In your Jeep Creep questions, please list your first and last names, your hometown, and your state/province/country, so that we can publish that information here. If you don’t provide this information, we may not be able to publish your question and answer. Don’t forget to be as complete as possible with the description of your Jeep and its problems, too. Send your Jeep questions to editor@off-road.com, Attn: Jeep Creep.

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September 2014

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No Jeep recalls from NHTSA this month

TH350 vs. TH400
Re: The V8 Option - Chevy V-8 Swap into a Jeep CJ (or YJ)
As far as the difference between TH350 and TH400 (Turbo-Hydromatic) goes; the gear set is the biggest difference. The 400 is tougher, which is great for heavier vehicles, and has gear ratios of 2.48:1, 1.48:1 and 1.00:1. The TH350’s gear ratios are 2.52:1, 1.52:1 and 1.00:1. Aftermarket suppliers have a lower gear set for the TH400, but it’s pricey. The good news is: the TH350 gear set is plenty strong for a Jeep and light trucks; Chevy even put them behind big blocks in Blazers. They use the same torque converter; forward and direct clutches are also the same. Plus it’s lighter and shorter. I run one behind an LS6 in my Mud Truck.
Hankster

Thanks, Hankster. This is what this column is all about—Jeepers helping Jeepers. I really appreciate your input.

Easy Brake
I get no resistance when I pull up on my parking brake lever. Went to the dealer and got a parts list, but I am unsure what the problem is. Any ideas?
Maureen

Maureen, you failed to provide any identification of what Jeep model you own, but I’ll give you a generic description, which with your parts list should lead you to a solution. Your parking brake lever is attached to a cable that is attached in turn (at the other end of the cable) to a bracket that splits the cable to each rear brake. In my mind, I think of the cable system as a flat “Y,” with the two ends attached to the rear brakes and the post attached to the brake lever. If you’re getting no resistance, one of two things has happened. Either the cable at some point has broken or become disconnected, or the system is so far out of adjustment that you’re not affecting the rear brakes when you pull the handle. You need to crawl under the Jeep and inspect the entire cable system. If it’s not broken, then have a shop adjust the system properly.

2WD XJ Tires
I am so glad to have found someone who is an authority in Jeep Cherokees. I am brand new to Jeeping so I am not ashamed to say that I am a novice and a dunce in the world of Jeep Cherokees. Herein lays my dilemma. After hearing so many great things, I recently bought a 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport L6 4.0 (2-wheel-drive) and I wanted to put on some bigger tires but keep the stock 15” wheel rims and not put in a lift kit. A friend of mine suggested BFGoodrich All Terrain KO tires size 30x9.50. Are these tires good quality? Will they fit? Will they affect the safe performance of the Jeep? Can I fit them without using any sort of lift kit? Will they rub against the upper wheel well when I hit a bump in the road or the inner wall when I make a sharp turn? I plan to replace the brakes and the shock absorbers, which are worn out. Can I use factory (Mopar) spare parts as a part of my regular maintenance regime? Where can I purchase good aftermarket fender flares for my Jeep?
Kevin Mathias

Yes, Kevin, the 30x9.50 BFG All Terrain tires will fit your Cherokee without any modifications. And they are good tires but might be a bit aggressive for a 2-wheel-drive vehicle. As for fender flares, look at the websites of Summit Racing, 4-Wheel Parts, Quadratec or any other off-road shop’s website. They all offer fender flares of various designs.

J20 Lights
A few years ago I bought a 1974 Jeep J20 ¾-ton 4WD pickup. It has the 401 AMC V-8, TH400 automatic and Quadratrac transfer case. It was in pretty good shape and I’ve got it back into almost original condition. I’ve four wheeled with it a bunch of times and everything works, and works well. This summer I bought a slide-in, cab-over camper for it in preparation for hunting season. And this is when the problem with the lights began (headlights and taillights). With the camper’s lights on, everything will go out after 10 to 20 minutes. If I leave the light switch out, pretty soon the lights will come back on, only to go off again in a few minutes. If I hit the brake lights, it happens even sooner. What is going on? Do I have a bad switch? Bad wiring? What?
Terry Goodwin
Carlsbad, NM

No worries, Terry! Your J20’s lighting system is fine. What you have is an automatic circuit breaker that’s inadequate for the additional camper running and taillights, so it overheats and opens. As soon as it cools, it reconnects the circuit and your lights come back on but they’re only on temporarily. The circuit breaker was designed that way at the AMC factory. I guess the engineers never thought about an owner adding a camper to a 3/4-ton truck. What you need to do is run a fused hot wire from a relay (the relay must be wired into the headlight circuit so that it’s activated whenever the light switch is pulled) to a toggle switch on the dash and on to the electrical plug for the camper. With the toggle switch in the “ON” position, every time you turn on the headlights the camper’s lights will also come on and the circuit breaker won’t be affected at all. The added advantage of this setup is that you can flash your camper’s lights to thank vehicles who’ve flashed their lights at you to tell you that it is safe to pull back into their lane—just use the toggle.

No Dash Lights
I have an ‘89 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. My problem is the dash lights do not work. Fuses are ok, bulbs are ok, turn lights work, dimmer switch light works, and the dome light works. The headlight switch was replaced and I am getting voltage everywhere. My dash lights still don’t work, so what could be wrong? This is driving me crazy; any help will be appreciated.
Jerrie Dornbush
Chaparral, NM

Jerrie, this is a simple problem to diagnose but not so simple to correct. Your dash light ground is not connected so you need to connect one. If you have the expertise to check for voltage, you should have no problem connecting a ground.

Removable Doors
I own a 1989 Jeep Cherokee and am extremely jealous of those removable doors on Wranglers. I have removed my doors before, but was wondering if you knew of any purchasable hinge or any way of converting Cherokee doors into Wrangler doors. I’ve seen it done I just can’t seem to figure out a plausible way of doing such a project.
Brad Miller
Hamilton, OH

I can understand your frustration, Brad. I’m also involved in building an ’89 Cherokee, which you’ve probably seen here under the title of “Master ‘Kee.” We’re building it as money and time become available. However, to answer your question, Google the phrase “XJ Tube Doors” and you’ll receive numerous hits. Go to those websites and decide which models you prefer.

Rattling YJ
I have a bit of a problem with my ‘97 Jeep. I am pretty sure it’s an SE model. It’s basic all around the board. Nothing fancy about it; no lift and no aftermarket products. Everything is stock and basic. I am a college student and can’t afford most aftermarket upgrades but that’s neither here nor there. So I have been having a little bit of a problem with my Jeep. Recently, I have begun to hear a rattling noise coming from the front of my Jeep. Also when I put it in 4WD I hear a horrible grinding noise after I release the clutch and almost a type of THUD when it finally engages in gear. So I have been driving in 2WD and not worrying about it but now I have that stupid rattling noise. About two months ago I had my U-joints replaced because my mechanic told me they were going bad and I would know they are bad because I could hear rattling from the front of my Jeep. It was maybe a month after my U-joints were swapped out that the noise started up. At first you could barely hear it and it only happened after I had been driving for a really long time. However now it will start as soon as I start moving and it’s really loud so much that I can hear it over my music. I am almost positive the noise is coming from my axle somewhere but I don’t know what and I still don’t know why my 4WD is acting up. Please note that the 4WD acts up in both high and low ranges, and it’s not falling out of 4WD. It just makes terrible noises. So if you have any idea what could be wrong it would be greatly appreciated?
Jonathan Weick

Have your mechanic recheck the U-joints in the driveshafts first, and then check the front differential and the front axles’ U-joints.

YJ Wiring
I have a YJ Jeep (1989) and I want to find the electrical diagram for my dial.
Sébastien Timer
Drummondville, Canada

Sébastien, I’m assuming you mean the dashboard. If so, you’ll find fairly complete wiring diagrams in a Haynes or Clymer repair manual.

I have a request of all the readers out there. Send us your questions. For some reason the questions have fallen off, and I know we haven’t answered all your Jeep technical questions. There are no dumb questions; only unasked questions. Send them in and try to stump us.—Jim Brightly

As usual, each month, I’m shouting out a huge THANK YOU to Paul Schupp at Rock Lizard 4x4 in Kingman, Arizona, for his invaluable assistance in answering many of the Jeep Creep questions.

Previous Jeep Creep Column
September 2014

August 2014

July 2014