A: James, I'm glad you enjoyed the "Remote Contact" article. I'm still playing with the Icom IC-208H VHF/UHF FM transceiver a good bit trying to familiarize myself with all of its functions, but it has already come in handy at a couple off-road races and trail runs. Thank you for the heads-up about Morse code no longer being required for any of the ham radio operator licenses. This may open the door to new users who may have been apprehensive about owning and using a ham radio as a licensed operator. Thanks for writing. Ham on.
Will Wheels Swap?
Q: Perhaps you can advise me or offer some suggestions. I currently have a '99 Jeep Wrangler Sahara that I bought new in the fall of 1998. It has 23,000 miles, and everything on it is original. I really like the wheels and tires on the current Rubicon (16-inch versus 15-inch current wheel). My plan was to buy some refurbished wheels and new tires similar to the factory Rubicon. If I do this, I suspect I will need some minor suspension modifications. Best I can tell, the Rubicon tires stand 2 to 2-1/2 inches taller than my stock tires. As you know, there are a gazillion lift kits available for Wranglers. Due to the age of the vehicle, I was thinking of a lift kit that includes shocks and probably springs. My guess is that I should be looking at a kit that lifts the vehicle 2-1/2 to 3 inches. Any suggestions pro, con, or otherwise?
Scott Goth
via e-mail
A: Scott, provided you are interested in Rubicon wheels and tires from a pre-'07 Wrangler, you should not have any trouble with fitment. The '07-model Wrangler uses a 5-on-5 bolt pattern and will not fit earlier models with the 5-on-4-1/2 pattern. As far as suspension improvements to fit the 31-inch tire, the easiest and most inexpensive route would be to install a coil-spring spacer kit along with new shocks. This will give you the needed space (usually about 2 inches) to fit the slightly taller-than-stock tires under the fenders and still have some space for suspension articulation (you'll also gain use of longer-than-stock shocks). If you feel that the stock coil springs have seen better days, you can also opt to install slightly taller new coil springs in the 2- to 3-inch lift range. Either method will create ample space for 31-inch tires on 16-inch wheels. Thanks for reading.
Grand Suggestions?
Q: I have an '03 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ with a 2-inch budget boost. I have found myself down trails without enough ground clearance and am looking to go higher. My question is: bolt-on or weld-on? From what I can tell, there are just a few lifts. A couple are bolted to the unibody, and some are welded. I hear welding can crack or tear the unibody if not done right and that bolting just isn't as good. I would like to run 32s (possibly 33s) and from what I can tell I would need about 6 inches of lift, and I would like a long-arm system (at least up front). I am also concerned about death wobble and have read that shorter springs are better to combat that and that some people run 4-inch springs and the 2-inch BB spacers. Did I mention I was on a budget?
Bryan Barry
via e-mail
A: Bryan, bolt or weld, bolt or weld? Both are solid methods of attaching lift-component brackets on a WJ, but welding is decidedly more permanent. If it were my vehicle, I'd stick with a bolt-on kit until I was absolutely positive that it's the lift system I want for my 4x4. After that, I'd prefer a mix of both methods, retaining use of bolts and adding welds to areas that show signs of weakness. However, if you are on a budget, you might steer away from the weld-on kits since they may require additional labor costs, whereas most bolt-on kits can be installed in your driveway using basic handtools (pneumatic tools make it even easier) and a jack and jackstands. Either way you do it, there is a chance that the unibody will crack, but that's also true if left in stock form and subjected to heavy trail use.