Tech Articles - CDM Fabrication

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Tech Writeups

\| Axles \| Body \| Brakes / Wheels \| Electrical \| Engine / Drivetrain \| Steering \| Suspension \|
Axles
	Axle Identification - An easy to use guide to identify axles.
	Ball Joint Replacement - Replacing ball joints isn't a big deal, with the correct tool. In this writeup you'll learn how to replace press-in ball joints.
	Changing Differential Fluid - Changing your differential fluid is easy. If you like playing the water, odds are you'll get lots of practice at this.
	Changing Pinion Bearings - The good thing about pinion bearings is there is no actual gear setup required, the only thing you have to worry about is pinion bearing preload, to much and you'll destroy bearings, to little and your destroy bearings.
	Changing Wheel Joints - Next in my do-it-yourself write-ups, is changing wheel joints. So what's a wheel joint? It's the u-joint in the front axleshaft. Changing a wheel joint is very similar to changing any other u-joint. However since some of us leave their wheel joints in for 125k miles, they can be stubborn to remove.
	Differential / Gear Setup Basics - There's no need to be scared of differential work. There's really not nothing too it. That being said, differential work is not for everyone, if you do all your own work, you can handle it, if you pay people to do much of your work, best leave it alone. I'm going to start with some basics, to help everyone understand some of the how and whys of differentials.
	Full Floater vs. Semi Floating - I've been working on some images for my next FAQ update, this will help explain the full floater axle a little better.
	Hubs - Warn vs. MileMarker - Comparison Between Warn and MileMarker hubs.
	Locker Install - Installing a lunchbox locker is pretty straight forward. This writeup walks you through it, and explains how they work.
	Manual Hub Wheel Bearing Maintenance - Well pretty much anytime you go through water, you should have your front wheel bearings apart for inspection/regreasing. Anytime you are hub deep in water it will flood in between the axleshaft and spindle, filling your hub full of water.
	Replacing Axle Seals - Well next in my do-it-yourself series, is rear axle seals. If you notice some diff fluid in your brake drums, you've got a leaky wheel seal. This is for c-clip axles.
	Vacuum Disconnect Axles Explained - This writeup will help explain how the vaccuum disconnect front axles work.
Body
	Bed Lining a Jeep Tub - Well after taking your Jeep off-road a few times, you'll most likely find cleaning and trying to get the carpet to dry sucks. I tried to keep the carpet for a while and gave up, it just never dried out, and always smelled like mildew/creek water. I gave up and took all the carpet out, and decided to use truck bed liner on the whole thing.
	Cowl Seal Replacement - Replacing a cowl seal is more work than it would first seem just due to the amount of prep work that needs to be done before you can install the new seal. This writeup will walk you through the process.
	Door Hinge Bushing Replacement - Replacing door hinge bushings is pretty straight forward. This quick writeup shows some tricks that may help especially for the later YJs and TJs with the short bushings
	Door Mirror Maintenance - The mirrors on your doors should fold in very easily. I'm not referring to the part you adjust; I'm referring to the mirror base. Disaster Dan posted about this a while back, but I figured I'd post some pictures to help explain. As Dan found out if the mirrors don't give, something else will.
	Pinstripe Removal - Most pin stripe is nothing more than a vinyl sticker so it will peel off pretty easily usually.
	Replaing Window Sweeps - So I recently had to replace the outer window sweeps on my doors. Much to my surprise there really isn't much information out there about this. The good news is these just clip in place. The bad news is you can't do it with the window in the way. The window can stay in the door though.
	TJ Flares for YJs / CJs - TJ flares can be used on CJ/YJ to gain extra clearance for your tires. You will have to cut roughly 1" out of the tub everywhere, to install them.
	Vent Window Lock Replacement - So my YJ vent window locks no longer worked. The locking portion of the handle was just worn out. When I first looked it seemed as the only way to "fix" this was to replace the entire vent window assemblies. As it turns out there are replacements for the YJ vent window locks.
Brakes / Wheels
	Double Flaring Brake Line - Compression fittings have no place in a brake system, they just aren't safe. There's no reason to use these as a fix for splicing brake lines, as double flaring a brake line is really an easy process. These are your brakes, there's no excuse for shortcuts. Single flares can come apart as well under this kind of pressure, thats why double flaring brake line is a must.
	Mounting Beadlocks - Mounting beadlocks is pretty straight forward, but the steps need to be followed carefully to ensure proper sealing. This will help ensure you don't have problems later.
	Relocating Brake Lines - To ensure my brake hoses don't act as limiting straps, I relocated my brake lines underneath the frame. Simply move the brake line tab from the top side of the frame, to the bottom side, used one of the bump stop bolts to hold it down. Simple, easy, and cheap.
	Understanding Beadlocks - Well after seeing a couple of my buddies really do a double take on my beadlocks, I realized not many people really understand them. We all know they clamp the tire to the wheel, but its different to actually see it.
	Wheel Tech - A simple guide to different types of wheels, and common terms like backspacing.
Electrical
	Alternator Swap - Got a 91-98 Jeep with the ECM controlled alternator, this is a perfect upgrade for you. This 136 amp Dodge alternator is a direct replacement.
	CB Tuning - Well after find a lack of CB antenna tuning write-ups, I figured I'd write one. The biggest problems I came across was what I did find was a whole bunch of in depth theory, that was rather dry. I don't want to spend days researching this, I just want to tune my CB antenna. This is meant to be a very basic, simple guide to tuning your CB antenna.
	Daytime Running Lamp Module Bypass - While your lights will work when you disconnect the module, for full functionality you need to splice two wires together.
	Dual Batteries - Tired of seeing that volt gauge drop to nothing on those hard winch pulls? Worried your Jeep won't started after those long winch pulls? Perhaps its time to check into a dual battery setup.
	Electrical Repair / Diagnosing - I decided to use this project as an example on how to use a multi-meter to help determine what my electrical problem is, rather than just a headlight socket replacement writeup.
	Hooking up Relays - This writeup will walk you through hooking up relays.
	Larger Battery in the Stock Tray - Need a new battery for your Jeep? You can fit a much larger battery in the stock tray. I've done this to several TJs and YJs now, so I figured I'd share.
	Making Your Own CB Antenna Cable - So if you've read anything on CB antennas, I'm sure you've read about using 18' of coax. However running 18' of coax in a Jeep isn't exactly easy, especially since you can't just coil up the extra.
	Multi-Meter Basics - Ok so your Jeep won't start, but why, is the battery dead? For some reason people see meters as some mystical complicated device. Anyone who works on Jeeps should own a meter, and know how to use it.
	OBD I Trouble Code List - Check engine light codes for 95 and older.
	OBD II Trouble Code List - Check engine light codes for 96 and newer.
	PUMA OBA Repair - Common failure points repaired of the PUMA OBA system. Valve replacement / fabrication, solenoid replacement, and wiring diagram for remote control.
	Radio Installation - Installing an aftermarket radio is really pretty easy. You don't even have to know much about wiring to do it.
	Speedometer Correction - So most of us suffer from an inaccurate speedometer, due to various reasons (gear ratio or tire size changes). This is a simple and adjustable option to correct your speedometer.
	Starter Replacement - Replacing a starter on your Jeep isn't a big deal at all. This covers removing the smaller, gear reduction starters found on later YJs, and TJs, other earlier Jeeps are similar.
	Testing MAP Sensors - Continuing in my do it yourself series, and sensor testing, will be MAP sensors. MAP sensors are used by the ECM to help determine how much air is entering the engine.
	Testing Relays - This writeup will walk you through testing relays.
	Testing TPS Sensors - Well next in my do it yourself series, will be a round of sensor testing. I'll be starting out with Throttle Position Sensors. TPS sensors tell the ECM how far open the throttle is. All it does is vary resistance as the throttle is opened up.
	Turn Signal Switch Replacement - Next in my do it yourself series, replacing a turn signal switch. Even though they don't go bad that often, in a Jeep that is exposed to the elements, you may eventually go through one. This writeup is done on a YJ.
	Warn / Tabor Winch Solenoid Wiring - I found it difficult to find a wiring diagram for many of the Warn / Tabor winches, so I decided to make one.
	Winch Maintenance / Rebuild - Well my winch has been progressively getting louder and louder, so I figured it was about time to take it apart and regrease it. Most winches are very similar to this, the winch I'm rebuilding here is a Tabor 9k, the Warn M8000 is pretty much identical in every way.
Engine / Drivetrain
	231 Writeup, Chain Replacement / SYE - Taking apart a NP231 or NV231 isn't as big of a deal as you might think. For chain replacement, or an SYE installation its just easier to go ahead and pull the transfer case.
	Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator - Recently I started a search for an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. As many know there is typically only one place to go for these. I found an alternative that is a fraction of the cost.
	Belt Change - Probably the most common question I get asked, is how to remove the serpentine belt. Jeep didn't use a spring tensioner like most other vehicles. There's a manual adjustment screw to adjust the belt tension.
	Engine Rebuilding - When rebuilding a motor you have all sorts of options. You could just buy a complete motor, but when it comes to motors, trust no one, you're better off building it yourself to ensure everything is perfect. That way you know exactly what you have when its done.
	Hand Throttle - A hand throttle is one of the cheapest, easiest, mods you can do to your Jeep. You just don't realize how much you need one until you have one. All you need to make a hand throttle is a bicycle brake handle, brake cable, and some electrical connectors.
	Heater Core - Replacing a heater core in a YJ isn't a big deal.
	Homemade Cold Air Intake - Ok so I give, after saying I'll never do anything ricer-like to my Jeep.... To many people I know have gotten better gas mileage out of a "cold-air" intake.
	Homemade MML Install - A motor mount lift is designed to improve the rear driveshaft angles. While I could buy a motor mount spacer, that's not quite my style. I decided to make my own, which turned out to be a quick and easy project.
	Jeep Fuel Injector Swaps - Not much has changed with fuel injectors over the last twenty years. However fuel injector swaps for our Jeeps have changed quite a bit. So I'd figure I'd throw together a quick guide on newer options, and picking out injectors.
	Manual Transmission Fluid Change - Did you know your manual transmission fluid should be changed every 18,000 miles? You should also check the fluid for water containmenation after each wheeling trip. Changing the fluid is pretty simple really.
	Master Cylinder / Slave Cylinder Replacement - Having problems with your clutch, this writeup will walk you through replacing the clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder.
	Oil Change Writeup - Changing your own oil seems like a simple enough task for many people, but this is more for the beginners out there. Lets face it, we didn't all start out by doing axle swaps, we started by changing oil.
	Rebuilding a CV Driveshaft - Well the next how-to in my do-it-yourself series, is rebuilding a CV driveshaft. Even if you don't have a CV driveshaft, it will at least show you how to change a U-joint.
	Replacing a Valve Cover Gasket - Well next in my do it yourself series is replacing a valve cover gasket. This one is pretty straight forward, and cheap too.
	Rough Shifting / Manual Transmissions - Well I write this so often, I figure this is a good place to put it. Everyone wonders why their transmission shifts hard or not at all.
	Short Throw Shifter Install - So I'll admit I never saw the point of short shifters on a Jeep until I drove Crazy Dan's YJ with a Hurst shifter. Ever since then I've wanted one.
	Thermostat Replacement - Simple writeup about replacing a thermostat.
	TJ Intake Swap - A TJ intake maybe a good solution on a YJ for those with clearance issues caused by modifications. It is a pretty straight forward swap.
	WJ Intake Swap - The 99-up WJ intakes are worth some horsepower on older 4.0s. While it does require some minor modifications, it's a fairly straight forward swap.
Steering
	DIY Alignment - Anytime you replace a steering component (like a tie-rod), or lift your Jeep you should do an alignment. In stock form, only a toe adjustment is necessary. This is however very easy to do in the driveway.
	Installing a Custom Steering Wheel - Installing a custom steering wheel is a quick easy job.
	Removing Tie Rod Ends - Removing a tie-rod is pretty straight forward job. However getting the tie-rod out of the steering knuckle can be tough.
	YJ Replacement Power Steering Reservoir - Replacing your cracked YJ power steering reservoir with an XJ reservoir.
Suspension
	Anti-Wrap Bars - Well after getting several questions and requests for photos of my wrap bar, I figured I post up some for everyone. A wrap bar is necessary to prevent spring wrap on SOA'd vehicles. If you don't do something to prevent the axle from rotating while accelerating, you will destroy springs and/or pinion yokes.
	Rebuilding Johnny Joints - Well my next do it yourself write up deals with johnny joints. These go by many names, but they all work and function the same.
	Shackle Reversal - Theres a lot to consider with shackle reversal, this writeup discusses some of the pros and cons.