Site Updated Oct 18th/2001

 Single CD Head Unit

My Pioneer Head Unit (with removable face, ideal for door less & topless Jeep's)

The factory stereo was fine but I wanted to upgrade it.  I purchased the unit & installed it in 1/2 hour after work one evening.  The improvement in sound quality was immediately apparent, all of the sudden the factory speakers sounded decent.

Cost:   $ 280.00 CAN

Old Tires

The first step to reducing the amount of times I get stuck in the mud, was to replace my tires!  The factory 30x9.5 Goodyear Wrangler GSA tires look good, but they are not meant for off-road use.  Since I can't afford the Rubicon Express lift yet (and the subsequently required gears, rims, tires, lockers & possible transfer case) I decided to put the biggest tires that fit without a lift for the meantime.  31 x 10.5" tires are the largest that will fit (although I have to adjust my steering stops).  I decided to go with the BF Goodrich Radial Mud Terrain T/A's because many people seem to use them & support them & their large lug pattern looks like it can do the job!

Cost:    $ 171.00 ea x 5 = $855.00, Rebate from factory tire trade in,            $ 100.00 CDN

Installation:    I purchased & had the 31" x 10.5" BFG MT tires installed by a local tire shop.  Although the tires were only 1"x1" larger than the old tires they looked huge!!!  Once installed I noticed that when the steering was turned to the extreme left or right the tires rubbed on the sway bars.  To fix this problem I removed the tire bump-stop bolts on each wheel, I added (1) lock washer & (1) flat washer, then re-install the bolts.  That's it!  Problem gone.  To see a great detailed description, with pictures, try David Putzolu's site Adjusting the steering stops on a TJ to fit 31"x 10.5" BFG MT's.

33" x 13.5" Mickey Thompson Baja Claw's

These tires are rather new to the four wheel community, however from the people I have spoken to who have pioneered there use & from what I have read in four wheel magazines they seemed like a good choice.  The aggressive tread pattern is easily more pronounced than icon's like BFG Mud Tires.  Although they are a bit noisier on the highway, my gas mileage seems better??? 

Cost:  $ 275.00 ea (CAN) x 4, Luckily they were a gift from my family for Christmas!!!  I bought the 5th one for only $ 124.00 USD (my grandfather is acquainted with the President of Mickey Thompson)

Rear Tow-Hooks

After getting stuck in a mud bog (hood deep, front hooks buried) & having to get towed out, I decided to spend the money & get rear tow-hooks.  I decided on Mopar Rear hooks because I knew they would fit into existing frame holes.

Installation Time:   25 minutes

Cost:  $ 171.00 CAN  (very expensive,  I almost hope I get stuck again so I can get my money's worth!)

Update:  August 24th, 3 days after I installed the tow-hooks I got stuck again.  The hooks worked great, much easier than trying to find a safe spot on the frame.  I've already started to justify their cost!

Update:  Numerous times I, or my buddies have relied on my/there tow hooks.  YOU will get STUCK, get them before you wish you had!!

Update:  After not so many uses I broke a weld on one of my tow hooks :(  The hook was still functional, it now just pivoted around the point it is mounted to the frame.  I don't think I was abusive to the hook, I think I just had a defective piece.   Good news though, while at Camp Jeep 2000 in August of 2000, I ran into & spoke at some length with the manager of Mopar Parts, after telling him my story, he quickly offered to replace the entire set of hooks at no cost to me!!  Only a few week's after I got back to Toronto, Canada, a UPS truck arrived with my hooks.  I must say I was very pleased with Mopar's service, that was above & beyond standard customer service. (thanks Gregory)

Rear Bumper Lights 

Every time we went night wheeling, I always had plenty of illumination power when going forward, but when I had to reverse I couldn't see anything!  The Jeep's reverse lights are pathetic, especially when compared to all the lighting on the front.  The addition of these small rear lights was great.  I chose the lights because of their low profile that allows for the rear door clearance.  I couldn't mount them under the bumper since ground clearance is always a concern.

Installation:    1-1/2 hours, pretty simple, standard light installation.  The kit I bought came with all cabling, switch (I didn't use), relay, and mounting hardware. 

Cost:    $53.00 CAN (one of the best values of upgrades I've installed)

Spare-tire Relocator & Brake-light Lift Kit  

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Last modified: October 20, 2001