Tech Writeups How-To- This section contains writeups on how to actually install, rebuild, or fix your Jeep. How Stuff Works- This section contains writeups explaining how things work, to further your understanding of different concepts. Reference- This section contains charts and or tables of specs.   How-To | Axles | Engine / Drivetrain | Body | Brakes / Wheels | Electrical | Steering | Misc | Axles Locker Install - Installing a lunchbox locker is pretty straight forward. This writeup walks you through it, and explains how they work. Ball Joint Replacement - Replacing ball joints isn't a big deal, with the correct tool. In this writeup you'll learn how to replace press-in ball joints. Changing Differential Fluid - Changing your differential fluid is easy. If you like playing the water, odds are you'll get lots of practice at this. Changing Pinion Bearings - The good thing about pinion bearings is there is no actual gear setup required, the only thing you have to worry about is pinion bearing preload, to much and you'll destroy bearings, to little and your destroy bearings. Changing Wheel Joints - Next in my do-it-yourself write-ups, is changing wheel joints. So what's a wheel joint? It's the u-joint in the front axleshaft. Changing a wheel joint is very similar to changing any other u-joint. However since some of us leave their wheel joints in for 125k miles :D , they can be stubborn to remove. Manual Hub Wheel Bearing Maintenance - Well pretty much anytime you go through water, you should have your front wheel bearings apart for inspection/regreasing. Anytime you are hub deep in water it will flood in between the axleshaft and spindle, filling your hub full of water. Replacing Axle Seals - Well next in my do-it-yourself series, is rear axle seals. If you notice some diff fluid in your brake drums, you've got a leaky wheel seal. This is for c-clip axles. Engine / Drivetrain WJ Intake Swap - The 99-up WJ intakes are worth some horsepower on older 4.0s. While it does require some minor modifications, it's a fairly straight forward swap. Homemade MML Install - A motor mount lift is designed to improve the rear driveshaft angles. While I could buy a motor mount spacer, that's not quite my style. I decided to make my own, which turned out to be a quick and easy project. Belt Change - Probably the most common question I get asked, is how to remove the serpentine belt. Jeep didn't use a spring tensioner like most other vehicles. There's a manual adjustment screw to adjust the belt tension. Oil Change Writeup - Changing your own oil seems like a simple enough task for many people, but this is more for the beginners out there. Lets face it, we didn't all start out by doing axle swaps, we started by changing oil. Engine Rebuilding - When rebuilding a motor you have all sorts of options. You could just buy a complete motor, but when it comes to motors, trust no one, you're better off building it yourself to ensure everything is perfect. That way you know exactly what you have when its done. Rebuilding a CV Driveshaft - Well the next how-to in my do-it-yourself series, is rebuilding a CV driveshaft. Even if you don't have a CV driveshaft, it will at least show you how to change a U-joint. Homemade Cold Air Intake - Ok so I give, after saying I'll never do anything ricer-like to my Jeep.... To many people I know have gotten better gas mileage out of a "cold-air" intake. Manual Transmission Fluid Change - Did you know your manual transmission fluid should be changed every 18,000 miles? You should also check the fluid for water containmenation after each wheeling trip. Changing the fluid is pretty simple really. Master Cylinder / Slave Cylinder Replacement - Having problems with your clutch, this writeup will walk you through replacing the clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder. 231 Writeup, Chain Replacement / SYE - Taking apart a NP231 or NV231 isn't as big of a deal as you might think. For chain replacement, or an SYE installation its just easier to go ahead and pull the transfer case. Replacing a Valve Cover Gasket - Well next in my do it yourself series is replacing a valve cover gasket. This one is pretty straight forward, and cheap too. Body Bed Lining a Jeep Tub - Well after taking your Jeep off-road a few times, you'll most likely find cleaning and trying to get the carpet to dry sucks. I tried to keep the carpet for a while and gave up, it just never dried out, and always smelled like mildew/creek water. I gave up and took all the carpet out, and decided to use truck bed liner on the whole thing. Cowl Seal Replacement - Replacing a cowl seal is more work than it would first seem just due to the amount of prep work that needs to be done before you can install the new seal. This writeup will walk you through the process. Door Mirror Maintenance - The mirrors on your doors should fold in very easily. I'm not referring to the part you adjust; I'm referring to the mirror base. Disaster Dan posted about this a while back, but I figured I'd post some pictures to help explain. As Dan found out if the mirrors don't give, something else will. TJ Flares for YJs / CJs - TJ flares can be used on CJ/YJ to gain extra clearance for your tires. You will have to cut roughly 1" out of the tub everywhere, to install them. Pinstripe Removal - Most pin stripe is nothing more than a vinyl sticker so it will peel off pretty easily usually. Brakes / Wheels Mounting Beadlocks - Mounting beadlocks is pretty straight forward, but the steps need to be followed carefully to ensure proper sealing. This will help ensure you don't have problems later. Double Flaring Brake Line - Compression fittings have no place in a brake system, they just aren't safe. There's no reason to use these as a fix for splicing brake lines, as double flaring a brake line is really an easy process. These are your brakes, there's no excuse for shortcuts. Single flares can come apart as well under this kind of pressure, thats why double flaring brake line is a must. Relocating Brake Lines - To ensure my brake hoses don't act as limiting straps, I relocated my brake lines underneath the frame. Simply move the brake line tab from the top side of the frame, to the bottom side, used one of the bump stop bolts to hold it down. Simple, easy, and cheap. Electrical Speedometer Correction - So most of us suffer from an inaccurate speedometer, due to various reasons (gear ratio or tire size changes). This is a simple and adjustable option to correct your speedometer. Alternator Swap - Got a 91-98 Jeep with the ECM controlled alternator, this is a perfect upgrade for you. This 136 amp Dodge alternator is a direct replacement. Making Your Own CB Antenna Cable - So if you've read anything on CB antennas, I'm sure you've read about using 18' of coax. However running 18' of coax in a Jeep isn't exactly easy, especially since you can't just coil up the extra. Radio Installation - Installing an aftermarket radio is really pretty easy. You don't even have to know much about wiring to do it. Starter Replacement - Replacing a starter on your Jeep isn't a big deal at all. This covers removing the smaller, gear reduction starters found on later YJs, and TJs, other earlier Jeeps are similar. Turn Signal Switch Replacement - Next in my do it yourself series, replacing a turn signal switch. Even though they don't go bad that often, in a Jeep that is exposed to the elements, you may eventually go through one. This writeup is done on a YJ. CB Tuning - Well after find a lack of CB antenna tuning write-ups, I figured I'd write one. The biggest problems I came across was what I did find was a whole bunch of in depth theory, that was rather dry. I don't want to spend days researching this, I just want to tune my CB antenna. This is meant to be a very basic, simple guide to tuning your CB antenna. Electrical Repair / Diagnosing - I decided to use this project as an example on how to use a multi-meter to help determine what my electrical problem is, rather than just a headlight socket replacement writeup. Hooking up Relays - This writeup will walk you through hooking up relays. Testing Relays - This writeup will walk you through testing relays. Testing TPS Sensors - Well next in my do it yourself series, will be a round of sensor testing. I'll be starting out with Throttle Position Sensors. TPS sensors tell the ECM how far open the throttle is. All it does is vary resistance as the throttle is opened up. Testing MAP Sensors - Continuing in my do it yourself series, and sensor testing, will be MAP sensors. MAP sensors are used by the ECM to help determine how much air is entering the engine. Larger Battery in the Stock Tray - Need a new battery for your Jeep? You can fit a much larger battery in the stock tray. I've done this to several TJs and YJs now, so I figured I'd share. Steering Removing Tie Rod Ends - Removing a tie-rod is pretty straight forward job. However getting the tie-rod out of the steering knuckle can be tough. DIY Alignment - Anytime you replace a steering component (like a tie-rod), or lift your Jeep you should do an alignment. In stock form, only a toe adjustment is necessary. This is however very easy to do in the driveway. Misc PUMA OBA Repair - So recently my PUMA air compressor decided to just stop building any pressure. One day it worked fine, the next day it didn't. After taking the compressor apart, I believe it's safe to say I've found what is the most likely failure point. Luckily it's a pretty easy fix. Heater Core - Replacing a heater core in a YJ isn't a big deal. Hand Throttle - A hand throttle is one of the cheapest, easiest, mods you can do to your Jeep. You just don't realize how much you need one until you have one. All you need to make a hand throttle is a bicycle brake handle, brake cable, and some electrical connectors. Rebuilding Johnny Joints - Well my next do it yourself write up deals with johnny joints. These go by many names, but they all work and function the same.   How Stuff Works Anti-Wrap Bars - Well after getting several questions and requests for photos of my wrap bar, I figured I post up some for everyone. A wrap bar is necessary to prevent spring wrap on SOA'd vehicles. If you don't do something to prevent the axle from rotating while accelerating, you will destroy springs and/or pinion yokes. Differential / Gear Setup Basics - There's no need to be scared of differential work. There's really not nothing too it. That being said, differential work is not for everyone, if you do all your own work, you can handle it, if you pay people to do much of your work, best leave it alone. I'm going to start with some basics, to help everyone understand some of the how and whys of differentials. Dual Batteries - Tired of seeing that volt gauge drop to nothing on those hard winch pulls? Worried your Jeep won't started after those long winch pulls? Perhaps its time to check into a dual battery setup. Full Floater vs. Semi Floating - I've been working on some images for my next FAQ update, this will help explain the full floater axle a little better. Multi-Meter Basics - Ok so your Jeep won't start, but why, is the battery dead? For some reason people see meters as some mystical complicated device. Anyone who works on Jeeps should own a meter, and know how to use it. Rough Shifting / Manual Transmissions - Well I write this so often, I figure this is a good place to put it. Everyone wonders why their transmission shifts hard or not at all. Shackle Reversal - Theres a lot to consider with shackle reversal, this writeup discusses some of the pros and cons. Understanding Beadlocks - Well after seeing a couple of my buddies really do a double take on my beadlocks, I realized not many people really understand them. We all know they clamp the tire to the wheel, but its different to actually see it. Vacuum Disconnect Axles Explained - This writeup will help explain how the vaccuum disconnect front axles work. Wheel Tech - A simple guide to different types of wheels, and common terms like backspacing.   Reference Axle Identification - An easy to use guide to identify axles. Hubs - Warn vs. MileMarker - Comparison Between Warn and MileMarker hubs. OBD I Trouble Code List - Check engine light codes for 95 and older. OBD II Trouble Code List - Check engine light codes for 96 and newer.