June 25, 2008 - Added Van Andel & Flikkema Jeep Show
Look at this! Two updates to the site in just a few days. This won't happen again for another year. We went to the Van Andel and Flikkema Car Show on Jun 14, 2008 and I'm just now getting around to getting the pictures posted. Click here to read about event.
June 23, 2008 - Added Rosie's Diner Pictures
After a very long time between updates and two Jeep events later, the site was finally updated. I added the pictures for the Rosie's Diner Jeep Night and also updated the home page picture.
And, because I wanted something different on the home page I created a new Flash animation that shows off some of our inventory. The animation is a little large, but I'm working to get it smaller.
June 2, 2008 - Upcoming Event - Rosie's Diner Jeep Night
On Jun 9, 2008 (Monday) at 6 PM Rosie's is hosting a Jeep Night. I hope we see you there.
May 30, 2008 - Warning About Trails and Land Use
I wanted to touch on a subject that is very important - Land Use. I received an email recently from a member of the Great Lakes 4x4 Land Use Committee which raised some concerns about some of our trip reports and possible Land Use violations. I have corrected the text and removed any pictures on these trip reports that were pointed out as being possible issues. JeepHobby cares very much about keeping our trails open. As I'm sure many of you know, Tread Lightly, is a motto of the Jeeping world and we try to do our best in that regard. Unfortunately, we are learning about our hobby all the time and we make mistakes like everybody else. But please, just because we write something in our trip report doesn't mean you can do it. This is probably how the disclaimer "don't try this at home" came about. I try to follow the laws and feel we do a good job, but that doesn't mean we don't make mistakes. Use your own judgement when your out on the trail. If the trail looks like it isn't open for Jeeps then don't go there. I know, this is pretty obvious stuff, but still, I don't want anybody to get the wrong impression. If you see something on JeepHobby that you feel represents our sport in a bad way, let me know. Letting me know nicely would be even better, but if you can't be nice I'll still try my best to be nice anyways.
May 13, 2008 - Jeep Hobby Gas Calculator
Ever wonder how much it costs to drive your Jeep? Lately, this has been a question on my mind. I'm not talking about the cost of lifts, nerf bars, new driveshafts, tops, etc..., etc..., etc... I'm only looking at the cost of the fuel. Now, there's probably not a soul among us who doesn't believe that the gratuitous burning of fossil fuels is fun on the weekends and 4x4 outings, but what about the daily grind? Well, if you've ever wondered such things then take a look at our gas calculator and crunch some numbers of your own.
May 4, 2008 - Jeep Blessing 2008
The 2008 Jeep season was officially kicked off by the Jeep Blessing in Mesick, MI. The Blessing is a once a year event hosted by the Cadillac Jeepers to encourange safe 4x4'ing and a chance to pray for our Jeeps to stay in one piece for the wheeling season.Click here to read the full article.
April 10, 2008 - Spring is here
Although Spring has technically arrived, it doesn't feel like it here in West Michigan. The temperatures are still hanging in the 30's and 40's with a couple days of 60's thrown in as a tease. It sure will be nice when the warmer weather finally arrives and hangs around for a little while.
I received my long awaited side bars from 4Wheel Drive Hardware this past weekend. They are sitting in my garage right now. I can't say that I'm completely satisfied with them. I ordered a set of black tubular bars with a rubber pad. The picture in the catalog has a nice looking rubber pad whereas the sidesteps sitting in my garage have a rubber pad, but they have 4Wheel Drive etched into them. In my opinion, kind of stupid looking. I'm still trying to decide if I want to send them back or just put them on since they are, after all, just side steps. I'm leaning towards installing them since the price is right, but I'm still a little irked about the rubber pad. My wife says this isn't even a consideration, send them back. I'll let you know what I decide.
Jan 20, 2008
The sound of a marble in our transmission finally drove us nuts enough to actually do something about it. I did some research on www.alldata.com to see if there was a Technical Service Bulletin about this problem and found TSB 21-002-01. The subject read "M/T Gear Train Sound in Neutral". This looked very promising so I puchased the necessary parts and went to work. Please check out the write-up here to see how it went.
Jan 1, 2008 - Happy 2008!
2007 was a good year for Jeeping. We took numerous Jeep trips this year that allowed us to explore sand dunes, trails and some hill climbing. We organized our first trail ride which went as well as can be expected for a first. We were also able to add a number of new apparel items to our store. In 2008, I hope we can see more 4x4 trails and continue to add more apparel items.
We are still trying to decide which would be more fun - a trip to Drummand Island, Michigan or to the Badlands in Indiana. Drop us an email if you have an opinion. We haven't been to either one. One restricting factor for us has been a lack of a winch. So, this year, if all goes well, I'd like to install a winch by summer. Here again, we have a decision. Should we go with the tried and true Warn winch or with a Superwinch? Superwinch is considerably less expensive and I've been reading some very good articles that compare the two. In the Dec 2007 issue of Off-Road Adventures there is an article about the manufacturer Superwinch which is very positive. Drop us an email if you have any thoughts.
Dec 8, 2007
We have added a few more products to our inventory. We were finally able to find some reasonably priced womens items such as pink Jeep® hats and a long sleeved tee. Please take a look at the sweatshirts, hats, accessories and cooler area to view the new products. Thanks for visiting JeepHobby. This wouldn't be any fun at all without you!
Dec 3, 2007
We took a Jeep trip to the Ogemaw Sport and Trail Center with Great Lakes Four Wheel Drive Association and Great Lakes 4x4.com. At one time, this ORV center allowed Jeeps, trucks and rails to run the trails, but for the last few years it has only allowed motorcycles and ATVs. The two organizations prepared a presentation for OSTC to allow 4x4's back on the trails and this weekend was a trial run. We attended the event along with about 200 other 4x4's to show our support and had a great time wheeling. Please read the OSTC trail report for more information and contact information for OSTC.
Nov 21, 2007
The Christmas season is here so that means some new images to match the season needed to be uploaded. We decorated our Jeep with several strings of Christmas lights, waited for complete darkness and then took pictures. Yep, our neighbors think we're crazy!
On the clothing side, we picked up a couple new Jeep vests and also a mannequin. We call him Manny. He is headless so as not freak out the kids and also company. I'm pretty happy with him because now I can photograph in 3D. Now I feel like all of the clothing pictures need to be redone with Manny.
As for the vests, here are some links to see the new products. They are actually really nice. Something that you would wear to dress up a turtle neck or long sleeved tee.
|
|
Oct 25, 2007
We went on our Fall Color tour with a bunch of other Jeepers from the Great Lakes 4x4 community. We had a great time wheeling with others that enjoy the Jeep hobby as much as we do. Check out the Fall Color Tour to White Cloud trip article for more information.
Oct 14, 2007
I wrote an article that describes how to fix a broken 4x4 indicator lamp. This is an interesting article in that I took something that seems fairly obvious and went completely off the deep end. Perhaps, the article would be better titled, how not to fix a broken 4x4 indicator lamp. In any case, I hope this article saves others some time if they are looking at this type of repair.
We are currently planning a Jeep trip to White Cloud on Oct 20, 2007 for a fall (perhaps fell) color tour. The trip is being posted on the Great Lakes 4x4 site. Check out the thread if you're interested in going.
Oct 2, 2007
Finally, I've finished adding the last of the new products. Here are a couple of samples:
|
|
We have another shipment of new products near the end of October so check back if you don't find what you're looking for.
September 14, 2007
The latest new thing is that JeepHobby had a facelift. We've been around for about a year now and we're slowly growing. It seemed like this was a good time to put a little more effort into the look and feel of the site. So, let me know what you think.
We are also gearing up for the fall and holiday season so over the next few weeks/months you'll see more products being added. Right now, I have several that need pictures taken and write-ups done - so what am I doing updating this page?
We also took some time out for a Jeep trip to the North Missaukee Trail which is just north of Cadillac, Michigan. The trail wasn't much for 4x4'ing, but it was nice to get out with some friends. The fall colors will start showing up over the next few weeks and we're all planning another trip to the White Cloud Trail. This was a good trail that we explored last year, but I felt like we missed a lot of the trail. So, this year, we're going back.
We added a new Jeep Cooler to our inventory that we really like. The review hasn't been written yet, but it will be positive.
There is also a new trip report for the Silver Lake Dunes area which is probably the most popular 4x4 destination in Michigan.
July 21, 2007 - Jeep Trip
We took a trip to the Tincup Trail System near Reed City, Michigan. Check out the trip report for details.
July 4, 2007
Happy Independence Day!
The JeepHobby logo got a slight revision. The size of the tires was way too small so we upgraded to 33 inchers.
Also, a new page was created that contains all of the old banners. You can see them here. Speaking of banners, a new banner was created that is from the Horseshoe Trails trip.
On the link to us page a set of logos has been added for use when linking to JeepHobby.
June 19, 2007 - Jeep Trips and Jeep Cruise Nights
We took a Jeep trip to Horseshoe Trails near Holton, MI. Please check out the trip report for details about the trip.
We also attended the first ever Rosie's Diner Jeep Night.
In late July we are planning a trip to the Tin Cup area to ride the 21 mile Tin Cup Spring loop.
May 19, 2007 - Yard work, Service Bulletins, Trip Planning & Games
This time of year there is always a lot going on. The kids have sporting events and end of the school year activities and the yard projects that were put off last year need to get started. With all of this going on, it's sometimes difficult to set aside time for your hobby. That's why you need to take every opportunity - thus, the Jeep got involved with the yard work.
I actually started to pull the thorn bushes by hand until I remembered that the Jeep has front hooks. It took literally minutes to pull the bushes out and was a whole lot more fun than using a shovel.
Concerning Jeep repairs, I signed up at All Data which is a website that provides information about recalls, technical service bulletins, repairs and driveability information for OBDII troubleshooting. On the site, I found a couple of TSB's that applied to my Jeep.
The first is titled "M/T High Shift Effort" and the number is 21-003-01 REV A. This TSB describes a condition with the NV3500 and NV3550 manual transmissions where more effort is required to shift than what it should. The fix is to lubricate the parts and also, in some cases, to replace the detent plunger. I haven't tried this yet, but this one goes on my list of things to do. Once this is done I'll post a write-up in a technical article.
The next is titled "M/T Gear Train Sound in Neutral" and the number is 21-002-01. This one is described as a gear train sound that is heard when the engine is at idle with the transmission in neutral with the clutch out. The fix is to replace the transfer case shaft that connects to the transfer case range lever. I ordered and picked up the part at my local Jeep dealer and now I need to set aside some time to do the fix which I'll post in a technical article. The part cost about $20 and here is a picture of it:
We are also planning another Jeep trip on June 3, 2007 to the Horseshoe & Holton Trails which are located near the town of Holton, MI. This will be another day trip to go and check out the trails with some friends.
And lastly, I just finished reading a book called Beginning Flash Game Programming (for Dummies) by Andy Harris so I had to give it a try. Go to the Games Page to check out my pitiful Jeep game. This was my first attempt so you can imagine that it isn't much, but it was fun trying out the environment. Since I was able to learn the basics on this one I hope to have something a little more engaging on my next attempt. Please email me if you have any suggestions - other than suggesting that I give up now while I'm ahead :)
April 29, 2007 - Jeep Trip to Cedar Creek Trails
We took a Jeep trip last weekend to the Cedar Creek Trails near Twin Lake, Michigan. Check out the write-up.
April 15, 2007
This week I attempted to install an iPod adapter cable for my Pioneer in-dash stereo. Unfortunately, this hasn't worked yet. I plugged the cable into the Multi-CD changer port on the back of the stereo. I connected the red wire to the ignition power and grounded the green wire. When I plugged the iPod in, I got nothing. The stereo still worked, but no iPod input. Here's a picture of the wiring harness I purchased on eBay for $19.95.
I have a feeling that something is wrong with my Pioneer deck because I distinctly remember seeing the AUX input when I cycled through the available modes, but over the last couple of months the AUX has dropped out. I'm going to hold onto the cable and start looking for a used replacement deck.
On a good note, the hardtop came off today and the soft top went on. Hopefully, topless is just around the corner.
April 2, 2007
Added two more technical articles and one review article. The new technical articles are:
The review article is:
Mar 17, 2007
We've increased our inventory to include several of the missing sizes we've had in many of our products. We've also picked up a new Jeep T-Shirt with Jeep Off Road Durability from Toledo on the front and back. Click on the image below for more information. While you're looking, take a look at some of our other t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats. We have great prices and shipping rates and your items will be in the mail the next day.
Feb 25, 2007
I have just a few things to comment about today. No new repairs or enhancements have been done to the Jeep on account that it is absolutely freezing outside. Hopefully, this will change soon.
If you get a chance, check out the "Jeep Waterfall" videos available on www.youtube.com. The videos show a marketing marquee that Jeep is using at shows that uses falling water to form words and shapes. If you haven't seen this, it's worth a look.
We have some new inventory showing up within the next week or two so check back to see what's new. We will be adding some new product lines as well as filling in holes in our current inventory for missing sizes. If there is a particular size that we are out of that you are looking for drop us an email and we'll see if we can get the size in.
I ran across a site this week that has an active community of 4x4'ers from the Great Lake states. The site is called Great Lakes 4x4 (www.greatlakes4x4.com).
Also, as for the web site, the shopping cart has been updated to prevent orders against out of stock inventory. If something happens where your order is allowed to process and we find the inventory not in stock then your order will be refunded.
Feb 4, 2007
The weather in Michigan has finally turned into winter. Over the last couple of days we've received about a foot of snow and the temperatures have been in the single digits. Very, very cold outside. I've had the Jeep out for a few days for drives into work and town and surprisely, it has handled very well. It loves the snow, but isn't very fond of the ice. I've noticed many other Jeepers out with their Jeeps and I've received many "Jeep Waves" as we pass.
The one good thing about this weather is that it forces me to stay inside and do some much needed work on the Jeep Hobby website. I've had a chance to fix the shopping cart so that items are gathered on the Jeep Hobby web site and only passed to PayPal after submitting the order. This allows the Jeep Hobby website to operate quicker and also for quantities to be adjusted within the cart. I've also categorized some apparel pages so it is easier to find the products you're looking for. On that note, if you're looking for a particular product and you're not finding it, let's us know.
Jeep Hobby has also been reviewed on Stu Olson's Jeep TJ website. The review is at http://www.stu-offroad.com/prodrev/jphobby/jphobby-1.htm. Despite how hard it is to review Jeep apparel Stu did a great job and we really appreciate the review. If you're into Jeep TJ's, take a little time and visit Stu's site.
Jan 4, 2007 - Apparel Sale At Jeep Hobby
The sale prices have been posted to the web site and will remain in effect until the end of January. All items are discounted by 10-15%.
Several new technical articles have been posted over the holidays. The biggest article is about replacing the rear main seal. The article has lots of pictures and goes into great detail about the process.
Two other articles came from the rear main seal replacement article. The first being an article about removing your starter and the second being an article about removing the transmission cross-member.
We are also planning a New Year's sale at the Jeep Hobby story to celebrate 2007. Check back for our sale prices which will only be available during the month of January.
Today, the work to replace the leaking rear main seal was started. No articles have been posted yet, but some progress has been made. To replace the rear seal the oil pan needs to be dropped. In order to drop the pan, the exhaust needs to be dropped and in order to drop the exhaust, the transmission crossmember has to be removed. Thus far, the pan has been drained of oil, the crossmember has been removed, the oxygen sensors on the exhaust pipe have been disconnected and the exhaust pipe has been disconnected from the exhaust manifold and pushed out of the way. I've left the pipes connected in the back to make reassembly easier. I'll post more as progress moves forward.
The article about how to replace your suspension/control arm bushing has been posted. This article describes a way to remove the bushings by a combination of an inexpensive tool and the fabrication of a receiver tube.
There's been a lot happening over the last month. On the Jeep repairs list I've been working on an article that describes how to change the suspension bushings in your Jeep. This hasn't been the easiest article to finish because the method described in the service manual uses a tool that isn't commonly available. I've been looking into various ways to inexpensively, fabricate this tool so that replacement of the bushings is easier. There's always the standard method to fall back on which is to use a torch and a hammer, but this isn't the easiest, nor the safest, way to do this work.
Also, over the next few months, I'm planning more articles. The first of which will be how to change your rear main seal. The second will be an article describing the installation of a transfer case bracket upgrade that will take care of the clunking sound that is common to many Jeeps in the 1997 - 2002 era. The third article will be about adding recovery points. And the fourth article will be about changing your clutch.
Other news is that the Jeep Jamboree is on the horizon in Michigan for June 2007 to go to Drummand Island. This will be our first Jamboree so we're really looking forward to it. Information is available on the Jeep Jamboree web site at www.jeepjamboreeusa.com.
As for our Jeep Hobby web site, we now have a Jeep Store that carries inexpensive, Jeep Licensed apparel. Check out the store to see what we have. All sales go through PayPal so your transaction is guaranteed to be safe.
We've noticed a new clunk coming from the driver's side front wheel when we hit bumps. I believe the issue is something to do with the stabilizer (sway) bar, but haven't crawled underneath to look. That's the plan for today.
The site went live. Today, the first rendition of the site was published to the Internet. Much more to do, but at least it's out there now.
Our first Jeep outing! Went to Cedar Creek Trails area in White Cloud, MI today with another couple in their 1989 Jeep. Had a great time puddle hopping and geocaching. Check out the trips page for details about the trip.
Got some new wipers and a set of Silverstar headlights. Check out the repairs page for details about the replacement of each. Yes! I even wrote down how to replace your wipers - just for fun.
The antifreeze leak turned out to be a bad radiator. Take a look at the repair page for a description of how the radiator was replaced and the diagnosis. Figuring out what the problem was wasn't any great challenge, it was pretty obvious when there was antifreeze all over the engine.
Purchased a new set of BF Goodrich All Terrain (A/T)! Also, found a new web site called jeepforum.com which has a great TJ section with a very active membership. I watched this site for a few days and read through their FAQ's. From the FAQ they said that the maximum tire size you should go with a stock suspension is 31 x 10.5 x 15. So, that's exactly what I purchased and I'm very happy with the decision. I'll maintain an ongoing review of these tires so we can see how they wear and how well they perform, but I'm expecting a very good experience from my initial impressions.
I'm starting to find the issues that caused the previous owner to sell. At this point, we've got the following issues:
- The tires need replaced - I knew this at purchase time so this is OK
- There is an antifreeze leak that is coming from an unknown source
- There is a rear main seal leak
- There is definitely something wrong with the clutch/transmission/u-joints. The clunk sound that I heard when I purchased the Jeep is very prominent.
I've done the oil and filter change and other than these "minor?" issues, I'm still happy with the Jeep, but it looks like I've got some work to do.
We purchased a Jeep today. We found it in Rockford, Michigan. It's an original owner, 2000 Wrangler TJ with 74,000 miles. It has a 6 cylinder engine with a 5 speed manual transmission. It's all black and has a hard and soft top. All in all, it's in pretty good shape, but there is a fairly loud sound coming from the clutch area when the clutch is engaged and disengaged. It sounds like a clunk. Also, the tires are really bald so they will have to be replaced almost right away. Other than the clutch/transmission sound and the bald tires, it's in really good shape.