April '98 Tech Tip:

YJ weak point. If you do a lot of 4 wheeling you should check your spring and shackle hangers. The front spring shackle hangers are very prone to failure. Weld a small piece of 1/4" mild steel between the bushing sleeve and the frame behind the mount. The mounts are 14 ga (thin stuff) and are suspended below the frame. By joining the heavy center bushing/sleeve to the frame they won't bend sideways, crack the welds and break off. (remove the rubber bushings before you weld)

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March '98 Tech Tip:

The little valve cap on your valve stem may save you some headaches. Why? They protect the valve core. During a recent trip one of our friends experienced a flat. Try as they might, the hole could not be located. It was then discovered that mud had packed the vavle stem and pushed the core in. After picking the mud out, the tire was inflated and the problem was fixed. Keep the valve caps on!

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February '98 Tech Tip:

The older Dodge Dakota Pickups and Jeep Wranglers share the same wheel lug pattern (5 on 4.5"). Wrangler factory aluminum wheels look great on the Dakota and allow the use of 15"*32"*11.5 tires with only a minor torsion bar adjustment. Just proves that wheels with the correct offset can be the way to go!

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