more accurate MPG calculation before I make the change.

permalink | posted on 21-Mar-2007 | Topics: Engine  

An interesting product if you're lamenting the fact that Jeep did away with the oil pressure gauge, etc., is the ScanGauge II.

It does 3 different functions: (1) reads and clears "check engine" (MIL) codes, (2) it shows you up to 4 digital data items at a time, and (3) it has a sophisticated trip computer for keeping track of MPG, etc.

I hooked it up to the ODB-II port under the steering column and velcroed it to the top of the instrument cluster:

You can see it sitting in my garage idling :) so the engine is using 0.6 gallons per hour, the coolant temp is 190 degrees, and the air intake temperature is 134 degrees. Pressing one of the white buttons lets you change the data value displayed there.

I haven't tried the trip computer functions much, but it does give a good instant MPG reading and automatically resets for each day's travel. I also haven't had much chance to use the code reader, knock on wood. :)

permalink | posted on 20-Mar-2007 | Topics: Engine  

In preparation for the cold air intake install, I've been keeping an eye on my MPG meter. So far this tank of gas has averaged between 19 and 20 miles per gallon, according to the trip computer. This is for a four door automatic, with the soft top on.

I don't put on a lot of miles, so it takes some time to empty the tank. I work from home, so my main commute is taking my son to school and back and a few errands like the post office, Costco and Home Depot. This past tank also included a trip into Tampa for a hockey game which dropped some highway miles in there too. Considering the Wrangler has the aerodynamics of a brick, I can't complain about the gas mileage. If I was commuting more than 10-20 miles a day, I might be thinking differently about that. :)

I have the soft top on the Jeep right now, I'm thinking of putting the hard top back on temporarily to see if that affects the mileage significantly. The Wrangler feels noticeably quicker accelerating and driving around with the soft top on. I don't know if it's because the top weighs less, of if it's just that you hear the wind whooshing by over your head. The hard top probably has a better aerodynamic profile, but it's a lot heavier. My guess is that at highway speed, the hard top is better for the fuel economy.

permalink | posted on 20-Mar-2007 | Topics: Engine  Hard Top  Soft Top  

In a March 9th article, CNN Money reports that 2007 Jeep Wrangler sales are very strong, especially the 4-door version. The JK version is really bucking the consumer trend of moving towards smaller car-based "crossover" SUV's, despite a dismal rating from Consumer Reports.

Frankly, Consumer Reports doesn't really know how to handle a vehicle like a Jeep. They go by "how can I get from point A to point B with the least amount of pennies spent per mile", with bonus points if you're built by a Japanese company. Something like a Wrangler is a visceral, emotional, all-American kind of transportation...not really targeted at that crowd.

Sales of the 4-door version are trending 2:1 over the 2-door version, at least for now. This should come as no surprise...back when I ordered mine in July of 2006, there was a glut of 2-door TJ's on the dealer lots and they were incentivizing the heck out of them to try to move the inventory. The people that wanted that model had already gotten one, for the most part. The 4-door opened up a whole different market for people who wanted a "Jeep's Jeep", but needed the extra passenger room.

That's definitely where I came in...my 1996 Cherokee was due for replacement and I wasn't really excited about a Grand Cherokee or that hideously bloated Jeep Commander. I wanted something that could get me around off-road...with the family...and still haul kayaks and bikes and whatever else. I'm sure at some point the sales will start to tail off, but for now Jeep is running 2 shifts in Toledo flat-out and can't come close to keeping up with demand.

permalink | posted on 18-Mar-2007 | Topics: News  

One thing I'm discovering about the Wrangler is that there is a definite "mod bug" that comes with it...the vehicle lends itself to tinkering and there's a very active vendor community ready to sell you all sorts of mods and gadgets to personalize your Jeep.

After going back and forth on this for a few weeks now, I went ahead and ordered an AEM Brute Force cold air intake for the 3.8 liter V-6 in the JK. The CAI looks like a pretty simple install, even for someone like me who's more comfortable tinkering with wires or software than with nuts and bolts and greasy stuff. :)

The idea is that the engine gets better airflow and also pulls in colder, denser air which boosts torque and horsepower. They claim 13 extra horsepower @ 5,000 rpm and 15 ft/lbs at 4,5000 rpm. I'm not one of those guys who gripes about the Wrangler's engine being underpowered, but on the other hand a few extra horses won't hurt anything either.

Anyhoo, I ordered it from Quadratec today. It's $249 + s/h, but back in December they were "selling" up to 2 $100 gift certificates for $80. I was either going to cash those in on this AEM intake or a safari/bikini top, and the CAI won out. The tops are just starting to come out now and they don't have a duster/tonneau cover yet, so I'm still waiting on that one. The end result is that with the 2 certificates I got the cold air intake for $40 off, which makes me pretty happy. :)

I need to fill up the gas tank tomorrow and reset the MPG meter for this tank so that I can get some recent fuel economy numbers before I do the upgrade. My long term average over the past few thousand miles has been around 19-20mpg, most of that in the crappy stop-n-go congested traffic around here. I'll be interested to see if the intake bumps that up a little bit, as some people have been claiming.

You can get the AEM intake from JC Whitney for around $237 with FREE shipping with this link.

4 Wheel Drive Hardware also carries it for a few $ more, but they have a low price guarantee, so compare it with shipping costs and see how that works out.

permalink | posted on 15-Mar-2007 | Topics: Engine  

Here's a web page with JK Jeep Wrangler avatars in every color (including the forthcoming "Detonator Yellow"): http://www.autotco.com/html/avatars.html

Very nice!

Of course, I'm partial to the Red Rock Crystal version. :)

permalink | posted on 15-Mar-2007 | Topics: Web Sites  

Finally some options are starting to emerge if you want to swap out the factory radio, as the Metra CHTO-03 adapter is starting to appear at some parts dealers.

What this does is provide the wiring harness and CAN bus interface to let you put in a new radio but still work with the Infinity amp and speakers, if you have the premium sound system in your Jeep.

I've been waiting patiently for this one, since I would like to swap the factory headunit for a new radio that has XM built-in. I ordered my Jeep with the base radio (code RES) and the premium system knowing that I'd be swapping it as soon as possible.

permalink | posted on 15-Mar-2007 | Topics: Radio