[MyJeepStory]

So this is literally my third time typing this, Jeep Garage keeps deciding to expire my session.

Anyhow, I got to install these speakers that I've had since December. They are Alpine Type R speakers. In the front, they are Alpine SPR-50C 5-1/4" with 1" tweeters (http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/spr-50) and Alpine SPR-60C 6.5" with 1" tweeters as well (http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/spr-60c.) The front speakers are installed nothing special, but I am working on installing the tweeters somewhere better. But, the rears are all set so I will do the writeup on that for now.

I wanted the surround effect with the tweeters, so I looked for a better place on the inner door panel to install them with their tilt-able flush mounts. With the inner door panel off, I found the perfect place that had markings that would help with my OCD when it comes to both sides being perfectly even.

I went to my local hardware store to buy a hole cutter, but forgot the tweeter... So, I called Alpine's customer service and they had me with the specifications I needed within five minutes of calling. I ended up buying a Milwaukee Hole Dozer.

The hole cutter worked perfectly.

I then went to the door to install the speaker and the tweeter's adjustable crossover. The crossover is pictured in a place that didn't work, I had to move it about 3" to the left of the speaker. The crossover mounts with padded 3M VHB double sided tape along with a zip tire that goes through the panel and the crossover.

The wiring there is temporary and I will clean it up later come other upgrades, but I'll mention that later. I used the Metra adapter kit to use the stock connectors (http://www.metraonline.com/part/72-6514)

The tweeter anded up looking and working flawlessly!

As for any future upgrades, I will probably do them over time. I want to get a 4 channel amp, aftermarket head unit, a 2 channel amp and subs, and lastly sound deadening.

 

[MyJeepStory]

You may have noticed my sweet new door handles in my last post! My bud got me a new set for all of my doors since they were all broken!

It took a little bit to get them to sit flush, but when they did, they ended up perfect!

Just feeling the higher tension spring when opening the door is enough to bring a smile to my face! :lol:

 

[MyJeepStory]

One thing I was really stoked to pick up was a new sandblaster. I find myself stalling days on a project when it comes to painting because I don't want to do simple prep. I ended up picking up a Craftsman sandblaster (http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-50-lb-sandblaster-kit-with-1-4-in/p-00916706000P?prdNo=33&blockNo=33&blockType=G33) for just $50 to my door.

I have used this a few times already and I can't see how I ever lived without it. I will be redoing my wheels with it, CAI with it, grille, and the small crevices when I paint my Jeep.

 

[MyJeepStory]

A little while back, I was doing the daily Craigslist search and stumbled upon an Airaid cold air intake kit from a guy claiming to have gotten it a while back from a friend. He had no need for it and was selling it for $100. I don't need this, but why not? So, I met the guy locally and he had a sweet Comanche. He was also very nice too. That's about it for the good parts. The CAI was in rough condition. The housing was rusted to bits, even after someone decided to spray black paint over it disregarding prep work. The filter was black, there were spider webs in the intake tube, and the couplers were dry rotted.

This is where my amazement for Airaid's customer care started and I spoke with Jared both times I inquired. I began by emailing about the filter. It was a mess, would a cleaning kit truly do the job? Airaid's answer? Give us your mailing address, we'll have a brand new one sent your way... No questions, no pictures needed, no what was your order number, when did you purchase this, and from where? It was a simple, 'here ya go.' I was amazed, What more... it got to me the next day. I had later installed a larger 90mm throttle body. This caused the coupler to not fit well. I emailed asking if they have a reducer for this. They're answer? Give us the outer diameter of the TB and we'll have a new one out to you same day. Why can't all companies work like this?

With the new couplers and filter, it was ready. I had used my new sandblaster to rid the rust off of the housing, primed and painted it, and gave it the final touch with a complimentary Airaid sticker from Jared. It fit nicely and looks the part!

The kit sounds great (is this why people buy them?) especially when I reach the higher RPMs. My MPGs did not change much, if anything they went down ~.2MPG, but maybe that is me 'testing' my new CAI. I also wish my Superchips tuner could tune the Jeep for the added flow. As for performance gains, maybe I would notice it more if I weren't running the 285/70s, but I am no bull sh*tter and won't go saying I dropped a second off of my quarter mile... Still love it and have become a forever supporter of Airaid!

 

[MyJeepStory]

My intake improvements are not done yet! I mentioned getting a 90mm throttle body and thought I would make a separate post about this. I noticed a while back that my idle just wouldn't stay consistent. I tried many things, but ended up going with a BBK Power Plus 90mm Throttle Body (http://www.bbkperformance.com/products/2003-12-dodge-hemi-57l61l64l-85mm-and-90mm-power-plus-throttle-body.html?car_motor_key[]=1632&car_motor_key[]=1631)

The TB really takes a bite out of your wallet, but anything for performance, right? Anyhow, I installed it and immediately, I hated it. My idle was worse than ever, it wouldn't stay consistent, and my throttle lag made me wonder if my engine stalled. It ended up getting better and I took it to Rausch Creek and soon realized it wasn't okay. I had to have one foot on the brakes and one on the gas at all times when going up a hill because I would start rolling backwards before my engine could react...

SOOO, I wen't home, was just about to take it off when I noticed a big red flag: the throttle body was so big it tore my original coupler that I had on at the time right in half. I was driving with one whopping vacuum leak. A brand new Airaid coupler came to the rescue and the Jeep drove like new! Still, I was hoping for better throttle response, but my MPG DID GO UP ~.5MPG! This amazed me, it is the opposite from what I expected. Less time at the pump, more money for Jeep parts. I did, however, notice that my throttle response >4KRPM has greatly improved.

 

[MyJeepStory]

I never made a post on these, but because I was in my wheel well checking the torque on some bolts, I figured that I would. I have had Rocky Road Outfitters upper control arms installed for some time now (http://www.rocky-road.com/wk-grand-cherokee-control-arm.html). These things have quite the reputation, so here is my opinion. First things first is the price. The only competition (for now) is really the JBA UCAs, but they cost a pretty penny more. Now people make an opposition claiming awful service from RRO, but I have their lift kit, wheel spacers, diff guard, rear track bar, and now their upper control arms. Throughout the many questions I have asked, I have never had issues. Maybe it is just my luck, who knows. Aside from that, the quality of these arms is just right. They are beefy and can stand up to all the trails your WK can run and then some. I do have the new gen version to prevent bushing slippage. The only problem I had is that they were slightly too tight and needed to be widened; nothing a bottle jack couldn't fix. No big deal. Really. Once on, the bushings fit snugly, they did not have play, they were just right! Like I said, maybe I got lucky, but these arms rock and took Rausch Creek with confidence. The only problem is on me; I think I ordered the wrong ball joints as there is just a tad too much room not allowing the dust boot to cover it completely. I will probably end up getting a spacer to fix that.

You can see the cotter pin does not fit into the castle nut, but I am on the fix!

 

[libby03]

Looks great!! You did some really nice things to that rig and it gives me a lot of inspiration for my own project.

 

[MyJeepStory]

Looks great!! You did some really nice things to that rig and it gives me a lot of inspiration for my own project.

Thank you! I really appreciate it and I'm happy to provide inspiration where I can!

 

[MyJeepStory]

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I removed the IPF 868 lamps from my windsheild and replaced them with generic LEDs. I did so due to visibility, but I do have other plans for the IPF lights. I wanted to put them behind my grill, and I still will, but when I was doing some inspecting of the area to make sure the lights would clear, I found that the WK has stock light mounts! I mean, holes that just so happen to work perfectly. I have them here until I finish the mounts for behind the grille. But anyhow, here it is! I cut the original harness and soldered it to size, I still have some cleaning up of wires to do, but I'll do that all when I move them to their home behind the grille. They're also wired to just come on with my high beams and the difference is unreal!

The two wires you see hanging are from a PA speaker that is currently disconnected.

The relay is just mounted there, I may make a 'shield' for it in time.

 

[Surfer01]

Nice upgrades. We have a 2005 WK2 3.0 diesel Jeep GC and we have done no upgrades. It does need better shocks however premium shocks are difficult to source in the UK and if foudn can be very expensive in comparison to the price of US shocks.

 

[MyJeepStory]

Nice upgrades. We have a 2005 WK2 3.0 diesel Jeep GC and we have done no upgrades. It does need better shocks however premium shocks are difficult to source in the UK and if foudn can be very expensive in comparison to the price of US shocks.

Thank you! I would love a CRD. I'd take it over the HEMI any day. I do wish you luck with it, though!

 

[MyJeepStory]

Despite how upset I am right now due to a current electrical failure regarding my Jeep, I will just have to look on the brighter side of what I got done today. I have had this mod in mind for a while, since April of 2014 actually. I noticed that the temps in my Hemi like to rise a good deal when I am wheeling. I noticed it first when I went to Rausch Creek a few years back and the same happened recently on the last trip. I always had in the back of my mind hood louvers and I recalled seeing a set on Rocky Road Outfitters website here: http://www.rocky-road.com/jeep-grand-cherokee-hood-louvers.html So, I shot Chris at Crawl Offroad an email; my preferred WK parts dealer and bought the louvers through him! After it all, my Jeep is looking like this:

When I got the louvers, I found that they are Run Cool louvers and they have some pretty awesome stuff. If ya wanna check them out, see here: http://www.hoodlouvers.com/ Now, back on track. I read the directions meticulously and got my tools; a drill, 1.5" hole cutter, an assortment of tapes, pop riveter, and a good ol' angle grinder to hack away. All that and protective gear as well! I started by pulling my hood latch; it broke. I should have just stopped there and said, 'Pkay, Casey you literally just broke your hood release, sell your Jeep now.' But no, I am persistent. I started off by marking where I wanted them and measured once, twice, three, maybe even four times. I lost track. I ended up with this:

As the directions mentioned, circular corners have more structural integrity than a plain shard corner, so I followed in belief.

Then the fun part of cutting the holes, which was said and done with pretty quickly. I noticed that the hood supports ran just near the bottom of the holes, so I followed the directions and 'Swiss cheesed' them.

Then, with bare metal showing and the possibility to see through the louvers, I decided to paint it all flat black.

And voila! This took about four hours. The hardest most tedious part being drilling every 1/8" hole and riveting the louvers on. It was all so worth it though and I love the look! Not to mention, heat BLOWS out of these things. You'd think I had a fan under there blowing hot air out. The Jeep took considerably more time to reach anywhere near its previous temps and it runs around 15-20 degrees blow what it used to.

If you're wondering where the negative remarks came from, it is because on my way home from work earlier after feeling satisfied from the louvers, I got a CEL. All of a sudden my Jeep was in limp mode stuck in third gear with trouble codes P0700 and p2067. It seems like I will have to drop the trans pan for a third time IN ONE YEAR PLEASE C'MON JEEP TRANS FLUID ISN'T CHEAP AND YOU CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF IT. That AND replace the solenoids above the valve body. Yay. I'll get under the Jeep tomorrow after I pray tonight that I find a loose wire. Wish me luck!

 

[SanDiegoDan]

Great job on your Jeep and build thread... thanks.

I love the louvers mod.

What size / model did you get? Would you get the same if you did it over again?

thanks again... dan

 

[MyJeepStory]

Great job on your Jeep and build thread... thanks.

I love the louvers mod.

What size / model did you get? Would you get the same if you did it over again?

thanks again... dan

Thank YOU, bud! I always love hearing feedback and support.

I ordered them from here: http://www.rocky-road.com/jeep-grand-cherokee-hood-louvers.html and as for the size, I put an attachment below with the dimensions! On Run Cool's website, they can be found under the Hi-Flow louvers as their 'medium' size found here: http://www.hoodlouvers.com/shop/powder-coated-black-hi-flow/, but obviously, it is cheaper to buy through RRO. I would most definitely get the same product again. First off, they WORK and do so very well. They are not huge, but subtle and are very clean. Run Cool is a great company that clearly spends time in R&D as well as how clear their instructions are. The louvers even came with some articles for a good laugh!

For the price, finish, and effectiveness, I would highly recommend them!

 

[MyJeepStory]

I forgot to post these, but the other day, a local Jeeper came to say hi! I really love the WK2!

You can see a little sneak peak to a mod I have to finish soon in the next picture!

 

[MyJeepStory]

This post will hopefully be the last transmission update for some time! This was a pretty gnarly overhaul. I want to do as much preventative maintenance as I can, especially before I go away to college. With the solenoid pack shot, I opted to get the updated genuine Mopar solenoid, B&M Drain Plug Kit http://www.bmracing.com/products/80250-transmission-pan-drain-plug-kit/, Transgo 5-45RFE-HD Shift Kit http://www.transgo.com/products.php?category_id=63&parent_id=29&product_id=96, Auto-RX http://www.auto-rx.com/category/transmissions/, new Royal Purple ATF http://www.royalpurpleconsumer.com/products/max-atf-automatic-transmission-fluid/, Fel-Pro gasket, and Filtermag pan magnet http://www.shopfiltermag.com/product/tm/.

Starting off with the simple things... I installed the drain plug kit at the lowest portion of the pan so most of the fluid will come out and so that it doesn't interfere with the dipstick. As for the magnet, I just placed it on the outside as it is meant to be! I was not sure of clearances on the inside of the pan, so I opted for one that sits on the outside. I am actually very excited to see what this picks up as even in the small amount of time since I changed the fluid, there are some metal particles floating around that were not caught by the puny stock magnet.

Next up I will mention the Auto-RX. I have been purchasing bottles of these for my engine and motorcycle engine, but had half a bottle left over and it makes some good claims to help the transmission. Here are some:

-Prevent or delay costly transmission repairs.
-Dramatically increase the life of your transmission.
-Improve overall transmission performance.

Next up is the Transgo shift kit. This kit is awesome and not pricey at all! It is meant to quicken shifts while making them more firm. Most of the parts can be installed with the valve body removed (which I have to do for the solenoid) and is not complicated at all. Most of the work is centered around the five accumulators which are the five holes with springs in them.

The five holes are accumulator pistons and inside the pistons are springs. Five springs, all five inner piston seals, the switch valve and cap, as well as the plate to hold it all in will be replaced!

The springs are much stiffer in the shift kit. The new one is on the right.

As for the piston, my finger is pointing to the seal the is going to be replaced. It is replaced with an expander and a new ring.

The new switch valve and cap are on the bottom. They are claimed to be self lubricating.

And the new reinforced plate to cover it all up!

And the solution to my problem to begin with, the new solenoid!

All finished up and ready to be reinstalled!

 

[MyJeepStory]

In the earlier post about my transmission fix, I mentioned using Auto-RX. The idea to use the stuff came after the idea to use it in my engine oil as I have wanted to do so for some time now. I figure that the Jeep has just over 100K miles on it and I am not sure how it was treated before me by the original owners. Though, by seeing the CarFax it seems pretty sweet!

I have read about Auto-RX all over, especially in the LX forums. It is such a highly regarded engine cleaner and if it just so happens that its claims and the hundreds, if not thousands, of people backing it up are true, I may as well give it a shot. So, I bought two bottles. One full one (12oz) for the Hemi, 6oz for the 5-45RFE, and another 6oz for my R6! Auto-RX contains no solvents and is by no means a solvent flush. It works over the time that it is in your engine, roughly 3K miles, or trans at 3K miles as well, and is a detergent. It claims to work much better with mineral oil based engine oils, which is nice being that it is much cheaper than the Royal Purple I am used to. So, for this shortened maintenance schedule, I will be running the dino with Auto-RX in the crank and Royal Purple Max ATF with Auto-RX in the trans. Then I will flush and repeat with the crankcase only and follow up with the maintenance schedule. Here are some testimonials: http://www.auto-rx.com/category/engines/

I am excited to see the results, apparently they are not subtle, but often very noticeable!

 

[MyJeepStory]

I wanted to also take time to write a separate post on a product I recently purchased. It seems that this little guy has had way more controversial conversations than not, and in my opinion, it's just dumb. :slapfight:

This would be the Filtermag, http://www.shopfiltermag.com/.

The concept is simple, take the metal particles made from daily engine wear and remove them from the lubrication by magnetic force. I understand that not all metal will be caught by this magnet, but some is better than none, no? It seems that many argue them pointless, but all I can say is that it can't hurt and it puts my mind at ease!

In my trans valve body overhaul, you'll see I added Filtermag's automatic transmission magnet onto the bottom of the pan. I also ended up buying the spin on filter magnet for my Jeep and Yamaha R6. I will be putting them all to the test and look inside to their effectiveness!

 

[MyJeepStory]

Over the years, my bumper covers on either sides have taken a decent beating. I have already trimmed my front on and I love the way it came out. Recently, my rear bumper cover has been getting worse. I went to Rausch Creek and it cracked the lower passenger side of the bumper cover and and the paint on the driver side cracked and needs to be touched up; I still have to do that, but that's for another time. As for now, I took care of the ugly chopped up lines of my bumper and did so with a Dremel! Then, I cleaned up the front and the rear with Trim-Gard!

You can see the paint crack thing here:

Side profile; I think the rear looks pretty clean here:

And the Trim-Gard up front:

 

[MyJeepStory]

I don't think I ever made a post for these, but I am running OME HD coils in the rear to match my Bilstein 4600s with the RRO 2.25" spacers up front. I shot them with an undercoating first then top coated with red to match everything else under there! I would prefer to run these back there over spacers any day!