Our Jeep & 4WD Articles Can Be Selected Below
April-2008
Updates
We have been away for a while. We are getting the Project Jeep ready for the 2008 show season.
We will be at the 2008 All-Jeep Show in SLC in May and have a few changes.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ISSUE - CHANGED RECOMMENDATION
We have made a few changes to our Project Jeep in recent days. One of these was the replacement of the Wrangler NW Dual Battery Tray we have previously recommended. It is an excellent product, but we encountered some problems with the Odyssey PC-925 batteries required by that tray.
The top terminals on those batteries are supposed to take a small amount of rotation. We found that the small amount they quote apparently exceeds what they will really take. We had one of our Odyssey batteries fail (the negative terminal became disconnected inside of the battery), and some research has found that others have encountered similar issues. It seems that the terminals on the Odyssey PC-925MJT and PC-925LMJT batteries may be too weak for this application.
We still recommend the Wrangler NW Battery Manager. It is the best way to handle the installation of two batteries in your vehicle. We also recommend their alternators. We have one in the Project Jeep and it really helped out when we had the problems with the Odyssey batteries.
We are now recommending the Mean Green dual-battery tray along with Optima 34/78 Yellow-Top batteries along with the Wrangler NW Battery Management system.
Our Project Jeep is essentially complete.
We have elected to recommend the RAM Mount system for installing a laptop computer in the Jeep Wrangler. They are very popular in Law Enforcement circles, and they offer a mount which holds up in the TJ. It works well with the Toshiba Tecra A9-S9015X we are recommending to our readers.
Here is the interior with all installed systems operational...
Bestop has agreed to let us evaluate one of their Sunrider tops and some of their other products which have special application in Search & Rescue. We have been running them all winter and should have a completed review shortly. We are also working on getting a locker for the rear axle.
We also just completed the installation of a Skyjacker RockLock and it held up well on our first trip with it!
Keep checking back for details and new articles!
We also had the Jeep @ Moab during Big Saturday. We got to talk to a lot of great people and were able to show how we setup many of the communications and off-road systems.
We spent part of the day parked across from The T-SHIRT SHOP. We had a lot of folks look through our presentation book and we were able to share our recommendations on various items.
We also heard some very "interesting" talk on the Moab PD frequency during and after the lineup and departure on Saturday morning. If there is a HAM Radio club interested in a public service opportunity, I think that the Big Saturday event at Moab could use some communications coordination between the Moab PD and the event organizers, and between the event organizers and the trail leaders.
We are going to contact the event organizers and see if we can lend some assistance in that area.
Here is a complete list of specs on our Project Jeep as of 01-April-2008
Jeep Originally Built on 28-October-1998
1999 Jeep Wrangler TJ
Sahara Package
Rhino-lined Interior
Bestop Sunrider Soft Top (with Sunroof, Removable Tinted Side/Rear Windows)
Clifford Alarm System w/Electric Door Locks
Factory Sentry Key System
4.0L I6 Engine
3-speed 32RH / A999 Automatic Transmission
NP231 Transfer Case
TeraFlex Extreme Short Shaft SYE & CV Drive Shaft
TeraFlex Belly-Up Skid Plate
Dana 30 Front w/ARB Locker
Dana 44 Rear w/Factory LSD
3.73 Gear Ratio
3" TeraFlex Suspension Lift
TeraFlex 4" HD Springs in the Rear (Weight Compensation)
TeraFlex Modular Adjustable Front & Rear Upper & Lower Control Arms
1" Body Lift
TeraFlex Adjustable Front Trackbar
Skyjacker RockLock System
TeraFlex 34TF (Front) Shocks and 34TR (Rear) Shocks
Rancho RS-5407 Steering Stabilizer
33x12.5R15 Tires (Kumho Road Venture MT's)
Unidentified Aftermarket Front Bumper w/Winch Mount
Warn PowerPlant HP Winch w/125' Winchline.com Synthetic Line
KC HiLiTES #1131 replacement fog lights
Steering Box Skid Plate
Flex-A-Lite #485 Electric Fan w/Cutoff Switch
Banks TorqueTube Exhaust Manifold
KC HiLiTES Hood Mount Utility Bar & 3 Lights
Hi-Lift X-TREME 48" Jack
ARB Safari Snorkel
Wrangler NW 200-130 Alternator
Wrangler NW Dual Battery Management System
Mean Green Dual Battery Tray (with two Optima 34/78 Yellow-Top Batteries)
Four 2m/70cm Antennas up front (2 Tram 1180 and 2 Tram shorties)
Bushwacker 6" Pocket-style Fender Flares
Carr Deluxe Jeep Light Bar
2 Warn SDB-160 Lights
GoLight Stryker 500K CP Remote-Controlled Spotlight
2 Whelen L53AP LED Amber Warning Lights
Tuffy Overhead Security Console
Icom IC-7000 HF/2m/70cm Radio w/AH-4 Tuner and AH-2b Antenna
Kenwood TM-D700A 2m/70cm Radio
Lowrance Baja 540C GPS
Tuffy Deluxe Stereo Security Console
Uniden BC-796D APCO 25 Digital & Trunking Scanner
Galaxy DX979 CB w/SSB Capability
Whelen PAP112 Airhorn/PA Unit
Whelen SA314 Speaker
Various Tuffy Security Boxes In Back
AMI Locking Fuel Door
Banks Monster Exhaust
Kilby Gas Tank Skid Plate
Grant 4X4 Rear Bumper w/SOTC, 2 Jerry Cans
Full-Size Spare
LAPTOP RECOMMENDATION - Toshiba Tecra A9-S9015X
After several months of active testing, we have elected to recommend the Toshiba Tecra A9-S9013 or A9-S9015X to our readers that want to run a laptop in their vehicles. We put it through some brutal testing (as our photos will show) and it still works as well as the day it came out of the box. Of special interest to our readers are the REAL 9-pin RS-232 port, PCMCIA card slot, multiple USB ports, and integrated 802.11G wireless network system.
If you are an Amateur Radio Operator, this laptop is especially useful.
One of the best reasons for having a laptop with you - no matter how you use your Jeep - is the ability to store the Factory Service Manuals and Factory Parts Manuals in .PDF format (available from DC) to reference while on the trail.
The Factory Service Manual details many service procedures, and the exploded diagrams in the parts manuals make it even easier to see how things go together.
SEARCH AND RESCUE GEAR RECOMMENDATION - Sprint Wireless/TopGlobal Router/More
As you know, we have recommended and demonstrated the installation of a good deal of two-way radio gear in our Project Jeep. Most of this gear is for use by those with Amateur Radio Licenses. We recently began a series of tests with wireless broadband service over the Sprint EV-DO Rev A network. While you may have some issues in areas with limited cell service, if you can get a signal on the Sprint network, their wireless aircards can get you onto the Internet. In addition, we have been testing some other products including routers that will take a Sprint aircard and provide a wired or wireless hotspot - sharing that access with multiple computers. We are putting the finishing touches on our first reviews of the products. Expect to see them in December.
We now have our TeraFlex article available. Take a look at what went into our lift kit upgrade and why we selected TeraFlex! Click here.
Lighting Up The Night
There is a story behind every one of those enhancements. Keep checking back to read our latest reviews and installation tutorials.
Keep checking back. Updates are being posted quickly as we get this project finished.
Our Current Project Vehicle:
1999 Jeep Wrangler Sahara For Emergency Communications
Response to our project creating an Energency Communications/Search & Rescue Vehicle using a 1999 Wrangler has been very enthusiastic. It seems to work out that way whenever we start something of this magnitude.
Jim has quite a bit of experience with mobile radio installations using HAM radio gear, public service/public safety radios, and other items relating to Law Enforcement and Contract Security. He was asked to recommend, specify, and demonstrate a mobile installation in a vehicle which is suited to Search and Rescue and/or Law Enforcement duties in off-the-beaten-path locations.
Based on some practice and experience, we elected to do this using a Jeep Wrangler. This Jeep is equipped with multiple radios and other equipment for these applications such as winches, lift kit, etc.
Our goal on this project was to recommend products that are within the reach of the average ARES/RACES member as well, so that those considering setting up their own Emergency Communications Vehicles to help with SAR, disaster recovery, and other emergency situations might be able to run with items that are proven to work.
Click on the buttons to the left to learn more about it.