Bob Mock

This conversion will be done on an A/C compressor from a 1988 Jeep. Depending on the year of your jeep the fittings at the compressor end may be a different size. Some experimentation will be needed to find the right fitting if you decide not to hack off and use the fittings already there. Go ahead and open the hood. Disconnect the battery before beginning any work. (this should be done any time you're working under the hood) Before you disconnect any of the Air Conditioning plumbing you need to have the refridgerant drained. If you've been drained then start to remove the fittings from the compressor. This is the point at which you could take a slightly different beginning. Some folks doing this conversion decide to cut the hard lines coming from the connectors on top of the compressor so they can just put hose over top of them and clamp the hose on for the input and ouput from the compressor. I chose to remove the plumbing intact and find brass fittings that would fit onto the A/C compressor. I did not want to cut my plumbing.

I got hold of a 2.5 gal stainless steel fire extinguisher that was used with compressed water and I decided this would make a perfect air tank for my onboard air setup.

A while back we reviewed the Garvin Wilderness Accessories Roof Rack and have loved it ever since. I've been carrying my spare tire shovel and hi-lift jack up there ever since I got it but had to have them strapped down to keep them from becoming hazardous to other cars. I decided to check out Garvin's accessories and try out their tire mount and shovel/axe mount. Below you'll find install tips for this simple install. To install both it took me about 1.5hrs.

The E-Z Locker from Tractech is one of the more popular upgrades many off-roaders use to increase their trail performance. While some may say that this method of automatic locking differential isn't as strong as using a Detroit locker or ARB, the price and performance put it right in line with many modest weekend Cherokee owners. The installation process is rather simple. The locker is composed of 6 main pieces and then an assortment of springs and pins. The install can be done by anyone with reasonable mechanical experience in an hour or so. I had never done any differential work before so it was a learning process, but I can say I've done it and it didn't take me all that long. We'll be installing the Ez-locker in our Dana 35c that's under our '88 XJ.

JKS has a definite reputation among the XJ community for building great sway bar disconnects that allow great articulation off-road, but many do not know they they also make an adjustable tracbar and a VERY heavy duty tie rod replacement for the XJ's too. We got a hold of these to products and we are VERY happy with the quality, fit and massive strength of these parts. The install is very straight forward and easy. It took about 1.5hrs. total to install both. Check out below for our install.

JKS Adjustable Tracbar and Heavy Duty Tie Rod: Part 2 Photo Gallery