JPMagazine

It all started with a phone call from Editor Hazel.

Ah, there’s nothing like a brisk walk to refresh your mind. Walking along, you can’t help but ponder the big questions we all ask ourselves: What is the meaning of life? How big is the universe? Why didn’t I check the fuel level before driving home last night?

Time stands still for no man. It’s hard to argue with that old axiom ’cause it’s true. But that’s not to say it passes at the same rate. Ever notice how an hour spent sitting in an insurance seminar seems like a lifetime, but a six-day vacation seems to go by in the blink of an eye? The same holds true when it comes to this vehicular hobby we all suffer from. My wife calls it Jeep time, and it goes something like this.

Jeep History, With Altitude This ’76 Jeep CJ-5 belonged to Al Westfahl and was powerd by a 302 V-8. While Al didn’t finish the race, CJ-5s were hard to beat in the Non-Production Class at Pikes Peak. Shot in 1973 by Mike Brenner of Hot Rod magazine, this photo was not published until now.

Loopy
This ’01 Wrangler belongs to Travis Cooley, who at the time of submission was residing in Ft. Irwin, California. Thanks for serving, Travis. The Jeep has a 4½-inch suspension lift, a 1-inch body lift, and 1-inch motor mount lift. A Warn 9.5ti winch sits on the front Rock Hard 4x4 bumper, and the rear is protected by a Rock Hard tire carrier. The Dana 30 front and Dana 44 rear are stuffed with 4.88 gears. A VIAIR on-board air system activates the rear ARB Air Locker. The 37x12.50/16 Maxxis Creepy Crawlers are wrapped around Allied Rock-A-Thon beadlocks. The photo was taken on the Doran Loop in Calico (outside of Barstow), California.

Kicking Back
This image was shot by Petersen Publishing Company photographer Al Paloczy in May, 1957 for Hot Rod magazine. While it never graced the pages of Hot Rod, we can only guess that such parking gatherings were a common place to find modified Jeeps back then.

Ever wheel a Jeep with an automatic and a 4:1 transfer case? Most require a ton of brake pedal effort to stop—unless you pop the transmission into Neutral. This scenario can be nerve-racking at first and then downright annoying once you get used to it. We contacted a few of the industry’s better-known Jeep builders to see how they go about resolving the issue on customer rigs. The answers we received were as varied as the customers. As you might expect, each solution has pros and cons. In this story we will explain each method and why you should consider them to overcome torque multiplication compounded by extreme low-range gearing. Check it out.

When Trasborg saw this Comanche roll into town during the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, he chased it down like a creepy old guy following the college cheerleaders back to their dorm rooms. He didn’t care that the MJ wasn’t completed. Regardless of the lack of a rear bumper, window, or rock rails, it was ’caged, locked, and running. So, rather than waiting a year for it to get completed, he had John Underwood agree to go wheeling the next day before it was even off the trailer.

Who You?
Dear Verne, who the hell are you?
Bob
Via email

Life with an automatic transmission is like dating a high-maintenance supermodel: awesome to be around when everything works out and the mood is good. She can make you feel like a million bucks as heads turn to watch her pass, but when you show her even the slightest sign of neglect, she becomes a stubborn mule, unwilling to do even the simplest of tasks. That’s because automatic transmissions are complex and require constant preventive maintenance to keep them happy. As such, we’ve assembled a buyer’s guide to assist you with preserving the relationship you’ve come to depend on between you and your automatic transmission. Enjoy.

Have you ever watched a runty little dog try to take a bone away from a much bigger pooch? Most will keep at it, getting knocked down repeatedly—until they score that bone. There’s some of that plucky spirit in the Kelly Tires Safari TSR all-terrain tires we’ve been testing. Indeed, they’re willing to take on much more aggressive terrain than their mild-mannered tread blocks would suggest—sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

Maybe it’s just us, but we usually reserve the BFGoodrich tires for the rigs we really care about. It’s kinda like busting out the fine China or those sniffy bathroom soaps for special guests. Sure, some of our rigs would be just as happy chugging fortified bum wine from a Styrofoam cup, but others deserve something with proper vintage and pedigree. For those vehicles, we reach for the top-shelf BFGoodrich label.

Wanna rip up the trail on the weekends but not your eardrums or kidneys during your weekday commute? Go Baja Claw TTC, man. With only minor exceptions, about the only negative we could come up with for these Mickey Thompson tires is the fact that they’re directional. That means you can’t rotate ’em as frequently or as easily and your spare tire may be running backwards…not that you’ll probably ever use your spare. These things are as tough as nails.

Every few years we serve up a smorgasbord of information on tires tested by our esteemed staff. Like discerning food critics, we call ’em how we see ’em. If Trasborg thinks the lowly growl of a mud terrain on pavement sounds like a Cessna during takeoff, we’ll say so. When Stover shreds a sidewall without even trying, you read about it here. If Hazel finds that the lacking of lug spacing on an all terrain compromises traction in the mud, you’ll hear about it. Each evaluation is concluded by a series of scores in the six categories we feel most accurately represents what you do with your Jeep.

The staff of Jp magazine is not picky. We run through Jeeps like Kirstie Alley through a Hostess factory…or a congressman through hot nannies…or a…well, choose your simile. Currently we have dozens of Jeeps parked in our collective driveways and garages, ranging from the earliest flatfenders to the latest JKs. We realize, however, that not everyone has the bank account of Hazel’s sugar momma, Trasborg’s complete lack of self control regarding anything with a seven-slot grille, or Stover’s wheeler-dealer savvy. In short, unlike the Jp staff, we realize most of you can’t try to own ’em all. So, in an effort to narrow down the selection process, we are going put all of our expertise to work to help you pick your next Jeep project. That’s right! Just answer the questions below to determine which Jeep is right for you.

Most Jeepers fall into one of two categories: a rock hound or a mud freak. But every once in a while we run into one of those Jeepers who likes Jeeping so much, it doesn’t matter what kind of terrain it is. The Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx is the newest member of Cooper’s lineup and it is a lot like that. Its mild-mannered looks are somewhat deceiving as we didn’t find any terrain it didn’t like. Upon first glance we were sure we’d end up with banana peels in the mud, but that wasn’t the case. Sure, it did better in some than others, but what tire doesn’t?

If you regularly spend time out on the trail, you’re probably used to seeing interesting ideas and clever concepts on the vehicles you encounter. However, for new enthusiasts or those of you who do not get out much, let this story serve as inspiration because everything you see here came from fellow wheelers just like you.

• Put this on your calendar: Grand Cherokee. Diesel. 2013.

AL to the LB
I was writing in response to your story Jenny Craig Jeep (Oct. ’11) in regards to weight saving. My first question is why were aluminum links completely overlooked? This is not an uncommon practice not only to lose weight, but for potential strength increases.

There is no denying that heat kills auto- matic transmissions faster than a coronary will take out a fat man who has won free unlimited doughnuts for life. We’ve talked a lot about transmission coolers, but not so much about what is too hot or how to monitor the transmission. The fact of the matter is that you might need to add an auxiliary cooler, but the only way to be sure is to first install a gauge and monitor just how hot your junk is getting. This, of course, opens a whole other can of worms. Where do you put the sensor? How hot is too hot for your transmission? Well, read on and we’ll sort out the mysteries.