Leonard

 

I vividly remember how I was proudly thinking of my Jeep’s extra off-road capabilities when Hurricane Irene was rolling into the town and the people were preparing for some rather potential damage. We weren’t hit hard though, and it missed us, though it had flooded some parts of New York, while we in Montréal only got some fallen trees and some electrical disturbances. And now, in the middle of November, though the days are still warm, I see the folks changing to winter tires and preparing for the challenges of the northern winter.

I think though in the big cities one would do fine; the municipal services do a fine job clearing up the streets, but what, if you are on of those like me, who don’t feel that the winter is the time to settle to sitting cozy inside at the fireplace, but instead want to enjoy all the advantages that the winter has to offer, going to the mountains, cross-country skiing, fishing in some desert scenic places… I thought I’d share with you some of the very hip accessories that you can use on your Jeep for extreme winter fun.

* One of the very cool features to install on your Jeep is a self-lowering snow plow. This way you can clear your and your neighbour’s driveways and make a little extra cash, as many places pay for the cleaning of the parking lots and their subdivisions. Now I’ve heard some negative comments from some people, who thought Jeeps were too light for this kind of job, or that they some folks had to do a major over-haul of the front suspension, due to the use of the snow plow. My experience and that of the people I know, tells a different story. Jeeps manoeuvrability is unparalleled for this kind of job and as long as you avoid hitting hard the frozen snow banks, you will not bend or break anything. I actually know people who have a total of 26,000 documented plow miles.

* Chains. This is for the really hardcore weather conditions, where you have to encounter lots of ice on the road. Most of the time your 4WD equipped with winter tires will do fine in most conditions, but if you are in the mountain area or if an ice storm is coming your way, the chains may be the only thing keeping you off the cliff or from getting stuck in the snow. Available from a variety of stores, as well as online, just remember to not go faster than 45 km an hour and to engage the low-range in the transmission.

* Grille covers are a must in the really cold areas. The serve well preventing the cold air from putting the big freeze on your engine and trapping the warm air and heat under the hood. They will also facilitate the faster start up of the engine after being left in the cold for awhile. Nor will you have to sit freezing inside, waiting for the temperature to go up to turn on the heater.

* And the last, but not the least accessory in the list is a set of windshield covers. Don’t know why is it that not everyone is using them nowadays, when it is such a basic idea to keep yourself from the exercise of scrapping off ice and snow of the windshield.

Well this seems to be all with the most fashionable ideas to upgrade to a new set of winter accessories for your Jeep. Will see you at the other end of the winter!

 

When you bought your Jeep it certainly came with a top of some kind – very much likely with a hardtop, but possibly you got it with a soft top. Usually, one doesn’t really get into this discussion of tops unless they want some variety. If you live in the area, where the winters are cold, a hardtop is a must have for the cold months. On the other side, quite a few Jeep owners purchase a soft top of some kind, to turn their Wrangler or Sahara into a stylish ride, where you could enjoy the sun and the air.

Jeep tops come in a variety of styles, ranging from fully covered hardtops to semi open tops, known as bikini tops. It is very common to have different tops for different seasons. Hardtops are known to provide the best protection from wind and rain; however you would need a hoist to take a hardtop off, if you do it by yourself, and also a place to store it. Soft tops, on the other hand, are very easy to store or to remove, but they’re not as secure as hardtops. Bikini tops represent a nice variation, allowing one to drive, basically, with the top down, while not being scorched by the sun.

If one is looking to replace an already existing soft top, it is a good idea to see the make of the top, in the first place. Some soft tops were designed to fit over the original hardware, while other will come with their own hardware that you would need to install. When opting for a top, and the tops are not that cheap, if you haven’t already noticed that, it is very important to go with trusted names that had been in a business for a long time, those that earned their reputation for consistent production of quality products.

One of the companies that have long been supplying Jeep Corporation with high quality tops is the Bestop. This company works hand in hand with Jeep and understands very well Jeep specs. The other ones that are also known for their craftsmanship are Rugged Ridge, Pavement Ends and Mopar.

And once you defined the brand that you wanna go with, it is very important to choose the right model. There is quite a lot of variation in the tops, for instance you have the standard soft top, the flip-top, the bikini top and the additional accessories, such as the windbreaker and the duster, which are aimed to give your Jeep different appearance and looks, while keeping away the wind, the dust and the debris.

 

If you bought a Jeep, chances are that you had done so for a reason, and particularly for its off-road appeal. Now, I’ll agree that there are Jeep owners who couldn’t care less about it, but as a rule, Jeep owners are people who treat themselves well and demand respect from others. So, it’s no surprise that their Jeeps end up being souped up with all kinds of accessories, making each one of them look like one of a kind.

And probably the most common one is the grille guards, with its variations, such as brush guards and bull guards.  There are several reasons for their popularity:

* They make your Jeep look tough and give the off-road appeal.

* They offers protection to the delicate front end, and the full grille guards even protect the headlights, which, as we all know, could be easily damaged, while replacement will turn out to be rather costly.

* Allow for mounting of auxiliary lights or a winch.

And out all the above mentioned reasons, still most people get them for the looks. And it serves this purpose really well, so don’t be surprised, if you’ll have people approaching you for help, like to take them with you to hunt turkeys or to pull out a car stuck in a blizzard. And in deed, grille guards got this reputation with their rather rugged construction. The only important thing to watch is to have as many bolts as possible, securing it to the frame of your Jeep. Then, you’re in good shape! There are also the finish options on most grille guards, basically you either have to choose smooth black powder coated grille that resists scratches and corrosion or get yourself a polished stainless steel or chrome plated finish grille that oozes style.

A good question is how tough will the grille guards be? I’d say one shouldn’t attempt driving through barriers or ramming other cars, however, grille guards will safely absorb minor collisions and will easily accomplish low-speed pushing. It will also protect against airborne road debris or rocks, and shopping carts that you may fail to see. So, refer to one of our previous posts on the Jeep catalogs, and start looking through the endless choices for grille guards, until you come across the one that will suit you just right.

 

 

 

Do you know how much of the expected performance of your beloved Jeep actually depends, not on the engine or transmission capabilities, but on the tires, plain and simple as this. I always hear people talk about the off the ground clearance or angles at which their SUV can go up the muddy and slippery hills, but often times forgetting that unless one got a set of tires with well developed grousers, they won’t make it past first several meters. On the other hand I see a couple of lifted Wranglers in my neighborhood, with huge Paris-Dakar type of tires, whose owners never go off the road, but pay extra cash for extra fuel consumption, while always remaining on the asphalt.

H/T tires

So thinking of a new set of tires for your Jeep, first you need to consider where you are going to use your SUV? If you will only be toting your kids around to school and soccer practice, then there is there is no need to get high performance off-road tires, as they will be noisy and will increase the fuel consumption. On the other hand, if you often go off-road and this is why you have a Jeep, the H/T (highway terrain) tires will not do the job, and you will need to invest in a M/T (mud terrain) set with developed aggressive type tread.

So first you need to decide on the type of tires: there are three of them and namely:

H/T – (highway/terrain) designed to be used predominantly on the highways (80% highways; 20% undemanding off-road)

A/T – (all terrain) the most universal tires for SUVs (50% highways; 50% off-road)

M/T – (mud/terrain) purely off-road high performance tires (20% mud; 80 %off-road).

That’s all, not to forget, that A/T or M/T tires do not replace the winter set, in fact just like with regular cars, you are supposed to have both summer and winter sets.

The other considerations are to take into account:

Rim size – as different Jeep models have different rim sizes, or the one that the previous user used may differ from the one originally installed by the manufacturer.

A/T tires

Speed rating – typically printed on the tire:

P, Q, R, S – the most common types, designed for speeds in between 150-180 km/h.

T, H, V – for fancy and fast SUVs, supporting speeds from 180 to 240 km/h.

Longevity of the tires, indicating the amount of miles the tires will last. Obviously that the mud/terrain tires will not last long on the asphalt surfaces, and the same is true for highway tires in the conditions of serious off-road.

And lastly the price, which also needs to be taken into consideration. Chances are that you will be able to find a good deal at discount sales in your local stores, however nowadays, more and more popular and inexpensive, becomes the method of ordering SUV tires online. More on the best deals on Jeep tires and comparison of brands in the upcoming posts.

M/T tires

 

 

Hello, hello everyone! And in the heat of this summer season, when so many of you, 4×4 fans are taking your trusted SUVs off the paved roads, exploring the pleasures of going wild, being no longer limited by the concrete and steel jungle, or simply reaching a distant quiet place for a nice picnic with your family – it’s great to know what Jeep catalogues prove to be most popular in this season.

And don’t even think that it really has anything to do with being a shopaholic, all this pampering of your Jeep with all the additional accessories – racks, wheels, tops, lights – after all, your Jeep is made to get you further than the rest, and with a little customizing, it’s sure to turn heads too!. That’s what makes souped up Jeeps resemble owner-operator 18-wheelers and classic V-twin bikes.

These are the catalogues I found particularly useful and kept up-to date with the latest offers on the Jeep parts and accessories market.

  • Quadratec Essentials Jeep Parts Catalogue

The Quadratec Essentials contains thousands of parts and accessories for Wrangler, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee vehicles. And it is huge with over 300 pages of Jeep seats, roofs, wheels, towing packages, exhaust pipes, engine modifications, and everything else in between, you name it! It ships for free in the USA and an additional charge of $9 makes it available for international customers.

  • 4WD – is another great free Jeep catalogue, with the option of enrolling into a $250 gift contest, and it ships for FREE to both US and Canada. I found it really helpful, and what’s especially nice is that Jeep parts and accessories are divided into different sections – so, one would need to specify the type of catalogue required, and the options are: it is either Wrangler & CJ, or Cherokee/Grand Cherokee/Liberty, or the Vintage models, and an addition of Import section, the latest is not being exactly related to Jeep, as much to foreign SUVs, but still a good option to have nonetheless.

 

  • JC Witney, though  not exclusively limited to Jeep vehicles also offers a choice of free catalogues – one is dedicated to Jeep® CJ and Wrangler, while other Jeep models can be found in their Truck catalogue.  It is not as exhaustive, as the previous two, but you will still find a good wealth of information regarding how to experience the Jeep lifestyle to the fullest! Has plenty gear knowledge on customizing, repairing or boosting the performance of your Jeep; and claims to offer some of the lowest prices!

 

  • Just Jeeps – the latest is mailed only to Canadian addresses, and more so, suggests checking the web-site for all inclusive list of all the parts and accessories for your Jeep. But unlike the slim 40 page catalogues, the website has it all, all the Jeep models from different years and everything that is or was available for them.

To sum it all up, any or all of these catalogues is a great choice for hungry to modify your SUV Jeep gear-heads. So get yours, and have fun!

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