Thursday, July 28, 2016

Tire PSI Chalk Test

How To Check Proper Tire Inflation 

Now that I have bigger tires I am just not sure what PSI to run. Over inflation or under inflation will cause your tires to wear unevenly. How does one tell if their tires are properly inflated?

Chalk Test

All you need is some chalk and a tire gauge. 



Step 1 

First, I checked the tire pressure of all 4 of my tires. Three of them read 31 PSI and the rear driver was 29 PSI. 



Step 2

Next, I chalked up a thick line across the width of my tires.



Step 3

After all four tires were chalked I drove back and forth on my driveway. It is very flat since we just got it repaved. There were no cracks, bumps or pot holes. 


Then I inspected the chalk on the ground and on the tire. Check out my before and after shots of all four tires.


BEFORE





AFTER




An over-inflated tire will bulge, and only the center of the line will touch the ground.  If you're tire is under-inflated, you'll see only the sides of the lines since the middle of the tire is not making contact with the ground.


Knowing where the true edge of your tread is makes for easier calculations. I decided my tires were spot on. I have been running my PSI around 30 to 32 PSI on the asphalt. 

I understand there is some debate on whether this is an accurate way to gauge proper PSI. There are a lot of variables to consider and it depends on the width of your wheels. 
At that time my tires were 35" Duratracs LT 315/70R/121/1180.


Tuesday, July 12, 2016

AOAA Adventure



When I first bought my Jeep I had no idea I would meet so many great new friends. Nor did I realize that I would find my new passion in off-roading. 



The Jeep community has such an amazing camaraderie. Complete strangers, from different lives, coming together to share a common enthusiasm for Jeeping. 



Nate, a.k.a. SWBCrawler, is one of the contributors to the Jeep Talk Show. He happens to wheel at Rausch Creek, where I have done a majority of my off-roading. He and his friends also wheel at AOAA, Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area







AOAA is about 30 minutes North of Rausch Creek and occupies the land of the Western Middle Coal Field. Like Rausch Creek the rocky trails wind thru the forests in the mountains of Eastern Pennsylvania.  



This past weekend I was invited to join Nate and his friends on the trails. I drove up into the mountains with mixed emotions of wheeling with new Jeepers.



Excitement because I would be wheeling again... and nervous. Nervous because... I am a slow and cautious wheeler. I don't like to hold others back because of my wariness. 


But like all the other groups I have been lucky enough to come across, they were all great guys! They were patient and understanding. Understanding of the fact I still have many years of payments left before the Rubicon is truly my Jeep. There are a lot of other Jeep owners like me, who love the sport of off-roading and their off-road Jeep is also their daily driver. 

Jason and Blaine, two great spotters, understood that. They spotted me through the trails with great consideration as they too wheel their daily drivers. 


The saying, "It's a Small World" came into play that day as well. Two of the other Jeeps in our group... well... I have wheeled with them before on other occasions at Rausch Creek. Both great spotters and understanding of my need to be cautious. But also giving me the right amount of confidence to get me through the trails. 



One thing I learned from Kyle during my 301 training class is my Jeep is so much more capable then the trails I wheel. It is all a matter of gaining the experience in my driving skills and confidence in myself. 






Each time I hit the trails, I gain more and more confidence.  Not just from driving, but the positive encouragement from other more experienced Jeepers.







Tune into the Jeep Talk Show podcast Thursday Night at 10 pm central time, when we record episode 237 of our podcast live at www.JeepTalkShow.com. I will share my interview with Nate and he answers one tough question, "What did he think of Jeep Momma's wheeling?".

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Steel vs Aluminum Wheels

Pros and Cons




Aluminum wheels are lighter than steel; crack easier; quicker acceleration and stopping; less strain on suspension components. However, in a Rubicon it doesn't really matter as the Wrangler Rubicon's are built tough.


Steel Wheels are less expensive and easier to repair if damaged. Out on the trails if you bend your wheel you can hammer it back, if you try that with an aluminum wheel it will crack. They do weigh more, but with my Rubicon it doesn’t matter as it can handle the extra weight.  Steel wheels effectively lower your center of gravity.


FourWheeler.com says, "If you need an economical wheel that you can beat back into shape with a hammer, go with a steel wheel. If you’re a mud, sand, and snow guy, or are just looking for a new wheel for your daily driver, then a lightweight cast wheel is the one for you. If you need the strength of steel without the weight penalty, break out the credit card and finance a set of forged aluminum wheels."



Everyone has different needs for their Jeep, so when you do your research first figure out what you are going to do with your Jeep -- are you a mud or sand gal or guy, rock crawler, desert racer, or mall crawler. Each one of those has different needs. A desert racer will probably want to go aluminum as for the weight issues. A mall crawler will probably want aluminum for the “prettieness” factor. So figure out how you want to use your Jeep Wrangler then go from there.


Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Changing the Jeep Wrangler Brake Light!

Simple and Easy Maintenance



Last week on my way home from work my front dash "dinged". I thought it was time again to get gas, but I was wrong. It was time to change my driver's side rear brake light. The "ding" was my Jeep's way of letting me know the bulb was out. It even flashed on my dash telling my the rear left brake light is out. 

Replacing Brake Light Bulb



Replacing your own bulbs is pretty simple and takes about five minutes. However, if you have any sort of head light cover make sure you are careful when removing the four screws. There are spacers that could fall off and bounce onto your garage floor. I forgot about them and spent another ten minutes looking for them after two had bounced around on my garage floor.  



Once the screws are removed, you just pull the whole tail light from the Jeep. Then remove the bulb from the housing by turning counter clockwise a fourth of a revolution. Gently remove the bulb. Apparently it's okay to touch the bulb. They don't get that hot and the oil from your fingertips don't affect them. 



Before you put it all back together I suggest you test it out to make sure the blinker and brake lights work.


It's a Jeep Thing

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