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.

No Jeep Recalls this month.

Trail Tips

In April 2010 I instituted a new feature. I call it Trail Tips, and I'll be including up to three tips each month shuffled in amongst the questions and answers. I'll be numbering them sequentially so if you keep a file on the tips, you'll know right away if you're missing any.

Trail Tip #4-Matchless Campfire Tip #1: For all of the starter tips you'll need kindling. Make it from bits of toilet paper, very small slivers of wood, charred cloth, etc. Keep it in a secure, dry container for use on the trail.

Nother Nutter Bypass

I have a 258 with an aftermarket Weber 32/36 carburetor. Will the Nutter Bypass do any good with this configuration?
Michael Barnette
St. Stephen, SC

In my opinion, no. You'd be much better off with an ignition system from a well-known and proven manufacturer such as Accel, Mallory, MSD, etc. They would also give you tech support should you need it.

Slow Speedo

I have a 2005 Jeep Wrangler with 35x12.50x15 tires, stock 3.73:1 gears. I need to see if you have a speedometer gear for my vehicle's set up?
Casper Cole
Cabot, AR

I'm afraid you'll have to live with what you have. Your speedometer is electronic and is tied in with the onboard computer - there's no way to change it. Unless, of course, you wish to install an aftermarket speedometer. Several companies, such as VDO, make programmable speedometers. I'm currently installing one in a 1982 CJ7; watch for the upcoming article here on ORC. In addition, Skyjacker also offers a speedometer calibrator that might work.

Stak Speedo

Speedometer I am building a 1992 Cherokee limited edition with a 350 engine. I have bought a Stak transfer case and want to use the original speedometer. I have the temp, oil pressure, battery gauges working but need to find out what I would need to do to make the speedometer work?
Eddie
El Paso, TX

According to Stak's website: "Our VSS is a factory Jeep Rubicon sending unit. It is a direct plug in to 2003-2006 Jeep Wranglers and is easily adapted to the 1997-2002 Wranglers. If your application utilizes a mechanical drive speedometer, then you will need to replace your factory speedometer with an aftermarket unit like the ones from Auto Meter or Dakota Digital. Our VSS sends three pulses per revolution of the rear output shaft. If you need a different signal or pulse count, there are several aftermarket 'signal convertors' available."

Trail Tip #5-If you have eyeglasses, you won't need a match. Glasses can be used like a magnifying glass to start your kindling smoldering with sunlight. Focus the pinpoint of light by raising and lowering the glasses above the kindling. As soon as it begins smoldering, blow it into a fire and add kindling until it's big enough for you.

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Short Seat

I have a 2010 Jeep Wrangler 2-door 4x4. The passenger seat does not go up far enough to get in the back. My 2005 had a lot more room. I told Jeep but they had no answer for me.
Skipper Phipps
Mitchell, IN

I haven't seen a complaint about the passenger seat before. Yours is the first. If you have some mechanical skills, perhaps you could fabricate some new mounts that would allow you to slide the seat farther forward before tilting it for rear seat access.

Trail Tip #6-Carry some flint and steel. A pocket knife, which you should always have with you on a trail anyway, can act as the steel, so all you need to find is a flinty rock that when struck against your knife blade will created a spark. Aim the spark into the kindling. When it starts smoldering, blow it into a flame, and keep adding larger pieces of kindling until you have a fire going.

On-Board Air

I want to convert my '91 XJ to on-board air using my A/C compressor. I understand that to use my stock A/C compressor I need an in-line oiler. How does that work? Does it need an oil reservoir to feed the oiler?
Paul O
Ramona, CA

Why do away with your Cherokee's A/C, especially in SoCal? I'd suggest visiting the websites of 4-Wheel Hardware, Quadratec, or 4-Wheel Parts and look at the available 12-VDC air pumps and on-board air tanks instead. You can mount the air compressor and air tank, then hard-wire the air compressor to keep the air tank filled, then all you need to do is connect an air hose to fill tires or use air tools. To me this makes more sense than eliminating your A/C when SoCal's summer is coming on.

Trail Tip #7-Use a boot lace or shoe lace to make a bow with a flexible branch. Twist the string around another straight branch and hold the straight branch between two pieces of notched flat wood. Use the bow like a handsaw or a violin bow and saw it back and forth to cause the vertical straight stick to spin. The faster you spin it, the hotter the flat pieces will get, until the kindling you've placed around the lower block will begin smoldering. As soon as it begins smoldering, blow it into a fire and add kindling until it's big enough for you.

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Wrangling a D35

Can a Dana 35 from a '93 Cherokee fit in a '95 YJ?
Terry Winnette
Murfreesboro, TN

It's very close and will fit with some minor modifications.

'47 Willys

I have a 1947 Willys PU Truck, although I'm keeping the exterior original, I do need to convert the engine and transmission to a daily driver, eliminating the three-speed to an automatic, either to a 6-cylinder or V-8. Which engine and transmission would be best as far as marrying up with each other for ease of this conversion? I'm trying to keep in mind power as well as fuel economy. I'm a girl so yes I would like the best of both worlds, what can I say?
Tracie Ricks
South Bend, IN

What's being a girl got to do with anything? You've got a '47 Willys truck with which you want to go wheeling and to work, 'nough said! Besides, I'm somewhat envious-I love those trucks and wagons! In my opinion, your best bet would be a GM 4.3L V6 with a 700R4 automatic. Advance Adapters can not only provide all the parts you'll need but also a book showing you exactly how to do the conversion. The engine/trans combo will give you performance and economy both, on the trail and on the road.

Fender Flare Furbishing

The black trim around the fenderwells and the bottom of the doors on my 1998 Jeep Cherokee are faded. What brings them back to life? I have tried the S-O-S pads and basic green scatchy pads. But what do you recommend other than painting them black again?
Nancy C.
Tillamook, OR

I can give you two choices. WD-40 will clean them and turn them black and shiny again, but you'll probably have to renew the treatment every couple of months--especially along the Oregon coast in Tillamook (great cheese factory!). Or you can do what I did with my '82 CJ-7, remove them, clean them up, and paint them (either glossy black or flat black, depending on your preference). The paint will last a year or so.

Trail Tip #8-Buy a Boy Scout Manual. I know it sounds strange, but the Boy Scout Manual can give you more ways to start a fire, improved methods in setting up a campsite, first aid solutions, and a hundred other ideas that'll improve your outdoor recreation time. When you're on a trail, keep the Boy Scout Manual in your console.

Trail Tip Teaser-Keep an eye out for next month's tips. I'm going to tell you some methods for tire repair on the trail.

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.