The picture below shows what Jeep gives you straight from the factory. It really is a recipe for disaster, especially when you consider that the evap canister itself is made of fairly fragile plastic.

Obviously, smashing the evap canister on a rock will be a pain that most folk will want to avoid. Without it, or even with a crack in it, your JK will display the check engine light, throw codes, and allow gasoline vapors to enter the atmosphere. I’m sure that it could lead to other issues, some potentially quite bad, but I’ll leave that for smarter people than I to discuss.

Thankfully there are some kits out there that will allow you to move the evap canister to a safer location. One of those kits is made by Brett Woods and his company, 4xFiX.com.

Currently 4xFiX.com specializes in products for the Jeep JK although Brett tells me that he may expand someday to produce products for other Jeep models, and the Toyota FJ Cruiser.

Brett has come up with a very simple yet through kit that allows you to move the evap canister above the rear axle. It contains everything you need and nothing that you don’t. I like that it allows for some “hands on” to make it happen and I like the price. You get a lot for what you pay.

Sure, some people will be able to assemble all the parts themselves but what this kit really offers, beyond a clean solution, is time saving convenience and truly outstanding instructions. I know I could go to the hardware store and figure it out, but I just don’t have the time. And with these instructions even a dullard like me can install this kit. They are that good. 

The 4xFiX instructions make sure that you understand that some highly flammable gasoline vapor will be released during the install process. If you’re not comfortable with that, or can’t stay away from an open flame or cigarette during the install then it may be wiser to leave this work to someone else.

You’re also going to be drilling some holes in your beloved JK. If you can handle these three things then you can handle installing this kit.

You start your install by carefully cutting certain hose fittings. Jeep uses a sort of heat shrink process to fit many of the hoses and this makes removal easy. A firm but controlled cut with a utility knife is all that is required. Wait a moment and the hoses spread themselves for you and they slide right off.

Once you cut the hoses and remove the electrical connection you will uninstall the evap canister from the JK. When you do it will come off as a unit with a mounting plate. The 4xFiX evaporation canister relocation kit has you reuse this plate, with some small modifications.

Using a reciprocating saw, hacksaw, or angle grinder you will cut away a small section of the OEM mounting plate and then attach the included stainless steel plate.

Once you’ve attached the two plates together your ready-to-be mounted evap canister with its new hoses will end up looking like this:

Inside the JK you will peel up the carpet in the cargo area revealing some sound deadening material. I was able to quickly measure and drill out the appropriate holes for the mounting bolts. All that needed to be done now was mount the evap canister in its new location.

The holes you drilled in the cargo area will mount the evap canister above the rear axle.

Brett assured me that on a stock JK there is enough room here that even if both rear springs were fully compressed and the JK was resting on its bump stops there would be no interference between the evap canister and the axle.

Once everything is buttoned up and put back together you now have your evap canister in a safe location, out of harms way. There are a couple advantages to this including not breaking parts of your Jeep, having less to smash on rocks, and making room to potentially move your muffler if you ever chose to.

The day after I did the install I had the opportunity to take my JK off road to have some fun and test out some of my new mods.

While out on the trails I had a great time in my favorite rock gardens where scraping and bashing is common. After the run I looked underneath and saw scrapes in the original mounting area of the evap canister. Had it been in its stock location it surely would have been damaged. I’m happy that it’s now safe and sound.

The 4xFix Evaporation Canister Relocation Kit was an easy installation and the directions idiot proof. The kit allows for a bit of fabrication (which is always fun), and the price is great. Would I recommend this product to a friend? There’s no question: yes!