We are very happy to add the Reid Racing JK High Steer Knuckles to the JeepSWAG site. Still in development, we are working on putting a complete High Steer package together.
Check back for updates.
LINK to JeepSWAG High Steer page
Reid Racing JK High Steer Kit at JeepSWAG.com
February 8th, 2010Viair at JeepSWAG
February 8th, 2010JeepSWAG recently picked up the Viair product line. Great prices are only the start. We are in process of testing different compressors from the Viair line. So far the 400H and 400C are looking really good. The Viair line marks the beginning of a top notch high performance JK onboard air solution. In the works are an engine compartment compressor, manifold and 2 gallon air tank kit.
Some testing details:
We tested a couple of compressors. Our goal was to try to overheat the 400H and get some times on tire fills. We aired down 8 tires to 7 PSI, then aired them up to 35 PSI. The compressor ran for 50 minutes with one short change over break with no problems.
We have also come up with a way that (we think) allows for faster fills with any compressor. I’m not going into any details, but here are some times for different fills.
Four 37″X13.5″ tires
5 PSI to 35 PSI;
450H = 34 minutes
400H = 21 minutes
10 PSI to 27 PSI (SDMF’s trail and road pressures)
400H = 16 minutes.
The 450 series is a 100% duty cycle at 100 PSI compressor. The 400 is 33%. We don’t often pump at 100 PSI, so my though was that the 400 might work for us. Sure enough it worked great. It has a 2.54 CFM output compared to 1.66 CFM of the 450. The 400 draws 30 amps and the 450 draws 22. So the 400 is much faster. I’m going to do some more testing and see if I can get the 400 to overheat.
The 400H and 450H are the same as the 400C and 450C respectively, with the H model including an integrated power switch.
Less money, better performance.
Link to great prices on Viair at JeepSWAG.com
More to come.
Jeep SWAG Run 2010, Feb. 20th
January 13th, 2010JeepSWAG is putting together a SWAG run. The run is in the Mormon Rocks area which is close to the Cajon Pass and the Cleghorn Ridge Trail.
This run is a little different than most, with scheduled activities throughout the day and lots of SWAG.
1. Poker Run
The first run is a two card Poker Run. The Poker Run is sure to test your GPS skills. One card will be picked up at what is known to be the best Train Spotting area in the U.S. The other is a secret tunnel run that leads to a really strange compound of sorts. The Poker Run winner will receive an extra entry for drawings. After the Poker Run we are meeting in the Mormon Rocks area. We have found a spot that has a small Sand Dune to “play” on. The star attraction is a short trail that we have dubbed “Train Hammer”. Train Hammer is a fairly advanced short trail with two venerable obstacles. This advanced area will be limited to rigs with 35”+ tires and lockers. Ride-a-longs for lesser experienced drivers will be offered and we are looking for a limited number of volunteers to give the rides. We hope to offer a taste of advance rock crawling for those who usually would not have such an opportunity.
2. Rock Crawling Guest Speaker
W.E. Rock driver John James, will be attending with his Forumla Toy, just one week after racing in the King Of the Hammers. John will be doing a walk and talk through Train Hammer (the trail is only 350 yards long), shedding some light on what a pro rock crawler looks for on the trail.
3. OffRoad Driver Training
Also in the works is a presentation by a professional 4X4 trainer. The presentation will be a slice of a course topic that the trainer offers and a general overview of all courses that are offered. Topics being considered are, Tread Lightly, Hi-Lift jack safety and a winching demonstration including how to winch in reverse.
4. SWAG aka Giveaways
The day will end with JK-Forum sponsor SWAG. We are contacting many JK-Forum sponsors and asking if they want to provide SWAG type give-aways, for a drawing. And of course, I’ll have plenty of my infamous JK Hood Hold Down Kits. You don’t have to be present to win. Just check in with us ,at Train Hammer, at some point during the day.
Bronco Peak – Again
January 4th, 2010Ran BP this weekend, with Troy and Alan. Great views, great obstacles, great friends = great times. Some carnage – I lost a fender, a license plate and a side view mirror. Troy had the trail sign it’s autograph on both sides and Alan got towed home with some steering pump problems.
Some pics:
Rattlesnake Canyon and Mottino Wash
December 28th, 2009Headed out to Lucerne Valley early yesterday morning. Met up with some locals and headed up to Rattlesnake Canyon. All the shade spots had snow and the creek was running a little, in spots. I was solo in my need to run Mottino Wash, so my Son and I left the group to do MW. I was curious to find out how quickly I could get through the run. From Rattlesnake Canyon to the first turn off a the top of MW took a little less than thirty minutes. Sure beat the last MW run that I did, at about three and a half hours.
Sugarpine Mountain Trail and Cleghorn Backwards
December 13th, 2009Great run today. Covered some serious ground. Not much in the way of snow, but we got our fair share of rock slides and trees blocking the road. I think we had to move 4-5 trees on Sugarpine.
We finished so fast, that we decided to do Cleghorn backwards. Cleghorn is in great shape right now (read as lots of rutted trails and Cleghammer is great. I think that the V-notch mid way on Cleghammer is doable, but it would take way more cajones than I’ve got. Lower CH is way fun right now. Amazing how that trail changes after a good rain.
Cougar Buttes, Johnson Valley, Ca.
November 16th, 2009Headed out to Cougar Buttes on Saturday afternoon. Night was a brisk 35 degrees. Being prepared, we slept warm. Alan, Mark and Troy joined us Sunday morning. We wheeled Bullfrog and Hammer Down. Bullfrog is a fun trail and other than the fact that Hammer Down is too short, it’s awesome.
Hammer Down track in Google Earth LINK
Bullfrog track in Google Earth LINK
Some pics:
And a link to more: LINK
Video:
TrailReady BeadLock Wheels at JeepSWAG.com
November 7th, 2009JeepSWAG is now offering BeadLock Wheels for the JK. After an exhaustive search, we’ve identified TrailReady as the best offering for BeadLock Wheels. The primary reason for this selection is the set it and forget it rock ring installation. You torque the rings upon initial install and don’t need to re-torque as all of the other manufacturers require. Pricing looks great too. The only US made Rock Ring style Beadlock made in the USA. Here’s a link to the product page: JeepSWAG BeadLocks
TrailReady Beadlocks with World Series Racing Ring
TrailReady BeadLocks with Rock Ring
Dominion OffRoad Technora Winch Line at JeepSWAG.com
October 29th, 2009Dominion Offroad has just released its line of high quality winch line assemblies. A thorough analysis was performed in order to determine the best synthetic fiber to use for these assemblies. We arrived at the same conclusion as Ramsey Winch Company and chose Technora over Dyneema. The final decision was based on Dyneema’s Achilles Heal – it starts to break down at temperatures as low as 150 degrees. Planetary Winch Drums are capable of producing much higher temps.
The prices look great, with JeepSWAG’s low factory direct pricing. Here’s a direct LINK
Dominion OffRoad Technora Winch Line Assemblies
KC-Hilites OffRoad Light Kits now discounted at JeepSWAG.com
October 22nd, 2009JeepSWAG.com is proud to offer KC-Hilites, High Performance OffRoad Lighting at heavily discounted prices. Here’s a direct LINK
Link to KC Hi-Lites
Christmas Sale Starts
October 22nd, 2009JeepSWAG has the first Christmas sale page up. Dirt Bagz Saddlebagz are on sale and there’s a deal for a tool roll bundled with a Saddlebag set. These pages are for forum and blog members only, so email me for a link.
AEM Brute Force Air Intake System for the JK $238 at JeepSWAG.com
October 21st, 2009Another Great Product at another Great Price. $238 shipped to any of the lower 48 states. LINK
Jeep JK AEM Brute Force Air Intake System
Why I picked AEM – Are all air intake systems created equal? I don’t know. What I do know is that you’re more likely to get Courtney Hansen’s phone number than get accurate test data from auto accessory manufacturer.
The two things that I do know about Air Intake Systems.
1. The worst clean filter is better than the best dirty filter.
2. I’m lazy.
This given, if I buy a system with a filter that easy to clean, I’ll have the best system for me. Hands down, I bought an AEM Air Intake System in April of 07 because I don’t have to oil the filter. I dunk it in a couple of buckets of water after each run, let it dry and stick it back on.
Blast from the past, an old write-up for a home made hard top dolly
October 20th, 2009Here’s a true OffRoad Dolly for your Hard Top. I needed something that would roll across grass. The top uses the factory mount holes and fasteners to mount to two hinged support bars. This thing works GREAT. Here’s a link to the original write-up on JK-Forum LINK
Jeep JK Hard Top Dolly
Jeep JK Fender Flare Trim Mod
October 20th, 2009Found an old write-up that some of you may not have seen. Here’s a LINK
Jeep JK Front Fender Trim Mod
Dominion OffRoad Rubi-Tube Rock Rail Testing
October 20th, 2009Dominion OffRoad weld-on Rock Rail Kit. Kit includes .120 Wall mandrel Bent DOM tubing and cross braces. Buy’em here: LINK
Undeniable proof that these Rock Rails – ROCK!
JeepSWAG making some waves in the Winch Line market
October 20th, 2009The initial pricing for Dominion OffRoad Technora winch line and accessories is starting to make its way to market. Today JeepSWAG.com made hooks and tube thimbles available for sale. Gunnebo style link hooks are less than $40 SHIPPED! The guys over at Pirate4X4 are eating it up. Here’s a link to the new page: JeepSWAG.com/winchline
- Dominion OffRoad Winch Line Hooks and Crush Proof Thimbles
OffRoad Recovery Synthetic Winch Rope Analysis
October 16th, 2009The benefits of synthetic winch rope in offroad vehicle recover are indisputable. Today, there are many high tech synthetic fibers available for the manufacture of winch lines. So which is best? I recently set out to determine which is the best material to use as a synthetic winch rope. My analysis is a little surprising and it can be found at JeepSWAG.com. Here’s a direct link: SYNTHETIC WINCH ROPE ANALYSIS
Dealing with your dealership – Understanding the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975
October 16th, 2009A few months back, I set out to determine if I should start selling Bead Lock Wheels for the Jeep JK. This quickly lead to the need for an analysis of the legal issues that may or may not result from running a wheel that does not meet the DOT design specification. That specific analysis is a story for another day. My research lead to another interesting topic. Can an automotive dealership void your warranty because you have modified your Jeep JK? Interviews with dealership representatives, opinions gathered on JK forums and the help of Google Search lead to some information that I think is very helpful. The analysis can be found at JeepSWAG.com. Link: Tips for “Dealing” with your Dealership and Can they Void your Warranty
Crown Industrial Brake Lines added to JeepSWAG.com
October 15th, 2009Crown Industrial, best of breed JK Brake Lines at Discounted prices from JeepSWAG.com
Crown Industrial makes the highest grade Jeep JK Extended Brake Lines that I’ve found. From Crown, “Suspension lifts reduce the necessary slack in stock brake lines. Stretched lines can risk vehicle safety and possibly tear, leak or even burst. Proper lengths are needed for many suspension lift systems. These lines are simply the most advanced brake lines available. These hoses have virtually no volumetric expansion and provide more immediate brake pedal response over standard soft expanding rubber hoses. Hose assemblies comply with Federal DOT Regulations and are legal in all 50 states. Non-aging Teflon inner core is chemically inert to all DOT approved brakes fluids including silicone. Stainless steel outer braid provides added protection to Kevlar and rubberized layers. Colorful translucent outer protection layer provides good looks and UV protection. One-piece crimp design end fittings are super strong and utilize standard brake fitting hardware. Kits come complete with front hoses, rear hoses and mounting hardware”
Jeep JK Brake Lines by Crown Industrial - Available at JeepSWAG.com
Dirt Bagz Jeep JK Storage Bagz by JeepSWAG
October 9th, 2009We’ve been busy over here at JeepSWAG. And yet another new product.
Baja proven, Dirt Bagz is the premier offroad storage and tool bag used by most all of the top Baja racing teams.
Just about to hit production. These will start to ship by the end of the month.
These things are awesome. I won’t wheel without.
Buy them for $125 a pair, plus shipping. You get what you pay for – these things are SWEET!
Pre-order now.
More details here: www.JeepSWAG.com/dirtbagz
Dirt Bagz Jeep JK Wheel Well Saddle Bags
Spy pic of the “under development” Dominion OffRoad Jeep JK MultiRack
October 8th, 2009Dominion OffRoad is currently developing a MultiRack for the Jeep JK. This will be sold through JeepSWAG.com and through authorized Dominion OffRoad dealers. These should shipping for the Christmas season.
Check back for details.
Dominion OffRoad MultiRack sneek peak
Samster Shake-Down on Claw Hammer (Johnson Valley)
October 8th, 2009Took the Samster on a Claw Hammer shake-down run today. You know when Claw Hammer is your “shake-down” run, it’s capable. Scary thing is that it was way too easy to be a real “shake-down”. Hundy headed for Sledge Hammer after I left. A much more appropriate shake-down for the Samster. No JK’s today. Bash made it through with 33″ tires and open diffs – Yikes!
Hundy in the Samster
Mottino Wash again and Bullfrog Night Run
October 4th, 2009Headed out to the “Hundy Compound” in Lucerne Valley for some wheelin. Met Hundy and Overton and wheeled Bullfrog. We didn’t get to “Jeep Eater”, because Hundy got lost. Of what I saw, it’s a great trail though.
Sunday morning we rolled up the hill to meet group for Mottino Wash. Mottino is great, but it was a larger group and the wheelin was slow.
Couple of pics from Bullfrog;
Bullfrog Day
Bullfrog Night
Won Battle in the War against Jeep JK Death Wobble
October 2nd, 2009It’s been a while since I’ve done a write-up, so here goes.
There are many contributing factors to DW and this only addresses one.
I’ve been fight a little DW for the last couple months. I found that the upper track bar bolt was a little loose. I tightened the sh!t ouf of it and DW was better. Over the next month or so, it started to rear it’s ugly head again. I removed the track bar from the bar to check out what was going on and it wasn’t pretty. The metal sleeve that sits inside the track bar bracket bushing had worn badly. the ends were rounded. The inside was grooved from the threads of the bolt and worst of all the bracket had been heavily worn by the sleeve. The sleeve was fairly rusted and had been deformed from being over tightened and moving around against the bracket. Here’s how I performed the repair:
Parts:
(2) standard 9/16″ fender washers
(2) 3/16″ thick 1/2″ washers (very thick washers)
(1) Short piece of 3/4″ OD, 9/16″ ID steel tubing. This is for a Full Traction track bar. Other brands may be different.
(1) 4″ X 9/16″ fine thread Grade 8 Bolt
(1) 9/16″ fine thread Nylock Nut
If you can find a 9/16″ bolt with a longer shoulder, you can get away with a 3.5″ length. The shoulder length is the important part. You do not want threads to run against the track bar sleeve.
If your bracket is worn the same way that mine was, you’ll need a grinder that can reach into the inside of the bracket, in order to grind down the fill welds. If you do this upgrade before your bracket is worn, you won’t need to do any welding.
I filled the worn grooves on the inside of the bracket as indicated by the arrows in the picture. This picture is after the grooves had been filled and ground. I didn’t get any pics of the worn grooves prior.
I cut the steel tube to the same length as the original tube. I wanted the Id to be slightly larger, so I added one layer of lead tape. Should be a good bearing surface too. I then pressed the steel tube into the bushing.
I took the .5″ washers and enlarged the holes to a perfect 9/16″ hole on a drill press. These will be used as a bearing surface, so the thicker the better. I then welded the first washer in place on the factory bracket. I used a 9/16″ bit to enlarge the factory track bar holes. These holes were originally metric and slightly smaller than 9/16″. I then held the other thick washer on the back of the bracket, using the 9/16″ bolt, while I tack welded the washer in place. I then finish welded the washer in place. I ran the 9/16″ bit through the bracket again, just to clean it up. Prepped painted, greased and re-installed the track bar. Will be interesting to see how long this stays tight.
I also noticed that the flange nut was wearing on the outside of the factory bracket. Not a good sign, and the welded washer should address that issue.
I’ll consider offering a kit to fix this issue, if there seems to be demand. Check my website for updates: www.JeepSWAG.com
Couple pics:
Wear from standard install
Trackbar re-installed
Jeep JK Brake Pads by EBC and Hawk
October 2nd, 2009I’ve been doing some Jeep Wrangler Brake Pad replacement research. I’ve found two brands that stand above the others, EBC and Hawk.
Here’s my opinion about Jeep JK replacement brake pads;
Ultimately you get what you pay for. If you are afraid that your rotors are glazed, then the EBC brakes all have an advantage. They are coated with an abrasive that de-glazes the rotors for the first 200 miles. The down side to this is that you need to perform the break in process carefully. No hard braking for the first 200 miles.
The EBC Yellow Stuff is going to give the best bite all around, but they aren’t cheap. If you don’t have any rotor glazing issues, then the value of the Hawk pads is undeniable. They are a very good pad. They are easier on rotors than the Yellow Stuff pads.
You can buy EBC and Hawk Brake Pads at my online store. www.JeepSWAG.com
EBC Yellow Stuff Jeep JK Fronts: $119 shipped – EBC Red Stuff $97 shipped – EBC Green Stuff $74 shipped
Hawk Fronts: $78 shipped – Hawk Rears $69.99 shipped
2009 Fall and Winter Wheelin
October 2nd, 2009I’ll still be doing some Saturday night camping trips. After soccer is over, I’ll be planning some longer trips. With Soccer games every Saturday through mid November, my schedule is a little limited.
Short trips include Calico, an extreme rock crawling trail (no kids) at Johnson Valley, and exploring in Afton Canyon. I’m sure I’ll end up with two to three trips, in addition to the ones listed.
I hope that the Afton Canyon exploring turns out to be really interesting. There’s a wash that I’ve started up and would like to continue to explore. The big quest is to see if we can work our way up to the top of the mud caves in Spooky Canyon. This will require driving up the back side of those mountains and I have no idea if it’s possible.
Longer trips will include a Death Valley Trip with visits to Panamint City and Barker Ranch (Charles Manson’s last hideout)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panamint_City,_California
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barker_Ranch
Road to Panamint City
Backdoor at Johnson Valley
Hello world!
August 11th, 2009Welcome to my Blog. I’ve started this blog to share stories about the wheeling and camping that I do, in and around Southern Calfornia. I’ll also be including write-ups, thoughts and technical information about the Jeep JK.
I design and market a line of Jeep JK aftermarket products. Be sure to check www.JeepSWAG.com